Classroom Management and Student

Guidance Plan
Intended for Use by 1st, 2nd and 3rd Grades

Anna Tyrlik, EDT 474E Section D, December 14, 2013


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Section 2. Explanation of Your Core Beliefs About Children, Teachers, and Education
a. What assumptions do you make about the inherent nature of children [e.g., at birth, is every
child inherently good-or are some children born evil-or is every child neutral in this
regard?is every child born with a disobedient will that must be broken?]
Children are born with a certain innocence that comes with them. They believe
about the good in others and see the light in each other. Later on, their innocence is tainted
with learning about the realities of the world. They learn the simplicity of the world and
the simple pleasures of every day life. When they misbehave, they are not doing it because
they have an evil or disobedient will, it is because they are doing what they think is right
not what is the correct way. As people, we are all imperfect and all sinners but our ability
to forgive makes us children of God and children of the light.

b. To what extent can children learn self-control [physical, emotional, intellectual, and
behavioral]? What actions by significant adults [especially parents/guardians and PK-6 teachers]
promote a childs development of all domains of self-control?
Students can learn self-control in the different domains through following examples
of the adults and older children they look up to. Many items for self-control can be taught
through rules and regulations such as physical and behavioral self-control. I feel as though
reminding the students throughout the day to be respectful, keep their thoughts in their
heads until they are called on to share during reading times, making sure that they are
acting within reason and not to be irresponsible with their emotions.

c. What meaning do you ascribe to learning? How do children learn? Based on your current
understanding, explain your definition of learning and then explain the basic processes by
which a child learns any particular knowledge or skill.
Learning for me is the ability to show that they know what is being taught on a
subject matter. Children learn through exploration, through listening and through
questioning. Their ability to soak in and intake information almost constantly while
analyzing it and forming thoughts and making sure they grasp the concepts is incredible.
Childrens minds at that age are described as sponges because every experience is
something knew unlike when they reach high school, where it feels as though every lesson is
reviewing and building upon previous knowledge. Children learn a basic concept such as
letters through constant observation and accumulation of sounds, sights and manipulations
of the objects in front of them.

d. What can/should a K-3 teacher do to promote healthy psychosocial development?
Psychosocial development consists of development of the psychological and social
schemas of the child. Within the classroom, these consist of: the teacher child relationship,
the parent teacher relationship, the parent child relationship and the relationships formed
between the children of the class. The teacher, I, should be watching over children and
making sure that they are being respectful to their peers and the adults in the room or any
adult within the building. I will also be making sure that I as the teacher am respectful to
their parents, the children themselves and to other adults within the buildings. Another
thing I could do to promote healthy psychosocial development is allow children to sit by
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different people when the desks are arranged and once in each half year, allow the students
to pick their own groups for tables or who they sit next to.

e. What can/should a K-3 teacher do to promote healthy intellectual growth and development?
In my classroom, I will try to challenge students at the higher end of their zone of
proximal development. To do this, I would first work with the class and conduct an
informal assessment about the standard that would build to the standard covered in the
classroom for the lesson. I would work with students using developmentally appropriate
practices and spend time working one on one with the student to individualize instruction
based on the individual I am teaching towards. As a teacher, standards are a minimum for
my students to meet while I hope my students to achieve above and beyond.

f. In what ways might the relationship between a teacher and a student affect a childs learning
and development?
I will try to develop a relationship with my students as their teacher through
attempting to connect with every child. I will let my students know that I am not about
favorites and they will all be my favorites. If I am not connecting with a particular student,
I will talk to them about their favorites and try to connect with them. I believe that if the
students have a strong relationship with me as their teacher, then they will want to learn
and do their best.

g. In what ways might the school-home relationship affect a childs learning and development?
The school home relationship can impact a students learning and development in a
positive and negative manner because if a child is worry about what is happening at home,
it can cause them to focus more or less on school. If there is negative home life, the child
will be impacted by their schoolwork being influence, the lack of support meaning no
learning at home, and if there is abuse, the child will be sulking at school. If there is a
positive home life, the student will have support within the classroom, there will be at home
reinforcement and the teacher will have reassurance that homework is getting
accomplished.

Section 3. Statement of Your Core Beliefs and Practices Related to Student Guidance:
a. Based on the knowledge and skills you have learned thus far in your academic career and life
experience, what can you identify as your Top Ten Beliefs and/or Strategies About Student
Guidance?
1. Inform students of limits. As a teacher, I need to communicate what is
appropriate and inappropriate to occur in the classroom. (GYC 118) Students need
boundaries set from the beginning in order to have the best possible experience within the
classroom. I hope to use this within my classroom through working with the students to
create a set of classroom rules from the beginning and helping implement them with the
students as support.
2. Teach helpful behavior. (GYC 328) Many students have troubles with
understanding what is appropriate and inappropriate to do in the classroom, especially at
this young age. Assisting with childrens self-efficacy and control at this age will help them
become stronger in the future as learners and people. By using myself as an example, I
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hope students will learn different strategies to work smarter and not harder in the
classroom.
3. Problem ownership and problem solving skills. Students have a hard time
realizing who is creating the issue and how to resolve it. (GYC 47) Allowing students to
understand what problem ownership is, how it is assigned and how to solve a problem, they
will become better group workers in the future, they will thrive in the community and it
will assist them in becoming honest individuals. In the classroom, I hope students will work
their own way through problems using different strategies that are discussed as well as
know that if the problem is something of a larger scale or something they cannot handle on
their own, they can come to me for guidance.
4. Provide meaningful feedback for students work. Students need praise throughout
the classroom to improve their moral and to ensure that they are not discouraged with
school. (GYC 181) This idea is important for students to ensure that they understand what
is expected of them and feel as though the teacher sees them for who they are as a person
and not simply as a to do task. Throughout the day, I will attempt to watch and monitor
the students as they are working. If I notice that a student is working strongly within a
group setting, mastering a skill they have struggled with in the past or is on task, I will
mention it to them and/or raise their behavior points for that day.
5. Distract and Divert. Students who are misbehaving respond to a change in
activity or through doing something unrelated to take their mind off of the issue. (GYC
133) Though this issue is typically only used with younger children, it can be beneficial for
older students as well because they are still learning what are acceptable and safe behaviors
in the classroom. Within the classroom, students will always have a reading book on their
desk or on the back of their chair. If there is a point in time, when I feel as though a student
needs a break, I will tell them to grab their book, and read for about 10 minutes, using a
timer on their desk. Students will be used to this as I feel, once it is instituted well, they will
not notice it at all.
6. Use I-messages when talking about an issue. Using I messages helps the student
understand that I am upset about something and to realize why his or her actions were
inappropriate. When talking with the student, take a deep breath, and make a calm
statement beginning with I did or It made me feel. In the classroom, I hope to show
students that their actions have consequences and when they make bad choices, they
impact me.
7. Create a safe environment for students to succeed in. One of the safest places for
students to be in during the day is a school. With the recent school shootings, children are
occasionally scared to come to school. Students should feel as though the classroom is a safe
zone where they can be themselves, not be afraid of being incorrect and feel as though their
classmates are their family during the school year. Within my classroom, the students will
be assessed at a level, which is within their zone of development; they will not be criticized
or judged for answering the question incorrectly during a lesson.
8. Preserve childrens dignity. A childs emotional bank is very delicate for the
balance is in constant threat of tipping in one direction or the other. They strive to please
the adult in the area and seem good in front of their peers. Students will make mistakes
and the goal is to ensure that the student is not embarrassed through their mistake and
their ego is undamaged. At the same time, students are required to learn form their
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mistakes. I hope to preserve my students dignity through a personalized and private
system of discipline, which is described in detail later on.
9. Ignore Behavior when appropriate. This takes a lot of thought and understanding
of the misbehaving student. For the teacher, I must understand which students behavior is
to gain attention from me and which students want sincere help and assistance. In my
classroom, I will work on learning my students inside and out, and learning when
something is wrong with the students.
10. Make learning meaningful for the students. Students feel as though learning is
pointless and question why it is important to learn what is being taught in the school. Many
times, much of what is taught in schools is simply because there is a standard pertaining to
that task. As a teacher, I hope to create a classroom where the learning makes sense, each
lesson has a contribution to learning in the future, creates a foundation for understanding
or the student understands and wishes to learn about the lesson.
b. What role/s do you expect to play in the lives of your students?
In the lives of my students, I hope to be an authority figure as well as a mentor.
These two roles are quite typical of a teacher and I personally feel as though they are two of
the most important while teaching. Being an authority figure is key in the lives of the
students because they know that they will trust me as a teacher to ensure the classroom is a
good environment for them to learn in. For parents, I would like to reassure them that I
will not allow students to simply misbehave without appropriate consequences but also
make sure that they learn through being an appropriate authority figure
For my students, I would like to be someone they can come to with any problems
and worries and talk to. I would like for them to know that I am an adult in their lives and
should they need anything, they feel safe enough to talk to me. I hope that even if
something is happening in their home life, they could see me as a mentor to ask for help.
This shows students that there is one adult in their life, if not more, that they can trust and
ask for help. I hope to show parents through my own lifes work and stories as well as their
children, what some good life choices are and how to lead a successful life.

c. What legacy do you hope to leave imprinted in your students minds, hearts, and souls?
As I a teacher, I hope to instill a belief that anything is possible for them to achieve
if they put their mind to it. This is a key idea for children to have because society constantly
is telling children that they cannot do things when they start growing up and in a country
where the extended childhood exists, it is a hope for children that they will not have to
worry about matters their parents have such as bills, money, divorce or love and job
situations.

d. What needs of your own do you anticipate getting met by your work as a classroom teacher?
Teaching for me is a self-fulfilling profession. The joy that comes across a students
face when the light bulb moment occurs or the smile that happens when a child sees me in
the morning is payment enough for the work that goes into teaching. One of the key needs
I anticipate meeting when I work as a classroom teacher is a sense of confidence when I
know that the students are learning what I am intending to teach them. I would like for my
students to become their own monitors and teachers by the end of time I spend with them.
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For myself, working with children and their families brings me joy and a sense of
accomplishment when I look back at what I have done. I never saw myself working in a
desk and cubicle type of job but in a job where I am constantly on my feet, moving around
and using the energy I have to make a difference. I know that I will sleep better at night
knowing that I have put forth an effort to make a difference in the world and using
strengths I have to do so.

Section 4. Classroom Management: Procedures and Routines:
a. When the school bell signals the students to enter the building, where will you be and what
will you be doing for the first 3 minutes of the school day?
While students are entering the building, I am by the door and welcoming every
student to the classroom. Saying good morning and asking about anything new with the
childs life is a huge thing for me because it allows students to know that I care what is
happening in their lives. During the first three minutes following the bell to start the day, I
will be at my desk, checking homework, answering students questions. Also, at the end of
the three minutes, I will be walking around to check student planners and sign them. This
is for the parents to know that we see their notes and see the students writing their
homework and being responsible in it.

b. How will you manage students lunch tickets and/or money?
I feel that students should be responsible for their own money and lunch tickets. In
the morning, the students will be required to turn in money if that is according to the
schools method of functioning. Personally, I would rather students have their money in a
take-home folder and have them take it down at lunchtime. Students will also be
responsible for making their own lunch decisions and choosing healthy options.

c. How will attendance be taken?
Attendance will be taken at the beginning of the day through informal observation
of saying hello to them at the beginning of the day and watching who does not come in or
who isnt sitting at his or her desk. It will be submitted by online sheet. Students who come
in late are required to sign in at the front office. I will try to omit doing a roll call of all the
students after the first week so that less time is taken out of the day.

d. How will morning announcements be made?
Morning announcements will be over a slide in the front of the classroom as the
children are walking into the room. After the whole school announcements, the slide is put
away and the day begins. If any reminders needed to be made about events during the
week, then I would announce it at the end of the day. Homework is assigned at the
beginning of the day and students are required to mark it down in their planners. After
that lesson, the assignment was passed out and the kids are required to put it in their take-
home folder.

e. How will you collect students homework?
Students will be assigned homework as a packet of items to be completed
throughout the week or will be assigned sheets to complete and turn in every night. This
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decision will be made cooperatively with the other teachers teaching the same grade level
or through the team of teachers I am assigned to work with.

f. How will students line up at the door to leave the classroom for another part of the building
(music, lunch, etc.)?
For lining up, I would like to simply call on my students by tables and allow them to
line themselves up. I will rotate the first table during the day and the first and second
person in line are my line leader and door holder (two classroom jobs) and the last person,
whoever that may be, will grab the lights and the door as we leave.

g. How will you manage use of the rest rooms by students throughout the day?
With my students, I hope to establish as system of trust and signing. What I mean
by this is that for the bathroom, they would raise their hand using the American Sign
Language word for signing and then I would nod at them to signal they may use the
restroom. The system of trust would be that I would hope they understood what times are
good and bad for using the restroom and know when it is an emergency or if it was just
because they wanted to move around.
If the system is not working, then I will the required to transition into a more
calculated system such as sticks or writing it down on a sticky note. This will show students
how much time they are not staying within the classroom and how they can use their time
more wisely by focusing on assignments instead of wishing to socialize.

h. How will you manage student use of the hallway drinking fountain?
As with the bathroom passes, I will use a system of trust and sign language with the
students for the water fountain. They will sign the American Sign Language word for
water or to drink and then I will nod to tell them, they may go grab a drink of water from
the water fountain. I will monitor who is leaving and how often to ensure that students are
not abusing the power and trust I am instilling in them.

i. How will you manage student use of the classroom sink [lets assume there is one]?
Classroom sink has been the cause of most issues within the classroom. Most of the
time, I will forget it exists because it will not be in use. For when the students required the
use of the sink, they will be called up by group and wash their hands, dry them off and
return to their seats or line up. Other times, it will be used before they get in line for lunch.
j. How will you manage student use of the pencil sharpener?
Inside the students desk, they will have 3 pencils for the day. During school hours,
there are two bins at the front of the classroom: one for sharpened pencils and another for
broken pencils. If they have 2 broken pencils, they may stand up, walk up to the bins
quietly, and trade in their two broken pencils for one sharpened pencil to use for the rest of
the day. At the end of the day, the teachers sidekick will be in charge of sharpening the
pencils, which are broken.

l. How will you organize and manage student Classroom Helpers--what classroom jobs will
there be? What procedure will you use to assign Classroom Helpers?
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Within my classroom, the helper jobs I hope to have in my classroom are line
leader, door holder, paper passer, teachers sidekick, lights, messengers, librarian, and
paper organizer. Line leader would typically be the Spotlight student or the birthday
student of that week. They will be the head of the line when walking to different parts of
the building. Door holder will stand directly behind the line leader and is in charge of
holding the door when going to other parts of the building. Paper passer will be an
assistant to me as the teacher and assist with passing out assignments, passing out the
offices and making sure each student gets an assignment. My sidekick will be required to
assist with anything I would need in the classroom, for example answering the phone if it
rings, opening the door for students if it is locked, sharpening pencils at the end of the day,
grabs clipboard off the wall in case of emergency and ensures that everyone is in the
classroom when leaving for recess, specials and at the end of the day. Lights will turn off
the lights when it is needed, such as for a movie showing, short video, and at the end of the
day or when leaving the room. Messengers will be required to take the attendance and
lunch counts down to the office in the morning, assist with taking a student down to the
nurse and go down to the office if something is needed. Librarian is in charge of ensuring
the classroom library is neat and organized at the end of the day and the computers have
the monitors turned off before leaving the classroom for home. My paper organizer will
collect the papers and use a quick minute to organize the papers in number order to make
it easier for me to grade and return to students.
I plan on having a chart in the front of the room with each of the jobs listed and will
use a random draw method for students to choose the jobs they would like. They would be
required to mark down what their job is for the following week in their planners to ensure
no repetitions. Not every child will have a job for each week but I will make sure that each
child will be able to have every job throughout the school year.

m. How will you collect daily assignments from students?
During the day, most assignments completed in the classroom will be turned into the
basket at the front of the room where the paper organizer will then sort the papers into
numerical order. For tests, the paper organizer will simply hand the stack of papers to me.
I will then paper clip each assignment together and stack them in alternating fashion to
grade during a free period, after school that evening or at home. I will then return the
assignments in a mailbox for the students to pack to their take home folders at the end of
the day or into their end of the week progress folder (a yellow mail envelope) if it is an
assessment.

n. As you bring the school day to a close: what will the students are expected to do--and what
will you be doing--during the last 3 minutes of the school day?
Ideally, my last lesson of the day will be DEAR or SSR time for the students to read
their independent reading books, finish up incomplete assignments, for me to meet with
students who I would like to see for extra help, and to wrap up the day with some quiet
time. This will end 5 minutes before the end of the day when the students with jobs that
require them to complete them at the end of the day will complete them. Then with 3
minutes remaining before the first dismissal, the students will grab their take-home folders,
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put any papers to take home inside, pack their backpacks and talk quietly at their desks
with the people around them.
I will be walking around the room, making sure students are grabbing the correct
items for homework, graded papers and talking with students about their plans for the
evening and the next few days. By talking with students, I hope to create a sense of
community with them and a sense that I care about them wholeheartedly.

Section 5. Implementation of Student Guidance Practices:
a. Classroom rules/expectations: By whom--and how--will these be determined? Once
determined, how will you communicate these rules/expectations to students and
parents/guardians?
The class as a whole will create classroom rules during the first week of school using
past years and the school rules as a guideline. The students will be required to fill out a
worksheet creating their personal idea of what the classroom rules should be. Afterwards, I
will collect the rules, take note of the 8 most common ones and then as a class, vote upon
the rules and create a poster for the room.
Once the students determine the rules, I will create a document, which will state
each rule, and how they can be followed for the students to take home to their parents and
keep a copy in their take-home folder. The students will also know the rules and be
required to follow them, as they will be posted in the classroom.

>>For items be below, think about an example of the kind of student behavior described and
then state your example.
b. Level I: Some student behaviors may be off-task but not disruptive to your instruction or
other students learning [e.g., sleeping in class; staring out the window, etc.]. How will you deal
with this type of student behaviors?
For a student who is not paying attention in class, I will quietly go stand next to
them after handing out instructions and speak with them. Most of the time, when a student
is not paying attention, they are bored, something is occurring within their home life or
they do not understand what is being presented. For these small off task behaviors,
students will not receive a punishment in the form of moving their marker for where
they stand in terms of performance. After a short discussion with the student, I will hope
the student improves and makes better choices throughout the day.

c. Level II: Some student behaviors will be off-task and mildly disruptive to your teaching
and/or other students learning [e.g., two students chatting during instruction; two students
passing notes back and forth, etc.]. How will you deal with this type of student behaviors?
If students are off task and its slightly disruptive to my teacher, I will have the
students move their marker for where they are, down one step down the ladder. This
shows them that there are consequences for their actions and is similar to a wake up call
that I as the teacher am aware of what goes on in the classroom. This, however, is not a
final move. Should the students make good choices, they are able to move up on the
ladder.
This ladder is located on each students desk and they have a clip, which they move
up and down the ladder. It has 7 rungs, 3 positive steps, 3 negative steps and 1 neutral.
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Each child begins in neutral and can move in either direction throughout the day. It keeps
the student in check and allows them to se where they are throughout the day and what
choices they could make.

d. Level III: Some student behaviors will be off-task and seriously disruptive to your teaching
and every other students learning [e.g., a student throws a soggy paper towel at you and it
splatters against the chalkboard; a student says loudly, Youre not my mother and I dont have
to do what you say! etc.]. How will you deal with this type of student behaviors?
For seriously disruptive behaviors, I will give the students a warning for their
behavior and ask them to move their clip down. If the behavior continues longer, the child
will be required to speak with me once instructions are given to the class. If the behavior is
serious enough, the child will be asked to leave the classroom and go to the pincipals office
for a short discussion with him or her. This is traditionally the response required by the
school for behaviors such as this.

e. Level IV: Some student [or others] behaviors will pose an immediate, serious threat to the
physical safety of you and/or other students [e.g., a stranger bolts into your classroom holding a
pistol and threatens to blow you all away; a student grabs a pair of scissors and holds to point
at the throat of another student, etc.]. How will you deal with this type of student or intruder
behaviors?
Having been in a situation with a potential intruder within the school, I will ask the
students to report to the hidden area within the classroom, a side of the room designated by
me where an intruder would not see the children should he look through the window in the
door, crouch down and stay absolutely silent. While the students are moving, I will grab
the long sheets of black construction paper hanging by the door and cover the window.
Then I will join the students and ensure that they are ok and quiet. The goal of this practice
is for the room to appear empty.
If a threat was directly in the classroom, I would try to keep everyone calm, ensure
each childs safety and attempt to keep the threatened child calm while the threatening
child to attempt to give up what they were doing. In honesty, I can create plans and
theorize about what I would do for this situation, but until this is a situation I am in, I will
not know how to react. The previous situation is one I have been in therefore; I know how I
would react.

Section 6. Physical organization of your classroom: In Section 6 you are to provide a computer-
generated map of the physical arrangement of your classroom. Be sure to include all of the
items that are typically found in an elementary school classroom.

(submitted previously via email)