Philosophical Statement

The classroom is a place where students are supposed to feel comfortable

and obtain more knowledge. The only way to allow the students to reach all
of their potential it is the teachers duty to provide them the necessary tools.
Teachers play a major role in influencing the youth of the United States of
America. My teaching style most aligns with a progressive-style. I believe
that it is the responsibility of a teacher to prepare youth for life after high
school whether that is continuing their educational career or the employment
market. I plan on doing this by teaching them life skills, challenging them to
persevere through all obstacles, and to be open-minded rather than closeminded. I will achieve this by supporting creativity in my classroom, having
them conquer difficult tasks/concepts, and nonverbally teaching them life
lessons, and offering many opportunities of group discussion and group work.
Physical Room
The placement of all the objects in the room can play a major role in
determining how students perform. I will arrange students desk into quads
(Four desks connected) parallel from the white/chalk board. Allowing
students to work in quads teaches them to work with others. In the real world
they will encounter situations where they need to work with people they do
not want to. These desks will not be in quads on quiz or test days. I will have
the students place their desks in single rows with adequate enough space
between each desk. I will place my desk in the back corner of the room on
the west side of the room. By placing my desk at the back of the room I will
be able to keep a watchful eye on all things that could occur in my
classroom. This will also allow me to efficiently use the entire pace that my
white/chalk board offers. White walls can often give students concentration
problems and in order to combat that I will have posters hanging on the
sides of each wall. These posters will include flags and any other historical
paper/artifact that could apply to my subject matter. Having objects that
correspond with the subject matter allows the students to see examples and
get in the right mindset. The classroom is setup to offer the least restrictive
learning environment and offer an area for personal growth.
Classroom Procedures
As soon as the bell rings the students will be in their seats ready for material
that is being taught that corresponding day. There are many standards and
events that a teacher must incorporate throughout the year, which means
that there is no time to waste. If a student is not in their seat by the time the

bell rings then they will be marked tardy. After I have taken attendance I will
collect the homework from the previous night and go over it. This will allow
me to determine the level of remediation that I need to do with the class.
This is the time that I will also ask if the students have any questions about
the material covered previously. I will be teaching some form of history, but
that does not only encompass the past. I will have a five to ten minute time
set for the beginning of class in order to ask the students if they have any
current events that they would like to share. This can be the students
offering events or it can be me offering some events. This activity is meant
to get the students to be more open-minded by thinking of global aspects
instead of being narrow-minded and only thinking of local events or events
that only affect the United States of America. My position during this time
will mostly be as a facilitator. I will offer up questions in order to get the
students to think on a deeper level and make difficult connections. After the
discussion of current events I will proceed with the lesson that I am teaching
that corresponding day.
Absence and Late Work
If a student is absent they must go to the crate by my desk and collect the
papers from a filing folder. It is the duty of the student to collect any
work/papers that they missed from that corresponding day. I will leave the
papers in the filing folders going back as far as a week. I will take the
assignments and write the original due date at the top of the paper in order
to know the number of days late the student turns in their assignment. I will
accept these late assignments no later than a week after they were due. I
reserve the right to modify the due dates. It is the duty of the student to get
any notes that were taken in class from a classmate. If the student needs
any remedial help on the late assignments it is the duty of the student to set
up a meeting time before or after school. The student will turn their late work
into me at the end of class to make sure that class time is not wasted. I will
accept late homework for half-credit.
Quiz/Exam Make-up
I will allow the students make up any quiz or exam up to a week after the
exam was originally set to take place. The student has to make up the
quiz/exam either before, after, or during school. The only way the student is
allowed to make up the quiz/exam during school is if they have a study hall
and a pass from the corresponding teacher. It is up the student to make up

any quiz/exam that they miss. Until the student takes the quiz/exam I will put
a zero in the gradebook for their score.
These procedures help to prepare the students for the life after high school.
The procedures are used to hold the students accountable and teach them
that every action has a consequence.
Classroom Rules
1. Be in your seat when the bell rings
a. If you are not in your seat when the bell rings then you will be
counted tardy. Classroom time must not be wasted.
2. Come prepared to class.
a. You should show up to class with your textbook, notebook, and a
writing utensil. If you need to borrow a writing utensil then I
would count you tardy in order to use it.
b. You should use the restroom before class, not during!
c. If you need to use the restroom then you will be counted tardy.
3. Be respectful towards your classmates and your teacher.
a. This is a no judgment free zones. Everyone is free to express
their opinion or ask questions without feeling judged.
b. You must show respect to your teacher (This includes a
substitute teacher)
c. If you break this rule then you will automatically be written up
and sent to the principals office. I DO NOT tolerate the
judgement of peers.
4. Cellular Devices are not permitted to be out.
a. Unless you have specific permission from the teacher you should
not be on your phone.
b. If you are on your phone then I will give you one warning. After
your warning then I will take your phone and you can get it back
at the end of the period.
*In order to hold you accountable I will pass out a sheet for your parents to
sign so that you both understand the rules.
Discipline Plan
My plan for disciplining students is based off of the P.O.P. acronym . If a
student breaks any of the rules or is acting up then they will be disciplined.
P: Problem
O: Options

P: Plan (Hensley & Powell, P. 35)

If the student is doing something that will disrupt the learning environment
then I will address the student nonverbally by giving the student a stern look
and/or a tap on the shoulder. This will serve as a warning for the student that
they are doing something that is unacceptable. If the behavior continues
then I will request that the student will have to see me after class. I will
handle all matters when class time is over. I will not use important class time
to address behavior issues. During the one on one with the student I will
have the student identify the problem, give me some options of ways we can
correct or fix this behavior, and how they are actually going to make sure the
issue does not arise again.
Techniques
In order to maximize the effectiveness of my classroom management plan I
will use other techniques, such as effective praise and positive/negative
reinforcement, and rationales.
Benefits-to-self rationales are where I will ask the student how the action
they are doing benefits them. I will then ask the student what the possible
negative outcomes of their actions are. Lastly, I will ask the student how
their action could affect others. This gives students a real-life example of
why they are being disciplined (Hensley & Powell, P. 67-68).
Positive Reinforcement would be giving a student a piece of candy or
possibly bonus points for going above and beyond on the
homework/quiz/test (Hensley & Powell, P. 50). While negative reinforcement
would be taking the students phone away if they are on it and not paying
attention in class. (Hensley & Powell, P. 46)
Effective Praise allows for students to know when they have gone above and
beyond (Hensley & Powell, P. 128-131). The steps to effective praise are
show approval, describe appropriate behavior, give a reason, and use a
positive consequence. This can motivate students to do better or even try
harder. This is NOT the same all across the board. Different students have
different abilities. You must praise students when they are doing the best
that they can. Acknowledging students who go above and beyond can boost
student confidence and get a student to try harder in order to please the
teacher.

Works Cited
Hensley, Michele, and Walter Powell. The Well-managed Classroom: Strategies to Create a
Productive and Cooperative Social Climate in Your Learning Community. Boys Town NE: Boys Town,
2007. Print.