Chelsea Pierson

University of Virginia
Behavior Management Lesson Plan
Standards:
VSOLs:
8.2 The student will develop and deliver oral presentations in groups and individually.
d) Respond to audience questions and comments.
g) Assume shared responsibility for collaborative work.
8.7 The student will write in a variety of forms, including narration, exposition, persuasion, and
informational.
b) Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas.
e) Select specific vocabulary and information for audience and purpose.
CCSs:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.8.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.8.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
Objectives/Goals:
1. Students will know our classroom is an environment dedicated to learning and safe for
self-exploration
2. Students will know they are an integral part of the classroom and are responsible for
meeting all established expectations
3. Students will understand that unique differences among individuals help shape a wellfunctioning community (in this case, our classroom)
4. Students will recognize respect that no two people are alike and that we all bring unique
perspectives of their peers in to the classroom that must be acknowledged and respected
5. Students will feel that they are included and that they are integral to the classroom
community
6. Students will be able to express themselves through writing start using writing for
expression
7. Students will be able to establish and maintain class expectations
8. Students will be able to collaborate respectively with peers
Assessments:

Diagnostic
o Student Interest/Lit Survey: When I read the individual student surveys, I will be
able to assess how my students feel about English class and how well they are
able to express themselves in writing.
[Objectives 2, 4a, 5, f]
9. Formative
Journal Entries: When I read my students journal entries, I will be able to assess how
well they are able to express themselves in writing.
[Objectives 1, 2, 5f]
o Participation in Mix-Pair-Share: I will observe my students during the mix-pairshare activity, looking for evidence of an understanding of differences, a respect
for othersI will be able to assess their ability to create norms through
collaboration with peers
[Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8]
o Weaving Webs
[Objectives 1, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8]
FormativeSummative
o Class expectation list: This assessment includes the formation and finalization of
the class-created norms that will guide the remainder of the year
[Objectives 2, 3, d, 5, 6, 7]
Summative
o Exit Ticket
[Objectives 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, g]
Procedures:
1. [5 mins.] Bridge/Hook/Opening to lesson: Name Tags
As students walk through the door way, I will be waiting there, blocking the entry with part
of my body, in order to introduce myself before they walk in. I will ask their name and hand
them a sheet of paper and a marker and let them sit wherever they choose for today. Once
they are sitting, I will walk to the opening of the horseshoe and begin:
Hi, everyone! My name is Ms. Pierson, and Ill be your English teacher this year. I am so
excited to get to know each and every one of you, and I cant wait to see who youll become,
as students and as people, as the year progresses. When you walked in the room, I gave you a
sheet of paper and a marker. For the next few minutes, what I want you to do is write your
name on that sheet of paper and draw something that represents something about YOU. For
today only, you will be able to choose your seat, but in the future, you will sit in specific spots
in order to better facilitate our classroom learning.U.
Students write quietly for the next four or so minutes as I pass out surveys. When the four
minutes are up, or I have seen that everyone has finished, I say:

Great work, I see everyone is just about finished. Now, fold those sheets of paper hotdog style
and place it on the front of your desk so everyone can see your name and what you drew.
Were going to get back to that in just a few minutes, but in the meantime, please direct your
attention to the board.
The do-now on the board says: Ccomplete student interest/lit circle survey.
2. [15 mins.] Step 1: Do Now
Ill be standing back at the front of the horseshoe as I speak:
So, when you guys come into our classroom, it is your time to learn. If we dont start learning
as soon as we walk in, weve already wasted time. So each class, we will begin with what is
called a do-now. Its called a do-now because its a task that we do-now in order to get our
minds ready for the rest of the class. Todays do-now is an interest survey with a mini
literature survey at the end. They should take you about fifteen minutes to complete, and they
should be fun! Tell them why it is important that you gather this information from them (that
you arent just being nosy!)I want to know about you so I can better serve you as a teacher. It
will be tough for me to design this classroom to suit your needs if I dont know who you are.
So take this opportunity to let me get to know you. Dont worry about being articulate; just
help me help you. Tell me about yourself, your family, the one thing youd bring on a
deserted island. Then, on the second part of the survey, read the titles of the books listed and
rank them 1-4, one being your first pick and four being your last. I know you might not know
anything about the books, but thats the point. In this class, I want all of us to feel
comfortable with taking risks. The books will be assigned by tomorrow, and youll be reading
them in literature circles for the next five weeks. You guys will have about fifteen minutes to
finish, and when you have, well move on.
Possible student reaction: Does this haveta be in full sentences?
Nope! Be as creative as youd like. These are just to help me get to know you and figure out
how to best facilitate your learning. So have fun, but remember this is your chance to let me
know you!
Students fill out interest surveys, and as they do, Ill circulate the room, giving students a
balance of encouragement and privacy. After about five minutes, Ill write Journal Prompt 1
on the board, pull up the video clip, and get pass out the journals ready to be passed out to the
students.
3.

[15 mins.] Step 2: Journal Entries

Journal Prompt 1 will be written on the board. It will say, Who Are You
Great work, guys. If everyone could please pass them to the right, Ill collect them. Also,
youll notice I put journals on everyones desks while you were writing. Every class, were
going to start things off with a do-now, followed by a journal entry. Can anyone guess why?
Possible Student Response: Because this is an English class
Me: It is! But why is writing important outside of class? Why should we write in this class.
Whats the point?

Possible Student Response: Theres isnt a point. Its a waste.

Me: Ahlet me tell you guys something now. In this class, everything we read, everything we
write, everything that goes on will have a purpose. Nothing will be a waste. If youre
learning and improving yourselves, its never a waste. So, then, why do we write?
Possible Student Response: Because we write in the real world. And like, its a good skill to
have.
Me: Yes! And if you dont feel that way, yet, its okay. You will soon! Writing is such an
important part of life not just in the classroom and the only way we become better writers
is to write! So, now, take a look at the board and think about the prompt Ive written. Im
going to show you a video clip, and then you are going to write about yourself for about ten
minutes. Can you tell them a tiny bit about how the video connects to themselves? You can
write about your past, what you want in the future, anything that will let me know about
YOU. Its a free write, so you have the freedom to write however you please.
Possible student reaction: What a free write? Do we need to use like proper grammar and
stuff?
Not at all. This journal is meant for free writing, meaning for the next ten minutes, man, you
just write, write, write. Even if you find yourself getting off track, keep writing. As the year
goes on, your writing in the journal may become more structured, but for now, just write. The
journal will only be graded as a completion grade.
Possible student reaction: Whats that mean?
It means that if you complete an entry and give it thought, you get a passing grade on the
journal entry. Plain and simple.
Thumbs up if youre with me so far. Okay, great!
Here the clip
I play the Caterpillar scene [see materials list for link] for 40 seconds, and the kids are
laughing.
Everyone ready? Write!
Students write for ten minutes while I get a large, multicolored ball of yarn from the back of
the classroom. What else will you be doing during that 10 minutes?
Alright, everyone, put your journals in your backpacks. I expect you to bring your journal
every day. Im letting you take them home with you, because each of you is responsible for
his or her own learning in this classroom, and in order to learn, you need to be prepared. Ill
collect them every few day to look them over and provide some feedback, then, I will return
them to you.
4. [20 mins] Step 3. Weaving Webs
What were going to now is going to seem a little zany at first, but in order to progress in this
classroom, we have to work together as a team, as a family, as a support system. You cant

really be a team, you absolutely cant be a family, and theres no way you can be an effective
support system without knowing one another. This is YOUR class, and these are YOUR
classmates. Each and every one of you are unique and bring something new to this
classroom. So, were going to play a game. Im going to grab hold of the string on this yarn
ball, say something about myself either serious or funny or just honest and then toss it to
one of you. You will do the same. Everyone will get to go at least once. If you catch the ball,
you must say your name and something about yourself. Then toss it to someone else who will
repeat. Everyone ready?
I once talked my significant other into driving cross country. I told him it was because I
wanted to check out schools in the WestI mostly wanted to see the big ball of yarn.
Students take turns throwing the yarn back and forth, laughing and joking.
Guys, look what weve done with this room
Possible student response: its a mess!
Is it a mess? Or have we all just made something?
Possible student response: Its a spider web!
Its our class web! Do you see how weve all just connected ourselves? I want you to
remember this exercise every time you walk into our class. We are all different, but we are all
connected and bring something unique. Alright, now that we know each other a little better,
lets get untangled and construct our class expectations and consequence for not meeting
those expectations Nice imageyou should take a picture of it and post it where it can be
seen.
5. [30 mins] Step 4. Class Expectations/Mix-Pair-Share
[5 minutes] Part 1: Mix
Okay, now everyone stand up. Let out those morning yawns and reenergize! We are going to
keep working on making this class a really positive community for learning, so now wWere
going to construct our class expectations, but in order to do that, first, were going to have to
think about what we expect of ourselves and of others. Were also going to have to come up
with consequences, just in case we fail to uphold those expectations. So, everyone start
walking around the room. When I say the word, pair, pick a partner, someone you dont
know well. Then you two will sit side by side and construct two columns on a blank piece of
paper, with what you want to be considered a norm, such as respect one another, and a
consequence, such as letter(call?) home to your parents. When I say share, Ill call on pairs
to call out what youve come up with. [At this point, I will call a student up to the front of the
class and we will do a very brief modeling of what this exercise should look like].
It doesnt have to be neat, just honest. Think about the rules you want for this classroom
that would help make it a safe place to learn. Everyone ready? PAIR!
[10 minutes] Part 2: Pair

As the student are pairing, Ill be putting pieces of blank paper on their desks. Then, Ill be
circulating the room to see what students are coming up with.
Students spend the next 10 minutes coming up with norms for both expectations and
consequences. I will circulate the room as they come up with ideas and will let them know
when five and one minutes are left., and w When the time isI up, Ill walk back to the front of
the class.
[15 minutes] Part 3: Share
New Step?
Everyone ready to share? As you call out your ideas for expectations and ramifications, Ill
list them on the SmartBoard through a GoogleDoc that I will share with everyone at the end
of the week. It will be sent home so your parents can have a copy, and youll have a personal
copy as well.
For the next 15 minutes students share and discuss, and we decide, as a class, which
expectations and ramifications will be turned into our class norms. As students share their
ideas, Ill add them to the document, and once all ideas have been listed, we narrow the
expectations down and select our respective consequence.
Okay, pair one [Ill point to the first two students in the horseshoe]! Do you have a norm
youd like to share?
Possible Student Response: Be respectful of likeeveryone.
Me: Good [Ill write this on the Doc] What else? Group 2?
Possible Student Response: Dont be afraid to ask questions?
Me: Oh, now that is a very good norm. [Ill write this on the board]
This exchange will continue as we progress through each group.
Then I will narrow the expectations/norms list down
Me: Okay, we have a lot going on in this Doc. Can we narrow it down?
Possible Student Reaction: I think that being respectful and kind are the same likeattitude.
So cant we just say be kind to one another, since likewe cant force people to respect each
other but we can totally be nice.
Me: Good point. Everyone agree with this? [Students give me the thumbs up] What else?
Possible Student Reaction: We have dont talk when other people are talking on there like
three times.
Me: Yes we do! Lets reduce that to once, guys.
This will continue until our list has been reduced to a one page document at most.
6. [5 mins] Closure: Exit Ticket
I pass out exit ticket slips. These will be a sheet of paper that will say I will be a positive
classroom member by ________________________________________________.
Its been a great first day, and Im happy we all seem to have gotten off to a great start.
Before you leave, I want each of you to fill out this exit ticket, providing one sentence that
explains how youll be a positive contribution to our class environment. For example, my exit

ticket would say that I will be a positive contribution to our class environment by respecting
everyones different cultural backgrounds. Ready? Go! Great closure activityyou might
consider having a senetence started on the exit slip
Instructions will also be written on the board. Ill circulate around the room to monitor students
progress. Once students finish, they will pass up their slips and be able to go as soon as the bell
rings.
.
Materials Needed:
1.SmartBoard
2. Markers/Paper
3. Student Interest Surveys
4. Projector
5. Internet/ YouTube Access: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf5nCPFBSHw
6. Journals
7. Ball of yarn

Appendix A
STUDENT INTEREST AND LITERATURE CIRCLE SURVEY
Name: ____________________________ Grade:________ Date:_________
Birthdate:__________

1. Youre on a desert island. What is the one thing you couldnt live without?
_________________________________________________________________________________

2. List the family members you live with (doesnt have to be blood-related; pets
count!) and provide one word to describe each member listed:

3. What do you do for fun outside of school?

4. Name your favorite band, artist, writer, blogger, or person in general
_______________________
5. Tell me a little bit about them:
6. Whats your favorite thing to read?
__________________________________________________

7. Take a look at these categories and check any type of reading that you might
enjoy:

Fantasy Steampunk Romance Comedy Classic SciFi Crime

Sports History

Current Event Mystery Action Drama Blog Graphic/Comic

Poetry

Magazine

8. What is one thing you want me to know about you:

9. If you could, what would you change about school?

10. What is one thing you liked about your English class last year?
12. Circle: How well do you know your classmates? (1=little; 10=very well) 1 2
3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
13. Circle the words in the pair that best describe you:

SHY/OUTGOING

RESERVED/RISK-TAKING

13. Describe yourself in one word:

_____________________________________________________

RANK THE FOLLOWING BOOK TITLES FROM 1 TO 4, 1 BEING YOUR TOP

CHOICE:

The Giver by Lois Lowery

Tells the story of a young man living in a futuristic world wrought with conformity.
But this young man has a special gift. As he struggles with his new place in this
less-than-ideal society, he will have to make a choice: do the right thing or do what
he is told.

 The Absolutely-True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman

Alexie
Tells the story of a young Native American in modern day America. Filled with comic
drawings and teenage insight, this book asks readers to consider what it means to
be different and how we can use our differences to bring about change.

Before We Were Free by Julia Alvarez

Tells the story of a young teenager from the Dominican Republic who must make the
choice of staying in her home country or feeling to freedom. As her family is torn
apart, Anita must decide whether leaving everything and everyone she loves behind
is a worthy cost for freedom.

Chasing Redbird by Sharon Creech

Follows a thirteen-year old girl as she copes with love, loss, and a mysterious trail in the
woods. Written mainly in flashbacks, this book gives readers an opportunity to emphasize
with their fellow human and reflect on what it means to be an adolescent who is forced to
deal with mature occurrences.

Appendix B
EXIT TICKET
Name:___________________________________________________
Date:________________

Directions: Complete the sentence honestly and with regard to our class
norms. They are on the board, if you need to refresh your memory. When
finished, place on Ms. Piersons desk in a neat pile.

I will be a positive classroom member by

_____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________.