Classroom Management Plan

Renee Hennessy
Its important to have classroom management skills for
many different reasons, but the main reason is so that every
student has the opportunity to learn every day. Without effective
management skills in place, there will be little structure and the
classroom can and most likely will become chaotic.
I believe that if students are engaged and a teacher has a
positive relationship with most students, there will not be a lot of
classroom management issues. That being said, there will not be
a lot of lecture taking place in my classroom. Rather we will be
discussing topics, telling stories, listening to songs and coming up
with actions to memorize words and phrases. We will also have
fun!
Creating a positive classroom culture takes preparation and
planning. One thing I want to do each day is greet students and
welcome them in Spanish. We will have a very quick introduction
each day, asking a few students what they did the night before.
We can practice doing this in English for a while, and slowly
transition to Spanish. My love for kids and their best interests will
naturally foster relationships, yet I realize that some students may
be very shy and/or have no desire to get to know me. I will
administer an Interest survey at the beginning of the year not
only to get to know my students, but to know what they are
thinking and what their background knowledge and schema are.
This will help me incorporate student interests into lessons and
projects. Students will fill out the same survey towards the end of
the year and compare the two to see how their opinions and
interests have changed, if at all. The survey is on the following
page.

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Renee Hennessy

Student Survey

1. What language(s) do you speak?

2. If you speak more than one language, which language did you learn first?
3. Think back to when you were very young. How did you learn each language? If you do not remember,
how do you believe it occurred? What happens first, second, third, etc.
4. How do you prefer to learn? Listening, reading, physically doing, socially in groups or alone, writing or
speaking? Write your answer(s) below.
5. Tell me what you know about the Spanish language? What have you heard about it? Do you know anyone
who speaks Spanish?
6. What types of texts do you enjoy reading? Circle more than one if you wish.
a. books
b. comics
c. poems or songs
d. short stories
e. blogs or webpages
7. How do you feel about learning Spanish and why? Excited, nervous, bored, mad, etc. Do you think it will
be hard or easy?
8. Tell me a subject or topic you enjoy or that you would love to learn about.
9. Who is your favorite artist? WHY? (Author, dancer, songwriter, performer, architect, painter, etc.)
10. Of the following activities, what interests you the most? If there is another category you would like to write
down, please do so. Circle more than one if you wish.
a. music
b. poetry
c. architecture
d. dance
e. science

My dream classroom layout would be to not have desks in

my classroom at all. Instead, we would have some chairs, lots of
props, couches, lounge chairs, and tables. This layout will be more
welcoming and reduce anxiety for students. The environment I
want to create is welcoming, focused on discussions, group
activities, and also a comfortable place for students to read. This
layout would also make it very easy for me to create stations, in
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Renee Hennessy
which I hope to have once every week or two. I realize that this
may not be possible for a while.

If I am using desks, I will use desks

grouped together with two to four
students in each group, as shown in
two sections of the attached seating
chart. Seats will be assigned and we
will change the seat assignments at
least every two months. This will give
students an opportunity to get to know
and work with different students.
Students will stand, walk, and move
around in my room often so we will all
Because teaching will be new to me, I will feel more
comfortable utilizing a chart that lists some minor and major
behaviors along with the corresponding action to take. This chart
is attached and titled, Student Behavior Management
Process/Flowchart. I will try and handle all misbehaviors myself
before doing anything else, but will not hesitate to inform
administration and/or parents if the behavior persists. This chart
will be posted for me and students to see and refer to so that I am
fair to all students and all behaviors. This chart will help with
consistency in my classroom. As stated earlier in this paper, my
ultimate goal will be to move to only having one rule in my
classroom, but this chart will be used to start out my first year.
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Renee Hennessy
If misbehaviors are ignored, other students may misbehave
also, knowing that there will be no consequences and therefore
more unwanted behaviors in the classroom may take place. This
chart will help me enforce consequences equally to all students.
There may be some exceptions, but in general, I will stick

to this process. Of
course any schoolwide process that
exists will be followed
in my classroom and
my students will be
informed of these at
the beginning of the
year and revisited
every couple months.
Parents will be
contacted within the
first quarter of the
school year by phone.
I will attempt to
contact them to
introduce myself and
get to know the family
a little more. Attached
We will discuss their child, what he or she is interested in,
what challenges he or she has had recently, and how I can best
teach them. If a parent is open with me, I might ask them what
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Renee Hennessy
their school experience was like when they were young. This will
help me understand what their students prior opinion is of
education and learning in general.
The main goal of each phone call is to establish open
communication between myself and parents. This is the first step
in creating a positive relationship with parents. Email and contact
information will be shared so that parents understand they are
free to contact me anytime if needed. Parents will also be notified
if misbehavior persists in my classroom or if I feel that they
should know what is going on. Being a parent myself allows me to
put myself in their shoes and treat them as I would like to be
treated by teachers of my own kids. Students will be informed
prior to me contacting their parents so it is not a surprise and so
they dont feel I am undermining them in any way.
Call each parent by end of first quarter.

Phone Script

Hello, this is Mrs. Hennessy, your child's Spanish teacher this year. I am only calling to introduce myself and
touch base with all parents! Do you have a couple minutes to talk?
-Great! Well like I said my name is Mrs. Hennessy and I am new to the DC-G district this year and am really
enjoying teaching your child thus far. I was wondering if there is anything specific you could share with me
about your child that would help me get to know them better. (if they dont say anything, I might ask if the
child has always attended this district or any others) Also, I could ask parents if they play any sports, or if
they are in music, etc. Have they taken a Spanish course before? How did that go?
-My number here at school is ___________ and my email address is _______________________. Please
do not hesitate to call
me or email me if you have any concerns. I am creating a blog for each class where each assignment will
be posted along with instructions. I want to make sure parents are aware so that if your child misses class
time, they can easily find what they need to do. Do you have internet access at home?
A monthly newsletter will also be sent home to inform families what we will be learning and doing in class.
Feel free to visit our class anytime!! I love meeting parents and allowing them to see what we do every day!!
What is the best way to contact you if needed? Do you prefer email, text or phone call?
If they ask about me, I can tell them, but I will keep it brief. I can share that I live here in Grimes, have two
daughters who are six and nine years old and they attend school here at DC-G and we love the district!
5 anything else I should know about your child that might help in my classroom?
Is there

Classroom Management Plan

Renee Hennessy