Samantha Laubacher

April 12, 2016

Professional Development Seminar
Classroom Management Plan

Pick a Model
The classroom management model that I think I align with the most is a
combination of Fred Jones and William Glasser. Although I really liked and want to
incorporate many of Jones ideas for classroom management, I didnt like that his
model is an intervening model, meaning high teacher control and low student
control. I personally feel that I fit more with an interacting model, like William
Glassers, with medium control from both the teacher and students. I think its really
important for students to learn to take responsibility for their actions and to feel like
their input is heard.
I like that Jones approach includes solutions to several common problems in
classrooms. It also encourages positivity which I believe is absolutely essential to
creating a learning environment. This model of classroom management promotes
setting limits and cooperation between teachers and students. His overarching
theme is keeping students willingly engaged in learning, and enabling them to
become more independent. I think that one of the primary purposes of school,
besides teaching academics, is teaching students responsibility and a work ethic.
After learning about Fred Jones, I realized that I have a lot to learn from his
classroom management strategies, which is why I chose to base my classroom

management plan off of his. He has so many great ideas on keeping students
motivated and on ways to save time and teach more effectively.
Glassers model focuses on three main concepts: the problem with failure, the
power of choice, and the value of classroom meetings. He identifies seven deadly
habits in teachers and offers seven connecting habits that should be used instead. I
also like that his model encourages students to develop their own solutions to
problems and to take responsibility for their behavior.
Organize the Physical Environment

The most important aspect of organizing students desks is allowing room to

move throughout them in order to increase proximity. Fred Jones suggests the
interior loop seating arrangement in which there are two main aisles going from the
front to the back of the room. There needs to be enough space in between rows of

desks to allow for movement, and ideally with this setup the teacher is able to work
the room, never being further than a few steps from every student. My classroom
will have plenty of space in between desks to allow for easier movement around the
room. Another seating chart Id like to utilize when I switch things up (which will be
fairly regularly, everyone likes a change of scenery) is a double horseshoe
arrangement. Depending on my students, I may also use large tables.
We have a U shaped small group table along the side of the room that we
often use as a help table during work time. There is also a small table in the back
that is mainly used during centers. The teacher desk is in the back corner of the
room, and teaching materials are stored in cabinets along the wall. On the opposite
wall, by the door, are backpack hooks and student cubbies.
Any materials that students use and need on a daily basis are stored in their
desks, these items include crayons, textbooks, mini whiteboards and markers, and
erasers. We use community pencils and a basket for sharp pencils and one for dull
pencils are located at the front of the room. Materials that are project specific or are
ones we will only need a few times are either passed out to students, located at the
front of the room, or placed on the small group table. Students are always told
where to find the materials that they will need.
Manage Student Behavior
In order to manage student behavior, its important to explicitly teach, model,
and reteach procedures. This is especially important to do in the beginning of the
year, but its also necessary to review these procedures frequently throughout the
year. I also plan to use a clip chart in which students can move up or down and they
can personally manage their own behavior. Its also important when addressing

misbehavior to make a point of saying something along the lines of, Im sorry you
made that choice. This helps the student realize that they need to take
responsibility for their behavior.
An attention prompt that I like to use is to clap different patterns. Students
then copy the pattern and stop talking/fold arms/hold still. This is fun and easy to
change up so that it doesnt get old and boring (can include foot stomps or snaps,
etc.). If the class struggles with it, I may do it a few times. If one or a few students
have a hard time then Ill tell them we have to practice a few times during recess
and Ill hold them at the door. During loud or group work time, I like to flash the
lights as a visual signal.
I frequently use cueing and try my best to notice students who are following
the rules. Many of my students respond very well to this, and it helps avoid several
of Glassers deadly habitsnagging, criticizing, and complaining. By identifying
things that students are doing well, youre taking the time to care and notice what
they do, which is one of Glassers connecting habits. Cueing also falls under the
connecting habits of encouraging and respecting students.
To keep students actively involved in my lessons, I plan to use a lot of
different tasking activities. My classroom is set up so that at the desks, every
student has a chat partner during pair and share activities. At the rug students
also know that they need to find a partner, and I ask students who their partner is
all the time to make sure that they are chatting. I usually will use a pair and share
before asking either the whole class or individual students the same question.
A common signal that I use when teaching is having students hold their
pencil or pen in the air when theyre either done with a task or ready to begin the

next part. I also encourage them to see which row can be the fastest and give time
limits be here in 30 more seconds. This helps to save some time during transitions
which aligns with Fred Jones philosophy. In addition, during transitions I will
occasionally give students a task to complete. For example, On your way to the
run, tell someone the point of view of the story we just read.
Create a Respectful Learning Environment
A major part of creating a respectful learning environment is making sure that
students feel that they belong to the class and are important. Jones suggests giving
a classroom job to every student if possible, because it helps them to develop a
sense of responsibility and ownership. I plan to utilize classroom jobs and swap
them out each week so that students can try several jobs and to keep things
interesting.
I also want students to feel that they have an input in what goes on in the
classroom. I plan to accomplish this by utilizing classroom meetings, setting up a
classroom constitution in the beginning of the year, and looking to them to develop
ideas for how to solve problems.
My main goal for my classroom is to create a community of learners who can
work together and who are not afraid to make mistakes. I want my students to be
supportive of one another, and challenge each other to reach their full potentials. I
hope to achieve this by involving students in discussion and group work and
encouraging participation in engaging hands-on activities and teambuilding
activities.

One of Glassers main ideas is that teachers should form strong relationships
with their students. One way to achieve this is to replace what he names as the
seven deadly habits with the seven connecting habits. The seven deadly habits are
things that can harm these relationships with students: criticizing, blaming,
complaining, nagging, threatening, punishing and rewarding others to control them.
On the other hand, the seven connecting habits are caring, listening, supporting,
respecting, encouraging, trusting, and negotiating differences. One thing that I
really focus on is creating positive trusting relationships with each one of my
students. Knowing your students goes a long way in classroom management and
instruction!
Another idea that I have for developing classroom communities is to do a
quick morning check in where students rate their emotion using their fingers and
have a quick chance to explain why they feel the way that they do. (This process is
outlined in more depth in the promoting classroom safety and wellness section.)
Manage and Facilitate Instruction
One really important part of teaching is making lessons and activities
engaging to students. This can be done by creating hands-on experiences and
discovery experiences. These lessons and activities need to challenge students and
be about things that theyre interested in. William Glasser identifies two types of
teaming:

boss

management

and

lead

management.

Boss

management

is

essentially telling students what they are going to learn and what they need to do.
Lead management allows students a little more choice. The teacher leads the class
into a discussion of a few points of interest, and then students can identify topics
that they want to learn more about. Lead management is more favorable because

students are more engaged when they have a say in what they learn. These
teachers also emphasize the importance of self-assessment and help students to
realize that they feel good when they do quality work.
Fred Jones also has a lot of great ideas for the ways that teachers can deliver
information to students to reduce the amount of helpless handraisers as he calls
them. These are the students who raise their hand as soon as they are turned loose
to work independently and are unable to do any work without teacher assistance.
Jones suggests using visual instruction plans on the board that show each individual
step for solving the problem with instructions written for each. With these visible to
all students, they can often answer their own questions without even needing
teacher help.
As far as classroom management and ordering of lessons go, its important to
get all student attention at the beginning of the lesson. This is when I tell students
the objective and try to activate background knowledge. Depending on the lesson I
may also give them a brief description of what we will be doing. Ill maintain student
attention during lessons by making them as engaging as possible and by using big 8
strategies of tasking, signals, proximity, and cueing. When using manipulatives,
whiteboards, or other materials, I will set specific expectations for using them and
will confiscate materials if they are not being used properly. I will also use plenty of
time limits so students know when they need to be completed. At the end of
lessons, Ill use attention prompts to regain attention and give instructions for
cleanup and what to do next. Its important to make these transitions quick, orderly,
and under control so that students are ready to go for whatever is next.
Promote Safety and Wellness

If students have unmet physical needs, it can be incredibly difficult for them
to focus on school during the day. As a teacher, it is my responsibility to make sure
that these needs are met so that students can do what they are at school to do
learn. In addition to basic physical needs, students also have emotional needs that
need to be taken care of.
In a Title 1 school, we provide our students with breakfast every morning, if
they want it. This is a way for us to make sure that our students arent hungry
during the day. Depending on the class schedule I will allow for a healthy snack time
during the day if there is a large amount of time in between meals. I encourage
students to bring water bottles to school that can be kept at their desks so that they
can get a drink whenever they need to. We have a drinking fountain in the
classroom, but its important that students know when they can be up and
wandering and when they need to be sitting down and paying attention. I will also
set specific times for when students may use the drinking fountain in the classroom,
for example during individual work time, transition times from the desks to the rug,
or before/after recess.
To minimize aimless wanderers, students are encouraged and reminded to
use the bathroom during recess. If a student needs to go during class time, they
have to pay three tiger tickets. If a student doesnt have three tiger tickets, they go
on the I. O. U. list on the board at the front of the room. Whenever a student leaves
the room to go to the bathroom, they will write their name in a designated space on
the board. That way, the teacher can tell whos missing from class and where
theyve gone, and can control who they send to the bathroom at the same time.

In order to fulfill students emotional needs, teachers need to make sure that
students are calm and feel safe at school. I like the idea of doing a quick class
meeting at the beginning of the day to ask how students are feeling. They will hold
up fingers to show their emotion- 1-excited, 2-happy, 3-okay, 4-sad/upset, 5-angry.
Any student who is holding up a number other than a 2-3 will be asked why theyre
feeling that way. Students who are excited can share good news or what theyre
excited for, if theyre sad or angry they can tell why. I will set expectations in the
beginning of the year to make sure that students can describe their emotion in
about one sentence for time management and will also let them know that they
dont have to share if they dont want to. By using this quick rating early on in the
day Ill be able to treat students with extra kindness or just to know what theyll
need during the day. I also believe that this system will encourage a supportive and
positive classroom environment.
A common problem seen in classrooms is arguments or disagreements
among peers. For conflicts between students, Glasser tells teachers that they
cannot help a student unless that student calms down. He suggests telling the
student this, and then giving him or her 20 seconds to calm down. Its also essential
to explicitly teach calming down strategies to your students so that they can begin
to take more responsibility for their actions.
Interact with Colleagues, Parents, and Others
As far as interacting with colleagues goes, my goal is to work productively
with my grade level team in a professional learning community. During my student
teaching I was able to participate in the entire PLC process, from developing
essential concepts and planning instruction to creating and using CFAs to evaluate

learning. We were able to use the data gathered from CFAs to determine reteach
groups and then split the entire grade level into those groups in order to maximize
learning. The PLC process is so important for student success and will definitely play
a huge role in my classroom.
Parent involvement plays a huge role in how well students do in school and
how they perceive both school and their teacher. At the beginning of the year, I plan
to send a note home describing the third grade curriculum to parents and giving
them my contact information for any questions or concerns that they may have.
Another tool that I want to send home with parents near the beginning of the year is
a math homework help guide. This guide will go into a little more depth about the
math curriculum and will provide some examples and suggestions for helping their
child with homework. I know that a lot of students struggle with math, and some
parents may not know how to help their child in certain areas. I think that creating
this guide and talking to parents about the math that their child will be learning will
be very beneficial to students in the long run.
Another idea that I have to improve family communication is to send home a
weekly newsletter letting parents know the objectives for the week and the
homework. Every month, Id like to send home another newsletter telling parents
and other family members what weve learned in the last month. This would be
different because it would include pictures, and student work. I want the monthly
newsletter to be student made, using their ideas about some of the activities that
theyve loved or things that theyve been excited about learning that they want to
share. I also believe that getting them involved in the process of writing the
newsletter will make them more excited to take home and show to their families
than if I were to simply write one up quickly. This will also integrate across many

content areas as students use computers and practice typing, taking pictures,
writing, and review other content areas and activities.
I want to make a goal each week to pay close attention to a few select
students and find something exciting to share with their parents/guardians through
email. This can be something as simple as noticing that a student has done their
best work, improvement on an assignment or test, or even that their child has been
a really good friend that week. A short email is all that it could take to brighten that
parents (and their childs) day.

Bibliography
Fred Jones Tools for Teaching. (2014). Retrieved April 12, 2016, from
http://www.fredjones.com/
Charles, C. M., & Senter, G. W. (2011). Building classroom discipline. Boston:
Pearson.
Wilson, M. B. (2013). Teasing, tattling, defiance and more: Positive approaches to 10
common classroom behaviors. Turner Falls, MA: Northeast Foundation for
Children.