Running head: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

Classroom Management Plan

Racer P. Moody
Chaminade University
EDUC 650 Managing School Environments

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Signature Assignment Classroom Management Plan

This semester, we have learned about several different approaches to classroom
management. Each of them offered many different techniques to maintaining a positive
classroom environment. In order to sort through these to create my own classroom management
plan, it was important for me to figure out what my values were and also look at my own
personality in terms of how I want to run a class. Much of my approach is based on maintaining
positive relationships and communication with my students. These ideals will be very evident in
my educational philosophy as well as throughout the rest of my classroom management plan.
Philosophy of Education
The world that we live in today is constantly evolving, especially in the United States.
With demographics changing and new technology being invented, our education system needs to
keep up with the times as well. There is no way for me to predict what the world will be like in
20 years from now, so to educate a student to be prepared for these specific circumstances will
be difficult. However, what I can do is prepare my students to be lifelong learners, ready to
adapt to the changing world, and in the constant pursuit of knowledge. This is what my
philosophy of education is centered on.
Consistent with Marianist values, I believe that the core of education lies in educating the
whole student, not just on the acquisition of content. It is important to develop the individual's
physical, psychological, intellectual, moral, social and creative qualities in order to cultivate
their personal talents, nourishing the desire and acquiring the skills that will equip them to be
learners all their lives, (University of Dayton, n.d., p. 7). This means that instead of focusing
entirely on ramming content down my students throats, I want to create an experience where
students have the opportunity to find and connect with what they are interested in so that they

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may build upon those things in the future. This will allow their quest for knowledge to continue
to flourish.
In order to further foster this education for the future, it is important to never let our own
learning become static or out-of-date. As a teacher, I want to model such behavior by being able
to adapt my methods and be a life-long learner myself. Again, Marianist values echo this
sentiment by saying that educators should employ new kinds of learning and new technologies
to enhance their administration and teaching, (University of Dayton, n.d., p. 14). It is no secret
that students these days are much more technologically savvy than many of the teachers because
these students have grown up in a world where iPads and smart phones were the norm. We can
learn a lot from our students and show them how learning continues even as adults.
Learning in the classroom alongside students is another approach that I will employ as we
aim to educate for the future. Carroll (2002) contends that everyone has an opportunity to be an
active learner in a networked learning community, that supports intergenerational knowledge
adaptation and generation, (n.p.). This means that even though I am the teacher, I am also
engaged in the learning process, and the term teacher could be replaced by the term expert
learner because not only will we be helping others learn, but we will be constructing new
knowledge and expertise ourselves through collaboration. This idea can also be correlated to
Vygotskys Zone of Proximal Development which is the difference between the difficulty level
of a problem that a child can cope with independently and the level that can be accomplished
with adult help, (Bruning, Schraw, & Norby, 2011, p. 197). However, in this new learning
community, it is not only the students who will be improving what they know and can do
through the help of an adult, but I will also be improving through the help of my students.
Vygotskys theories also rely heavily on instructional scaffolding which puts emphasis on

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student-teacher interactions (Bruning, et al., 2011). This will not only be one-directional, but
will involve the entire learning community where we will all learn from and with one another.
This sense of community also carries over to my classroom management plan. Hardin
(2012) discusses the idea of building community from Alfie Kohn and suggests that
communication, not rewards and punishments, is the key to effective classroom discipline, (p.
152). One of the strengths of Kohns ideas on classroom management is that they emphasize the
interactions and communication between the teacher and students. Regardless of theory,
maintaining good rapport and positive relationships with students benefits everybody in the
learning community. Students will learn to behave appropriately because it is the right thing to
do and because they understand how their actions affect others.
I will educate my students to be life-long learners in our ever-changing society. This will
take place through cultivating each persons strengths to contribute to the larger learning society.
Modeling these beliefs by joining my students in active learning will further promote the pursuit
of knowledge and will prepare todays students to face the world of tomorrow, whatever that
may bring.
How My Personality Will Impact Classroom Management
Every teacher brings their own personality into the classroom, and I am no different.
Personally, I have always been a more easy-going type of person that enjoys being around
people, which is evident in my classroom management plan. Human interaction is very
important to me and I tend to promote that in the classroom. In a day and age where children are
growing up with cell phones and laptops constantly attached to them, their face to face
communication skills are not as strong as their counterparts from previous generations. In order

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to combat that, I welcome verbal communication and movement around the classroom as long as
there is a purpose and does not disrupt the order of the class.
Some teachers prefer complete silence in their rooms, but I actually do not mind a little
ambient noise. I want students to feel like they want to be in my class and not feel like they are
in a prison or military boot camp. To clarify, however, there needs to be guidelines in place so
students know when they should be allowed to talk and when they should be intently listening.
The same can be said for moving around the classroom. If the purpose of getting up and walking
around is to sharpen a pencil, retrieve supplies from the closet, get a tissue, throw something
away, or get up to ask the teacher or a classmate a question, I would have no problems with it
whatsoever. However, if it is just to walk around for the sole purpose of avoiding doing work,
that would be unacceptable.
As stated earlier, I am a very easy-going individual, so I like to keep the atmosphere on
the lighter side. I try not to take myself too seriously and I enjoy when my students joke around
with me. I feel like when students generally like the teacher and feel comfortable talking to the
teacher, they are more apt to learn from that teacher. The difficult part about this, however, is
maintaining a professionalism so that there is a definite line not to be crossed. While as a
teacher, I want to remain friendly with my students, it is important for them to understand that I
am their teacher and not simply their friend.
When it comes to my classroom, I definitely consider myself organized and structured,
with a bit of freedom. I would never classify myself as a neat-freak where every little thing
needs to be in perfect order, but I definitely pride myself on making sure that my students and I
all know where things should be and how class should operate. Wong and Wong (2009) say that
the most important thing a teacher can provide in the classroom is consistency and that

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classroom practices and procedures must be predictable and consistent, (p. 83). For example,
my students should know what to do when they want to use the restroom and know exactly
where the bathroom pass is located. Likewise, as they enter the room, they should know exactly
where to find the agenda for the day, so they can get right to work, or at least prepare for the
days lesson.
Personal Approach to Classroom Management
The term Classroom Management is quite an encompassing term. It describes my
expectations for student behavior, how things will be handled when situations arise, the routines
and procedures that guide daily activities, and simply how the class will operate. Having a plan
for classroom management is equally, if not more important than having the curriculum and
lesson plans organized. As a teacher, if you do not know how to handle a classroom, it does not
matter how knowledgeable about your content you are because students will not know how to
effectively learn in your classroom.
As with any major decision that you make for your classroom, it is important to include
(or at least inform) the administration in your plan. It is essential that any classroom rules you
have do not contradict school rules and policies. For example, if the school policy is that late
work will be accepted by the teacher if there was an excused absence like a field trip or doctors
appointment, then you cannot have your own class rule that no late work will be accepted.
Working with the administration also helps you to have them on your side in the event of a
situation. Often times, they will already have procedures for you to work from as well, such as
all students must carry a bathroom pass with the classroom number on it when they go to the
bathroom.

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Along with the administration, it is also beneficial to include parents in the classroom
management plan. Hardin (2012) says that the first step in development of the discipline plan is
to seek approval from the administration and to plan for notification of parents, (p. 46). When
parents are notified of what the expectations are of their children, they will be more likely to
support you rather than argue with you about a decision that you made.
Classroom Environment
My ideal classroom, much like my personality, is less traditional. Instead of perfectly
straight rows of individual desks, I prefer to use group tables with about 4 students to a table.
The reasoning for this is because I like to incorporate a lot of group work, collaboration, and
discussion amongst classmates. At the same time, I would prefer to have all students able to see
me at the front of the class without having to turn completely around to look at me. Refer to the
image below:

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The green rectangles and circles represent the students group desks and chairs, whereas the red
rectangle indicates where I will operate class from. There are five seats for every group of tables
to accommodate a larger number of students in the class. Ideally, I would like to only have four
students to a group, and with space permitting I would create another table. In the above
diagram, you can see that all students can see the teacher at the front of the class as well as easily
collaborate with each other. There are also plenty of walkways for the teacher to navigate
through the class. Hardin (2012) says that creating walkways between, in front of, and behind
desks promotes easier access between students and teacher, (p. 66). Having clear walkways is
also essential in the case of an emergency.
Within my classroom management plan, I have also decided to assign seating as to
eliminate distractions of best friends sitting next to one another and getting off track. Wong and
Wong (2009) say that the effective teacher assigns students to their seats on the first day of
school, (p. 121). This sets the tone for the first day of school and the rest of school year. When
students enter the room on the first day, they are not intimidated by having to make a choice of
where to sit. Instead, they are greeted at the door and shown where to sit based on a seating chart
projected on the screen. This facilitates roll taking (especially when there is a substitute teacher)
and helps you to remember names faster. Once the semester is underway, seating assignments
can always be changed in order to separate problem students or for more effective grouping
(such as mixing males and females).
Rules, Routines, and Procedures
In my classroom, routines and procedures will be learned and practiced from day one.
Students will be taught how to enter class, set their bags down, take out their supplies, look on
the board for the agenda, and prepare themselves to work as soon as class begins. One of the

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most important things that I have realized is that students need to know where things are in the
classroom. The first few days especially will be spent demonstrating where to find and how to
do things.
Some key things that students will have to learn where to locate are the pencil sharpener,
blank or folder paper, the proper place to turn in assignments, and the bathroom pass. When
students know exactly where to find these things, it saves so much time because they dont have
to disrupt anyone to ask. Another object that I plan to use is a folder in which previous
assignments can be found. It is hard to remember who was absent from the previous class,
especially if a few days have passed between meetings. Therefore, as a teacher, Im usually not
thinking about getting that student their work from the previous day. Instead, they will know
exactly where to find the assignment(s) that they missed.
Along with knowing where things are, it is imperative that students know how things
should operate. For example, if a student wants to use the bathroom, he or she should probably
not just pick up the pass and walk out. Instead, that students should ensure that no other students
are out of class with the pass and then that student should bring his or her student ID card and
leave it in the slot in place of the bathroom pass and sign out the pass on the adjacent sign out
sheet. This way, the teacher will have a record of everyone who is using the bathroom and if
another student needs to go as well, they know who has the pass and who they have to wait for.
There will be other procedures like these for going to get water and many other things.
When it comes to rules, I have always been the collaborative type with students so that
way they get to have their voice heard. When students have the opportunity to play a part in
creating the rules, they are much more likely to find the rules (and consequences) fair. I am also
the type that believes in equity as opposed to equality, which means that I feel each infraction

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will receive some sort of consequence, but that consequence may vary from person to person
depending on the situation. Some examples of rules that I will employ are that all students
should come to class ready and willing to learn and contribute to our learning community and
that every person will show and be shown respect in our learning community. These two rules
will be the cornerstone that many of the other rules will be based off of.
Behavior Management Plan
I would like to move away from the term Behavior Management because I dont want
to have to manage anyones behavior. Instead, I would like to teach and model what
appropriate behavior looks like. As stated in my educational philosophy, this begins with
engaging myself as part of the entire learning community. As a member of this community, I
will demonstrate what appropriate behavior looks like on a regular basis by showing respect to
each of my students. I have never been the disciplinarian type in which I give out discipline
and consequences for inappropriate actions. Instead, I like to use those as teachable moments.
Of course, there is no way to prevent every single behavioral problem in class, but the
goal is to prevent as many as possible. In order to do this, I will use a management plan largely
based off of Alfie Kohns Building Community with some tactics from Barbara Colorosos
Inner Discipline theory as well. This approach focuses on positive student-teacher
interactions, elimination the use of rewards, and finding alternatives to punishment. Hardin
(2012) says that inappropriate behavior should be treated as a problem to be solved together in a
supportive classroom and that disciplinary problems become opportunities for conveying
values, providing insights, and strengthening self-esteem, (p. 143). Therefore, in the event of
behavioral problems in the classroom, I will use tactics such as one on one discussions or
mediations with two or more students to resolve problems.

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I have always been a huge advocate of treating each situation differently because no two
circumstances are exactly alike. This helps to get to the root of the problem and possibly find a
solution as to how we can positively affect our behavior in the future. I do not agree with the
idea of having a set consequence if a rule is broken, rather I think that if a rule is broken, there
should be A consequence and that can be determined by the teacher and the offending student
together. This approach to behavioral management can only be effective if there is a strong
rapport between the students and the teacher. Hardin (2012) says that building a classroom
community begins with students having a positive relationship with an adult who respects and
cares about them, (p. 145).
I plan to establish this rapport with my students the minute they enter my classroom on
the first day. No student will go unnoticed and will be greeted individually on that first day.
This will continue as much as possible every day after that as well. When students are greeted
they are automatically given a sense that they have a place in this community. Furthermore,
echoing the ideas of educating the whole child in my educational philosophy, I plan on
developing individual relationships with each of my students. I wish to find out what each of
them are interested in and build upon those strengths. Being that I am a secondary education
teacher, many of my students play at least one sport, so I make it a point to go to as many athletic
games that I can. Not only does this show my students that I support them outside of the
classroom, but as a coach myself, I genuinely enjoy watching sports.
Once this rapport has been built, the foundation is set to maintain a positive learning
environment. As stated earlier, our learning community will be centered on the two principles
that we will all come ready to learn and contribute to the community and that each person shall
show and be shown respect. Therefore, all other rules will be based around these. For example,

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students have the right to eat in class as long as they respect their classmates and clean up their
area and not disturb their classmates.
Instructional Strategies
Within my classroom management plan, I plan to engage in several different instructional
strategies. Three of the key strategies would be to teach students about perspective taking,
making choices and real-world consequences, and the six-step problem solving method. These
strategies all help students to develop the skills to behave appropriately because it is the right
thing to do as opposed to curbing inappropriate behavior because of punishments or to get a
reward.
Perspective taking is a very valuable skill to have because it allows you to see things
from other peoples points of view. Hardin (2012) says that when students can understand how
others think and feel helps students become more ethical and compassionate, (p. 146). This
can be done specifically through class meetings or mediation. Students each have the chance to
not only have their voice heard, but also the voices of their classmates as well. Hardin (2012)
relays that Kohn stresses that rules in themselves are not valuable, but the conversation that
gives rise to them is, (p. 147).
Making choices and real-world consequences are another important skill to gain because
inevitably, we all have to face these at all points in our lives. Many times, students dont realize
what the possible natural consequences of their actions will be. For example, if a student
continually does not do his or her homework, that student might fail the class. That will cause
that student to possibly not get into a good college which can lead to not being able to get the job
of his or her choice. When students are given the tools to make educated choices, they are far
more likely to succeed in the real-world.

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The last strategy that is probably the most important, is the six-step problem solving
process. When there is a problem, often times, students will jump to conclusions or try to solve
the problem based off emotions in the heat of the moment. Instead, we must directly teach
students this six-step process. Hardin (2012) quotes Coloroso as outlining the six steps as to: (a)
identify and define the problem; (b) list possible solutions; (c) evaluate the options; (d) choose
one option; (e) make a plan; and (f) reevaluate the problem to figure out how to avoid that same
type of problem in the future. The steps seem so simple, yet learning them will help students to
make more rational problem solving decisions.

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References

Bruning, R.H., Schraw, G.J., & Norby, M.M. (2011). Cognitive Psychology and Instruction (5th
ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
Carroll, T. G. (2000). If we didn't have the schools we have today, would we create the schools
we have today? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education [Online
serial], 1 (1). Available:
http://www.citejournal.org/vol1/iss1/currentissues/general/article1.htm
Hardin, C. J. (2012). Effective classroom management: Models and strategies for todays
classroom (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson.
University of Dayton. (n.d.) Characteristics of Marianist Education. Dayton, OH. Retrieved
from https://www.udayton.edu/rector/_resources/files/cmu.pdf
Wong, H. K. & Wong, R. T. (2009). The first days of school: How to become an effective teacher.
Mountain View, CA: Harry Wong Publishers, Inc.