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Classroom Management Plan

Welcome to
Kindergarten!

Classroom Management Plan

Megan Crossett

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Table of Contents
Classroom

Physical Classroom Organization4-6

Operational Classroom Organization

Record Keeping6-7
Student Work7
Student Areas8
New Students.9
Substitutes.9-10

Disciplinary Procedures & Professional Ethics

Establishing Classroom Expectations11

Consequences for Minor Infractions & Distractions11-12
Consequences for Mid-Level Infractions12-13
Consequences for Extreme Infractions..13
Guardian Involvement13-14
Professional Ethics14-15

Routines & Procedures

The First Day15-16
Taking Roll & Lunch Count..16
Classroom Jobs..16
Morning Routine.17
Bathroom..17
Drinking Fountain18
Lining Up & Transitioning.18
Papers & Take-Home Folder.18-19
Newsletter...19
Free Time/Preferred Activity Time.19
Dismissal.19

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Differentiation Policy
Supporting Struggling Learners..20
Gifted Students.20

References

Reference List21

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Classroom Management Plan

Classroom

Physical Classroom Layout:

The design for my classroom was given focused by what I have taken away
from my practicum, professional, and personal experiences. I have always felt more
comfortable in classrooms that are bright and thoughtfully decorated. In the
classrooms that I have been in, I have noticed that students in classrooms that are
inviting take ownership of and find pride in their rooms. As someone who wishes to
create a classroom community and an environment conducive to learning, I made
sure to use lots of vibrant colors and leave space for many bulletin boards in my
design.

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When first entering my classroom, student lockers line the entryway. I
envisioned these to have cabinet space above them, that I could use for storage and
as a place to display pictures of each student above their locker with their birthday.
Underneath the cabinets would be a small shelf, coat hook, and bottom shelf for
boots or gym shoes. An area rug or runner is placed between sets of lockers for
students to wipe wet shoes on. To the right of the lockers is a pencil sharpener; a
recycling bin, and a trash can, as well as the entrance to the restroom. To the left is a
bulletin board for class announcements or displaying student work (if outside wall
space is unavailable).
Underneath the bulletin board is where I would have student cubbies or
mailboxes, which would be labeled with student pictures and names, as students
work at learning how to recognize their own names in print. To the left of the
student cubbies is the door to the teacher storage closet. Within this closet I put the
T.V./VCR/DVD player, as I do not plan on utilizing those devices much in my lessons.
I also put extra laptops and iPads in this closet because I have seen surplus
technology placed haphazardly in other early elementary classrooms and
accidentally broken by students. On the wall created by the closet is a counter top
with double-basin sink and drinking fountain. I would most likely place Kleenex and
hand sanitizer there as well because there is a trashcan placed off to the side of the
counter for easy tissue disposal. Ideally, there would be cabinets for storage and
posting extra math and literacy tidbits hung above the sink. Directly in front of the
student locker/teacher storage area, is the large group area.
This area is designated by a large area rug, teacher rocking chair, teacher
easel, two focused anchor walls; one for daily objectives that are to be written as
Questions of the Day and one with a math focus to have weather, money, calendar,
Number of the Day, Place Value Pockets, and days of the week. In the middle of these
anchor walls is the Smart Board, which would have the alphabet and numbers 1-100
posted underneath to be at student eyelevel and perhaps very low shelving for
books and student white board supplies. To the left of all of this is the Elmo, teacher
desk with computer and phone/intercom, another trashcan and recycling bin, and
teacher shelves and filing cabinets. Moving around further, is the small group
teaching table that seats six students. I put the small group teaching table close to
the teachers desk and large group area so that students would understand that it is
a workspace and not just a station to goof off at, as Ive seen happen when this table
is placed too near student desks or pushed in a back corner. To the back of the small
group teaching table is a focused literacy anchor wall and a bookshelf containing
individualized or leveled texts.
The blue lines on the far walls are windows and I added many of them
because I prefer natural light to artificial light when I am in a classroom and feel that
younger students may also feel the same. The class pet, a fish, is situated in the
corner next to the windows for students to observe as they work. Small group tables
that seat two to four students also line the far walls. Each small group table has a
bulletin board to display an anchor chart of pertinent information. There is a station
for technology, one for science with live plants, one for writing, and one for
listening. The writing and listening stations have a word wall in front of them.

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Near the small group tables are the student desks, which are color coded via
table supply caddy to facilitate station rotations, (students would be grouped for
ability level and not by color table colors would assist students in knowing the
order in which to rotate), as well as table points, if that is part of the classroom
management plan. Across from the student desks are large bulletin boards, which
would display world, country, state, and local maps, as well as a history-focused
anchor chart. In the middle of these bulletin boards is a large shelf that has paper
turn in trays, the globe, and map mats on it for students to use as needed. On the
shelves would be extra supplies and/or art supplies. Lastly, the reading corner has a
large rug, bean bag chairs, bulletin boards for literacy postings and featured books
to be chosen by the teacher and students, and reading buddies which are intended
to be literary character stuffed animals. The reading corner also houses the
classroom library. One large bookshelf will have free read books and the other
may have bins for each student to keep texts chosen specifically for them.

Operational Classroom
Organization

Routine in the classroom is so important for students, especially those
experiencing school for the first time! Our classroom management style depends
heavily on daily routines, as well as consistent expectations and consequences, for
everyone teacher included. To keep our day running smoothly and our learning as
rich as possible, outlined below is the operational organization of our Rockin
Kindergarten Classroom.

Record Keeping:



Student records are kept in both a physical record book as well as an online
record book. Both of these record books will have been created prior to the first day
of school. Within the record book will be spaces for attendance, assessment scores,
skill mastery, goals, and notes. As a kindergarten teacher, much of my focus is not
solely on assessment, but on making sure that students are becoming acclimated to
the educational environment, the expectations for such environment, and reaching
the appropriate milestones, cognitively, emotionally, and physically. This is why
much of my record book is dedicated to goal setting and skill mastery versus
quantitative measures.
The purpose for having two record books is to back up my information, but
to also keep parents, colleagues, and administrators as up to date as possible on
student progress. Record books serve to organize information for immediate
retrieval (Wong, 2009, p. 138), and as such, it only makes sense to have that
information immediately available to those parties whom are invested in students
education. The online format I plan to use will allow access to parents, co-teachers,

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and administrators, provided they submit the appropriate log in information. The
online format will also allow for the inclusion of progress charts, graphs, and/or
other visual aids that are often helpful to reference when discussing overall
progress with parents/guardians. My physical grade book will be updated daily,
while the online grade book will be updated weekly, unless circumstances require
more frequent interaction.

Student Work:

Student work is a large point of pride in our classroom. It is my goal to have
students feel a sense of ownership in their learning and pride in what they have
accomplished as individuals and as a class. Students will be able to see visual
representations of their hard work throughout our room. Each student has a binder
with their name and school picture on the cover and down the spine, in which their
completed work (or photos of their completed projects/activities) is
collected and saved to be gone over during conferences, as well as to
take home when they have become kindergarten graduates. In addition
to their binders, each student has a
classroom mailbox to keep take home
papers in and a personalized magazine
holder that houses individualized book
selections based on the
students reading level
and extension task cards
with differentiated
activities to be completed
if students find they have
extra time. Students will
find displays of their work
in
the classroom and in the hallway. The classroom will have
a large bulletin board dedicated to student work (though this does not mean that
their work will not be seen elsewhere throughout the room) that will be updated
each month. Content for the board will coincide with a specific learning goal for
example We CanCount by 5s! The hallway display will also be updated monthly,
but its content will focus on a unit theme.

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Student Areas:

It is my desire to create a classroom community that students feel a part of.
The classroom is very much theirs in the sense of what they have access to in the
room. Aside from my desk, filing cabinets, the storage closet, and technology cart,
the entire room is considered a student area. Students are encouraged to use the
rooms resources responsibly by treating the room; its various areas and learning
tools, appropriately. Organization is key.
I will continuously model the behavior I expect out of students in the
classroom as well as explicitly remind students of these expectations daily. Students
will be expected to take initiative to keep their classroom picked up and orderly so
that they may learn in the best environment possible. Supplies, papers, books, etc.
should be kept in the appropriate places. Stations/centers should be picked up prior
to transitioning. Desks/tables should be tidied before going home. As a class, we will
have checklists to help keep track of our small classroom chores, in addition to
classroom helpers (to be covered later in the management plan).
Stations/centers will have laminated, sequenced, illustrated checklists for
procedures and clean up attached to a station-area
surface using Velcro. Desks /tables will have
laminated, sequenced, illustrated and captioned
checklists for end of the day clean up attached by
Velcro next to the student name badge. This checklist
will mirror a larger checklist that will have the same
illustrations with captions to be displayed at the end
of the day as a sort of large group exit slip. The reason
for attaching checklists with Velcro is to add
flexibility. It is my belief that learning is social and to
help facilitate a social learning environment, students
will be seated in clusters of 4. Each student will have a nameplate with reference
points for the alphabet, number line, shapes, colors, etc. and area organization
checklist on their desk when they arrive on the first day. The seating arrangement
will be random at first, and then become more purposeful as I get to know students
as individuals and as a class. One of my goals is to have students sit with each
classmate at least once during the year to help foster camaraderie and subdue
clique-y tendencies.

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New Students:

It can be scary
to be the new student,
especially in
kindergarten. In our
classroom, we want to
make our new friends
feel welcome
immediately. To
facilitate this, I, as the
teacher keep my
current students as
informed as possible.
If we are expecting a
new student, they will know about it. When being informed of an impending new
student arrival, current students will be reminded of how to behave in ways that
will make our new classmate feel welcome. One or two current students will also be
asked to be the designated buddies to help the new student get acclimated to the
classroom and school.

When the new student arrives, our class will meet in the large group area to
greet them and introduce ourselves by going around the circle and sharing our
names and a fun fact, like what we enjoy playing the most during recess. This way
the focus is not entirely on the new student standing in front of the room with the
teacher, trying to introduce him or herself, but rather on the current students
introducing themselves to the new student. New students should never feel
pressured or embarrassed to share about themselves, but may if they feel like doing
so after the class has finished with their introduction. After the introductions have
taken place, current students should be asked to resume what they were working on
and the new student will be asked to meet with the teacher at the small group table.
During this time, I will casually conference with the student to find out what they
like and dislike, how they are feeling, and introduce them to their buddies for the
week. The buddies will then be asked to quietly show the new student around the
room - what the various stations are, where the mailboxes are, where the
individualized work holders are, and where student supplies are kept.

Substitutes:

In the event that I am unable to teach and a substitute is brought in, I will
have prepared both a Sub Tub and a Substitute Welcome Binder. The Sub Tub
will contain the Substitute Welcome Binder, sub plans by subject for the week (each
subject has its own folder), and a miscellaneous folder containing extra activities
and read aloud books. The Substitute Welcome Binder will contain the following:

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Welcome This will consist of a

little note from me saying hello
and thanking the sub for filling in.
Attached to the welcome will also
be a note from me to the students
to be shown on the ELMO or
overhead, asking them to follow
the Sub Rules. The Sub Rules
will be written out in my notes to
the students.
Daily Procedures, Routines, and
Classroom Expectations This will
contain our class schedule, classroom management procedures, and
discipline policy.
Class Roster - This is to be used for attendance. Student school pictures will
be beside the corresponding name and nametags for each student will also be
included.
Seating Chart This will be up-to-date and
reflect the current layout of the room as well as which
students belong to which group for stations/centers
Students Receiving Services This section will
list students who receive special accommodations,
what those accommodations are, who extra staff
people are, when to expect support staff and how to
facilitate these accommodations.
Codes and Passwords This section will
provide codes, passwords, and instructions for logging
on to various technologies.
School Map A map of the school with exit
plans for fire, tornado, and intruder.
Emergency Procedures What to do and/or who to call in case of an
emergency.
Emergency Lesson Plans To be used as a back up if for some reason the Sub
Tub was not updated.
While You Were Out Blank forms for the sub to fill out for me with any
notes from the day.

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Disciplinary Procedures &

Professional Ethics
Establishing Classroom Expectations:

As a kindergarten classroom, we will be spending a lot of time discussing
classroom expectations throughout the year. The beginning of the year will be spent
going over the expectations of our classroom each day (this daily discussion will
fade as the year progresses and students become familiar with the classroom
expectations, routines, and procedures), which will include expectations for our
various procedures and routines, as well as the consequences if we do not meet our
expectations and the benefits of consistently meeting our expectations. Overall, it is
my goal to keep expectations positive. As Wong,
2009 states, Teachers get what they expect. I
am a firm believer that there are no bad
students, just poor choices.
I know that my students can meet the
expectations set for them and I want them to
believe that as well. Since we are a kindergarten
room, I want our expectations to be concise and
memorable, in addition to being positive. Too
often, we get bogged down with overwhelming
sets of rules for every part of the school day. In
keepin
g our
expectations short and sweet, it is my hope
that students will remember, internalize,
and embody these expectations throughout
the school year. Our class expectations will
go something as follows: In this class we:
Keep it Positive, Respect Ourselves, Our
Class, and Our School, Are Polite, and Are
Ready to Learn

Consequences for Minor Infractions

& Distractions:

Our classroom uses behavior clips to
help monitor daily behavior. Each morning,
every student begins at a neutral point and
either moves their clip up or down

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depending upon their behavior throughout the day. The behavior clips are a facet of
our classroom expectations, and as such, will have been gone over several times at
the beginning of the year with students. Students will all be aware of what the
behavior clips are and how they work before being asked to subscribe to its use. For
minor infractions, such as repeatedly having to be asked to follow directions or
disrupting the class, students will be asked to move their clip down one color bar.
Each color bar corresponds to a consequence. Positive colors may correlate to
increased PAT points, while negative colors may mean losing PAT points, taking a
break, or having to complete an alternate activity instead of a preferred activity,
doing word work instead of being able to use the computer, for example.
The severity of the consequence is related to the amount of times the clip has
been moved. I will never call out, demean, or intentionally embarrass students while
managing behavior. I will quietly get with them individually and on their level to let
them know: that the behavior they are engaging in is unacceptable, why the
behavior is unacceptable, how they need to modify their behavior so that it is
acceptable, and inform them that if they do not fix their current behavior I will ask
them to move their clip down and they will have to deal with the consequences of
that action. Disruptions are to be expected in a kindergarten classroom and will
most likely be the source of much of the individual behavior clip movement.
However, I also expect there to be times when the entire class is off-task for one
reason or another. To help end distractions and get the whole class back on track, I
will use the following: In a whisper voice I will say, If you can hear my voice clap
once. Gradually, I will get a bit louder and say, If you can hear my voice clap twice.
If you can hear my voice stomp your feet three times. If you can hear my voice, sit
down in your chair. If you can hear my voice give me a thumbs up and show me
that you are ready to listen. By the time the last direction is given, all students
should be focusing their attention on the teacher.

Consequences for Mid-Level Infractions:

In comparison to mild infractions such as being off task or disrupting fellow
students, mid-level infractions are expected to be somewhat less common. Mid-level
infractions would consist of defiant behavior (ex: refusing to try to get work done)
and/or being disrespectful or offensive towards peers or the teacher. These types of
infractions could take place in class or on the playground. In these instances, I would
again meet with the student quietly, individually, and on their level. I would ask
them to immediately stop their behavior and to take a break if they need to cool
down. In the classroom, breaks are to be taken in the reading corner where there is
inviting furniture and a space for students to feel a bit secluded while still allowing
me to observe their actions. This is not meant to be a punishment, but a pause for
students to self-soothe, recollect, and rejoin the group in a calm state. If the
infraction occurred during recess, I would ask that the student remove themselves
from the situation and find a new activity to engage in, so that they are not losing all
of their recess time. When students return from breaks, I will tell them, I am so glad
that you are feeling better and ready to come back to class. Can you tell me a little

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bit about what happened earlier? Remember, at school, we try our very best to be
kind and respectful. How was your behavior showing respect? How do you think
your behavior made our friends feel? How would you feel if someone acted like that
toward you? We need to go apologize to our friends and let them know that we are
feeling better now, and that we are sorry for making them feel bad earlier. If mid-
level infractions or any other troubling behavior patterns such as inattentiveness,
tardiness, cheating, or not finishing work, became frequent or habitual, I would be
sure to make daily notes in my student record book. I would then use these notes of
behavior patterns to help broach conversation about concerning behavior with
parents.

Consequences for Extreme Infractions:

Extreme infractions compromise the safety of the students and teacher.
These infractions are violent and/or destructive in nature. If an extreme infraction
were to occur, I would immediately refer the student to the office. I would also
remove either the class from the area or the individual from the room to ensure
safety of all students. I would have another teacher or staff member designated as
my back up person to call in the event of an extreme infraction, to assist in diffusing
the situation. Parents/guardians would be contacted immediately in this situation
and a meeting with parents/guardians, the principal, and myself would be
scheduled to discuss the situation. Once the situation had been handled, I would
debrief my students on what had happened, making sure to answer any questions
they might have without compromising student confidentiality.

Guardian Involvement:

I hope to have a very open relationship with all of my students parents, as I
believe that continuous support from home to school is vital to student success. I
intend to engage in frequent communication with parents via a monthly classroom
newsletter, notes home, e-mails, phone calls, and speaking in person whichever
mode of communication works best for each parent. Parents should feel like they
can reach me with questions and concerns at any time. It is important to me that
parents feel involved in their childs education and included in any notable changes
in their childs progress, as well as in any decision making process concerning their
child. I want parents to know that we are on the same team I want what is best for
their student and I want to see their student succeed, too! Parents are also
encouraged to be classroom volunteers, so that they may get a feel for what school is
like for their student and further deepen their involvement in their childs
education.
In terms of student behavior, parents would only be notified of troubling
habitual behavior or of violent and destructive behavior. In these instances, I would
expect parents to meet with me to discuss behavior and plan of action steps.
Conferences for students will be held each semester and I plan on meeting with each
students parents/guardians during these. Ideally, the first part of the conference

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would be co-lead with the student present. The student would show the parent
around our classroom and go through their student work binder with them. During
the second part of the conference, the student would leave the room, either with one
of the parents or with a group from the school to attend the book fair while I discuss
student progress with the parents/guardians.

Professional Ethics:

Professionalism is important in any career, but especially in education. As
teachers, we set examples for our students all day long. If we expect them to behave
politely and work cooperatively with all of their peers, we must do the same. The
respect I have for the teaching profession is huge. I believe that teachers are tasked
with the most difficult and important job - the job of nurturing the future. In this job,
students are the first priority. Any decision made or action taken throughout the
school day should be done with their best interest in mind. Teaching should not be
muddled by petty disagreements between
colleagues or lounge gossip.

I am fully aware of how partaking in lounge
gossip makes one look from an outsiders
perspective. One questions those gossip-y teachers
ethics and why they are even teaching in the first
place, in some instances. Respect is lost and
professional reputations are damaged when such
behavior is engaged in. In my opinion, lounge gossip
should be avoided at all cost.
Sometimes, it is easiest just to remove
oneself from the situation entirely by leaving the
room. Other times, when leaving the room is
impossible or inappropriate, giving neutral
responses has to suffice. Unless another teacher was
horrible out of line with their conversation, I would never ask them to end it on my
behalf they are adults and may choose to converse in that way. However, that does
not mean that I also have to partake in the conversation. I find that removing myself
from lounge gossip situations or giving neutral responses, allows me to be the least
involved in those types of conversations as possible while maintaining a good
working relationship with my co-workers.
Maintaining positive working relationships with colleagues is of the utmost
importance in the educational field because it is so collaborative in nature. That
being said, not all colleagues will see eye-to-eye all of the time. However, this does
not mean that they cease working together. If I were in a situation where I found
myself not getting along with a colleague, I would keep any negativity to myself and
remain polite. I would listen attentively to their point of view and filter my opinions
through the view of what is best for the students. Remaining civilized is
important, as is remaining calm especially when sharing ideas. I would keep in
mind that a professional relationship is largely an exchange of ideas and that we are

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both entitled to our individual points of view, as well as individual teaching styles. I
would maintain respect for my colleague, but keep our interactions to a minimum. I
would in no way let my feelings towards my colleague affect my work.
Disagreeing with the leadership style of my principal poses a greater
challenge. In this case, I would work to voice my concerns privately to
administration. I would want to meet with my principal to explain my point of view
and try to better understand theirs. If a compromise could be made, I would work
towards that. However, if leadership style could or would not be changed, I would
respect my principals wishes. I would not let my own opinions and/or preferences
interfere with my professionalism or quality of work.

Routines & Procedures

The First Day

On the first day of school, I will meet my
students at the door and greet them by name (I will
continue this routine every day to let students know
that they are welcome, cared for, and important to our
class). If we are meeting outside of our classroom,
above me, a banner will read Welcome to
Kindergarten! This will not have been the first time
most of us will have met. I will have been present at
the schools Meet the Teacher night and I will have
also sent out an introductory letter to all of my students and their parents. In this
letter I will have conveyed a bit about myself, my
excitement for meeting the incoming kindergarteners,
my expectations for the classroom, and what I hope for
us all to accomplish during the school year. Attached
will be a calendar of important dates for parents to note
as well as my contact information.

When students enter the classroom on the first
day, it will be ready for them. They will find their names
on their desks and mailboxes, their birthdays displayed,
school supplies organized, and their activities laid out. I
want my students to feel welcomed and comfortable
immediately. After they have found their locker and
deposited their belongings, students will find their seat.
Once the entire class has arrived, we will take a tour

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around the classroom, discussing our expectations and procedures for each area of
the room.
We will conclude our tour by ending in the large group space. Here, I will
share an All About Me bulletin board that I have made that contains photos and
memorabilia of things that I have done or things that I enjoy doing. I will give
students a chance to ask me questions after this and then they will proceed to
working on an All About Me activity to be shared with the class. When sharing,
students will take turns sitting in the Sharing Chair. This is how they will know
whose turn it is to speak, as well as who to listen to politely.

Taking Roll & Lunch Count

The first thing students will do after putting up their belongings in the
morning, will be to check in for attendance and choose their lunch option. This will
be done simultaneously by moving a magnetic
photo of themselves under Lunch Choice A,
Lunch Choice B, or Cold Lunch on the white
board. Student pictures that do not move are
those absent.

Classroom Jobs

On Mondays, after students have made
their lunch selection, they will go over and check
the classroom jobs board. Going along with our
Rockstar theme, classroom jobs will be
designated by tour laminates. Each students
photo will be posted on the classroom jobs board
in rows. Underneath each student photo there
will be a Command hook to hang the tour
laminates. There will be jobs for:
Line Leader Leads the front of the line
Caboose End of the line/makes sure everyone stays in line
Lights Turns the lights off as we leave the room and on as we return to the
room
Paper Passer Distributes new papers from the teacher to each student
Paper Collector Collects papers from students to return to the teacher
Supply Distributor Passes out student school supplies as necessary
Librarian Makes sure the classroom library is neat, selects a book for read
aloud
Calendar Moves the calendar marker to the correct day and shares the day
of the week, month, day, and year to the class during the morning routine
Room Manager Makes sure that our room is picked up throughout the day
Substitute Fills in if another person is absent

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Classroom Management Plan

Morning Routine

After lunch and jobs have been sorted out,
we begin our morning routine. We transition from
the aforementioned check in and breakfast by
playing a song we all enjoy (Arthurs theme song, for
example). We play this song to let us know that its
time to move to the large group space for Morning
Work. During Morning Work, we go over our
alphabet and letter sounds by singing, Who let the
Alphabet Out? together as a class (It
goes Who let the A out? Aaa, aaa,
aaa, aa-aa Who let the B out? Buh,
buh, buh, buh-buh etc.) We review
our sight words on our word wall
and add our new Word of the Day.
Then we go over our calendar.
Our calendar person uses a
pointer to show us where we are on
the calendar, what day of the week it
is (Today is Tomorrow is
Yesterday was), what month it is
and what year it is. We also talk
about the weather. We choose what
it looks like outside and we predict
the temperature to be adjusted on
our color-coded thermometer. After Calendar and Weather, we move on to
numbers. Our Number of the Day corresponds to the number of days we have been
in school. Using straws we count to the appropriate number. We bundle by 5s and
10s when applicable. We show the number of the day in currency as well. To close,
we go over our learning goals for the day and transition into lessons.

Bathroom

As a kindergarten classroom, our bathroom is in our room. This makes using
the bathroom less of an issue. Students may use the restroom whenever they need,
provided they raise their hand and politely let the teacher know that they need to
use the restroom. Students may quietly walk to the restroom, use the facilities, wash
their hands, and return to class.

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Drinking Fountain

Similarly to the restroom, the drinking fountain is also
in our room as a part of the classroom sink. Students may use
the drinking fountain if they are thirsty, provided they raise
their hand and politely let the teacher know that they wish to
use the drinking fountain. The teacher reserves the right to
ask students to wait to use the drinking fountain when they
are doing independent work time as opposed to during a large-group lesson.
Students may also bring a water bottle to class with their name on it. The water
bottles will be kept in a shoe rack on a wall where students can reach them.
Students may not have their water bottles during large group lessons, but may use
them at any time during independent seat- work.

Lining Up & Transitioning

In the classroom, we use songs to transition from activities as a large group.
To transition within the classroom in our small, cooperative learning groups, the
teacher gives the verbal cue: Group A! Clean up your area and get ready to move on
to Center 3 in one minute. Alright, Group A, rotate! To transition to a space outside
of the classroom for recess, lunch, and specials, we will line up. To line up, the
teacher will first give a one-minute warning for students to find a spot to pause
what they are working on, clean up, and get ready to move on to the next activity.
When it is time to line up the teacher will say One, two, three, eyes on me. And
students will respond, One, two, eyes on you! The teacher will then say Bottoms
in our seats and bubbles in our mouths. To signal to students to be seated, quiet,
and ready to be dismissed to line up.
The teacher will then dismiss the line leader to line up at the door. After the
line leader is in line, the teacher will dismiss by table clusters. Before leaving the
room the teacher will ask to see bubbles and thumbs meaning that students will
be quiet and letting her know that they are ready to go by giving a thumbs up. The
teacher will give positive feedback and remind students to stay quiet in the hallway
and to use walking feet in line.

Papers & Take-Home Folder

In kindergarten, homework is a non-issue. However, students will have a
take home folder for important papers for parents to see, parent/teacher
correspondence, and completed work. These papers will make it into student
mailboxes and take home folders with help from the Paper Passer. The Paper Passer
will be concerned with the papers that get sent home with all students. The teacher
will place student-specific and/or confidential papers in student folders only. The

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Paper Passer will make sure that all of the papers are in student folders before the
end of the day. Any returning papers will be collected at the start of the day by the
Paper Collector and given to the teacher.

Newsletter

Each month, I will prepare a newsletter to be sent home to families. In the
newsletter will be upcoming class events, current class accomplishments, photos of
class activities, and any pertinent school-wide news. This newsletter will be
prepared online and uploaded to a private class blog. The blog log in information
will have been sent home to each family along with log in access to the student
record book before the start of the year in my introductory letter.

Free Time/Preferred Activity Time

In our class, staying on task/engaging in positive behavior is recognized with
Preferred Activity Time or PAT. Each day, the class starts out with
2 minutes of PAT to be used after lunch and at the end of the day. It
is up to the class to maintain that time or earn more by staying on
task (i.e. not wasting time) and keeping their behavior clips in the
neutral color or above. If two or more clips go below the neutral
color and stay there by the time students are dismissed for lunch
and again for specials, the class loses 30 seconds of PAT. A running
total of PAT time is kept next to the class behavior clip chart so that
students are aware of where they stand. When the class cashes out
PAT, they get to engage in activities that are educational, but different from what
they typically do in class. PAT rewards rotate each week from brain breaks to iPads,
to yoga, to learning games.

Dismissal

Before going home each day, the class runs through a checklist. At 5 minutes
until the final bell, students will need to stop what they are working on and:
1. Clean Up Your Area
2. Stack Your Chair
3. Check Your Mailbox
4. Collect Your Take-Home Folder
5. Get Backpacks and Coats
6. Line Up to Go Home
The Room Manager will do one final check of the room before the class dismisses. If
the room needs extra attention, the Room Manager may call upon other students to
help.

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Differentiation Policy

Supporting Struggling Learners

I understand that some of my students will need extra help, extra time, extra
accommodations, or modified activities to support their learning I will gladly
provide all of those things. Our classroom has been set up to be very differentiation-
friendly from cooperative learning groups to individualized work boxes. As I get to
know my students strengths and weaknesses, I will be better able to provide
appropriate supports to them.
My main concern is the success of my students. I am very flexible and more
than willing to work with students who need extra support. My struggling learners
will be given condensed versions of activities and allowed more time with me in
small group settings. The extra small group time will help me better pinpoint areas
of weakness to work on building up with students. I will also be better able to
discuss with parents what we can do to best support these students and make
better-informed recommendations about resources we can access at school and
within the community to best fit our students needs.

Gifted Students

I encourage my gifted students to pursue their talents and interests. As with
all of my students, I challenge them to continue to grow as intellectuals. I foster this
growth by providing my gifted students opportunities to engage in activities and
with materials that are appropriate for their performance level, either in my
classroom or in clustered, pull out, or cross grade group setting. I will work to best
support my gifted students by recognizing their giftedness and involving their
family and other faculty so that we may come up with a plan of action that gets our
gifted students either tested into or placed in the environment that best fits their
needs.

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Classroom Management Plan

References
1. Mackenzie, R. J. & Stanzione, L. (2010). Setting limits in the classroom: A
complete guide to effective classroom management with a school-wide
discipline plan. New York: Three Rivers Press
2. Rogers, K. B. (2006). A menu of options for grouping gifted students. Waco,
Texas: Prufrock Press, Inc.
3. Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability
classrooms. Alexandria, Virginia: ASCD
4. Wong, H. K. & Wong, R. T. (2009). The first days of school: How to be an
effective teacher. Mountain View, California: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc.
5. Images sourced from searches using www.google.com
6. Images sourced from searches using www.pinterest.com
7. http://rainbowswithinreach.blogspot.com.au/2014/07/185-ideas-for-
classroom-organization.html
8. http://www.commoncoregaloreandmore.com/new-teacher-tips-part-ii/
9. https://www.pinterest.com/megancrossett/future-classroom/

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