Classroom Management Plan

The following classroom management plan details every aspect of my philosophy, rules,
and expectations for my United States history class. I will use this management plan as
a guide throughout the year in order to help me make decisions, plan lessons, and work
with students.

1. My Philosophy
I believe that part of my job is to create a safe and positive learning environment for
students in order for them to be able to learn and grow in my class. I think this includes
things such as defining learning goals, providing necessary resources, interacting with
students in a positive way, and understanding what motivates my students. I think that if
students have clear goals and the resources to attain them then it will be much easier
for them to do well in my class. I also believe that if I can always interact with them in a
positive manner then I will be accessible to my students as a resource for learning and
help. I also believe that it is important to implement factors into the classroom that will
be motivating for students to abide by the rules and expectations of the classroom.
I also believe in the behaviorist theories of motivation. I think that the research shows
that positive and negative reinforcement, as well as punishment, is effective in
maintaining the behaviors that are wanted in the classroom. These can also be highly
motivating factors for students in behaving a certain way.
2. Incorporate School Policies and Procedures
School-wide policies and procedures will be enforced. There are several of these and
they will be discussed on the first day of class when we talk about the disclosure.
Cell phones and other electronic devices are not permitted in class
The dress code must be met at all times
Students may not bring backpacks or other bags to class but should leave them
in their lockers
Students must have a hall pass to leave class. Hall passes will not be given
within the first or last 10 minutes of class
If the teacher has to deal with minor offenses more than 5 times, that student will
be written up and referred to an administrator
3. Consider preventive methods of classroom management
I will use preventive methods to gain and maintain control of the classroom before
anyone misbehaves. Students will know what is expected of them in my class and what
is considered appropriate behavior. There are a number of things I can do as the
teacher to prevent classroom management issues from arising.
 On the first day of class we will go over the rules and expectations for the
classroom. This will include acceptable and appropriate behavior in the
classroom, procedures that should be followed, and policies we will adhere to.
As part of the procedures, we will have a set routine for our class. A few
examples of this are that I will try to generally start class the same way every day
and always follow the same procedures for how to transition to new activities or
how to answer questions. This will hopefully help students to know what to
expect in my classroom and eliminate surprises and uncertainty.
I will plan on implementing a variety of instructional activities so that the class will
not become stagnant and uninteresting. I will include whole class instruction,
group and partner work, individual work, technology, and games and activities.

4. Positive Reinforcement
I will implement positive reinforcement to help motivate students to stay on task and be
attentive and prepared for class each day.
Students will be able to earn rewards for satisfactory behavior. I will keep track of
points for each class on the board that they can earn toward a mystery motivator.
Students can earn points for being on task or following directions the first time
they are given.
o At the beginning of class each day there will be a bell ringer posted on the
board when students come into class. Students will complete the bell
ringer in their class journals. Journals are to be kept in a class bin in the
classroom. They will be retrieved from the bin when students arrive and
returned to the bin at the end of class. If 80% of students are working on
the bell ringer, quietly in their seats when the bell rings the class will earn
one point to start the day.
o I will look over bell ringers as students are working on them and give them
a check mark if they have answered satisfactorily. This means that all
instructions were followed and questions were answered fully. If 80% of
the class receives a check mark they can earn another point on the board.
This system is meant to help students be prepared and on task
when they arrive to class each day. If that can be accomplished we
will be able to use all the time we have to be engaged in learning.
o Students can earn additional points throughout class by being on task
during individual, partner, or group work time. They can also earn points
by following directions the first time they are given, raising their hands to
answer or ask questions, and giving the teacher attention when it is called
for.
Students receive positive praise for on task behavior. Receiving attention from
the teacher or classmates can be very motivating for some students. By giving
positive verbal praise for being on task or following directions students can
 receive that attention for doing things that help the classroom environment and
further learning.

5. Define classroom rules

We will go over the classroom rules and expectations during the first week of school.
The rules will also be posted in a visible location in the classroom so that they can be
easily referred to by the teacher and students.
Be connected: ask questions, participate
Be thoughtful: be kind, be attentive
Be responsible: be on time, be prepared

6. Understand each childs motivation

Not all students are motivated by the same things. I will try to allow for a variety of
motivational factors to exist in the classroom setting by allowing students to select their
own rewards.
As part of the point system previously discussed, students can earn rewards as a
class. The points earned will be towards a mystery motivator. The class will come
up with a variety of different rewards that can be used as the mystery motivator
and the teacher will have a student randomly select a mystery motivator from the
pool of possible choices to be put into an envelope kept at the front of the
classroom.
The mystery motivator is earned by eliminating all of the links from a paper chain.
Every time the class earns five points on the board a chain is removed from the
link. The chain has ten links in it making it so students need 50 points to earn the
mystery motivator.
The mystery motivator can be anything from earning candy or chips to earning
free time at the end of class on the day the mystery motivator is earned. The
class will come up with these together and they need to be approved by the
teacher. This is so that the class doesnt choose something that the teacher
cannot deliver.

7. Explain consequences for breaking rules

Consequences for breaking rules will be discussed the first day of class. They will also
be included in the class disclosure that will be sent home with students during the first
week of school.
I will start with giving a verbal warning when students are not abiding by the class
rules and expectations
 If students do not correct behavior following the verbal warning they will be sent
to a buddy room
It is up to my discretion to determine if a call home is necessary following
misbehavior
If students continue to break the rules then I will write them up. But they will
always be warned before this step or any other is taken.
I usually start by using proximity or a visual cue before I give a verbal warning. Those
are not included in the list of consequences because they are more of a strategy than a
consequence for the student. It is a way for me to warn them to correct their behavior
before a consequence is given.