Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 7

Running head: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 1

Classroom Management Plan

Autumn Smith

Louisiana State University


CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 2

Classroom Management Plan

Justification

The foundation of a teacher’s classroom management style should stem from their

personal teaching philosophy. One aspect of my personal teaching philosophy that informs my

classroom management plan is family involvement. This means ensuring that families are able to

give input when it comes to their child, as well as remain informed about any specific issues or

behavior management strategies being implemented. The other primary component of my

teaching philosophy that influences my classroom management plan is differentiation. This

involves planning so that the student expectations held and classroom management techniques

used are appropriate to each child’s age, culture, and developmental abilities. Additionally,

incorporating differentiation into one’s classroom management plan includes modifying the plan

as needed in order to maintain developmental appropriateness.

One of the principles of child development described by Carol Copple and Sue

Bredekamp (2009) in their book, Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood

Programs: Serving Children from Birth through Age 8, is, “development proceeds toward greater

complexity, self-regulation, and symbolic or representational capacities” (Copple & Bredekamp,

2009, p. 12). They further define the concept of self-regulation as, “developing the capacity to

manage strong emotions and keep one’s attention focused” (Copple & Bredekamp, 2009, p. 12).

The ability to self-regulate is crucial to the young child’s development because it imparts the

important skills needed to function in life beyond the classroom. In their textbook,

Developmentally Appropriate Curriculum: Best Practices in Early Childhood Education, authors

Marjorie J. Kostelnik, Anne K. Soderman, Alice P. Whiren, and Michelle Q. Rupiper (2015) list
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 3

some of the behaviors indicative of self-regulation, such as partaking in constructive social

interactions, refusing temptation, managing negative urges, formulating positive social plans, and

refraining from gratification (Kostelnik, Soderman, Whiren, & Rupiper, 2015, p. 168). Because

the development of self-regulation is heavily influenced by external sources, it is imperative that

teachers and caregivers model these behaviors and provide opportunities to practice self-

regulation skills. Because meaningful play allows children to demonstrate appropriate behavior,

resolve personal and social conflicts, and interact with their peers, it is an effective means

through which children can gain the skills needed to become contributing members of society.

Personal Classroom Management Plan

In his textbook, The Power of Guidance: Teaching Social-Emotional Skills in Early

Childhood Classrooms, Dan Gartrell (2004) explains the concept of mistaken behavior, an

alternative to misbehavior, which, “reminds us that the child is just at the beginning of a lifelong

learning process, which we also are undertaking, and that in the process of learning we all make

mistakes” (Gartrell, 2004, p. 7). By taking this idea into consideration, teachers can successfully

instill democratic life skills in their students, such as participation in a community and conflict

resolution, through the use of guidance. In order for a classroom to be effectively managed by

using guidance to instruct appropriate behavior, teachers must implement indirect and direct

guidance strategies. One indirect guidance strategy involves the creation and application of

classroom expectations. Classroom expectations should be concise and limited in number,

ensuring that young children will be able to easily remember and follow them, as well as steadily

enforced, so that students will know what is expected of them. Additionally, teachers can

promote the appreciation of and respect for classroom expectations by allowing students to

actively participate in their formation, creating a democratic classroom community. Above all,
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 4

classroom expectations should be established from the beginning and enforced consistently

throughout the school year. Another indirect guidance strategy includes maintaining routine daily

schedules and procedures. If students understand that they are expected to put their bags and

belongings in their cubbies, sit on their designated spot on the carpet, and wait for the teacher to

begin the morning meeting upon arriving to the classroom in the morning, they are left with few

chances to become distracted and act inappropriately. When consistent routines are planned in

such a way that they eliminate opportunities for mistaken behavior to occur, they allow for

effective classroom management through indirect prevention. Direct strategies, another efficient

means of guiding young children, are those that immediately respond to behavior. An example of

a direct guidance strategy is rewarding appropriate behavior with positive consequences. If a

teacher tells their class, “I really appreciate how well you all have been sharing with one another

and following the playground rules today! I am going to give the entire class five extra minutes

of recess”, they are encouraging the continuation of the desired behavior by benefitting the

students as it occurs. Furthermore, the practice of rewarding the class as a whole rather than on

an individual basis encourages a common sense of affinity and kinship among the students.

Another productive direct guidance strategy is reacting to mistaken behavior with reasonable

consequences, such as restitution. For example, if a student kicks down another student’s block

tower out of frustration, a logical consequence would be to have the student rebuild the structure.

By having the student restore what they destroyed, the teacher is guiding them to develop

responsibility for their actions, respect for materials, and consideration for others, all of which

are crucial life skills needed to function and thrive within society. Another major piece of

classroom management is having planned transitions between every activity. This can be as

simple as a song, rhyme, or some other movement activity. The important part is that the students
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 5

are given something to do to help guide them into the next activity. An additional strategy that

aids in classroom management is planning supplementary activities so that the students are never

left without anything to do. Examples include having a classroom library for students to read in,

STEM bins, materials for free-writing, and planned “can do” activities. Finally, the creation of

class jobs is an effective means for managing the classroom while instilling responsibility within

students. By assigning students with jobs such as line leader, door holder, caboose,

lunch/calendar helper, and teacher’s aide, the teacher can ensure that these roles are fulfilled

while allowing the students to contribute to the classroom community.

Depending on how much freedom a teacher has over their own schedule, they should aim

to structure it in a way that allows for brain breaks, such as GoNoodle or some other movement

activity, or free-choice centers. Teachers should make sure to have routine activities planned

even when they are not actively teaching. Such activities can include morning work or morning

meeting, free-choice centers, or independent reading time. The grade level will determine the

length of different items on the schedule. For example, whole group instruction in pre-k and

kindergarten should consist mostly of 10 minute mini-lessons, while center time should be long

enough for students to engage in meaningful play, typically 30 minutes. However, in 2nd and 3rd

grade, lessons can be up to one hour long and include whole group, small group, and

independent components.

Another key aspect of an effective classroom management plan is having collaborative

relationships with families. Teachers can use communication apps, such as Class Dojo, to update

families on their children’s behavior. Apps like Class Dojo allows teachers to give students green

points for positive behavior and red points for inappropriate behavior. Because families can

connect to the app, they are immediately notified when their child receives a red or green point.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 6

Families can also message the teacher directly to discuss their child’s behavior issues or

concerns.

Evaluating Effectiveness

Any classroom management plan will not be successful without a means for evaluating

its effectiveness. One way to measure the success of one’s classroom management procedures is

through self-reflection. Teachers should regularly reflect upon their classroom management

practices, including which components are effective and which could be improved upon. Another

way to assess one’s classroom management is through observations. These can be formal

observations conducted by administrators or informal observations conducted by fellow teachers.

Observations can give teachers insight on how well-managed their classroom is from an

alternative perspective. Finally, teachers can attend professional development workshops on

classroom and behavior management. By attending these trainings, teachers can ensure that the

management strategies used are research-based and professionally endorsed. Regardless of how a

teachers chooses to evaluate the effectiveness of their classroom management plan, it is

important to remember that classroom management is a process. It will take time to establish the

many routines that help a classroom run smoothly. However, with continuous reinforcement and

self-reflection, students will eventually be able to successfully complete daily classroom

procedures without the need for redirection.


CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 7

References

Copple, C., & Bredekamp, S. (2009). Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood

programs: Serving children from birth through age 8 (3rd ed.). Washington, DC: National

Association for the Education of Young Children.

Gartrell, D. (2004). The power of guidance: Teaching social-emotional skills in early childhood

classrooms. Washington, DC: NAEYC.

Kostelnik, M. J., Soderman, A. K., Whiren, A. P., & Rupiper, M. L. (2015). Developmentally

appropriate curriculum: Best practices in early childhood education (6th ed.). Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Pearson, Inc.

Вам также может понравиться