THE CLASSROOM

MANAGEMENT PLAN
PORTFOLIO

Damon Vandrey
UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON CUIN 4375
 Damon Vandrey 1

Table of Contents
Section Page Number

Table of Contents 1

Introduction 2

Philosophical Statement 3

First Day(s) 4

Classroom Environment 7

Classroom Procedures 10

Discipline System 14

Student Motivation 18

Classroom Engagement 21
 Damon Vandrey 2

Introduction

My name is Damon Vandrey, and I am a history major that intends to teach social studies

in high school. This plan was designed with grades 9-12 in mind, which would cover the subjects

of geography, American history, worlds history, economics, and government. Of those choices, I

am hoping to primarily teach world and American history, and that was my mindset while

creating this portfolio. The purpose of this portfolio is to provide the basis for a comprehensive

classroom plan as I head into my first semester of student teaching. I plan to use this portfolio as

both a guide on how to proceed, and as an item to reflect upon as I further develop my own

theories and methods of classroom management. This is not a concrete plan that I will follow to

the letter for the rest of my life, it is the first step in determining what kind of classroom I want to

have as I begin my career as a teacher, and will be subject to change as I make my own

observations about how well these methods work in a classroom.

 Damon Vandrey 3

Philosophical Statement

My beliefs about classroom management today are broader and vaguer than I would like

as I pursue new ideas, and experiment with different techniques. However, I do have some core

beliefs that heavily influenced my plan. The first is that students are ultimately responsible for

their own decisions. It is the responsibility of the teacher to create an environment that allows all

students to succeed, but the students must work for their own success, it cannot be handed to

them. I believe that it is important to create a positive classroom environment that feels like a

community of learners, while ensuring that there are no disadvantages based on culture, gender,

or economic status. I believe that students should have a voice in creating rules and

consequences, thus allowing them to understand what behavior is acceptable, and the

consequences for unacceptable behavior. I believe in promoting a growth mindset and

encouraging effort. I believe in exercising caution before delivering praise or scorn for work or

behavior, as the downsides of rewards and punishments are potentially severe. I hope to be able

to put these ideas into more specific practices moving forwards.

 Damon Vandrey 4

First Day(s)

Introduction

The first days of school are among the most important of the entire year, a bad first

impression can be hard to undo, and building a strong rapport with your students begins on the

very first day. When planning for the first days, I tried to look at theories that pertained to

establishing conduct, rules, and consequences, while also becoming familiar with the class. Two

theorists stood out to me, first was Linda Albert, whose Cooperative Discipline theory advocates

the creation of a student code of conduct by the students, and the idea that students choose their

own behavior, which I agree with. The other was Eunice Shiver with her Community of Caring

model, in which teachers form a community with their students, which I believe the first day of

class is ideal for. The following activities will revolve around either the furthering of a

community, or the shared creation of rules for behavior, and their consequences.
 Damon Vandrey 5

The Plan

Going into the first day of a school, I will have a plan that combines activities and

environment (which I will get to in the next section). When students walk into the classroom,

they will be greeted with a seating chart similar to the one

posted here, though altered to represent the classroom

environment accurately, and filled in with the names of

students. Students will sit at their assigned seats. This may

limit their options, but the purpose of this system is to

allow me to place each student’s face to a name and begin

my steps towards creating a community where everyone

Figure 1 Seating Chart courtesy of Template Assistants
https://templatesassistant.com/seating-chart-template/
knows everyone.

After the class has begun, and each student is seated, I will begin a brief presentation

introducing myself, the subject of the class, and the topics that we will

be covering in the near future. Afterwards, there will be an icebreaker

activity. The icebreaker is something of a tired concept, but I believe

it’s genuinely useful for getting to know students and can be great in

finding shared interests among students, which could help with

grouping, which will play an important role in my classroom. I’d likely

add some historical twist to the icebreaker, but the specificities would

depend on the type of class I would end up teaching, though would

Figure 2 Icebreaker, courtesy of Schoolastic.
https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog- likely revolve around favorite historical figures.
posts/genia-connell/10-fun-back-school-activities-
and-icebreakers/
 Damon Vandrey 6

After the icebreaker had concluded, I’d dedicate the remaining time to explaining the

rules of the classroom which I would have created beforehand, as well as the consequences.

However, this time will also be open for the creation of a classroom constitution, in which

students would create their own rules, as agreed upon by the class, as well as the consequences

for violating those rules. This would allow them to immediately understand the expectations for

their behavior, as well as the consequences for deviating from these expectations. I think

allowing students to determine the limits gives them a sense of control over their life, which is

sorely lacking in many classrooms in my opinion. After that was completed, I would set

expectations for classroom procedures moving forwards, which I will also tackle later in this

portfolio.

Figure 3 A Classroom Constitution courtesy of Schoolastic

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/blog-posts/alycia-zimmerman/we-people---
constitutional-approach-classroom-rules/
 Damon Vandrey 7

Classroom Environment

Introduction

The classroom that you create is the classroom that students will work in every weekday

for an entire year, and it is also the place where the teacher will spend a very long time, so it is

important to create an environment that benefits both the students and the teacher. My focus on

the ideals of the Community of Caring theory developed by Shiver is still an important aspect of

this aspect of the classroom, however I’ve also incorporated social aspects that roughly relate to

the Social Decision Making and Problem Solving model created by Schuler, Elias and Clabby.

However, most of my design is based off of what I have personally experienced as effective,

either as a student, or as a developing teacher. The goal is still to create a sense of community

and providing an environment that is easier for me to monitor.

 Damon Vandrey 8

The Plan

The plan is to create an environment that is both easy to monitor, easy for students to

navigate, and beneficial for the purposes of creating a community. The first step in completing

the latter goal is to group desks into groups of four, immediately creating a team feeling within

the classroom. This system

will set expectations for the

kind of work the class will

consist of. Furthermore, the

spacing between desks (if

class space allows) will be

sufficient for both students

and teacher to navigate

without having to squeeze

through, which can be

awkward, disruptive, and

uncomfortable. The box in Figure 4 Classroom Diagram created by me (as you can probably tell)

which to turn in work will be near the teacher’s desk, but not on it, as that may be daunting for

students. The backwall will become decorated with exemplary student work as the year moves

forwards in order to set standards on what a good project should look like. The front board will

contain bell schedules, lunch schedules, the class constitution, the class rules, the date, and other

helpful information to help succeed in class.

The side wall not occupied by windows will be filled with a combination of motivational

posters that you would see in any classroom, historical items that may help put a person or period
 Damon Vandrey 9

of time in perspective, and items that combine the two ideas, such as motivational quotes from

historical figures. The idea is that students will be able to connect with historical figures either

through information, or through relatable quotes that may inspire them. It’s not the perfect

solution for many, but I would place it as far more helpful than a blank wall.

Figure 5 Motivational Poster retrieved from

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/383931936965439603/
 Damon Vandrey 10

Classroom Procedures
Introduction
Well laid out classroom procedures are the difference between an efficient classroom

with a great learning environment, and an inefficient classroom riddles with interruptions and

unenthusiastic work. For this section I didn’t follow a specific path provided by any theorists,

though I did keep in mind the concepts of satiation and jerkiness mentioned in Jakob Kounin’s

Instructional Management model. Satiation is the process by which students get bored if a lesson

is lingered upon too long, and jerkiness is the lack of smoothness and momentum in a lesson that

a teacher will want to avoid. I use Kounin much more in my section on the discipline system, and

for this section I once again rely primarily on my own personal experiences both as a learner and

observer in classrooms, as they are reliable first hand experiences that I can draw personal

conclusions from, free of outside bias.

 Damon Vandrey 11

The Plan

Upon entering the room, with exception to the very first day, students will be presented

with a brief warm-up. This warm-up will usually be an open ended prompt that asks students to

either A) compare and contrast two people, ideas, movements, or time periods, or B) determine

the effectiveness or fairness of a policy, and how they would change it to be better. The answers

should be about a paragraph long,

and the warm-ups will be collected

for a grade weekly. My hopes with

this activity are that students will

develop their critical thinking skills

towards these subjects, rather than

just recite information. After the

written section, some students will

be asked to share their answers and

we will have a brief class

discussion.

Figure 6 Example Warm-Up, created by me.

During class, there are

bound to be situations in which I must transition from one activity to another. Keeping in mind

Kounin’s ideas about avoiding jerkiness, I would establish a reliable method of marking the end

of an activity. The best way to do this in my opinion is to have a digital timer displayed on the
 Damon Vandrey 12

board, counting down towards the end of the

allotted time for a given activity. I would

expect student to stop when the timer goes

off, and be silent for further instruction,

though if time allowed, I would ask students

if they needed more time. This method

Figure 7 The digital timer I would like to use, which can be found at
https://www.online-stopwatch.com/countdown/
would establish expectations for transitions,

and the students behavior during these transition, maximizing flow, and minimizing jerkiness as

much as possible when swithcing between to activities.

When it comes to the distribution of work, I would distribute worksheets myself while

simultaneously explaining the instructions so that

every student can pay attention to them. As for

supplies, I would try to keep a supply of pencils,

scissors, glue, scratch paper, etc near the front of

my class where students are free to come up and

take what they need. This will allows students to

retreive the supplies they need without disrupting

the flow of class, or other students. My hope is

Figure 8 A supply area similar to the one I envision for my classroom.
that by having procedures in place to smoothly Retrieved from https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/435652963927106327/

distribute work and necessary supplies, the classroom will be able to run efficiently, and will

allow for a calm learning environment.

At the end of the class period, students will be given an exit ticket if the period was

focused on providing new information. The exit ticket would most likely consist of a single
 Damon Vandrey 13

comprehension question that tests the students retention of knowledge, but not their deeper

understanding. The idea would be to

measure my own effectiveness, as well

as establish exiting procedures and

expectations. On days that were spent

mostly on practical projects, I would

stop class at the same time, and focus

those last minutes on packing up any

supplies or papers that may have been

used for the activities. Students would

be told to sit quietly once they were Figure 9 An example of an exit ticket.

Retrieved from https://slideplayer.com/slide/6147783/

finished (on their phones if they like),

and to leave when the bell rings. I would make sure to stop students from leaving if they violated

these expectations and have them return to their seat before allowing them to leave. Consistency

in expecations is vital for fluid classroom procedures.

As far as communicating classroom procedures, I probably wouldn’t unless there were

some notable reason to do so. Also here is a breif list of some procedures and techniques I may

utilize.

- Warm ups, turn & talk to a partner, exit tickets, timed activities, switching up groups
of students, checking for understanding, using leading questions to draw out full

answers, encouraging effort, practicing what I preach, using wait time, and so many

more.
 Damon Vandrey 14

Discipline System

Introduction

Discipline. Law and order. Ensuring that the rules are followed, and that there are

consequences when they don’t. Potentially praising students who follow the rules. Rewards and

punishments. Discipline is a complicated process and can feel like the primary purpose of

teachers in many cases. I disagree with this statement and prefer Harry Wong’s ideas that

teachers should not discipline, they should manage. I used Wong’s attitude when creating my

own ideas about discipline, but I took a great many theorists into account. Kounin’s

aforementioned ideas about jerkiness in the classroom dictated a lot of what I would choose to

handle, and how I would handle it to minimize disruptions. Alfie Kohn changed the ways I

thought about using rewards for good students, as it could be harmful. J. Ron Nelsons ideas of

early intervention influenced me, even if his Think Time tm idea didn’t. Overall, discipline seems

to be the most contentious topic among theorists, and I’ve done my best to compile my own

ideas that borrow from the ideas of all the aforementioned theorists, and many others too

numerous to list out.

 Damon Vandrey 15

The Plan

As I mentioned before, I don’t care for Nelsons Think Time tm strategy, as I believe

removing students from the classroom as a

punishment should be a last resort to be

implemented only when the student is heavily

interrupting the learning of others. Instead, I

advocate a gradual increase of punishment for

repeat offenses, the severity of the punishment

aligning with the number of offenses, or severity of

the offense. This way students have a chance to

correct their behavior before they face major

consequences. By letting the students know the

Figure 10 A rough outline of a scaling punishment chart, created by me.
punishment for offences, it also allows them to decide

whether violating the rules is worth it, giving them a sense of choice, that will hopefully lead

down a moral path. I would prefer to implement preventative measures over reactionary

measures, but I understand that both are required to keep a class of students under reasonable

control.

When it comes to what I should address and what I should ignore, that will be a very

situational question. Typically, I will address talking during a lecture, or quiet activity as it could

ruin concentration for some students. However, if a student asks another student for a pencil

during this time, I will probably ignore it. I understand students will sometimes slip up in their

speech and insert a vulgarity, as long as they look apologetic or surprised about it, I will let it
 Damon Vandrey 16

slide. I will address any action that is clearly in violation of the rules with no regard to the rules,

but my method may differ. If a student is sleeping, I may simply tap their desk with a ruler as I

walk pass, thus avoiding jerkiness. If a student is on their phone, I may once again simply tap the

desk before taking further action. For the most part, as long as an activity is not intentionally, or
Figure 11 American Ruler Circa 21st Century.
A tool used to tap desks effectively. Numbers excessively disruptive, I am willing to allow some leeway and fix the
on ruler for unknown purpose. Retrieved
from https://www.target.com/p/wood-
ruler-12-up-up-153/-/A-16637275 problem with a quick, nonverbal gesture or look. Stopping a

disruption with an even larger disruption is counterproductive.

The consequences I use will range pretty heavily. My first course of action is a nonverbal

gesture, as stated above. The next step above that would be a quick verbal warning, which I

imagine I would be willing to repeat twice before taking further action. The next step will be to

implement a solution to a physical problem, taking a phone, taking away

a toy, removing the object that is causing the issue. If that is invalid, I

hand out a reflection sheet where the student will assess their behavior,

and why it was wrong. If that fails to improve behavior, I will write an

office referral, as the problem has exceeded my legal capabilities and is

a major disruption in the class. Should behavior be borderline referral

worthy when class ends, I will inform the parent of the misbehaving

student with a phone call at my earliest convenience. I would explain the

situation, recommend that they talk to the student, and end my

involvement there. I would also keep record on disruptions so that

students understand the upcoming consequences, perhaps with a rules Figure 12 Logical Consequences Chart. Retrieved
from
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/3536733769723
and punishments chart displayed at the front of the classroom at all 31369/

times. I may also implement logical consequences, having consequences tailor made for any
 Damon Vandrey 17

action, but I feel that the broadness of possible violations makes this a fruitless task in some

instances.

On the flip side of discipline is the concept of rewards. I have spent a large portion of this

semester reading about how rewards can ruin intrinsic motivation, and make students reliant on

rewards for continued success, which could lead to a phase of diminishing returns. While I agree

for the most part that tangible rewards are more harmful than

helpful in the long run, I have no issue with giving a reward to

demonstrations of improvement and intrinsic motivation. The

most likely method I’d use for this is a homework pass. If a

student answers a certain number of questions in class, or

creates a particularly impressive assignment, I will award them

a homework pass, allowing them to skip any homework they

desire by returning the pass. This would allow high effort to

Figure 13 An example of a homework pass. Retrieved from pay off in a tangible way, while still requiring effort and
https://www.artfire.com/ext/shop/product_view/SooBoo/1
4212379/teacher_student_homework_pass_square_tear_of knowledge. I feel that this solution draws out the best parts of
f_sheet_notepad

rewards without the elongated negative effects, and I’m eager to see how that theory pans out for

me.
 Damon Vandrey 18

Student Motivation

Introductions

Student motivation can be a tricky thing, especially in subjects that are traditionally

considered boring such as history. For this section, I focused on techniques and theories that

would benefit students of all levels, not just smart kids or unmotivated kids. I turned primarily

towards the ideas of Frederic Jones and his theory of Positive Classroom Management, as well as

Carol Dweck’s ideas of a growth mindset. Jones focuses on making learning fun for the students,

thus motivating them to complete their work and learn regardless of their feelings towards the

subject. I would combine that with Dweck’s ideas of a growth mindset, meaning that students

can improve their intelligence and ability, no matter what their current level is. I think combining

these two ideas will create a learning environment that is intrinsically motivating, and beneficial

for the growth of learners.

 Damon Vandrey 19

The Plan

Motivation is a tricky beast; it can prevent a student from writing a single sentence or it

can bring a student to create their more than twenty

page classroom management plan in a single day

because they planned poorly. My first step towards

motivating my students would be to try to throw a fun

twist into every few activities I give them. For

example, at the end of a unit on World War II, I could

have students break into groups, and enter the roles of

each major country involved in the war, and have

them play it out in their own way as a sort of game,

thus testing their knowledge of what went right and

wrong for each country, while engaging them in a

unique experience. I would also try to incorporate

student interests into my lessons, such as social

Figure 14 An example of a fun history project. Retrieved from
https://www.slideshare.net/e007534/historical-twitter-lesson-plan
media, or any other common aspect I can see. My

hopes are that by making learning fun, and providing relatable means of completing assignments,

students will be more motivated to participate and learn, becoming better students, and more

motivated people, regardless of their feeling coming into the class.

The other primary way I would motivate students is by promoting a growth mindset. A

growth mindset is a state of mind in which you believe you can improve in any aspect if given

time. This is contrasted by a fixed mindset, in which you believe that if you are bad at

something, you will always be bad at that thing. If a student in my class were to say that they just
 Damon Vandrey 20

weren’t good at analyzing history, I would not accept that answer, as it demonstrates a fixed

mindset. I would say that aren’t good at analyzing history… yet! I would continue to praise

effort, but I would never console a student by saying they tried their best, as I believe they can

always improve. Once again, this mindset is applicable to all students, regardless of their feelings

coming in to the class, as a growth mindset is beneficial to all.

Figure 15 A chart differentiating a Growth Mindset vs a Fixed Mindset. Created by Carol Dweck for
her article "Carol Dweck Revisits the 'Growth Mindset'"
 Damon Vandrey 21

Classroom Engagement

Introduction

Engagement is a personal fascination of mine. I find it interesting to see what holds an

audiences attention, and what leaves them entirely uninterested. When it comes to theorists, my

opinions are quite similar to how I would increase motivation, as I believe that engagement and

motivation are closely tied together. I still advocate for Jones’ Positive Classroom Management

theory, as it encourage the teacher to engage all of the students senses. However, I also want to

throw in some aspects of Thomas Gordon’s Discipline as Self-Control, as he advocates for

teachers to preach self-control as well as practice active listening. I belive that practicing active

listening sets a great example for students who are likely to respond in kind. But overall, most of

my ideas come from my own experiences, as it turns out I have a knack for engaging an audience

when I speak, however I understand the skill will not always translate into work no matter how

enthusiastically I speak, so I’ve planned a two front attack, engaging speech on one front, and

engaging work on the other.

 Damon Vandrey 22

The Plan

The teachers best tool for engaging the students is their own person. By putting passion

and energy into every presentation, a teacher will naturally draw students in towards the subject

they are teaching. My primary plan to engage students is to use my energy, and my powerful

voice to add flair to the lessons I teach. I believe that presenting the dullest information can be

engaging if you do it in the most interesting way. As silly as it sounds, I believe the voice is a

crucial tool for engaging student learning. A strong voice and a confident presentation will reach

out to all students from the bored to the interested, and shows no discrimination (unless the

student is deaf I suppose). The voice can provide energy, and from my own experiences as a

student, I was usually more

engaged in classes where the

teacher spoke with a strong

voice, and exhibited

competent body language.

I’m sure there are a hundred Figure 16 The Human voice is portrayed here. I genuinely believe in the power of speaking. Image retrieved
from https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252461929/UK-government-adds-voice-to-citizen-services-
delivery
theorists that will say that the

voice is a not a substitute for a comprehensive plan to engage students, but I genuinely believe it

is a huge boost that should be combined with a strong lesson to become an engaging experience

for students. If everything else is solid, a strong voice can really tie a lesson together.

However, a strong voice and presentation only engage two senses, and I believe a good

lesson should engage a student in as many ways as possible. Thus, I am a heavy advocate for

activities in the classroom that allow students to move around. Getting students on their feet and

moving is a solid method for snapping them out of drowsiness and into engagement. The
 Damon Vandrey 23

activities can revolve around stations set up

around the classroom, they could revolve around

students voicing their preferences via location.

The content of the activity is important, but as

far as engagement is concerned, what matters is

that students are on their feet and moving

around, which is more or less guaranteed to

cause interaction, movement tends to have that

Figure 17 Example of an activity that involves movement. Retrieved
from https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Reconstruction-
effect on people. Gallery-Walk-Activity-USHAPUSH-3550635

Finally, even though I’ve touched on this earlier, I can’t stress enough the importance of

a community in the classroom. For establishing environment, motivation, and engagement I

believe it is important that the classroom feels like a community. I believe that group work is

more engaging to the student than individual work. I would focus group work to help foster that

engagement while building relationships between students. I would always make myself

available to students as I believe they would engage better with a teacher they felt they could be

open with. There is no required conclusion to this portfolio, but if there were it would relate this

idea to all aspects of the classroom over all others. Thank you for reading this.