Classroom Management Blueprint EDUC 480-481 – K. Elmore

Taylor Fitzpatrick

Philosophy StatementI believe that the three most important things regarding teaching and

learning are having fun while doing it, consistency, and giving all children a home within the classroom. In a sense, these are all related to one another. Because we live in a society where all children for the most part do have the right to an education, I think it is our jobs as educators to not just teach the children our required curriculum but to find a way to make it enjoyable, entertaining, or give meaning to students (and teachers!) in a safe, stable, and loving environment. I always say that if you like something, you will work harder at it, seek it out in daily life, or in turn have it boost your self-confidence. I believe this is true for all subjects in school – if you can make a child love anything, chances are they will excel or reach for improvement in that area. If you give a child consistency in areas academically, socially, and organizationally, it makes it harder for them to fail. This also goes along with happiness and relationships. Kids are successful when they have consistency, reinforcement, and repetition in their lives – schedule is everything! I find that when my kids are successful, they are happy. Therefore if they are happy, they are more likely to build relationships with their peers and myself as the teacher, which again boosts this idea of finding “home at school.” All interconnected.

By giving students consistency and a schedule, you give them something to rely on indefinitely. You also can be consistent in your relationships with them – try not to lash out. While making a positive classroom community that may take the cake for “home” for some students, both students and teacher must follow the rules. I understand that although it may be easier to relate with some children and may be easier to become frustrated with some children, I must treat them all equally. By following the rules and expressing equality, we will have a safe classroom bond. I also will create these relationships with my students by showing them I am human. To some students, teachers are all holy creatures they never see outside of daylight, but I think it is important for your kids to realize you’re a real person too with feelings and a life outside of school. This is an important dynamic of the relationship to introduce in the first days of school, but to also constantly reinforce throughout the year to continue building those relationships and to create that idea of consistency.

For making my students fall in love with learning, this often means providing meaningful context for my students and hands on learning. In math – I make my lessons as relatable as possible. Using fun manipulatives or posing word problems about Minecraft or Pokemon often peaks more interest in my students than if I’m talking about marbles or baseball cards. It is extremely easy and takes only a little extra effort to transform the same, required material into a fun activity that forces students to practice and master skills all while laughing and enjoying themselves.

Classroom Arrangement

Below is an ideal model of my classroom. This would ideally be for a 1st-

4th grade classroom. I think it is important to have students at desks so they

have their own organizational space, but I think having them in three person

groups allows for cooperative learning which is very important for me.

Students will obviously be grouped based on behavioral and social reasons, in

addition to advancement levels. I think it is very important for myself, the

teacher to have her own space at her desk and for the students to also have a

cubby/locker for their belongings so they do not crowd the interior of the

classroom and cause clutter. DEAR time is part of my day that will always be

important, so that’s why I have a reading corner and library. This will be a

place for students to get comfy and read during dear time, which emphasizes a

safe and comfortable classroom. I also like the idea of having a circle carpet

for group work or a group story. I have a kidney table as well so I have a place

to do small-group remediation when necessary while still being distant

enough from the other students. I will have standard white board/chalk

boards, in addition to a Smart/Promethean Board for interactive work for my

students and myself. In my dream classroom, I would have a small

kitchenette. In my elementary school, our classrooms had a refrigerator,

countertops, and a sink for water or cooking related activities. This only

enhances the possibilities of learning – as well as provides less commotion if a

student needs to get a drink or wash their hands – they don’t even have to

leave the classroom!

Classroom ProceduresEffective classroom procedures are an extremely important part of

running a classroom. Without them, students will reign free to do whatever they

please, and having too much control will cause your classroom to fall apart. By

introducing these procedures in the first days of school and reinforced

consistently afterwards, there will be a method to the madness of the school day

with as few interruptions as possible.

Morning Routine –

My kids will enter in the morning and they will have a short period of time

to get unpacked and ready for the day. They should sharpen pencils, take out any

assignments, turn in any notes from home, show parent signatures, and complete

morning or independent work until the first lesson begins. Each day my students

will be expected to journal. These will either be prompted or not, but it is the

easiest way for me to check in with my students about their lives outside of

school or maybe notice any other issues they are having. It also helps to

minimize talking out or over sharing if they have already written it down. They

will place them in a cabinet and can put them on the read or do not read shelf.

This is the best idea I ever got – from Freedom Writers, which actually was with

much older students. It establishes classroom trust and emotions. Our student

of the day will help lead our morning calendar and weather. Even in upper grade

levels, I still think this is an important aspect of our day. We will go over our

daily schedule, day of the week, date, weather, any important news or holiday

information, etc. I think a huge part about having a responsible classroom is

having my students be active citizens. By knowing relevant information for the

day, they will be more informed members of their school community. This will

also make for no confusion with needing coats outside, what the date is, which

special they have that day, what is for lunch, etc. Attendance and tardy students

are recorded internally but the office deals with all related discipline.

If tardy, students are expected to enter quietly and without disruption.

DEAR time –

Exactly what it stands for. When it’s DEAR time, students will know that

means drop everything and read! This also means students must always be

prepared with a book to read at any point in the day for when DEAR time

strikes.

Student of the Day –

My student of the day will be the person assigned to all jobs during a

day. This includes helping pass out/collecting papers, morning attendance,

line leader, lunch helper, light switch flipper, calendar leader etc. I find that

this is the most convenient way to do it, that way I don’t have to memorize 10

different students assigned to 10 different jobs! Each student will have his or

her day to be helper and we will alternate every day. The assigned student of

the day and their jobs will be displayed on the board and will be told in the

morning of their duties.

Homework –

Homework will be gone over as a class or with homework buddies at

the beginning of each lesson and is expected to be completed at home before

school. I will always walk around to check if the students did their homework,

but this is when they should tell me if they had any issues completing it.

Homework is for their reinforcement, and I do not believe in it as a graded

assignment in my class. Projects, book reports, etc. will be turned in to the

designated spot on the due date and held onto for grading or until

presentations. Homework each week will be listed on our classroom website

and on the board each day. Students are should record all homework in their

planners so they cannot say, “I didn’t know what the homework was.” I will

have homework free nights regularly and do not believe in homework on the

weekends! I will also offer homework-free night slips to be won in games,

given for good behavior, holiday gifts, etc.

Interruptions and Listening Up! –

To avoid interruptions, I will have a traffic light on my desk. This traffic

light will obviously have the three colors. It will be red when NO

interruptions or questions are allowed except for emergencies. It will be

yellow when related questions are encouraged, but only when appropriate

and proper manners are used. It will be green during non-academic activities,

where talking is encouraged or it is free time or indoor recess. If my students

are talking out, I say, “I’ll wait,” and do not continue until it is silent. I have a

count down from 5 to 1 to get the room quiet and the class will receive a

punishment as a whole if they do not get silent by that moment.

Pencils/Supplies –

When students are up sharpening pencils and/or gathering other

supplies for an activity mid lesson, it can make a day move much slower or

become frustrating when the students are unprepared. In order to make this

possible, I have some rhyme or reason in addition to my rule about

preparedness. First and foremost students will be expected to sharpen two

pencils before the bell rings. Students will also be expected to keep an

assigned pouch or case in their desk with any necessary classroom supplies –

including expo markers, glue sticks, scissors, coloring supplies, etc. If a

student misplaces an item or one is lacking from their possession must share

with a neighbor for the activity and will be sent home with an “I need ______!”

checklist. I also obviously will have extras in the classroom but each student

should have their own to keep track of. I will have an entire holder of

sharpened pencils/a pencil lost and found for those who need a pencil in a

time of need or the dreaded broken lead mid-class!

Leaving the Classroom –

On the board, I will have a bathroom chart. Students will need to drag

their name to/from the bathroom board so they can go to the restroom

without interruption, but the teacher can still look up at any moment and

know who is in and out of the room. This will work the same way for nurse,

guidance, and principal trips – except a student has to ask the teacher to go

unless sent by the teacher. In all cases, students are responsible for reporting

where they are going.

Free Time –

During free time, I have various plans for what students should do. I

will have a chart on the board that tells students what to do. There will be

four sections to find something FAST.

Free for All – Any class games, centers, art, reading, etc.

Academic – Only academic work – math, reading, English centers, homework

if ok

Same Subject as that period, for example: Math Centers, Daily Readers, etc.

Testing – Silently read or draw until testing time is over.

Paper Collecting –

When it comes to tests and quizzes, especially anything timed, students

are expected to hold them high in the air for myself to collect so they are not

tempted to or try to continue working after time has passed or when they see

another classmates work. For all other class work that is to be collected, my

student of the day is responsible for collecting and delivering the work to me.

If we are doing independent work that is finished at various times and more

activities are to be completed, students will either deliver to me or put their

finished work in the bin and pick up their next assignment.

Make up Work –

If a parent or sibling does not get any missed class/homework home to

a student, they will be responsible for completing that work as additional

homework, during free time, or recess. Certain things will need to be made up

and not made up, for example obviously tests and quizzes will be, homework

will be to re-learn and extensively practice concepts, but it is up to the

teachers discretion as to what is necessary to make up and what not, this may

also depend on the students level of understanding and school track record.

End of Day Routine –

My kids will end each day by me saying, “Pack up, clean up, chairs up.”

This will occur after I review everything they need for homework and will

remind them of anything particularly important, like a permission slip due or

a big project. When they are waiting quietly behind their desks, and that will

tell me that they are ready to be dismissed.

Classroom RulesAlthough I have been told that you should only have 5 classroom rules, I

felt that I needed more than that. I made up a clever acronym “How To Learn” to express these rules. I think one extremely important method for generating rules is obviously thinking about age group. After student teaching in 3rd grade, I know and have seen that my students are mature enough to follow this many rules. Rules should obviously be introduced on the first day of school and constantly reinforced there afterwards. It may take kids a while to learn them, but that’s normal. In my classroom, when a student breaks the rules, I will keep track on a behavior chart which rule are being broken. Now – these rules aren’t only about keeping others safe and doing well in school, but it is about not cheating yourself. These are a mix of rules that apply for all different reasons, and not all rules are punishable. Some of them are behavioral, organizational, or personal, but all equally as important. These include: Honesty, Ownership, Working Hard, Trust, Organization, Listening, Entering/Exiting Prepared, Attitude, Respect, and No Excuses. I have seen first hand that a classroom without rules or with un-reinforced rules can be frustrating. In my classroom, the rules will be posted on the wall for all students to see and mention will be made when rules are broken.

Honesty over lies, always tell the truth. Ownership of work and taking pride in yourselves!Working hard because learning isn’t always easy.

Trust yourself and your classroom community and treat it as your home. Organization is the key to success!

Listen to directions, your teacher, and your peers.Enter and exit prepared and ready for classAttitude is everything; stay positive, it is harder to frown than to smile!Respect yourself and others always.No excuses, taking accountability of your own mistakes is everything.

Discipline PlanFor my discipline plan, my students will be monitored using Class Dojo.

This is an amazing tool for classroom discipline because it shows students how to model good behavior and how to avoid poor behavior by a “ding” and “bong” sound system. When they hear the sounds, they will not know who is getting a positive point or a negative point, but it will remind them that if they were doing the right/wrong thing, they can get a sound too. Class Dojo is excellent because it allows you to customize what a student is receiving a positive or negative point for – whether it is kindness, lack of homework, bullying, etc. It is also great because it allows you to give parent access so they too can track the dates and reasons for misbehavior. It gives the teacher logs of the class as a whole or individual groups of students and allows you to track if they are doing something well or not as a class, in turn giving the teacher suggestion for where needs work or rule reinforcement.

I also am a huge fan of positive reinforcement and prizes, so I will give out tickets for good behavior. For every 5 positive points a student gets, they will get a ticket to be drawn for a prize. Negative points counteract positives, so you can make up for bad behavior. At the end of any given day, if a student is in the negatives by 5 or more, they will have to write an apology/acknowledgement letter of their behavior. If a student has consecutive days of negatives by 5 or more, a note will be sent home to the parent. If a student has a trend of negative behavior or particular behavior that is harmful to the safety of the classroom community, they will be sent directly to the principal. My class as a group can earn points all together, and when they are working together as a group and community they will earn a marble. When they earn enough marbles, they win a class party!

On the next page there are some visuals of how the website Class Dojo works, each student has an avatar and their name so it is easy to differentiate between them. You are able to add multiple classes too, if you are teaching more than one group!

Page Dashboard – Whole Class Listed and Their Points

Positive and Negative Options - Customizable

Whole Class Performance Trend – Whole Year Overall (Individual available)

First Day Plans

The first thing I plan to do when my students arrive is establish that sense of community. I will greet each of my new (and probably nervous) students at the door and guide them to their seat and give them any first day supplies, their journal, and a name tag! It is not only important for me to learn their names as soon as possible, but for their classmates too if they do not know one another. While we wait for all other students to arrive, they will be given their first journal prompt.

Then once all students have arrived, I think the first and foremost important thing to do is to establish and present our classroom rules, procedures, and expectations. This way – they will all be on the same page when we continue with our day. Without doing this first, we will have chaos! If I know who my students are ahead of time, I will send a letter/email home to them over the summer for pre-introductions!

Before we get going on getting to know one another, it is my job to get these kids as excited about their new school year journey as soon as possible – so I will talk about all of the amazing things we learn in 3rd or whichever grade I am teaching. Here I may discuss special events, field trips, or some of my favorite units, and explain their daily journaling activity.

After we go over the rules and procedures, we will have icebreakers and introductions. First and foremost this means telling my kids about who I am, what I like, and that I am a real person outside of the classroom. I really want

to personalize who I am to them, and that way it also models what they do too. They will complete an activity all about themselves then we will share as a class. They will also have opportunity to share their first journal prompt – which will be about summer. Students will have to turn these in so I can get to know them too. I also will have students complete a learning profile test. This will let me know in simple terms how they learn best – which is extremely important for teaching and completely defines how I will differentiate for the rest of the year. We will take our first day one step at a time.

Resources

www.quizlet.com www.teacherspayteachers.comwww.superteacherworksheets.comwww.classdojo.comwww.pinterest.com https://www.effectiveteaching.comhttp://www.fernsmithsclassroomideas.comwww.scholastic.comhttp://learningadventureswithmrsgerlach.blogspot.comhttp://www.storylineonline.netwww.commoncoresheets.comThe Book Whisperer: Awakening The Inner Reader In Every Child