CandiceGallant

ClassroomManagementPlan
AsateacherintrainingthereanumberofthingsIhavelearnedinregardsto
classroommanagementandthereareanumberofnewthingsIwilllearnwithpractice.
Classroommanagementisimportantintheclassroomtoprovideallstudentswiththebest
learningexperience.Iwanttocreateapositivelearningenvironmentandthesearethe
elementsthatareimportantforcreatingthisenvironment:safety,security,routinesand
engagementwithlearning.
Ibelievethewayaclassroomissetupcandeterminethemoodofstudents
comingintoaclassroom.IfIhavedarkplainwallswithnothingonthemanddesklined
upsinglefileinrowsstudentwillbeanxiousfromthemomenttheywalkin.Ithinkitis
importanttohaveaprintrichenvironmentbecauseprovidingstudentswithpostersand
picturesofwhattheirlearningcanbeveryuseful.Ithinkitisimportanttohavecolorful
wallsandhavethestudentsnamesalltogetherinonelocation,toshowtheyarea
community.Iliketheideaofcreatingatreeonthewallwithstudentshandprints.Inmy
classroomIwillhavethedeskinamodulararrangement.Thestudentswillbegrouped
in4s,thiswaystudentscanworkingroupsanddiscussoften.Ibelievestudentscan
learnthemostbyengaginginconversationwithotherpeople.Ibelievetocreatea
positiveclassroomenvironmenttheteachershouldsaygoodmorningtothestudentsas
soonastheycomein.ItwillbemygoaltomakesureIhaveacknowledgedevery
student,everysinglemorning.

Inmyopinionthewordingofrulesintheclassroomareimportant.Ifateacheris
constantlytellingastudentdontdothis,dontdothatstudentswillbeannoyedandnot
wanttolisten.InmyclasswearegoingtocreateanIpromiseboard.Thestudentsand
myselfwillcreatethisboard.Iwillaskstudentstoraisetheirhandsandnamethingsthey
promisetodofortheyear,thiscanincluderaisinghand,usingindoorvoice,bepolite,
etc.AnyrulesthestudentsareforgettingIwillplaceontheboard.Wewillgooverall
thesepromisesandmakessurestudentsunderstandthemandIwillprovideopportunities
forthemtoaskquestions,
Ibelieveroutinesandproceduresareimportantintheclassroom,especiallyatthe
elementarylevel.Children need to know what they are expected to do to
avoid ciaos in the classroom. Whenstudentslearnhowtoproperlybehaveata
youngagetheycanpracticetheseskillseveryyearandtheywillbecomeahabittothem
bythetimetheyreachhighschool.Iwillgooverroutinesandprocedureswithmyclass
thefirstdayandcontinuetopracticethemthefollowingdays.Itisimportanttoshowthe
studentsonewayyouaregoingtogettheirattentionandletthisbetheonewayforthe
restoftheyear.Atayoungagetoomanyattentiongrabbersmayconfusethem.Ilike
theideaofthehandclap,theteacherwilldoahandclapandthestudentswillrepeatthe
handclapback,whichmeanstheteacherhastheirattention.Ithinkthisalsogives
childrenabreakfromtheirworkforaminuteandletsthemmakesomenoise.Whenthe
studentscomeinsideeachmorningtheywillplaceamagneticface(happy,sad,ormad)
besidetheirname.ThiswayIwillbeawareofhoweachstudentisfeelinganditwillbe

awayofkeepingattendance.IfastudentisactinguponedayandIseetheirmoodwas
madinthemorningIcanunderstandwhytheymaybeactingthatway.
Allowingchildrentousethebathroomduringclasstimeisacontroversialissue
amongteachers.Therearesometeacherswhoonlyallowstudentstousethebathroom
duringbreaks.IwasastudentwhoalwayshadtousethewashroomsoIwillallowmy
studentstogotothebathroomwhentheyneedto.Studentscannotcontroltheirbladder,
butIthinkitisimportanttowatchforstudentswhoareabusingthisprivilegeandusethe
bathroomconstantly.Atthefrontoftheclasstherewillbetwoblocks,oneforgirlsand
oneforboys.Whenstudentsneedtousethebathroomtheycangetupandgrabtheblock
andputitontheirseat.IwillexplaintochildrentheyshouldwaituntilIamdonea
lessontogosotheydonotmissanyimportantlesson,however,ifitisanemergencythey
cango.ThiswayIwillbeawareofwhichstudentsaregone.Studentswillbeallowedto
usethebathroomonegirlandoneboyatatime.Thestudentswilllearnthisroutineand
procedureatthebeginningoftheyear.
Iwillputinplaceproceduresforeverysubjectinmyclass.Everygroupwill
haveanumber,andtheywilllearntheirnumberthefirstdayofclass.Beforeeach
subjectIwillcallanumberandthattablewillgogettheirsupplies.Thiswaythe
studentslearnresponsibilityandorganization.Thestudentswilllearnwhereallthe
suppliesareforeachclasswithinthefirstweekofschool.Forliningupatrecess,lunch,
gymclass,afterschoolandanyothertimelineupsarenecessary,thestudentswillbe
askedtolineuptablebytable,basedonwhoeveristhequietest.Thiswillcalmthe
studentsdownandstopthemfromallrunningforthelineatonce.Aftereveryclass

studentswillbewelcomedtoplacequestionsinthequestionboxatthefrontoftheclass.
Ibelieveitisimportanttoallowstudentstoaskquestionsanonymouslybecausesomeare
tooshyinclass.
OneofthemostimportantthingsIbelievethattakesplaceinaclassroomother
thanteachingisthewayteachersreacttostudentswhoaremisbehaving.Ibelievethe
wayyouapproachamisbehavingstudentthefirsttimecaninfluencetherelationshipthe
studentandteacherwillhavefortheremainderoftheirtimetogether.Whenstudentsare
misbehavingIwillneveryellatthestudentandembarrasstheminfrontoftheclass.I
believeyellingatthestudentwillirritatethemmoreandwillinfluencethemtoactout
more.Ifateacherembarrassesastudentonce,thatstudentwillreactandtakeany
chancetheycantogetbackattheteacher.Anyproblemsthestudentsaredealingwith
arenobodyelsesbusinessintheclass.
Whenastudentismisbehavinginaclassroomitisimportantasateacherto
rememberthatthestudentismostlikelyactingoutduetopersonalreasons,notbecause
ofsomethingyoudid,althoughtheworkortellingthestudentnomaytriggerhisorher
anger.Studentscouldgetnoattentionathome;thereforetheyactoutinclasstogetthe
teachersattentionandtheattentionoftheirclassmates.Theymaybehavingtrouble
withtheworkbeingdoneinclasssotheymisbehavehopingtogetoutofthework.They
mayfightwiththeirparentsathomesotheycontinuetodothisatschool.Therearea
numberofreasonswhystudentsactthewaywedo,andIthinkitisimportantasateacher
tofindoutthesedifferentreasonsinsteadofyellingatastudentandmakingthemmore
mad.Oncetheteacherunderstandswhythechildisactingacertainwaytheteachercan

trytohelpthestudent.ForexampleifIhaveastudentwhogetsnoattentionathome,I
willaskhimtodocertainthingsformeeverymorninginclass,suchasputthechairs
downorwashtheboard.Iwilltalkwiththisstudentandfindouthowtheirdayisand
showthemIcare.Iwouldrathergaintherespectofmystudentsthenyellatthemand
havethemcontinuetoactupinmyclass.Ihavethemotivationtohelppeoplebecome
alltheycanbe,eventhosestudentswhoaredeemedunteachable.Iwanttobethe
backboneteacherthatsupportsstudentsandwantschildrentolearnthroughexperience,
howeverIwantmystudentstoshowthesamerespectformeasIdoforthem.There
needstobeempathicaccuracysotheteacherandstudenthaveanunderstandingwithone
another.
InordertobecomeabetterteacherImustreflectonmymanagementpractices
consistently.NewsituationswillariseandasateacherIwillhavetolearntodealwith
theseissuesinapropermanner.Asmyexperiencegrows,IbelieveIwillhavenewways
ofdoingthingsandmyphilosophywillchange.IhopetheexperiencesIgaininthe
classroomwillbuildmeintoabetterteacherandteachmemoreaboutmyself.

References
Curwin, R. L., Mendler, A. N., & Mendler, B. D. (2008). Discipline with
Dignity: New
Challenges, New Solutions. Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Ridnouer,K.(2006).ManagingYourClassroomwithHeartAGuideforNurturing
AdolescentLearners.Alexandria,VA:AssociationforSupervisionand
CurriculumDevelopment.