Brianna LeinonMay 14, 2014ED 132Classroom Management and
Communication Plan Part I: Management Style and Philosophical
Beliefs I believe that classroom management is one of the most
important aspects to teaching, as without it learning would not
occur. Classroom management skills make it so there is a structure
to the classroom. Through a management plan, students know what to
expect each day and are not constantly thrown changes, which can
affect their learning. Also by having a set management style,
students will be able to easily learn your expectations so they are
not unclear as to what is expected of them. Lastly, by having a
plan teachers are more easily able to avoid bad behavior, as they
will know how to ensure it is not encouraged or supported. My
management style is best described as an authoritative style.
According to a classroom management profile, this style means that
I place limits and controls, while still pushing for the students
to be independent. I believe that this accurately describes me, as
I do think students need to have limits, but at the secondary level
really need to begin to take their learning in their own hand. The
other part this description mentioned is that students are aware
that it is acceptable for them to ask questions at any time, even
if it means interrupting the teacher as long as the question is
relevant. I think this is very important in classroom management
because it helps to create trust between the students and myself.
If my classroom works in a way that is previously described, then I
can trust my students to follow the limits, yet also be acquire
freedoms when it comes to their learning. I believe that knowing my
students is one of the most important parts of classroom
management, and therefore I need to be willing to meet their needs
as much as I possibly can. I want students to feel as comfortable
as possible in my classroom, specifically with me and with their
fellow classmates. I do not want to force anything on my students
as at the secondary level I do not feel that this is something that
they need, instead they need to be able to develop ideas and
appropriate behaviors for themselves. I want to be able to have fun
in the classroom with the students so that they are able to enjoy a
certain content area as much as I do. In order to have fun, I want
students to be able to have choices and know that the learning
really is all about them.
Part II: Establishing a Positive Classroom CultureIn my opinion,
having a positive and welcoming classroom culture is one of the
most important aspects to classroom management. The best way to
accomplish this is through strong student-teacher relationships. I
will develop these relationships by beginning the semester by
having students create a small board/poster as seen below. On this
board I will have them indicate fifty to one hundred things that
they love. By doing this they will have the opportunity to express
their creativity but also tell me about their favorite subject,
themselves. I plan to do this so that I am able to begin more fully
understand them as a person and a student. However, this is just a
way to begin the semester. In order to then continue expanding and
maintaining these relationships there are various tactics that I
would like to implement. Some of the tactics mentioned throughout
Teaching with Love and Logic, include treating students with
dignity, giving them a reason to trust you and creating an
environment where everyone (teachers and students) are equally
respected. In order to create the environment mentioned in Teaching
with Love and Logic, I plan to ensure that students know that they
can do anything and they have the right to do things that may not
always be perceived as logical, as that is when their best learning
could occur. Through this plan, students will believe that they can
do anything and I will help them get there, therefore creating a
sense of common trust. I will encourage this by having students
look at things from various points of view, and by questioning
their thinking in order for them to be able to fully develop their
ideas in a way that is beneficial to their learning. By doing the
actions previously mentioned I believe I will be able to have a
class who can succeed and will function in a positive way. I STAND
UPON MY DESK TO REMIND MYSELF THAT WE MUST CONSTANTLY LOOK AT
THINGS IN A DIFFERENT WAY. Dead Poets Society
Part III: Developing Classroom Rules and ProceduresIn order to
create a classroom that is not entirely chaotic all of the time, I
will need to establish classroom rules and procedures, however I do
not plan on creating them on my own. I think that students should
be allowed to give suggestions as to how the classroom environment
should be maintained. I see this as being useful because most
students will have a good idea of what is already expected in the
classroom by the time they get to the secondary level, therefore
their ideas will not vary too much from mine. Once these rules and
procedures are created, they will be clearly posted in the
classroom so that they are constantly visible to everyone. For my
expectations when it comes to this subject, there are a few areas
that I will decide on. As an example, when it comes to students
leaving my classroom, they will be expected to sign out in their
planners so they have something to carry in the hallway if they are
stopped. They will also be required to sign out on a sheet by the
door so I am able to keep track of how often each student exits my
classroom, to ensure it does not begin affecting their learning. If
students are absent from my class, I will have a designated area in
the classroom for students to find the missing work, along with a
brief summary of what happened in class the day(s) they were gone.
I will expect them to come to me if they have any questions
regarding the missing work. For late work, I will have late work
passes and once those are used up it will be increasingly difficult
for students to do well on a late assignment. My classroom will
have a routine, so students are able to pick up on it and adjust to
it within the first few weeks of the semester. I plan to establish
the expectation where students are to be ready in their desks with
needed supplies for the day as the bell rings. They will know what
is needed for the day, as I will have it written on the board along
with specified objectives for class each day. During class I will
keep track of student learning through various assessments, both
formal and informal. I will organize this through various charts,
which I will plan to keep in a binder so that it is constantly at
my fingertips. Lastly, if a lesson ever ends early, depending on
the situation, students will be given time to work on homework,
have a bit of free time or work on an extension project that will
span through the semester.
Part IV: Classroom Layout
For my layout I will have the students at tables or in pods in a
horseshoe shape. I will probably maintain this through the school
year, but will move students location in the classroom as I see
fit. I have my desk in the back facing the wall, because then there
is no way I can be the teacher who just sits at a desk lecturing
for an entire period. In my classroom, I also have three areas in
the back of the room where I will be able to meet with groups of
students who may be struggling in the class or are above
expectations and need to be challenged a bit. Otherwise these
tables can be used for group projects or station work. I also have
a ton of shelves. I want to have as many books in my room as
possible, because I want students to love reading as much as I do.
To encourage this further I put in a sofa and beanbag chairs as an
incentive to read.
Part V: Monitoring the Classroom and Responding to Student
Misbehavior
When I think of student misbehavior, I think of students who are
blurting out answers, talking at inappropriate times, or who are
not staying on task. If any of these were to occur I would simply
begin intervention by standing closer to a student. If this did not
work I would place a stop sign (as seen below) on their desk. I
would include on there that this would be discussed after class.
Therefore, they would need to bring the little sign to me before
they leave, meaning they have to talk to me about their disruptive
or inappropriate behavior. Although I wish these slight
interventions would solve all my problems in the classroom, I
realize that is unrealistic. Therefore, if the receiving of this
sign does not stop a students behavior I would relocate them to a
different area in the classroom. If this does not work I would
adjust to have the class work on something, if this occurs where I
need to stop the class in order to deal with the problem, a call
home will be made. If the behavior continues in class on a regular
basis I would ask for a meeting with the student and their parents
in order to determine why this behavior occurs and together come up
with a plan for what we will do about it. Involving the principal
would be my absolute last step in dealing with student
misbehavior.
Please stop what youre doing and make a better choice.P.S.
Please return this to me after class.
Part VI: Parents as PartnersIn my classroom, I hope for the
parents to be my ally on the home front. I want parents to be able
to help students with assignments if possible; this however does
not mean that they are the ones doing the projects for the
students. In order to accomplish this, I will collect parents
information at the beginning of the year and acquiring their
preference of communication. When communicating with parents
throughout the semester I will keep a log if the communication was
specific to their child. I will also send out a survey after the
first few weeks of school to the parent in order to learn a little
bit more about the student. By doing this I hope that parents will
realize I value their opinion and want them to be involved in my
classroom. I would also like to have a classroom blog where parents
can be kept up to date on the happenings of my classroom. In order
to maintain the blog, I would rotate students who would write it.
As for parent teacher conferences I will conduct these so that
students who are struggling have first priority. I think this is
important so that hopefully the parents and I can work
collaboratively in order to figure out the best way for the student
to succeed. However, I would also want to eventually meet with all
parents so that we can continue to keep the student on the right
track with their education. In these meetings, I would check where
parents are at when it comes to supporting students work ethic and
education. If the parents were perceived as too involved I would
emphasize that students need to be able to succeed and fail on
their own. As for parents who do not support their children at home
I would attempt to stress the important of their involvement in
their childs education.