Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf Classroom Learning Environment Plan Philosophy of Management Statement:

I believe that a classroom should be a warm and welcoming environment. I believe school should be a place where any child should feel comfortable to be him or herself. I believe each child has his or her own needs that need to be met in order for misbehavior to cease. All of the children must feel like they are part of a community. I believe that in order to achieve effective classroom management, both the students and the teacher need to work together as a team. We as a class will create a set of rules together that will be referred to regularly and be placed in the front of the classroom. I hope to make school feel like a second home.

The beliefs of Linda Albert influence my personal classroom beliefs. In an article we read and thoroughly discussed in class, we learned what Linda Alberts focuses are. One of her main focuses is a cooperative approach in order to help students feel comfortable and capable of interacting and working with their peers. She believes that creating a class code of conduct will encourage and effective teaching and learning environment. Linda Albert also focuses on upholding a high-quality learning environment with the use of student-parent partnership. With the help of parents, students will become more motivated to do well in school and with their help, we can make school feel like a community, which is exactly what I want. Both of these points are important to keep in mind

Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf because they will help make the classroom a student-centered atmosphere.

I want a fun, collaborative, exciting, and overall welcoming classroom environment. I want the kids to be excited about coming to school. I want them to love learning just as much as I love teaching. I want my kids to know that I will be there to help them the whole way through. Albert mentioned that behavior is based on choice. If that is indeed true, I want my student to choose to behave positively. I will choose to allow them to work freely and to allow them to actively participate as long as they choose to abide by the rules that we create together. Although we will be making rules together, I will have the final say in how the classroom works. The students will know this and understand this.

I also believe that students are motivated to learn with the help of positive reinforcement, encouragement, praise, and incentives. I want to make my classroom a place where my students are constantly motivated to do well. I will set high expectations for each child individually, and teach him or her to take responsibility for his or her own actions. Alberts view on management has helped me mold and shape my own philosophy of management. Her main focus is making sure all of the students needs are met, and that is my main focus as well. I want each kid in my classroom to feel like they are part of a family. With the help of her

Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf research and opinions and with the help of my students, I hope to have an all around well-managed classroom.

Classroom Profile

In my first grade classroom, I have sixteen students. I have eight beautiful girls and eight handsome boys. Out of my eight boys, five are Hispanic, one is Caucasian, one is African American, and one is Asian. Out of my eight girls, six are African American, and two are Asian. All of my students range from six to eight years old. In reading, I have eight students who are on level, and eight students who are above level. My on level readers consist of five boys and three girls. Two of the three girls have been retained. My above level group consists of three boys and five girls. One of the boys in my above level group has been identified as a genius. Him and one of my African American girls are both in the gifted program. I have five English Language Learners (ELLs) as well. One of my ELLs is an Asian girl and four of them are Hispanic boys. None of the children in my classroom have diagnosed speech problems but one of my Hispanic boys and one of my African American boys are currently being tested. My one African American gifted girl has ADHD and takes medication for it.

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I would classify eight of my students as high achievers and leaders in the classroom. These students are always willing to learn and willing to help others learn as well. My other eight students are low achieving and need a lot of motivation. Of those eight, two of them (both boys) have behavior problems. Of those two, one of them is my gifted boy. The same two boys also have a hard time interacting with others. We believe they might have social disabilities, but there is no official diagnosis. Everyone else besides those two boys are very easy to get along with. Out of those students, I have six of them who have trouble finishing their work. I have one child (Asian retained girl) who started off as quiet and anxious to conform, but she has become comfortable and is no longer as quiet as she used to be. I do not have any students with diagnosed learning disabilities. I do not have students who need strong emotional support, but I believe that every student should be supported emotionally at all times.

Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf (To be sent out before school starts)

Dear First Grade Parents, Welcome to our family here at F-Creek Elementary! I am Ms. Larsen and I am thrilled to meet you on our first day of school, Monday, August 19. This is my first year teaching, but I have two entire years of teaching experience. I graduated from the University of South Florida Teacher Residency Partnership Program (TRPP) in the College of Education. This program fully immersed me in the classroom from day one. I am thankful for this opportunity because it helped prepare me to teach all of your wonderful children! I believe that I am well prepared to teach your children! I interned for two first grade classrooms my first year in the program and I loved it! Therefore, I am extremely excited to teach my new little Bulldogs! I set the bar high for my students and I push them very hard because I believe they all have the ability to learn. In first grade, our students work really hard t become amazing readers and I am ready to help them! First grade is very difficult, but I am sure that each and every student will enjoy it and will be motivated to achieve greatness. One way you can help me reach their reading goal is by sitting down and reading to them or with them every night. Even if you can only read with them for five minutes every night, it helps! I will be expecting them to keep a reading log that you will sign every night stating that they read with you that night. Here is some more important information that you will need to know in order to help your child succeed: Contact: I am a firm believer in parent involvement. I believe that one of the best ways for a student to stay motivated is by having that parent-teacher involvement.

Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf

The easiest way to contact me during the school day is via email. Abc123@F-CreekElementary.edu. I check it many times throughout the day and I promise to get back to you as soon as I can! If email is not convenient for you, my phone number is 123-456-7890. It is harder for me to answer phone calls, but if you leave me a message, I will be sure to call you back. If you do not have a phone or email, feel free to write me a note! I will answer back the same day! I will also send home weekly newsletters every Monday to share what we will be doing in class that week. The newsletter will be attached to their homework packet. It will have the sight words for that week, the behavior scale, and a list of important dates to remember. Attendance: If your student is not at school, I will be unable to teach him/her. Therefore, please try to have your child in class every day. If your child is absent, I will send home the work missed the next day as an additional homework assignment. If you need help with anything, feel free to let me know! Supply List: I expect all children to come to school prepared to learn every day. Therefore, I would really appreciate it if you could supply your child with the following items: 2 Composition Books (wide ruled, standard) 2 Spiral Notebooks (wide ruled) 2 Glue Sticks 1 One and a half inch Binder with pockets 2 flat pocket folders without the prongs 2 Packs of 24 Crayons 2 Packs of pencils (12 pack) 1 student scissors 1 big eraser and 12 pencil top erasers 1 Plastic pencil box 1 Pack of Construction Paper 2 Packs of loose-leaf paper (wide ruled) 1 pack Copy paper 1 bottle Hand sanitizer full sized (Class resource, we use it daily right before lunch.) 1 Box of Tissues (full sized) Backpack without wheels Extra clothes (labeled with your childs name) in a baggie 2 highlighters 1 Lysol wipes

Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf 1 box of baby wipes

I will be providing everything else that we may need in our classroom throughout the year. On the first day of school, send your child with his or her name labeled on each of the above items. Class Schedule: Ms. Larsens First Grade Monday Schedule! 8:00-8:15: Morning Work 8:15-10:15: Reading 10:15-10:45: Writing 10:45-11:15: Specials 11:15-11:45: Math 11:45-12:15: Lunch 12:15-1:15: Science 1:15: Pack up/ Dismissal Ms. Larsens First Grade TuesdayFriday Schedule! 8:00-8:15: Morning Work 8:15-10:15: Language Arts 10:15-10:45: Intervention Block 10:45-11:15: Specials 11:15-11:45: Computer Lab (Tues/Wed), Social Studies (Thurs/Fri) 11:45-12:15: Lunch 12:15-1:15: Math 1:15-2:15: Science 2:15 Pack up/ Dismissal

Specials Monday: Music Tuesday: Music Wednesday: PE Thursday: PE Friday: Art

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Classroom Behavior Plan: We will be using a color system to monitor student behavior in our classroom. The colors are as follows: Pink: Outstanding Day! Purple: Great Day Blue: Good Day Green: Ready to Learn Yellow: Stop and think about it Orange: Teachers Choice Red: Parent Contact All students begin their day at green, which means they have come ready to learn. Students will receive one verbal warning before their color will be moved. Students always have the chance to make their day better if they can show me the correct way to behave in the classroom. At the end of the day, their color will be recorded in their planner. Homework: Students will receive a homework packet weekly. Each homework packet will contain worksheets tailored to your childs individual needs. All homework will be turned in to me on Friday. We have a list of sight words that will be attached to your childs homework and will also be in the weekly newsletter. Make sure practice these words every night. Your student should be able to read the words fluently and quickly. I will be orally assessing them very Friday on these words. Please make your best effort to help them learn these words, as they will help him or her to become a better reader! I will also be sending home a list of spelling words each week that will focus on a certain skill we are learning. For example, sh and th words, or long a words. Your child will have a spelling quiz each Friday, so make sure they know these words like the back of their little hands!

Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf More Information: I have attached a personal letter to your first grader. It would be great if you gave them the letter and helped him or her read it. I am SO excited to meet you and your new first grader! Enjoy the rest of your summer! Sincerely, Ms. Larsen Make sure to turn on your head like you turn on the TV. Is it fun watching a TV when it is off? No, it is boring. So when you get to school, make sure your brains are on because if not, school will be boring. Ms. Ray, my first Cooperating Teacher

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(To be sent out before school starts attached to parent letter in a separate envelope)

Dear Ashley, Welcome to the first grade! My name is Ms. Larsen and I will be your teacher this year! I am very excited because I have so many fun things planned for us to do this year. We are going to learn so much together. I cannot wait to meet you on our first day of school. GOOOO BULLDOGS!!!! Your First grade Teacher, Ms. Larsen

Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf Physical Environment Plan:

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Physical Environment Rationale: Carpet Area: This carpet is where everything happens. Thats why it is in the front of the classroom and extremely large! Read Alouds, Turn and Talks, phonics lessons, centers, and many other activities take place on this carpet. Projector cart: This will be rolled onto the carpet when it is needed. When it is not needed it will stay off to the side. On the front of it, there is a pocket chart where students will look to see which center they are at that day.

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Color chart: The color chart is the behavior system I chose for my classroom. It will be on a bulleting board in between the white board and SMART board. SMART board: IF my school has SMART boards, it will be placed here. It is right next to the white board, so my students will not have to move to see it. Whiteboard: Daily Schedule: I sill have the daily schedule on my board so that my students and visitors will know what is happening at all times of the day. Empty Space: The empty space on my board will be used to write lesson-specific items. It will be located in the center of the board. Sight words/Spelling words: There will be a square for both sight words and spelling words. They will be on the left side of the board so the kids can always see them. Objectives: The objectives will be clearly posted on the top center of the board for anyone to see. Classroom Rules: The classroom rules will be on a poster above the white board so it can be referred to at any time.

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Television: The TV is mounted to the ceiling on a stand so that all of the kids can see it easily. Materials for Centers: This will be a table with bins that are labeled for each Daily 5 workstation. It is off to the side so that it does not interfere with instruction. Listening Center: The listening centers table will be located next to the workstations table because it is a workstation. The CD player will be placed on top and all of the buttons will be labeled for the students ease. Word Wall: The word wall is located on the wall directly next to the listening station. It is on this wall so the students can see it easily to use for writing. Teachers Desk: The teachers desk is on the side of the classroom because I want to be able to see what is going on at all times. I have placed shelves behind my desk that will hold various resources and files. Classroom Library: In the back left corner, you will see the classroom library. It is in its own secluded are because that is the Quiet Zone. There is no talking in the classroom library because students should be using that area for a nice, quiet place to read alone. Leveled Bookshelf: In the library, there is a leveled bookshelf filled with books labeled by level. I will have them labeled by Easy, Hard, Harder, and Hardest. Each child will know which bin to choose from because I will have his or her name on the appropriate basket.

Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf Computers: The computers are placed in an area where there are no distractions. These will be used for testing and intervention strategies. Therefore, students using them must be able to concentrate. Cubbies: I do not like clutter. Therefore, the kids will all have a

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designated cubby that they will put their personal belongings in. On top of the cubbies are their mailboxes where Keep at Home papers will be placed daily. Cabinets: Teachers need all the extra space they can get! We have a lot of stuff that needs to be stored. Counter Space: This is where I will have bins for homework, morning work, and pencil sharpening. The math manipulates will also be stored here in buckets sorted by color. At the end of my counter, there will be a sink. Bathroom: The bathroom will be in the back corner of the classroom. I want a bathroom in my classroom to avoid having to send children out of the room. Shelving: In front of my cabinets, I have a shelving unit being used as a wall. It will store my big books, guided reading books, and science materials. Guided Reading table: This is placed here because I can help my small group as well as watch the rest of the class at the same time. All of my necessary materials are located behind me in my shelving unit!

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Student Desks: The students will be in groups of four with two boys and two girls at each table (if it works out that way). They are in the center of the classroom because they are the center of attention! My classroom will literally be student centered! Windows: I tried to place windows around the classroom because it is nice to have natural light sometimes.

Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf Community Building:

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On the first day of school, I want my students to bond as a class. I will plan some fun games and icebreakers to get my kids excited about being in a new classroom. Kids love it when you interact with them in a fun and silly way, so why not start on the first day of school? I hope to be able to learn all of their names by playing a name game. Every morning for the rest of the week, we will play name games and icebreakers to start building out little classroom community.

Examples of icebreakers/name games: Me Bag: o Students will bring in a bag full of things that describe them! Create your own nametag: o Students will create their own nametag to put on their desk. Name game with squishy ball: o Students will get in a circle and one of them will start with a ball. They will throw the ball to each other and say each persons name. Keep going until everyones name has been said.

Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf Another way I would build a community in my classroom is by

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celebrating birthdays. Children love celebrating their special day! I would encourage the parents to bring something special so we can all celebrate together. At the beginning of the year, we will celebrate all of the summer birthdays so that nobody is left out. On my calendar, I will make sure to have each students birthday listed. Before school starts, I plan to have the parents send me pictures of each student so I can use them for our Class Jobs. Each student will have a new job every week and he or she will move his or her picture to whichever job given. The kids will be excited to have a picture on the wall and this will give them a sense of responsibility.

Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf Routines and Strategies: Strategy #1: Attention Getters I have always been a huge fan of attention getters. Over the

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years I have found ones that worked extremely well, and others that have not. I plan to share my favorites with the class at the beginning of the year so that they all know what to look out for. In order for attention getters to work, the students need to be paying attention at all times. This will teach students to always be aware of their surroundings! Strategy #2: Transitions I want my students to be experts at transitions. On the first day of school, I would model how I want them to transition: quickly and quietly. I will make sure my students make transitions safe and easy for everyone around them. There should be no running or talking during transition time. Routine: Pencil Sharpening As a student, I hated the sound of the pencil sharpener. It was distracting and unnecessary. As a teacher, it still annoys me. Therefore, I will have a routine for sharpening pencils. I will have two bins on the counter next to the pencil sharpener; one will be labeled Sharpen Me and the other All Better. The All Better bin will have freshly sharpened pencils in it at all times. If a student needs to sharpen their pencil, they will simply get up and

Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf exchange it. I will sharpen all of the dull ones in the morning before the students come in.

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Brittaney Larsen Professor Tracy Wulf Works Cited Canter, Lee and Marelene. Assertive Discipline. Ch. 4.

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Charles, C.M. Linda Alberts Cooperative Discipline. In Building Classroom discipline. Boston. Ally and Bacon. 2002. Ch. 5. pp. 67-84.

Charels, C.M. Alfie Kohn Beyond Discipline. In Building Classroom discipline. Boston. Ally and Bacon. 2002. Ch. 12. pp. 190-204.

Levin, J., & Nolan, J. F. (2014). Principles of classroom management: a professional decision-making model (7th ed.). Boston: Pearson.

Weinstein, C. S., Romano, M. E., & Mignano, A. J. (2011). Elementary classroom management: lessons from research and practice (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.