Classroom Management and Communications Plan

My philosophy on education has been a road with many paths, in which new
routes are opening everyday as my experience grows. I believe that learning is a neverending process; it is important to have a growth mindset so that new opportunities can
exist. Lifelong education is possible as long as one accepts the fact that there is always
more to learn. One of my guiding principles about teaching and learning is that everyone
is a student as well as a teacher. Different styles and techniques need to be presented
when teaching because everyone learns in diverse ways. It is a goal of mine to reach
every individual student and to give them the best opportunity to learn. In order to
provide students with these types of opportunities, an established classroom environment
is necessary. Having good classroom management skills is the foundation for creating a
successful classroom. I believe that both the students and the classroom is a direct
reflection of the teacher. I plan to always find positives in all situations. It is a goal of
mine to help students develop a positive attitude and to have high expectations for
themselves. A strong belief of mine is that everyone has the potential to learn and to be
creative; teachers have the key to unlock that potential.
I support Eriksons theory of personal/ego identity through learning. This theory
is implemented through helping students find who they are. By challenging them and
putting them into situations where they can be independent, they will make choices and
develop their individuality. Teachers need be positive and encouraging constantly; they
need to promote critical thinking, problem solving, and creativity in order to help
students become active citizens within a community. A goal of mine is to help students
apply what I teach them into their lives. To assist students, I will set clear goals,
intellectual challenges, and high expectations for the students and myself.
According to the teacher management styles discussed in Adolescence, by John T.
Santrock, my personal style would be authoritative. This is somewhat fitting to how I see
myself managing a class. I plan on having limits and controls on the students by
developing consistent rules and routines. I will have a laissez-faire attitude for the
students to do their own thing, but I will have an authoritative approach to helping the
students stay on task. I will always provide students with reasoning behind my decisions,
and I will give students the same chance when explaining their own decisions. I will also
encourage independence, and will allow for opportunities to learn with and from
classmates. I will keep high expectations for the students and myself, and I will always
show the students that I care.
I believe an individual never stops learning. The impact from teachers resonates
throughout a students entire life. I will implement all of my beliefs by modeling my
educational values.
It is essential to develop student-teacher relationships in order to create a positive
classroom culture. I plan to cultivate personal relationships by learning names right
away. I also plan to ask students about their life outside of my classroom. I believe that
by getting to know each student, their trust in me will grow. I plan to pay attention to
what they say and to consider their input. I will create a positive classroom culture by

being strict without being mean. I will give structure to the students, and I will always
provide constructive feedback.
Marzano encourages teachers to provide students with a survey at the beginning
of each year in order to become familiar with the students right away. Not only will this
help me with the students, it will also help me alter my lessons in order to meet their
interests. This survey will help me differentiate by knowing their preferences. By know
what they favorite thing to do, what they would like to learn in the class, their goals, how
they prefer to learn, etc, I will be able to connect with each student better. This will help
me develop a student-teacher relationship that will lead to a positive classroom culture.
More so than anything, I plan to always have a positive attitude in all situations and to
never give up on the students (or myself).
I plan to develop classroom rules and procedures by creating policies right away.
According to Marzano, establishing classroom rules with students will help them feel a
sense of responsibility when (and if) they break their own rules. I will explain to them
the consequences to be expected for rule offenders. I will always try to provide a
learning experience to a violated rule. A drastic example would be if a student bullies
another student. They would, in turn, call their parents at that moment and be sent to the
office as a result of my no bullying policy. (This would help the student learn how severe
bullying is handled.) I will explain to students what consequences to expect, and I will
have a discipline that matches the offense. I plan on dealing with misbehavior personally
and without an audience. I will constantly move around the room in order to be in tune
with whats going on even when Im not in a particular area. I will be extra attentive at
the beginning of class, during transitions, and at the end of class in order to prevent
misbehaviors. I will develop a sense of withitness (Marzano) by always listening and
watching. I plan to only involve administrators and parents when a solution cannot be
found with the student (unless its a drastic situation).
Similar to Marzanos beliefs, I will develop an agreement with students about
classroom behavior in general, what they can expect as a routine, how to behave during
transitions and interruptions, the use of materials and equipment, etc. For example, we
will establish appropriate behavior for work time and demonstration time. We will also
create rules for cleaning up when working with certain materials.
I will have a cue so that they students know when to stop what they are doing
and pay attention. An example of this cue would be saying Attention scholars at a
medium level, stern voice. I will be consistent with routines in order to implement
prevention. I plan to try several different strategies until I find one that works with the
class. During my practicum experience one teacher visited with the students with the
lights off for the first 5-10 minutes. This allowed the students to calm down and to relax.
This also allowed the teacher to create relationships with the students by sharing stories
with one another. After seeing how well the students responded to this routine, I plan on
trying it out. I will begin my day with a short visit exchange, then transitioning into
work-mode by explaining the objective for the day, and then starting the days lesson. If
any free time is presented, the students will do a debriefing reflection/discussion. At the
end of every class I will prepare them for the next class, what to expect, and any
upcoming due dates.

In my ideal classroom layout I will incorporate the class rules that the students
and I have created. According to Marzano, this will serve as a reminder to the students
about their accountability to be good citizens within the classroom. I also plan to
incorporate students work throughout the class. This will help them take pride in their
work and will help them realize there is a purpose behind projects. By displaying student
work, they will also feel valued and cared about which will help in developing a positive
classroom environment. I will have my desk out of the general area in order to always be
surveying the class. Ideally, I will have a separate supply area, finished art pieces area,
drying area, work area, and demonstration area. This will allow for avoidance in any
traffic jams and interruptions during class. I will have the students surrounded by each
other (face to face and side by side) so that they can peer teach during work time.
When monitoring the classroom and responding to student behavior, I will use
prevention as a technique. Marzano advises that through awareness and surveying, one
can anticipate any potential misbehavior. I will periodically scan the faces of students
and make eye contact to dismiss any act outs. I will go to the area to try and prevent any
mishaps. I will keep comments of misbehaviors private with students, and will not give
them an audience. I feel very strongly about never embarrassing a student in order to
teach them a lesson. Their behavior and punishment will always need to match in order
for them to learn from their mistakes. The consequence used when handling
misbehaviors will depend on the level of severity. Some examples are student calling
home, teacher calling home, teacher emailing parent, behavior contracts, accountability
worksheet, self-assessment, verbal direction, staying after class, lunch time meeting,
meeting with principal, taking away privelages, sending to office, detention, choice
placement is taken away, proximity, etc. An example of an extreme offense would be
bullying another student. This consequence would be a call home and sending to the
principals office. An example of a minor offence would be talking during instruction.
This consequence would be a stern look and possibly a walk by. Having established
procedures, policies, and expectations will help the student stay on task.
This artifact is a great reminder to myself about how to handle student
misbehavior. It is important to remember that nonverbal is as important as verbal. Facial
expressions and tone of voice can create more meaning to what you say than the words
themselves. I plan to avoid sarcasm and personal attacks to avoid any type of
embarrassment towards the student. Its also important to remember that adolescences
brains are not developed to always comprehend types of underlying meanings being used,
therefore being straight forward is best.
It is a goal of mine to always view the parent as a teammate in creating successful
opportunities for the student. I will always respect and have an open mind to the home
culture. I will try to make accommodations accordingly. I plan on keeping parents
updated with informational newsletters explaining upcoming projects and assignments. I
also plan on having a website that includes a syllabus, lesson plans, purposes, and
students work (if the student is comfortable having their work online) that parents can
view. I plan to have bi-weekly (or monthly) updates on the website to let parents know
what theyre students will be tentatively doing in the class for that unit.

I will provide weekly emails to parents whose student is struggling. I will try
work with the parents and student to create a plan on how to help the student with
achievement. I will provide timely communication and an open mind when working with
the students family. I will use plain English and will avoid educational jargon. Through
the website, a provided syllabus, and emails, I will provide information about long-term
projects. I will apologize when I make mistakes and will always be willing to admit my
faults. Most importantly, I will not break confidence or gossip about parents and students
with other faculty members. I will channel my energy to helping the students succeed
rather than wasting time chitchatting about their personal situations. I will have art
shows and open houses to involve the parents with the students class life. I will also
always be prepared for conferences and will always provide positive and constructive
feedback/notes home.
I will always implement the core belief that all parents have dreams for
their children and want the best for them, that parents and school staff
should be equal partners in childrens learning, and that the responsibility
for building partnerships between schools and home rests primarily
with school staff, especially school teachers. I will implement these
beliefs by working as a team with the students family and by
assuming their expectations for the student is the same as mine: to
help the student succeed to their highest potential.