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 never-ending 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 studentteacher 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, selfassessment, 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.