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Dan Harris
Dr. Ables
EDU 225
21 April 2015
Classroom Management Plan
School is essentially the home of the child for 7 or 8 hours a day during the school year. Just as
parents demand the most from their children, teachers demand the same from their students throughout the
day in the classroom. However, to achieve an atmosphere of learning and excellence, teachers must have a
precise plan for every situation that arises in the classroom. Our role as the teacher is to foster good
behavior in the classroom, and we must have a specific, multi-faceted plan to help the students grow in
knowledge each and every day.
Philosophical Statement
Education is defined as the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a
school or university (Websters). My role as a teacher is to facilitate learning and breed an atmosphere of
collaboration and participation. My main philosophy is that I want to help my students maximize their
academic potential. I will have failed if I do not do this for my students. I know it is very difficult to reach
every single one of my students, but I ask, Why make the goal easy to complete if there is still work yet to
do? I am in favor of a Socratic Seminar-type class where I am just the facilitator, guiding the students to
the place where I want them to be. A student learns more when he is asking question and in discussion with
his fellow students, and I believe that this is a very effective tool for this to happen. Because many students
are lacking in face-to-face communication in this era, classroom discussions can get students ready to face
society head-on. I just do not want my class to be a lecture and notes class, I want my classroom to
encourage questioning and creativity, to further not just their learning but to also further their language and
personal skills as well.
Physical Room

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The ideal setup of my classroom would provide a space of discussion on the basis of a Socratic
Seminar. I would make sure to have two rows of desk on each side facing each other, so that it leaves an
open space for the teacher to walk through and monitor the classroom. In the back of the classroom, I
would have 5 or 6 desks just in case I had an extremely large class. It would allow me the chance to walk
around the classroom and silently tap a desk or scold a student if their behavior is getting out of line. I
would not be taking any time away from learning, and I would not be humiliating the student either in front
of the class. I love the setup of having the two rows face each other because it would allow for great debate
in a Government or US/World History class. I believe that communication, persuasion, and debating are
essential tools for any Social Studies class, and this desk arrangement would determinately provide that.
Additionally, it makes it easier for me to see if a student is talking to a neighbor, or using any technology
they are not allowed to use in class.
My teachers desk would be in the front right of the classroom so that I can easily observe all my
students as I am catching up on e-mails or grading papers. Some teachers I have seen have their desks to
the side of the classroom, and I just believe that the students can easily get off-task because they think the
teacher is not really watching them. Having the desk in the front of the classroom will show the students
that I will be watching their behavior, even if I am at my desk working on something else. Moreover, I
would have the chalkboard/projector screen in the front of class so that the students are always looking to
the front. I do not want them to have to turn around and look all over the classroom just to take notes. The
chalkboard at the front of the classroom would contain both the student objectives as well as the homework
for the day.
There are many ideal ways to create a classroom and I believe mine is a very effective way to
arrange a classroom. However, a classroom needs to be able to adapt to many different situations which
may arise throughout the school day.
Classroom Procedures
A consistent, structured classroom can be the key to a students success. However, some of the
procedures may need to be different based on the needs of each class. I know that I should not be straitlaced

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in my thinking as a teacher because it does not allow me or my students to achieve the highest potential
possible. I will have my essential frame-work to follow but I will change it up if need be for a variety of
factors.
The first procedure in my class for the first day of school would be for students to pick where they
wanted to sit. This is a privilege and can be taken away at any time based on a students behavior. I want a
classroom where many students are volunteering and participating, and I believe that by sitting with their
friends, students will be more likely to answer during class.
After they have found their seats, their next task is to immediately sit down and look at the
projector and chalkboard. They are to look at the projector to see what the Bellwork is, and to get it done
within the first five minutes of class. They are to look at the chalkboard to note if there is any homework,
and they are to write their homework assignment in their planner. These first steps immediately create a
serious mood in the classroom, and cuts down on the first few minutes of each class being very hectic and
unorganized.
If a student was absent the day before, they are to sign on a sheet on the front table, notifying me
that they have picked up the assignments they missed. The sign-in sheet is useful because it tells me which
student did or did not pick up their absent work, so I can deliver it to them if they forgot to sign in. There
will be papers from the previous classroom in a tray, allowing easy pickup for the students. The student will
have as many days to finish the assignment based on the number of days they missed school. (Student was
absent 2 days, he will have 2 days to make it up.) I will only accept late-work for 3 days and then it is a 0%
in the gradebook. There will be a 15% deduction in their grade for each day they fail to turn in the work. I
feel that some teachers are very lenient in this policy which contributes to the students not turning in
assignments on time. I want to be strict when it comes to late work, hopefully decreasing the number of
late assignments being turned on. At the end of the day, I will ask that each student pick up a piece of trash
on the floor to make the job easier on the custodian. This will be the students ticket to leave for the day.
I would not have a specific mantra other than to greet every single kid at the door with either a
Good Morning/Afternoon or Hope youre having a great day. This goes a long way in letting the

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students know that I care about each and every one of them. Hopefully if a student is having a bad day,
maybe my little greeting could their make day just a little bit better. Lastly, as they leave I will always end
with, Have a sun-splashed day. Its just a little happy and goofy saying that could maybe brighten a
students day as they leave the classroom.
Classroom Rules
Rules are an essential piece of any cohesive group, but you can have too many rules, limiting the
success of the classroom. I developed these classroom rules based on the experiences in my classrooms in
grade school and high school. Our classrooms were always well-behaved and on task with the majority of
the same rules every year. I want a classroom that is lacking in drama and misbehavior because this takes
away class time and ruins the learning of the other students. Because of this, I will only have 4 main rules:

Come prepared each and every day: They should always bring every class material.
Be respectful to teachers, and most of all, each other: They should never talk back to a teacher
or humiliate or bully another student.
Have a great attitude: Learning cannot be achieved if a student has a bad attitude and does not
want to be there.
Only use words that youd want the principal or your grandmother to hear: This was a rule
we had in our classroom and it made us aware of our surroundings.

These rules would be posted on the door so that students know what to expect when they enter the
room. Also, I would have the rules located at the front, two sides, and the back of the classroom so that the
students always know what to expect of me and to expect of each other. I will send out a first day email to
all my parents, copying my administrators as well. If I have my expectations and rules lined out for
everyone to see; it minimizes miscommunication with parents and sometimes the administration. This
email will tell parents what they are to expect from me and their student, so that if a student either gets in
trouble behaviorally or academically, the parents will know why this occurred.
Coming prepared each and every day builds the foundation of student learning. Going to school is
essentially a job from kindergarten to college, and they need to have the same rules as workers do. If a
worker comes late or does not have all of their materials, they may be possibly fired but at the very least
disciplined for not being prepared. A student must be drilled into the task of following directions because
they will continue this process the rest of their life.

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Additionally, leaving class to get class materials can ruin the flow of the classroom and can
possibly be embarrassing to a student if it occurs over and over again. Being respectful to teachers and
students should be the most essential rule to follow. Students should never back-talk or say something
disrespectful to a teacher. Moreover, they should treat their fellow peers with dignity and compassion, or
the classroom will just fall apart and turn into a free-for-all. Another rule of mine is to have a great attitude.
It is very hard for a student to be successful if they hate school and do not want to be there. Some students
think it is cool to not really care about school, negatively affecting the behaviors of the other kids in class. I
will do everything in my power to keep the kids engaged and interested, but it all starts with the classroom
having a great attitude. My last rule is for students to only use language that the principal or their
grandmother would want to hear. This puts a personal perspective on using foul language and makes them
evaluate if what they are really saying is worth it. My teachers and coaches used this in the classroom and
on the field, and it was a very successful rule.
My rules are in place to help the students grow within the classroom but to also not keep them so
contained that they do not want to be in class. A student should have a little bit of lee- way in their behavior
until they lose that privilege. My main philosophy is for the students to reach their ultimate potential, and I
believe these rules will help the students get there.
Discipline Techniques
Managing the classroom and disciplining unruly students is an integral part to teaching. There is a
5-step process that I use to help in the matter of disciplining students.

1.) Situation- A teacher must know the situation and what happened. A teacher cannot discipline fairly
and effectively if they do not know the reasons behind the outcome.

2.) Options- A teacher must have all options ready to go and which ones would be applicable based on
the situation.

3.) Disadvantages- A teacher must know what the problems are for each option.
4.) Advantages- A teacher must know what will work for each option.
5.) Solution- After going through the first four steps, then a solution can finally be reached.

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This method of discipline is referred to as SODAS (Boys Town 29). This is not only a teacher to student
method but can also be used between students to avoid arguments and promote problem solving. I really
like SODAS because it is a very specific plan that can easily be used throughout the classroom, no matter
what grade level it is. Students are always going a million miles an hour with everything in their life, so
SODAS gives them a chance to slow things down and work through their problem solving skills. Problem
solving is a behavioral process that offers a variety of potentially effective options for dealing with a
problem (Boys Town 29). SODAS will be prominently displayed on a poster in the classroom so that
students can always use it whenever they need to diffuse a problem, or reach a solution.
Encouraging positive behaviors can really impact a students decision on whether or not to
participate again. I always use general praise in the classroom, which is a positive verbal statement I can
give to a student when they use good behavior (Boys Town 127). A student will be more likely to keep
participating if I give them encouragement for getting answer correctly, or by behaving well in the
classroom. They will stop acting correctly and stop raising their hands if I am very mean when they get
answer wrong, or I scold them very harshly. To deal it with negative behaviors, I will usually give a tap on
the desk or stand near them to make them stop whatever incorrect behavior they are using. I tend to avoid
the public scold because I am not trying to embarrass a student; I just want them to stop their behavior.
However, if I cannot get the student to quit acting up; I will tell the student to meet me after class and we
will go over what his inappropriate behavior was, and what his appropriate behavior should be (Boys Town
154-155).
Conclusion
Having a well-managed classroom can be a very difficult and trying thing sometimes, but if I can
be proactive instead of reactive, I know that I will have a classroom willing to learn. I will use my positive
personality to encourage the students to keep growing in knowledge, ultimately reaching their potential in a
well-managed classroom.

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Works Cited

Hensley, Michele, and Walter Powell. The Well-managed Classroom: Strategies to Create a
Productive and Cooperative Social Climate in Your Learning Community. Boys Town NE:
Boys Town, 2007. Print.