Writing Our

Class Story

Michelle Macdonald
Fall 2015

Philosophy of Classroom Management

Narrating a Quality Story
Every child is a protagonist in his or her own story. What makes our collective story
so colorful and exciting is just how many characters it holds. As a narrator, my job is to
guide students, to show very different characters how to work together and become
supporting characters in each other's stories, rather than antagonists. Good classroom
management starts with this: enabling a child to take responsibility of his own actions and
to understand that these actions can affect others positively or negatively. In my classroom,
we will be reading plenty of literature and focusing on characterization, especially on how
characters support each other, and how a character can change throughout a story. I want
my students to know that they can change their stories and themselves, just as the
characters in our novels do. One wrong move is just that and does not remove the students'
endless opportunities to move in the right direction.
This management plan is a tool for me to help students be their best selves. I am not
the author of their stories, only the narrator. I am here to narrate positive behavior for my
students, to help them reflect on what they are doing, what they can do, and what they
want to do to reach the ultimate goal of who they want to be, both in their own stories and
in our collective class story.
The First Days of School Plan lays the groundwork for the exposition of our story,
giving students information about their new setting (our class), and the events that will
take place here. This background information will set the tone for how our classroom runs
and give students a sense of safety and belonging as we navigate the year together. Much
as the exposition of any story, a well-crafted First Days of School Plan is essential for
students to build an understanding of what our year will "be about"what expectations we
have for each other and what we will do together. The Prevention Plan will lay out the
theme of our class, or the atmosphere we want to foster. Students will discover what they
can do to work towards creating this theme and to make our story flow smoothly from one
chapter or activity to the next. The Intervention Plan will detail the courses of action that
students can take to change harmful behaviors. Protagonists can and do change, and
students who are aware of their own abilities to change will have a greater chance to
become the protagonists that they want to be. The behavior contract will remind students
that they have the support of their narrator (the teacher) in rewriting negative behavior.
Finally, Family-School Connections are extremely important because so much of a student's
story happens at home. In order for me to understand my students and do what is best for
them, I need the support of their families.
Clearly, it is very important for students to take control of themselves and their
actions, and this classroom management plan strives to help them do this. The plan is also
a tool for maximizing learning time and giving every student an opportunity to learn. When
students are considerate of others, when they strive to be their best selves, they strive also
to learn and to help the people around them learn. This is the vision that I hold for my
class. This is the vision that I hold for our story, which I am so excited to begin.

First Days of School

Our Exposition
Bulletin boards are carefully decorated. Nametags are perfectly in place. Every
pencil has a sharpened tip. The classroom is ready for the exposition of our story to begin,
an opportunity for me to set a tone for the coming year. The impression that I make on the
first day is likely to stick with my students, and the routines that I put in place at the
beginning of the year may save plenty of time in the future. Therefore, at this point in the
year, it is crucial for me to set a theme for our classroom story and to lay out procedures
that we can follow together. It is important, too, to get to know each and every one of my
protagonists. All of these things will help to create a positive atmosphere of trust in our
classroom, making the transition back into the school setting much easier for every
character, and creating a foundation for the rest of our story. There are many things that I
may do, even on the first day, in order to create this setting and to get our protagonists
excited about learning.
Create an Intriguing and Exciting Physical Setting

Devote a corner of the room to the

first book we will read as a class,
using props and pictures to generate
interest. Give students time to explore
and wonder.
Craft bulletin boards that show
previews of what students will be
learning in each subject area this
yearwhat adventures we will
embark on together.
Arrange desks/chairs into table
groups, leaving room for a communal rug in the middle, near the front of the room.

Make Students Feel Welcome

Greet each student (and each student's parents, if present) at the door, letting them
know how happy I am that they are a part of our class story, and how excited I am to
begin writing it with them.
Ask students about their interests and the "quests" that they wish to embark on this
year (what do they want to learn or improve at?)
Engage students in activities where they get to know their fellow protagonists.

Set a Respectful Tone

Guide students in a discussion of what respect
looks like from student to teacher, teacher to

student, student to student, etc. Give examples from books.

Use posters to make classroom code clear to students, and explain (or have students
explain) the reasoning behind at least some of the rules.
Be respectful to students (ex. letting them know
that you think of them as "scholars" and that their
input matters).
Divide students into group and have each group of
students create a skit that demonstrates one
disrespectful way and one respectful way to
respond to a specific situation. After each skit, have
students discuss which way they prefer and why.

Foster a Positive Tone for Learning

Give students verbal and visual previews of some of

the things they will learn about this year and the
adventures we will embark on.
Allow
students to ask
questions about any of the topics you will be covering;
respect their curiosity.
Tell students about some exciting things you
learned over the summer; ask them to share things
that they learned through their adventures over the
summer, emphasizing that learning is exciting and
not just something that you do in a school setting.
Give students tasks that involve collaboration,
allowing them to learn from each other. Emphasize
the wealth of knowledge and ideas present in each protagonist.

Clarify Classroom Code

Post classroom code on multiple illustrated

posters around the room.
Explain the code to the class.
Provide some Q&A time, when students may ask
questions to clarify code.
Give the class an opportunity to democratically
add specific rules/examples to the code already
in place.

Explain and Model Essential Procedures

Display the day's agenda on the board, writing

daily routines in a different color than the parts
of the schedule that change daily.
Write out classroom procedures and place them
in pertinent areas of the classroom (ex. place the
pencil-sharpening procedures above the pencil
sharpener/pencil tins; place the procedures for

entering the classroom on the outside of the door).

Model procedures for students; then have them model for each other. For procedures
that involve the whole class at once, such as entering the room, practice with the
class a few times, praising their improvement.
Engage students in discussion regarding why they think procedures are important
to the writing of a good classroom story.

Define and Emphasize Student Responsibilities

Have students write down assignments in their

planners, giving them the tools to execute their own
responsibilities.
Give students class jobs each day (ex. paper passer,
materials manager); use this on the first day to start a
discussion about responsibility.
Ask students to write down what they believe their
responsibilities are at home (helping with baby sister,
making the bed, etc.). Then, have them write about
what they believe their responsibilities are for school
(doing homework, staying focused during instruction,
etc.). Have them discuss in groups, then as a whole
class. Give examples from books we will read of
protagonists' responsibilities.

Encourage Student Engagement

Give students ample opportunities throughout the day

to ask questions and engage in activities; do not simply talk at them. I am the
narrator, and our story needs to include plenty of good dialogue.
Use "pair share" and table group discussions to engage students who might be too
shy to speak to the whole class.
Begin by giving students assignments that interest them (ex. having them write
about/draw/act out something they love).
Use interest inventories to find out what students enjoy; try to incorporate these
things into assignments or explanations when you can.
Use KWL charts to help students reflect on things they have already learned and
anticipate what they may learn in the future.

Prevention Plan
The Framework of Our Story
In order for a classroom to run smoothly, students must know what is
expected of them, and the teacher must have a code and procedures in place that
convey these expectations. If students are aware of what they should be doing, there
is less chance that they will misbehave. Expectations may be in the form of a code,
which describes how students are expected to act at all times, and procedures,
which lay out plans of action for specific activities. A good prevention plan takes the
focus of a classroom away from constant behavior management and makes it easier
for students to learn and teachers to teach.
Miss Macdonald's Classroom Code
This code is meant to set the tone for the classroom. It is an overarching set of
general principles that students may learn to apply in more specific ways. It also
ties into the storybook theme of our management plan.

Class-Running Procedures
These procedures make for a highly efficient setting in which all characters are
active participants. Organized class-running procedures allow me to put more time
and effort into lessons.

Entering the Room

o Students stand in line and wait for me.
o I will come to the door and greet each student with a handshake, highfive, etc.
o Students sit at desks and begin Exposition Exercise (beginning-of-theday problems related to what we will do today).

Taking Attendance
o Each student signs in at the beginning of the day by moving their
clothespin on the clothespin chart from "home" to "class."
o During Exposition Exercise, attendance-taker records attendance on
attendance sheet and brings to office (or I will do it electronically).
Going to the Restroom
o Student quietly uses hand signal to
convey that he/she needs to go to the restroom.
o I will give student permission by looking
directly at student and giving a thumbs-up (or
verbally if appropriate).
o Student moves clothespin from "class" to
"restroom," takes bathroom pass, and goes to
restroom.
o Only 1 girl and 1 boy may be in the
bathrooms at any given time.
o Students must come back promptly.
Class Chores
o Attendance-Taker
o Greeter (front of the line at the
beginning of the day and greets everyone after the teacher as they
come in)
o Caretaker (escorts students to the nurse if they are not feeling well)
o Pencil Sharpener
o Librarian (keeps class library organized)
o 4-6 Materials Managers (1 per table)
o 4-6 Lunch Counters (1 per table)
o 4-6 Homework Collectors (1 per table)
o Once every few weeks (as needed), we
will all clean our desks with shaving
cream.
Lunch Count
o I will appoint 1 lunch counter at each
table.
o Lunch counter asks table group who is
getting hot lunch.
o When teacher asks, lunch counters
hold up fingers to indicate how many
people at their tables want hot lunch.

Lesson-Running Procedures
These procedures save students much confusion during lessons. Students know
exactly how to complete the tasks that are assigned to help them learn.

Collecting Homework

o I will appoint 1 homework collector per table.

o During Exposition Exercise, homework collectors collect homework
from table group members.
o Homework collectors quietly bring homework to homework bin.
Distributing Supplies
o During the first week of school, I will make
sure that all students become familiar
with where different types of supplies
are located.
o I will appoint 1 materials manager
per table.
o For each lesson, I will tell students
what supplies they need and have
materials managers pass them out.
Putting Supplies Away
o At the end of a lesson, materials managers collect supplies from
classmates.
o Materials managers must put supplies back in their proper places,
neatly.
Preparing Paper for Assignment (Heading)
o The first thing students should do when they get a new paper or start
a new assignment is to put their first and last names in the top righthand corner.
o Below their names, students should put the date (I may ask for date in
word form or shortened number form).
o For assignments on notebook paper, I will give instructions about what
to title the paper.
What to Do if You Don't Understand
o If a student is having trouble understanding
something during silent time, that student should raise
hand quietly and consult with me.
o If this is not during silent time, student
should first consult with his or her academic partner.
o If partner does not understand, student
may ask one other student at table group.
o If neither understands, student raises hand
and I will explain to the whole table group/class.

Interaction Procedures
Dialogue is a very important part of many stories, including ours. It aids in
characterization and gives us new insights into the material we will be studying;
however, students must know when and in what manner it is appropriate for them
to talk. They must also know when it is time to listen.

Signal When Teacher Needs Students' Attention

o We will use the silent fox hand signal when it gets too loud in the
classroom.
o I will clap twice, then put my hands out in front, palms facing up, as if
opening a book. Students will do the same. This will be the signal to
get students' attention when we begin transitioning to a new activity.
Signal When Students Need Teacher's Attention
o Student may raise hand if he/she needs my attention.
o If student has to go to bathroom, use bathroom hand signal.
o If student needs assistance with work, use simple raised hand.
During Independent Work
o Students should work quietly during independent work.
o If a student has a question, he or she may quietly ask academic
partner (UNLESS I have specified that this is a SILENT working time
then ask me).
During Small-Group Work
o All students should talk during smallgroup work (at regular volume).
o Students should be respectful
of each other and seek to understand each
other's reasoning rather than putting
others' answers down.
o Students should articulate
their thoughts about others' ideas I
may give them sentence frames such as
"I agree that ____ because...," "I
disagree that ____ because...," "I would
like to add...," etc.
During Loudspeaker Announcements
o The moment the loudspeaker clicks, students should know to stop
talking, putting up the silent fox hand signal to remind their
classmates.
o If a student has a question about an announcement, he/she may ask
the question when the announcement is finished.

Golden Phrases
Even the brawniest heroes in literature are in need of support and encouragement.
These phrases are ways of being a resource to students and encouraging them to
keep trying and to continue making good choices.

"How can I help you?"

"Let's work together to solve this!"
"You should be proud of the choices you made today!"
"You worked so hard to accomplish this!"
"I love the questions you are asking! Your brain must be working hard."

Brain Breaks
Students have short attention spans, and they need breaks often. Giving students
breaks will allow them to focus better during instructional time and make them
ready to move on to the next chapter of the day.

As a class, we will take 5-10 deep breaths.

We will do a Coconut Stretch students will make their arms into a "C" and
stretch to one side, then make an "O" with
their arms and squat, do the same "C"
stretch to the other side, do the same "O"
stretch, touch their toes while forming an "N,"
squat again while making a "U," and stretch to
each side while making a "T."
We will have a short dance break to an
appropriate song.
52 I will have students get up and
give high-5s to 5 people (can also make it a
fistbump, secret handshake, etc.)
We will play follow the leader, having a couple
different children lead each time.
We will take a 2-minute nature walk, if possible (in school garden or around
trees/bushes).

Intervention Plan
Working Together to Resolve Conflicts
As much as a good prevention plan helps with classroom management,
student misbehavior is inevitable in every classroom. Therefore, it is important to
have an intervention plan in place to redirect students' incorrect behavior.
Intervention plans are essential for a classroom to run smoothly. When a student
misbehaves, the teacher must have a set plan of action in order to quickly change
the student's behavior with minimal disruption to the rest of the class.
General Guidelines for Responding to Misbehavior
The general guidelines for responding to misbehavior frame the entire
intervention plan. These are principles that I will follow and keep in mind when
implementing my intervention. While the specific intervention strategies explain
what to do when responding to student misbehavior, general guidelines detail how
to do this, focusing on things that may be difficult for me to remember in the
moment. The guidelines are as follows:
Stay Calm

I will not let the student's misbehavior rattle me. I will remember that
misbehavior occurs in every classroom.
If I feel in danger of responding angrily, I
will try to remove myself from the
situation for a minute.
I will remember that I have many
students to attend to and will not let one
student's misbehavior derail my entire
lesson or influence my interactions with
other students.

Assume the Best

I will remember that everyone makes mistakes.

I will remember, too, that these are children who are still learning how to act
and interact.
Every student has baggage. Many factors may contribute to the way a
student is acting.
Finally, I will assume that every student wants to behave correctly and
wants my approval.

Preserve Student Dignity

When possible, I will correct a student privately.

I will try to reframe the student's behavior in a positive way (for
example, if a student is particularly loud, commend them for their
enthusiasm, but explain what the correct behavior will be).
I will separate the student's behavior from the student's character. The
student's actions may be disrespectful, but this does not mean the
student him- or herself is disrespectful.
Preserve Time on Task
I will deal with misbehavior as quickly as possible
and with minimal disruption to the rest of the class.
I will use nonverbal signals when possible, and brief
verbal signals (i.e. the student's name) when nonverbal
signals do not work.
If necessary, I will talk to student quietly during
independent work time, when it will not disturb other
students.

Appropriately and Consistently Respond

Consistency is key; if I am not consistent in the way I respond to misbehavior

and disruption, my intervention plan will not be successful.
Responses should be appropriate for the behavior exhibited; I will consider
what might be a natural consequence of the behavior.

Minor Misbehavior
Minor misbehavior is misbehavior, such as socializing at inappropriate times
or tapping a pencil on one's desk, that are only minorly disruptive. While these
behaviors are minor, controlling them is essential for keeping order in the class; if
students see that they can minorly misbehave without consequences, they will
continue to test the teacher with more and more major behavior. Appropriate
responses are as follows:

Use nonverbal cues, such as close proximity to a student.

Privately correct a student, using
the quarterback strategy (kneel
You should all be focusing
next to the student's desk and
on your independent work
whisper).
Use a public but anonymous
now.
correction (ex. "I need two more
pairs of eyes")
Narrate positive behavior rather than pointing out what the student is doing
wrong.

Chronic Misbehavior
Chronic misbehavior may be minor, but occurs frequently. This behavior
needs to be addressed because, when a rule is broken multiple times without
consequences, it communicates that the rule is not important or that the teacher is
unable to enforce it.

Have frequent conferences with the student in which you discuss

improvement on the behavior being observed.
With the student, create a behavior contract detailing the appropriate
behavior that the student agrees to
observe from now on.
Create a small, informal team
of students with whom the student
exhibiting the behavior is comfortable;
with the student's knowledge, ask
these peers to provide reminders
when the student is exhibiting the
inappropriate behavior.

More Serious Misbehavior

More serious misbehavior may be detrimental to the classroom environment.
These may include behaviors that are dangerous or blatantly disrespectful to the
teacher or other students. These students MUST be addressed immediately and
effectively; otherwise, the teacher communicates to students that the behavior is
okay, or that they can get away with it.

If possible, remove the student from the cause of the behavior; for example, if
something is making the student angry, remove him from that situation.
If possible, have a private conversation with the student where you clearly
communicate what the student has
done wrong and what the proper
correction would be.
Involve the parents; call home and
(if possible) meet in person.

General Consequences of Misbehavior

Have a secluded "calm corner"

where students can go for two or
three minutes when they act out in
anger or because they are upset; use

calming music, stress balls, stuffed animals, and other calming objects to
help the student calm down.
Give the student an opportunity to correct the behavior before "getting in
trouble"; narrate positive behavior.
Remind students that they should be acting in a way that their favorite
protagonist might act; remind them, too, that they have the ability to change
their own story.

Behavior Contract
When a student exhibits chronic misbehavior, it may be necessary to create a
contract with that student to stop the behavior. This contract will recognize the role
of both the protagonist and the narrator in improving the student's story, and will
also require the parent to review and approve the designed plan. (This contract can
be viewed on the following page.)

Behavioral Contract
What behavior conflict would we like to resolve?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What will you do to change your story?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
What can the teacher do to help you change your story?
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________
I, _______________________ (student) am the protagonist of my own story, and it is up to me
to change it. I promise to work hard to correct my behavior, as described above, to resolve
the conflict and change my story for the better.
I, _______________________ (teacher) am the narrator of this student's story, and it is up to
me to guide and support the student in his/her role as protagonist. I promise to work hard
to help the student, in the ways described above, to change his/her story.
Student Signature: _________________________________

Date____________

Teacher Signature:_________________________________

Date____________

Parent Signature:__________________________________

Date____________

Family-School Connections
Connecting Our Story to the Home Story
Connecting with a student's family is extremely important. So much of a
child's story happens at home, and a student's family background affects his or her
character, emotions, and inclinations. Therefore, it is important to learn about a
child's family and home life in order to better understand that child. Connecting
with a child's parents is also important because parents generally want to know
what is going on in their children's lives. School takes up a large part of a child's
day, and parents should be able to trust the teachers who watch their children
during the day and who teach them and often instill certain values in them.
Teachers should let parents know what is going on in their children's lives,
academically, socially, and behaviorally. When students misbehave, partnering with
parents can help to discover the root of the problem and come up with a solution
that works and helps the child in question.
Some ways that I plan to partner with families in their children's education
are:

Greet parents at the door during the first week This will give me a
chance to get the know the parents a little bit and will send them the
message that I am interested in understanding their families and values and
hearing their concerns.
Send home a Parent Letter at the beginning of the year (see attached)
This will introduce me to parents and let them know how to contact me and
get involved.
Send home a "Tell Me About Your Child"
sheet This will have questions about the
child's interests (which I may also ask the
child him or herself, but the parent's input
may help as well), strengths, and
weaknesses, as well as anything else the
parents would like me to know about their
child.
Encourage parents to volunteer
While not all parents will be able to do
this, it will give those who do a glimpse
into what happens in our classroom.
Send home a monthly newsletter
This will include information about
exciting things that have happened in
our class in the past month, as well as
projects or tests that are coming up. Each will also
have a handwritten individual section where I write about that student's
progress and any celebrations or problems we have had.

Dear Parents and Guardians,

I am so excited to work with your 4th graders this year. I cannot wait to get to know each
and every one of them, and to post their brilliant work up on the walls of our classroom. I have
always loved learning, and one of my goals this year is to a similar love of learning in our
students; I want learning to be engaging and exciting for students.
Perhaps you can see your fourth
grader becoming more independent and
learning to look at things from different
perspectives. This makes me particularly
excited to dive into literature with our
students. Together, we will explore stories
from many different perspectives. Together,
we will write our own class "story." To the
left, you will find our Classroom Code, or
"theme," which conveys the expectations I
have for my students. We will go over these
in class and discuss what they look like in
practice and how they can enrich our story.
A little about me: I graduated from Westmont College magna cum laude. There, I earned
both my B.A. in Elementary Education, and my teaching credential. I have worked in classrooms
with students ranging from kindergarten to 5th grade. Working with children has always been
one of my greatest passions. According to the StrengthsFinder assessment, I am a Developer,
which means that I am able to see and cultivate the potential in others. I am also an
Individualizer, meaning that I can appreciate each person's unique qualities and find ways for
very different people to work together. With these strengths, I hope to cultivate the potential in
each one of our students and create a classroom community in which diverse students may work
together productively and compassionately.
So much of learning happens at home, and I am honored to partner with you in your
child's education. One of the most important things you can do for your child is to talk to them
about what they are learning and encourage them to set goals. You can also engage them in
learning at home by making sure that they read for at least 30
minutes each day. If you would like to speak to me, please do not
hesitate to email me. I look forward to hearing from you, and I
know that, together, we can make this a great year for our
students.

Sincerely,

Michelle Macdonald
mmacdonald@westmont.edu