Ms.

Luceros Classroom Management Plan Part One: Reflection

Classroom setup and organization

Tables of four arranged, everyone sees the board. Students sit in assigned seats that change twice a semester.
Allows students to collaborate and share ideas.
Teacher desk in corner of classroom. L-shaped, one leg computer, rest for paper and workspace to not be the
main-focus of the classroom
One counter or side table has an organizer for turning in papers, returning papers and handouts or notes for
absent students or students in need of fresh copies I dream this is like Ms. Schendels system.
Class rules displayed on a bright poster where students will see them as they enter
The entrance has an affirming quote of the day, joke, etc. And taking a tip from another teacher: there is a
border into the classroom. I will set an expectation about when you pass that border youre agreeing that youre
ready to learn and follow classroom expectations.
Use lights as little as possible and allow natural light to dominate if possible. Natural light is best, but sometimes
not always accessible depending on school/room.
Along the perimeters of the room are models and other science toys with printed instructions and explanations
for student who might need a brain break but should stay in the classroom.
Agenda displayed in same area of board daily. Has warm up question, agenda, LTs and homework each day to
build routine and organization

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Classroom procedures: consistency is key

Class will have 5 minutes from the bell ringing to complete a warm up question. Allows buffer time for tardy
students. Also allows time to catch up with students, give positive attention and positively reinforce students
who are following the expectation of completing the question. After the 5 minutes are up, well take some time
to discuss the warm up question since it will oftentimes be a free response relevant to the content.
Review the plan of the day and ask students to think about the essential question. Have them discuss with a
partner briefly.
I will guarantee that all students will have the opportunity to get up out of their seats and move at least twice
during class, if not more. This may include moving for labs, taking syn-naps or going to talk with a partner.
I will also guarantee that all students will have the opportunity to speak to other students during class for at
least half of class, whether that is student to full class, student to partner or student to small group. However, to
earn this, students must also give the teacher her time to instruct, demonstrate, redirect, etc.
End each day with reflections. The format of this can vary but no matter the format students and teachers will
get to spend about 5 minutes for to synthesize material and/or reflect on thoughts/ideas/questions.
Homework: In my class, I want to assign as little homework as necessary. When assigned, I will dedicate time for
students to start on or even attempt to complete the assignment in class. If students dont use this time
effectively, the responsibility to complete it is on their own time. If I see a student worked through the class time
but did not complete it by the due date, Im likely to give them a longer extension. If I noticed them not using
the time effectively, Im more apt to give them a short extension or no extension and conduct a conversation
about using class time effectively.
Work time: music might be played during work time. Classical, jazz, oldies, country, and some pop are good
choices. Best to avoid genres/songs that include foul language or inappropriate content. Students exhibiting
positive behavior can choose songs.
Mondays: spend time to let students talk about their weekends, things theyre excited about during the week
and so on and so forth. Bonding time.
By Friday or on Fridays: each student should be given or have already received some sort of affirmation about
their progress, participation, attitude, etc. in the class. Keep track of this by making notes on the seating chart.
This might be more middle school in nature but give POSITIVE FEEDBACK. ALL THE TIME. Students will learn they
get attention for doing what theyre supposed to do.

Lab Protocol

Safety is the number one priority. No students will be permitted to start or continue a lab if protective clothing is
not being worn correctly or hazardous materials are not being handled cautiously.
Broken glass will have a designated area to dispose of. Inform the teacher immediately of spills, broken
equipment, or other safety concerns.
Most experiments will be designed so that if students working efficiently and carefully, they should finish in
time. If a student misses class, would like to revisit the lab or did not finish, they are welcome to come in during
lunch, an off period or after school to complete a lab up to one week after it was assigned.
Reflections about the lab should be written in complete sentences.
Just like professional scientists, careful observation should occur and be recorded into notes.
Voice

Voice is one of my biggest classroom management struggles. Some guidelines to reinforce the expectation of respecting
voice, including mine as a teacher include:

Never raising my voice. I do not need to shout, ever. This includes attention getters.
o Attention getters must be explicitly taught. There will be three: 5-4-3-2-1 countdown, If you can hear me
clap/snap/stomp once/twice, and a rotating third one meant to be entertaining and fun but still
explicitly taught (call and response clap with a rhythm from a hit song, Hey class, theres a flat tire! (they
respond) shhh, If you can hear me the floor is lava, Hey class (they respond) hey what?, Parade calls)
Wait to speak. I will not need to raise my voice if everyone is quiet so, wait until then. Pause if a side
conversation starts. Continue only when it ends.
Start instruction with some fluff so if I do need to pause, students arent missing important details.
Do not try to multitask when speaking. Actions such as passing out papers should come before or after the
instruction. Plant myself firmly but also dont be afraid to use hand gestures to emphasize.
Practice speaking slowly and articulately.
Do not address questions or comments that were not preceded by a raised hand.
Have students answer simple questions about instructions given with cold call. Ie where are the materials for
the lab located? How much time are you getting for homework? Etc. Similarly, ask students questions after they
speak to show you were listening (raise my hand to ask!).

Expectations

Defined in the first week with examples. Give the five in dark bullet points and ask students to co-construct the
meanings of each expectation (sample meanings are listed). Each class might have slight variance in their ideas of how to
implement them but the basics are in place.

Respect everyones voice

o Define active listening, applies to both teacher and peers
o No shouting over others. Raise your hand with questions or comments.
o Be constructive in feedback. Express your thoughts in sentences that do not demean that person.
Respect everyones personal space and property
o You are only allowed to touch a classmates property if you are given express permission.
o In a shared table you will get exactly half the space. No more, no less.
Remain humble
o In class competitions, win with grace or lose with grace. Dont complain or gloat.
o Congratulate other students on successes
o Its okay to admit when youre lost or confused. If you have questions, ask! Other students might have the same question.
Do good - integrity
o Help keep the classroom clean and orderly. The best way to do this is to leave the place better than you found it.
o Be efficient with bathroom breaks, another student might be waiting on the pass
o When a guest or sub is in the room, be friendly and cordial. All rules still apply with guests.
o Honesty is the best policy. Students will always have the benefit of the doubt.
o Give only your best self. Its okay fail as long as you tried your hardest.
Safety
o Not only applies to lab, but to all aspects of class.
o Fellow students should not feel threatened by your words, gestures or actions.
Consequences

Similar to expectations, consequences must also be explicitly taught. After reviewing expectations, the consequences for
not following expectations will also be reviewed. Having the consequences defined and used consistently creates a
structure and framework that creates a sense of accountability for student and teacher and creates safety in the
classroom. In the first few weeks, all infractions are swiftly addressed using the system outlined below:

1st offense: Simple redirect. If possible, dont make the redirect public to the entire class (unless the whole class
has broken a rule). Ask student about the expectation to positively reinforce that behavior. Do not settle for
negative phrasing ie- Im not supposed to shout over my classmate and instead push for them to say instead,
I should respect the voice of my classmate.
2nd offense: Sticky note is placed on desk corner. Student must self-identify the expectation they are not
meeting, explain why and decide what they need in order to meet the expectation. I will quickly talk with the
student once the note is filled out. Again, pushing for positives instead of negatives. Encourage them to
rephrase responses that include I shouldnt or I wasnt.
3rd offense: Mandatory after class or lunch conference. Student and teacher will co-construct a plan of action to
ensure the teacher provides resources if possible for the student will be successful in meeting expectations
going further. This conference is conducted in a way that leaves the student feeling hopeful instead of
despairing. The student feels like they have an opportunity to grow and the teacher takes this as a chance to
build a relationship with the student meaning the meeting should have a more casual tone (do not start with
whats probably some iteration of ya messed up, kid, maybe offer some food, play some upbeat music, sit in a
comfortable place that isnt the teacher desk). The mentality is not to fix but rather, improve on both ends.