Classroom Development Plan

Levi E. Alleger
Hello, my name is Levi and I have written up this plan as a way to give you some

insight as to what to expect if I were I to teach at your school. I know that this is an

idealized version of how I would do things and that in the real world events don’t

always playout the way they do on paper. The basis for my statements here are

based on the idea that students thrive in an environment that is safe, consistent and

caring. These are ideas that I have developed over my time working in outdoor

education, being a parent, completing my student teaching and substitute teaching

if they do not align with school policies they can be adjusted as needed.

This plan is broken up into 7 sections:

Section 1 Classroom Setting – This is a description of the physical layout of my
hypothetical room.
Section 2 Procedures – Classroom procedures that I would use to create order,
predictability and efficiency.
Section 3 Norms – Rules that are based on respect for others and oneself.
Section 4 Assessment – How I would assess and why.
Section 5 Instruction – Some ways that I might create engaging lessons.
Section 6 Behavior – Students act out for a reason how I would respond.
Section 7 Diversity – All classrooms have a unique makeup. How I would make
my classroom inclusive.
Section 1 Classroom Setting

CLASS SUPPLIES

STUDENTS DESK
FRONT OF CLASS WHITE BOARD

STUDENTS DESK
STUDENTS DESK
TEACHERS
DESK

TABLE
BOARD

CLASS LIBRARY & READING AREA

DOOR TECH STATION

STUDENT DESK- Here is where the most important people in the class sit. I
would like to try the U shape because it leaves a large open space in the middle of
the class. Having the kids move away from their desks for read aloud or other
activities is something that I would like to do. It seems that their desk and its
contents can serve as a major distraction during these times. Another reason that I
like the U layout is that is conducive to large group discussions which is something
I would like to use.
CLASS SUPPLIES- Here I would have cabinets or shelves with loose paper,
white boards, art materials, tissues the other necessary supplies.
TABLE- This is where students would pick up morning work, turn in assignments
in baskets and receive assignments back.
BOARD-Between the door and table I would like to have a board with clipboards
hanging from it for group assignments like weather. Also there would be a place
for each student’s name and there would be a magnetic dot that they would slide to
in when students come in for the day and out when they leave for the day. The
magnetic part of the board would also have two spots that show if a girl or boy are
using the bathroom. I would like these to look something like the nobs that show
green or red on a porta potty. The table would have a large thing of hand sanitizer
on it.
TECH STATION This is where the class computers or one to devices will be
stored. Also any STEM related supplies will be stored on shelves above the
charging area.
The daily agenda would be located on the white board on the end closest to the
CLASS SUPPLIES the agenda might vary by day. Next to the class agenda would
be the daily I can statements these would vary from day to day. If we were working
on fractions I might put “I can add fractions with different denominators” or if the
class was having trouble raising their hands lately “I can raise my hand to speak”.
The walls of the room will include posters of important concepts that the students
will learn throughout the year.

Section 2 – Procedures
Attention getting strategies- “Give Me 5” The teacher raises the hand with 5
fingers extended and tells the class “Give me 5” the students respond by putting a
hand up and giving the teacher their attention. “Sign of the deer” The teacher
silently puts their hand up and with their hand closed in a fist with the pinky and
thumb extended. The students respond in kind.
Entering and exiting procedures – When the class leaves the room they line up
by the door quietly and wait to be dismissed. When entering another room they
wait to be invited or told by their teacher that it is okay to enter.
Assignment Procedures - Students will hand in work at the TABLE. When they
miss an assignment it will be on their desk when they return. Students can get a
pencil from their teacher and the rest of their supplies can be gotten at the CLASS
SUPPLIES area.
Permission to leave the room – Students will need to ask the teacher to leave the
room if they are leaving for the day they will move their magnetic dot to OUT on
the BOARD. If students are leaving to use the restroom they will flip the restroom
marker on the BOARD for which ever bathroom they are going to CLOSED when
they leave and OPEN when they return.
Emergency procedures – Emergency procedures will be posted between the door
and TECH STATION. These procedures will follow the course of action
prescribed by the school. In the event of an active shooter or lockdown the teacher
will push their desk and the table next to it against the door.
Transition Procedures – At the end of an activity the teacher will use an attention
getting technique to gain the attention of the class and then the steps that they need
to take to transition will be explained. When the instructions are done the teacher
will say GO to show that the instructions are over and the transition time has
begun.
Section 3 – Norms and Learning Agreements
The classroom will be an environment of respect.
 Respect yourself - enough to do your best every day YOU ARE WORTH
IT!
 Respect your classmates- Treat others how you want to be treated.
 Respect your teacher and staff – They are your educational guides. School is
like an African safari. Your guides help you to stay safe and get the most out
of your journey.
A respectful environment is one where students can feel safe to share their
thoughts and grow. Students who can’t not be respectful will have their name put
on the board this is a warning. If they continue to be disrespectful they will receive
a check after their name up to 3 checks the first check is 5 minutes off of their
recess, the second check is 15 minutes off of their recess, and the third is the loss
of their recess. The times will be served on the school wall facing the playground.
It would be nice to have a teacher who I could send the students out to reset in their
classroom. During the reset they would go the other teacher’s room and fill out a
ticket that explained what they did wrong and how they would correct the
behavior. They would need to return this ticket to their classroom teacher before
they are allowed to stay in their own classroom.
Section 4 – Assessment Procedures
 Formative assessment strategies will include hand singles like a
thumbs if you understand, thumbs sideways if you kind of get it or
thumbs down if you don’t get it at all. Other formative assessments
could include: quizzes, exit tickets, one minute essays or quick student
conferences.
 Summative assessment strategies will include: end of unit/chapter test,
visual representations of understanding (a diorama or picture of a
scene from a book), and verbal reports, research projects and class
presentations.
 Creating hope in the assessment process is key to keeping students
invested in the learning process. I plan to create hope in the
assessment process by trying to share a growth mind set with the
students and by giving them the chance to fix mistakes when they are
made.
 Data-driven instructional practices will be put in place with the goal
of creating an environment where students can grow. The steps in this
process will include:
1. Collect data through assessment
2. Analyze that data
3. Make instructional decisions based on the analyzed data. Are
my methods valid?
4. Plan to implement sound instructional decisions.
5. Reflection, what worked and what didn’t. How can I improve?
Return to step 1.
 Authentic assessment strategies will be used to uncover what students have
learned not just what they have memorized. This type of instruction comes
from students making connections between their own life experiences and
 topics covered in class. Some examples of assessments that could be
considered authentic are journals, speeches, videos, and interviews.
 If I am successful in creating hope in the assessment process this will make
students more receptive to remediation strategies. The first step to helping
students is to determine the problem. This may be done through testing,
talking to the student, talking to previous teachers or talking to parents.
Many times these discussions will show that the student may just need to be
taught how to learn. A lack of skills in time management, studying, or
organizational skills may help to put students on the right track.
 Parent involvement is often key to student success for this reason students
will have a planner that is sent home every day that requires a guardians
signature when returned each day. Students will write what assignments they
didn’t complete each day above where guardians are expected to sign.
Extreme changes in student behavior or grades will first result in a talk with
student to see how they are then a call home. I would also like to send home
an individualized progress report anytime a student drops to a C or below in
a subject.
 Classroom grading practices will clearly and fairly communicate a student’s
learning progress. This progress will be measured against content area
standards. The grading practices will be evidenced based and open for
students and parents to challenge. Effort will be a key part of grading. If a
student tries and wants to try again they will have that opportunity.
Section 5 – Engaging instruction
The first step to get students engaged in instruction is to create an environment
where they feel safe. The reason for this is that some students never feel safe so
they are in a constant fight or flight mode which is not conducive for learning.
People learn from the concrete and failure at something is as concrete as it gets.
That is why students need to be guided and allowed to make mistakes that they will
learn from.
Two ways that I can create interdisciplinary connections are by requiring writing in
all subjects and through project based lessons and assessments. An example would
be to have a week of social studies lessons that included orienteering instruction
that required the students to complete a short orienteering course. Having theses
lesson run concurrent with readings about how explores navigated and concluded
with a reflective writing prompt that asked:
“Now that we have learned how to use a compass and read about some explorers
tell me what traits make a great explorer? Which of these traits do you have or
hope to develop and why?”
These lessons would draw from the following content areas: math, English
language arts, social studies and science. If the orienteering instruction was done in
groups this could also be considered an example of cooperative learning.
The rationale for using cooperative learning is that it gives all students a voice,
helps to develop interpersonal skills and improves metacognition. When
cooperative learning is used students become the teachers and teaching helps them
reach a higher level off understanding. Also cooperative learning allows students
who might be struggling to hear about a topic from the perspective of the peers.
The basis for creating lessons that are both rigorous and relevant is the
rigor/relevance framework:
Source: http://www.leadered.com/RigorousLearningToolkit.pdf
The example I gave above would just be beginning to go into section D of the
framework. I say this because the students would be a level 3 on the y axis side and
a 3 or 4 on the x axis.
Project based learning that requires the students to solve a real-world problem
would likely reach the highest score on this framework. An example of this would
be to:
1. Have students think of something that needs fixed at the school or a charity
they would like to sponsor.
2. Have the students evaluate their ideas a pick one to work on.
3. Have the students create a plan to solve the problem. Like how will they
raise money for the charity? They will make fire starter for campfires and
sell them at Michigan International Speedway to raise money.
4. Analyze what materials they will need and what price they need to set.
5. Put the plan in action.
 6. Look back and summarize what worked and what didn’t.
This type of lesson could span a week or all year long. The students would always
be analyzing, creating and evaluating how to solve a real-world problem.
Section 6 – Behavior
One of the primary goals of education is to help create citizens who we would all
like to have as neighbors. In order to accomplish this goal the behavior of students
needs to be addressed in a firm, fair and consistent manner. There is always a
reason for the way that students act. The reasons for behavior issues in students can
range from hunger and lack of sleep to mental illness or abuse whatever the reason
the behavior is a symptom of it. Having said all that these four concepts inform my
view on classroom behavior issues
 Hurt people, hurt people. Students who have been hurt will hurt themselves
or others. We should correct students in private to avoid shaming them and
continuing this cycle of hurt. Students should be praised in public and
corrected in private.
 Consistency is key. Consistency in daily routines and in how behavior is
addressed help students to know that the classroom is safe place for them to
grow.
 Know yourself. I need to know what “pushes my buttons” and how to avoid
retreating to my lizard brain. Students don’t need a teachers who hurt them
by simply reacting.
 If a student acts out they need to own it, fix it and move on.
Everyone makes bad choices at one time or another and students are no exception
to this. Through the use of processes like positive behavioral interventions and
supports (PBIS) students can have clear school wide expectations that can inform
their decisions at school. I favor the idea of using PBIS because it shifts the
atmosphere of the school from reactive to proactive. Behavior is addressed,
interventions are developed and focus can then shift from what students do wrong
to what they do right. This encourages a growth mindset that lets students and staff
move on from reactive interactions.
Section 7 - Diversity
The classrooms of our schools are a snapshot of our ever changing communities.
These communities make our schools diverse places. Even communities that seem
homogenous on the outside can be diverse in socioeconomic background, religious
beliefs and family make up. One way to highlight this diversity is to talk about it at
the beginning of the year through team building activities that help students make
connections to one another. Writing prompts and projects that let students share
would also be good ways to encourage understanding and recognize the diverse
backgrounds of the students. Holidays can be a good time for students to share and
explore differences. For elementary students it would be good to ask students to
write about a family tradition that makes their family special and to draw a picture
of it. Students could then share the difference and the assignment could be post on
the classroom bulletin board.
When a teacher is in the minority a good way to dispel preconceived notions that
students or the teacher might have about one another is to have a guided discussion
about what is different and the same about them.
Teachers are the models of how to act in the classroom. Students can feed off and
follow our actions. Being open to trying to understand something or someone
different than oneself can go a long way towards students accepting the same and
minimizing bullying.
 References

General Rules of Conduct. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/general-rules-
conduct/.
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for understanding, engagement, and building knowledge: grades K-8. Portland,
ME: Stenhouse Publishers.
Minero, E. (2017, February 14). The Optimal Seating Plan? Letting Your Students
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letting-your-students-choose-emelina-minero.
“Rigorous Learning ToolkitCreating a Culture of High Expectations.”
International Center for Leaders in Education, 2019,
www.leadered.com/RigorousLearningToolkit.pdf.
Ritchhart, R., Church, M., & Morrison, K. (2011). Making thinking visible: how to
promote engagement, understanding, and independence for all learners. San
Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Simonsen, B., (2006). Class wide PBIS: Overview of Critical Features.
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