Dear Parents,

I am so excited to have your children in my classroom this year! It will be a fun time of learning,
exploration, and growth! Our goal is to equip your kids with the skills they will need to be
successful in finding and living their purpose. I am always touched by the lives of the children I
work with and look forward to the inspiring days ahead.
For these upcoming days to be truly inspiring, however, we need to make sure we have a plan
to run our class smoothly. With that said, I would like to inform you of my behavior
management plan.
How I will administer consequences:
While relationships with students are the main way I manage my classroom, it is good to know
what consequences I can administer when necessary. I have a progression as you can see
quickly noted below that allows me flexibility in fitting an appropriate consequence to the
behavior. I start with subtly trying to refocus the child when they are not doing what they are
supposed to do. If they fail to respond, I move to a light action to separate them from the
unwanted path they are taking. If they still do not change what they are doing, I will take a
more drastic step, and so on. If you would like more information on the below consequences,
please contact me.
Tier 1 - Gentle Redirects
1. Give teacher “quick change” look
2. Use proximity
3. Comment on other students who are on task
4. Give non-verbal hand signals
5. Point to class rules
6. Say students name and remind them what they are supposed to do
Tier 2 - Mild Consequences
1. Temporary seat change
2. Tell class to turn and talk to their partner, then have a private conversation
3. “You can do __ or take a break”
4. Go hop on the stickers in the hall
Tier 3 - Moderate Consequences
1. Permanent seat change
2. Stay back to practice procedure/behavior correct way
3. Take a break in another room
4. Parents emailed
Tier 4 - Firm Consequences
1. Referral to assistant principal
2. Warn kid that their behavior will be discussed in parent conference
3. Privilege revoked
4. Referral to school counselor
How I will positively reinforce:
While kids are happy to do what I say just because they have a good relationship with me and
enjoy learning, it is good to have a plan to praise them regularly and specifically.
Tier 1 - Quick Affirmation
1. Smile
2. Thumbs up
3. Comment on specific good behavior
4. Give a recognition slip
5. Point to class rules and give a smile with a thumbs up
Tier 2 - Short-term Privilege
1. Pick someone to sit by for the activity
2. While class turns and talks to a partner, talk to student about how proud you are of them
3. Student gets to play with play dough or color
4. Student gets a sticker or piece of candy
5. Demonstrate positive example for the class
6. First in line
Tier 3 - Biggest Privileges for Individuals
1. Get to pick a sit spot buddy for the month
2. Student gets to eat lunch with teacher
3. Gets to demonstrate positive example for another class
4. Parents get positive email
5. Gets to go get a treat from the principal
Tier 4 - Whole Class Rewards
1. Class points up to 10
2. Tenth point gets a class party
3. Extra time in fun activity
4. Movie at the end of the day

I created this tiered hierarchy of consequences and rewards that that I am comfortable with and
have the authority to implement. My philosophy is to teach behavior, practice behavior, give subtle
corrections and redirections often, make my expectations clear, applaud correct behavior, then if
students fail to use correct behavior, implement minor consequences, and so on according to my tiered
hierarchy. One example of a gentle redirect would be saying, “Eyes on your teacher.” Another strategy I
often use is walking near the student who is misbehaving in a minor way as the lesson continues. A mild
consequence I often use is temporary seat changes. This works well because in my classroom it is usually
not just one person who is distracted, it is usually a team effort of two friends.

How I will communicate behavior with parents:

This depends on the tier of the behavior. I will most likely communicate tier 2 and 3 behaviors
via email. Tier 4 behaviors or repeated tier 3 behaviors will most likely be communicated via
phone call. It is my goal to communicate as much academic information as I do behavior
information. It is also my goal to communicate with parents as much as possible as you are an
integral part in this team of your child’s education.
How I will structure procedures and routines:
Prime time 1 and primetime 2 are important, so having a routine to start class and close are
non-negotiable. My philosophy is to use sign language whenever possible, use a bell, and use
call outs to get attention. I will use a voice level chart to remind kids at what level they should
be talking after reading Decibella and Her Six-Inch Voice. I will also keep the My Mouth is a
Volcano book out for a while to reference as a visual reminder when a kid blurts. I think it is
important to stay up front where kids are seated when announcing transitions because as soon
as your presence goes to the back of the room kids are more likely to lose focus and they
cannot hear as well. Another example of physical transitions is making sure kids know who their
partner is and how to interact with them for an assigned activity. I will not just say, “you two
are partners, go.” Also, I will make sure the partners I assign can work well together. One more
example of an activity transition is making sure kids know the next steps before having them go
to their desks to work on a math activity, else I will have a few following me like lost puppies
when they get done and don’t know what to do. An easy strategy is to write three steps on a
whiteboard and have them show in some way that they know the steps before I send them off
to work. Since teachers talk too much, an easy way to remind students where to go when they
enter the classroom is to stand by the door and make a “c” sign with my hand when they are
supposed to go sit on the carpet. I am a big fan of the visual rubric procedure for lining up.
How I will engage and encourage participation:
Most students need three or more activities per hour, but it really depends on the class and
activity. My philosophy is to assign partners each month or so for turn and talks. I think it is
important to teach and reteach the procedure for turn and talk because that way students
eventually can effectively process a question with a partner in 20 seconds or less. One example
of a movement strategy in our classroom is starting math with a song that has kids dancing and
doing actions that match the objective. Another example would be if students are supposed to
say whether they agree or disagree I have them stand up if they agree and sit down if they
disagree. I keep a class list for many activities that I can jot quick notes on each student to
monitor participation. I formatively assess students often to see how they need to be
supported or stretched in each academic area.
How I will build rapport and connect with students:
To do this well, I use the Two by Ten strategy. I greet each student by name when they come in
the morning. My philosophy is always to smile genuinely as appropriate. I think asking kids what
they did over the weekend or when they got home from school or just how they are doing is a
great way to build rapport. Students know I love hearing their stories at appropriate times and I
try to conference with them frequently and find how their passions relate to each subject. One
example of making connections between student passions and subject material is picking a
hexagon song about dinosaurs for our math lesson opener when I knew a few students love
dinosaurs. Another example is when we relate social studies to student’s favorite vacation
spots. Kids like to give hugs, high fives, and fist bumps all the time and I rarely turn them down.
I tell my kids if they ever have a problem or something going on at home they can come to talk
to me.
Thank you for all you do for your child and our school! Let me know of any ideas or questions
you have.
Looking forward to a year of growing minds and hearts,
Mrs. Asamoah-Boadu