Classroom

Management

Mary Kraus
 Table of Contents
 Philosophy of Classroom Management

 Classroom Arrangement

 Class Rules

 Behavior Expectations

 Pre-School Check-off

 Classroom Motto

 Hierarchy of Consequences

 Motivational Strategies

 Procedures and Routines

 Instructional Planning
 Philosophy of Classroom Management
I believe in the significance of recognizing and
fostering the individuality and creative abilities of
every student. Welcoming these differences and
cultivating creativity not only benefits the individual
student, but also adds to the educational experience
of all students in the class. I think that every
classroom should be a ‘community of learning’ in
which every child feels that they are welcome and
that they have something unique to share.
Along with this, teachers should take the time and energy to learn
about their students. This includes efforts such as ‘get-to-know-you’
surveys, ‘share times,’ etc. The more that a teacher knows about his/her
students, the more he/she will be able to create and manage an effective
classroom environment.
Teachers should also take care to help
students see the value of the content that they are
learning, and to make the content meaningful and
engaging for each student. When students are
engaged, off-task behavior has been known to
decrease. Knowing about student interests aids
tremendously in this effort.
Additionally, I believe that teachers are responsible for showing traits
of a reflective practitioner, constantly considering their practices,
strategies and philosophies and how these are affecting their students’
learning experience. Along with this contemplation comes efforts of
improving one’s craft to provide a more effective and engaging education.
Finally, i think that creating an environment of respect and rapport
from the very beginning is imperative in establishing and enforcing
classroom management techniques. A classroom in which students feel
respected and cherished is more likely to produce effective results.
 Classroom Arrangement
I think that an effective classroom arrangement is
one that encourages communication and collaboration.
Desks are arranged in groups, and the teacher’s desk is
in the back of the room so as to not give off the
impression that the teacher is the only one responsible
for students engaging in a lesson. There is an
alternative space for group work such as a table, which
can be used for activities such as guided reading. The
desks are facing the board, and the classroom
resources are visible and accessible.
 Class Rules

1. Show respect to
everyone.
2. Raise your hand and wait
to be called on when you
have something to share.
3. Keep hands, feet, and
objects to yourself.
4. Follow directions quickly.
 Behavior Expectations
Every classroom must have clear
expectations with regards to behavior. I
believe that it is imperative that teachers
establish clear expectations from the very
first day of school so that students have a
model to follow. Not only should expectations
be established, but teachers should also be
sure to indicate why they were put in place
and why they are important to follow. Students need to know why it is
important for them to adhere to a certain ideal or expectation.
Furthermore, teachers should make it clear that these expectations
are in effect with the intention of cultivating a culture of respect and
learning. Behavior guidelines are put in place for the safety and
consideration of all students and teachers. It is simply a matter of
kindness and respect to follow the expectations for behavior.
Additionally, teachers must take care to be consistent in following
through with the enforcement of these expectations. Expectations should
be clear and equal for every student, and consequences for failure to
adhere to these expectations must be consistent so as to maintain
effectiveness.
Going beyond a mere list of what not to do, I believe that a good
thing to include in a layout of behavioral
expectations is the encouragement of
students to not only have manners and show
respect (which they should always do), but
also to go out of their way to show kindness
through their actions. Implementing an
effective PBIS (Positive Behavior
Intervention System) may be used in this way.
 Pre-School Check-off
__ Building Visit
__ Acquaintance with building
__ Meet faculty and staff
__ Acquaintance with procedures and policies
__ Drills/Lockdowns
__ 2-hour delays/early dismissals
__ End of the day dismissal (busses, etc.)
__ Assemblies
__ Dress code/Technology policy
__ Acquaintance with curriculum
__ Review classroom schedule and class list
__ Review IEPs and other data
__ Determine classroom rules,
procedures
__ Determine classroom arrangement
and organization
__ Create plans/procedures for
substitutes
__ Begin lesson/unit planning
__ Introduction to students and
families
__ Welcome letter
Classroom Motto
 Hierarchy of Consequences

Consequence 1 may include:

 Loss of privilege
 Change of seat

Consequence 2 may include:

 Phone call home
 Removal of student from preferred activity

Consequence 3 may include:

 Written behavior notice/detention
 Meet with principal
 Motivational Strategies
I believe that one of the simplest ways to motivate students is to
provide students with frequent and specific praise. Students are more
likely to exhibit a desired behavior if they are given praise for it. Likewise, it
is generally better to respond to students using positive behavior
interventions as opposed to negative consequences. Students tend to
respond more positively to such interventions. Additionally, one may have
the tendency to avoid praising frequent troublemakers. However, these
are the students that teachers should give targeted praise, as this positive
praise may instigate them to modify their
behavior in order to receive more praise.
Another important consideration with
regards to motivating students is to intentionally
utilize the information that the teacher has
collected involving student interest. Students are
much more likely to be motivated in their work if it
is based on something that
already motivates them. If the teacher can find a way
to relate the content to student interest, they will be
much more effective in encouraging motivation.
Creating and implementing truly engaging lessons
is another essential component of fostering
motivation. This can be done in a myriad of ways, and
it stems primarily through determining student interest prior to planning
instruction. Additionally, various learning styles must be considered, and
lessons in which all senses are engaged are more likely to inspire motivation.
One research-based approach to stimulating motivation is the
implementation of group contingencies. This includes students holding their
classmates accountable for behavior and other realms of performance.
Students are more likely to be motivated if their actions affect others as
well as themselves.
 Procedures and Routines
Morning Procedure
Students will be taught the morning procedure from the
first day of school, and will be expected to follow this
procedure each morning when they arrive. First, they will
unpack their backpacks at their desk. They will then be
expected to store their belongings (coat, backpack, etc.) in the
classroom cubbies/lockers. Students will then turn in their homework and other
notes for the office. Next, students will make their lunch choice. I plan to have
some sort of classroom sign-in as well, and this will help me to take attendance.
Finally, students will begin their morning work.

Lining up

I plan to use a color-coded system for my classroom to aid with lining up

among other daily tasks. Each child will be assigned a color group
out of 5. Each day of the week will have a color assigned to it.
On Mondays, the first color will go first for everything. On
Tuesdays, the next color will go first, etc. So, when lining up, I will
call the color group of the day. The color that was first one day
will go last the next day. This way, students will all have their
chance to be first, and lining up will be much smoother because only a few
students will be lining up at one time.

Dismissal

At the end of the day, students will gather their things from their cubbies/
lockers using the color coded system. Students will have end-of-
the-day jobs assigned such as erasing the board, resetting the
lunch count for the next day, etc. Students will stack their chairs
for the maintenance staff. Students will leave when they are
dismissed (bus is called, etc.).
 Instructional Planning
One important consideration with regards to instructional planning is
lesson planning/unit planning templates. After discussing the school’s
lesson planning guidelines, I will adopt this structure and fit it to suit my
classroom.
Another important aspect of
instructional planning is the
assessment of student interest. A
teacher must come to know his/her
students, and use this knowledge to
guide instructional decisions so as to adequately engage students. Along
with this, the lessons must be structured in a way that is developmentally
appropriate so that students are challenged but also capable of success.
It is also necessary for a teacher to consider effective grouping
strategies. This includes homogenous and heterogeneous grouping
strategies. Again, knowing one’s students goes along with this, as a
teacher can only group effectively for a certain lesson if they are
knowledgeable about how students are likely to perform in certain skill or
concept areas.
Teachers must also take seriously the
implementation of assessment strategies and
techniques. Assessment must be meaningful
and specific, and must always be used to guide
instructional planning decisions. Additionally, a
wide variety of assessments must be included
in every classroom, including formal as well as
informal assessment strategies. Formative
and summative assessment strategies should be woven into lessons as
well so as to ensure that each child’s skills and competencies are being
effectively assessed and used to guide further instruction.