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EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

Effective Classroom Management Plan

Mary Lehmann

Grand Valley State University

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EFFECTIVE CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

When I dream about the way my future classroom looks, the space is one that is filled

with learning. It is warm and inviting to everyone who enters. Students transition smoothly

from one subject to the next and the teacher is able to get their attention by saying one word.

Everyone is quiet, eagerly waiting for the teacher to begin to teaching them the most incredible

lesson of their lives. I can’t help but think this is how every new teacher pictures their future

classroom. Students would come in knowing how everything works and the days would run

smoothly, without any disruptions. If there is anything I’ve taken away from the all of the

researchers and education theorists I’ve read about, it’s this: teaching requires a foundation

within the classroom before any content can be effectively taught. This foundation is not one of

subject lesson plans but rather classroom environment plans. Plans to create a community

where students feel safe and welcome. Where the teacher is aware of what works best for

children, what their primal needs are and how to meet them effectively. The “dream”

classroom of new teachers can not be established unless a foundation has been carefully laid.

My plan to build a classroom in which I can successfully teach and my students can

successfully learn integrates many different skills I’ve learned over the course of my schooling,

from the research I’ve read to the teachers I’ve learned from. I’ve sorted my plans into four

different categories, backing up my ideas with research and experience. These form the

expectations I have for myself when I run and structure my own classroom, how I will behave

and treat my job, the expectations I will place upon my students, and the safe environment I

have the ability to create. Just as I teach students how to set goals for themselves, I will begin

by setting goals for myself.

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Dressing and Presenting in a Positive, Professional Manner

I’ve heard it said many times throughout my college career how important it is to be a

leader within the classroom. Students look up to teachers who lead by example, who step into

the school community and present themselves to their students as a teacher and a leader

(Watson, 2014). I want to be a leader in the way I present myself to my students, their families,

and other faculty within my building. I hadn’t given much thought to the effect I have on

students just by the clothes I wear and the way I present myself until reading Harry K. and

Rosemary T. Wong’s book, “The First Days of school.” Wong et al. describes the importance of

showing up to work dressed just as well as any business man or woman would. He mentions

that teachers sometimes become lazy in their clothing and the way they present themselves.

Wong et al. (2018) states boldly, “If you do not care about yourself, why should students care

about you?” (p. 70).

The way we dress says without words to students how much respect we have for

ourselves and how much respect they should have for us. Wong et al. (2018) tells a story about

a teacher who arrived to class wearing an assortment of different clothes, none of which were

appropriate for the classroom. She didn’t do her hair or makeup and looked very frazzled. The

kids went into complete chaos. She had to leave the room to change into professional clothes

before regaining the respect of her students. I want to ensure that I always come to school

dressed professionally. I take my role as an educator seriously and I want to be taken seriously

by my students, faculty in the building, and parents. Dressing in a way that looks put together is

important and gains respect without having to say a word.

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C.M. Charles (2008) also mentions the importance of presenting yourself in a

professional manner, but he touches on importance of the professional manner in which you

conduct yourself. This means entering each day with a positive attitude and leaving all of the

stress at the door. Creating a classroom that is calm requires a calm, joyful teacher. Students

can easily tell if a teacher is anxious or stressed and this impacts their learning. I’ve had

teachers in the past who bring their burdens into the classroom and it weighed heavily on my

learning. Their focus always felt somewhere else, as if class was something that needed to be

plowed through and it lost it’s importance. I want to always ensure my classroom is one where

students know I take my job of teaching them seriously and their learning is highly important to

me. When I am at school, my focus will be on my classroom and my students.

Creating a Warm and Inviting Classroom

My attitude and attire is an essential component to creating a warm, inviting, and safe

classroom. Starting the day off for students with a positive smile at the door, followed by either

a handshake, fist bump, high five, or a hug actually increases student’s focus and on-task

behavior. (R.A. Allan et al., 2007). I want my classroom to be one that is warm and welcoming,

inviting each child to learn and feel accepted. Wong et al. (2018) mentions the power of inviting

students into the classroom, where each feel they have a place and can succeed. When I read

this section of their book, I decided I want to ensure that each of my children know they have a

place in our classroom community. They are special and will succeed upon entering my doors. I

will set my room up in a way that I am able to walk around to each student quickly and easily.

There will be a clear loop for me to reach every student as they are working (Jones, 1996). I will

also keep natural tones throughout my room, being careful not to fill up my walls too much or
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over decorate. When this isn’t taken to heart, classrooms can create an environment that can

be over stimulating for students, instead of one that is calming and safe (Nelson, 2019).

Creating High Expectations in a Safe Environment

In order to ensure not over stimulating my students, I will make sure my classroom is

one that is safe. Charles (2008) describes the five prime needs of students within school, with

survival being first and belonging being second. Upon attending a trauma informed conference,

I learned that kids who have experienced trauma need safety above all else. In order to create

this climate, structure and routine will be implemented. This way, students know exactly what

to expect when walking into the classroom. Children from homes that have experiences trauma

need to be able to feel safe before they can begin to learn. Implementing a reliable structure

and routine to the day helps to calm anxiety as students know exactly what is coming next

(Nelson, 2019). When there is structure, students know exactly what is expected of them at

which parts of the day. This gives them a sense of power over their world and a freedom to

express that they can reach these expectations. Students know they can make mistakes and will

be encouraged to do their best (Charles, 2008). My classroom will be one that is safe and one

where all students know they can be successful, no matter where they are coming from (Wong

et al., 2018).

Behavior will be clarified for what is expected now and consistently throughout the

school year (Charles, 2008). I see this in kindergarten often, if children do not know what the

expected behavior is during certain times of the school day, they will not behave the way the

teachers expects if it is never clearly stated. Sometimes, expectations need to be repeated but

taking the time to do this at the beginning of the year creates a smooth transition from focusing
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intently on routine to focusing intently on instruction. Routines take the busy transition teacher

talk out of the day, leaving students with more responsibility to know what is expected next. I

will not be providing rewards for children during the school day for good behavior or hard work

because this is expected, not something to be done in order to receive a reward. Barbra

Coloroso has written about this topic, as children will not have an adult to provide rewards for

good work or behavior throughout their life. Instead, the child should be praised for their hard

work over and over. The fruit of their hard work would be a natural reward along with the

positive feelings that come with good behavior (1994).

A Classroom Where Students Take Authority Over Their Actions

Coloroso focused much of her work on students and their ability to develop a sense of

inner discipline and self control. She discussed how teachers have the ability to teach students

how to develop the skills needed to earn trust, make decisions, and assume responsibility.

Students are guided through questions that acknowledge their behavior, allow them an

opportunity to chose a solution to their behavior, and experience the natural consequences this

behavior produces. Much of her research involves giving the child enough trust and guidance

that they will be able to come to a conclusion on their own (Charles, 2008). Adults will not

always be around in a child’s life. Fostering independence by allowing children the trust of

doing things on their own, instead of taking over for them, gives them space to grow. They may

make mistakes and some things may not be easy at first, but they will gradually become more

independent the more trust and responsibility is given to them. If this trust is broken, students

will experience the natural consequences this holds. I had a student who blurted out a very

unkind statement during class. He was immediately sent back to his desk to do his reading
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instead of sitting with his friend. I went over to talk with him about his behavior and before I

said a word, he started crying and apologizing. The natural consequence of realizing he had said

something that was unkind was enough to make him never want to experience that feeling

again. This experience gave him the skills to self-monitor his own actions, which is something I

want to teach all of my students.

My classroom will be one where the teacher presents herself in a professional manner.

Her students will know by the way that she dresses, organizes her classroom, and greets them

at the door that she loves her job. They will know that they are important and worth the time it

takes to ensure quality teaching. The teacher greets each of them at the door and invites them

into a warm, welcoming, and safe environment. One that is organized, with expectations that

are clearly known because a sturdy routine has been established. Students are given trust in the

classroom, fostering their won independence and self-monitoring skills. These concepts are the

foundation I will lay in order to have a effective classroom in which each child has the ability to

thrive and achieve success.

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References

Allday, R. A. & Pakurar, K. (2007). Effects of Teacher Greetings on Student On-Task Behavior.

Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40(2), 317-320. Retrieved from

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nihgov/pmc/articles/PMC188415/

Coloroso, Barbara. (1994). Kids Are Worth It. Kids Are Worth It. P(p. 9-36. ). New York, NY:

Avon Books.

Charles, C.M. (2008). Building Classroom Discipline. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education,

Inc.

Jones, F. (1996). Effective Room Arrangement. Education World, Inc. Retrieved from

https://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/jones/jones001.shtml

Nelson, A. (2019, October). Creating & Supporting a Trauma Informed School. Developmental

Enhancement Behavioral Health. Lecture presented for the College of Education

students at Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, MI.

Watson, C. (2014). Beginning Teachers as Leaders. Educational Horizons, 93(2), 30. Retrieved

from http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.gvsu.edu/stable/24635460.

Wong, H.K. & Wong, R. T. (2018). The First Days of School. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong

Publications, Inc.