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Classroom
Management
Portfolio
Charlotte Rothwell

Cuin 4375- - Spring 2019

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Table of Contents

Introduction and Philosophical Statement 3

First Day of School 4

Classroom Environment 9

Classroom Procedures 12

Discipline System 17

Student Motivation 22

Classroom Engagement 25
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Introduction
Welcome to my Classroom Management Portfolio! As you read further into this

portfolio you will see an assortment of plans and ideas that I plan to

incorporate into my future classroom. My portfolio consists of ideas that I

believe students will enjoy doing and learning and will not only benefit me, but

also my students. In my portfolio I cover my schedule and activates for the

first day of school, classroom procedures and expectations, my discipline

system and ways to motivate my students and keep them engaged. I plan to

use this portfolio for the rest of my teaching career and I hope to expand my

knowledge, so I am able to make each better than the one before.

Philosophical Statement
I strive to model my teaching style around the educational philosophy of

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is used to study

what motivates student’s behavior. Maslow uses the terms physiological,

safety, belonging and love, social needs or esteem, and self-actualization to

describe the pattern through which human motivations generally move. I want

my students to feel safe and secure in my classroom as well as feeling like

they can talk to me with whatever problems may arise, academically or home

life. If parents trust me with their children for 8 hours a day, they need to know

that I can provide the safety, belonging and love factor on Maslow’s hierarchy.

I strive to make my students feel like they can reach the top of the pyramid of

self- actualization. I want my students to be proud of the work they have

accomplished and go home knowing they have learned a valuable lesson.

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First Day of School

5- First Day of School Schedule
6- Monthly Newsletter
7- All About Me Icebreaker
8- Chit Chat Cards
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First Day Agenda

7:40am- Arrive at school
8:00am- Stand outside door while greeting students into my classroom
8:15am- Have students sit on carpet and give a little introduction about me
8:30am- Allow students to complete their “all about me” math activity and
share it in front of the class
9:00am- Tour around the school library
9:25am- Show students where class materials are and teach them getting in
line procedures and bathroom procedures
9:45am- Walk to Cafeteria for a welcome back speech from the Principal
10:10am- Walk back to classroom and introduce them to other procedures-
how to get their attention/show them areas in the classroom (like reading
corner, computer station, etc.)
10:30am- Explain how station partners and station rotations work
10:50am- Assign classroom managers and roles
11:00am- Allow students to participate in our ice breaker activity “chit chat
cards”
11:30am- Specials (Art, PE, Music)
12:15pm- Outdoor Recess
12:45pm- Lunch
1:15pm- Have students finish presenting their “all about me” math activity
1:45pm- Introduce classroom library check out procedure
2:10pm- Go over classroom engagement, rewards, and motivation
2:35pm- Closing circle and answering any questions students may have
2:45pm- Practice getting students ready for the dismissal bell. (Call by
groups/tables to go and grab their backpack & lunch box.
3:00pm- Line students up for dismissal

Source
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Welcome back Parents!

My name is Charlotte Rothwell and I will be your child’s 4th grade teacher for

the 2019-2020 school year and I recently graduated from the University of

Houston. Having been the oldest child in my family I have always loved being

around children and as I got older I realized I was passionate about teaching

them. One of my goals as a teacher is to inspire lightbulb moments within my

students. I love when they understand and grasp the concept being taught!

On the first Monday of every month I will send out a link to the updated

newsletter for that month which will go over the content we will be learning for

the upcoming month, a monthly school calendar of events that are happening,

and specific events that just pertain to our fourth-grade class or any other

information you may need to know for the month. Also, this is where you will

find my contact information if you need to get a hold of me for any reason.

Please do not hesitate to contact me, I would be glad to help in any way I can.

I look forward to working with you and your children this year!

Thank you,

Ms. Rothwell
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All About Me Icebreaker

My Life in Numbers or Math All About Me, is a wonderful tool that can be used

as a Back to School Activity, in a Math-Center, or any whole class instruction

time. This activity allows students to explore math concepts that surround

them every day and allows them to solve what they can and then review

concepts as a class. This activity lets students share their own numerical

representations with the class and demonstrate how they solved different

equations. Because of the different concepts I am able to see what students

are able to do and their instructional level.

Source
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Chit Chat Cards

I am always looking for new ways to begin that very first day of the school

year. It is an amazing time where we set the tone for what is to come in the

days and months of our exciting time together. This year, rather than have

students complete a signature scavenger hunt where they are all over the

room, I created a resource that allows them to sit, listen, and chit chat. You

can have students rotate around the room, if you wish, but allow students to

share their thoughts with a partner or in small groups to truly enhance their

focus and discussion. Your children will love getting to know their teacher and

their peers in a fun way! By allowing time to talk and get to know one another, I

am helping them to feel connected to school and their classroom environment.

Everyone wants to feel like they are connected and have friends.

Source
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Classroom Environment
11- I Wish my Teacher Knew
12- Absent Work Folders
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I Wish my Teacher Knew

I want my students to trust me and to feel like they can come to me with any

problems or feelings they may be having. This is an activity I like to introduce

in the beginning of the year, but keep it running all year long. These notes help

me gain insight into my student’s world. The things students will tell you when

given the chance can truly make you a better teacher for them and help

decrease their anxieties by sharing. By having the mailbox, students can

discreetly put their note in the mailbox and I am the only one who can see who

it is from. I am then able to address the student in a nonchalant way to gain a

little more insight and help them in any way they need help.

Source
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Absent Work Folders

Every child every now and again misses school due to illness, family

emergencies, etc. As a student, I always hated missing school because that

meant I was going to have to make up work and my teachers would make me

feel bad about it. Some of my teachers would not mind and others would. I do

not want my students to worry about missing school regardless of the reason. I

have created a system that allows student who are absent to come back to

school to see what school work they have missed and work on it throughout

the day whenever we have independent work time or small group. That way

they do not have to go home with any added homework and they are still

learning what they have missed the previous day(s).

Source
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Classroom Procedures
13- List of Procedures
14- Hand Signals
15- Bathroom Pass
16- Classroom Jobs
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Ms. Rothwell’s Classroom Procedures

•   Entering the classroom

•   Lining up/ transitions

•   Taking out/ putting away/caring for supplies

•   Bathroom and water fountain sign out

•   Hanging up backpacks and jackets

•   Hand signals

•   Turning in homework

•   Absent work folders

•   Classroom helper/ classroom jobs

•   Using the classroom library

•   Getting into work groups

•   Voice levels

•   Fire drills

•   What to do when all your work is complete

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Hand Signals

This is a great little set that I will display around the classroom, so I am able

teach my students a great nonverbal way to communicate with me instead of

interrupting myself or other students while I am teaching, in small group, or

while doing independent work.

Source
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Bathroom Pass

This is a fun and innovative way for my students to let me know who is in the

bathroom without disrupting my lesson or my one on one work with a student.

Not only does it help me as a teacher knowing if someone went to the

bathroom, it is a great way for students to know if someone is in the bathroom,

so they do not keep disrupting and can just go whenever they see the light is

off.

Source
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Classroom Jobs

Starting with the first week of school, I plan to introduce one or two jobs daily

depending on the job. Once all jobs are introduced, the students will begin

having weekly job responsibilities. If a student is absent, the teacher will

assume the role. Every child will have the opportunity to have a job in order to

teach them responsibilities.

Source
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Classroom Discipline
18- List of Expectations
19- Classroom Constitution
20- Cool Down Cubes
21- Clip Chart
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Ms. Rothwell’s List of Expectations

•   Treat others the way you want to be treated

•   Listen and follow teachers’ directions

•   Come ready to learn

•   Be on time.

•   Be prepared for class.

•   Be considerate and respectful.

•   Show respect for school property and other students.

•   Hand in assignments on time.

•   Help each other.

•   Raise your hand before speaking

•   Make smart choices

•   Always do your best

•   Work with each other

•   Have fun!

Source
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Class Constitution

Us teachers know the importance of establishing a clear set of classroom

expectations on the very first day of school. We have to establish rules that

are broad enough to cover bizarre contingencies but that are also specific

enough to speak directly to our students. I want my students to feel that our

rules are their social contract, supporting their “inalienable rights” as students

in a caring community.

Source
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Cool Down Cubes

These cool down ice cubes are aimed for the classroom environment.

Allowing you to have a child who is either angry or upset to evaluate

their behavior and calm down or in this case cool down. I know some

adults who might need some emotional cues like these too. Have the

child select their own block/method and allow them to learn to self-

regulate.

Both Pictures:
Source
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Clip Chart

Each student has a clothespin, and they all start the day in the middle of

the chart on “Ready to Learn.” The clothespins move throughout the day.

Positive choices enable them to move up one level at a time. Negative

choices will get them moved down. There is a buffer zone between

“Ready to Learn” and facing any form of consequence so if a child “clips

down” he can clip back up.

Source
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Student Motivation
23- A Teacher Note Home
23- Classroom Cash
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A Note From My Teacher

One of my favorite ways to praise students is a hand-written note. At the end

of the day, I’ll slip the note into their homework folder and my students

always get excited. This is a great way for me to communicate with my

parents about the progress of their child.

Source
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Classroom Cash

There are lots of different ways a token or classroom economy can

work in your classroom. I believe that it reinforces positive behavior,

targets specific behavior, targets behavior changes and promotes fair

exchanges, addition, subtraction, counting money, and economics.

Students will be able to purchase items from the classroom store with

the money they earned from the week every Friday.

Source
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Classroom
Engagement
26-Plickers
27- GoNoodle
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Plickers
Plickers works somewhat like traditional handheld clicker systems. Each

student is assigned a Plickers card with a unique pattern, and he or she uses

the same personal response card all year to answer questions posed by the

teacher. After a question is presented, the students respond by holding up their

cards, and the teacher scans the cards with a mobile device. The results

appear instantly for the teacher to view.

Sources
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GoNoodle

GoNoodle is a fun and interactive way for students to transition into a new

lesson while giving their brains a little bit of a break. GoNoodle has educational

videos and dances to participate in as well as a relaxation station where when

students are hyper and not focusing, I am able to turn it on and they can

refocus.

Source