Miss Velichka’s Classroom Management Plan

The Art of Classroom Management: A Philosophy

I believe that classroom management involves the ways in which a teacher organizes
students, space, time, and materials in order to create a proactive, task-oriented, and predictable
environment that promotes learning. With all of those components, plus the added challenges of
behavior management and creating a positive classroom culture, classroom management is
nothing short of an art form. As a teacher, it will be my duty to create a classroom management
plan that reflects my personal philosophies while also providing the routine and predictability
that students crave.
In order to accomplish this goal, I believe that routines should be taught at the beginning
of the year so that students are on task every day from the moment they arrive in the classroom.
Students will know where to access their materials, what procedures are expected for different
routines (such as going to the bathroom as a class and morning meetings), and what the rules are
that they are expected to follow. This will help provide predictability in the environment so that
students are task-oriented, and it makes for a proactive environment where I can help students
make good choices, as like Glasser, I believe in the importance of students self-monitoring,
self-regulating, and taking responsibility for their choices. Students will feel more safe and
secure in a place where the expectations held for them are clearly communicated.
I will also be prepared for class each day before students even walk in the door. My
materials will be gathered at least a few days in advance of when they will actually be used, and I
will be prepared with backup plans in the event that technology or another component of my
lesson doesn’t work according to plan. As noted by Kounin, I don’t want to lose momentum or
smoothness, as this gives learners the chance to become off-task. The activities that I plan and
the instruction that I give will also reflect the interests of the learners and will be within their
zones of proximal development as suggested by Vygotsky so that they are more likely to be on
task, as motivation improves when students feel appropriately challenged and interested in the
task at hand. This means that I will need to differentiate tasks based on students’ levels of ability
as suggested by Curwin and Mendler so that all students, whether they’re advanced, struggling,
or somewhere in between, have the information accessible to and appropriate for them. Varying
my lesson formats, instructional methods, and materials can be a valuable tool in getting material
across to diverse students.
The classroom environment is also important to classroom management. I will arrange
the classroom to reflect the needs of my students and the tasks that we are doing that day. For
group projects, I will consider putting desks in groups where students can easily meet with their
group members, while for instructional lessons, I will make sure all desks are angled so they can
see the board. I would like to provide options for flexible seating too, as some students work
better under different conditions. Also important to the classroom environment is minimizing
distractions while still providing print-rich surroundings for students to engage in, and taking
into consideration the needs of students with exceptionalities. All students should be able to
actively engage with their peers and their environment in order to get the most out of their time
spent at school.
While furniture and the physical space is important to classroom management, so too is
the classroom culture. Not only do I want the physical environment to be well thought out, but I
also want to create a positive classroom culture for my students; I want my classroom to be a
place where they feel safe and welcomed. In line with Dweck, I will utilize posters and language
that promote a growth mindset and positivity while also making sure that the space is
representative of my students by displaying their work. As pointed out by Dreikurs, all students
want to feel like they belong. Creating a culture in the classroom where students are supportive
of one another and where they feel represented and heard can not only make the space more
welcoming, but can also help with behavior management too, as students who feel like they
belong are less likely to act out.
I believe that classroom management is proactive, positive, student-centered, caring,
goal-focused, and based upon principles of respecting students’ dignities and self-esteems. If I
am able to take into consideration students’ feelings and perspectives while also recognizing
their need for structure and guidance, I will be able to establish a working classroom
management plan. While I have good intentions now, I also know that I won’t know for a fact
what will work until I get to know my students. It will be my job to establish and maintain good
working relationships with my students as a means of understanding how to make my space,
time, and materials best promote learning in each of them as a unique individual and to represent
their diverse backgrounds. While my rules and expectations will be consistent, the rest of my
plan will need to adapt to meet students’ needs, which is what I feel classroom management is all
about.
 Synopsis
My classroom management plan is designed to be predictable, task-oriented, and
proactive. The plan that I have developed is predictable in that it establishes clear routines and
expectations and consequences for behavior that are enforced with fidelity throughout the school
year. It is task-oriented in that I include instructional strategies and classroom routines that will
help students focus on the information at hand. My plan is also proactive because I am planning
for and organizing my time, materials, students, and space in advance to best meet my students’
needs and curb potential misbehaviors. Overall, the goal of my classroom management plan is to
utilize the qualities of my classroom and the relationships that I have with students to encourage
self-regulation and good citizenship.

Building Relationships
I believe that building a classroom community is an essential component in creating a
successful educational setting. Students must come to school knowing that they will be respected
by their peers and their teacher in order to feel safe and be productive at school. Establishing this
rapport also helps students to have trust in one another and their teacher, which can help to
prevent inappropriate behaviors as well. As noted by Dreikurs, all students want to feel like they
belong, and building relationships is an important piece in achieving this.
Greeting Students
One way that I plan to build relationships with my students is through a morning
greeting. I will be sure to be at my classroom door every day as students arrive at school. I will
personally greet every student orally with a phrase such as “Good morning ______! Happy
____(day of the week)!” I will also offer every student a handshake, high-five, hug, or fist-bump
if they would like one. This helps students to be welcomed to the classroom each day in a
positive way and can help them to feel more comfortable with me. I can also use this procedure
to assess my students' attitudes in the morning, which can help me figure out from the start if
someone may be having a bad day.
I also think it’s important that students greet one another, which I have planned to do
during morning meetings. While this process will be expanded upon within the “Classroom
Procedures and Routines” section of my classroom management plan, I also felt it should be
mentioned here because it helps students build positive relationships with one another. In short,
students will greet one another by name with a brief, friendly message, such as “Good morning,
_(name)_.” or “Happy _(day of the week)_, _(name)_.” This is done not only to promote
students learning one another’s names at the beginning of the year, but also to help all students
feel positively acknowledged by their peers, even those who they may not talk to often.
Noticing Specific Positive Behaviors
If a teacher is always pointing out what students are doing “wrong,” they may never
establish positive rapport with their students, as the students may feel like they can never do
anything ‘right.’ While it’s important to provide consistent consequences for inappropriate
behaviors, I also want to notice specific behaviors that I deem to be appropriate and, in the
colloquial sense of the word, positive. For example, if all students quickly return to their seats
after a brain break, I might say “Wow. I’m so impressed with how quickly and safely you got
back to your seats following our brain break. Thank you.” The same goes for if I notice a specific
student modeling desired behavior. In this case, I will be sure to address them directly in my
comment, with a phrase such as “I appreciate how Alicia is working quietly on her exit task.”
Acknowledging students’ efforts, according to the Neo-Skinnerian Model, will cause the
students to be more likely to repeat the behavior in the future.
Posting Students’ Work
Building a sense of community between students can be a challenging task however,
especially if students are coming into the classroom not knowing one another or if they have a
negative history with others in the room. Within the daily whole-class meeting I plan to have,
which will be detailed below as a classroom routine, there are many examples of ways to build
relationships with and between students. One thing I’d like to include in my classroom is a
shout-out wall where students can reflect on the positive traits their classmates possess and share
some of the kind things their peers say and do, which is an example of posting students’ work
and also noticing their specific positive behaviors. Students will be welcome to post a sticky note
to the wall at any time detailing who and what they’d like to highlight. This is a great tool for
helping students see the best in others and to acknowledge students for the positivity they bring
to our classroom. Some students may struggle to experience academic success, but posting their
work in terms of their positive attitudes and actions can help these students feel acknowledged
and successful at school. As an added bonus of the shout-out wall, I can also request that one or
two students look for something positive in a specific one of their peers, which can help with the
inclusion of some students who struggle socially, and it can also be used in part of conflict
resolution. Imagine how powerful it could be for two students who struggle to get along to come
up with sincere compliments for one another. During our morning meetings, we will go over the
sticky notes posted the day before so that we can bring positivity and student success into our
mornings.
Sitting with Students
Another way that I will try to build rapport with my students is to do “Lunch with Miss
V” about once a week. Each time, I will have a small group of my students (3-5 kids) eat lunch
with me in the classroom. Each week will be new students until everyone has come in, and then
I’d start over again. The first time I may let students sign up for days so that they can come in
with their friends, and other times I may assign groups to come in so that they get to know
different students in the class who they may not normally talk to much. This small group setting
will allow us to get to know one another better than the whole class setting may allow, and it can
give students an appropriate time to ask me about my life and my interests outside of school. In
case students didn’t have much to say or talk about, I will have some topics ready. We could
discuss our favorite books, what activities we like to do outside of school, what superpower we
would like to have, and so forth.
While these are some ways that I will focus on rapport and building relationships with
and between students, there are many other activities that could be included on occasion to help
me meet this goal. Playing icebreaker games like “two truths and a lie” or “find someone
who…” can get students of diverse backgrounds interacting with one another, finding things they
have in common, or learning about what makes everyone in the room unique. I also like the idea
of collecting notecards where everyone in the class writes a fact about themselves and having
students guess who wrote the card. Small activities like this can take five minutes or less but can
help students get to know one another.
Building positive relationships is important because feeling supported and cared about
are steps on the way to being a self-actualized human being, which is supported by Maslow’s
Hierarchy of Needs. Having a classroom of people who are respectful toward one another, who
care about one another, and who are supportive of one another can help school feel like a safe
place. If students were to come to school and feel like they don’t belong, their behavior and
attitudes are likely to reflect it. It is also important that school be a positive place for students
because some students come from home environments where they do not get this kind of love
and support, and everyone deserves to have at least one place in this world where they are treated
with dignity and respect.

Instructional Strategies
Instruction and classroom management are closely related and certainly impact one
another. Curwin and Mendler note that providing instruction that matches students’ levels of
ability and varying your lesson formats, instructional methods, and materials can be a valuable
tool in classroom management, and Kounin states that having interested and active learners
reduces the risk of disruptive behaviors. With all of this in mind, I think it is important that I
choose instructional strategies that keep my students actively engaged in the task at hand so that
they get the most out of every learning experience. For this reason, I will strive to include several
engaging instructional strategies in my lessons.
Think-Pair-Share
Imagine this: you’re five years old and your teacher has been talking at you for twenty
minutes about some book you’re going to read. You were excited at first, but when you went to
tell a neighbor about how excited you are, you were shushed. You haven’t had the chance to
move, talk to a neighbor, or do anything exciting this entire time, so you zoned out fifteen
minutes ago. Your teacher’s mouth is moving, but all you hear is the Peanuts’ “wah-wah-wah”
coming from her mouth.
Sometimes, it’s inevitable that I’m going to have a lot that I need students to listen to. Not
every book is kept within the attention span of a five year old, and not every lesson can be
broken up into less than 10 minute segments. When this is the case, I’m going to want to include
strategies that allow students to digest the material by talking with their neighbors.
Think-pair-share is a great strategy that I will include in my classroom in order to break apart
longer segments of instruction. It allows students some time to think about what’s being taught,
to talk with a neighbor about the material, and to share their thoughts with the class. This can
also help me to check for comprehension and determine if there’s anything that I need to review
before we move forward.
Jigsaw
When I have students tackling longer readings, I will have them use the jigsaw strategy
so that they don’t get overwhelmed by the amount of material and struggle to handle the
cognitive load. When using the jigsaw strategy, I will assign students to a home group and an
expert group. In their expert groups, students will read their text or assigned section of a text and
work together to identify the main points of what they read, the important vocabulary, and
anything else I ask them to look for. They’ll write down their thoughts and become familiar with
the information. When all expert groups are finished, students will return to their home groups
and teach one another about their expert group section. I like this strategy because it gets
students involved in the learning and teaching processes. Sometimes, students understand
information better when someone their own age explains it to them in their own words, and it
helps that students won’t be distressed about getting all of the reading done because they’ll have
other learners to help support them.
Concept Mapping
Concept mapping involves students branching off of a central idea and organizing the
thoughts that they have related to the subject around it. The main idea or topic goes in the
middle, and students create offshoots from this with subtopics and details that they find
important. The ultimate goal is for students to see connections between their thoughts and ideas
and to provide a visual way to organize students’ thoughts. Concept maps actively involve
students in the learning process because whether they work independently or with others, they’re
putting the information into a format that makes sense to them. Concept mapping can also be
done with others, which allows for collaboration of ideas and perspectives. The finished concepts
maps can be used to spark conversations and guide discussions as well.
Gradual Release Model
The gradual release model by Pearson and Gallagher involves the relationship between
teacher and student involvement with the material, and is generally summarized with the phrases
I do, we do, you do together, and you do independently. At first, the lesson is guided by the
teacher, who is giving some sort of instruction and modeling the processes required for the
learning scenario. After this, the teacher releases some of the workload to the students by
requiring their input in what the teacher is doing. Next, the students work together in pairs or
groups to practice the concept. Finally, students practice on their own. I think this is an effective
instructional strategy to use in keeping students engaged because it allows the teacher enough
time to get the material across that needs to be taught, but it ultimately works toward students
taking responsibility for their learning. It also gives students time to work collaboratively to
make connections and process the information. I think the gradual release model is effective in
helping students learn because it takes into consideration so many learning theories including
Bandura’s Social Learning Theory by including modeling, Piaget’s ideas related to schemas and
equilibration, and Vygotsky’s notes regarding how social interactions and scaffolding can impact
students’ learning.

Classroom Procedures and Routines

Morning Meeting
One classroom procedure that I will establish, which will also promote a positive culture
in the classroom, will be to hold whole-class morning meetings as part of our morning routine.
During this time, I will have students sit in a circle in our classroom meeting area. Once situated,
students will read a morning message about what we have going on that day (any specials,
visitors, themes of the week, etc.). Then students will practice greeting one another by name,
such as with the phrase “Good morning, (name),” which the person who was greeted will say
back with the greeter’s name (“Good morning, Bob.” “Good morning, Allison”). We will go
around the circle until everyone has greeted someone and has been greeted by someone. This
step will help students learn the names of everyone in our class at the beginning of the year. I
will still continue this routine after everyone knows each other’s names because some students
may come to school without being positively acknowledged by anyone, and it’s important that
students feel seen and heard. After this, I will give students time to share about their lives.
Students can talk about sports they’re in, their weekend plans, something they did that they’re
proud of, or even things that are happening in their lives that maybe aren’t so positive but that
they’d still like their peers to know. I may limit this to 4-5 students each day so that everyone
gets to share by the end of the week. Next, I will lead a whole-class discussion about any issues
I’d like to see addressed. This time may be used to model appropriate ways to give feedback,
how to stand in line in ways that respect others’ personal space, and so forth. I can also discuss
whole-class successes during this time so that students are acknowledged for positive behavior. If
students met a behavior expectation from the whole-class behavior reward system the day before,
I will pull out the sticky note and discuss when the behavior occurred, what it looked like, and
why that behavior is important. Finally, in order to make sure the meeting always ends on a
positive note, I will ask a student to read aloud the “shout-outs” that were added to the class
acknowledgment board. This will be a place where students write out sticky notes that recognize
others who did or said positive things, or where students may point out a positive trait they see in
someone. This can be done anonymously, or students may opt to own their shout out to someone
else. As the teacher, I will keep track of who is getting shout-outs and who is not. I’ll want to see
who is going unnoticed by their peers because these students may not have many friends, which
would need to be looked into, or because the behaviors these students exhibit tend to be
inappropriate, which would also need to be looked into further. Additionally, keeping track of
who hasn’t gotten shout-outs will encourage me to look for the best in even my most difficult
students so that I could add something positive about them to share. At first, the morning
meeting will need to be walked through step by step as I model the expectations. I will need to
model reading the morning message, greeting another person by name, and so forth so that
students can see each step done. I will give them time guidance throughout the first few weeks of
school and reminders about how each section of the morning routine should look, but over time,
students should catch on and I should be able to stop prompting them. Throughout the routine, I
will thank student volunteers for reading the morning message and the shout-outs, for kindly
greeting their classmates, and so forth.
Lights Off Procedure
The morning meeting is a pretty thorough procedure with many steps for building
relationships between students and for getting the day started on a positive note. At the same
time, there are other classroom procedures that are much quicker, can be used multiple times
throughout the day, and which still help the class run more smoothly. For example, in my
classroom, I would like to try getting students’ attention by turning off the lights, as this will not
only save my voice from straining over my students talking, but will also not allow for the
students to give “not being able to hear me” as an excuse for continuing to talk at inappropriate
times. As a class, we will go over at the beginning of the year how when I turn off the lights, it is
expected that they stop talking and working and look in my direction to find out what they will
be doing next. Since students will not have associated the lights going off with stopping their
work and turning to me for directions prior to being in my class, I know I will have to condition
them to respond to the lights going off. In order to do this, I will give them opportunities to
practice, such as having them turn-talk to a neighbor about their day and then turning the lights
off multiple times throughout, to let them practice the desired behavior immediately after
introducing the procedure. Once I see that all students understand the desired response, I will
start to use the technique at natural points throughout the day. I will either give verbal praise to a
student who meets the expectations when the lights are turned off, such as “I like how ______ is
sitting with a quiet mouth and with their eyes on me,” or tell them to go clip up and explain to
the class why I asked them to go clip up. I could also pair the lights going off with a familiar
cueing system at first, such as saying “class, class” if they had used that in the past, in order to
transition them into responding to the lights going off.
Attendance Procedures
Another simple procedure I will include in my classroom is related to attendance. Every
morning, I will have students mark that they are present. What this looks like will vary based on
the age and ability level of the students, but in general, it will involve students putting their name
under the “present” or “here” side of a magnetic dry erase board in some fashion or another. At
first, I will give each student a picture of themselves to move from the “absent” side of a
magnetic board to the “present” side of the magnetic board. I will demonstrate by taking my
bookbag out to the hall, hanging it in my cubby when I came in, and then walking over to the
attendance wall in order to move my picture to the correct place. I will give students the
opportunity to try this too. For the first week or so of the new procedure, I will remind students
to move their picture to the “present” side of the board before they sit down at their desk. After
this, I will stop the reminders and reinforce them when everyone who is present remembers to
move their name to present without prompting. I will have students high-five their neighbors as a
reinforcement, and let them choose our brain break activity for the day. This procedure, as stated
earlier, could be changed to meet the developmental needs of the students. If students are
working on recognizing their names for example, I will write their names on a sentence strip and
attach it to their pictures so that they get practice with their names. When students were ready, I
will cut off the pictures so that they could work on correctly identifying their name without the
assistance of their picture being attached. For students who are even more advanced than this
(possibly kindergarten and above provided that the students have no learning challenges), I will
have them write their names under “here” in the mornings so that they get practice with their
penmanship. If students in my grade are working on cursive writing, I will ask them to sign in in
cursive. This process gives me a quick and easy way to check attendance, promotes
responsibility in students, and also gives them practice with educational skills.
Lining Up Procedures
Lining up to go elsewhere in the building can be a time consuming process. For this
reason, I’d like to establish a line-up procedure in my future classroom. I intend to have popsicle
sticks with all of the students names on them that I use throughout the day to call on someone to
share their work, to put students into randomized groups, and so forth, so I think I will utilize
them when lining up too. I will also have a line of numbers on the floor from the door to the back
of the room, or wherever my line will end, with one number for each student in my class. Then, I
will pull names out of the collection of popsicle sticks at random, having the first name I choose
go stand on number one. As their names are called, students will stand up, push in their chairs,
grab all of the items they need to take with them, and line up in whatever order I pull the
popsicle sticks. I will make sure to explain that students are to walk quietly over to their spot in
the line and stand facing the front so that we are ready to go as soon as the last person is called
on to line up. I will model for students what it looks like to walk over to my spot in line and wait
patiently to go out into the hallway. We will practice this a few times before we ever need to
leave the classroom on the first day of school. Next, I will explain that we are expected to walk
in the straight line we’ve made in the classroom when we’re in the hallway. I will tell students
that we need to face the front and keep quiet mouths and bodies when we are in the hall so that
we are being safe and respecting the other students who are still in class learning. I will offer
praise to students who I saw modeling the appropriate behaviors when we get to our destination.
I will also put sticky notes about meeting line-up expectations on the whole-class reward wall so
that students are reinforced for their collective efforts to line up and walk in the halls as asked.
Absence Procedure
 Finally, it is inevitable that students will miss school every now and again. In order to
help students feel confident that they can catch up and understand what is expected of them to
make up, I will have an absent work bin located by my desk. When students are absent, they are
expected to come to my desk and get the packet of handouts I have for them on the first day they
are back. I will include a summary of the day(s) that they missed along with any work I would
like them to complete from that day/those days. Students will take the packet to their desk to
review before they start the rest of their morning routine. When they are finished, they are to
come up to me and explain what they think they need to do based on the summary and the
activities given to them. I will clear up any questions or misconceptions they have and together
we will make a “catch up checklist” including tasks and due dates so that they know what they
need to work on during their spare time. After this, students will continue on with their day as
per usual. In order to teach this procedure to the students, I will show them where the bin is and
point out that I have created a “when I’m absent checklist” for them to review in case they forget
what they are supposed to do, as I would hope that students aren’t practicing this routine too
often. Then, I will model what this routine looks like with the help of another teacher serving the
role of the absent student.
There are many more procedures that I would like to make a part of my classroom
routine, but which are not described here. I would like to develop procedures regarding arrival
and dismissal, using the bathroom, transitioning between stations, borrowing supplies, throwing
garbage away, and more so that students have clear expectations set for them and so that they
understand what they need to be doing throughout the day. I think structure, routine, and
predictability are important to making sure that as much of our time and energy as possible go
toward educational purposes.

Classroom Expectations
In order to promote autonomy, I will make my classroom rules with the help of my students,
encouraging them to think about being safe, responsible, and respectful. Ultimately, I will lead
the discussion, get students’ input, and combine their suggestions with what I want to see in
order to develop the following rules:

We are: How we show it:

Responsible ● Follow the teachers’ directions the first time they are given

● Turn completed assignments in on time

Respectful ● Raise your hand and wait to be called on before you speak when
someone else is talking

● Use kind words toward yourself and others

 ● Listen with your eyes, ears, and body when others are talking

Safe ● Give others their personal space

● Use classroom supplies appropriately

For example, a student may say “Keep your hands and feet to yourself” as a suggestion for a
classroom rule. I will be sure to positively address their suggestion, then put it in the language
I’d like to use. “I really like that you’re thinking about being safe and respectful with your body.
I am going to reword your suggestion as ‘Give others their personal space.’” I will then discuss
what personal space is and how it can vary in different scenarios. I might say something like,
“We should be sure to never use our bodies to hurt someone else, but this doesn’t include just our
hands and feet. If I leave enough space around me and the people I’m near, I shouldn’t even
accidentally hit them with my elbow or my knee for example!” I will demonstrate what personal
space looks like when standing by others, when sitting on the carpet, and when working at desks.
I will also ask questions like “Do you think we should also keep our papers and supplies out of
others’ personal space? How can we do that?”, “Does personal space always look the same?
What does it look like on the carpet for circle time? What about when we do a brain break
dance?” and “Do you think there are times when it’s okay to touch other people? What if we
want to give high fives, is that okay?” Going through each rule like this and creating a poster
about each rule may be helpful for students to understand in the bigger picture what the
expectations are for them and how they might vary in different scenarios. Below is the list of
rules with additional bullet points related to them that can help clarify what these behaviors look
like. Additionally, it will be important that I model the desired behaviors and reinforce students
when I see them following our expectations. I will acknowledge individual students, likely
through a system such as Class Dojo, but I also feel that the whole-class approach can be even
more rewarding and reinforcing for kids, as it recognizes when our whole class accomplished
something and met the expectations together, thus creating a positive classroom culture.

We are: How we show it:

Responsible ● Follow the teachers’ directions the first time they are given
○ Ask for them to be repeated another way if you do not
understand what you are supposed to do.

● Turn completed assignments in on time

○ Try your best on every problem, even if you are not sure.
Mark that you guessed!
○ Ask for help if you need it.
 Respectful ● Raise your hand and wait to be called on before you speak
○ If there is an emergency, grab the pass and go to the nurse or
bathroom

● Use kind words toward yourself and others

○ Use positive self talk: “I can do this if I keep trying!”
○ Use kind words with peers, even when giving feedback: “I
like how you added the numbers with the making 10
strategy. I think we need to check our work though because I
got a different answer with another strategy.”
○ Use your manners: say please, thank you, your welcome,
and I’m sorry.

● Listen with your eyes, ears, and body when others are talking
○ Pause your work and turn in the speaker’s direction
○ Look toward the speaker
○ Pay attention to what they have to say

Safe ● Give others their personal space

○ Keep my supplies in my area
○ Keep a safe distance between myself and my neighbor so no
one accidentally gets hurt
○ Give hugs, high fives, and other forms of contact only if the
other person agrees

● Use classroom supplies appropriately

○ Walk with the scissor blades pointed at the floor
○ Share whole-class supplies with others
○ Keep materials in the right place when they are not being
used

Reinforcement
As a classroom teacher, it is important that I acknowledge positive traits, behaviors, and
work that my students possess and do. Not all reinforcement will be motivating for all students,
so it will be my job to build relationships with them and figure out what they like and don’t like.
In order to do this at the beginning of the year, I will ask students what makes them feel good in
the form of a questionnaire. I will give them options to check off such as earning stickers, getting
a private compliment, having a call home made to tell their family about the good things they do,
getting a shout out in front of the class, eating lunch with the teacher, sitting at the teacher’s
desk, etc. I will also ask students to write in things they like, such as their favorite snacks, colors,
cartoons, and the like so that I can try to include those things in my reinforcement too.
 As tangible reinforcement for individual students, I plan to use stickers, snacks, fun
school supplies like pencils and erasers, small toys, and dropping the lowest quiz score provided
that I’m teaching a grade that gives letter grades. For kids who are more motivated by social
rewards and activities, I will include options such as getting a positive phone call home, giving
them verbal praise or a certificate, eating lunch with the teacher, sitting at the teacher’s desk or
another seat of choice, getting extra computer time, having the first choice of classroom job for
the week, and getting to choose the brain break for the day.
I also think that it is important that teachers offer a whole-class positive behavior reward
system. What I will do in my classroom is write a reward that students could earn on the board
and post about 25 desirable whole-class behaviors on top of the reward. For example, I could
have “20 minutes of free time!” written on the board, and the sticky notes covering this message
could include behaviors such as “Appropriate noise level during work time” or “Followed
morning routine with no reminders.” When students meet that criteria, I will take down the
sticky note to reveal part of the reward, and when all of the sticky notes are gone, students will
earn the reward listed. Having whole-class behavior goals encourages students to help one
another exhibit appropriate behavior and recognizes when students are working together for the
good of the whole group. It encourages that every student respects one another in ways like
keeping noise levels appropriate for others to focus and by allowing others their personal space
when we line up. With this program, I will model positive ways to encourage appropriate
behaviors, such as using a silent shush and pointing to the whole-class reward board or holding
up the number of fingers that corresponds to what the noise level in the room should be.
Reinforcements offered in this program will change every time to reflect the diverse ways that
my students may like to be rewarded. I would also post the news that they earned a whole class
reward in my classroom newsletter to accommodate those students who like positive notes or
calls home.

Tiered System of Consequences for Minor Misbehaviors

When students misbehave, there should be a consequence for their actions. In an ideal
situation, proactive planning on my behalf will prevent many misbehaviors, but I also need to
establish clear and consistent consequences in the event that misbehaviors do occur. I hope to use
mild consequences to curb misbehavior, but I also know that I need to have more severe
consequences in place in the event that students continue to act inappropriately after they’ve
received friendly reminders. Students will be made aware of class rules and consequences for
misbehavior at the beginning of the year in a whole-class meeting, and they will be posted on the
wall on a poster by our classroom rules. The goal of consequences is not to punish, but to teach
students the desired behaviors and help them understand why the way they were acting was
inappropriate. Students will receive a consequence from tier 1 first, all the way up through the
final tier if needed.
Tier 1 Consequence
Whole class reminder of expectations:
● I will give a verbal or nonverbal reminder of the class rules such as pointing to the
rule on the “Class Rules” poster, use a “Remember…” statement, asking a student
to remind me of our rule about ________, etc.
Tier 2 Consequence
Individual reminder
● I will give a verbal or nonverbal reminder directly to the student presenting the
misbehavior. I may use a cue or proximity, give a direct restatement of the rules to
the student, etc. depending on what I think they will respond to.
Tier 3 Consequence
Offer choices
● I will give students two proactive choices regarding how they can fix the
situation. The student may pick their more preferred choice and try that.
Time away from the activity
● In this stage, I will determine a consequence that matches the behavior and which
results in time away from the class or the activity since the student is still not
demonstrating that they can conduct themselves appropriately. This may involve
them sitting down if they can’t control their body during a brain break, loss of
privilege to use games for a few days if they don’t clean up after themselves, time
to work independently if they can’t stay on task during partner work, etc.
Tier 4 Consequence
Enactment of less preferred choice
● In the event that the student still can’t conduct themselves appropriately, I will
request that the student try the other, less preferred choice in another attempt to
redirect the behavior within the classroom. The choices both resulted in the
student being able to stay with the class and engage in the activities.
Teacher’s choice of a logical consequence
● If the student had not been given choices in step 3, or if I feel that the less
preferred choice will not result in them learning the proper behavior, I will give
another logical consequence based on the situation.
Tier 5 Consequence
6th: Independent conference
● I will send the student out on an errand so that we can conference in the hall when
they come back. I will reiterate what the expectations are and remind them that if
the misbehavior continues after this, I will contact home about the behavior.
Tier 6 Consequence
7th: Call home
 ● In the event that the conference doesn’t encourage the student to control their
behavior, I will call home at my earliest convenience to notify them of what’s
going on. For some students, it may be appropriate for them to talk on the phone
with their family member in order to get them back on the right track. I will make
sure that the family member is on speaker phone in a room in the office and that
they know I’m listening so that they remain calm and positive with the student. If
I have any inkling that the parent will be angry and upset the child further, I will
use my discretion to waive this step, maybe replacing it instead with talking to
another adult in the building who the student looks up to (the custodian, the
cafeteria aide, etc.). This would especially be the case if I feared the student being
physically, emotionally, or psychologically punished when they got home.
8th: Office referral
● If all else fails and I have nowhere else to turn, I will send the student to the
office. It’s an absolute last resort for me, but sometimes, it may be the only way to
reach that student and get them to learn the lesson I’m trying to teach them
through that rule.

***In the event that a student is putting themselves or others in harm's way through their
actions, I reserve the right to immediately send that student out of the room.

Communicating Expectations
As a teacher, it is important that I make classroom expectations known to students and
their caregivers. I want families to be aware of the expectations I have at school for their child so
that they can understand why their child is receiving the consequences they’re getting and so that
they can help their child be successful at school by reinforcing the expectations for being a good
citizen and a self-regulating person at home. Hopefully families will choose to work on
responsibility, safety, and respect at home to a similar degree that I do at school, but if not, at
least they’ll be aware of the ways that I’m working on these skills with their child at school.
Also, making families aware of my expectations can allow them the opportunity to raise
concerns if there are ways that my expectations conflict with their culture. This is something that
I would want to be aware of so that I could pay special attention to helping that student do their
best to meet the expectations held for them at school.
In order to communicate expectations to families, I will send home a hard copy of the
expectations guide to them in the mail prior to the first day of school, or will send them home in
students’ take home folders on the first day of school if mailing is not an option. I will also send
out a digital copy of the expectations guide to families so that they could store it electronically in
case the paper copy were to get lost or damaged. I will go over everything on the expectations
guide with my students on the first day of school, and I will heavily reinforce the information
throughout the first week as students are learning the ways of our classroom. After this, I will
keep a copy of the expectations guide available for them to see at our classroom supply station,
and there will be other reminders of the expectations hanging in the classroom, such as posters of
classroom rules and consequences. Families will also be reminded of expectations through
newsletters and periodic emails if there are any updates, positive or negative, regarding student
behavior that I’d like to share. An example of an email to families could look as follows:

Hello Families!
I would like to take a moment to give you all a quick update about how our class has
been doing behaviorally… no worries, it’s all good news! This update specifically regards the
classroom rule “Give others their personal space.” At the beginning of the year, students
struggled to keep a safe distance between themselves and their neighbors when lining up,
gathering for circle time, and when spreading out to do brain breaks. Students would often
accidentally bump into one another, which could have resulted in students getting injured. Since
we’ve had extended discussions about personal space and practiced further with the “arm’s
length away” rule, we’ve seen a drastic decrease in how often students find themselves bumping
into or tripping over one another. I’m excited to share this update with you, and hope that you’ll
continue to model for your children how to give others their personal space.

Take care!
Miss Velichka

Record Keeping
I think it’s very important that I keep records so that I can accurately discuss students’
behaviors and learning progress with them and their parents, and also so that I have a starting
place when it comes to functional behavior assessments. In order to keep records of my students’
behaviors, I will use a template similar to the one below. Across the top, I will have each of the
classroom rules, and across the side, I will write the date where the behavior was exhibited. If
students had issues following a specific rule, I would put a tally for each time there was an issue
regarding that rule in line with the proper date on the matrix. I would also use the back of the
sheet for comments, such as the time of day when the behavior was exhibited. I will keep a sheet
like this for each student so that if concerns over a particular child arose, I could quickly locate
all of their past behavior information. I will also keep a whole class behavior sheet to indicate
trends in behavioral issues across the board. This will include the dates across the side and the
rules across the top just like the sheet for individual students, but I will put tallies based on the
behaviors of everyone in the class. Ultimately, I would like to transfer my data to a system like
Class Dojo, where it can give me behavior analytics at the click of a button, but I don’t feel
comfortable with always having my phone in hand or being right by my computer to input Class
Dojo points throughout the day.
 While the matrix system would likely be beneficial for me and other educational
professionals to look at, I will also use a color-coded calendar system with students for ease of
interpretation by them and their parents. I will have each student keep a behavior calendar in
their take home folders and they will color in each day a certain color depending on the number
of challenging behaviors they had throughout that day. For example, having zero to two instances
of challenging behavior might constitute a green day, three a yellow day, four an orange day, and
five or more a red day. In the sample chart below, the child would color the calendar box for
January 8th yellow based on the fact that they received three tally marks. This at-a-glance
system, which can be accompanied by written teacher comments, can help students and their
families get a quick feel for how well they are doing at following the rules and meeting
behavioral expectations at school.

______________ 's Behavior Chart

Rules Follows Turns Raises Uses Listens Personal Uses supplies
the assignments hand and kind when space appropriately
teachers’ in on time waits to words others
directions be called speak
Dates on

Ex: 1/8 ll l
 References
● Bandura: Social Learning Theory
● Curwin and Mendler: “Discipline with Dignity” Model
● Dreikurs: “Social Discipline” Model
● Dweck: Mindset Theory
● Glasser: “Choice Theory”
● Kounin: “Kounin Model”
● Malsow: Hierarchy of Needs
● Skinner: “Neo-Skinnerian Model”
● Pearson and Gallagher: Gradual Release Model
● Piaget: Cognitive Model of Learning
● Vygotsky: Sociocultural Learning Theory