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Classroom

Management

Portfolio
Elijah Lawson

CUIN 4375 – Fall 2020

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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

Hi, my name is Elijah Lawson and welcome to my Classroom Management

Portfolio! Throughout this portfolio, you will see all my plans and ideas for running

my future classroom. I have tried to come up with procedures and policies that will

not only ensure the safety of the classroom but will also ensure each student wants

to come to school and learn while also having fun. In this portfolio geared towards

students between 2nd and 3rd grade, you will find more information on my first day

of school schedule, my procedures and policies, how on plan on disciplining my

students, and how I plan on keeping all students motivated to keep learning.

Philosophical Statement

My teaching philosophy is in part based on Freiberg’s model of Consistency

Management and Cooperative Discipline. I believe that discipline is very necessary

in schools, but the way you go about it makes a huge difference. The Consistency

Management and Cooperative Discipline states that “An entire school must develop

a continuity of actions and expectations for staff, teachers, and students and must

be committed to giving students consistent messages about self-discipline.” I want

my students to come to school everyday knowing what they are expected to do and

how they are expected to behave. Students need to know that they are equal and

that no one student can get away with something one student cannot.
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First Day of School

First Day Agenda 5

Monthly Newsletter 6

“All About Me” Activity 7

Classroom Discussion 8
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First Day Agenda

7:30 AM – Greet Students at Door

8:00 AM – Teacher Introduction
8:15 AM – Hand Out “All About Me” Activity
8:30 AM – Share Out “All About Me” Responses
9:00 AM – Discuss Restroom Policies/Procedures
9:30 AM – Discuss Classroom Layout
10:00 AM – Discuss Classroom Procedures
10:30 AM – First Day Assembly w/Principal
11:00 AM – Special Classes (PE, Computer Lab, Music, Library, Art)
11:45 PM – Restroom Break
12:00 PM – Recess
12:30 PM – Lunch
1:00 PM – Return to Class/Finish Sharing Out
1:30 PM – Introduce Daily Math Lesson
2:00 PM – Introduce Daily Science Lesson
2:30 PM – Student Questions/Comments
2:45 PM – Prepare for Dismissal
3:00 PM – Dismissal

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“All About Me” Activity

This Activity will give the students the opportunity to share anything they may

want their classmates and I to know about them. It is important for students to

know that their interests and hobbies are important so they feel comfortable

sharing out and communicating with me about anything they need to talk about. All

students will have 15 minutes to complete their activities followed by them having

the opportunity to share out their responses with the class. All students need to

share at least one response from their worksheets.

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Classroom Discussion

As an educator, I feel it is important for classrooms to engage in an open discussion

where students can ask any questions about class, the material learned for the day,

or any other concerns they may have. I know that some students may not feel

comfortable asking a question during a lesson, so another chance at the end of class

may provide them with the extra comfort they need to confidently use their voice.

Everyday from 2:30 PM – 2:45 PM the class will have the opportunity to share any

question or comments they have. This part of the day will never end early, even if

there is only one question asked. This is not meant to be pressuring, but instead

meant to let the students know that their time to share out with me will never be

cut short.

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Classroom
Environment
Classroom Layout 10

Classmate Comments 11
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Classroom Layout

The layout of my classroom will be setup to promote maximum learning and to

ensure all students feel comfortable in the classroom because it is their classroom

too! I will have a designated area for computer time, as technology can be very

beneficial towards their learning. I will also have a designated area for working on

math problems, as we will have daily math lessons to provide a better

understanding of mathematics to ensure students who may not favor math can see

just how fun it really can be. Lastly, I will have a “one-on-one” station set up

towards the back of the classroom behind the carpet area to students who need to

have a private conversation with me feel comfortable doing so. Whether it be a

school question, a personal question, or if the student just wants to talk, the student

will know they can come to me about anything. The nurturing aspect of the

classroom is something very important to me.

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Classmate Comments

Focusing on the atmosphere of the classroom again, while I have not allotted a

certain time out of the day for this, this is something that will occur at least once

throughout the day. Classmate comments are meant to give students the

opportunity to communicate with their classmates instead of me necessarily. I want

my students to build healthy, lasting relationships with their peers so that way they

can also go to them about anything that may occur in school or in their personal

lives. Of course, I will always be available for my students, but I do want them to

have a good relationship with their fellow classmates as well. Classmate Comments

can range from a simple compliment to a full-blown conversation, as it is entirely up

to the student how they go about it. The only rule classmate comments come with is

anything said between students must be positive or helpful. Nothing negative, or

anything meant to hurt another student will be tolerated in the classroom. I will

initiate Classmate Comments by finding at least 5 minutes everyday for students to

engage in their positive conversations. I will monitor all conversations to ensure

nothing negative is being said and will step in when needed.

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Classroom
Procedures
Classroom Procedures List 13

Classroom Hand Signals 14

Classroom Jobs/Managers 15

Classroom Warm-Ups/Exit Tickets 16

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Classroom Procedures List

1. Daily Beginning of Class

2. Transitioning between Classes

3. Speaking and Asking Questions

4. Going to the Restroom

5. Snacks and Eating in the Classroom

6. Absent Student Work

7. Indoor/Outdoor Voice Levels

8. Getting Supplies when Needed

9. Classroom Jobs

10. Fire Drills

11. Checking out books from Library

12. Forming Work Groups

13. Student Emotions/Diffusing Situations

14. Asking to go to the Nurse

15. Daily Ending of Class

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Classroom Hand Signals

I believe that teaching students hand signals to ask how to use the restroom, asking

a question etc., can really help make a classroom run as smooth as possible. Not all

students are a fan of speaking, which can affect their ability to ask questions or

make statements in class. Some students have no problem communicating with

their teacher privately, but in class in front of the other students may be a

challenge for them. Instead of making them feel bad about this, there are

alternatives which include the hand signals. This is especially beneficial for

students who may have a speaking impediment or other disability. These hand

signals will be taught on the first day of school and will be reimplemented

throughout the first couple weeks of school until all students show a satisfactory

understanding of the hand signals.

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Classroom Jobs/Managers

Younger students will often have an even stronger desire to come to class when they

know they have a job in the classroom. Classroom jobs are very beneficial for

students because they teach them responsibility, and they make them feel

important to the class. Teaching students who feel like their presence is helpful to

class will make them want to come to school and learn even more. Classroom jobs

can range from a student in charge of picking up supplies from students’ desks, to

being the designated line leader anytime the class goes somewhere together and

anything in between. No matter the job title, each student with a classroom job will

learn that their job comes with great responsibility and will take that into their

future classes and life in general. Classroom jobs will be assigned throughout the

first week of school in case any student is absent the first day of school, so everyone

has a fair chance of being assigned a job. Students who show successful leadership

in their jobs will then be promoted to the manager of their job. This is simply meant

to reward students for being such great class workers, as the word “manager” comes

with greater importance and the student will feel even better about themselves and

their performance.

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Classroom Warm-Ups/Exit Tickets

Starting the second week of school, there will be a warm-up activity on the board for

students to begin working on as they walk into the classroom. Each student will

have until the time they sit down until the morning announcements are over to

work on their warm-ups. While it is not required they finish their warm-up, each

student does need to take the full amount of time allotted to get as much done as

they can. After morning announcements, we will go over the warm-up as a class to

ensure everyone is on the same page before moving on to the lesson for the day. I

am incorporating warm-ups into the class because they get the students ready to

learn for the day before class even starts. The students are given the opportunity to

think about what they already know or have just learned and can use that to help

them learn even more throughout the class. Warm-ups are not meant to be tedious,

so I will try my best to make sure they are fun for everyone while also stimulating

for their young minds. Also starting the second week of school, students will also be

required to participate in daily exit tickets before leaving for the day. Again,

completion is not required but participation is always a requirement in the

classroom. Exit tickets will be included to ensure that before the student leaves for

the day, they have a general understanding of what they learned that day or can

ask questions about the topic before dismissal. Students will not be graded on

warm-up or exit ticket activities, but they should still do their best and ask

questions whenever they feel the need to.

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Discipline System
Classroom Expectations 18

Ice Cream Behavior Chart 19

One-on-One Station 20

Classroom Rewards 21
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Classroom Expectations

All students will always be expected to meet these classroom expectations while in

class. No exceptions!

1. Respect given is respect earned, treat others how you would want to be

treated

2. Follow all teacher-given instructions

3. Let the teacher know ahead of time if going to be absent (If Possible)

4. Keep all hands to one’s self

5. Always ask before ever leaving the classroom

6. Come to class prepared and ready to learn

7. Use appropriate hand signal before speaking

8. Try and ask classmates for help before asking the teacher

9. No matter what, ALWAYS try your best

10. Turn in all assignments in a timely manner

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Ice Cream Behavior Chart

The ice cream behavior chart will be my way of communicating with my students on

how their behavior is throughout the day. I chose an ice cream chart because I

believe it is a fun, creative way to monitor students’ behavior and I think they will

appreciate it as well. Each student will have a clothespin with their name on it to

attach to the ice cream chart. Each student will begin the day attached to the

“Ready to Learn” section, and their behavior will determine whether they move up

or down the cone. Rewards and consequences will both be given based on each

student’s position on the chart at the end of the day.

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One-on-One Station

Sometimes students may be having a bad day or simply just do not want to be in

school that day for personal reasons. Instead of teachers harping down on the

student and making feel worse than they already do, they should let the student

voice their reasoning for being upset and maybe form a resolution. As a teacher, I

know that I will have students who do not how to express their emotions as well as

others, and that is one of the reasons I am incorporating a one-on-one station in my

classroom. This station will be limited to myself and the student I am meeting with.

The student will have complete privacy with me to help build the relationship and

trust amongst my students with me. One of my goals as a teacher is to ensure all

my students feel comfortable enough to tell me anything they are thinking or

feeling. I will never force a student to go to the one-on-one station with me, as that

could simply make them even more upset. I will strongly encourage the student to

join me at the one-on-one station but if they choose not to, I will find another way to

help them as I do not want them to think I will ever force them to do anything they

are not comfortable with, unless it is something like an assignment or a

presentation, in which the student will need to learn to step out of their comfort

zone.

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Classroom Rewards

It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that students are more likely to

behave well when they know they are going to receive a reward in return. Rewards,

if used wisely, can be very beneficial to smooth running of an elementary school

classroom. I plan on giving out rewards to students who I feel have truly earned it.

Rewards will not be given out for following basic rules and expectations. Rewards

will be given to students who show improvement and who go above and beyond in

class activities and behavior. The main focus I want my students to take away from

the rewards system is that rewards are meant to be EARNED. Rewards will be

given out when I feel like they are necessary. Students should not expect to ever

hear me say “If you do this, you will get a reward”. Rewards in my classroom will

always be a surprise.

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Student Motivation
Teacher Talks 23

End of Year Pizza Party 24

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Teacher Talks

Keeping students motivated can be quite a challenge. Some students may not be a

fan of school, which causes them to not want to do any work or do the bare

minimum. You also face the challenge of having gifted students in class who may be

uninterested in the topics presented but do not want to step outside their comfort

zones to really challenge themselves. In my classroom, I have decided to implement

“Teacher Talks” into each school day by taking all factors into consideration when

motivating my students. Teacher Talks will consist of me saying at least one

positive thing about each student’s academic progress everyday. These teacher talks

will be held in private and are meant to constantly keep students motivated to keep

growing in their learning and to help those students who have no desire to learn.

Teacher Talks for gifted students will be focused more on helping the student

become more comfortable with challenging themselves and helping them develop

resiliency as they continue to grow academically. I know I am going to have

students who are afraid to fail, so teacher talks are going to help build that

foundation they need to learn that failure does not mean you simply give up.

Resiliency is something I want all my students to have when they leave my class at

the end of the year, and Teacher Talks are going to help make that possible.

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End of Year Pizza Party

It is no secret that students want to do better in school when they know a reward

will be given if they do. I am not going to mention the end of year party until the

second week of school when students begin to have daily warm-ups and exit tickets.

When I mention the party to the students for the first time, I am simply going to tell

them that their behavior and class participation will determine whether or not we

have a party at the end of the year. The students will know that making this party

happen is completely up to them. They will learn to come together as a class and

will stay motivated to do their best throughout the school year, which is the main

idea behind this pizza party. If I notice throughout the year that behavior or

classroom grades are not where they should be, I will briefly mention the pizza

party and that it can be taken away if the class does not pull it together. That is not

to be a punishment, but instead a simple reminder that if they want it, they have to

earn it.

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Classroom
Engagement
Kahoot 26

Circle Time 27
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Kahoot

Technology is something I plan on implementing into my classroom because there

are many benefits that come with it. Using technology can help keep students have

fun in school while also keeping them motivated and engaged throughout the school

year. One resource I plan on using whenever we are going over a new lesson or

reviewing is Kahoot. Kahoot is a fun resource consisting of different shapes and

colors that I am sure all my students will have a fun time using. I find that

reviewing for a quiz or test does not have to be as boring as it sounds. Learning will

always take place in my classroom, but the presence of fun will always be right

beside it.

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Circle Time

I think it is important for teacher to find some time throughout the school day to sit

down with their students and engage in something I like to call “Circle Time”. Circle

Time will consist of the class and I sitting down together at the Carpet Area and

doing something together as a class. Somedays we may sing a song and somedays

we may have show and tell, but no matter what we are doing during Circle Time,

the students will be engaged in what is going on which will help them grow in their

learning and will help them when forming relationships with their classmates.

Circle Time will be especially beneficial for students who may find discomfort in

talking to the whole class or participating in group activities. This engagement

activity will help those students become more comfortable with the people around

them and will help build their self-confidence.

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