Classroom Procedures

Beginning of Class

Students will be expected to enter the classroom quietly and calmly. As they enter, they

will be given a choice in what personal greeting they would like to receive from me. This can be

a handshake, a high-five, a fist bump, or a pat on the back. By the final bell, everyone should be

in their seat with their class materials out. If students are having a particularly difficult time

calming down after entering the class, I will lead them through a short mindfulness meditation

such as deep breathing exercises. We will take the first 3 minutes of class to complete a warm-up

activity and talk about any current events, comments, concerns, or any other form of personal

sharing the students would like to do. After we are finished sharing, I will begin with the

remainder of the lesson plan.

Out of Room Policies

When it comes to break times, I have pre-allocated a two-minute water and socializing

break in the middle of class. During this time, students are free to stand up, stretch, visit with

friends, use electronic devices, and leave the room to get water. When walking down the hallway

for any reason while, students will be expected to be respectful of surrounding classrooms and

walk quickly and quietly to their destination. For restroom breaks, they will be instructed to hold

their school-ID up in the air. Students are to wait for me to make eye contact with them. Then,

they may stand up, place their school ID on my desk, and grab the bathroom pass from the hook

on the whiteboard. It is assumed that students will be back within four or five minutes of leaving

the classroom.
Seat Work

When seat work is being completed, talking during independent work is permitted as long

as students remain on task. However, talking during instruction is not allowed unless instructed

to do so. Students will get a warning the first couple of times this issue arises. If the problem

persists, we will have a discussion after class. In addition to this instructional time etiquette, if

students have a question in the middle of instruction, they are to write them down. I will check

for questions numerous times throughout the lesson. During this allocated time is when they

should ask if it hasn’t already been answered previously. However, if students are doing

independent work, should they need help, it is their responsibility to ask three classmates if they

can answer their questions. If their peers cannot help them, or if it is a question the student

believes only I, as an educator, will be able to answer, they may raise your hand and wait for me

to address them. Furthermore, students should not be on their phones unless instructed during the

lesson unless they are instructed to use them for an activity, as they can become distracting.

Finally, during presentations students in the audience should be taking notes and practicing

respectful etiquette. This includes having phones in bags, heads up, and their eyes on the

presenters. When work is finished, place it in the respective labeled shelf bins for your period

located on the wall next to the entrance.

End of Class

Within the last five minutes of class students are free to begin packing up. During this

time, however, we will take four to five minutes to have a class discussion about any questions,

comments, concerns. This way students should not miss any critical information about the lesson

or the remainder of the week’s activities. However, this does not excuse them from listening to

their peers as we still need to demonstrate respectful and active listening. Should they miss some
form of instruction at the end of class, it will be their responsibility to get that information either

from a classmate or ask me during office hours before or after school.

Materials and Equipment

The materials included within my classroom management plan are required to help

students remain organized and ultimately increase student success. As such, every student will

need a white, 1.5-inch three ring binder and five colored tab dividers. These dividers should be

labeled: syllabus, warm-ups, notes, past assignments, homework. Additionally, they will also

need a composition notebook that they may personalize in any way they wish as long as the

design is school appropriate. This will be used for Friday classes, when we will have twenty

minutes of journaling time to reflect upon the week’s activities. Students can write or doodle

whatever they want in their journals as long as it is school appropriate. Then, we will have a ten-

minute discussion to share what was put into the journals. The composition notebooks will be

left in a bin in the back of the classroom labeled with their class period.

As an educator, I also understand the need to borrow materials on any given day. That

being said, if a student needs to borrow a pencil, highlighter, eraser, or other material please ask

at the beginning of class. They should not wait until we are in the middle of instruction. They

will never be denied of these materials.

Group Work

Participation is a part of the students’ overall grades. All students should be participating

in group and partner activities. When doing small group assignments in class, students will each

be assigned a role in group or partner paired assignments either by the teacher or deciding

amongst themselves who gets what role. Presentation projects are also one of my favorite forms
of assignment for students. I find that they are very beneficial when it comes to teaching history.

When it comes to presentation projects in class, each student should be speaking.

It is equally important that students understand that the classroom is a collaborative

environment. Each class is a team. For every good deed someone in the class does, that student

will earn a point on the score chart, which is exemplified in Table 1 and will be further explained

in the rules and consequences section of this classroom management plan. However, to put in

simple terms, taking into consideration all students and behaviors demonstrated in the class, the

team with the most points at the end of the quarter will be rewarded. These rewards may be one

free homework assignment, five points extra credit, pizza party, or a social hour. It will be the

students’ decision on what reward they receive.

Miscellaneous

There are many aspects of my classroom management plan that have to do with

managing student work. This includes class work, homework, and late or absent work. To begin,

all work is expected to be turned in on time. Students will lose five points on each assignment for

every three days it’s late. For example, five points will be lost the first day...after four days, there

would be a ten-point deduction. After it has been two weeks since the assignment due date, there

will be emails sent out to the students’ parents about it. Students will get all graded assignments

back at the end of the week following the due date given that it was turned in on time. They will

be expected to keep all returned assignments in their class binder until the end of the semester

under the respective tab. To keep families of the students informed on the class activities, parents

will be called or emailed at least once a month to update on student progress and class

announcements, regardless of their overall class grade.

 For students who were absent, they will have three days to turn in their work. This

countdown will begin starting the day they return to school. Missing and absent work will be in

labeled storage bins in the back of the classroom. Students are free to go back, grab a copy of the

assignment before or after class, or during a break.