Nicholas Anderson EDU 4410 1

Classroom Development Plan

Nicholas Anderson

Baker College, College of Education

EDU 4410: Classroom Development

Professor Ed Bailey

December 5, 2022
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Section #1 - Self Awareness

Hot Buttons

 Teaching a proper procedure more than 3 times just to see the class fail at following the
procedure. (I.e., running in the hallway, or not sitting down after coming in from recess/lunch).
 Disregarding the rules.
 Mean-girl other students just because they are bored.
 Slang talk in the classroom.

Personal Biases

1. Halo effect – seeing a good student who answers questions and then in turn has bad behavior
when doing certain activities (i.e., carpet time, or coming in from recess).
2. Horns effect – passing judgement onto a student based on the behavior without understanding
the reason for the bad behavior. (I’ve learned from this one and am trying to create a behavior
management plan for this student. We celebrate good accomplishments!)
3. Conformity bias – expectations of the classroom participating while at the same time
recognizing the students are on different levels of academic achievement.

Strengths

1. Gradual release – I do, we do, you do. Very effective in mathematics instruction. Currently
working on it for language arts and reading. Some students have a difficult time with the gradual
release in reading.
2. The fun guy – Students enjoy being in my classroom, and I can be goofy with them.
3. Teaching procedures – expecting a single file line for hand sanitizer when entering the
classroom.
4. On time and serious about the job – always enjoy coming to work and working with the kids,
even when moon phases effect their behavior. 😊 always arrive promptly or before scheduled
for set up and stay after when needed.

Opportunities for Growth

1. Attention getters – some of the attention getters I am using are only partially effective, others do
not work at all. I need to build up a library that rotates. A new one I have tried out is “class,
class” at 3 different volume levels. High, medium, and low. This is a partially effective one.
2. Be more observant of student’s engagement rather than taking the few who are participating. I
understand that some of the students do not understand the materials.
3. Follow through with consequences of bad behavior. I want the students to fix their mistakes to
avoid missing recess time. However, I am realizing how that I tend to let them walk over me. I
took my first steps towards fixing that already, but I know I have some room for improvement.
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4. Providing more after lesson work for the students to do while others are still working on the
assignment, or subject we are currently working on.
5. Prepping materials before a lesson that are ready to hand out the moment we start with that
subject.
6. Stop yelling. I lose my voice often when my volume must increase to speak over the students.
Need to find a way to fix this. Putting T/S on the board and then adding tally marks gets them to
be quiet and then they ask what it is for. They know its recess time taken away. Please note that
I never take recess time away from lunch.
7. Allow students to finish work before switching activities.

Self-Talk that Empowers or Limits

I like to remind myself that I am going to have a good day. I go through the schedule in my mind
before the day and try to plan out my transitions. I self-reflect on the previous day and how I can do
better. On Saturday’s I like to reflect on the week as a whole and see what I could have done better or
what worked. I think that self-talk to empower you is helpful with gaining confidence. On day one of
being in the classroom I was nervous and worried I would not learn the kids’ names. We did many
activities to get to know one another and by Thursday I knew who each student was, something I was
praised for by an administrator. Reminding myself as to why I want to do this is also a self-inspiring start
to my day. I am still working on limitations as to when my day at the school ends and I get some me
time. I know it will come, it’s just a matter of time.

Motivation for Becoming a Teacher

My motivation for becoming a teacher is knowing I am making a difference in my students’ life.

When the students come up to me and tell me that I am their favorite teacher (though they like to say I
am being mean and unfair too). The joy and smiles on the students face of coming to school and having
a great day is also a great motivator. Knowing that I do my best work when I am on my own is very
important to me, this is how I succeed in the very best way possible, at least for me. I love having the
opportunity to take long-term substitute teaching positions because it forces me to apply and home in
on my skills that I have learned. I’m excited to use these experiences to teach my own class without
having to move on from one assignment to the next. I love teaching, and I love the fact that I can teach
content and learn something as well. I’m confident in what I teach and that is a great strength for an
effective teacher.
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Section #2 – Classroom Setting:

Above is my classroom diagram from top looking down. I set this up as a mirror of my placement
because I chose the seating for the classroom after determining the initial set-up would not work. The
additions are a classroom library and a more accessible storage area and materials for workshops at the
back table. The back table can hold up to 6 students and a teacher/support staff when working in
groups. The U shape was designed for students who may need more help than others. The class pods of
2 to 4 desks are for stronger learners. The plan can be modified to support a bigger classroom as
needed.

The daily agenda will be placed in a location where students can see from the carpet and have access to
it at any time of the day. The plan is to have a morning meeting to go over what learning will take place
and to discuss the I can statement that are provided for each lesson. For example, in a lesson on learning
about the Presidents the I can statement would be I can learn about the presidents. These I can
statements will reflect the learning targets that compliment the CCSS as much as possible with the
lessons the students will learn.

Agenda:

 Morning Meeting
 Phonics
 Reading/Writing
 Lunch
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 Math
 Technology
 Social Studies/Science
 Specials

My rationale for these decisions is based on gut instinct when providing an environment for my students
who require special seating due to hearing impairments. The U-Shape desk arrangement is for easy
access and intervention from students who may require more help than others. It was also designed this
way to prevent behavior issues. It is an easy and flexible design that has becoming a proud moment for
me, in room evaluations I was credited with the creativity to solve many problems at once. I initially set
it up because it made sense without even considering the factors I should have had in mind while doing
so.

Section #3 – Procedures:

Attention getting strategies (WIP):

1. Class, class (3 times) – One high volume (almost shout), one medium volume (talking), one low
volume (almost whisper)
2. “If you can hear me, raise your thumb”
3. Random joke, if the students are quiet already.
4. “One, two, three, eyes on me”
5. GoNoodle

Entering and Exiting Procedures:

1. Line-up for hand sanitizer, enter room, use sanitizer.

2. Sit down
3. Quiet voices
4. “Line up song” GoNoodle
5. Line formed and quiet, exit room
6. Hand sanitizer may be used on the way out if going to lunch, or if students feel comfortable with
hand sanitizer at that point.

Assignment procedures:

1. Weekly homework will be passed out at end of the day on Monday and be returned on Friday.
2. Students will turn in homework folder on Friday.
3. Teacher will assign students to pass out classwork for the day.
4. Missing assignments will be placed in the student’s mailbox for pick-up the next day.
5. Transition homework exchanges to mailbox are a (WIP)
6. Hand up for permission to leave seat for pencil exchange, etc…
7. Students will be called on to collect additional materials.

Obtaining permission:

1. Hall pass is required for out of class trips to nurses’ office, office, or other designated locations.
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2. Student must raise hands to ask for permission to leave seat at any time, including bathroom
trips.

Emergencies

Tornado

1. Students are moved to the art room and are to crouch down on the floor with their hands over
their heads to protect themselves. This has been posted to the classroom and is a routine
practice to help students familiarize themselves with what is required in the event of a real
tornado.

Fire

1. Students are not to panic, they line up and follow the teacher to designated evacuation location.
Record book must accompany the teacher, and last student out will turn off the lights and close
the door. Wait for all clear. This is practiced more frequently due to the kitchen setting it off
when the oven door is opened.

Intruder – Code Yellow/Code Red

1. Students will go into the bathroom and lock the door. Shared bathroom will mean cramped
quarters. Other locations are available depending on location of intruder. 1. Being inside the
building, 2. Being outside the building. Attempts to keep students calm during this stressful time
are crucial.

Transition procedures

1. GoNoodle Break

Section #4 – Norms and Learning Agreements

I have found a method that has provided a great opportunity for students to enter into a contract. This is
called the classroom mission statement. It will read:

“We the class of room ##, promise to challenge ourselves. We will do our best learning. We will read
every day. We will be nice to others. We will use good manners. We will use nice words. We will be safe,
respectful, and responsible.” Then each students will sign the mission statement which will be referred
back to if we run into issues with one of the promises made.

I would also have classroom rules put on the walls as reminders that are big enough for all to see, but
not too big to overwhelm the students.

Bathroom procedures will be placed in the bathroom and other expectations that require good choices
(i.e, hallway expectations, playground expectations, etc…)
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Section 5 – Assessment Procedures

1. Formative assessment strategies – It is important to gather evidence of what the students know
in the first few days ok school. Formative assessment will be an ongoing progress check to
evaluate student growth in areas they may have struggled with during the first evaluation.
Examples: running records, sight word assessment, letter and sounds assessment

2. Summative assessment strategies – the basis for summative assessment is to measure content
mastery. As an example, a phonics unit test that covers both sight words, and concepts from the
unit. Summative assessments can also be the progress tests from the NWEA Map tests.
Examples: math test, phonics tests, social studies test, science test.

3. Creating hope in the assessment process – With the above-mentioned assessments, this allows
us to measure progress and implement intervention where needed. It can also help us determine
what the best measure for testing would be. We should also consider how well our students do
on the assessment and adjust to do better later.

4. Data driven instructional practices – I had mentioned earlier that I use running records, letters
and sounds assessment, and sight words (high frequency words) to assess my students. I need to
understand the comprehension level to give the best intervention. When it comes to the NWEA
Map test scores, this lets me focus on areas in which I need to help my students. What I like
about the MAP scores is that I can put my students into the proper reading groups.

5. Authentic assessment strategies – I imagine these to be our technology-based tools. For me, we
use IXL for math, and we use Lexia for reading. The are other programs the students can use for
learning like ABC Mouse or PBS Kids. IXL can also give me the option to focus a kid on
mathematical concepts they need to work on to master and to do better.

6. Remediation strategies – I’ve often had to find a different method for attention-getters in the
classroom. So far the “bell” has been a lifesaver when I am near it, but when I am not just saying
“freeze” gets the students to stop and listen. This will be an ongoing strategy that will need to be
updated regularly based on where I am teaching at.

7. Parent and student involvement in the assessment process – I think if a student does poorly on
a test, they should be able to redo it at least once. However, I would need to know what the
reasons are for the student to have to retake the test. A. were they paying attention or b. do they
not know the content? I send homework packets home on Monday so the parents and students
can work on them throughout the week. If a student needs to retest, I’ll send a practice sheet
home. For letters and sounds assessment I bought flash cards for all of my students that were
sent home so they could work on their letter sounds. I want the parents to be involved in the
student’s success. The parents, students, principal, and I all signed a “compact” which outlines
each of our roles in the success of the students.

8. Grading Practices – Grading practices should be established with a mentor teacher. It’s possible
to grade too much or too little. At our school, I would grade normally based on tests, and specific
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writing prompts. I.e a 10-question math test being 25 points based on the components in each
question. What’s nice is this will transfer from my gradebook to the report cards on a 1-4 scale as
that it how report cards are sent out.

Section 6 – Engaging Instruction

Engagement is where the fun is at. An engaged classroom is a successful classroom. Never be afraid to
step outside your own boundaries to experience something new. For me, being in the classroom has
allowed me to break out of my shell and be more engaged with my students.

How the brain learns and its implications for instructional decisions.
Too much time spent on instruction, and you will lose the students, and they may even lose the
knowledge you just spent that time lecturing on. Engage! Ask questions as you go over the materials.
Spend a chunk of time instructing and work on the gradual release of information “I do, we do, you do”.
When I do a math lesson, we go over the interactive student lessons, and then I work on some of the
workbook pages with them. When we get to the section of “on your own” I let them loose to work on it
themselves and then we go over it as a class. If we make the lesson engaging, there will be more interest
in participation as well.

Examples of how to create relevant and rigorous learning opportunities.

1. A science lesson on animals. We read the studies weekly article that is provided and then we
read a book or two on animals and traits. We also scheduled a trip to the zoo. When students
can connect with real world objects it makes the learning opportunity that more beneficial.
2. A math lesson. Using manipulatives to teach addition and subtraction. The students can see
from the visual interaction of having 10 cubes and taking 1 away that there are only 9 cubes left.
I’m limited on the resources I currently have access too, but the cubes seem to work for a lot of
our lessons as well as the red/yellow dot manipulatives.

Examples of how to organize cooperative learning to enhance engagement.

1. Work with a neighboring class on learning. While I was out for bereavement, my mentor teacher
invited my class to join hers for many opportunities to learn about animals for the units I could
not teach. The 3 first grade teachers planned a joint field trip to Blandford Nature Center for
student to experience what some of the animals we learned about looked like through their
own eyes.
2. Participating in a college university program where students get to work with college students
on projects that are designed to engage the students. Community involvement is always
encouraged.

Rationale for using cooperative learning.

Cooperative learning is essential for the:
- Development of higher-level thinking, oral communication, self-management, and leadership
skills.
- Promotion of student-faculty interaction.
- Increase in student retention, self-esteem, and responsibility.
- Exposure to and an increase in understanding of diverse perspectives.
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- Preparation for real-life social and employment situations. (Cornell, n.d.).

I couldn’t say what Cornell University had to say any better than what I wrote above. All in all it is just a
better environment for the students. One of my summer school theme ideas for 6 th/7th grade was for
them to choose a job they were interested in and have an opportunity to experience what that job was
like. I envisioned a lot of field trips, even if they were only virtual but a chance for some exposure into
the employment side of their futures. It was marked as a go, but I never head the opportunity to teach
those grades for summer school.

Examples of how to create interdisciplinary connections.

An example that kinds to mind is combining science and math with animals. I ask the students to tell me
how many animals in total they had seen at the zoo. While also having them identify traits. Using these
traits, we can again come back to math to compare differences, for example I could ask how many
fingers a sloth has to a panda bear. Or intentionally find animals that might have less appendages to
count to give them an opportunity to compare numbers.

Section #7 – Response to behavioral issues

Entering a new grade can be difficult for many students. They may not know some of their classmates,
or the classmates are the same from the previous grade. Strangers can often provide opportunities for
problems. Students may think to bully, or not share, be mean, or even cheat off other friends in a class. I
had established a routine of moving seats when kids get too out of hand. One of my students who could
not perform in a group was put at a desk outside of the normal group desk arrangement. It took
sometime but the students behavior improved and that student was put into a group again. There have
been no problems inside the classroom with that student, and I feel it was a successful win for all.

There is a great opportunity for students to handle their own problems by saying, “I don’t like that, or
please do not do that”. Often times we run into that student who is going to tattle every chance he/she
gets. This is a good opportunity for students to “own it, fix it, and move on”.

Section #8 – Responding to Diversity

As a teacher, one may never land in a specific spot. They could be all over the school from one grade to
the next. Or they could be lucky and teach 1 st grade their whole life. Being open to diversity is important.
It is also important to model and engage the students in accepting diversity. For example, a teacher asks
about differences in students in the classroom. Not one student mentions the color of a classmates skin,
only different shirts, shoes, hair, and eye color. Sometimes they point out the student is wearing glasses
and another is not. These are all examples of diversity. In an ELL classroom, diversity can be the different
languages spoken. The teacher is there to build on English vocabulary to help the student become
successful. Make sure when starting a lesson that you ask what students know before engaging,
accessing prior knowledge. When using differentiation be mindful of the students who have IEPs,
creating a differentiated activity that they can be part of while the other students use a text can go a
long way in teaching diversity.
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References:

Collaborative learning: Center for teaching innovation. Collaborative Learning | Center for
Teaching Innovation. (n.d.). Retrieved November 15, 2022, from
https://teaching.cornell.edu/teaching-resources/active-collaborative-learning/collaborative-
learning

McMillan, J. H. (2018). Classroom assessment: Principles and practice that enhance student
learning and motivation. Pearson.

*Note on research: a lot of practices are self-taught. Those that have been highlighted as referenced
are research based. However, most of this is from personal experience and through trial and error.