Tobi Akinseye

Dr. McAllister

ED 327

April 5, 2023

Classroom Management Plan: Part Two

As previously noted, my classroom management philosophy is based on the premise that

all students deserve a say in what they learn as well as a sense of safety in the classroom. My

goal is to foster learning that is engaging, interactive, and developmentally appropriate. To

achieve this, I plan to teach in a manner that is culturally responsive and relevant. Culturally

responsive teaching, according to the book These Kids Are Out of Control, is "using cultural

knowledge, prior experiences, frames of references, and performance styles of ethnically diverse

students to make learning encounters more relevant to and effective for them" (24). To me,

culturally responsive teaching is a strategy for making learning more equitable and relevant by

embracing ethnically diverse students' experiences, traditions, and values. It is a validating

approach because it affirms and recognizes the cultural backgrounds, experiences, and values of

students and their families. My teaching experiences have taught me that when students do not

feel validated or acknowledged, they simply do not retain any information being taught.

In my classroom, culturally responsive teaching will combine the required academic

standards with information that is historically and socially pertinent. A vital aspect of this is

having a highly engaging lesson that fits the needs of the students being taught. High-

engagement lessons "keep students engaged in learning and decrease the likelihood that they will

turn to distracting or disruptive behaviors instead" (Milner et al., 79). When the lesson is not

engaging, the teacher is faced with the conundrum of having a time in class where students are
freely mingling, being overly loud, or being disorganized. A highly engaging lesson fills those

gaps by providing students with something to do or concentrate on before they can even reach

the point of distraction. "At the middle school level, a high-engagement lesson might involve a

mock trial activity where students do historical research to prepare to play a role in social

studies" (Milner et al., 75). A highly engaging lesson in my classroom might take the form of

learning taxes with M&M's, analyzing and drawing political cartoons, or creating a class

constitution.

Another important component of my classroom management plan is the use of effective

instruction. These are instructions that help students organize their knowledge. Effective

instruction, for me, extends beyond the lesson plan; it defines the instructional time allotted and

the manner in which I plan to communicate with students. The first element of effective

instruction is "teachers and students engaging in critical reflective practices" (Milner et al., 57).

For me, this will look like reflecting on my own actions or beliefs regarding issues relating to

equity, classroom norms, or classroom behavior. The second element of effective instruction is

high student engagement in the course content. As already highlighted, I plan to ensure this by

creating highly engaging lessons that target the students' particular needs. The third element of

effective instruction is positively framing all aspects of a student’s learning experience. I plan to

do this by remaining optimistic and enthusiastic about my students' learning experiences while

consistently displaying a high regard for teaching. The fourth element of effective instruction is

building a vibrant classroom community. I plan to build this by allowing students to make errors

and learn from each other.

Another strategy for building a vibrant classroom community is to display personal

warmth with active demandingness—also known as being a "warm demander" (Milner et al.,
111). To me, this term refers to being a teacher who builds bonds with students based on trust,

validation, and respect while simultaneously demanding high standards/excellence. My role as a

warm demander is to provide students with guidance to help them meet the high standards, such

as corrective feedback and opportunities for students to learn from their mistakes. In my

classroom, I will express warmth through non-verbal communication such as smiling, eye

contact, and professional posture. I will express active demandingness by encouraging

productive struggle and giving constant feedback.

An important component of being a warm demander is earning the right to demand. This

can be done in a variety of ways, but establishing rapport is the most effective because it allows

for a deep connection that extends beyond academics. Rapport is a harmonious relationship

between a teacher and student that is based on mutual understanding, personal regard, and trust.

A strategy that I plan to use to build rapport is giving my students assignments that allow them to

share their experiences and interests (Milner et al., 112). In my classroom, this will take the form

of family history projects or community history projects. Another strategy I plan to use to build

rapport is to attend extracurricular activities that feature my students (Milner et al., 113). This is

a modest gesture that I think will demonstrate to students that I care about their success and well-

being outside of the classroom context.

That being said, relationships between teachers and students act as the foundation for a

healthy classroom culture. For example, a positive teacher-student relationship enables students

to see that "mistakes and improvements are natural parts of the learning process" (Milner et al.,

89). In essence, these relationships play an important role in promoting student learning. The

challenge to all of this is maintaining these positive relationships while allowing students to

retain their dignity and autonomy. A teacher can tackle this challenge by allowing students to be
drivers of their own education. For example, allowing students to be equal contributors in the

classroom or providing as much academic freedom as possible... Another way for teachers to

approach this is by simply acknowledging or writing down any contributions that students make

in a class discussion. This, at the bare minimum, lets students know that their voice and opinion

are valued and respected.

Another important aspect of my classroom management plan is restorative discipline.

This approach to discipline is built on the "idea that schools are places where students are

expected to make errors and learn from them" (Milner et al., 133). Personally, I do not view

discipline as a form of punishment; rather, I see it as a means of substituting unwanted or

disruptive behaviors with productive ones. My ideal method for restorative discipline involves

using affective language. These are phrases, statements, or questions that express feelings or

emotions in response to a particular action or behavior (Milner et al., 139). At Zionsville West, I

observed Ms. Milligan doing this by having a one-on-one conversation with a student about the

use of profanity and how it made her feel. This was very effective because the student took the

time to reflect on how the action might have made everyone else in the class feel. I plan to use

this strategy in a similar way to redirect and help students make better choices. It is worth noting,

however, that affective language can be used to reinforce positive behavior too (Milner et al.,

139).

Another restorative discipline method is the use of conferencing. This is simply a

facilitated conversation between individuals who were harmed (physically, emotionally,

psychologically, etc.) and those responsible for causing the harm. The goal is for students to

explain their side of the story and advocate for a viable solution (Milner et al., 158). Although I

do not believe this discipline style is appropriate for every situation, I do believe it is a good way
to resolve conflict and reach realistic solutions. I can see myself using this method to deal with

situations involving bullying or something as simple as settling tensions after a fight. In the case

of bullying, the method allows the victim to express their frustrations in a safe and constructive

manner. It also gives the person who did the bullying time to reflect on the effects of their

actions and consider a fair resolution. I plan on involving parents in these discipline strategies by

informing them of the solutions that their children came up with. This will ensure complete

transparency and serve as another way to hold the students accountable.

Overall, my classroom management plan includes a broad spectrum of culturally

responsive and relevant practices. For me, being responsive means being able to adapt and meet

the needs of the students being taught. Things like effective instruction, restorative discipline,

and high-engagement lessons will help me accomplish just that.

 Work Cited

Milner IV, H. Richard, and H. Richard et al. These Kids Are Out of Control: Why We Must

Reimagine Classroom Management for Equity. 2018.