Inclusive Classroom Management Plan

Briana Friddle
 Table of Contents

Classroom Management Plan

Philosophy of teaching

Building Relationships

Instructional Engagement

Structure

Behavior Expectations & Conflict Resolution

Classroom Management Plan

 Philosophy of Teaching

As a lover of learning, I grew up appreciating school and the teachers I had. Throughout

elementary school, my favorite thing to play was “teacher.” I had my own whiteboard,

chalkboard, and classroom supplies. Everything I saw that day by my teacher at school was

reciprocated by little Miss Friddle in her room with her three dogs. They ended up becoming the

most educated dogs in Temecula. My experiences as a student definitely influenced my desire to

become a teacher. I cannot name one elementary teacher I had that I do not look up to. I feel

grateful to have had an abundance of knowledge instilled in me in what it means to be a “good

teacher” at such a young age. I believe that a good educator is someone who listens, inspires, and

makes learning fun. When I was in high school I found my “why.” In high school I started taking

American Sign Language. I instantly fell in love with learning about this language and culture.

Both of my teachers are women I majorly respect and look up to in my teaching profession. This

is where I truly discovered what it means to have a passion for something and wanting to share

that passion with others. I immediately knew that I wanted to become a teacher so I could share

this interest with others and help others learn to love learning. I am very passionate about

language and think we should encourage the next generations to prioritize the acquisition of

language. I find using ASL in my classroom practices to be beneficial and it helps students to

learn more about the language, and hopefully sparks curiosity for them to continue studying

language in their own education. In addition, I always have loved working with children and

spent many years throughout college being a nanny. I knew that I loved the little ones and

decided to pursue elementary education. I hope that my students will always know that I am on

their team. I want them to feel comfortable and safe in my classroom so their number one

priority in my room can be to learn and be the best student they can be for the day. My core
belief is that every student has the right to an inclusive, safe, and engaging learning environment

where they are seen, and I will strive to accomplish this every day as an educator.

Classroom Management Plan

My inclusive classroom management plan incorporates a few categories which help me to

foster the environment of my classroom. These categories include: building relationships,

instructional engagement, structure, and behavior expectations and conflict resolution.

Building Relationships

At the beginning of the year, I allow the class as a community to create their set of

classroom rules. These can be things such as: be respectful, walk at all times, treat others the way

you want to be treated, always try your best, be a bucket filler, participate, be focused, stay in

your seat, and raise your hand before speaking. I like the students to be active participants in this

process because these are rules they will need to follow each and every day in our classroom.

Another way I like to build relationships at the start of the year is by giving a worksheet, Seesaw

activity, or hosting a circle meeting with the class so they can share some information about

themselves with me. These questions can look like: how old are you, what hobbies do you have,

what do you enjoy doing in your free time, do you play a sport, who do you live with, what is

your favorite food, etc. This will help me to get to know my students at the start of the year so I

know who is in my class. I will also share similar information about myself with them so they

can get to know me too, because I think it is important for this relationship to be equal to a

degree. The next thing I like to do is write students' birthdays, and all holidays on our calendar. I

like to take a moment to acknowledge these things and the holidays or cultural months as they

approach so every student can feel represented and seen in my classroom. This will also educate
the students about different cultural norms that they may not have known about previously and

will eliminate conflicts around the idea of racism, sexism, homophobia, and bullying.

Everyday ways I like to build relationships with my students is by greeting them each

morning and making them feel welcome. This happens as soon as they enter my room. I like to

acknowledge each student in this process by stating their name. For example, “Good morning,

Angel! I’m happy you are here today.” This initial greeting is a great way to start the day because

students are able to greet you back and feel welcomed and safe when they enter the room. In

addition, I like to check in with my students each morning to see if there is anything going on

that may hinder their learning experience for the day that I should be aware of. This allows me to

be in tune with my students' social-emotional learning, and allows me to support them in their

number one job, learning. I like to do this by having a morning meeting with primary grades. In

this meeting we will circle up and I will ask guiding questions. Each student will have the

opportunity to share their answer, and will be able to state how they are doing. However, for

upper grades this looks a little different. While students are quietly and independently working

once they enter the room, I will walk around to check in with each table group. I will ask them

how they are doing and if there is anything the students and I should discuss privately or as a

class.
 Instructional Engagement

During instruction, I find that it is crucial for my students to consistently be engaged in

the material and collaborating in order to achieve high-order thinking. I do this in a multitude of

ways. The first is by allowing opportunities for the students to think-pair-share before

participating in whole-class discussions. In addition, I like to ask for volunteers and occasionally

randomly call on students using Class Dojo to spark more collaboration among the entirety of the

class. Furthermore, I think learning is made most accessible for students when the material is

presented in different ways. For example, using chants to help students memorize important

content. I have done this with my fourth graders about the main idea. The teacher states it and

they repeat it. We use gestures as it is recited to further engage students in active learning.

“Main idea!

Main idea!

Tells us what we’re going to read!

Tells us what we’re going to read!

How do we know?

How do we know?

We look for supporting details!

We look for supporting details!”

By engaging my students in this chant including gestures, the students were able to use elements

of the song to enhance their understanding about the main idea. This makes learning fun! I found

that this approach was helpful for all students, specifically EL students.
 Structure

I like for my students to have a good idea of what each day will look like in the class. I

set this up for students by writing the schedule on the board before they enter the room. This

allows students to be aware of the day's plan as soon as they enter the class and know what is

expected for the day. Another way I like to provide structure to my classroom is by starting class

the same way each day. For example, my third graders start each morning the same way. They

walk in quietly and immediately begin working on their XtraMath. Once they complete it they

know to work on their i-Ready or other necessary work for the week. During this time it gives

them the opportunity to get adjusted to the atmosphere of the classroom before beginning

instruction. From my observations of implementing this routine, it allows students to be ready to

learn and does not jump right into heavy lesson material within the first 30-minutes of instruction

time. In addition, another routine I like to practice is creating an accessible list of assignments

that need to be completed for the week. For younger grades, I like to do this on the whiteboard

listed in order of importance. For upper grades, I like to do this digitally through Google

Classroom. This is similar to the end of the day procedure as well. For upper grades, I like to

have the homework written on the day. However, for younger grades I like to send parents a

message through Seesaw about the homework reminders for the day. I like to type this in front of

the students so they know the homework as well. Throughout the day, I like to make transition

time clear. I do this by setting a timer for students to complete the directions given. Additionally,

when it is time to begin the next lesson I like to count down from 3 for students to be ready. This

can look like: “In 3 I need voices off, in 2 I need your focus at the front of the room, and in 1

please be ready to listen.” This gives students the opportunity to be ready for the next steps

necessary and allows them to shift their focus. It clearly tells them what they should be doing by
the end of the countdown so they are ready to learn.

Behavior Expectations & Conflict Resolution

I have high expectations and standards for my class, so I like the behavior expectations to

be made clear at the beginning of the year. As mentioned previously, I like the class as a

community to make their own set of rules and norms. This furthermore helps to maintain a safe

and positive learning environment for the students because we will be able to maintain these set

of rules because it is a list of things they made. During instruction I like to use Class Dojo as a

reward system for participation and behavior. I find that using this as a motivating force for

students to actively participate in classroom discussion, is very effective and makes them want to

participate. To influence behavior, I use Class Dojo as well. For example, if I notice a student is

following directions I will praise them with a point. “I notice Sarah has her materials out and is

waiting quietly, I am going to give her a Dojo point.” This helps the rest of the class to have a

model for the expected behavior. For students who have difficulties with behavior, in the past I

have found it very effective to use behavior contracts. These contracts are an award system and

something the students are typically weaned off of. For example, in the first month if they

receive 4⁄5 stickers for the day they will receive a prize. In the second month, if the students
receive 4⁄5 stickers for the week they will receive a prize at the end of the week. Finally, in the

last month they must receive ⅘ stickers for the month to receive a prize. This system is to make it

clear to these students what kind of behavior gets praise and when behavior does not earn you

praise. In regards to seating, I like to begin the year with assigned seating until I get to know my

students. If the behavior of the class permits it, I will slowly allow students to begin picking their

own seats. If this option becomes too out of hand, students will be given a permanent assigned

seat by me. To continue, conflicts are another area of concern in the classroom, and I like to find

a moment to speak to the students individually to address the issue occurring. An idea that has

stuck with me from the Chelise Parent Presentation is that behavior always has a reason.

Therefore, my preferred method of intervention is to base my approach off of the proactive

model from “Lost at School,” by Dr. Ross Greene. This model has a few steps: empathy, adult

concerns, and invitation. As mentioned in my Case Study Management Plan, I find that this

model is something I strive to use in behavior situations because it allows you as the teacher to

hear the student, but to voice your concerns in a way that allow the student to come to solutions

on their own terms in a way you both agree would be best.

Classroom Management Plan

My belief that every student has the right to an inclusive, safe, and engaging learning

environment where they are seen, is represented through my practices and approach throughout

my classroom management plan.