Alyssa Supple

Professor Suk
Educational Field Experience EDUC 230-13
Spring 2015
Rationale Statement Classroom Management NJPTS Number Three
Statement of Standard Three:
Learning Environments. The teacher works with others to create environments
that support individual and collaborative learning, and that encourage positive social
interaction, active engagement in learning, and self motivation. (NJPTS, 2014, p. 20).
Name of Artifact: Classroom Management Plan and Layout
Date of Artifact: February 19, 2015
Course: Education Field Experience EDUC 230-13
Rationale Statement:
My classroom management artifact describes in detail the ways in which my class
is to be structured and run on a daily basis. I began the exercise with a list of expectations
for my students, all of which revolved around their role in the classroom as active
participants and active learners. With the appropriate consequences for students actions
outlined further, I made it clear that the rules of the classroom are created in the students
best interest, and that their participation will greatly aid in the flow of the class. In this
way, I appealed to NJPTS Standard Threes Essential Knowledge point one, which states:
The teacher understands the relationship between motivation and engagement and
knows how to design learning experiences using strategies that build learner selfdirection and ownership of learning, (NJPTS, 2014, p. 21). By addressing the fact that
the student is responsible for his or her own learning which will be shaped by my
course curriculum I am setting my expectations high for students, in hopes of

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motivating them to perform to their best abilities. Each student has his or her own level of
responsibility, and as alluded to in Standard Threes Essential Knowledge point two, I
plan to help my students achieve their learning goals, by having my students work
productively and cooperatively, (NJPTS, 2014, p. 21).
This artifact also outlined my classroom layout, as well as my daily procedures. I
have constructed my class in a physically traditional set up with movable desks where
there is a lot of room for rearrangement, so as to best suit the needs of the class on a daily
basis. In terms of procedures in the classroom, I am very straightforward in my
explanation of daily activities, but in the same way, the nature of the material to be
covered leaves room for interpretation and for change. My main goal is to have a
classroom where communication flows freely. I have largely drawn upon Standard
Threes Critical Disposition four, which reads: The teacher seeks to foster respectful
communication among all members of the learning community, (NJPTS, 2014, p. 22). In
order to do so, I am allotting each student their share of responsibility, by having them
complete a Do Now, and having them participate in class discussion. I also intend to use a
variety of media and technology to relate to the class, and to further engage them in the
material they will be covering (NJPTS, 2014, 20).
Through this exercise, I have gotten a glimpse of what is required to run a
classroom from a day-to-day basis. Setting the expectations and procedures for a class is
a very difficult task, in the way that these written rules and regulations set the tone for the
year. How your students interpret this information can greatly shape how they view you
as a teacher, and how they view your class. To be clear and concise, and yet
compassionate through my words was very difficult, and I am learning how to balance

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my expectations with the needs of my students. Also, considering how I would physically
design my classroom opened my mind to how this affects the student experience, and
how I can make the best environment for a wide range of students. Thinking of how the
classroom needs to change based on the activity and on the material being covered
showed me how important atmosphere is for the overall learning experience, and that it
plays a huge role in how I would construct my lessons. I think that no amount of planning
will prepare me entirely for the experience of actually holding a lesson in the classroom,
but this exercise exposed the difficulties I will face in the future, and helped me come up
with solutions to these nuances of teaching.
I plan to use this artifact as a basis upon which I construct my class, and while I
may alter the document slightly, the ideas that I have conveyed will remain mostly the
same. I believe that it is important to establish an atmosphere of respect and
responsibility in the classroom, especially in the high school setting. By illustrating
through my own work the expectations I hold for the individuals in my class, I am
attempting to set up my students for success, in and out of the classroom. A teacher
should have a clear set of expectations and rules that he or she adheres to, but should also
have the flexibility and the open-mindedness to try new things and to expand the methods
used in the classroom so as to appeal to the diverse learning styles and interests of the
students.
References

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Professional Development in New Jersey. (2014, August 4). Retrieved from New Jersey
State Department of Education: http://www.state.nj.us/ education/ code/ current/
title6a/chap9c.pdf