Classroom Management Plan

November 3, 2017
Sam Sawtschuk

Within a holistic, practical, and meaningful education, I believe in supporting learners in setting

goals and working to reach their full potential, starting exactly where they are in their development.

Situated in strong values of empowerment and inclusion in my work, I approach classroom management

as a facilitator in community building, within the larger school community and beyond.

Inclusion

I take an inclusive approach to classroom management through an understanding that all

students need supports to be successful in actualizing their goals. I understand inclusive classroom

management as working to challenge socially constructed links between gender, race, ability,

socioeconomic status and students’ capacity for behavior, learning, and achievement. I believe in

collaborative classroom communities, where learners are empowered, teachers and students exchange

mutual respect, responsibility is fostered, and caring is felt and shared among all. I believe empowering

students to identify and articulate their needs, and work together as a community to support the diverse

needs of all.

Trauma Informed Approach & Healing Centered Engagement

In creating a safe and supportive learning environment, I attune to students’ needs through

building relationships and following a trauma informed approach; understanding that inherited and

experienced trauma affects mental, physical, emotional health and wellbeing. Trauma impacts learning.

Creating a calm, consistent classroom environment through group guidelines, routines, thoughtful
organization, and mindfulness practice benefits all students. Healing centered engagement within

education is holistic and strengths based, focused on supporting the wellbeing of students exposed to

trauma. A healing centered approach to trauma works to support students through empowerment, and

wellness on their own terms.

Building Relationships with Parents and Families

Building relationships with students’ families and communities allows for a collaborative

approach to students’ education; unified support from family and teacher alike increases motivation and

can allow for a more meaningful educational experience. Families can provide context for the ways

students’ experiences school, allowing for opportunities to better meet students’ needs within the

classroom. Creating a productive partnerships with families enhances students’ learning and fosters

strong community within the school and beyond.

Setting Rules and Expectations

Establishing rules, group guidelines and expectations early in the school year, collaboratively as

a classroom community, increases the likelihood that students will embrace rules and self-regulate

accordingly. Setting expectations collaboratively involves trusting students to become responsible

members of the classroom community, taking part in expressing their needs in creating a positive and

supportive learning environment. Setting expectations through consistent modeling of empathy and

respectful collaboration with others is crucial in providing a venue for holistic education.

Establishing Norms and Routines

Creating a safe and supportive classroom environment through consistency, clear boundaries,

enforced expectations, and a healthy balance of calm and stimulation is important for students.
Providing structure and facilitating systems with which students can understand their role within the

classroom, eases anxieties and allows students to feel safe; cooperation can be fostered, and students

are able to practice increased independence, requiring less prompting to meet expectations. Creating

and fostering a culture of safety within the classroom allows students to reach manageable goals,

empowering students to take risks in their learning. Establishing routines allows the class to run

smoothly, minimizing disruption and increasing instructional and independent work time.

Preventative Measures for Discipline

Establishing, maintaining, and sustaining rules and routines through positive reinforcement, are

central components to preventative discipline. Through mindful leadership and becoming attuned to

students’ needs through building relationships, it is possible to successfully implement strategies that

support students in emotionally self-regulating. Engaging in specific and positive feedback, praising

effort, and setting manageable and individualized goals for students contributes to creating a classroom

where students feel safe and successful, maximizing student engagement and minimizing negative

behaviors.

Consequences Rather Than Punishment

Understanding that all behavior is a form of communication, it is crucial to build relationships

that allow greater understanding of student’s needs; punishing students does not allow the student

space for self-reflection around their behaviors and choices, and the natural consequences that follow.

Through supporting the development of students’ self-regulation and taking the time to explain natural

consequences, students are able to actively participate in making choices and taking responsibility for

their actions. Through treating children with dignity while setting clear boundaries, alongside
collaboratively agreed upon expectations, and inviting students to participate in the solution to the

problem allows opportunities for students to develop respect for themselves and their learning.

Self-Reflective Practice

Mindfully analyzing classroom dynamics and remaining present allows for flexibility and

readjustment of classroom management plans. Connecting with peers, resources and research, and

prioritizing the shifting needs of students is best practice in classroom management. Facilitating a safe

and supportive learning environment for students involves creativity, versatility, and open-mindedness

grounded in values of empowering students as learners and active participants in their communities.