Running head: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 1

Classroom Management Plan

Alyssa Chavez

California State University of Dominguez Hills

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Classroom Management Plan

I conducted my fieldwork hours at Gardena Elementary. I was assigned a first-grade

teacher named Mrs. MacMinn. I observed mainly English Language Learners because over half

her class was classified that way. I also had interaction with special needs and academic

difficulties. My special needs child was gifted and reading fifth grade words. My academically

struggling child was still trying to learn sounds of letters. I wondered how my teacher would be

able to teach such a wide variety of students. I soon found my answer in her classroom set up.

All the desks were towards the center of the room facing the whiteboard and arranged in groups

that formed tables. On the whiteboard, she had number charts, alphabet letters, calendars and

other helpful posters. Behind her desks were her learning centers dedicated to reading, writing

and analyzing. Each center had posters and tools unique for each setting. For example, the

writing center had prompts, sentence starters, and activities a child could do. To the left of that is

the library that has plenty of books for the children to read. Adjacent to that is a table, where the

teacher does specialized group readings for kids at similar reading levels. At the right of the

room is the carpeted area, where the students all sit together to read stories and answer questions.

Mrs. MacMinn also has the students work hanging throughout her classroom walls. Every

subject had something highlighted that was unique. I learned a lot of new things from observing

Mrs. MacMinn’s first grade classroom.

On the Classroom Management Spectrum, I am disciplinary in classroom set up and

engaging in all other aspects. I placed myself on disciplinary for set up because I will have a

classroom routine for the day and have expectations for how the children act in the classroom. I

am engaging in all other aspects because I would include them in the process of creating the

routine and expectations. I am also going to be a teacher that incorporates my students interests
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into my lessons while also providing meaningful and appropriately challenging work. My

classroom management plan is going to focus on a general plan that establishes my goals and

expectations for my future classroom from routines and procedures to parent communication.

Routines and Procedures

The first routine I would teach my children about would be our classroom signs. I would

do this first because this is something that would be used every single day throughout the year.

To establish a smooth transition into these signs, I would first hang posters that show pictures of

our signs with what they mean under it. For example, if someone makes a “w” with their hand

using their three center fingers that means water. I would then go over the signs with them and

explain each one along with stating that I will give them a thumb up to signal that they may go or

do what they have asked. This might take longer for younger students to remember so just keep

enforcing the signs and reminding them to use them and eventually it will become a habit.

My second routine would be to establish a drop box in the back of the room. A drop box

is where kids can grab a piece of paper to write any suggestions, comments, questions or

concerns. For younger children, I would have sentence starters to make the task easier and more

efficient. Before I allow them to use this tool, I would explain the purpose of it so the children

understand that it is to benefit them by giving them the opportunity to give feedback on lessons

and ask questions they may be too shy to ask in front of the class. After they write it out, they

drop it into the box. I would establish a rule that children may only go to the drop box after a

lesson and before or after lunch time. I pick these two times because the questions or comments

will be fresh after a lesson and before or after lunch to write about topics that may not be

academic. There is no rule about what kind of questions or comments you can make besides not

being rude or offensive about another classmate.

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The last routine I would implement into my classroom is a class meeting every Friday

(Pinto, 2013). The class meeting would be conducted right after lunch because you have done a

couple of lessons and the children have gotten their energy out from playing. I would have my

younger kids sit in a circle on a carpeted area and older children would arrange their chairs into

circles. To get my kids use to this, I would hold my first meeting on the first Friday of the school

year. During this meeting, I would go over why we have the meetings, how they work and what

the rules are. For example, I would explain that students could use the drop box to make

comments and questions that they would like to discuss during the meeting. Classroom meetings

have been shown to improve bonding between the students and teacher while also creating a safe

classroom environment.

Expectations and Rules

On the first day of class, I would explain to my students that we would be creating our

classroom expectations. I would tell them how important they are by explaining that we would

base our classroom management on them. I would ask the children to raise their hand if they

have an idea for an expectation. Once they say it, I would have the class vote on it by a thumb up

for yes and a thumb down for no. If the majority rules yes, then I will write it on our expectations

poster. The way that I would enforce the rules is by giving constant reminders at the beginning of

the year and review them when we return from a long break. I would also make sure I follow the

rules as well because teachers should never expect their students to do something they would not.

Student Autonomy

In order for students to take responsibility for their actions, they must first understand

what responsibility is. That is why I would give a lesson on what it means to be responsible. For
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younger children, I might read a book about someone getting a pet and realizing that it is hard

work to own a pet. I would then ask them what becoming a pet owner means and explain the

term responsibility to them. For older students, we would have a discussion and ask them for

examples when they took responsibility for their actions or how they showed they could be

responsible. I went deeper into the topic for the older students because I want them to think both

critically and analytically. You could make this lesson as basic or as in depth as you want it

depending on the goal you wish to accomplish.

After this lesson, I would begin assigning classroom jobs through a job chart that

switches daily (Lewis, 2016). Assigning jobs to students, allows them to deep their feet into the

pool of responsibility. They still find the jobs fun but begin to understand if they do not do their

job it effects the whole class. The students will then realize that their actions have consequences

and that it is their responsibility to make sure their job gets done. This leads students to

becoming more independent and self-sufficient. Depending on the grade, you could make the

jobs more simple or complex. For younger children, you could have one of them be your paper

passer or the line leader. Older students could take the attendance sheet to the office or collect

the homework that day. Classroom jobs are a great stepping stone in teaching students to be

responsible.

The last thing I would implement to evoke responsibility in students is group work.

Group work shows students what breaking down a project looks like ad how to distribute the

work evenly. As the teacher I would have the assignments ready before hand and have a job for

each person inn the group to do. To allow my students to grow, I would let the group decide

amongst themselves what jobs they each get and how to present the final product. Giving the

students assignments like this helps them improve multiple skills such as communication,
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organization, problem solving and distribution of work.

Use of Time

As a teacher, one of the hardest things to do is maximize time efficacy. With only a short

amount of time to go through all the lessons, every minute counts. One way to maximize time is

by coming up with a daily schedule (Meador, 2017). A schedule allows your students to develop

a routine. When in a routine, children are better able to transition from one subject to the next

with less delay. You will also find students reminding you that it is time to move on from one

subject to the next. A daily schedule allows most of your days to have a constant flow and makes

it easier when you have to move things around for unseen events.

Another way to maximize time is to come up with a transition to let students know we are

switching lessons. I would start by teaching my students that when they hear me ring a bell it is a

signal to freeze, put down their pencils and look at me (Metropolitan, 2008). To teach this to my

students, we would practice by playing a game where they dance around but when they hear the

bell they must freeze. This will teach them to associate the bell with freezing in a fun way. After

I have their attention, I’ll ask do you know what time it is? They respond time to switch

(Metropolitan, 2008). I would teach them this by doing it every time we switch and helping them

respond the first couple of times. Having an obvious transition makes it easier for students to

move from one subject to the next.

The last thing I would do to maximize time in my classroom is make sure my students

have everything they will need for the day at their desk (Metropolitan, 2008). Some teachers

have books or journals in another part of the classroom and waste time having students get their

stuff and come back to their desk. In my classroom before the day gets started, I will do a check
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list where I tell the students all the materials they will need for the day. The students will then

have about three to five minutes to get the stuff they are missing from their desk and get back to

their seats. This will make it easier during transitions to another subject because the teacher and

student do not have to waste time getting their materials ready or deal with the disruption of

everyone getting up.

Accommodations

For English Language Learners small group and individualized work is very important

(Davis, 2012). Some students are able to read and write English while some are barely learning

letters and sounds. For my students who might be more advanced, I would place them in the

appropriate reading group and have them read and write according to their abilities. As for

homework, I would do my best to find books with audio in English and Spanish so that way they

can listen to both and put together words they might be struggling with. I would them have them

write short sentences in English about the story. For my students who are not able to read and

write just yet, I would have them in the same small group where I have them listen to an audio

book in Spanish while they follow along with the real book in English. This should help them

associate more Spanish words with English words. Since they are unable to read and write in

English, for homework I would have them listen to an audio book in Spanish. They would then

have a worksheet asking questions about the story in Spanish. I would allow then to write in

Spanish until they learn more words in English. To help them with their English, I have them do

games and worksheets that help them recognize letters and sounds.

For my students who would be struggling academically, I would place them in small

groups according to their ability in reading or math. I would set up the class with individual work

on a subject and call each small group up as they work. For those who are academically behind,
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my small group instruction would be focused on building the skills they are lacking in whether

they be sound recognition or adding numbers. I would put a little bit of homework that reinforces

their strengths and a lot of homework that builds up their weaknesses. Those who are

academically behind need more individual work because most of the time group work is not

enough to make up all the skills they are lacking or need improvement on.

For my special needs students with disabilities, I would do my best to accommodate

them. For example, if I had a child with epilepsy I would dim the lights in my classroom or I

would allow a student with ADHD to stand up while doing their class work. For small group

work, I would place them in the appropriate group academically and makes changes that they

may need such as a closer seat or a louder reading voice. For individual work, I would give them

the appropriate level work while changing it to meet their needs. The same goes for my special

needs students who are gifted. They would be in a group that was near or at their level so they

can feel challenged mentally. For individual work, I would give them the appropriate level work

while also adding in some new material to challenge their critical thinking ability. When trying

to accommodate students, teachers must keep in mind that the work can still be at a student’s

level and challenging.

Peer Interaction

One way to create peer interaction for diverse learners is by conducting group work. As a

teacher it is okay to pair students together who do not normally interact. Although it may seem

scary, grouping students in a way you normally would not is actually good for them. It allows

them to get out of their comfort zone and work with someone who has different ideas than them.

Doing this helps show students that just because something is different does not make it bad. It

teaches students tolerance, respect and acceptance of all people not just their classmates.
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In class learning games are another great way to create peer interaction. Learning games

are not just a fun activity but also a bonding one. For example, you could play addition bingo

with any class and just make the numbers bigger or smaller depending on the grade. In that game

students ask their peers to solve an addition problem and sign their name until they get a bingo.

This game allows shy students or students who have a hard time communicating to practice their

communication skills in a safe and fun environment. These students along with all your others

get a chance to have fun, interact and learn all at the same time.

My last way to promote peer interaction with diverse learners is by producing skits on

bullying, peer pressure and other student conflicts at least once a month. With this activity, you

tell your class about a conflict involving one of the subjects I stated. You then split them into

groups and tell them to come up with a way to resolve the conflict. The students would then have

a certain time to resolve it and practice their skit. After time is over, each group will go up and

present their skit on the resolution they found. Once everyone has gone have a class discussion

about the conflict, ask how they felt about it and discuss how they can resolve a similar conflict

like this in the future. This will help your students feel like their classroom is a safe and

accepting place.

Fairness, Equity and Respect

In order for a teacher to provided fairness in their classroom, they must provide their

students with what they need. Every students’ needs are different and that is what you must

explain to your students. Although some students might get something another does not, the

teacher must explain that the child needs it to have an equal opportunity at learning. For

example, an ELL student might need the teacher to read a question to them on an exam because

they cannot read it themselves. This does not mean the teacher is playing favorites but that the
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teacher is giving that student a fair shot at passing a test they would have otherwise failed. To

ensure my students are treated fairly, I would make sure that I am aware of my own biases and

take a step back when needed to ensure that I am giving my students an equitable education. To

foster respect among myself and my students, I would start with treating my students with

respect always. Students see the way you talk and treat them and they will treat you accordingly.

If I want respect from my students, I must earn it by respecting them and showing them how to

be respectful to others. To earn respect among my colleges, I would start by being polite and

respectful. I would then move onto asking their advice in something I have seen them excel in.

This shows that I am attentive and making an effort to a respectful college.

Parent Communication

The first thing I would do as a teacher to create strong communication with my parents is

to do at least one home visit (Pinto, 2013). At home visits are a little more challenging because

you have to find time to go visit along with working around a parent’s schedule. Once you do

have set times to visit, create a sign-up list for parents. When the day arrives, you go to the house

and talk to the parents about their expectations for their child. The parents tend to be more

responsive to this method because it is a very personal meeting and it shows the teacher really

cares about their child. The teacher also learns more about her students and the community they

live in, which will in turn help them create more meaningful lesson plans.

My last form of communication would be to do sunshine calls (Pinto, 2013). A sunshine

call is calling a parent to let them know their child had a good day or did something good. At

first parents do not know what to expect when you call but after they find out that calling is good

they become more comfortable. It is important to keep in mind that some cultures do not like

when you call too much because to them it means something is wrong. As teachers it is
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important to inform your parents on your preferred method of contact so they are aware and there

is no misunderstanding. Clear communication is key when notifying parents for any reason.

One way to get parents involved in the learning process, is by having a parent-student

night every other month. On this night parents come with their child and work on an activity with

them that they are currently learning. They could be doing a coloring page with rhyming words

or a science experiment. These types of nights are great because it allows them to bond while

also seeing what their child is currently up to. The parent also gets insight on how their child is

doing on that subject and to ask the teacher any questions they might have.

Another way to get parents engaged is by having a meeting every two months, that

discusses how to improve the classroom. The parents can voice any concerns or questions they

might have and get immediate feedback from the teacher. The parents can also voice any

improvements they would like to make and discuss with the teacher how to make it a possibility.

This creates a space where parents and the teacher feel like coworkers working together to

improve the education for their children.

The last thing I would do to promote the parents to engage is by sending home a survey

for them to fill out every month. The survey would have questions about what the students

learned that month and what the parents felt their child knows well and what they think needs

improvement. Based on their feedback, the teacher could create lesson plans reincorporating the

areas parents thought needed improvement and create some more challenging content for the

areas that they are exceling in. There would also be a space for any comments or questions they

had and the teacher could respond by phone or email.

Conclusion
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As a teacher my goal is to create a safe and fun environment for my students. In order to

achieve this, as a teacher I must provide equitable opportunities and treat all students with

respect. I must also not let my biases get in the way of affectively teaching all my students. As a

teacher I must also be willing to make accommodations for my students along with small group

and individualized work. I must also get my parents actively involved in their child’s learning.

My classroom management plan is my guide in achieving my goal as a teacher.

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References

Davis, B. M. (2012) How to teach students who don’t look like you: Culturally responsive

teaching strategies (2nded.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin

Lewis, B. (2016). Teach Students Responsibility with Job Applications. Retrieved from

https://www.thoughtco.com/classroom-jobs-for-elementary-school-students-2081543

Meador, D. (2017). Strategies for teachers to maximize student learning time. Retrieved from

thoughtco.com/strategies-for-teachers-to-maximize-student-learning-time-4065667.

Metropolitan Center for Urban Development (2008). Culturally responsive classroom

management strategies. Retrieved from

https://steinhardt.nyu.edu/scmsAdmin/uploads/005/121/Culturally%20Responsive%20

Classroo%20Mgmt%20Strat2.pdf

Pinto, L. E. (2013). From Discipline to Culturally Responsive Engagement. Thousand Oaks, CA:

Corwin