Classroom Management Plan

Leah Bromaghim

Table of Contents

Part I: Classroom OrganizationA. PhysicalMy Ideal Classroom Description .....4Ms. Bromaghims Classroom Layout Design....5

B. OperationalRecord Keeping Procedures ...6New Student Procedures ........6Orderly Classroom and Clean Desk Procedures ....7Displaying Student Work ...8

Part II: Disciplinary Policies and Professional EthicsEstablishing Rules and Expectations 9Consequences for Breaking Class Rules or School Rule Infractions ...9A Disrespectful Student 10Student Conflict on the Playground ..10Student Inattentiveness or Lack of Motivation .10Tardiness ...10Disrupting or Offending Another Student During Class .11Student Not Getting Work Done ..11Cheating Policy 11Behavior as a School Professional ...12

Part III: Classroom Routines & ProceduresStudent Sharing ...13Room Helpers .13Free Time ....14Field Trips ...14Homework and Handing in Papers .14Activities for Students When Finished with Work .15Dismissals ...15Going to Specials 15Bathroom Procedures ..15

Differentiation Policy .16Parents 16Newsletter ..17

Part I: Classroom Organization

A. Physical

My Ideal Classroom:

Welcome to Ms. Bromaghims classroom! Come right in and hang your coat up on your very own hook that is attached to your assigned cubby. Please find your assigned seat at one of the three tables. You will have 8 tablemates who you will interact with during work times. Soon we will be congregating as a group on the large group area rug over by the windows and white board.This is how I might greet a new student entering my ideal classroom for the first time. When I was designing my classroom, I wanted to have different specified areas while still having a fairly open concept room. This is for many reasons, the main one being visual. As a teacher I want to be able to see everything that is going on. At the same time though, I want my student to enter my room and be excited to learn. There are many different learning environments in my classroom. I have art and math and science centers but also dramatic play, building, and computer areas. Each of these areas or centers provide different materials to enhance and encourage students learning while still leaving room for imagination in play. One of my favorite learning areas is the library or silent reading area that includes an ample amount of space on bookshelves to hold many stories and also bean bag chairs to make sure my students are comfortable while reading (and because they are fun). I hope that these things help encourage my future students to read to their hearts content!The group work area will provide a space for me to work individually or in small groups with my students. I like the idea of a half moon table to give me space to help each student out. Having a sink and drinking fountain in the classroom will be very convenient and helpful so that art projects can be cleaned up easily and my students and I can keep our hands germ free.The large group rug area is definitely one of my favorite parts of the room, it is in the farthest corner from the door so that I can see the door, but my students will be facing away and wont get distracted. It is also situated by windows, which will give us some good light and is next to the white board and information wall. The information wall will have the welcome greeting, days of the week, todays date, helper of the day, and all other important things to know for the day or week or month.

Ms. Bromaghims Classroom Layout

B. Operational

Record Keeping Procedures:

In my classroom there will be many different types of record keeping procedures. I will use a graphic notebook to keep all totals for my students' grades as well as an Excel sheet on my computer or possibly on a Google Drive spreadsheet so that I can access it anywhere. This will allow me to still have access to the grades, even if there are technological or computer failures. If my school or district had an online forum or portal where parents could log on to check grades I would update this often as well. I will keep blank charts with students names and blank spaces to take notes as I walk around during work time, this will be an informal check for focus and behavior. I also might attempt to use Sue Jones' post-it strategy of keeping post-it's or notecards attached to a clipboard as I clipboard cruise. This could be used for multiple days and will be easy to separate in order to show or give to parents at conferences. These two strategies are a way of keeping informal records throughout a unit versus the ideas mentioned earlier that will be more formal records that actually contribute to the grading system. I will have files on hand with student work and assessment checklists, etc. I will give the contents of these files to the parents at conference time.

New Student Procedures:

I will be using the buddy system for new students entering my classroom. I will have them sit by a student in my class who is friendly and knows all the procedures and rules. This student will show the new student around the school and introduce them to people, etc. On their first day we'll have a full group discussion introducing the student and spend a bit of time telling them about us and having them tell us about themself. I will also spend extra time making sure the student feels comfortable and do a few check ins during the first week and even into the second. I will make sure the student falls into the habit of knowing the classroom rules and procedures and understands why they are in place. Since one of my main mottos is going to be "Know your students." I will make sure to meet their parent/guardian within the first week and try to learn about the new students' background and gain an understanding to get to know them better.

Orderly Classroom and Clean Desk Procedures:

If you look at my Physical layout design you will see that I have tables instead of desks. This in and of itself should cut down on messiness. However, for supplies, I plan to have students share a "toolbox" in pairs at the table. These tool boxes will be shallow plastic drawers (the white ones you might buy at target in a storage aisle, see picture to the right) that the kids can go pull out when they need, and are put away nicely when not being used. They will share markers, crayons, pencils, pens, glue, and scissors in these drawers. I will be implementing the Super Secret Scrap that Jen Huegel uses in her classroom to make sure the floor gets thoroughly picked up. I will wipe down the tables and surfaces in my classroom with Clorox wipes often (at least once a day) to keep them clean and bacteria free. Although my students' seating chart will be organized into tables, we will try to switch seating arrangements every 1-2 months. I don't want to change it too often, because I think routines are important, especially in Kindergarten. I don't want to switch things up on them too much, but would like them to be exposed to experiences with other classmates. My class will be spending time on the large group meeting area rug and we will probably have assign spots on there too. This arrangement might be easier to switch around more often.I'm also going to have to have some personal procedures in place for myself to keep my classroom orderly. I tend to be pretty messy and I like to accumulate stuff. My life is organized chaos, so I always know where everything is but it looks very disorganized. So, to look presentable, I will try to take time every Friday topic things and organize my desk. It will take a while to really get the habits down but I definitely think it is possible.

Displaying Student Work:

Student work will be the central focus of how my classroom is decorated. I will put up a few favorite motivational and fun posters as well as a chart/poster with the few classroom rules I have on it. Other than these I will leave a lot of blank space in order to fill it up with student artwork!As a kindergarten teacher, I will have a huge emphasis on art in my classroom. It will be implemented well because kindergarteners are still learning how to read and write, so it is easier for them to express themselves through art. Plus who doesnt love putting up custom made work by students who inspire you? I think art should be emphasized in a huge way throughout elementary school, but in my kindergarten class, almost everything we do will involve some sort of art form. I think it will be so fun and interesting to find ways of integrating everything with each other. For example, when we focus on patterns in math, why not have them make their own colorful patterns to learn the concept. Once the concept is ingrained, apply the idea of patterns to literacy and show them how there are patterns in word families, etc.After every lesson that requires the students to make a piece of artwork, my class will go on a gallery walk. The students will lay their work out on their desks and the class will walk around looking at all of the different pieces. There will be comment cards to leave for students to write on to let the artist know theyve made an impression on them. This might be a way of using Mrs. Huegels bucket filling idea. Each student has to have a comment card filled out by the end of the gallery walk because we want our friends to feel good about their creativity.I hope that whatever school I work at will have art throughout the hallways, on display for any visitor to see how talented the students of the school are. It would be even better if the school was designed and included the philosophy of the Bernstein Model. Hillside Elementary is an amazing example of this, and I would feel very fortunate to work at a school like that.As I said earlier, my students work will be the wallpaper in my classroom; maybe Ill even have it on the ceiling! There will be so much of it that it will spill out onto the walls of the hallway, on display for anyone who walks by to see.

*The student artwork inserted near the top of this page is actually mine from when I was in kindergarten.Part II: Disciplinary Policies and Professional Ethics

Establishing Rules and Expectations:

As we have learned throughout Curriculum and Pedagogy, it is very important to establish rules, procedures, and routines during the first couple weeks of school and to continue to practice them throughout the school year.I will only have a couple classroom rules. They will be something around the lines of:1. Be respectful (to the environment, people, and self).2. Work hard and try your best.3. Make good choices.4. Have fun!The first week of school we might learn a new rule each day. We will go over them and figure out ways of remembering them together (hand actions, skits, an activity of some sort). I want to make this fun and exciting for the kids. I dont want it to be scary or boring. As kindergartenersRoutines will be integrated into our class schedule; we will do the same subjects at the same time everyday. We may go over together what the routines are and what they mean, but they should be fairly easy for them to learn and for me to teach since they are pretty much integrated into what we are doing anyway. I will also hold my students to pretty high expectations and I will communicate what they are to them clearly. I want to scaffold each of my students in their ZPD (zone of proximal development). This will require me to know my students very well. I want to know where they are at developmentally in all subjects and areas and I want to know how to challenge them to reach the next level up.

Consequences for Breaking Class Rules and Classroom or School Rule Infractions:

If my students dont follow my rules, they will have to face the consequences. They will know in advance that there will be consequences for not following the rules. Depending upon the rule that was broken, some actions I would take would be having a one-on-one conference (or heart to heart as Sue Jones our guest speaker calls it) to discuss such disagreeable behavior. I will try to avoid embarrassing, shaming, or humiliating students in front of the rest of the class, because I know that does not feel good. After a solo conference with me, the student will have to do some type of action to correct the mistake they made. This might include apologizing to different people, cleaning desks/walls (if they wrote on them), cleaning up a mess, etc. If student is disagreeable and unwilling to cooperate, I will call on external help in the form of sending to another coworkers class to think about actions or the principal.If it is more of a minor issue, for example: a child talking out of turn continuously during morning meeting, I might tell them to Take a break. I will have a designated area for this possibly a rug or chair where the student take a break from being with the class. They get the chance to gather them and shape up and get to choose when to rejoin the class. It is a nice method because the responsibility is on the child to decide if they are ready or not, and if they arent, they will be sent back to the break spot.A Disrespectful Student:

If a student is disrespectful to myself or to another teacher I will try to manage the situation on my own. I will pull the child aside and explain to them the behavior that I am unhappy with and explain the course of action I want them to take. I will emphasize the importance of apologizing and truly meaning it. I will also have them bring a behavior slip home to their parent explaining everything that happened. I will get administration and the principal involved if necessary.

Student Conflict on the Playground:

Student conflicts on the play ground can be tricky because a lot of the time it becomes a he said she said battle and if you didnt see the initial incident it is hard to judge the proper ruling on the issue. I would pull the two children aside and ask them each what happened. I will call on witnesses as well if necessary, but I will try to get the issue settled between the people it is between by hearing both sides of the story and knowing my students well. They might have to sit out of the game or whatever activity they are involved in to think about their actions.

Student Inattentiveness or Lack of Motivation:

If a student seems to be inattentive or lacks motivation in my classroom I will do a one-on-one conference with them to ask and try to figure out what is going on. I will try to pump them up and get them excited about learning. I will also probably have the social worker or school psychologist meet with them incase it might be a health related issue or learning disability type of thing. I may also contact the parents in this situation to see if anything is going on at home or if they are seeing any of the same behavior. One possible plan of action for this child might be a rewards plan such as candy or a token economy to help motivate them. This might sound like bribery but it has been proven to work.

Tardiness:

Tardiness is an issue I would definitely contact the parents about. Especially with my classroom of kindergarteners, I feel like it would be rare for it to be the childs fault that they are consistently late, unless they are dawdling in the hallways. Either way, I would contact the parents to make sure they are aware and I would discuss with both student and parents the importance of being in class, especially in the morning during morning meeting.Disrupting or Offending Another Student During Class:

Disrupting or offending another student during class would be a similar situation to the playground but would need to be dealt with quicker and smoother. First, I might separate the children, George, how about you come sit up here by me and we will talk about this problem later. During a break, I would pull the two students aside and discuss with them what happened and give them better examples of how to deal with such a situation if another arises. Apologizes will be made and the issue should be settled.

Student Not Getting Work Done:

If a student is not getting work done or is trying to not get work done, I will give them reminders that they are choosing not to and that if they do not start something soon, I may have to make a choice for them (moving them to a different spot, room, etc.).I will also make sure they know of the importance of not disrupting their peers work, focus, or concentration. This was an issue for me in school. I talked too much during work time and got in trouble for a it a lot, but I truly believe that if my teachers had pulled me aside and explained how not only was I not getting work done but I was distracting other students from completing their work, I think I would have understood a little better.

Cheating Policy:If I child cheats in my classroom, I will definitely have a one-on-one conference with them. I think that at the age of a kindergartener, you want to make sure they know that it is a serious deal, but you dont want to freak them out. I wouldnt notify the parents or administration right away, but I would keep a record of it on file incase it happened again. I would let the student know this as well.

Behavior as a School Professional:

As a kindergarten teacher, I will act like a professional at school. I will act like one even when Im outside of school because you never know when you might run into a student! As a school professional, I will conduct myself formally, but I wont be too busy to be friendly and helpful along the way.I know that it is easy to say I will stay out of Lounge Gossip, but when you are actually there, in the role, it will probably be very hard not to. I dont think there is anything wrong with your students running wild outside, I will just have to make sure that I keep their personal and professional information safe and not go blabbing to Dr. Beisser about so-and-sos parents divorce. I think it is to talk about your students and their schoolwork to coworkers in a professional setting.If, for some reason, I do not get along with a colleague, I would attempt to interact with other teachers instead. I would not tell other people about it, unless it was a serious issue, then I would talk to the principal. No one likes to have people talk about him or her behind their backs, so theres no need to do so. I think especially as a professional that is a model to youngsters, I think this is very important.If I did not agree with the leadership strategies or views of my principal I would figure out a way to get along on my own without using them so much. In the book Educating Esme, he principal was horrible. If I remember correctly he was racist and used to hit on all of the young skinny teachers and actually picked them based on the possibilities of them maybe being a future wife. This is so messed up. But Esme tried to not let it bother her and just took matters of her job into her own hands and just went with it. She made a huge difference in her students lives, and then she transferred to a different school.So I guess I would just do what I had to, to protect my job, effectively teach my students, and keep my head high and not offend anyone.

Part III: Classroom Routines & Procedures

Student Sharing:

Student sharing will be apart of every day. We will have formal and informal ways of sharing. When we complete a project or work of art, I will ask for a handful of sharers to come up in front of the class and talk about how and why they did what they did for their final design. I will keep track of who has shared and will try to mix it up as much as possible. I will also encourage all of my students to share their work no matter what. It is good practice to get up in front of everyone and show off something you made.Sharing is also a part of the Daily Five that I plan to organize my literacy block as. Sharing is at the end, having students report what they did during their Daily Five. This will be a way for me to know if they were productive, but also a time for students to get their words out.

Room Helpers:

My room helper is going to be called the Lucky Duck they will be responsible for turning off the lights, carrying the library books bin, the lunch boxes bin, being a runner for me if I need something to go to a different teacher, help put up the date during morning meeting, passing back papers to mailboxes or desks, etc. I think in kindergarten it would be too complicated to have more than one helper, it would somehow be unfair, and it would be harder to keep track of. I know that it is fun and the kids all like having a job, but with kindergarteners I just feel that it would make my life simpler to only have one. I would keep track of who had already been the Lucky Duck and who hadnt yet by putting my students names on clothes pins and keeping the ones who havent yet in a container, every day I will pick a new one and put that students clothespin on a Lucky Duck on the board, the rest of the already used Lucky Duck clothes pins will go in another container. Both will be labeled so as to not be confusing.

Free Time:

Free time at the end of the day will be in centers with the option of always being able to read independently. If students didnt complete their work from earlier, they will have to use this time to get it done. This time will allow me to help those children with their work and gives the rest of the students time to make choices for themselves, doing something they want within the classroom. Most centers will only have four spots in them. Each student will have a nametag with his or her picture and name on it. There will be a little piece of Velcro on the back of it to attach to a sheet posted by each center with four spots and the other side of the little piece of Velcro for them to attach their nametag to say they are in that center.Occasionally I might take my students outside for free time at the end of the day if it is nice out.

Field Trips:

When we go on field trips, I will coach my students on how they should behave, depending upon where we are going. But overall I will emphasize that we are representing the whole school and no one will get to come back if we dont make a good impression. Or the idea that we as a class wont get to go on any more field trips if we dont conduct ourselves in a presentable manner while still being able to have fun. The two chaperones that I bring along will help to look for that.I will give my class a focus question to think about while we are on a field trip (no worksheet or anything, they are only kindergarteners) that I we will reflect on afterwards. It might even be about what they observed, what they saw, or who they talked to, etc.

Homework and Handing in Papers:

With an emphasis on Reading and Literacy in my classroom, there will be reading homework almost every night. If there is something to turn in, they will be responsible for putting it in the turn in basket located on my desk for grading. I will check a few days a week for a parent signature on their sheets that go in their book bag that a parent is supposed to sign off on that they read together or the student read to the parents.

Activities for Students When Finished with Work: If students are done with their work early, they will have a choice of what they can do. They can go get a paper puzzle (word find, cross word, etc) that I will always have available, or they can play with my large collection of literacy center games, or they can read independently. Other options will be considered if the students ask.

Dismissals:

I will use the old who has the quietest table? technique to get the students calm before we venture to another part of the building. We will walk in a single file line down the halls of the school. I will make assigned line spots if I have to. There are procedures for walking in line that include: hands to your side and to yourself, lips zipped, and pay attention to what is going on. If my class has issues with walking in the hallways, I might assign spots if need be.One fun thing that a former teacher of mine used to do when wed walk in the hallways was do a dance of some sort or something goofy like hoping on one foot or twirling. It was 5th grade but it was so funny and fun. The trick was we had to stay quiet though and if she heard any noise we had to get back in our straight quiet line and wouldnt get to do the crazy line for a while. With kindergarteners this might be a little difficult but I think it would be fun to try.

Going to Specials:

Before leaving the classroom I will do a check to see that everyone has his or her needed materials (sketchbook and pencil for art, gym shoes for gym, etc.). If time allows, we will stop at the bathrooms on the way to and on the way back from specials. The same line expectations and bathroom expectations and procedures are in place.

Bathroom Procedures:

When we stop by the bathrooms, I will expect my students to at least try using the restroom and preferably everyone to wash their hands to keep ourselves germ free. I will have bathroom passes in my classroom but Id really like my students to get on schedule and go when the time is more appropriate. As I said there will be bathroom passes, one for the girls restroom and one for the boys. If they get lost I wont be replacing them so they will need to take good care of them. Students may get a drink when we are by the bathrooms or can get one in our classroom since we have a drinking fountain.

Differentiation Policy:

Assisting Students That Dont Understand Directions or Tasks:I will give extra attention and check on these students a fair amount during work time. It might seem unfair to spend more time with them and not everyone else, but I will give the most attention to the ones that need it. That seems the most fair to me. My kids will be in reading groups based on levels, these are flexible to provide for mobility between them if a student improves or needs more work on something else.They will also get extra work time if they need it. Specifically during the first part of free time, that way they can still get some free time after working on their assignments.I will specifically cater to the students needs by doing things like making different worksheets for each level. So maybe giving them pictures or more of the words filled in or certain things to help guide them better. I will also encourage them to ask questions.

Challenges for Gifted and High Ability Students:I will group the Gifted/Talented and high ability students together for most activities because there is no need for them to be with other students where they end up being the teacher all the time. I want these kids to challenge each other and work together to problem solve. I will give them separate worksheets from those of the class with more higher-level thinking and interactivity. For example, when the rest of the class will be filling in a worksheet for the lyrics to a song we have been working on in class, I will challenge the gifted kids to come up with something on their own.They will read higher-level books in reading groups and I will give them their own individual homework in their literacy journals to work on at night. This will not be extra work just more focused on the students needs.

Parents:

I will send home a weekly newsletter if I can keep up with one. Otherwise it will have to be monthly to communicate with parents. It is important to keep the parents involved in their students learning and to know what is going on. I have attached an example of a newsletter I might send home.Parent teacher conferences will be a fun time for me! I will compile all work the students had done thus far and show it to the parents, some of it they can take home but some I will save to put together a folder or portfolio at the end of the year. I will encourage the students to come in as well and will have activities for them to do with their parents while in our classroom.

Ms. Bromaghims Parent Newsletter

Parents of my wonderful students,Happy March! Happy Saint Patricks Day! Happy spring is almost here!To start off, thank you (again) to all who were able to make it to your childs conferences. I really appreciate it and it means a lot to my students to have their parents and guardians involved. So thank you! Also, thank you to those who volunteered to help out with conferences (set up, take down, bake sale, etc.), you all are truly the ones that make this school what it is.This weeks letter is about four topics that are very necessary to include in your childs reading development process that could be worked on at home. I will explain and define as much as possible but feel free to email me or ask me if you have questions.Enjoy!

I will be conducting another two parent workshops later this month. They will be on March 28th at 4:00 and 7:00. Please let me know if you will be attending.

We are going to the Zoo next week on a class field trip! Bring a packed lunch and a jacket if it is cold.We visit the school library every Thursday so remind your children to bring back their books!++Issue 7, March 2013

Dont forget!In This IssueTalking with childrenShared storybook readingPhonemic awarenessEnvironmental PrintThe importance of:Talking with childrenThe best way to improve where your child is in their language development is to talk to them. This may seem like a simple task, but it is a very important one. You should talk and talk and talk. Even when they are infants, talking can really advance and enhance. Tell them what you are doing. Use their name and your name. Talk about words and explain them. It doesnt even really matter what you talk about as long as you talk and expose your child to lots of sounds and speech. Once they are old enough you can start asking questions and have them formulate their own response and then ask more questions.

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