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What did you learn?

Throughout this course, I have been able to evaluate my current classroom management plan to see what changes need to be made and how I can improve to be more beneficial to my students. I learned that some of the behavioral management and classroom management tactics can be a make or break to the validity of the class as a whole.

What are the benefits of having a class management plan?

The benefits of having a class management plan include having an opportunity to have a class that can run itself. The procedures that are put into place ultimately drive the efficiency of the plan. Students are more inclined to buy in when they are benefiting from the plan. Students can achieve this by understanding the WHY behind the rules and procedures. This type of plan steers away from having a reward system that students can buy into in order to work hard or behave well. Instead, students should be taught expectations, procedures, and rules that are consistent day in and day out, and that are constant, having very little to zero downtime.

What do you feel still needs work/adjusting?

Due to the severity of behavioral needs in my classroom, creating class procedures can be rather difficult. It would also be more beneficial if I were to have each of the groups of students for more than an hour at a time then the procedures would be more consistent and easier to follow-through and teach.

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As soon as students enter the room, the teacher should instantly be teaching procedures, like the seating chart. Students should find their seating by finding their name on the desk, get their folder out, then hang out their bookbags, and jackets in the designated area in the back.

After all students have come in, the teacher will model how to remove papers that are in the “return the school” side and what basket these will be placed in, and where their folders will go every morning. Students will then practice for themselves. The teacher will then teach students where the restroom is, and how to ask to use the restroom.  Other procedures that should be covered quickly are how to walk in the hallway or how to transition around the classroom. I also like to teach students how to join the carpet and how to be an active listener during carpet time, and instruction. While teaching procedures, I introduce rules and expectations and explain why these rules are important to keep everyone safe while learning.

When teaching content, it is important that students are still putting into practice the procedures that were learned such as active listening. First, the lesson needs to be introduced and tied to the previous lesson. As the topics are being introduced during direct instruction, students should be walked through, given notes, or have the opportunity to take notes to be able to refer back to them. Afterward, they should have guided practice to put into play what they have just learned while using notes and by having the teacher model what to do. Once they have a basic knowledge of what to do they will use hands-on activities, or maybe manipulatives to help them make connections within the content. Students then should have the opportunity to practice what they have learned independently. This independent practice can be used as an “assessment”, to assess their understanding of the topic. This “assessment” will show the teacher where the student's weaknesses lie within the practice.

The teacher will also teach students how to line up for lunch, how to walk through the lunch line, what to grab in the lunch line, and where to sit. They will also teach students what bus or transportation they will ride in the afternoons and where they can find their bus or the parent pick-up area. Finally, the teacher will review what was learned.

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Some ways that teachers may build a good rapport with students may include:

Morning Greetings

Positive Reinforcement

Let them know how they can ask for help–and how you will be there for them

Ask and learn about their interests

Provide grace and understanding when students mess up

Teachers should have strong relationships with their students, where trust is established. Once that relationship is built teachers can pour into their students what they know they are capable of. Teachers have to believe that their students are capable of achieving their goals, sharpening their skills, and are able to learn, and they have to mean it.

Starting with building rapport, when students enter the classroom and first meet their teacher they want to feel loved and welcomed instantly. This also set the tone for the relationship between the teacher and the student. This relationship is built by asking students about their interests and their hobbies. It is also built by learning about their families and their backgrounds. A great way to learn about this is through activities such as “get to know you” activities. It doesn’t have to be only limited to one, they can be tailored to different things, such as interests, favorites, talents, etc.

The link attached is a parent letter that explains the contact information for the teacher, a list of the classroom rules and an explanation for how these rules and procedures will be taught to the students.

Parents should have full involvement with the progress that the students have within the school setting. They should also have all the tools (rules, procedures, etc.) to be able to reinforce it at home.

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Teaching Procedures

Seating chart

Keep at home / Return to school folders

Return to school papers

Return to home papers

Turn in bins

Active listening skills

How to walk in the hallway

Transitions within the classroom

When to raise your hand

How to be an attentive listener

How to work in groups during rotations

How to work in partners/groups for specific assignments

Clean up routine

These procedures are used in the classroom setting to ensure that the classroom is running efficiently. Teaching the students how to be an effective and active part of running the classroom can significantly improve behavior within the classroom. When teachers teach students their expectations and what those expectations look like, students are more inclined to buy into the routine. This type of management needs to be constantly put into practice and also needs to be carried out throughout the year. Students must understand the meaning behind their behavior and actions. By teaching students the purpose of their behavior, they understand why that expectation is there and why it is important for them to follow it. This can transfer over and intertwine with how students learn as well.

A lesson plan has been included that is a review of many of the procedures that are mentioned above.

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ED569_Lesson Plan Template (Dinosaurs peer reading) (1)

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1. Do your best.

2. Raise your hand if you have a question, want to speak, or want to answer.

3. Keep your hands and feet to yourself.

4. Be a good listener.

This link also includes prompts based on the rules that are outlined. These prompts can be used as a reminder and redirection to the students to use appropriate behavior.

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I am a Kindergarten- 2nd grade resource room special education teacher. I currently service 22 students on my caseload. I pull students in groups of typically 5 to 6 each for at least an hour daily, a few groups receive additional time. My ideal classroom if given the space would have two small group kidney tables so that the paraprofessional aide and I would be able to help run rotation groups for instruction. The lighting would be soft and on the dim side, using the large window for the major of the light. I do prefer a warmer room, so the temperature will be set on 72. My classroom theme is tropical. When coming to my classroom my students will typically say that they are going to paradise. The paradise theme is bright but happy and welcoming. The student will also have their own desk to do independent work at, but they will not have flexible seating, I have never had good luck with them. I love having a class library for students to look through, read and fall in love with books. I have a welcoming carpet for students to all join together when I am reading a book, or when they are watching videos. The calm down corner is for students who are overstimulated, overwhelmed, not regulated, or need a rest break. I have found in the last 3 years that this setup really works best for our room and situation. When an aide is available and provided, then I am about to pull a few additional students and can rotate in groups so that instruction is more meaningful and direct. In my classroom, expectations, that have pictures and words on them, are posted in the room. I also show the students where their boxes are to turn work into.