Classroom Management Plan
Tier 1: Creating Community
E. D. Hirsch, Jr. states, "Academic excellence, educational equity, and fairness demand a strong foundation of knowledge for all learners." As an essentialist, I know there is a core curriculum that my students need in order to be successful in life. But for my students to acquire that curriculum, I must help them create an environment in which they feel safe asking questions, bringing forth their own ideas, and requesting assistance. Strategies for building community among teacher and students include:
- Create a safe haven by basing curriculum on student creativity (Olsen, 2009).
- Honor the knowledge and feelings that students bring to the classroom (Olsen, 2009).
- Class meetings: Interactive forums with consciousness-raising activities in which the class examines a problem and focuses on strategies with which to solve it (Villa, et al., 2010).
- Identify student positions and anticipate types of disruptive behavior (Kagan, et al., 2004).
- Conflict resolution conferences, class meetings, and practice self-control skills (Kagan, et al., 2004).
- With the students, design a respect agreement (Claassen and Claassen, 2008).
- Post classroom rules on the wall. These rules should be written in the syllabus.
- Be on time.
- Be on task.
- Be respectful.
- Greet students at the door and shake hands or give a fist bump. Do it with a smile, and be genuine.
- Celebrate the first day of school--school is fun and exciting, so we should be excited about what we're going to do this year (Wong and Wong, 2013).
- Post the agenda and objectives each day so that students know what is expected of them (Wong and Wong, 2013).
- Play name games with the class to help them get to know each other and to help you get to know them (Pranis, 2005).
Tier 2: Recovery
Ted Sizer commented, "Every student, without exception, should be able to succeed well at something consequential." Sometimes students get off track and chat, and often this is because they feel the material is too difficult. Most of the time, students just need a little reminder to get back on track so they can focus and achieve more. Strategies for recovery include:
- The teacher should be honest, admitting to mistakes and learning from them (Olsen, 2009).
- Students should plead their own case (Olsen, 2009).
- Use proximity to subtly warn students to get back on task (Villa, et al., 2010).
- Apply a moment of disruption structure suitable to the student's misbehavior (Kagan, et al., 2004).
- Subtly remind students of expected behavior (Charles, 2008).
- Familiar constructive reminders (Claassen and Claassen, 2008):
- Eye contact.
- Proximity.
- Predetermined signal.
- Point to the classroom rules posted on the wall.
- If students are speaking among themselves, the teacher volumizes his/her voice (without yelling) to get students' attention. The teacher says something to the effect of "I want everyone's attention now."
- Clapping sequences with younger students.
Tier 3: Life Skills
William Bagley stated, "Essentialists hope that when students leave school, they will possess not only basic skills and an extensive body of knowledge, but also disciplined, practical minds, capable of applying schoolhouse lessons in the real world." It takes life skills to develop a disciplined and practical mind, and I have a variety of ways to teach life skills to my students. I teach high school, so it's even more imperative that I teach my students how to make grown up decisions as they enter the adult world. Strategies for life skills include:
- Emphasize internal motivation among students (Olsen, 2009).
- Students should understand their own learning styles (Olsen, 2009).
- Employ problem-solving scripts (Villa, et al., 2010):
- "What are you doing?"
- "Does it comply with expectations?"
- "What could you do instead?"
- "Do you need a helper or reminder of this?"
- "You made a good choice!"
- "What are you doing?"
- Promote life skills within the curriculum and when responding to student behavior (Kagan, et al., 2004).
- Teach a variety of calming strategies and activities for students to work off energy (Kagan, et al., 2004).
- Employ active listening and include the student to change behavior (Claassen and Claassen, 2008).
- Self-reflection: Have a disruptive student write about his/her problem, why he/she is disrupting class, and how the student intends to address his/her behavior.
Tier 4: Somewhere Else Plan
Hyman Rickover mentioned, "Unless you can point your finger at the man who is responsible when something goes wrong, then you have never had anyone really responsible." Some people blame others for their behavior, and it may take time and removal from the situation for them to clear their minds and accept responsibility. I don't like removing a student from class, but there are cases when it is necessary to prevent further escalation of an issue. Strategies for a somewhere else plan include:
- Give students "downtime" to perform (Olsen, 2009).
- Create a group for students to vent their frustrations (Olsen, 2009).
- The planning room: A safe, controlled space with caring adults (Villa, et al., 2010).
- Employ problem-solving scripts (Charles, 1999):
- "Now is not a good time to discuss this. Can you meet with me for a couple minutes at (time) and (place)?"
- "Now is not a good time to discuss this. Can you meet with me for a couple minutes at (time) and (place)?"
- The Thinkery: Student goes to the vice principal and writes a self-reflection. The vice principal signs a form indicating the student is making satisfactory progress in identifying his/her behavior issues and strategizing ways to prevent them (Claassen and Claassen, 2008).
- Reserve removal from class as a last resort. Do everything you can to overcome the problem before sending the student out.
Tier 5: Wraparound Support
Isaac Kandel wrote, "Growth cannot be self-directed; it needs direction through a carefully chosen environment to a pattern or patterns in the minds of those who have charge of the child's education." Thus communication with parents/guardians is very necessary. When a student's self-discipline is a more serious issue, direct parental involvement is needed to change a student's pattern of behavior. Strategies for wraparound support include:
- Parents challenge school for their child's sake and seek alternate methods of schooling if necessary (Olsen, 2009).
- Create a consciousness raising group involving collaboration among teachers and parents (Olsen, 2009).
- Implement a positive behavior support plan (Villa, et al., 2010).
- Phone call to parent or guardian (Kagan, et al., 2004).
- Family conferences for parents/guardians and teacher to communicate and work together (Kagan, et al., 2004).
- Be a better person. Smile, demonstrate courtesy, know your students' names (Wong and Wong, 2013).
- Other forms of contact to parents/guardians, including email.
References:
Charles, C. (1999). The Synergetic Classroom: Joyful Teaching and Gentle Discipline. New York, NY: Addison-Wesley Longman.
Claassen, R., and Claassen, R. (2008). Discipline that Restores: Strategies to Create Respect, Cooperation, and Responsibility in the Classroom. North Charleston, SC: Booksurge Publishing.
Kagan, S., Kyle, P., and Scott, S. (2004). Win-Win Discipline: Solutions for All Discipline Problems. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing.
Olsen, K. (2009). Wounded by School: Recapturing the Joy in Learning and Standing Up to Old School Culture. New York, NY: Teacher's College Press.
Pranis, K. (2005). The Little Book of Circle Processes: A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking. The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding Series. Intercourse, PA: Good Books.
Villa, R., Thousand, J., and Nevin, I. (2010). Collaborating with Students in Instruction and Decision Making: The Untapped Resource. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Wong, H., and Wong, R. (2013). The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.
Claassen, R., and Claassen, R. (2008). Discipline that Restores: Strategies to Create Respect, Cooperation, and Responsibility in the Classroom. North Charleston, SC: Booksurge Publishing.
Kagan, S., Kyle, P., and Scott, S. (2004). Win-Win Discipline: Solutions for All Discipline Problems. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing.
Olsen, K. (2009). Wounded by School: Recapturing the Joy in Learning and Standing Up to Old School Culture. New York, NY: Teacher's College Press.
Pranis, K. (2005). The Little Book of Circle Processes: A New/Old Approach to Peacemaking. The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding Series. Intercourse, PA: Good Books.
Villa, R., Thousand, J., and Nevin, I. (2010). Collaborating with Students in Instruction and Decision Making: The Untapped Resource. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Wong, H., and Wong, R. (2013). The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications.
Integrated Thematic Unit
Collaboration is important for both students and teachers. My colleague, Hannah O'Shea, and I have designed an integrated thematic unit with the purpose of raising awareness of immigration through teaching English and Mathematics. Most communities in the United States have immigrants residing within them. This means that most schools will have at least one immigrant or child of an immigrant attending as a student. To explore the unit we created, please visit http://mathenglishitu.weebly.com.