Miss Ferris Classroom

Management Plan
{Elementary K-5th}

It takes a big heart to shape little minds

Classroom Rules---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 4-5

Classroom Procedures--------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 5-7

Rules and Procedures Narrative------------------------------------------------------------- Page 7

Preparation/Materials for the first day of school-------------------------------------- Page 8-12

Community Building Activities------------------------------------------------------- Page 12-16

Samples/Visuals that reflect my classroom management approach------------------ Page 17

Evaluation of ability to organize a classroom and manage students------------------ Page 18

Brochure-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 19

References/Resources------------------------------------------------------------------- Page 20-21

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 Personal Philosophy:

When it comes to my own personal philosophy I believe in two different models which are

Jim Fays Love and Logic, and Harry Wongs First Days of School. I agree with Fay, that

children learn the best lessons when they're given a task and allowed to make their own choices

(and fail) when the cost of failure is still small. I believe that children's failures must be coupled

with love and empathy from their educators. I believe in logical consequences when students

misbehave. They need to have consequences that make sense to them. For example, if a student

draws on the table, their consequence then needs to be they stay after class to clean their mess,

not just taking away recess time. They will learn better from their mistakes by being held

accountable for their mistakes with logical consequences. This approach also believes in

educators showing positivity and empathy toward students. I strongly believe by being

empathetic toward your students allows for an extremely strong bond and sense of security

between educator and student.

The second approach I believe in is First Days of School by Harry Wong. Within this

approach Wong explains that to have a well-run classroom the teacher must be prepared before

the students walk in that first day. I think that being ready from day one allows another great

opportunity for teacher and students to build relationships. I plan to have my room ready well

before the first day of school and everything labeled so that it is easy to manage for both teacher

and student. I also plan to greet my students in the mornings. I think that this is so important to

show that you care about your students and that you are ready to take on the day and they should

be too. I believe in effective classroom management by having classroom rules and procedures

within my classroom and Wong claims that effective teachers manage their classrooms, and

ineffective teachers discipline their classrooms. From day one I will inform my students of the

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rules and procedures within our classroom. They will be posted in the room for reference if ever

someone forgets them. I strongly believe in practice makes perfect so I will model to my students

the proper way the procedures in our room should be conducted. I will have the students also

practice these procedures during the first few weeks so that they have a great understanding of

my expectations and the way our classroom will be run.

I have seen both approaches in action within a classroom and I was very happy with the

outcome. The students were well behaved and if they were to act out, they knew exactly what

their consequences were without any question. The teacher had the classroom under control and

because of this the learning that happened within the classroom was inspirational.

Classroom Rules:

In my classroom, I will have 6 main rules that can apply for any student. The ones I chose

are tailored to K-5th grade and they are all things that I strongly believe in. My 6 rules are,

1. Listening Bodies

I will listen and follow directions.

2. Raised Hands

I will raise my hand to share ideas.

3. Quiet Mouths

I will use a soft voice when in the classroom.

4. Walking Feet

I will walk in school to be safe.

5. Helping Hands

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 I will use my hands for helping and not hurting.

6. Caring Hearts

I will use kind words.

These rules are determined by following my principles and the schools. These rules are

based on the safety of the students and provides a rich learning environment. I will have these

rules posted up in my classroom for reference if the students have questions. I will also send

home a parent letter in the beginning of the year and included in that will be the list of my rules

and why I ask that my students follow them. This provides the parents and students with this

information before they even set foot in my classroom.

Classroom Procedures:

My lessons and activities will be aligned along with the schools curriculum that is given

to me. Im a firm believer in group work and I think that it is so important for lower elementary

to work collaboratively on work. Due to this, I will have a meeting area in the front of the room

(usually have a colored rug there) and have the students start out at the carpet while I give

instruction. Then I will send the students back to their seats to do the work on their own or

collaboratively depending on the assignment.

When it comes to homework I will assign each student a folder. Within this folder there

will be a leave at home side and a bring to school side. This folder provides the students

with accountability skills for their own work and helps them to organize their papers. At the

beginning of each month, I will hand out a calendar that has all the homework assignments listed

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for each night. They will keep this calendar in their folder so that they know what is expected of

them each night.

If students have any questions on homework for that night, they will be Homework Question Board

able to write down their questions on sticky notes and bring them in to me the

next day. I will have a spot for them to place their sticky notes when they come

in in the morning and I will address the questions during our morning routine.

My spot will look a lot like the picture you see on the right, except my board

would say, Questions on homework last night? Place them here for answers!.

To get my classes attention, I will do one of two things, clap my hands in a pattern that

they must then clap to match it or I will call out, Can I have your attention please? which they

will then answer with, stop, look, and listen and then place their hands on their heads and a

bubble in their mouths. Once I have my students attention, I can then give them instruction

without interruptions and this provides for acceptable transition times.

More procedures that my students will need to learn:

How to enter the classroom

o Quietly and quickly

How to line up in ABC order

o Line up alphabetically from last names

How to place their stuff in their mailboxes and cubbies/lockers

How to sit on the carpet

o Crisscross applesauce, hands in lap, and quiet mouth

How to give the teacher their attention

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 o stop, look, and listen with their hands on their heads and bubble in their mouth

How morning meetings will go

What to do if they need to use the bathroom

o Quietly take the bathroom pass and put it on your desk and go

Rules and Procedures Narrative:

I chose these rules and procedures specifically for my classroom because I feel that they are

very clear and they cover the major behaviors that I would like my students to exhibit within my

classroom. They provide a rich learning environment for all and they allow for each person to be

kept safe within my classroom. My students behavior will be monitored and recorded by using

the clip chart (blue, green, yellow, and red). At the end of the day the child will see what color

their name is on and record it by taking out their homework calendar in their folder, finding the

day of the week they are on, and coloring in that square with the correct color (blue, green,

yellow, or red). I like this approach because it holds the children accountable for their own

behaviors and it makes them responsible for keeping track and recording their behavior every

day. At the end of month, the teacher will record how many greens and blues the child has, and if

they have more than the set goal for that month, then they receive a Green Card Party which is

hosted by the teacher. This allows for the students to celebrate their good behavior for the month.

The teacher provides treats and a movie for those who were able to attend. This approach

encourages the students to be on their best behavior and to encourages others to have good

behavior as well.

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 Preparation/Materials for the first day of school:

o Seating Arrangement/Chart

My classroom seating arrangement will be set up of groups of about 4-5 students at a table.

My classroom is mostly collaboratively based so this set up fits nicely for that. My desk will be

at the front of the class next to the white board which is where I will

give my instruction. On the floor in front of the board I will have a

big rug that students will sit on during morning meetings and when

instruction is being led.

Carpet
The students will have a seating chart from the moment they

walk into the classroom, but this can be subject to change within the

first few weeks depending on behaviors of the students and interacting with their peers. For K-2 I

would just put their names on their name tags for them and tape them to their desks myself and

have them find their own names. If I was teaching 3rd-5th I might have colored cards with their

names on them and hand them out when I greet them at the door on their first day. They will then

need to find the table that is labeled with the same color as their card and that will be where they

are to sit. Those names cards will then be taped down at their seats.

o Plan Lessons

On the first day of school, I hope to have at least the first 4-5 weeks planned. This will

allow for me to keep myself ahead and not get stressed for having to plan last minute. On the

first day, I will explain that the first couple of weeks are mainly just explaining procedures and

rules and practicing them so that everyone knows the expectations. I will also explain that the

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first few weeks are crucial for getting to know your peers and teacher so we will designate time

for those things.

o Routines and their Procedures

On the first day of school I will need to introduce procedures such as the classroom rules,

how to enter the classroom, how to put their stuff away in their mailboxes and cubbies/lockers,

how to line up in ABC order, how I will get their attention, how to sit on the carpet, how our

morning meetings will be set up, and what to do if they need to use the bathroom. Since these are

our main procedures that they will be using throughout the year, it is important that we practice

them on the first day so that they know from day one. All the other procedures can be introduced

as they come up. I think it will be more beneficial to introduce them and practice them when we

need to and when they apply versus teaching so many procedures at once, the children wont be

able to effectively retain them.

o Special Activities

I loved field trips as a student and so I will most definitely incorporate as many into my

yearly schedule as possible and as my school will allow. If it relates to my content that I am

teaching, I dont see the harm in these trips. It provides a great new way of retaining information

by experiencing learning first hand.

On top of field trips, I will also have holiday celebrations including birthdays. I will give

the students a chance to celebrate these holidays by having a party and fun educational activities

planned for them. For their birthdays, they will get the opportunity to bring in treats to share with

their classmates and they can be my special helper for the day. This allows for each student to be

the center of attention on their special day, and what child wouldnt love that?!

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 o Guest Speakers

I am willing to have guest speakers as they apply. For the first day, I could have the

principal come in and talk to the children. I could also have the teacher of the previous grade

come in quick to pump the kids up about their new grade and give them words of

encouragement. This provides comfort and hopefully can get rid of any fears that the students

might be feeling by starting off the new school year.

o Parent/Guardian Communication

I will be in contact with all parents and guardians by sending home a parent letter before

the first day of school describing a little bit about myself and my classroom management. Ill do

this so that they know me and my expectations for the year and can see how the year will play

out. I will also ask for parent emails and have a contact list created so that I can easily access it

when needed to contact them.

o Prepare for Conferences

For conferences, I want to be able to have collected the students work and have it all

organized in a folder that I can just pull out during the conferences for the parents and I to go

over. I will have my own folders for each child and in those folders, I will include work they

have done well on, work that I feel like they could use improvements or more practice, and any

of the assessments I have given them from the beginning of school. This will allow for organized

and well-planned conversation during PTCs. I have seen too many PTCs where the parents and

or teachers dont know what to talk about. Creating these folders with examples of their work

provides me with 3 main key points to cover in the conference. What the childs strengths are,

their weaknesses, and all their progress that they have made throughout the year.

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 If there is behavior issue with a certain child, I will also discuss that with the parent

however conferences wouldnt be the first time they are hearing about the issue. I plan to keep

good communication with my parents about the childrens behavior as the issues arise.

Conference is a place to discuss the childs growth, not the behavior problems we have. I would

have hoped to already have tackled that issue in advance.

o Substitute Teacher Plans

If I am out of the classroom for any reason I plan to have a well put together binder filled

with everything and anything that the substitute teacher might need. The binder will include

copies of any important information that they might need to know. Documents that I will include

in the binder include:

The school wide behavior plan (if there is one)

The class list for taking attendance/ list of groups in case they do any group work

Section for IEPs (see figure 7 under samples and visuals on page 17)

List of classroom leaders

The seating charts for both the desks and the rug

Weekly schedule which includes times for lunch, recess, any specials, etc.

Classroom behavior plan- How to use clip chart/ behavior calendars

Copy of rules and procedures

Section for activities/lessons for that day

Computer login information- for taking attendance and any programs used that day

Section for any papers that might need to be sent home that day

An end of the day form for them to fill out based on how the day went

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 It is so important to me that my class still runs smoothly even with a substitute in the room. I

have experienced in the past when substitutes dont know what to do because the teacher never

left them a written-out plan for them to follow. This puts the students off task and behind when I

get back to my room. I want the substitute to feel prepared and ready to take on the day within

my room. I feel like including all these documents within my binder will leave them prepared

without any questions on how the day should play out. I also included an end of the day form

(see figure 6 under samples and visuals on page 17) that I would ask the substitute to fill out to

let me know how the day went so that I can hear feedback on my class. If I were to ever be gone,

I still want to keep a close tab on my kids so that I know what is going on when I am not in the

room.

Community Building Activities:

1. Greet Children

One way to build classroom community is by greeting my students every morning before

they enter the classroom. This is a great way to show my students that I am so glad each and

every one of them made it to class today. It also shows them that I truly care about each one of

them on a personal level. By greeting each of my student I will be providing a welcoming

relationship with them. They will know that my classroom is a safe and positive environment for

them to be a part of.

2. Morning Message

Morning message will be a designated time in my classroom. We will set aside a time when I

tell the students what their schedule will look like for that following day. It provides a sense of

organization and safeness when students know exactly what they can expect the day to go like.

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This is especially helpful with students who have high anxiety and stress levels when it comes to

school. They will be offered a time to ask questions if they have any and share their concerns if

they apply.

Also during morning meeting is when we would take attendance, do any counting, and

calendar activities if we have them. For the lower grades K-1, we would be conducting calendar

which we would be discussing the months of the year, days of the week, the weather, count days

weve been in school, look at any upcoming big events, and find patterns. We will also do some

counting practice by counting to 100 by 1s, 10s, and 5s. The older grades 3rd-5th we may not

practice so much on counting and calendar but we would definitely still have a morning message

every morning.

3. Good News

This is a building community technique where I will ask students to share any good news

that they have for the day. We will do this during our morning meetings. Each student that raises

their hand will have a chance to share. I wont have a designated time for how long this activity

will take because I want to allow everyone a chance to speak and not every day will be the same.

One day we might have only 5 people who want to share and the next maybe 15 so the timing

will vary.

This activity is great for the younger children who love to talk and share things. This makes it

so that each day they have a designated time when they can share whatever they want and that

usually helps them stay quiet while the teacher is trying to teach because they have already had

that opportunity to share. This allows for my classroom to run smoothly and gives the children a

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sense of importance when they get to take that time to share what is happening good in their

lives.

4. In our Classroom

In my classroom, I will have a poster with the saying In our classroom on it. This poster

will contain actions that we are to follow within the classroom. This will be different than my

rules but enforced just the same. It will be determined by the teacher and the class together what

gets put on this poster. The rules will what I as the teacher have come up with that the students

have to follow, but this In our classroom poster will be things that the students have a say in

and the class must all agree. (see figure 1 under samples and visuals on page 17)

5. We make a difference photo wall

In my classroom, I want to have a wall where I have each students picture hanging up. In this

wall, I would label it We Make a Difference. This would allow for each student to feel

important and it builds classroom community to show that each student works together to make a

difference within my classroom. The students will see that not only do I count on them to make a

difference, but also each and every one of their fellow classmates. (see figure 2 under samples

and visuals on page 17)

6. Memory Makers- Building Memories all year long

For this classroom community activity, I will have slips of paper available for the students to

fill out. On this slip of paper is will have a spot for the students name, the date, and the memory

that the student made. At the end of the year we will have a going away party and I will read the

slips that were collected over the year. This allows a chance for the students to share their

memories that they have had throughout the year. The students will be able to have access to this

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station at any time during the day except when I am giving instruction. I believe that this is a fun

and engaging way to have students involved within the classroom. (see figure 5 under samples

and visuals on page 17)

7. Homework Question Board

Earlier I talked a little about how students can ask for help when they are doing their

homework. One idea that I thought would work well is having an area where children can ask

their questions. For my classroom, I will have a homework question board on my desk labeled,

Questions on the homework last night? Place them here for answers!. This will be a board

where students can stick sticky notes to it that have their questions written on it. For K-1 and any

lower level writers they can have their parents write any questions that the student has and the

student can be sure to bring them in the next day.

There will be a time during morning meeting where I will address each and every question

that way all the questions get answered. This provides a sense of community because it shows

my students that it is okay to ask questions. They are not penalized and it can also help those

students who may have had the same question but forgot to write it down. (see figure 3 under

samples and visuals on page 17)

8. Children Grouped in Pods

As part of my classroom design I will have my students grouped in pods of 4-5 students. This

allows for classroom community because it has the students interacting with their peers and

doing a lot of their work collaboratively. Most of my instruction will be centered around

collaborative work. There will be sometimes where the students will be asked to work on their

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own, however, they are still seated in their pods so that they always have that sense of

togetherness.

9. Puzzle Activity

Another way that I will build classroom community within my classroom will to conduct the

puzzle piece activity. This is an activity where each student and teacher will have the chance to

create and decorate their own puzzle piece on a sheet of paper. Each of the pieces will be unique

and creative yet they will all fit together to make one whole. This shows the students that

everyone is different, but when they are together they create a strong bond that cant be broken.

We will do this during the first week of school and it will be hung in my class for the year. (see

figure 4 under samples and visuals on page 17)

10. Classroom Jobs

Another way to create a classroom community would be having classroom jobs. I would use

these more with 2nd- 5th graders because K-1st are stilling getting used to how school works. By

the time they get to 2nd grade, students can easily take on a classroom job and I will be able to

hold that to them without any problems. This makes it so that each individual student has his or

her own task for maintaining the classroom. It gives them a sense of responsibility and

accountability. Some possible classroom jobs may include cubby monitor, line leader, line

caboose, light monitor, calendar helper, weather helper, paper collector, paper passers, door

holder, etc.

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 Samples/Visuals that reflect my classroom management approach:

Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4

Figure 6
Figure 5 Figure 7

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 Evaluation of ability to organize a classroom and manage students:
When referring to my classroom management plan, I will find out what is going well and

what needs to be refined by simply applying my practices. In other words, if I am trying to

manage my students by using my procedures that I have listed in this plan, and they arent

working, then I will have to go and revise them. Possibly asking around for ideas on how to

create new ones that tailor to my specific students. Not all classes will be able to be handled the

same. I could be anywhere from K to 8th grade and I know that some techniques Kindergarten

uses may not work well with upper elementary since they dont need as much literal instruction.

When looking for feedback on what needs to be changed in my classroom my ears are open

to anyone and everyone. My students will have a huge say in what goes on when making

changes for my room since they are who I am centering my management plan around. I will also

strongly consider my students parents/guardians values and input. This allows for them to be

involved in what we are doing and allows for me to see their suggestions. Lastly, I would value

feedback from my colleagues and administrators. Teachers borrow ideas from each other all the

time. It helps them grow as an educator and provides strong coworker relationships. I value th

feedback of each of my coworkers, as well as my administrators, because I care about improving

for the better as an educator.

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 Brochure:

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References/Resources:

Teachers Pay Teachers

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/

Teachers Pay Teachers is an online marketplace where teachers buy and sell original educational

materials. I took some of my classroom community ideas from this website. I will eventually

make an account and purchase some of the wonderful materials that this website offers.

In Our Classroom (Building Classroom Community Activity)

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/In-Our-Classroom-Posters-for-Classroom-

Expectations-and-Community-Building-859268

Puzzle Pieces (Building Classroom Community Activity)

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Classroom-Community-Activity-1287229

Angela Keilen

All my classroom procedures that I wrote about in my management plan I have learned from my

current CT for this year, Angela Keilen. She is a Kindergarten teacher over at Brookwood

Elementary in Kentwood and she is great at her job. She has taught me a lot and I am glad that I

got to borrow some of her technique for my own future classroom.

Pinterest

When looking for classroom rules and building classroom community, I looked for most of my

ideas on a website called Pinterest. I love this website because I follow a lot of educators on it

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and I love seeing all of their ideas for the classroom! I can also see a lot of teachers blogs by

pinning something that I like and clicking on the source.

We Make a Difference Photo Wall (Building Classroom Community Activity)

http://lessonswithlaughter.com/student-photo-wall/

Memory Makers (Building Classroom Community Activity)

http://www.teachingwithsimplicity.com/2015/07/memory-makers-building-memories-all-year-

long.html

Harry Wong

Wong, Harry K., et al. The Classroom Management Book. Harry K. Wong Publications, 2014.

Wong, Harry K., et al. The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher. Harry K.

Wong Publications, 2009.

I used Harry Wongs theories on classroom procedures and rules to manage a classroom

successfully. I also used some of his theories when it came to what to do on the first day of

school.

Jim Fay

https://www.loveandlogic.com/about/bios/jim-fay

I used Jim Fays Love and Logic theory as part of my philosophy of classroom management. His

beliefs of logical consequences, empathy towards students, and students having their own

choices are all beliefs that I strongly believe in and will enforce in my classroom.

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