Classroom Management

Overview

Community guides my classroom management plan, while staying flexible to adhere to school policies, and to stay current on new needs of students while following current best practices. I believe that an engaging classroom that makes learning fun and where students feel safe can act as a preventative measure to many issues. We focus on trust, respect, and community building daily in the classroom. Safety is key to reducing students’ stress and to optimize their learning environment.

One way I provide a feeling of safety for my students is through predictable routines and clear expectations. I use slides to stay clear and organized to ease anxieties, which keeps my students and me on the same page. When giving assignments, I utilize transparent rubrics so that students know exactly what is expected of them to achieve success. I also implement differentiation as a proactive method to keep students engaged. I observe if certain students are struggling or if the entire class doesn’t understand a lesson. If it is the class, then I will reteach the lesson with a new method. I provide extra support to the struggling students through targeted interventions of one on one lessons and small group sessions.

In my classroom, students are encouraged to be their individual selves and learn both communication and social emotional skills. Consistency and fairness in culturally responsive ways are essential to supporting individual students. I use open communication with both students and their families, as I view families as vital partners in their child’s education. I do this by contacting families to give positive feedback about students to establish relationships. I call one family a week and only focus on a student’s strengths. This helps when I need to talk with families about an issue with a child, and shows them that I do not only see deficits.

Beginning of the School Year

The start of the year is an essential time for my classroom management plan. This is when I implement developing classroom rules and values together as a class, model routines and transitions, and begin to build a strong classroom community. We discuss our routines and procedures in depth, and practice them together.

I provide each student with a first day of school readiness gift. This can include items such as toothbrush & toothpaste, an “I am smart” sticker, #2 pencil, small sketchbook, body wipes, chapstick, lotion, and deodorant. Some of these items are dependent on the school’s policies, so the contents are adaptable. The goal of this is to have every student start the year with basic essentials to give each student an equal opportunity. Too often students do not have access to basic hygiene products, and this can become a distraction from their education. I want to eliminate those barriers on day one. I also want students to have a pencil and sketchbook at home for them to draw or write in. I have found that giving students a notebook that is not graded inspires them to use it, and that will make them more comfortable in school as well. Writing can contribute to their literacy levels, and drawing can encourage them to express themselves as well as build dexterity for when they do write. I give the bag to them at the end of the day and make it clear it is for them to have at home, not in school. I include a brief note for the family to explain its contents and express my excitement to teach their child.

Teachable Moments

Prevention is the most effective method to classroom management, but even when I set my students up for success, disruptive behavior can still occur. I view all behavior as a form of communication, and I try to listen for what need a child is expressing. I have found that this approach works well for learners with various disabilities and learning styles, and that these ideas lead to universal design. Oftentimes what helps students with disabilities also helps the rest of the class, so I always look at where I can implement techniques for the entire class, while still viewing the individual and responding to specific needs of the students. This combination results in lots of choice in my classroom that children find empowering and provides them with autonomy that can build self-confidence and positively affect educational outcomes.

I do not approach managing my classroom through a lens of punishment, but instead instill intrinsic motivation by explaining consequences with a cause and effect model. We develop classroom values together as a class to gain student buy-in and so that they understand why we have the classroom rules and what happens if you don’t follow them. Talking about how our actions impact others and can cause harm is one way that I communicate and problem solve what consequences should be. This way, students understand what to expect from me and trust that they can tell me if they made a mistake because they know they will not be yelled at. Instead, they recognize that we will work together to fix it.

I maintain a calm and assertive manner when addressing behavior issues. I model social emotional techniques during these stressful moments to show students how to regulate their own emotions. I also do not take behaviors personally and instead take a neutral view of looking for what a child needs at that moment. I address behaviour individually and not publicly in front of the whole class. I assist the students in regulating themselves and focus on de-escalation. After a student has calmed down, we then talk through what happened and develop a solution together. I am consistent, fair, and involve students in problem solving.

I also utilize positive reinforcement when students meet desired expectations and acknowledge those students publicly to use a model for other students. This is not done in a competitive way, but instead demonstrates what behavior is most helpful in the classroom. On Fun Fridays I will reward the entire class one student’s actions, and tell students to make sure they thank the said student. This gives a sense of community and appreciation, while encouraging students to do a good job. I ensure each student has a day where they are acknowledged for something throughout the year.