Classroom Management Plan

            My teacher’s classroom management plan is that the students have color cards on their desk. She uses Velcro to put little circles on their desks so that they can be removed to put a different color on their desk. The colors are green-for good behavior which is the starting point that the students start at each day, yellow-students have done something to get moved to the next color for example forgetting to get homework signed or not stopping a certain behavior after they were asked once, red-students will get switched to this because they have continually been showing bad behavior. I have never seen my teacher put a student on red yet so I am not 100% sure if that is right about what happens when a student goes on red.

            In order to avoid unnecessary interruptions is that she does not let the students get up to get a drink of water or anything else they may need to do out of their seat during a lesson. If the teacher is talking and teaching the lesson then the students cannot get out of their seat. The students are only allowed to get out of their seat when they are working individually. This allows for the class to not be interrupted during the instructional period of the lesson.

            Another way my supervising teacher avoids unnecessary interruptions is that she has really good transitions. There are never really any times throughout the day that the students are sitting around doing nothing. My teacher allows goes from one thing to the next by getting the students attention by saying, “3…2…1…Readers come back.” This allows the students to get focused again and allows them to be focused on the teacher.

My Classroom Management Plan:

Guiding Principals:

1.     Learning should be fun!

2.     Being respectful to everyone is a must.

3.     The environment is always free of bullying.

4.     Students should always have a positive attitude towards everything.

Classroom Rules:

1.     No BULLYING!!

2.     Be respectful at all times.

3.     No talking when others are talking.

4.     Keep hands to yourself at all times.

Routines:

-When the students enter the classroom in the morning they will take everything out of their backpacks and place it in their desks. After doing that the students will place their backpacks in a bin near the door.

- The students will then sit down at their desks and will work on the bell work assigned for that day.

-When the students line up they will line up in alphabetical order, in a single file line in front of the door. The students will walk down the hallway with their hands behind their backs in order to prevent students touching each other. The students will also not talk while walking in a line.

- Depending on the school I will either have set times to go to the bathroom as a whole class or I will have the student that needs to use the bathroom they will put two fingers up. This all depends though on the rules of the school.

- If a student wants a drink of water the student will put one finger up and I will acknowledge them to go to the bathroom.

-In order to get the students attention I will count down from 5, I will speak loud in order to get their attention. I will also call for eyes to be on me when everyone is ready.

Behavior Plan:

I plan on having the color card system, depending on the grade I teach this will be modified.

1.     The students start everyday on green.

2.     If the student misbehaves and does not stop after one warning they get moved to yellow. If the student is on yellow at the end of the day the student will get a note home. The parent must sign the note otherwise it will result in the student being on yellow the next day.

3.     If the student is constantly disobeying the rules and what the teacher is saying the student will be moved to red. If the student is still on red by the end of the day, the student’s parents will receive a phone call home.

4.     If the student’s behavior improves then the student will be told to move their color back.

5.     If a student was however on red at one point in time throughout the day the student will still get a note home to be signed even if the student is back on green. The student was being so disruptive to get that far their parents still need to be informed of their earlier behavior. The teacher will explain that their color did get changed back and why it got changed back.

1. Describe what you observed in your classroom. 

I have observed in my classroom a great learning environment. My teacher allows the students to get involved in their learning by conferencing with the students and allowing them to write about what they want to and what they want to read. The teacher is always helping the students when they need help. The students pay attention to the teacher very well when she is teaching. The classroom is very welcoming and a good learning environment. The discipline strategy this teacher uses is the color cards but instead of it being in a chart the colors are velcro on the students desk so that it is easier to see what each child is on.

2. How does the teaching style compare to yours? 

My supervising teacher's teaching style is pretty similar to my teaching style. She is very straightforward to the students and doesn't let the students get away with anything. She also relates to the students very well and helps them succeed at everything. This is similar to my teaching style because I am very straightforward with the students, but I will do anything to see my students succeed.

3. What elements of your supervisor’s teaching style will you incorporate into your style? Why? 

I will incorporate the way she relates to the students and how she gets down on their level when she is teaching them. I will incorporate this because this will allow me to have a good relationship with my students and will get them to trust me more and will allow them to succeed.

4. What instructional/curriculum elements were new to you? 

One curriculum and instructional element that was new to me was the five finger test. This test allows the students to find the “just right” book. The students will put a finger up when they have to sound out a word or they do not know a word or understand something. This allows the students to find a book by themselves without the teacher’s help, which allows the teacher to conference with other students.

5. What was familiar and comfortable for you? Why?

The presence of a routine was familiar to me because every teacher should have a routine in order to make sure the students are organized. A routine allows the students to be ready for the next thing that is coming in the day and the transitions will run smoothly.

6. What do you plan to do next in your professional development?

I plan on being more prepared to except change and not become frazzled when something different happens. This will allow my students to be able to be ready for change as well and will be able to have smooth transition even when something has changed. I will also become more willing to try new things and not stand back in the corner because something is new and I don’t feel comfortable doing it yet. 

Blog Post #1

1. What education courses you have taken and are currently taking this term. Which one most impacted you and why?

     After this semester I will have taken every education class that is needed to get my degree in Elementary Education. This semester I am taking ESOL 3, Level 2 Internship, Teaching Writing and Classroom Management. I think the class that has most impacted me was my Linking Literature class that I took last semester, Spring 2010. I feel like that class has taught me to be able to teach a student one-on-one and make major improvements. During this class we tutored a student with their reading and this was the first time that I was able to help a student and see major improvements from the student by the end of the semester. This class reinforced the fact that I will be a good teacher and that I can help students achieve what they to achieve.

2. What teaching and other educational support experiences have you had with children (include the approximate age/grade levels). This can include teaching, tutoring, babysitting, mentoring, etc... Which one most impacted you and why?

     I have observed in an elementary school in two of my classes. I have already completed my level one internship that was at Forest Hills Elementary School in a first grade class. I have also tutored at a middle school with 6^th graders. I have also worked with a 4^th grade student in my linking literature class and I worked with a group of 4^th graders at the community center in my childhood education class. The one that most impacted me was the 4^th grade student that I had in my linking literature class because I made a big impact in the student’s life by helping him improve in his reading level.

3. As you look ahead to your internship, what are your expectations? Hopes? Fears? Worst nightmares?

    My expectations are that since I am in an ELL class I expect this internship to be challenging and that I will learn new ways to teach students learning English. I hope to be able to really get to know these students and to be able to have a big impact on their lives. I fear that I am not going to be able to help all of the students and that my lessons are not going to engage the students as well as I should be engaging them to the lesson.

4. Think back on all of the teachers you’ve had in your life. What teachers and what experiences stand out? List the behaviors and qualities of the best teachers you have known and explain why you think they were exceptional. Explain what they did that made them so memorable in how they taught.

     Some qualities that I think are very important for a future teacher to have are to be kind, exciting, organized, and able to enforce the rules. I think these qualities show a good teacher because then the students will be able to engage the students and get the students to enjoy learning. One teacher that stands out to me was my fourth grade teacher because she always had something new and exciting each day for us to do. She also made learning also engaging, but she also made sure that the rules are enforced.