PERSONAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 1

Miss. McMurphy’s Classroom Management Plan

Rebekah McMurphy

Grand Canyon University: ELM-250

April 8, 2018
PERSONAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 2

Miss. McMurphy’s Classroom Management Plan

Professionalism

A professional educator is a leader inside and outside the classroom. They possess

leadership qualities in mentoring students, interacting with coworkers, and in professional

learning development where administrators and other faculty are present. Communication with

parents and other faculty member is essential in creating the best opportunities for students and

receiving professional support. Setting guidelines with student’s parents and other faculty is

crucial in setting boundaries to create relationships focused on students rather than personal

friendships.

Furthermore, they are equipped in their communication skills with equality in

communication with all students. Despite the difference in fairness in the classroom, a great

teacher still communicates with students the same through high expectations. Also, an effective

classroom teacher is organized in their planning, development in teaching, and in their overall

classroom structure. The classroom environment is organized and cohesive in the physical

classroom and in the instruction throughout the day. Through the use of an engaging learning

style with consideration to tone, actions, and behaviors, a fantastic educator can adapt to their

student’s needs. Students will be engaged through the ideas and word choice of the teacher to

help encourage excitement for learning. Throughout the school year, an effective teacher sets

high expectations for all students that fits their needs of learning and are fair to the students.

Students are encouraged to always try their best and work at their best level. Each student is

recognized for having different needs to reach their high expectations and are supported

according to their needs at the beginning of the school year.

Behaving professionally effects the learning environment and the well-being of students
PERSONAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 3

as seen through modeling. Students who are able to see how to act and dress in class through a

person they look up to (their teacher) can help in create an effective learning environment. Using

professional language and demonstrating effective relationships with others is an act of modeling

to demonstrate how students should act towards each other and to the teacher in the classroom.

Furthermore, a teacher who is organized in their classroom environment promotes an organized

learner in their school supplies and in how they do their assignments. Students who develop in an

environment which promotes organization can help in developing a pattern of organization when

completing assignments in a timely, well-done manner in the classroom environment.

Student Engagement Strategies

For my classroom management plan, I can use all of these strategies to effectively

support my students in different subjects. Having organization and fun strategies will help in

promoting an effective classroom environment that supports learning and engagement in the

classroom. Each student will be effective in the classroom and play a key role in classroom

growth. Each strategy can be adapted to use amongst multiple subject fields and can be used for

reviews, baselines, and support in lesson planning. This helps in creating extension and support

activities for students who need more enrichment and for students who are still not understanding

the material. These strategies focus in on the why, and the process of what the students are doing

rather than content only. To have students understand why they are participating or completing

an activity in a certain way develops their critical thinking skills and keeps them motivated and

engaged in learning. Students are able to create their own ideas for improvement for various

strategies which makes them feel as if they are responsible for their learning too which helps in

promoting an effective learner and classroom. Overall, each student will be engaged, motivated,

and interactive with these classroom strategies and further them as a learner.
PERSONAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 4

Philosophy of Classroom Management

An effective classroom, with confidence for the students and teachers in being motivated,

with minimal disruptions stems from the model approach of Positive Behavior Interventions and

Strategies (PBIS). PBIS provides the first-grade classroom with support of behaviors the students

are doing well rather than criticizing the negative behaviors. Students are able to be motivated

and disciplined with wanting praise in the PBIS classroom. Also, the teacher can effectively keep

track of data in disruptions and find patterns to help in supporting their students in creating

positive behaviors (Garbacz, McIntosh, Eagle, Dowd-Eagle, Hirano, & Ruppert, 2016). This data

collection also helps at the first-grade level in helping to identify students with special needs to

be able to receive extra support in the higher grades (McCurdy, Thomas, Truckenmiller, Rich,

Hillis-Clark, & Lopez, 2016). Furthermore, the teacher can support their students with Jeanne

Gibb’s Tribes. This approach allows students to support each other and set specific goals in their

own learning. Students are more responsible for their learning and their actions which drives

intrinsic motivation in the learning process (Tess Kalinowski Toronto, 2010). Each student is

able to have more confidence in themselves and foster a positive learning environment. Students

are able to collaborate effectively and gain better communication skills which will help in their

development as a student in the present and future.

Classroom Procedures

At the start of the day, students will be prepared by the establishment of a check in

routine. This routine will support how students start the day to create an efficient, caring

classroom environment. The routine will start by handshakes with the students to build a

relationship. Students will have five minutes to unpack, talk with friends, make their lunch
PERSONAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 5

choice, and place their homework folder in the homework bin while attendance is taken. Then,

the agenda will be posted on the board for students to be prepared for when the lesson starts.

From the check in routine, students will transition into the start of the lesson with

attention grabbers and a standard of how to set up their space. This will optimize instruction time

as students will have a clear standard for learning. The class will review objectives for the day at

the start of the lesson. Having students understand the purpose of their work will support

community of learners.

As a group, the students will be responsible for holding each other accountable. Table

groups will have one leader to be responsible for supplies for the table to limit chaos in the

classroom. Also, groups will earn rewards for positive behavior of staying on track, limiting their

voices to the proper voice level, working together efficiently, and using classroom supplies

properly. However, groups can lose rewards when screaming or being disruptive in the

classroom, being unsafe with equipment, and overall staying off task.

Technology procedures in the classroom is essential to create a productive learning

environment. Students will be reminded by group leaders about safety on the computers and how

to be respectful through digital citizenship. Also, during computer time there will be a poster of

reminders of what computer safety is like. This helps in students’ being responsible on the

computer and internet to demonstrate a safe, legal, and ethical learning environment in the digital

community.

At the end of the day, students will be expected to responsibly clean up their designated

areas. Then, students will pack their bags, be given their homework folder, and sit at their table

groups. While at the tables, students will color their behavior for the day on a given worksheet

for home. Finally, while groups are lining up, we will discuss ups of the day in a quick
PERSONAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 6

summative assessment. As students leave, I will give high five or hugs to say goodbye to all

students and build the relationships.

Rules, Consequences, and Reward System

In a classroom environment, the students will be expected to be proactive (Capizzi, 2009)

through the use of hand signals to keep an efficient classroom environment. Then, students will

be expected to respect the classroom through the proper use of supplies and equipment (Ünlü,

Vuran, Erten Akdoğan, Güven, Yönter, & Çelik, 2014). A third rule for the classroom

environment is for students to be hard working and open-minded (Croom & Davis, 2006).

Students will create a safe and positive learning environment through their proactive behavior,

respectful nature, and hard-working mindset.

Based off the classroom rules, students will have a reward and consequence system for

behavior management and academic management. There will be two rewards systems in the

classroom guided towards small groups and the entire class. The entire class system is known as

(the school mascot) points where the class will earn a certain amount of points to reinforce

positive behaviors (Wheatley, West, Charlton, Sanders, Smith, & Taylor, 2009). Once the class

has earned a specific amount of points, they will be rewarded with extra minutes outside with a

longer recess each day for the week or an extra recess on Friday afternoon. On the other hand,

for the class not following the rules, students will have a consequence of losing time from their

extra recess at the end of the week. Furthermore, small groups will be given table points on the

board for effective transitions, listening, and other positive behaviors. After the groups, have

reached 30 ponits, they will be allowed to pick a small prize from the treasure box or choose

their seating for different lessons (Diamond, Da Fonte, & Boesch, 2016). For the consequence of

not following the rules, as a hut, students will lose a point from what they have earned. Then, for
PERSONAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 7

individual student rewards in the classroom, students will be able to have a choice of free

drawing or a word search with a friend at a whisper level (Newby, 1991). This will help keep

students motivated throughout the school day while rewarding them for completing their work

with accuracy, in a timely manner, and following the rules. For an individual student not

following the rules, they will not lose something but gain something instead. The student will

gain an extra task of journaling two to three sentences of how to follow the rules or improve

behavior in the classroom during their recess time.

Communication with Parents/Guardians

To have effective communication with parents, creating a class webpage, creating

positive opening greetings, and committing to effective listening skills will support the parent-

teacher relationship guided towards the support of students. Having a class webpage with basic

information guided towards informing parents of what is occurring in the classroom promotes

parent involvement in the student’s academic career. Also, it promotes social development in the

students as parents can communicate with their child of what they have been learning in the

classroom. Furthermore, this gives parents information for upcoming days of events and allows

planning to be proactive rather than reactive. Then, the class webpage can allow the opportunity

to create direct logins for parents to see the behavior of their child, like class dojo, to be able to

identify the well-being of the student in the classroom and data of their academic success with

behaviors.

Furthermore, using positive greetings with parents creates an inviting classroom

environment along with open communication of what is best for their student’s interests. When

focusing on student’s negative of academics and behaviors it can make the parent dwell in the

negatives too. However, when giving positives when discussing improvements, the student can
PERSONAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 8

focus on it helps in promoting the emotional development of the student and parent. This gives

reassurance that the child is not a bad child but developing with some potholes along the road to

success. The open communication with positive greetings establishes positivity focused at the

student’s development socially, emotionally, and intellectually as conversations are then guided

towards positive growth. Also, effective listening skills are a key aspect of creating positive

communication with parents. Listening to the background of the child is essential in knowing the

student beyond the classroom. Being able to understand how a student thinks is essential in their

intellectual growth. The parents are the main source of the background of the student. Using

active listening allows the relationship to form that the teacher is open-minded to the background

of the student and who they are beyond the classroom. This also allows parents to become more

involved in their child’s education and give value to how they know their child.
PERSONAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 9

References

Capizzi, A. M. (2009). Start the year off right: Designing and evaluating a supportive classroom

management plan. Focus on Exceptional Children, 42(3), 1-12.

Croom, L, & Davis, B. (2006). 'It's not polite to interrupt, and other rules of classroom Etiquette',

Kappa Delta Pi Record, vol. 42, no. 3, pp. 109-113.

Diamond, G. P., Da Fonte, M. A., & Boesch, M. C. (2016). I am working for ____: Successfully

using token reward systems. Journal of The International Association of Special

Education, (1), 73-76.

Garbacz, S. A., McIntosh, K., Eagle, J. W., Dowd-Eagle, S. E., Hirano, K. A., & Ruppert, T.

(2016). Family Engagement within Schoolwide Positive Behavioral Interventions and

Supports. Preventing School Failure, 60(1), 60-69.

McCurdy, B. L., Thomas, L., Truckenmiller, A., Rich, S. H., Hillis-Clark, P., & Lopez, J. C.

(2016). School-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports for students with

emotional and behavioral disorders. Psychology in The Schools, 53(4), 375-389.

doi:10.1002/pits.21913

Newby, T. J. (1991). Classroom motivation: Strategies of first-year teachers. Journal of

Educational Psychology, 83(2), 195-200.

Tess Kalinowski Toronto, S. (2010). Building a tribe of good learners. Toronto Star (Canada).

Ünlü, E., Vuran, S., Erten Akdoğan, F., Güven, D., Yönter, S., & Çelik, S. (2014). Class-wide

positive behavior support plan on adhering of the classroom rules. Ilkogretim Online,

13(2), 607-621.
PERSONAL CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN 10

Wheatley, R. K., West, R. P., Charlton, C. T., Sanders, R. B., Smith, T. G., & Taylor, M. J.

(2009). Improving behavior through differential reinforcement: A praise note system for

elementary school students. Education & Treatment of Children, 32(4), 551-571.