Introduction

1. Introduction In order to be a successful teacher, there needs to be success in teaching – all students need to be learning and I need to be helping them to pursue knowledge in a challenging way. Classroom management is about organization, structure, discipline, engagement, challenge, instruction, and cooperation. A classroom should depend on the contribution of all community members in order to function properly and operate smoothly. Every child is different and not one single model or teaching strategy will reach every student. I view my knowledge gained and life experience as a toolbox from which to draw certain theoretical applications, best practices, and models to meet the unique needs of my students. A teacher that chooses one single model from which to operate a classroom, chooses to isolate themselves and is flirting with the reality of failing so many students as a result of that choice. Combining strategy, instructional practices, discipline models, and taking into account the individual needs of students, I will be able to manage my classroom and have students act as they should because it is the right thing to do – not because it is what they are expected to do.

2. Philosophy • Educators should be positive role models, presenting oneself in a manner consistent with transformational leadership qualities of intellectual stimulation, motivation, and consideration of each student as an individual as well as a part of the classroom community. • Teachers maintain control of their classroom through the use of a variety of influence techniques. Supporting students’ ability to have self control, assist them when they need it, helping them over hurdles, and giving them the structure they crave are examples of the influence techniques suggested by Redl & Wattenburg to maintain that control. • Teachers have an obligation to set goals and expectations for their students that go beyond the minimum standards. Based on students’ needs and their potential, considerable attention will be paid to ensure that each child has an opportunity to equal educational resources. Encouraging students to set high standards for themselves is something I will do often and will enlist student assistance in setting academic goals of any kind. I have observed teachers using intervention time to sit down with students individually and draft goals for writing and I have also seen teachers take opportunities during class time to have students compare a quiz grade to their goals and chart progress in a bar graph – both are incredible examples of teaching students to set their own goals and expectations for high performance.

3. Philosophy • In life, choices are everywhere. Learning how to make decisions that will benefit us now, and in the future, is a skill that needs to be refined. I will give the space and freedom to my students to make choices – good or bad – and to learn from those choices. William Glasser points out that all we do is behave, but behavior and choices made are primarily driven by our basic needs. Understanding this will help me to better understand my students. • Learning should be fun and it should be an active experience. This doesn’t mean chaotic, nor does it mean silent. Teachers are guides in their students learning and I plan on allowing them to make connections and facilitating the building of bridges between in-school content and out of school experiences.

4. Classroom Communication • Appreciation & Suggestions Boxes I will place an Appreciation box for students to place completed “appreciation slips” into at any time. These appreciation slips will be read at every monthly meeting and from time. The suggestions box will be available for students to place their “suggestions” into. Suggestion forms will have a spot for a description of a problem and a suggestion for dealing with that problem. Kagan, Kyle, & Scott (2004) believe that this is a way for students to begin the habit of recognizing qualities in others that they like, as well as learning to present problems and a suggestion for solving the problem at the same time. I have seen teachers elicit student comments and compliments for their peers after sharing something with the entire class – reading something they’ve written or sharing something personal when they are student of the week – and the students really cherish the positive and/or constructive comments that their peers have to offer. • Parents as Partners Part of the Win-Win Discipline program is the recruitment of parents to the same side as the teacher, as well as the student. This open line of communication between parents and teachers will “provide a coherent and mutually complimentary approach to discipline” (Kagan, Kyle, & Scott, 2004). This relationship embodies student support and encouragement, two of the seven caring habits that are a part of William Glasser’s Choice Theory. Too often parents receive phone calls from their child’s school for negative reasons, not enough phone calls are made to point out positive interactions or experiences with their children. I personally know a teacher that makes one phone call per week home regarding the student she believes deserve the “most improved” or “all-around excellence” acknowledgement. Her students are very aware of this all week long and try very hard to make it to her “nice list” and do what they can to get that phone call to reach their parents’ ears. Haim Ginott would agree with this because he believes that the behavior of the child is what deserves the attention – if the behavior is positive, it deserves positive attention.

5. Classroom Communication • Classroom Meetings The length of time for a classroom meeting needs to be tailored to the developmental level of students involved, but also take the situations and issues being discussed into consideration. Monthly meetings will be held to discuss routine procedures and classroom issues, but special meetings can be held if needed. Nelson, Lott, & Glenn (2000) suggest setting an agenda for the meetings and that all students should sit in a circle facing one another. At the beginning of the meeting, any necessary announcements will be made and then students will take turns reading the comments that are in the Appreciation Box, then the same with the suggestions box (Kagan, Kyle, & Scott,2004). Kagan et al. propose that suggestions are sorted into three piles: to be solved now, in a later meeting, or to be solved by the individuals involved. After the suggestions/problem solving, students will evaluate the progress made regarding decisions from prior meetings and discussions of this progress. Planning time will follow the evaluation of progress and this is for devising ways to address any new decisions or decide on implementation for new procedures suggested to solve problems addressed during meeting. All meetings should end well, therefore Kagan et al. suggests using team builders and/or silly games to boost the community morale. I have not seen classroom meetings take place in any of my observations, nor do I have any experience with them in a school setting, however I feel that the times that “team meetings” have included my input at work were very motivating and created a real sense of contribution and ownership.

6. Signals Fred Jones (2000) believes in “practice to master” and this is important when teaching communication signals. Mastering signals is key because the effective use of these signals keeps the classroom on track and learning happening, rather than interrupting the flow to address an issue that could have been dealt with using signals. Quiet Signals I will use a “clicker” for my quiet signal in the classroom. I will be sure to always have this “clicker” on my person so that I can use it anytime, anywhere. I will click a specific number of times and the class will respond by snapping their fingers the same number of times to indicate they are ready to listen. The students will be introduced to the quiet signal at the beginning of the year and will practice until the response to the “click” is automatic. When they do not respond appropriately or need re-teaching, they will practice until they can respond and quiet down. Voice Level Indicators I will post a noise meter on the wall that has different levels of acceptable noise, ranging from silence to the highest acceptable volume for a speaker when presenting to the whole class. The volume level will be indicated by the presence of a marker being placed in the zone that coordinates with the noise level appropriate for the activity taking place at that time. One of the first grade classrooms that in which I have spent a great deal of time has a poster that describes what noise levels are appropriate for which tasks and this saves time by raising the level of student responsibility as well as giving students social skills that prepare them for life outside of school. Jim Fay places a big emphasis on teaching children to think for themselves and provides limits in a loving way, as well as highlighting the importance of responsibility and social skills for functioning effectively in society. Classroom Communication

7. Classroom Communication • Signals • Rule Reminders I will physically point to a rule that is being ignored or violated when necessary to avoid disrupting the whole class and their learning that is taking place. Redl & Wattenberg convey the importance of sending signals to students in order to let them know they have the teacher’s attention. Rule reminder signals are a good way to establish a non-verbal communication that lets students know that their behavior has been noticed. Kagan, Kyle, & Scott are in agreement with the use of rule reminder signals following the quiet signal if I need the attention of the whole class or if there are many rule breakers. I will use my quiet signal first, in this case, and then signal to the rule being violated, followed by a simple direction to return to their work. • Student Signals for Help It is important to everyone that they be heard, this is a very basic need. I will, in an effort to allow my students the best chances at getting help whenever they need it, have table tents for every student (Kagan, Kyle, & Scott, 2004). On the front (red side) will be “I’m Stuck” and on the back (green side) will be “I’m ok”. When they need help, students simply place the red side up. I have seen too many writing workshops or other independent activity taking place and several students are holding their hands up for long periods of time – this table tent system eliminates the need for the student to completely stop what they are doing when stuck on something. Instead, they can continue to work on some other aspect of the assignment while waiting for their need to be met.

8. Philosophical & Psychological Environment (Climate) • My classroom will be student-centered, upbeat and fun, and will represent the specific group of students that are in the classroom at the time. Each year my classroom dynamic will change, the climate evolving with each new group of students. Kohn’s focus on individualizing the experience and matching the approach to the child has been an influence on how I view my classroom climate. When I see a classroom that gives off a feeling that the students genuinely feel at home and have a sense of ownership, I know that Kohn’s view makes perfect sense. • I believe in having an emphasis on all different learning styles and preferences. Designing lessons and activities that appeal to students’ various intelligences, as Howard Gardner has shown with his Multiple Intelligence theory, will help keep all students engaged and give them options when meeting learning objectives. • I will have music in my room, lyrical lessons, and using song to celebrate and communicate with my students. • I will work with my students and encourage responsibility, social skill building, and will model the same behaviors that I expect out of them. If I have an expectation for a certain behavior or a certain standard, I must model the behaviors and hold myself to the same standard. Redl & Wattenberg believed that teachers are models for their students and I have seen this carried out in positive and negative ways. Teachers that preach respect and giving their classmates undivided attention, but interrupt when their students are talking or don’t pay attention to the lack of respect and consideration are modeling the kinds of behaviors they don’t want to see.

9. Physical Classroom Environment • Large classroom library I am a big reader and believe that if a student can get their hands on the right reading materials for them, they might change their attitudes about reading. • Student-made reviews of books and recommendations for peers Having student feedback and reading reviews of books from peers is a good way to use positive peer influences to encourage active learning. Fred Jones suggests the use of peer influence and majority rule in different situations as well. • Comfortable reading and study area Creating an area where students want to go and read, where they can be comfortable while they read, may change the way they view the process altogether. I have seen many reading areas throughout my observations and the most well-populated ones during reading time are the ones with a variety of pillows, chairs, and comfort items they can use. • Desks will be arranged in a semi-circle The arrangement of the desks in my classroom will be done in a way that requires interaction and facilitates active discussion. When the desks are arranged in this way, the focus is taken off of the teacher and placed onto fellow students. My desk will be located in the back of the room. Kagan, Kyle & Scott suggest this placement for the teacher’s desk because it allows the students’ desks to get closer to the front of the room, therefore reducing the distance between student and teacher. Most of the classrooms that I visit have the teacher’s desk placed on the side of the room and the teacher’s rarely sit at it during class; that is very different from my school experience.

10. Physical Classroom Environment • Comments and Appreciation boxes Communication between teacher and student is essential to a positive environment. Sometimes it is necessary, though, to have communication take place in an anonymous fashion. A box for comments and a box for appreciation of other students will be placed in the corner of the room for students to contribute to at any time they wish. I will read the comments box before each meeting and bring relevant issues up for discussion at the regular meetings. The appreciation box will be opened at every meeting also, but the student reading the appreciation slips will change each week. • Learning Centers Learning centers that place emphasis on different learning styles will have different activities rotated in and out. Kagan, Kyle, & Scott suggest having Multiple Intelligence centers in the classroom: Listening, writing, sponge activity, critical thinking, musical and other tables will all have their place in my room. With an activity center that caters to every learning preference, I will be sure to reach all of my students somehow, each and every day.

11. Special Problems & People • For students that need individualized approaches, I don’t feel as though I can say what methods or models I would use. However, there are several that I prefer for different reasons. In addition to behavior plans and discipline models, these students need a connection more than anything. They need to have an individualized path for success and someone who the can trust to help get them there, going with them along the journey and over the hurdles. Without support, they are left to do this alone. • Curwin & Mendler’s Discipline with Dignity model would be one that I can see myself choosing to use when I have students that are from very difficult situations. Violent homes, serious emotional disturbances, juvenile delinquency issues, and other issues that make them difficult to reach – all of these situations have responded well to Curwin & Mendler’s models. I know from working at the Psychiatric Hospital for some time now, my patients respond well to limits, humor and firm expectations. • Win-Win Discipline is another model that can be tailored to each student. With the ability to individualize the approach to discipline, I can individualize the chances at success with each student. Kagan, Kyle & Scott emphasize that students are never in the same places emotionally, physically, intellectually, or mentally – we should never treat them as if they are! • Cooperative Discipline focuses on self-esteem as the catalyst to most behavioral issues and this rings true for many students, especially those with emotional or learning disabilities that interfere with their ability to experience education as they would without these barriers that they did not ask for!

12. I feel that it is important to differentiate between a routine and a procedure. A procedure is a “sequence of steps taken to accomplish an end” and a routine is “a sequence of procedures”. - Kagan, Kyle, & Scott (2004) Procedures Material & Supply Management Paper Turn-In Lining-up Drinks & Snacks Attendance Bathroom Breaks Routines Morning Routine End of Day Routine Dismissal Routine Classroom Procedures, Routines, & Records

13. Classroom Procedures, Routines, & Records Procedures Material & Supply Management My classroom will have a set of shelves in a place that is easily accessible to both teachers and students. On this shelf will be extra paper, pencils, and any other common supply that a student may need for a particular task. I will also have two cups for pencils – Sharpened and Not Sharpened – so that I can minimize the noise that results from constant pencil sharpening. I will also have team tubs that are full of supplies used often, such as scissors, tape, and sticky notes. Also, the Win-Win Management model suggests including think pad paper and frequently used manipulatives. I have seen classrooms where there are tubs for each table of students from which to grab commonly used materials and this saves a lot of time for students and teachers both. Paper Turn-In Each subject will have a basket for incoming papers to go. Students will, when prompted, take their papers to the correct basket – either in the morning or at any time during the day – and return to their seats to begin with the next order of business. There will be one basket that is for late work also; late homework from any subject can be placed into this basket.

14. Classroom Procedures, Routines, & Records Lining-up Students stand on the line that I will put down with “tape” so they have no question as to whether or not they are straight – they either are or they are not. There will be one line of tape outside of the classroom and one inside the classroom, for entering and exiting guidance/support. I will use popsicle sticks with each students name on them to choose students that I believe are ready to line up, but I am planning on using a variety of different activities and ways of choosing students who will line up. Once a straight, quiet, and calm line is formed we will begin entering or exiting the classroom. The last person in line is responsible for shutting the door and turning off the lights. Drinks & SnacksDrink breaks, taken as a class, will be done while standing in a line. One at a time, students will be allowed a five second whisper drink. According to Kagan, Kyle, & Scott (2004), this means that the person behind them will count to five quietly and when that time is up they can return the back of the line. Once everyone has had their drink, they will move on to the classroom or whatever activity comes next. Drinks taken during class time will be minimized by the students’ keeping individual water bottles in the classroom, on a shelf. These can be filled at the beginning of the day and again after lunch. If gone, that is it until the next class refill time. In one of the classrooms I have observed, the teacher allows the students to keep water bottles on the floor right next to their desks, but I have seen multiple spills – I love water bottle access, but I will have them on a shelf to prevent accidental spills.

15. Classroom Procedures, Routines, & Records Attendance Once all of the students are in a straight, calm, and quiet line outside of the classroom they will be allowed to enter and immediately take their own attendance. Each student will have a clothespin with their name on it and Velcro on the back of the pin. They will attach the Velcro to the strip that corresponds to their lunch choice for the day: hot lunch, brought lunch, forgot lunch. By making their lunch plans known, each student is marking their presence at school. Those whose pins have not been moved are marked as absent. I have seen this used in several different grade levels, from first to seventh, and I am fully on-board with this approach. Bathroom Breaks In an effort to avoid multiple trips to the restroom during instruction, or as a means of getting out of class, I will provide scheduled times for bathroom breaks. I will assign groups to one another, as well as the responsibility of reporting any inappropriate play or other goings-on back to me upon returning to the classroom. Groups will rotate through, while other groups continue to work on an activity or independent practice. I will also provide each student with one “freebie” bathroom break for the day (unless doctors note specifies otherwise) and once these are up, students will owe recess time for extra class time missed. Hall Pass These will be available for trips to the office, errands, or other non-restroom & drink purposes. Teacher permission must be granted for a student to leave the room for any reason with hall pass in-hand. Jones (2000) suggests eliminating hall passes for bathroom breaks because it disrupts the cycle of abuse from students using these to escape class altogether.

16. Classroom Procedures, Routines, & Records Morning Routine First, students will form a line outside of the classroom and wait quietly to be given permission to enter. I will greet each one as they come in. They will begin by moving their pin to the correct lunch choice, as a means of taking attendance, and then put their belongings away in the designated location. Homework will be placed in the homework bins, students will take out a pencil (or deposit one in the unsharpened cup for every one they take out of the sharpened cup), and begin the morning bell work. Once all students are seated and working on their bell work, I will set a timer to allow the last ones seated ample time to finish. After the timer has finished, we will do announcements and set the agenda for the day. End of Day Routine Each team in the classroom will be assigned wrap-up tasks that rotate on a weekly basis, as suggested in Win-Win Discipline & Management. Team tasks will consist of cleaning white/chalkboards, sharpening the unsharpened pencils, tidying the supply shelves, and making sure the classroom library is neat and organized. Each student will be responsible for cleaning up inside and around their desks each day, pushing in or stacking their chair, and filling out their agenda/homework notebook to guide them at home when completing unfinished work. I have seen many approaches to the routines at the end of the day and can’t say I have seen any seamless operations – at least at the elementary level. I have seen success with responsibilities assigned to the general clean-up tasks because they all take part in the whole process instead of leaving it to the teacher completely (or even to one or two students exclusively)

17. Classroom Procedures, Routines, & Records • Dismissal Routine Once students have completed their team and individual tasks, packed up their belongings, and are seated quietly at their desks, I will use my popsicle sticks to have students line up based on the way they get home: bus riders, parent pick-up & daycare vans, or those walking home. I will be sure to keep a visual aid on the wall to indicate each students’ way of getting home for days when substitutes need to know which students belong on the bus or elsewhere. I will personally say goodbye to each student everyday.

18. Data Collection & Decision Making • Teacher’s Clipboard Notes I will begin each day with a fresh sheet of paper, on which each student’s name has been placed into its’ own square of a chart. Throughout the day, I will jot down notes regarding behavior or academic issues that I think need work or need to be addressed with the student and/or parents. I have watched on of my cooperating teachers use this method for several weeks now and she feels that this is her lifeline. It helps her maintain consistency and remember those small things that might otherwise be forgotten as the day progresses. • Reflective Journal Writing At the end of each day, or during certain periods of down time, I will write in a journal that documents each students’ performance, behavior, progress, and any information that I feel is pertinent to their education and success in the classroom. It is hard to be objective when you are “in the moment”, but keeping records over time will help me be more objective over time and spot patterns or trends that may emerge for certain students. I haven’t seen any teachers use this, it is likely very time consuming, but I feel like it will really help when trying to think of how to describe progress – or lack thereof – and what to tell parents with regard to their child and his/her education.

19. Class ABCD Graph & Tally • Class ABCD Graph & Tally In order to determine which kinds of disruptions are most common for my students each year, I will follow the ABCD Tally method presented in Win-Win Discipline by Kagan, Kyle, & Scott (2004). There are four main types of disruption: Aggression (A), Breaking rules (B), Confrontation (C), and Disengagement (D). I will create a Chart that has a column for each day of the week and a row for each one of the four types of disruption. Each student will have their own mini chart and I will have a master chart for the entire class as a whole. Every disruption is noted on the tally (which will be right behind my Clipboard Notes page) and this is done for one week. Based on the most common disruptions, for each student and for the class, I will know where to spend the majority of my energy creating and implementing preventative procedures most effective for handling that type of disruption. Routinely, this will be done three or four times per year (or when situations warrant its’ use), and individually whenever there seems to be a shift in behavior or change that needs attention.

20. Discipline Creating a classroom community is my first priority and this requires implementing an approach that fosters responsibility, student-directed learning, choices, and discipline model that supports each of these aspects to allow for an optimal learning environment. • Prevention is the first component of my discipline plan. I will have several established rules that I have as non-negotiable factors in my classroom. At the beginning of the year, students will discuss and create the classroom “code of conduct”, as well as the consequences for instances in which they break or ignore the rules. Curwin & Mender suggest prevention as one of the major tenets of the Discipline with Dignity model, as does the Win-Win Discipline model developed by Kagan, Kyle, & Scott. When I visit a well-managed classroom and students are aware of what the consequences to their actions are, there is less of a need to implement the consequences at all. Students feel a sense of ownership when they can create their own rules and are more likely to make sure they are followed and enforced if they have helped to create them. • Choices will be available on a regular basis, students can choose how their day will turn out by the ways in which they behave. Glasser believed that all we do is behave. Whether we choose to follow the rules or not, we are still making a choice. I will remind my students of those choices and that some choices will result in consequences they may not like, but will also remember that the behaviors that are chosen are driven by their wants and needs at that given moment. Their choices may be a result of boredom, lack of feeling as though they belong, a need to have some control or power in their lives - by looking inward at my own teaching practices and management approach, I may find a way to solve the problems without fixing anything student-related.

21. Discipline • Communication is a very big part of Becky Bailey’s Conscious Discipline model – one that I have seen implemented very well in my children’s preschool. When students are given the tools they need to communicate what they are feeling, the stress level goes way down. I will teach my students to communicate and to express emotions in a constructive way, therefore avoiding negative situations that result from an inability to express what they are feeling or thinking. • Humor and Fun might seem like an oddity for a discipline plan, however I believe it is an integral part of an enjoyable educational experience. Curwin & Mendler believe that humor can be the key to avoiding confrontational situations from escalating more than they already have and, when students are exposed to humor, their defenses are lessened. Humor is something that I witnessed while observing at Gentry Middle School. A sixth grade writing teacher was hilarious, I found myself laughing at several different times when she was addressing a situation in which a student was off-task or committing some minor violation of the rules. This worked well and kept the mood positive in the classroom.

22. Discipline • Self-Esteem is one of the most important hidden factors responsible for behavioral problems in students. Linda Albert focuses heavily on the three main influences on self-esteem: knowing they are capable, that they can connect and that they can contribute. The key is giving equal attention to all students. Those students that are the most challenging and demanding, those that seem to look for power struggles constantly, are the ones that have the lowest self-esteem and that need our encouragement the most. Cooperative Discipline is about encouragement strategies and can be very helpful with the inclusion of special-needs students that need to feel capable and that they have something to offer. • Individualized and student-centered approaches to discipline need to be used, just as individualized and student-centered approaches to instruction are used. Not every student is the same and, therefore, not every student will be disciplined the same. I have been known to use a different approach to discipline with each of my three children because all three of them respond to me in a different manner. There are similarities, but for every one similarity there are many differences. Kohn was very student-centered with his approach to discipline and I agree with him that not every child fits the “mold”, so to speak.

23. Implementation of the Plan • Rules I will have established several rules for the classroom and these will be non-negotiable. The remainder of the rules will be established by the classroom community and agreed upon by consensus. The most important rules will be to respect one another, be learners, never disrupt the learning of another student at any time. • Consequences The same goes for consequences. The students will come up with consequences they feel are reasonable for the violation of rules set. Kagan, Kyle, & Scott feel as though the consequences should also be up for discussion and the student should have some input as to the consequence that is decided upon. This goes along with the increased responsibility for individual actions that Jim Fay holds tightly to in the Love and Logic model of discipline. I will have certain consequences that fit certain violations, but I will leave the majority of the decisions to the individual student and myself. The classroom consequences set will be a pool from which to choose when having teacher-student discussions. Following all student behaviors, good or bad, with reasonable consequences is one of the key ideas in William Glasser’s model of Rational Choices.

24. Implementation of the Plan • Routines & Procedures Establishing routines & procedures will allow my students to know what to expect from day to day and from minute to minute. Being able to predict how their day will go leaves them with the ability to put their energy towards learning and being a responsible student. Procedures will be practiced until they are mastered. According to Fred Jones, this practice to mastery allows teachers to start out with high standards and maintain such standards throughout the year. In one of the first grade classrooms I have spent time in, the teacher regularly sits her students down on the carpet and they have practice time – one minute spent practicing what quiet and calm bodies look like. I have also seen this with older students and their difficulty keeping a straight and quiet line. While walking somewhere, the teacher hears noise and this signaled to her that there is a need for several minutes of practice walking in lines. • Effective & Engaging Instruction is the biggest way to avoid discipline problems. When students are actively engaged in their learning, behavioral problems go away for the majority of students. I plan on differentiating for students that need it, compacting curriculum and allowing some to work at an accelerated pace, using cooperative learning structures, problem-based learning opportunities, and also incorporating best practices – such as the Hyerle thinking maps. By addressing the intellectual needs of all students, as well as their physical and emotional needs, I can be sure to eliminate problems that stem from boredom or disengagement.