Classroom Management

Classroom Management Plan

Teaching is the only profession where one person can affect change in an infinite way. Students leave the classroom becoming doctors, lawmakers, professors, attorneys, pastors, and even teachers. For the one or more years that you encounter one student, you have the ability to affect a lifetime of people with which that student encounters. Teaching is not restricted or in any way limited to the subject area. Of vast importance is the act of teaching compassion, trust, and how to learn.

High School students will not remember all that they learn during a year of instruction. Most likely they will not remember half the knowledge that a teacher imparts on his students. Teaching a student how to learn information will create an environment in which a student becomes empowered. She will be able to glean more from and subject if she is taught the "how" of learning, and while she may not remember the steps of mitosis in biology, she will understand how to find the information and will be more apt to understand the minute details of the subject.

Teaching is by no means a one directional path. As a teacher, you must learn from the students. Learn what interests they have, what their goals are, how they learn and how to adapt to help each student. Role-modeling and being sincere in compassion and trust creates a safe environment in which students feel secure. Security and comfort for students is necessary for the learning process. To create such a classroom, a teacher must be truly sincere in his care for the students. He must make an effort and an investment of time and energy to reach our and connect with his students. In such an environment discipline is something that applies to all fairly and is distribute equally.

Rules and Consequences

In a classroom there needs to be a set of common rules that apply to everyone. These rules will be enforced without discretion when a rule is broken. When all the students understand that there are consequences to the classroom rules, and that these consequences apply to everyone, they can begin to understand that it is their choice when the consequences are applied to them. This mean that when a rule is not followed and a student incurs a consequence, the teacher can explain to the student that in essence, the consequence was chosen because the student know the rules and the consequences to those rules.

1. Be on time. That means in your seat when the bell rings or you are tardy.

- A consequence to this rule is that the student will miss the opportunity for participation points that day. They will miss the daily quiz and can only miss 3 for the grading period.

2. Use common courtesy, do not speak while the teacher or other students are talking.

- This would follow the three strikes rule. First strike is a warning, second strike is a second warning, and the third strike is 2 minutes after class. Any warnings after this would go with lunchtime detention then a call home.

3. No swearing.

- Swearing repercussions follow the three strikes outlined above.

4. No phones, no ipods no dice.

- If I see them or here them, they are mine for the rest of the period.

5. One bathroom trip per class, do not ask, just sign out and sign in when you return.

- Bathroom privileges will be revoked

Rewards

Rewards will be treated as a consequence to good behavior. The classroom as a whole will receive points when the students are on-task. The point system will work in that the first reward will be something small, like cookies or some soda for the classroom. This reward will be redeemed at a point number of 20. The next reward will take place when the students are able to achieve 30 points. This might be and educational movie or free time. At 50 points, the students will choose a reward that they see fit. A field trip, or movie or special get out of homework passes for the whole class. The point of this reward system is for the students to work toward a reward, achieve a reward, and then have to concentrate harder and work toward a greater award.

In this system, students are rewarded for their behavior as opposed to their academic achievements. Academic achievement is rewarded on a student-by-student basis unless there is a special reason for a classroom reward for academic achievement. Students will receive stamps on their note if they have them for every class. At the end of the semester the students or students with the most stamps will be allowed to reach into the "grab bag" and choose a prize at random. Student achievement will also be rewarded by improvement. Students that improve test scores will be given a piece of candy. Students will be allowed two retests in which they will take a different test on the same information. If they improve, they are rewarded.

This method of academic reward is based on students both doing their homework and striving to improve. The more a student encounters the subject matter, the more likely a student will remember the information. When a student is rewarded for taking notes everyday it becomes natural. In addition when a student is rewarded for improvement, the student is better able to understand that the process of learning is not finite. The student will get a sense that the learning process continues, one year and one lesson on top of one another. This is also an important lesson that the student needs to bring to life.

Classroom Positions

To help make the students feel as though this is their classroom and they are not simply participating in my classroom I will use classroom positions. Classroom positions allow students to "own" their classroom. They participate in their classroom and feel as though they have a say in what occurs in the classroom. In addition, classroom positions allow the teacher to be more attentive to the class, while the students take care of the day-to Ð'-day activities. Some of these classroom positions are:

1. Clean