TOGETHER WE CAN DO ANYTHING

Sommerville

TOGETHER
WE CAN DO
ANYTHING
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHY

SPRING 2014

This I believe
By: Jillian Sommerville

I believe in family. When you walk into my

classroom, you become a part of my family.
We are a family that relies on working
together to achieve success. Expectations
and standards will be introduced, discussed,
and practiced from the beginning to ensure
that the family can achieve constant and
maximum success.

Believe that together we

are better. What I do, you
cannot do; but what you
do, I cannot doWe can all
do small things, with great
love, and together we can
do something wonderful.
Mother Teresa
We care about each others needs and
respect our differences. All of our unique
talents and gifts, when combined, make our
room the warm and accepting environment
necessary for unleashing the students
highest potential. Each person in the
classroom deserves and will receive the
support and love they need to find their
internal drive. Most importantly, a family is a
team filled with teammates willing to go
above and beyond to help one another in

reaching the set goals. Through the

teamwork of consulting each other and other
class resources, I strive to develop my
students into independent problem solvers
and give them countless opportunities to
take the lead and build each other up. We are
loud learners because the most valuable
form of learning takes place through
maximum communication and collaboration.
I will inspire my team to be a rowdy group
through the use of constant encouragement,
positivity, and helping one another out in
their discovery and learning processes.
Through teamwork and collaboration,
students will engage in and embrace each
others differences. Our unique blend of
different cultures, ethnicities, races,
religions, and specific learning needs leads to
many opportunities for growing a stronger
bond, respecting each others differences,
and celebrating our diversity. Our different
backgrounds will increase our awareness of
the vast globe that encircles us.

The only disability in life is

a bad attitude.
Scott Hamilton
Our family is accepting of all disabilities. We
embrace the fact that we all have strengths

and weaknesses. We use each others

strengths to embrace and build up our
weaknesses.

TOGETHER WE CAN DO ANYTHING

I believe students
model the behaviors
encouraged by their

surroundings
The physical and emotional environment
enveloping students during their time at school
has a ginormous impact on the mood and
motivation of the students. With this being said,
it is my job to build a warm environment that
fosters positive and motivated attitudes. The
layout below enables for the maximum use of
every inch of my classroom and will foster the
warm environment we need for our messy
learning. Here is a snapshot of my ideal
classroom environment:
-a small group collaboration table
-a comfortable area for reading and
independent work
-an open ground area for whole group
collaboration and discussion

-desks in an open U-shape, allowing my

active attention and availability for constant
support
-a student work wall displaying student
creations
-a constant noise level due to student
support and teamwork
-a large library overfilling with books

-an enormous amount of subject resources

for inquiry-based activities
-plants and a classroom pet for a maximum
feeling of hominess and to establish a
sense of responsibility when caring for these
living things
-signs, posters, and bulletin boards created
by myself and my students

What do the surroundings look like?

Out of clutter, find simplicity, from discord, find harmony, in the middle of
difficulty lies opportunity. Albert Einstein

TOGETHER WE CAN DO ANYTHING

I believe
Morning Meetings
start us on the
same page
-done before work begins
-circle up, sitting on the
ground
-hold up fingers indicating
feelings about the day
1------2-------3-------4-------5
Not so great Grand
-students will be selected
at random to share their
Happy/Crappys
-the Encouraging Word of
the Day will be shared

I believe
motivation
begins with
building solid
relationships
from day one
Even before the first day of school begins, I
will contact the parents of my students
through email and phone calls to find out
more about the gifts and needs of their child.
By putting forth immediate effort through
early contact, I hope to quickly build the
team relationship between myself and the
parents of my students. Having this early
connection with the family sets up the lines
of communication in regards to recording,
tracking, and supporting the students
progress throughout the remainder of the
year. I will reassure every parent that I am
willing to do anything to tailor and modify
my instruction and classroom environment
as long as it is communicated to me. By
getting to know each student through their
parents eyes before meeting in person, I will
better be able to make stronger connections
and offer a warmer welcome to them on the
first day. My goal is for each student to enter
into my classroom on day one with each of
their parents having full confidence in my
ability to do what is best for the students
unique learning needs.
Holding the basic background knowledge in
my back pocket, I will enthusiastically greet
each student at the door entering my
classroom while adorning a big smile. I will
extend a handshake while introducing myself
and welcome them into our familys room by
individually taking the student to his or her
assigned seat.
Students will participate in many ice breaker
and team building activities the first few
weeks of school, especially to begin the
process of knitting together the family
bonds. These activities will reveal more
knowledge about students interests and
personal lives; I will tuck them away in my
head to relate to students at a later time.
This will establish my personal interest in
their likings and lives.
Not only will students develop a stronger
bond with me through conversations and
verbal connections, but they will ultimately
read my love, care, and passion for

their needs and personal well-being through

my body language that I display on my
constant stage in the classroom. Students
can read adults like books when it comes to
body language, so it is vital that I hold myself
with warmth, passion, and a caringconfidence to create a supportive comfort
zone.
With the U arrangement of the desks, I will
have the ultimate access to students at all
times. The formation allows me to circulate
from student to student without disrupting
the flow of the class. The frequent rotation
around the classroom will convey to my
students that I am not only interested in
conversing with them when there is a
problem but at any point in the learning
process as I am thoroughly interested in their
journeys of understanding.

For ensuring strong

student relationships,
I believe in
-Consistently focusing on the
positive
-Wiping the slate clean after
students make behavior mistakes
-Not backing away from discipline,
facing it head on immediately
-Leading the way, instilling the
amount of care had for the student
-Never humiliating students when
correcting their misbehaviors
-Refusing to accept mediocrity,
holding students accountable to
high standards
Ronald Morrishs Guidelines for Strengthening
Student Relationships (Charles, 2014, p. 85)

TOGETHER WE CAN DO ANYTHING

Sommerville

A Look into Carin VonIns

Classroom Management
During the fall of 2013, I was fortunate enough to have a field placement with Carin VonIns at Hamilton High School. Her classroom contains students
with disabilities ranging from mild to severe who are on the non-diploma seeking track. With this being said, she implements a functional curriculum,
which prevents her from struggling with the issue of motivation. All of the material taught in a functional curriculum is useful and essential to have
exposure to for living an independent life. This causes minimal complaints and frustrations to develop because all of the work done has a specific
purpose in the students future lives. When I asked about her behavior management practices, she stated,

Behavior Management is simple. My philosophy: Take care of the problem BEFORE it happens. I am not an
office sender. I believe in mutual respect. My students know that and respond well to that. I like the room to
function like a "family, we help each other out and work out our issues.
When in her classroom, I never experienced her raising her voice or getting close to removing a student from the classroom. In fact, she knew her
students, their habits, and their behaviors so strongly that she would pick up on, approach, and solve small situations before a crisis developed. I strive
to be on the same wavelength of each student as she is. She understands precisely how each student ticks. This makes a world of a difference in her
overall effectiveness as a teacher. Though she is in a unique position, teaching the functional curriculum, she was a great model for me to observe in
regards to establishing how I am going to build and nurture student relationships in my own classroom.

Lisa Douglass &

I believe in using

Student Motivation

Visual Instructional Plans

Lisa Douglass is my current mentor teacher at Jenison Junior High

School. She is a seventh and eighth grade math resource room
teacher, who is constantly seeking new tools and resources to use with
her students, not only to motivate them but to help them grasp the
real life concepts of the material taught. Over her twenty years of
teaching experience, she has gathered that her students with
disabilities need concrete objects to best support their learning
experiences.
It is guaranteed that each class period will involve some sort of
manipulative or object to best convey the content of that days
learning target. And if one manipulative fails, she pulls out another
one, and another one, as she is always thinking on her toes with what
physical objects can impact her learners classroom experience. From
Lisas words,

The students must SEE and PLAY with their learning;

they need concrete learning experiences.
Below are just a few of her manipulatives that I have observed the use
of in her classroom and plan on bringing into my classroom.
-cookies

-Jolly Ranchers

-vegetables

-money

-pretzels

-cards

-paper cut-outs

-cereal

-Play-Doh

-goldfish

-M&Ms

-Legos

-animal crackers

-Hersheys

-popsicle sticks/tooth picks

According to Fred Jones, Visual Instructional Plans (VIPs) are

graphics or picture prompts that students use as guides in
completing processes or activities, (Charles, 2014, p. 145).
By charting, visually drawing out, and posting the learning process,
students are better able to help themselves. This allows them to
trace their steps in their work and receive assistance in regards to
the new concept without needing a teacher by their side. It pairs a
picture with every step of the learning and places the responsibility
in the hands of the students. This encourages students to work
independently and strengthen their problem solving skills.
The VIPs are created during the modeling of lessons and are posted
on the front board for active visual reference and problem solving.
Not only can these be created for math, like pictured below, but
they can be created for science and language arts lessons.
By using these plans, I can remain actively rotating around the room
during work time to assist students that need help, while also
helping multiple students at a time by pointing them to the
independent use of the VIP. This keeps students on track and makes
them take reign of their learning while shying away from needs to
act out, thus aiding in behavior management.

www.educationworld.com

TOGETHER WE CAN DO ANYTHING

I believe structure is
established through guidelines,
standards, and procedures
In order for procedures to be effectively used
and benefit the students learning processes,
time must be spent during the first few
weeks of school to train for year-long proper
performance. By training, I mean that we will
be practicing and running through the
procedures frequently until students can
make the right decisions without needing to
spend time thinking about it. I believe it is
worth it to spend a large amount of time at
the beginning of the school year in getting
the ways in which our classroom operates
down pat. You know what they saypractice
makes perfect, right? But I do not want, nor
do I expect, perfection from my students
across the course of the year. I understand
that there will be a few mistakes and slip-ups
made throughout the year, and I value these
mistakes and slip-ups as long as we keep
them to a minimum level. Mistakes will be
used as learning opportunities and chances
to briefly walk through the procedure policy
and remind students of the decisions in their
hands.

The best time to teach a

behavior is when it isnt
needed. Todays practice is
tomorrows performance.
Ronald Morrish
Our classroom guidelines (otherwise known
as our rules) will be posted above the dry
erase board at the front of my room so
students always have easy access to the, and
so I can make fast reminders to students that
need it by just directing a hand motion in
that direction, while still not distracting
others. The five guidelines are located on the
right side of this page. During the first few
weeks, we will focus on talking through the
many meanings of each of our five
guidelines. While mini-lessons will be taught
in the first weeks about each specific
guideline, I will read books aloud that touch
on the differing guidelines and weave them
into lessons throughout the school year. In
addition, when I observe specific behaviors in
the classroom, I will pose the questions
included beneath each guideline to the right
or something to the effect that will either
remind a student to change his or her actions
or remind surrounding students to make

better decisions. I will not only reinstate

these questions when I observe a negative
behavior, but I will also use these questions
to highlight the smart decisions a student is
making to follow the guidelines. I will also
encourage students to help each other out by
asking similar questions to remind each other
to make better choices to prevent a situation
from taking place or if there is a situation
that I have not observed yet. After our first
few weeks of training and the students gain
my respect, I will place the responsibility in
their hands to be independent leaders and
problem solvers. I will place my trust in their
hands that I believe they have the ability to
make the right decisions for both their
academic and social lives when in my
classroom and our school. Again, I do not
expect perfection after the first few weeks of
training. I want them to make mistakes so
that we can pause and learn from them
together as a class. I want my students to be
comfortable with making mistakes and know
that every mistake made is an opportunity to
grow smarter and stronger.
Not only are our classroom guidelines aimed
at being used in just our classroom, but I have
chosen to hone in on each of these specific
values for a special reason. They are
important lifelong values that I want my
students to gain exposure to in my classroom
and retain the knowledge of how to apply
them to the rest of their lives. I plan to take
advantage of every moment when my
students are in my classroom to teach as
many life skills and values as possible, by
intertwining them through my lessons to
prepare them to be leaders of their
generation.

Children, after all, are not

just adults-in-the-making.
They are people whose
current needs and rights
and experiences must be
taken seriously.
Alfie Kohn

Guidelines
1. Effort
Are you giving it all you got? Is there
anything else you can contribute? Can you
do better?

2. Integrity
Are you doing the right thing even when no
one is watching? Are you telling the truth?
Are you being honest?

3. Perseverance
Are you trying? Are you trying again? And
again and again and again? Did you try it a
different way?

4. Positivity
Are you inspiring hope? Are you lifting
yourself or someone up? Are you seeing or
looking for the bright side?

5. Community
Are you serving your family members? Are
you bringing people together? Are you
supporting your neighbor?

TOGETHER WE CAN DO ANYTHING

I believe in these procedures

We start every morning as

Are you in a 4S line?

C oats & backpacks hung up

H omefun turned in
A ll notes on teachers desk
M ake lunch choice
P encils sharpened (2)
S tart morning work!

S ilent?
S till?
S traight?
S miling?

We work hard when we do

our...

J
O
B
S

ust do it!

ptimize time.

e respectful of others.

mile!

These are just a few of my classroom procedures that will be posted around my classroom. Each of these is short, concise, and to the point, making
them quite memorable. Their brief nature allows for them to be used as a frequent reminder that does not take away significant time from class.

I believe in WIN-WIN discipline

Win-Win discipline is a part of Spencer Kagans focus when approaching classroom discipline.
The ultimate goal of using this discipline in the classroom is to develop and instill responsible
lifelong behaviors.
The three main pillars of Win-Win discipline include:
1.
2.
3.

Same side: students, teachers, and other staff work together (group)
Collaborative solutions: student and teacher collaborate side-by-side (1-1)
Learned responsibility: student applies self-management practices (individual)
(Charles, 2014, p. 209).

Students will always begin using the first pillar, and the goal is to, over time, work towards
having students utilize the third pillar independently. By working together, the concepts of
this discipline are eventually transferred over to the individual student. We want students to
feel comfortable with having responsibility for their actions being placed in complete control
of their hands. The teacher is always available for collaborative assistance but will primarily
be focused on arming the students with the proper tools to successfully self-manage their
actions.
Classroom rules are first and foremost developed and created by the students in agreement
with the teacher. They are to be short and simple just like the guidelines listed on page 5. My
goal is to have the class brainstorm numerous keywords that they feel are important
guidelines to be followed in the classroom. I will insert my opinion of the five included on
page 5 and guide the students in the right direction to narrow them down to the best
guidelines for our classroom. All students must agree on the final guidelines set into place and
will personally sign their commitment to following the guidelines, which will be posted as a
continuous commitment reminder.

I believe I will introduce

Win-Win discipline by
saying
This is our class, and with all of us working
together we will create a place where each
person feels comfortable and all of us can
enjoy the process of learning. As your
teacher, I have a responsibility to create an
environment where this can happen, but I
need your help to make it work. I want each
of you to realize you are an important
member of this class, with important
responsibilities, and that you can help
make the class a pleasant place for all of us.
One of your main responsibilities is to help
create and maintain a positive learning
atmosphere where everybodys needs are
met. To accomplish this, we all must work
together. I suggest that we begin by
creating an agreement about how we will
treat each other in this class,
(Charles, 2014, p. 219).

TOGETHER WE CAN DO ANYTHING

I believe motivation is stemmed

by interest in a topic
My goal is to spark the flames of interest
inside students by developing a wide range
of projects and activities that apply to
different learning methods and various
interest levels. The more connections a
student makes between class material and
interests, the more likely the student is to
truly grasp the new concepts and the more
likely they are to shy away from creating
disruptive behaviors. Assignments in which
students are allowed to construct as many
links between learning material and day-today life experiences are prime to an effective
curriculum.
Through sitting in on several IEP meetings
over the course of my field placements, I
have witnessed many parents asking for
teachers to incorporate the students areas
of interest in order to increase student
motivation. When the material presented to
the student hits home or is within his or her
individual wheelhouse, motivation has
potential to peak.

I believe movement stimulates

students learning capabilities
An active, up-beat pace to each day in the classroom keeps students minds energized,
alert, and responsive. Too much sitting will never be a problem experienced in my
classroom. Daily escapades should take place not only to expose students to how the
materials they are learning about pertain to everyday life that surrounds them but also to
increase daily exercise levels. Even if it is just taking a walk to the trees outside the
classroom windows for a closer look and stronger experience with our surrounding
ecosystem; experience, interaction, and observation are keys to the learning process.
Education is ultimately teaching students how the world around them operates, so why not
expose them to the world and allow them to learn through active and engaging
assessments?!

I believe in the power of arts

integration
Additionally, I am a huge fan of arts integration in the classroom. This includes bringing
dance, drama, music, and visual art actively into the curriculum. When the arts are used,
they bring a completely different, higher level of thinking into the picture, allowing for
evaluations to be made using varying and not frequently used areas of the brain.

Emotion drives attention, and attention drives

learning. Robert Sylwester
Arts integration not only gets students bodies and brains physically active, but it also pulls
more meaning and emotions into the learning process, allowing for stronger connections to
be made with the material. When relations and personal connections are made to material,
the long term memory storage of the information skyrockets because a direct link is made
to information already existing in the long term memory storage. Emotions drive the
processing time period, which in the long term allows for information to stick faster and
more content to be accessed in the spare time available. Emotions do involve higher energy
and noise levels, allowing for energy to be proportionately dispensed at an appropriate time
during the day.
It is no lie that a new student develops when art actively enters into the educational
process. It is a win-win situation for all.
When students are so interested, active, and engaged, behavior problems will decrease
greatly.

TOGETHER WE CAN DO ANYTHING

TOGETHER
WE CAN
DO
ANYTHING

I believe
That the classroom is a place where family gathers. Each day, the family comes together to
make mistakes, face challenges, and take risks with no limits in sight. My family is a team,
therefore we will reach success when we seek each other out, build each other up, and
maintain a positive spirit. Both the social and physical surroundings of the family nurture the
motivation and optimism of the family. Procedures, guidelines, and structures must be instilled
into all the team members from the start to set the expectations of each student that are vital
for the team to find success together all year long. Additionally, classroom standards are
functional, thus they are beneficial to students lives outside of the classroom. The classroom
community will grow through fostering the values of effort, integrity, perseverance, positivity,
and community. The ultimate foundation of the family is the relationships formed and
fostered. Once the relationships are formed, the learning will flourish through rich learning
experiences that motivate students with individual interests, movement, and arts integration.
Time and effort are vital when it comes to cultivating the energy and possibility within the
family. Win-Win discipline will furthermore build respectful, independent leaders through
ample collaboration, communication, cooperation, and self-monitoring. Encouragement and
positivity are the fuel that will keep my family going strong, and when we fail, we will learn
from our mistakes and grow stronger together. Each learner and member of the family plays a
different role that allows the family to function as one unit. Both our strengths and weaknesses
are essential pieces of the family, and when each family members contributions are embraced,
our success will be launched to a whole new level. TOGETHER WE CAN DO ANYTHING.

Coming together
is a beginning;
keeping together
is progress;
working together
is SUCCESS.
-Henry Ford

Sources
Charles, C. M. (2014). Building classroom discipline (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Classroom Architect. (n.d.). Retrieved April 2, 2014, from http://classroom.4teachers.org/
Petti, W. Enhanced Visual Instructional Plans [Digital image]. Retrieved April 1, 2014, from http://www.educationworld.com/