CLASSROOM

MANAGEMENT AND
STUDENT GUIDANCE
PLAN
Jessica Fogelman

EDT 474 Section A

December 7, 2015
Primary Grades K-3
1

EDT474EDr. Bob BurkeFall Semester, 2015

CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND STUDENT GUIDANCE PLAN [CMSGP]
Responses to All Questions Are Required in the CMSGP

Section 1.
a. What assumptions do you make about the inherent nature of
children [e.g., at birth, is every child inherently good-or are some
children born evil-or is every child neutral in this regard?is
every child born with a disobedient will that must be broken?]
I believe that everyone is born evil. That sounds harsh, and you can call it
what you want to call it; evil, bad, disobedient, sinful, selfish, etc. but I
believe that no one is born perfect. Even if you commit one single act of
bad or wrong you are no longer perfect, therefore you have missed the
mark, and cant ever be perfect from then on because you cannot erase
what you have done. I believe that all children are born with what is called a
sinful nature, or a desire to do what they want to do when they want to do
it. I dont think that babies immediately come out of the womb kicking and
screaming only to displease their parents with the intention of doing them
harm, but I do believe that they still have this sinful nature, and are not yet
old enough to make choices that stem from this nature. When children are a
bit older, they are given commands from their parents that tell them what
they can and cannot do. At this age, they can make a choice. Choosing to not
do what they are instructed to do comes from that sinful nature. They want
to do what they want to do, when they want to do it. They think that they
have the best plan for their lives, and decide to follow that plan instead. I do
not believe that children are totally evil though, while they are born in this
state, they can also be good. Children can be very good and can behave and
can be obedient, and be nice and kind to others. But they still have that
sinful nature that tempts them to do the opposite of what they are supposed
to do, and this nature follows the child up through adulthood until the day
they die. There is nothing they can do to reverse it; it is just the way that it
is. No one is perfect; no one successfully fights against his or her nature of
sin, at some point we all give in. On this topic though, one has to think about
what being bad is. I believe that this term is relevant, and can mean
different things to different people. I dont think that some things people
consider childrens behavior as being bad as actually being bad at all.
Children are children and they need to talk and run and play and do things,
and cannot be expected to sit still in a chair all day and be silent. When
childrens behavior is considered bad because they cant sit in their chair, I
dont think that this is right. Children cant be expected to do something that
not only limits their learning but also goes against their nature of wanting to
learn by doing and exploring.

b. To what extent can children learn self-control [physical,

emotional, intellectual, and behavioral]? What actions by
significant adults [especially parents/guardians and PK-6 teachers]
promote a childs development of all domains of self-control?
I do not believe that infants and toddlers have the capacity to control
themselves. I think that this is a skill that they learn with guidance from
teachers, parents, and other guardians around them. An infant or toddlers
first instinct is survival, so they are very focused on themselves and their
own needs. A lot of times though, they cannot provide for their own needs
and need others to help them. As they grow, they are able to begin to
provide for their own needs, but at this point, they begin to realize that they
cant always have everything they want and cant always do everything that
they want to do. As they have experiences that force them to work for what
they want, they begin to see that there are certain ways that are acceptable
to act to obtain what they need. These experiences are provided for them in
everyday life at home and at school, and give the child the chance to control
itself in a way that is acceptable. In the classroom, teachers can teach
children self-control in various ways. For example, if a student is fighting with
another student over a toy that they want to play with, the teacher can teach
the child how to use their words to talk to the other student about the toy
and to ask them for permission to play with the toy. Using words is a form of
self control because instead of the child using their first instinct to just take
what they want, the child is forced to use their words to communicate with
the other student in order to meet the need that they are experiencing to be
able to play with the toy. Childrens interaction with other children can
sometimes happen for the first time in a classroom. Using every experience
as a teachable moment is important and teachers should be intentional
about the moments that they use to teach children about how to act and to
control their desires and behavior.
c. What meaning do you ascribe to learning? How do children
learn? Based on your current understanding, explain your definition
of learning and then explain the basic processes by which a child
learns any particular knowledge or skill.
I believe that each child learns differently. Each child experiences things
differently, and each child needs a unique plan that best fits their needs in
order to successfully learn. I think that most children learn through
experiences that they have. This is why I feel that it is detrimental to have a
classroom centered on real authentic learning experiences so that the
children are constantly experiencing the things that they need to learn, and
not just watching videos or reading books about them. I believe that students
have truly learned something when they are able to apply the knowledge
that they have learned to solve other problems, or can explain the topic to
someone else. Learning goes beyond state standards and things that are
3

required to be learned in the ECE classroom. Children learn from each

other, they learn from the teacher, and they learn from other people in their
environment. They learn about themselves, they learn how to interact
socially, they learn about other people, and they learn about the world. The
learning of these things is a process that cannot be stopped, it just naturally
happens through the experiences students have in the world. Students will
learn things no matter what, but teachers are there to guide and direct
student learning to achieve certain student learning outcomes. Students
should be free to construct their own knowledge, and should not be required
to learn concepts through the same methods as every other student in the
class. Learning is like creating a piece of art, there isnt one way to do it, it
can take various amounts of time, and one persons learning will always be
different than anothers. It is the teachers job to give students various
mediums to create their learning, and to create experiences that will inspire
them to continually construct their art.
d. What can/should a K-3 teacher do to promote healthy
psychosocial development?
A teacher needs to create a classroom that promotes healthy psychosocial
development in addition to intellectual growth and development. One way to
do this is to have students complete activities that focus on their lives and
not necessarily about the classroom content that is required to be taught.
Since students spend so much time in the classroom, they should feel
comfortable in this environment, and should have outlets to let their feelings,
ideas, and energy out. This can be accomplished by giving students time to
talk with their classmates and to give them group projects or assignments
that they can work on with a partner. This way, the students are able to
move throughout the room, they are able to communicate with each other
and they are able to complete the assignment in an area other than their
seats. If a child is having a hard time focusing or is having difficulty listening
or has become highly emotional all at once, there will be a calm area of the
classroom where students can sit in a comfy spot and collect their thoughts
and emotions and take a break from the classroom routine. They can remain
here until they want to talk about what is going on, or until they are ready to
come back to the class and are in a state in which they can learn again.
Throughout the day to energize students minds and bodies, we will have
stretching and dancing time for students to stretch their muscles and to
move to get out their energy. Giving students these opportunities is a good
way to help prepare them to learn mentally, and will give them a great outlet
for everything that is being created inside of them such as feelings, ideas,
and energy.
e. What can/should a K-3 teacher do to promote healthy intellectual
growth and development?

A teachers first priority should be to make sure that their classroom is a

place to promote healthy intellectual growth and development for all of their
students. Since each child learns in a different way, I think that
differentiation is key to foster intellectual growth and development. Lessons
should be individualized and should take into account all learners and all
needs for differentiation. Teachers should not expect all students to learn in
the same way, but should be prepared to meet the needs of each student.
The classroom should be a place where students are provided with real and
authentic learning experiences. Students should be guided in their learning,
and not lectured at all day, or expected to remain seated and silent.
Students learn from their experiences and should be allowed to move about
the room, communicating with one another, constructing their own
knowledge. Teachers should provide their students with a classroom and
classroom activities that are developmentally appropriate in order to meet
students at their zone of proximal development, fostering intellectual growth
and development.

f. In what ways might the relationship between a teacher and a

student affect a childs learning and development?
I think that the teacher-student relationship affects a childs learning and
development in many different ways. It is important for the teacher to create
a space where children feel safe, and where they feel they can learn best.
There has to be trust in this relationship, and the students need to feel loved
and cared for by their teacher. If students are being taught in ways that dont
foster their learning, they will be bored and wont understand what is going
on. The teacher needs to provide the students with learning experiences that
are appropriate for each students learning and developmental needs. The
student needs to be able to trust that the teacher cares about them and
wont lead them astray in their learning, while feeling safe with the teacher
and not be afraid of being yelled at for doing something wrong. I remember
as a student that the classrooms in which I learned the most in were the
classrooms that I felt I was most supported by my teacher. Having teachers
that would encourage me and support my learning and help me when I
struggled was important and really helped me in my learning and
development as a child. The teacher of a classroom is the adult that the child
probably spends the most time with outside of parents and guardians, so this
relationship is important. The teacher sees the child almost every day for
roughly 8 months and is teaching the child how to complete school activities,
but also how to live life. Teachers should take every opportunity they have to
form relationships with their students, and talk with them about things
5

outside of schoolwork. They should encourage them, and conference with

them, and use down times to get to know their students on a personal level.
g. In what ways might the school-home relationship affect a childs
learning and development?
If there is no school-home relationship in a childs life, the student will not
understand why school is important. If the child sees that their parents or
guardians dont really care about their progress in school, they most likely
will not really care about their progress in school. If the students see that
their parents and teachers fight over things or that their parents talk badly
about the childs teacher at home, the child will probably not respect the
teacher and will have a difficult time learning from him or her. If the child
hears the teacher talking badly about their parents, they will probably be
confused and might think badly of their teacher or parents as well. It is
important for the students learning and development to be supported by
both the teacher and parents. The child cannot grow properly if one side is
hindering or not supporting their learning. Helping a child grow and learn is a
full-time job, and cannot only take place at certain times. All adults in the
childs life must work to help the child and not only work independently, but
together, on the same page so that the child isnt confused with what he or
she should be learning. The teacher and parents or guardians should work to
make sure that the learning taking place at home is supplemental to the
learning is going on in the classroom. Teachers should work to meet the
parents where they are at to provide them with activities to complete with
their child. This way, the students will see that their learning can carry over
and out of the classroom, and it can become something that they are
constantly doing in different environments.

Section 2.
Top Ten Beliefs and/or Strategies about Classroom Management &
Student Guidance:
1. Communication between Students and Teacher
In my classroom, I believe that communication is a very
important tool that will be used starting on day one. A students
communication develops throughout their time in the ECE
classroom, and it is an environment that lends itself to the
practice of this skill. I want my students to know that the
classroom is theirs as well, and that they are free to vocalize
their feelings and ideas with everyone in a judgment-free and
safe space. I firmly believe in having beginning and ending of the
day conversations to welcome students to the class that day, to
share news, and to wrap up the day with concluding thoughts. I
want my classroom to be a community, a space in which full6

classroom discussions can take place regarding classroom

content as well as current events and thoughts and ideas about
life. I want all of my students to feel comfortable talking to me
and telling me things about their lives, as I will open up my life to
my students and inform them on my life as well.
2. Classroom Environment that Supports Learning: Page 79 of
Guidance of Young Children
The ECE Classroom is the space in which students spend the
most time and should be an area that is developmentally
appropriate for all students in the class. Classrooms that are well
designed empower students to learn, and are environments in
which stress and discipline problems occur a lot less frequently.
The classroom should be filled with centers that offer rich,
student-centered, hands-on, authentic learning experiences for
students. My classroom will be a place that is warm and inviting
while still filled with areas that offer deep learning. I believe that
students should be enabled to construct their own knowledge,
and that they should be free to move about the classroom,
experiencing all of the spaces provided. This will initiate growth
of my students decision-making skills, as they are free to decide
where they want to go and what they want to learn during choice
time. My classroom will be comprised of group worktables in
which students will complete the majority of their assignments.
There will be a round table without chairs that will be the
standing table for students who prefer to stand while they
complete their work. There will be a large carpeted area with
beanbags surrounded by a large library of books. I think that
well-written, developmentally appropriate books are one of the
most important tools inside of a classroom. These are a few ways
in which I will create a warm inviting safe space for my students
that lets them learn in the ways that they need to.
3. Practices that Help Children Develop Authentic Self-Esteem:
Page 179 of Guidance of Young Children
I believe that teachers can sometimes be the only real parents
that students have. Because of this, I plan to help my students
establish self-esteem in my classroom through practices that
authentically work to support and encourage them. To do this, I
plan to adopt an authoritative teaching style. With this, I will
maintain high expectations for my students while still
incorporating a high level of care and warmth. I want my
students to be encouraged and to know that I believe that they
can succeed and support them in doing so, but I also want them
to know that I love them and care for them and will show both of
these attitudes in a cohesive manner. When encouraging my
students, I will make sure that I do not just give them empty
7

praise that is meaningless, but that I intentionally encourage

them and comment on real experiences and real gifts that I
notice in each individual student. Finally, I will make sure that I
express genuine interest in each child and take time to really get
to know them and their lives in and out of the classroom. Using
all of these strategies in combination with each other should
work to promote authentic student self-esteem.
4. Creating a Classroom that Fosters Resilience in Young
Children: Page 216 of Guidance of Young Children
Children come to the classroom after potentially facing much
adversity in the environments outside of school. According to
Marian Marion, Resilience is the ability to recover relatively
quickly from misfortune without being overwhelmed or acting in
dysfunctional ways (Page 218). I believe that teaching students
resilience is important, and can and should be done in the ECE
classroom. I want my room to be a space in which students are
comfortable and feel safe, but I also want it to be a place where
they learn skills for the real world as well. All students will need
resilience at some point in their lives, and I believe that the
classroom is the place in which students can be free to practice
this skill. There are a few protective factors that I will incorporate
into my teaching that will help to promote resilience building in
my students. One of these is having a caring relationship with my
students. I plan to show my students that I care about them by
adopting an authoritative teaching style that is high in
responsiveness and warmth. I want to give my students the
opportunity to have a close relationship incase they are not
getting this warmth and care from parents or guardians at home.
As an authoritative teacher, I will maintain reasonable yet high
expectations of my students in efforts to help them develop selfesteem, self-control, competence, and worth. Finally, to give
each child a voice in the classroom, I will provide many different
opportunities for participation. Validation and group membership
are human needs that need to be met, and can be met through
intentional activities in the ECE classroom. One way to help
children participate in the classroom is to identify their interests
and incorporate these into classroom activities. If students enjoy
a certain animal or certain sport, these topics can be included in
activities to catch the interest of students and encourage them
to participate. Teachers should also observe rates of participation
and find patterns between times when certain students
participate and dont participate in order to find which methods
work best for each student so that participation opportunities can
be individualized and differentiated among each learner in the
classroom.
8

5. Daily Arrival and Departure Routines: Page 292 of Guidance of

Young Children
Arrival and departure routines are what set the tone for the
childs school day, or tone for their remaining afternoon and
evening. Having these routines helps the student establish a
sense of security and familiarity and can create structure in the
classroom. While arrival and departure routines depend on the
way that the students in your classroom enter the building, it is
important for students to understand these routines so that they
can safely make it to the classroom and begin their morning
routines there as well. My routine in the morning will revolve
around my students. I will position myself at the front of the
classroom every morning no matter what, and greet each child
with their choice of either a hug, handshake, or high five. I
believe that this is a moment in which the teacher can be
intentional with each child, and gives them the opportunity to
connect with each other first thing in the morning. It is important
for each child to receive this individual attention and gives the
student and teacher time to converse and get ready for the day.
At the end of the day, I will return to this post and say goodbye
to each child again with their choice of hug, handshake, or highfive. This will be my way to say goodbye to children individually,
to thank them for their hard work in class that day. I dont know
exactly what each child will be walking into as they go home that
day, but I want them to know that I love them and care about
them in any way that I can before they leave my care. The arrival
and departure times are when the students will be able to take
care of all of their organizational activities. Turning in homework,
collecting mail and other important papers for home, turning in
papers from home, choosing what they want for lunch, filling out
their daily planner, etc. These times are set aside for these
organizational activities so that the students can be prepared for
the school day without interruptions or distractions during class
time, and as well for their evening at home to make sure that
they are bringing home everything that they need.
6. Showing Care and Warmth in the Classroom
I think that showing warmth and care in the ECE classroom is the
most important job that a teacher has. With an authoritative
teaching style comes a high level of responsiveness and warmth.
This is something that is so important to have when caring for
young children. Young children need to feel safe and feel trust
with the people who are taking care of them, and they need to
be in an environment where they are free to be themselves as
they develop and grow. To create this warm environment, I will
make sure that I am intentional with the care of my students by
9

knowing them well enough to know how they need to be cared

for well. If a child needs a hug at the beginning of the day to feel
secure, this is something that I will not refuse the child. If a child
needs encouraging words to feel loved, I will encourage them
throughout the day with different forms of positive
reinforcement. I want my students to feel known and to know
that they can trust me and come to me with anything that they
are struggling with or have stress or anxiety towards. I want my
students to know that I am on their team, and that I am their
biggest fan and number one supporter.
7. Teaching Positive Behavior and Recognize and Encourage
Cooperative Behavior and Language: Page 263 of Guidance of
Young Children
I believe that it is important to encourage and knowledge good
behavior in students. If students are displaying good behavior in
the classroom, they should be acknowledged and they should be
encouraged to continue this form of behavior. I will do this by
encouraging my students daily, by allowing them to earn simple
rewards for good behavior, and to acknowledge their good
behavior in front of the class. I think that if students are
encouraged in their positive behavior in front of their peers, a
classroom community that is focused on cooperation and
collaboration instead of aggression and bullying will form as they
all work to achieve this positive behavior. As students form
relationships and spend time with their classmates, they will
become closer and more like each other as they settle into
routines and groups. I think that as a teacher, it is important to
teach positive behavior. It is important to teach students the
positive forms of their negative behaviors. For example,
aggressive children should be taught how to be assertive and
cooperative. Children should be taught scripts that activate
nonaggressive responses to problems that arise in the classroom.
These scripts can be taught individually or in a full class setting
so that all students are aware of these tools that they can use to
help them respond with positive behaviors.
8. Creating a Low-Stress Classroom Environment: Page 234 of
Guidance of Young Children
The first way that I will create a low-stress classroom is to model
good stress management myself. My students are always going
to watch my every move and will be able to read me and be able
to tell if I am stressed. I want to use modeling as a teaching tool
to show my students that there are healthy ways to manage
stress, and to provide students with thoughtful and calm
approaches to deal with daily issues that build stress. My
classroom environment will be developmentally appropriate in
10

efforts to not stress out my students. Every space should be a

place in which the students feel comfortable manipulating the
materials available, and not become intimidated or stressed out
by them. Implementing positive guidance with behavioral
problems will also help to decrease the stress level, and will
provide calming strategies for students to make positive choices
regarding their behavior.
9. Effective Limits: Page 117 of Guidance of Young Children
Everyone faces limits in their lives, and children need to
understand self-control in order to work around these limits.
Students will be faced with choices throughout their lives, some
big and some small, but all are important to be able to decide. It
is important to teach students decision-making skills when they
are faced with limits. Choices should be given to students as
much as possible so that they can practice making decisions and
choices in an environment that is comfortable and familiar to
them. These choices given must be intentional, and should not
be given if the child really doesnt have a choice. A childs
decision shouldnt be rushed, and they should be allowed time to
clearly think through the current decision at hand and choose a
decision effectively. In situations when children do not have a
choice, tell them what they must do and not what they shouldnt
do in order to create positive guidance.
10.
Implementing the Decision-Making Model of Child
Guidance in my Classroom: Page 277 of Guidance of Young
Children
I will implement the decision-making model of child guidance in
my classroom when dealing with behavioral problems. The steps
of the decision-making model are as follows: observe, decide,
take action, and reflect. When dealing with a behavioral issue, I
will observe the issue and take into consideration the entire
context of the problem while considering the issue as a problem
to be solved. After my observations are complete and I have all
of the information that I need, I will decide on a positive guidance
strategy to implement. While deciding on what to implement
with the child, I should also think about how my own actions are
affecting the situation, and look for ways to make change in my
own teaching practices. After making my plan of action, I will
take action and carry out the positive strategy I selected. After
carrying out the strategy, it will be important for me to reflect on
the process and the outcomes. If the strategy that I selected did
not work, I will go through the decision-making model again and
try a different positive guidance strategy.

11

b. What role/s do you expect to play in the lives of your students?

I expect to be a second mom to my students. I want to know them well, I
want to be close to them, and let them know that they can trust me and that
they can learn in a safe environment. I want to be the ultimate encourager of
my students, always telling them that they should dream big, and work hard,
and have goals. I want to make my students feel proud of their work, I want
them to know that I am proud of their work, and that I will always support
them and try my best to give them ways to learn that are best-suited for
their needs. I want to be the person that they feel they can talk to about
anything going on in their lives, happy or sad. I want them to feel
comfortable with telling me about their lives outside of the classroom, and I
will give them the chance to do so frequently. I want to be a facilitator of
community in my classroom. I want to facilitate community among my
students, and I want them to feel safe and secure in their classroom
environment with their peers.
c. What legacy do you hope to leave imprinted in your students
minds, hearts, and souls?
I want my students to leave my classroom filled with love, with hope for the
future, and goals that they want to continue working towards to achieve. I
want their minds to be filled with knowledge that they can apply to the real
world and not just a bunch of stuffy facts that they had to memorize to pass
the grade level. I want them to know that I care about them and will continue
to care about them even when they leave my classroom. I want them to
know how to have conversations with their peers and to learn from each
other and each others experiences. I want them to feel like they can take on
the world and that they can achieve whatever they put their minds to
because they can. I want them to have goals set for their next year of school
so that they know where they want to go, and can plan on how to get there. I
want my students to have had a year where they felt loved, supported, and
encouraged by their fellow classmates and I, and I want them to feel free to
be who they want to be going forwards. I want their hearts to be filled with
love for others, and to have learned how to accept others even if they are
different.
d. What needs of your own do you anticipate getting met by your
work as a classroom teacher?
I have never really thought about my needs being met as a teacher, I have
always focused on the students needs being met. This to me makes me
realize that helping others is a need that I need to have met because I
obviously care about it so much that it takes precedence over other needs
that may seem to be more important to others such as happiness or money. I
12

have never thought of teaching as a job, but as a lifestyle to do what I love.

Becoming a teacher doesnt come down to what I can get out of it; it comes
down to what I can give to students. How can I give my life away to children?
How can I love them and show them that someone cares about them and
wants them to succeed?

Section 3.
a. When the school bell signals the students to enter the building,
where will you be and what will you be doing for the first 3 minutes
of the school day?
I will be positioned at my classroom door, greeting each child as they walk
through the door. The first few minutes of the day are crucial, and it can be a
time teachers miss out on to individually interact with each child. Normally,
students come through the door one by one brimming with stories, emotions,
or papers that need to be shared with the teacher. What better way to
interact with the children than in the first moments of the day, intercepting
them at the door, ready to talk and to share life with them? I will be there
waiting to greet each student individually with a hug, handshake, or high
five, whatever the child chooses and to great them with encouraging words
and questions about their previous day. Since teachers get such little
individual time with students, it is important for them to take every
opportunity that they can and be intentional about the time that they have.
So much can go on in a childs life from day to day and it is important for
someone to be there for them, so that is where I will be.
b. How will you manage students lunch tickets and/or money?
If my students are buying their lunch that day, I will give them a bucket at
the front of the classroom to put their lunch money in. Students who have
lunch tickets will already have their tickets in the bucket, ready to be passed
out along with the money during lunchtime. This way, all students have their
tickets and money together, so it will be easy to pass out during lunchtime
as the students line up. The students will learn that if they have money in
their backpack for lunch, it needs to go directly into the lunch bucket in the
beginning of the day so that they can re-collect it to pay for their lunch when
it is time.
c. How will attendance be taken?
Attendance will be taken in different ways in my classroom. I think that
attendance is another time that the teacher can have an individual
interaction with the students. After the students are sitting down and eating
breakfast or completing morning work, I will call on each child to answer the
question of the day. The question can be as simple as what is your favorite
13

flavor of milk? Or as thought provoking as what one object would you want to
have with you if you were stranded on a deserted island? Having each
student talk at the beginning of the day is important and its benefits are twofold: the teacher gets to learn more about each student, and the students
each get to learn more about each other. This in-turn helps to foster a
classroom community as the students learn more about each other, and it
also gives the students an opportunity to talk in front of their peers and
share their thoughts. Another way I plan on taking attendance will be
through another question-of-the-day activity. I will have a clothespin chart
prepared for my students that they will use to answer a choice question of
the day. The students will move their clothespin to their desired choice, and
the clothespins that are not moved will represent the students who are
absent that day. For example, a question I might ask is, What do you like
more: pizza or ice cream? The students will then decide and put their
clothespin on the choice that they like best. This activity is helpful for taking
attendance, it shows the students what their classmates prefer, and can also
be used for graphing. Having this data collected daily is a great way for
students to have data to graph, and they can practice making all different
kinds of graphs during their morning work with this information.
d. How will morning announcements be made?
Morning announcements will be made at the end of all of the attendancetaking and lunch counts. The students will be either eating breakfast or
completing morning work, and I will have a morning conference with all of
the students. I will open the conference by letting my students share news
that they have or new things that have happened in their life since the last
time we met. After the students are done sharing, I will share any news that I
have, and then I will proceed to to list off announcements, reminders, and
explain the school mail that is going home that day. I will make sure that I
talk about upcoming school events, I will remind students of upcoming duedates for projects, and I will remind students of any new supplies they need
to bring from home, I will remind students of the lunch choices for the day, I
will show and explain each piece of mail that the students are being sent
home with from the school, I will list out our schedule for the day and write it
on the board so the students can know what to expect from me and from the
day, and I will give the students a fun fact of the day or a word of the day. I
will end my morning announcements by having the students stand to say the
pledge together as a class.
e. How will you collect students homework?
I will collect students homework at the beginning of the day in bins at the
front of the classroom by the lunch buckets. This way, when students unpack
their backpack, they know to also unpack their folder with everything in it
from home including their homework. Each subject will have a bin that
14

students can place their homework in. If they had reading homework, they
will place their reading logs in the reading bin. If they had math homework
due, they will place their math homework in the math bin. This will also
happen for the subjects of social studies, writing, and science. Every subject
will have a bin and the students will place their homework there at the
beginning of the day. This will prevent the students from shuffling in their
folders and backpacks throughout the day looking for homework which takes
time from the day. If the homework is already out and available for the
teacher to collect at the beginning of the day, then the students dont have
to waste time doing it before each subject.
f. How will students line up at the door to leave the classroom for
another part of the building (music, lunch, etc.)?
The students will line up at the door in one line ready to leave the room. I will
call the students to line up by table, or if they are in a lower grade, by
different colors they are wearing so that they can practice their color
recognition. As students are in line at the door, in order to leave the door
they will have to answer a question. If they are in lower grades, I will have
flash cards that practice letter recognition, number recognition, sight words,
and colors. If they are in higher grades, I will have flash cards that review
multiplication and division facts, spelling words, and social studies concepts.
In order to leave the room, they must be able to answer the question
correctly this is their pass out of the door. If the students are in lower
grades, I will explain what is expected of them in the hallway and I will make
sure they know where they are going. If the students are in higher grades, I
will still make sure that they know where they are going, and I will have
already explained to them what the expectations are for them walking in the
hallway in the beginning of the year, and expect that they are able to follow
these rules throughout the year.

g. How will you manage use of the rest rooms by students

throughout the day?
We will take class restroom breaks during the school day, in the middle of the
morning, before lunch and recess, after lunch and recess, and again in the
middle of the afternoon. For the rest of the day I will have restroom/drink
passes, one for girls and one for boys to be used. One girl and one boy can
be out of the classroom at a time. There will be one pass for each gender. If
the student needs to go to the bathroom during work time or during carpet
time, then the student will quietly walk over to the passes hanging on the
wall and hold the pass up waiting for me to acknowledge them. When I see
who is holding up the pass, I will either accept or deny the students request.
15

If the student has already gone to the bathroom a bunch of times that day, I
will talk to them about their bathroom privileges and make sure that nothing
is wrong with them and that they are not sick. If the student just needs to
use the restroom, I will quietly hold a thumbs up sign so that the student
knows that they can take the pass and go to the restroom. This way the
request doesnt cause a distraction, and students can quietly enter and exit
the room to use the restroom when they need to.
h. How will you manage student use of the hallway drinking
fountain?
The restroom/drink pass will be used the same way as it is used for the
restroom. Students will stand by the pass and will hold it in the air until
acknowledged by me, and I will accept or deny their request. Most likely, the
students will not have to leave the room for a drink because they will be able
to keep water bottles as their desks to drink from throughout the day.
i. How will you manage student use of the classroom sink [lets
assume there is one]?
The classroom sink will be used when we complete activities in the
classroom that are messy or that require students to wash their hands before
or after completing. The students will be able to use the sink one by one if
they need to wash their hands, and they will wait in a line behind the person
washing their hands. There wont really be any rules associated with the
sink, if the students need to wash their hands they will be allowed to wash
their hands. If they are messy at the sink, or if they splash each other or
make a mess of the soap or paper towels, the expectations of the sink use
will be re-explained, and the students will need to abide by these
expectations or the privilege of using the classroom sink will be taken away.
j. How will you manage student use of the pencil sharpener?
At the beginning of the day, students will be expected to have five pencils
sharpened to use during the day. They will have time in the morning to utilize
the pencil sharpener and they will be able to sharpen these five pencils. This
way, students should always have pencils that are sharpened, and the
students wont have to use the pencil sharpener and disrupt the classroom
with the noise as much. If students need to sharpen a pencil during the day,
each table group will be supplied with a hand-held pencil sharpener and will
be able to use this silent option at their seats in case all of their pencils
happen to break, or if they forgot to sharpen their pencils in the morning.
This keeps students in their seats so that they dont have to move around
during instructional time, and gives them a way to still sharpen their pencils
in a quiet manner. If the students are working in groups, or during any other
time instruction isnt being given by the teacher, and the student needs to
16

sharpen a pencil, then they are allowed to use the classroom pencil
sharpener at this time.
l. How will you organize and manage student Classroom Helpers-what classroom jobs will there be? What procedure will you use
to assign Classroom Helpers?
Classroom jobs will include: mail duty, line leader, chair stackers, board
cleaners, table cleaners, paper passers, and office runners. The jobs will be
assigned to the students each day based on the class list. The jobs will be in
a rotation, and each student will have a chance to complete each job more
than once throughout the school year. Each job will require the student to
already know the assigned duties associated with it and these duties will be
explained to the students at the beginning of the year. Next to the job chart,
where the students can see who is assigned to each job for that school day,
will be a list of the expectations associated with each job. The mail duty
student will be in charge of handing out all of the mail to the mailboxes. The
line leader will lead each line and will be in charge of passing out the lunch
tickets and money for lunchtime. The chair stackers will be in charge of
helping everyone in the room stack their chairs at the end of the day. The
board cleaners will be in charge of cleaning off the boards used that day, and
will be in charge of moving anything on the board back to its original position
if it was used during the day. The table cleaners will be in charge of wiping
off everyones tables or desks with disinfectant at the end of the day to
protect the class from germs and sickness. The paper passers will be in
charge of passing out all of the papers during the day. The office runners will
be in charge of exchanging any correspondence that needs to go to the
office or that is coming from the office to the classroom.
m. How will you collect daily assignments from students?
Daily assignments will be collected from students in the same bins that the
homework was collected in. Each subject will still have its own bin, and the
students will be able to place completed assignments in these bins during
the day. Therefore, the teacher will empty these bins twice a day, once when
the students have placed their homework in it at the beginning of the day,
and then again at the end of the day when all of the daily work has been
completed and turned in. Having one turn-in location makes it easy for
students to know where to put completed work, and saves space in the
classroom.
n. As you bring the school day to a close: what will the students are
expected to do--and what will you be doing--during the last 3
minutes of the school day?

17

The end of the school day can be a busy, stressful time for everyone. Things
need to be cleaned up, put away, students need to be packed for home, and
need to bring the right materials home in order to complete their homework
properly. This is why it is important that everyone is aware of the things that
need to be completed during this time so that everything gets done in an
effective manner. Students need to clean up what they are working on, they
need to complete their daily job if it is to be completed at the end of the day,
and they need to collect their mail, pack their back pack, put on coats and
sometimes boots, gather their homework, stack their chairs, and be ready at
their assigned time to leave depending on their method of transportation for
that day. As the teacher, I will be assisting this process, reminding students
of what they need to take home, making sure that everything is being
completed on time. Right before any of the students walk out the door, I will
be at my post that I started the day at by the door, ready to say goodbye to
each of my students. At this point, each student can again pick: handshake,
hug, or high-five. I think that this is another important personal interaction
time with each student. Who really knows what they are about to go home
to? It is important to let them know that they can trust you and that you care
about them and love them and are excited to see them again.

Section 4.
a. Classroom rules/expectations: By whom--and how--will these be
determined? Once determined, how will you communicate these
rules/expectations to students and parents/guardians?
The students will work with me to create the rules and expectations in the
classroom. This will be a carpet-time activity that takes place in the
beginning of the year. I will let the students decide what rules we as a class
should abide by and I will write them down on a piece of paper so that we
can create a classroom contract. If there are any rules that the students do
not name that I feel should be included, I will add these rules myself. At the
end of the rule making, we will go over all the rules and explain the different
expectations that are associated with each rule. At the end of this, we will all
sign the bottom of the sheet making it the classroom contract for all of us to
abide by throughout the year. In addition to posting these rules in the
classroom, the rules will also be posted on the classroom website and will be
sent home in a weekly newsletter to parents. This way, everyone is aware of
the rules and can refer back to them at any time.
b. Level I: Some student behaviors may be off-task but not
disruptive to your instruction or other students learning [e.g.,
sleeping in class; staring out the window, etc.]. How will you deal
with this type of student behaviors?
18

If a child in the classroom is staring out the window or sleeping in class

consistently and not paying attention, I will talk with the student and say that
I am noticing these behaviors and ask if there is any reason why they are
happening. If the child is sleeping in class, I will ask them if they are getting
enough sleep at night or if they are feeling okay. If they are staring out the
window, I will ask them what they like to look at out the window and if what
is going on outside is distracting. If the child is sleeping in class, I probably
wouldnt wake them up. Children need sleep and if they arent getting
enough at home, they need to get this sleep at some point so I wont disturb
them. Sleep is developmentally very important for children, and they cant
learn well when they are tired. Id rather have them sleep for some time and
be ready to learn than struggling to get through the day without enough
sleep. If the student is looking out the window, then I would maybe think
about moving their seat to a place where they arent distracted as much, or
talk to the student about why they like to look out the window. If the student
is bored with classroom work, then I will find extra activities for them to
complete that are appropriate for them and more challenging. If the student
feels hopeless and is struggling with work is giving up and therefore just
looking out the window, I will develop a plan to give them activities that are
developmentally appropriate for them or provide some sort of intervention. If
the student is distracted by something else going on in life, then I will talk
with them about their life and what is going on and create a plan based on
the students response. If the student just likes to look out the window, I
could try to create activities that relate to what the child can see out the
window and just use this as a learning tool instead of something that is
hindering learning.
c. Level II: Some student behaviors will be off-task and mildly
disruptive to your teaching and/or other students learning [e.g.,
two students chatting during instruction; two students passing
notes back and forth, etc.]. How will you deal with this type of
student behaviors?
If there are students who are continuously talking to teach other and
disrupting other students, I will talk to these students about the behaviors I
am observing and ask the students why they are talking during instructional
time. I think that it is important for students to talk to each other and to get
to know each other, so I will not tell the students that they need to sit and be
quiet all day, but provide opportunities for them to talk with their neighbors. I
will make sure that these students are aware of the times that they are
allowed to talk to each other and give them ample opportunities throughout
the day to talk and communicate with each other and their peers. I will then
explain to them the times when it is not appropriate to talk and explain why
it is not okay to be talking during these times. I will make sure that the
students are aware of both of these times, and understand when it is okay
and not okay to be talking.
19

d. Level III: Some student behaviors will be off-task and seriously

disruptive to your teaching and every other students learning [e.g.,
a student throws a soggy paper towel at you and it splatters against
the chalkboard; a student says loudly, Youre not my mother and I
dont have to do what you say! etc.]. How will you deal with this
type of student behaviors?
If a student is displaying behaviors that are very off task and seriously
disruptive to my teaching and every other students learning, I will have a
private talk with this child and ask them if everything is okay and why they
are feeling the way that they are feeling or why they are displaying the
behavior they are displaying. If the child is able to answer this question, I will
develop a plan for this child based on their response. If the child isnt able to
answer this question, then I will try to explain the behaviors that are
appropriate for the classroom, what behaviors are appropriate outside of the
classroom, and give an example of a way that the student should have
handled the situation. After this, I will ask the child again if there is a reason
why they are displaying the behavior or ask why they are feeling the way
that they are feeling. I dont want the child to feel talked at, I want them to
know that they can talk to me and that I will not judge or shame them and
that the classroom is a safe place for them to learn. I want them to feel
comfortable with me so I will try my best to come to a compromise with the
child or figure out the reason for the displayed behavior without resorting to
methods of card flipping or clothes-pin moving.
e. Level IV: Some student [or others] behaviors will pose an
immediate, serious threat to the physical safety of you and/or your
students [e.g., 1. a stranger bolts into your classroom holding a
pistol and threatens to blow you all away; 2. One of your students
grabs a pair of scissors and holds the point at the throat of another
student]. How will you deal with the student or intruder behavior
described in your example?
If a student or intruder poses an immediate threat to my classroom such as
bringing a gun into the classroom and threatening to blow us all away, the
safety of my students is first priority. I would take a bullet for any one of my
students and want to keep them safe first. If the person is just threatening
and holding us at gunpoint, I will do my best to keep everyone calm and to
keep my students safe by trying to reason with the shooter and by pleading
with them to not do what they are about to do. I will try by best in that
situation to get my students to the safest spot in the classroom, and to
somehow signal for help for administration or other teachers or the police.
This would be a very scary moment, but I would try my best to remain calm
for my students so that they will hopefully remain as calm as possible in that
situation. If a student is harming another student physically, I will break up
20

what is happening and will have an immediate talk with the student who is
imposing the harm. I will ask them why they are doing such an action and
explain to them why this is not appropriate in the classroom. This would be
an instance that I would take the student to the principal and have a talk
with them about the students behavior and send a phone call home
explaining the students behavior and the action taken at school to prevent
this behavior in the future.
Section 5. Physical organization of your classroom

21