Classroom Management Plan

Philosophy of Classroom Management

As a secondary social studies instructor, my field is extremely important in
shaping the minds of the future. Social studies gives students the skills they need
to effectively communicate as members of society; it gives students the
knowledge to make educated decisions concerning general welfare; it gives
students the tools necessary to confront social, economic, and political
boundaries. Social studies classes are vital for students of all ages, ethnicities,
genders, and socio-economic backgrounds to thrive in the future. For this reason,
it is necessary to create a positive learning environment where every student
believes they have the opportunity to succeed. Specifically in the secondary
education environment, where many students have already been tracked, or
stereotyped by their instructors, their parents, their peers, and themselves; a
clean slate environment where students have the choice to be successful is
important. During this critical stage of development, students at the high school
level should be encouraged to make their own choices and to understand the
consequences of their actions whether they are negative or positive. Students
should receive encouragement, feedback, cooperation, support, and
understanding from their instructor and their peers.

Due to these beliefs, a variety of philosophies that have an impact on classroom

management plan. Harry Wong is the first theorist from whom I pull inspiration.
Wong believes that the first few days of class can make or break a teacher. I

agree with this philosophy and develop it further to believe that the first few
minutes of every lesson can make or break that class period. Setting precedents
and clear expectations for students at the beginning of the year, the semester,
and each class period is important. I also agree with Wongs theory that clear
positive and negative consequences for behavior should be established and I
use his method of explain-rehearse-reinforce in my class syllabus of rules,
expectations, and consequences. I also use this method to establish group
alerting and whole class prompt strategies. For enforcement of rules, I take
Wongs prevention over intervention idea to influence behavior prevention
strategies to encourage positive behavior over negative behavior.

Barbara Coloroso is another influential theorist in my classroom management

plan. Her emphasis on student choices is seen throughout my classroom rules,
expectations, and consequences. I use her idea of restitution, resolution, and
reconciliation for my Behavior Contract (see Level of Consequences). I also use
her model of student choices by allowing students to develop the consequences
for rule breaking as a class. This embraces Colorosos idea of empowering
students and communicates to the class that they have influence in promote
inner discipline. Along with Wong, I agree with Coloroso to explain rules at the
beginning of the year or semester.

I also use William Glassers behavior as a choice model in combination with

Wong and Coloroso for my class rules and consequences. The class creation of

consequences and my Behavior Contract utilize this theory. Glasser argues that
teachers should involve students in establishing class standards of conduct and
setting consequences. He also advocates for using misbehavior as an
opportunity to find solutions. My Behavior Contract encourages students to think
of alternatives for the behavior they chose and to recognize the consequences of
their actions on themselves and on the class. I also implement Glassers five
basic student needs: Survival, Belonging, Power, Fun, and Freedom in my
classroom. They are given the tools they need for survival in the syllabus, the
cooperation and respect encouraged among students gives them a sense of
belonging, they are given the power of choice in class rules and consequences,
they get to incorporate fun into learning with positive reinforcements and rewards
for good behavior, and they have the freedom of choice.

I employ Alfie Kohns sense of community throughout my classroom

management plan. By creating classroom rules and consequences as a class,
we develop a community the first day of class. Secondly, classroom rules reflect
respect for, cooperation with, and understanding of fellow classmates and
instructors. The Behavior Contract reinforces a sense of community and
accountability by asking students to acknowledge whom their misbehavior
distracted from learning. By creating a community in the classroom, students
have a support system, a sense of belonging and learn accountability. Like the
latter theorists, Kohn encourages allowing student choices.

The combination of these theorists result in a classroom management plan with

an emphasis on student choices (Coloroso, Glasser, Kohn), prevention of
behavior through an engaging curriculum (Wong, Glasser, Kohn), clear
explanation and understanding of class rules and expectations (Wong,
Coloroso), using student misbehavior as a path to self-improvement (Coloroso,
Glasser), and giving students the opportunity to succeed through empowerment
(Coloroso, Glasser, Kohn).

Classroom Rules
1. Be respectful to your instructor, your fellow students, and yourself.
2. Make attendance a priority.
3. Listen to understand.
4. Treat your classmates, your technology, and classroom materials with care.
5. Cooperate with others.
6. Focus on your success.

Rules #1, #4 and #6 follow Kohns idea of creating a community by establishing a

sense of respect and cooperation in the classroom. Rule #2 utilizes Coloroso,
Glasser, and Kohns ideology of student choices, encouraging students to
choose to attend class. Rule #3 takes inspiration from Coloroso, Glasser, and
Kohn inviting students to listen to give themselves the information necessary for
success. Rule #6 incorporates ideology from all theorists aforementioned (Wong,

Coloroso, Glasser, Kohn) to encourage students to use the established class

rules and their own behavior to remain focused on the end goal: success.

To create and deliver class rules, I will use a two-step process. First, I will have
the rules listed above already prepared in a Google Doc on the first day of class.
I will share the document with all students and ask them to make a copy in their
own Google Drive. As we discuss the rules, students will take notes on the rules,
listing examples of breaking each rule. For example, if we are discussing rule #4,
a student example may be misusing the school laptop, which would mean the
student was breaking rule #4 by not treating the laptop with care. Secondly, as
rules are discussed, the class will develop a system of privileges and
consequences for rule following and rule breaking (negative and positive
behaviors and consequences). Each students document is to be saved and
shared with the instructor to validate that they have read, discussed, and
understand the classroom rules and consequences for the semester. The
methodology for implementation is largely based on Wong and Coloroso. From
Wong, I use the theory of clearly establishing rules (explain), having students
record examples of these rules (rehearse) and then using these rules and
consequences firmly in practice (reinforce). The creation of consequences by
each class is borrowed from Colorosos theory, by giving students the power to
determine the consequences for their actions.

Levels of Consequence
The system of consequences for rule breaking will be developed separately for
each class, giving students the power to develop consequences for their own
actions (Coloroso). Consequences will develop from mild to more severe
depending on the action and weekly record of the student.

There will be a three-strike system in place. Students will work to develop each
strike for rule breaking. After three strikes, the student is out, meaning they
will have to answer to administration for their action.
a. Strike 1 will encourage that student to cease the behavior and result in the
temporary loss of one class privilege decided on by the class. Strike 1 will
be recorded on a Behavior Contract (see below).
b. Strike 2 will encourage that student to cease the behavior and result in
temporary loss of two class privileges decided by the class. Strike 2 will be
recorded on a Behavior Contract (see below).
c. Strike 3 will encourage that student to cease the behavior, result in
temporary loss of two class privileges decided on by class, and require
parent contact for action. Strike 3 will be recorded on a Behavior Contract
(see below).
d. More than 3 strikes will result in school consequence for misbehavior
(detention, ISS, or OSS).

Every instance of misbehavior will require the student to complete various levels
of a Behavior Contract. The Behavior Contract is an agreement with the
student, the instructor, and the class to prevent future misbehavior from
occurring. Once a rule has been broken, the student will receive a Behavior
Contract from the instructor. At Strike 1, the student will write the rule broken,
explain how breaking that rule interrupted the learning of the individual and/or the
class, and explain how they could have prevented this behavior. At Strike 2, the
student will write an apology to the class member(s) that were affected by the
rule breaking and deliver that apology to the class. At Strike 3, the Behavior
Contract will be sent home for the parent to sign and return. Each contract will be
signed by the student and the instructor and kept as a written record of rule
breaking throughout the semester.

Consequences will be implemented equally for every student. The same action
between two different students will result in the same consequence. Knowing
these consequences from the first day of class will serve as a preventative
measure for every student to discourage negative behavior and deter the need
for intervention (Wong). Every students strikes will start over each week.
Mistakes are part of human nature and each student is expected to need a
second chance during the semester. Clean slates are important to promote a
positive learning environment where students feel like they have the choice to
succeed (Coloroso, Glasser, Kohn).

Daily Procedures/Routine
1. Beginning of Class/End of Class
a. The Bell Ringer will be used for attendance each day. When you arrive
to class, look to the board for your assignment. If you do not complete
the assignment, you will not be counted present for the class.
b. We will practice Bell to Bell working. Once the bell rings at the
beginning of class, you should be working on the Bell Ringer. This hard
work will continue until the sound of the bell at the end of class. There
is always something you can be doing. Even 1 wasted minute of class
time results in 90 minutes wasted this semester. That is an entire class
period!
c. If you are not working effectively at the beginning of class, during
class, or pack up early, we will have my time. This is time at the end
of class after the bell rings that you will stay and work until this time is
made up. This cuts into your time between classes. You will not
receive a note to your next class.
d. You are late to class if you are not in your assigned seat when the bell
rings. If you are late, you will come in quietly and do the following:
i. Sign-in on our tardy sheet with your name, date, and time
arrived to class
ii. Leave your note (if you have one) in the Tardy Pocket
iii. Find your seat quickly and begin working

iv. If you are unsure of what to do, raise your hand and wait for
instruction to avoid distracting the hard workers around you
v. Remember there are consequences for tardiness. Making
attendance a priority is a classroom rule with consequences. Try
your best to always be on time and ready to work!
e. At the end of class, you will not pack up until the bell rings. Packing up
early will result in My Time. When the bell rings, you will be in your
seat working on assignments or with your group productively. After the
bell rings, you may pack up and head to your next class.

2. During Class
a. There will be NO bathroom breaks during first 20 minutes of class, the
last 20 minutes of class, or during direct instruction (delivery of content
or notes).
b. You may only use your bathroom passes to go to the restroom. You
have 10 passes for the entire semester. Once youre out of passes,
you are out of bathroom breaks. Use your time between classes wisely
and go to the restroom BEFORE class.
c. There may be visitors in our class throughout the semester (an
administrator, a student from another class, another teacher). If there
is a visitor in our classroom, the same classroom rules still apply. You
will behave in a respectful manner to your instructor, your classmates,
yourself, AND the visitor.

d. There may be times you finish your work early. If you finish work early,
you may do one of the following:
i. Read independently
ii. Work on extra credit or makeup work for this course
iii. Work on assignments for other courses
iv. Journal, write, or draw
You will not do any of the following distract or disturb others during this
time. This is a classroom rule to respect others.
e. During class, we will have direct instruction, group work, partner work,
and independent work. During these times you should:
i. Listen to understand
ii. Keep your head up, eyes open, and ears open
iii. Raise your hand to be recognized
iv. Respect others opinions, ideas, and answers
v. Work cooperatively with others
f. There are social studies concept posters hanging up in the front of the
classroom. These posters include the following themes:
i. Technology
ii. Interaction
iii. Religion
iv. Economy
v. Government
vi. Conflicts

vii. Resolutions
During direct instruction, you will have the opportunity to place key
ideas, people, places, and vocabulary terms on these posters for
points. Each term placed earns 1 point for the class. The class with the
most points for each unit will be able rewarded. To place a term, all
you have to do is raise your hand, say the term, and say which poster
it belongs on.

3. Assignments
a. All assignments are expected to be finished completely and on time.
b. Extra credit assignments will be given periodically throughout the
semester. These assignments come with a contract. If a student
chooses not to complete the first extra credit assignment, they will not
be given the option to complete the second. For extra credit, the
following rules will apply:
i. Students will receive a contract with the due date and nature of
the assignment, and understanding that future extra credit will
not be given if student fails to complete this assignment
ii. Student and student parent/guardian will sign the contract
iii. Student will return signed contract to instructor to receive
assignment
iv. Student will turn in the extra credit on time to receive credit

4. Absences/Late Work/Missing Work

a. If you are absent, you are responsible for receiving and completing
work. You have one extra school day for each absent day to complete
missing work without penalty.
i. Example: If you are absent on a Thursday, your work will be due
Monday.
If you do not complete absent work within the timeframe given, you will
receive a 10-point penalty per day until the grade is a 50. A 50 is the
lowest grade you will receive for late or absent work.
b. It is not an option to have missing or incomplete work. The goal of this
class is not to receive a passing grade; it is to understand the concepts
introduced this semester. All assignments must be completed. You will
not receive 0 on any assignment.
c. If missing or late work is a recurring problem, the student will receive
an improvement plan. Failure is not an option!
i. Student will receive all missing assignments in a folder with a
contract.
ii. The student, the instructor, and the students parent/guardian
will sign the contract for grade improvement.
iii. The contract will have a deadline for missing work to be
completed.
iv. The student will complete all work and turn in by determined
date.

Group Alerting & Motivation

There will be times when I need to get the entire class attention. During these
times, I will use Whole Class Prompts as group alerting strategies. I will use
these prompts when I need to get students attention for instruction, to prevent
negative behavior, or to settle the class if it is too loud or disruptive.
1. My first prompt is all eyes on me. For this prompt, I will say all eyes on
me and students will respond with all eyes on you. Students will be
expected to stop working, put materials down, and face me for further
instruction. I use this prompt most often as a method for attention during
class instruction and activities.
2. I will also use class claps as a prompt. For class claps, I will clap a rhythm
to the class and have them repeat the same rhythm back to me. I use this
prompt most often at the beginning of class to get students attention,
make them alert and ready to learn, and get energy out before beginning
instruction.
3. Lastly, I will use physical prompts to get students attention. I will use this
prompt most when completing hands-on activities. For example, if
students are completing a foldable, I will say, When you are finished with
Step 1, put your paper on top of your head so I know you are ready.
When the whole class has their foldables on top of their heads, I will know
they are read to continue with the activity.

There are consequences for negative behaviors that disrupt learning, and there
will also be rewards for positive behavior that encourages a positive learning
environment for individuals and the class as a whole. Rewards for the individual
and groups will come in the form of candy, positive notes home to parents,
earning points to buy bathroom passes or late work passes, extra credit points on
quiz or test grades, or dropping lowest quiz grade. Rewards for the class include
cheat sheets for tests, open book tests, or a class party for the most Concept
Poster points earned.

Preventative Behavior Management Strategies

I will support students to be on task in several ways. First, I will use Wongs ideas
of a well-organized classroom and engaging curriculum to make sure students
remain engaged. The use of Bell to Bell work, with meaningful content and
activities for each piece of the lesson, will give students no option but to focus on
their success (Class Rule #6). This will work as a method for the whole class and
for individuals by giving students less time to create distractions for themselves
or others. I will also give students praise and acknowledgement for positive
behavior at the individual level. This will pull from Glassers basic needs for
students. I will allow student to earn points for positive behavior, display
examples of exemplary student work, and write encouraging notes to students
and to students parents/guardians praising positive behavior and work ethic. I
will also promote a sense of community using Kohns ideology to encourage
students to hold each other accountable for positive behavior as a preventative

method. This method will also work at the class, small group, and individual
student level as a preventative method because it gives individuals the incentive
to behave and the whole class the incentive to promote positive behavior.
Additionally, I will use whole class prompts and group alerts (Wong) to prevent
misbehavior at the whole-class level by getting all students attention before
negative behavior can occur.

Intervention Strategies
Explain how you will respond when students break rules or expectations
As mentioned previously, individual students will be expected to complete a
Behavior Contract after a negative behavior has occurred. This will be similar to a
conference, discussing with the student how the behavior was negative and
building a plan for improvement and prevention of future occurrences (Glasser).
This first step of the Behavior Contract will serve as intervention for a single
strike, and prevention for future strikes. If the first step of the Behavior Contract is
ineffective, they will build on the Contract to produce an apology to the class or
individual that was disturbed by the negative behavior. This gives the student a
chance to apologize to the learning community (Kohn). If the first two steps are
ineffective in preventing further negative behavior, the Contract is sent home for
a parent or guardian signature, involving a support system at home and creating
accountability outside of the classroom for a students actions to help them
understand how their own choices to behave in a negative way has created
negative consequences (Coloroso).

I want to avoid using class time to implement consequences or to distract

students from content or activities. When a student has broken a rule, I will ask
the student to grab a Behavior Contract. During a class transition from notes to
activity or activity to individual work, I will take that time to conference with the
student and identify the rule they have broken so the Behavior Contract can be
completed without disrupting the learning environment. While this method will
work for Strike 1 or Strike 2 of misbehavior, it may be impossible for repeated
disruptive behavior. To handle more difficult situations, I will ask the student to
grab a Behavior Contract on their way out of class and to wait for me in the
hallway to further discuss consequences.

Having these rules established the first day and understanding the progression of
consequences for repeated negative behavior, students will be encouraged to
behave short-term and long-term. This reinforces Wongs idea of using precedent
to create preventative measures. Also, by building points as a class, students will
be encouraged to hold one another accountable to achieve long-term goals and
receive privileges for positive behavior. Establishing Colorosos idea of
empowerment by giving students the choice to engage in positive behavior
instead of negative behavior will also discourage inappropriate behavior in the
long-term. The use of the concept charts (see Class Procedures) will be one way
to keep students engaged and earning points to receive rewards for positive

behavior in class. This reinforces the sense of community encouraged by

Kohns theory.

Implementation
Students will be given a syllabus in both paper copy and on Google Drive for
reference. The syllabus will list all rules, consequences, procedures, rewards,
and expectations. The paper copy will be provided to and signed by each
student, the students parent or guardian, and the instructor as a binding
contractual agreement for the semester. The instructor, as proof of this
agreement between all parties, will keep the paper copy after it is signed and
returned. The Google Drive copy will be available for reference to both students
and parents/guardians throughout the semester and will be linked on the For
Parents and References page of our class website. The class website will also
be used to announce important dates, upcoming events, new information, and
student resources. The For Parents page of the website will have links to
important class documents, like the syllabus, the schools website, the countys
website, and the districts website for issues outside of the classroom. The For
Students page will have links to important class documents, to Google Drive, to
Google Classroom, and to unit websites for each learning segment. This website
also has a Contact page for students or parents to contact me directly. These
materials will be provided on the first day of school. Using Wongs method, I will
implement my rules and procedures from day one, using the first several weeks
to rehearse and reinforce our rules, consequences, and procedures. I will need

the support of parents to reinforce these rules and procedures. By having parents
sign and agree to our rules and expectations on the class syllabus, I will have
their written agreement to encourage students to abide by class rules and
procedures. Aside from student participation, I will continue parent contact via the
website, Behavior Contracts, and improvement plans if necessary throughout the
semester. Along with parents, I will need administration to support my classroom
management plans so that students do not feel able to undermine class rules. I
will also need cooperation of administration if students repeatedly misbehave to
handle behavior appropriately. As mentioned in the class rules, students have
three strikes per week before administration would become involved in a
behavioral issue. Hopefully, this will serve as a preventative measure for
students to reach more than 3 behavior strikes, encouraging positive behavior
and consequences. Outside of the classroom, I will need the support of fellow
teachers and other faculty members to hold my students accountable for their
behavior. I will monitor my students progress in other courses to ensure that they
are carrying a sense of respect and community within and outside of the
classroom to encourage a positive learning environment throughout the day.

Resources
Coloroso, B. (2013, May 29). Coloroso on Discipline vs. Punishment [Video of
interview with Barbara Coloroso on Discipline]. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPShs9ZeSIY.
Kohn, A. (1995). Discipline is the Problem - Not the Solution. Learning Magazine.
Retrieved from http://www.alfiekohn.org/article/discipline-problem-solution/.
Nieves. Freedom High School Class Rules & Procedures. Retrieved from
http://washington.guhsdaz.org/common/pages/DisplayFile.aspx?itemId=2064172
1.
Mann. Classroom Rules, Consequences, & Rewards. Retrieved from
http://www.scuc.txed.net/webpages/kmann/chessclub.cfm?subpage=13615.
Wong, H. (2010, June). Effective Teaching. Retrieved from
http://www.teachers.net/wong/JUN10/.