Classroom Management Plan By: Luisalberto K.

Manrique Statement of the Problem Students are often distracted, unstructured and unmotivated to excel to their full potential in todays classroom arena.

Statement of the Purpose The purpose of this classroom management plan is to promote independence and self-fulfillment within our students.

Research Questions What can teachers do to foster an excellent structured learning environment? How we can promote proper decision-making from our students? How can we develop self-conscious students who monitor their own behaviors?

Significance of the Problem The significance of classroom discipline is to guide students toward proper and independent decision making within and beyond the classroom environment.

Discussion and Implications This classroom discipline plan is designed with a system of balanced rules and procedures that will provide students with the ability to become responsible independent thinkers.

What are the classroom rules for behavior? 1.) Students are to show mutual respect to each other, the teacher and to themselves at all times throughout the classroom. 2.) Students will be quiet during classroom instruction and when other students are taking their turn in speaking during discussion. 3.) Group Discussions: Students will place all desks in a uniformed circle for class discussions and will place the chairs back to their appropriate layout afterwards. 4.) Small Group Discussions: Students will place desks into 4-5 small groups that circle around the classroom. The teacher will be at the center of this circle, monitoring discussions. the interior loop layout. 5.) Students will keep their desk in their proper rows unless authorized for group activities or discussions. 6.) Students will NOT display any negative remarks, discrimination, put-downs or verbal reprimands to each other. 7.) Students MUST be prepared for class with the appropriate materials, pencils, notebooks, paper, pens, etc. 8.) Homework Policy: Late homework drops 50% credit after 1 day, 2nd day is a ZERO. 9.) Tardiness for class without a slip will serve as 1 warning. After that warning, an improvement plan will be enacted with parents being actively involved in the situation. After discussion, all chairs will put back to

What are the SPECIFICS of the approach to classroom management discipline?

Engaging Curriculum: Students will be engrossed in an engaging curriculum that involves hands-on collaborative activities. This approach will eliminate idle time within the classroom and will stimulate an authentic learning experience. This learning experience will improve students intrinsic motivation will prompt them to excel to their greatest potential. This motivation will ultimately lower the rate of inattentiveness in the classroom.

Practicing Procedures: Due to the high level of hands-on activities, procedures must be implemented and practiced for each particular event. For the first two weeks of the semester, procedures for class and group discussions will be practiced in order to provide a smooth transition from subject to subject. Students must adhere to discussion rules and show mutual respect to all participants.

Student Social Hierarchy of Behaviors: Students will understand and adhere to the four levels within the Social Hierarchy of Behaviors. Students will practice and understand the Social Hierarchy Levels for the first two weeks of the semester. Once they understand the levels of behaviors, the teacher will use reflective measures to prompt misbehaviors. 1.) Level A: Anarchy (an unacceptable level) 2.) Level B: Bossing/Bullying/Bothering (an unacceptable level) 3.) Level C: Cooperating/Conformity (acceptable level)

4.) Level D: Democracy and taking the initiative to do the right thing (highest desirable level). (Charles, 2011, p.180).

Student Accountability, Reflection & Choices: Students will be held accountable for their actions through self-mediation and reflection. These accounts will be based on the severity of their actions. When students perform misbehaviors, they will be prompted by reflection and be given choices that will mediate an appropriate solution. If needed, long-term improvement plans will solidify a solution to a problem that occurs frequently.

Classroom Layout & Physical Proximity: The teacher will use physical gestures, tone of voice, eye contact and physical proximity to curb disruptive behaviors without confrontation. The physical layout of the classroom will aid in a smooth learning environment.

What are the SPECIFICS about providing support to your students? The teacher will constantly be providing stimulation in motivating students to become active participants in the classroom. Established expectations of student behaviors will be visually present at all times and students will be prompted to reflect upon whether they are meeting these expectations. This will support an independent thinking student who will monitor his/her own behaviors with minimal intervention from outside influence. With the high level of group activities in this classroom, it is natural that student support groups will be integrated. This will eliminate the isolation of

individual work and discourage boredom from excelling students. Students will be prompted to support each other in an active and positive way throughout group activities and each member will be held responsible for overall group performance.

What are the SPECIFICS about administering consequences? There are 4 approaches to administering consequences in this plan: letter writing, the development of an improvement plan, compensation, and teaching younger children (Charles, 2011). These consequences are meant to be nonpunitive and are to encourage positive reflection in students (Charles, 2011). Letter writing and compensation is an excellent way for students to create something positive out of a negative scenario. Students will not only write a letter of apology for the inappropriate action but will write a statement on a positive solution for that problem. The development of an improvement plan is for recurrent misbehaviors that require a long-term solution. Students, teachers and parents will collaborate in creating an improvement plan that will cater to each specific circumstance. Collaboration is a key element because all players become involved in the learning process. A constant monitoring of this plan with mutual communication between parent, student and teacher will be held at all times. Role modeling is an end solution for long-term improvement plans that will solidify responsibility and reflection of appropriate behaviors. Students who are required to teach younger students appropriate behaviors will enhance their own responsibility and independence.

Students will always be given choices when administering these consequences. If they refuse to adhere to these four stated methods administrative assistance, parent conferences and social services will be in close contact.

What are the SPECIFICS about addressing student misbehavior?

Addressing student misbehaviors will be done as positively and as nonpunitive as possible. Students are not punished in this classroom they are engaged in a reflective learning process that creates independent mediation of their own behaviors. Thus, the teacher must address behaviors in a non-confrontational manner. To achieve this goal, the teacher will utilize physical proximity, facial/hand gestures, eye contact and a structured classroom layout that will discourage misbehaviors. An interior loop will accommodate classroom instruction by keeping the teacher in close proximity to students at all times. Should misbehaviors escalate beyond physical prompts, the teacher will privately speak with the student(s) and acknowledge which four levels of Social Behavior Hierarchy is being performed. The teacher will strive to promote a reflection of misbehaviors and if needed, administer the four methods of consequences stated in the above section.

What are the SPECIFICS about preventing inappropriate behavior? In order to prevent misbehaviors the classroom must be kept organized and the teacher must dress professionally. This type of professionalism will curb

misbehaviors by instilling a professional learning environment. When students visualize the professionalism behind the teacher and an organized classroom they will catch on to this particular atmosphere. The physical classroom layout will also be a key factor in preventing misbehaviors. As stated in the previous section, an interior loop will be created in order to have the teacher in close proximity to students at all times. This will be crucial during instruction and classroom discussions. Physical prompts will be the active measure in preventing inappropriate behaviors. Furthermore, an engaging curriculum with a positive teaching attitude will also discourage inappropriate behaviors. This classroom management plan is designed for an active classroom that has students collaborating constantly. With student interest as a focus, misbehaviors will be virtually eliminated due to high intrinsic motivation. What are the SPECIFIC interventions to use to correct and promote positive behaviors? The Social Hierarchy of Behaviors will be the prime method of intervention when promoting positive behaviors. This will cater to a reflective and selfmediating process that requires students to monitor their own behaviors. When a student(s) is performing misbehavior and physical prompts have been ineffective, the student(s) will be asked, At what level are these behaviors? This will immediately prompt reflection upon what appropriate behaviors are required and what should be expected at this present time. Student empowerment is designed to instill responsibility for ones actions and this will be constantly upheld throughout the classroom. When students are

given the choice to become responsible participants in the classroom, the cultivation of positive behaviors is imminent.

Classroom Plan Summary This management plan is intended to place students at the center of intelligent decision making in order to create self-monitored behaviors. Intrinsic motivation is key elements that promotes independence and makes students truly want to be a part of this learning process. This plan definitely promotes authority without confrontation due to the high insistence on utilizing consequences as a learning opportunity. With an engaging hands-on curriculum and a positive atmosphere, this management plan caters to the constructive non-authoritative approach. Concluding Remarks With such a high focus on creating independent, self-motivated students this system is intended for children who can actively process this level of thinking. For students who are younger than the 4th grade, I would recommend placing more of an emphasis on systematic procedures and use authority to establish appropriate behaviors in the classroom. Once students are mature enough to process this higher thinking structure the management plan can slowly integrate self-monitoring practices. Although students can definitely be taught to become independent thinkers prior to the 4th grade, the maturity of your classroom needs to align on how effectively they can process this system. Higher-level terms such as the Hierarchy of Social Levels are designed for students who can understand the value of democratic thinking.

Students who are unable to do this will have difficulty in conforming to this particular plan.

Recommendations for Further Research For the future, I feel that this plan needs to include more specifications on how to implement an authoritative yet reflective system for younger students. Sometimes, situations arise where your classroom does not have that capability to become associated to the Social Hierarchy of Behaviors. And when that problem arises, your plan can become a disaster. As an attachment, I hope that I can provide a revised section that implements an authoritative system that will provide a stepping stone for higherlevel thinking. Students who are young, immature and who are unable to process these terms can eventually reach mediation of their own behaviors with proper guidelines. However, in an immediate situation, guidelines, procedures and consequences may hold more weight in your particular classroom. Flexibility needs to be implemented at all time because no one particular method can accommodate for every possible scenario. It is best to synthesize both an authoritative and student-centered approach in order to achieve a suitable fit for your particular classroom.

References Charles, C. M. (2011). Building Classroom Discipline 10th edition. Boston, MA: Pearson Education.