Learning Environment- The competent teacher structures a safe and healthy learning environment that facilitates cultural and linguistic responsiveness, emotional well-being, self-efficacy, positive social interaction, mutual respect, active engagement, academic risk-taking, self-motivation, and personal goal-setting.
Attached here is a website that I made showing possibilities for my classroom management plan. I made this while Novice teaching Fall of 2016 for a 5th grade class. The website includes many aspects of classroom management including: Classroom rules, rewards/consequences, procedures, and diversity. These things should be in the classroom consistently throughout the year. It is also very important that I follow through on all of these aspects of classroom management to show my students that I am to be taken serious.
By creating this classroom management plan I show several indicators of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standard 4. This standard emphasizes a safe learning environment. I firmly believe that an organized and energetic learning space improves the student learning. Indicator 4M says that I "organize, allocates, and manages time, materials, technology, and physical space to provide active and equitable engagement of students in productive learning activities." In the classroom environment will be resources that the students will be able to use for different things. I will talk about how to use these resources and allow the students to use them when needed. The procedures included in this plan will help with managing time in the classroom to allow for more learning. Indicator 4O says that I "use a variety of effective behavioral management techniques appropriate to the needs of all students that include positive behavior interventions and supports." Some students respond to consequences while other students respond to rewards which is why I included both in my classroom management plan. I was sure to include both classroom and group rewards as well as individual incentives for students. As I get to know my class I will know which method works for each student. According to indicator 4J my classroom management plan should include "clear expectations and procedures for communication and behavior and a physical setting conducive to achieving classroom goals." I've thought a lot about my procedures and these are some that I've noticed work in other classrooms. I want my students to know that they can reach me and I am willing to help them which is why I included the "getting teacher attention" procedure. The procedures I included her are pretty clear and step by step. After a few weeks of practice students will come to know these procedures as second nature. These procedures help students reach the classroom goals of a safe, organized, and happy environment.
While creating this website and management plan I thought through a lot of ideas and decided on the ones that would work best for me. Each teacher has different things they do in their classrooms according to their teaching style. I appreciated the diversity page of this website as it helped me think about how my classroom management plan must include diversity of cultures and of learners. I also know that these might not work with every one of my future classes and might have to be adapted to what each class needs.
My junior year at Trinity Christian College I had the opportunity to teach an after school science club. Before we started this club my co-teacher, another Trinity student, and I wrote a classroom management plan. This was a very helpful tool as we had complete control over our management plan and this paper was something we could look back on. It was beneficial that we were able to test some of these ideas out in this science club. This paper touches on my philosophy, classroom procedures, transitions, schedule, attention signals, positive management, and correction procedures.
By creating this classroom management plan I hope to create a safe and well run classroom. Clear procedures and schedules will also minimize questions during my teaching day. By writing this management plan I show several indicators of the Illinois Professional Teaching Standard 4. Indicator 4P says that I should "Modify the learning environment (including the schedule and physical arrangement) to facilitate appropriate behaviors and learning for students with diverse learning characteristics" This plan includes visual, auditory, and kinesthetic plans for management that students will be able to use. I also stat that management and rewards will be different for every class as no class is the same. In this paper I also show that I know different strategies that work in classrooms. After the science club I reevaluated this management plan and fixed what didn't work from what I tried. This demonstrates indicator 4G that I "understand strategies to implement behavior management and behavior intervention planning to ensure a safe and productive learning environment" In my management philosophy section I show that I do want my classroom to be safe for all students to learn and to interact with others.
I know that management will change over the years and for each class that comes my way. I will keep up with research and strategies that maybe new and that are shown to work for the students. I also want the students to have investment in the classroom environment by making their own classroom rules, having a growth mindset, encouraging talk, and other uplifting things to be able to relate to their classmates. While student teaching I was able to observe management strategies that worked and that didn't work, as well as try some new strategies from this plan.