Classroom Management Plan
by Rosisella Villegas

I believe that without a solid management plan, a classroom cannot function well.  It is imperative that teachers evaluate how they will handle every aspect of their classroom.  In my opinion, classroom management is how a teacher handles discipline in the classroom, how the physical classroom is organized as well as the structure of daily routines, and how the teacher implements his or her methods of teaching.  

I believe that a classroom needs to be inviting for students.  The arrangement of the desks needs to be one that encourages dialogue between the students and the teacher.  I believe the ideal set up for the classroom is a horseshoe because it encourages communication between students but supports individual work.  I feel it is important that I be able to see all students at all times.  The physical set up of my classroom will be one that makes all students visible to me and that makes me visible to all students.  Also, the room needs to feel comfortable.  Student anxiety will be lowered if the classroom is appealing.  Secondly, classrooms need to be areas for exploration of the mind and all of the senses.  This needs to be portrayed in the environment of the classroom.  The walls need to be readable, so students can explore the subject.  The teacher should be sensitive to the environment of the school and the students, and should be sure that the classroom is in no way offensive.

If the teacher implements a strong management plan, behavior issues should be a minimum.  However, students’ behavior should be immediately addressed, both positive and negative.  If a student is behaving exceptionally well, let him or her know immediately to reinforce the positive behavior.  Negative behavior should be handled in the same manner; however, a very wise teacher gave me a very important piece of advice, “Don’t sweat the small stuff.”  The principle of least intervention should always be practiced.  I believe this is one of the most important rules a teacher should have for him/herself.  Another important rule teachers should follow is to be good actors.  A teacher’s bad attitude can be inadvertently displayed to students.  Unfortunately, attitudes are contagious.

On the first day of school, students will create rules, or Habits of Goodness, they feel are fair and appropriate for our class.  Each student will sign the Classroom Constitution.  A copy of the rules will be sent home to parents, and the rules will be posted in the classroom.  Although all students will participate, rules will be few and concise.  I will allow students the opportunity to be actively part of the decision making process in the classroom.  On this same note, I wish to have a suggestion box set up in my classroom.  If students use this effectively, it can help improve my methods of teaching as well as increase the students’ participation in class.  Another practice I will use in my classroom is the use of bell work.  This will not be simple busy work, it will usually involve small groups working together to figure out riddles using language as a clue or to review the previous day’s lesson.  Students will document daily in their notebooks what the bell work was, and how the were able to work together to figure it out.  The collaborative work students will engage in together along with the physical environment of the classroom will help build classroom community.