EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY and CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN

Brian Freeman

Philosophy of Management

I will promote an atmosphere of respect and tolerance. I aim to not just teach, but to support, to guide, to promote learning, and to develop personal relationships with my students. While I aim to be a strict teacher, I also aim to be a fair teacher. I want my students to know I like them and my intent is for them to succeed but they must respect me.When students identify that I have respect for them and they have respect for me, the classroom will be more manageable. When they understand they have a supportive relationship with me they will learn to respect me and the rules. My classroom environment will be one of motivation and encouragement. I plan to encourage my students by rewarding their positive behavior in a number of ways, special assignments, extra credit assignments, winks, nods, smiles, and encouraging words. I will also punish negative behavior, but only after discussing it with the student. I believe it is extremely important to understand what a student’s life is like outside the classroom. When we understand their real-life experiences, we understand what they bring to the classroom better. In order to better understand this, I intend to create and continue an open dialogue with parents throughout the school year. Students in my classroom will be held responsible for their own behavior. When students misbehave or act inappropriately they will be called on it. There is no room for disrespect in my classroom. My hope is for students to realize that while in my classroom there is no need to act inappropriately to receive attention. My students will always have my full attention when they act in positive ways and contribute productively to the overall learning environment. As a caring teacher, I feel it is important to advise my students of desirable and undesirable behaviors used in the classroom. I also will alert them that if consequences need to be taken, the student will know and understand fully why the problem had to arise to disciplinary actions. As a competent teacher, I feel my goal is to teach the students how to take responsibility for their actions. I also feel that it is my responsibility to teach the students how to be self evaluators of their own actions and not make excuses. Hopefully, this will be a skill that will continue on throughout their life. As a committed teacher, I will assist my students to become effective self- evaluators responsible for their actions.

Room Arrangement

My desk will be placed in front of the projector or chalk board. I have done this because I want students to always see me when I lecture. Students on the first day will seat in assign seats I will make adjustments for students who have bad vision to seat up front. Placing students in assigned seats will allow me to take role quickly and begin my lesson quicker. I will place seats on the both sides of classroom for students who are found to be disruptive and need to separate from friends.

In my classroom there will be no bare walls. The classroom walls will have a number of historic documents and maps including United States, World Map and current event maps. Students will have a number of activities were they must show were certain historical events that have occurred and update the current event map so students know where geographically history is occurring. Classroom room will be clearly posted in the front so all students can view them. Finally on the front of my desk will be the symbol of the United States President “Commander and Chief” because I want students to realize that I am the Commander and Chief of the classroom. On my desk will multiple drop boxes and pick up boxes students when picking up daily activity will turn in homework.

Classroom Rules

Rules will be posted in the classroom in unobstructed location so all students can clearly see the rules.

1.NO CHEATING on daily assignments or test will not be tolerated.

2.DO NOT LET OTHERS CHEAT OFF OF YOU

3.RESPECT OTHERS AND YOURSELF do not talk while Teacher or student is talking.

4.DO YOUR WORK AND DON’T BE LAZY must participate in class discussions and daily activities. Students who participate in class discussions will be tallied during class and this will be taken into consideration for grading.

5.BE COOPERATIVE listen to Teacher, classmate when talking and group members.

6.BEHAVE APPROPRIATELY AT ALL TIMES bad behavior will not be tolerated and consequences will occur.

Positive Consequences if students who follow the rules will be rewarded by dropping their lowest warm-up activity score from their grade average. Students who raise their hand before speaking will be allowed to speak. Students who participate in class discussions will be tallied during class and this will be taken into consideration for grading. When students make especially relevant or insightful statements during group discussion they will come to the front of the classroom to collect a pass which allows them to skip one of the daily activities. The pass is reward in this is not the reward itself, but the recognition a student receives in front of the class, as well.

Negative Consequences will occur when a students who do not raise their hand before speaking will be ignored. If their behavior continues, they will be called into the hall for a one-on-one chat with me and not be allowed to speak.

Students who interrupt other students will not be allowed to speak. Students who do not participate in class discussions will be tallied during class and this will be taken into consideration for grading. Classroom participation counts toward their final grade! Students who do not stay on task will be separated from their group or will have a one-on-one meeting with me in the hall if their behavior is persistent and be forced to sit in the bad behavior section away from other students or recess detention.

At the beginning of each school year or semester, I will go over these rules with students. Students will be required to sign a contract committing to these rules. This complete list of school rules will then be printed and sent home with students to collect parent signatures.

Class Room Procedures:

A Warm-up Activity will always be provided at Beginning of Class (1^st 5 minutes of class) except on test day’s students will then have 5 minutes to study. The student will enter the room and find on the end of my desk the assignment. Students will sit immediately and quietly, without talking, until the bell rings and then throughout the duration of the warm-up activity.

When students are finished with their warm-up activity they will turn their sheet of paper over on the desk and look up. When I instruct the students to stop they will pass their assignments forward. Students will be required to write there first and last name the date and title must be placed on daily activity in order to achieve the full amount of points. Some participation points for the day will be based on whether or not this activity is completed and collected by the teacher. At the end of class the bell will not dismiss the students they will wait because only I can dismiss the students.

There are a number of steps I can take to implement my classroom management plan successfully. One of the most important things I can do is to keep my lesson plans and daily activities on a routine so that I provide my students with consistency. Furthermore, it is important to stay consistent with the implementation of my discipline plan. That way, students can observe that procedures and consequences are enacted fairly. I plan to use the Kounin model for classroom management in combination with the Glasser models for discipline. Kounin model is weak in discipline but provides excellent points for classroom management and will allow me to be effective and efficient in my teaching. The use of the Kounin model will allow me to have classroom awareness to all things occurring and prevent me from having overlapping and poor transitions in my lessons. While using the Kounin model I must keep the group focused and interested and involved in the lesson. The Kounin model also states I must keep the students challenged by setting goals for them and track their progress.

The Glassner model will be used in discipline and allow students to add rules to the rules I have already provided and choose what they feel are important rules to have a successful classroom. This is an example of Glasser’s Choice theory and the basic needs of students. Throughout the year, my students will have ample opportunities to make choices of their own. Through allowing a sense of control and freedom, the students will be more willing to abide by the rules they created. Glasser’s class meeting will also be important part of my classroom discipline plan. The class meeting allows students to confront others about the problems they see in a mature and clam manner. At the end of the meeting the teacher and students should have a plan that is agreed upon.