Personal Philosophy

When I began thinking about my personal classroom management philosophy, I was determined to be middle of the road: the low control theorists made me cringe (despite discussion, I still can’t get behind Thomas Gordon and his “behavior window”), and the high control theorists made me wince (B.F. Skinner is not someone I ever associated with classroom management, though thinking about his experiments, I do understand that I was somewhat shortsighted, in that regard).

I knew that I was going to have a truly democratic classroom, full of discussions about the rules and consequences for breaking them, the procedures and routines that guided our transitions and jobs and assignments that kept the day running smoothly. I didn’t want my students to view me as the “boss”, but I wanted to create an environment of mutual respect and understanding, where the students knew I was in charge, but also knew they had power as well.

Now that I’ve spent time in a primary school classroom, I realize that while my ideas of classroom management don’t have to be thrown out completely, I will have to take time to build my classroom to that mid-level of control, loosening my hold on the reigns as my students show me they are capable of handling it. I say this knowing that six, seven and eight-year-old children are capable of learning a routine and following it, but I think they do need to begin with the guidance and regulations that come from a high control classroom.

I want my classroom to be well run, and I want my students to want that as well. That means I have to model the behavior I expect; talk to students at their level of understanding without being patronizing, mean or sarcastic; create rules and guidelines that make sense to my students, and discuss implementation concerns with them; and be consistent with the consequences when the rules are broken. On top of this, it is my job to make sure my class is engaged in their education, acknowledging their need to test my own knowledge of the rules, and not react in any way that shames or humiliates any student.

When reading about theorists, there are some parts of most of theories that I think I would bring into the classroom. For example, among the Low Teacher Control theorists, Barbara Coloroso’s Inner Discipline Theory insists that teachers must treat students with respect and dignity, and give them opportunities to make decisions, take responsibility for their actions and learn from their successes and mistakes. Jim Fay and David Funk want to make sure students think for themselves in order to raise their level of responsibility. And Haim Ginott believes teachers should avoid hurried help; labeling the students, and sarcasm, among other things.

Among Medium Teacher Control Theorists, Rudolf Dreikurs’s Logical Consequences theory explains that students and teachers should work together to set the rules and consequences; that identifying and dealing with misbehavior should be done privately and that teacher should control their immediate response to misbehavior in order to avoid reinforcing the behavior. Jane Nelson et al’s Positive Discipline Theory suggests that students have four motivations for misbehavior (attention, power, revenge and assumed inadequacy), and advocates family and class meetings to discuss misbehavior, and using encouragement to promote good behavior.

I mention the above theories because they all contain elements that I think I would naturally bring to my classroom. In rereading about High Teacher Control, I felt uneasy, knowing that so little attention was paid to the feelings and preferences of the students, which can’t, in my opinion, lead to a comfortable, healthy learning environment. At the same time, my experiences in a second grade classroom have shown me children at that age need to be expressly told what they can and cannot do, repeatedly, in several different ways, in order to learn appropriate classroom behavior. It’s no wonder my cooperating teacher ends every morning meeting message with “I will remember to work hard and pay attention”, and reminds students before every assignment that they need to put their name at the top. I never believed that this was because the teacher wanted to waste her time, but never realized just how important it was to repeat those directions.

Young children are not always capable of following directions, working logically or sitting still for long stretches of time. They enjoy being social, and will often find a bracelet, bookmark or eraser just as interesting, if not more so, than their work. My job, as a teacher, is not only to teach the students the skills they will need to move through higher grade levels, but also motivate them to want to learn, while making sure that no one gets left behind. So while I don’t subscribe to B.F. Skinners repeated reinforcement, or Fredric Jones’s “preferred activity time (PAT)” in which the actions of one can penalize the entire class, I understand why they exist, and will have to do my best to incorporate the ideas behind a High Teaching Control classroom without using the detailed methods.

If I were to incorporate any high control theory into my own management plan, it would be Marvin Marshall’s Discipline Without Stress. Marshall believes that being positive is more effective than being negative, that self-evaluation is essential for long-term improvement, that giving students a choice in their responses to different situations and that the opportunity to reflect on behavior leads to responsibility and empowerment.

My goal, in my classroom, is to have students be self-motivated to behave responsibly, and in order to reach that goal, I will have to model the behavior I expect, and set consequences that deal with the student’s transgression, not the student’s sense of self. What struck me most, in the entire chapter on Models of Discipline, is the final thought regarding Marshall’s plan: “Discipline Without Stress focuses on promoting responsibility rather than on obedience. Obedience does not create desire. When responsibility is promoted, however, obedience becomes a natural byproduct” (Burden, p. 37).

I want to instill in my class the desire to learn, and I believe that it is possible, with students of any age, as long as my management plan focuses on teaching responsibility over obedience, encouraging my students to reflect on their behavior in order to learn from it. I know I am not their friend. In fact, I don’t want them to think of me as a friend. I am their teacher, an authority figure who spends five days a week trying to build a strong foundation of knowledge that they will be able to use throughout their life. By modeling the behavior I expect to see in my classroom; listening to my students questions and concerns and responding accordingly; and expecting my students to push their limits without crossing over into absolute confusion, I can create a happy, caring environment that promotes learning, responsibility and community.

Ms. Kimball's classroom!

My classroom is designed with the idea that my students and I will be able to clearly maneuver around the room, but still be able to work in groups and see me when I’m at the blackboard. The classroom is designed for 24 students (but can accommodate thirty), in four-student clusters, and has several bookshelves and bulletin boards. There is space to display student’s work, posters, learning tips, etc.; a coat room/storage room; a listening center; a math center; a writing center; a reading center and a space for the morning meeting.

The desks are arranged in groups of four, with an additional desk at one end to hold trays and supplies the students might need during the day. The desks are all arranged so that the students can see me, when I’m at the front of the room, and I can see them, too. There are no learning centers or shelves in the direct line-of-site between the desks and the blackboard, and the desk groups are staggered in such a way that the students won’t block each others views.

I want to have three paper trays stacked at each desk cluster, with a tray for completed work being turned in, a tray for homework finished but not yet due, and a tray for assignments that are still being worked on during lessons throughout the week. I especially like the idea of a tray for ongoing assignments, because knowing they are in the tray, not in a studetns desk or backpack, will cut down on transitions to that activity. I will also have tissues, hand sanitizer and a dictionary at each group of desks. Each student’s desk should have a space or cubbie for them to keep their books and necessary supplies for the day. That wa each child can take out what they will need when they empty their backpacks in the morning, and have them at the ready.

My desk will be in the back corner of the room, unobtrusive, but still quickly identifiable to anyone entering the room. Behind my desk will be electronics, supplies that need to be doled out sparingly, and any books I think will help me in teaching my class, especially books that have ideas for quick learning activities to fill unexpected time, and reference books. I want a bulletin board next to my desk, with any information that I need at the ready, including student’s birthdays, schedules for recess and drop-off/pick-up monitoring, helpful hints, any personal information I feel comfortable displaying to my students (like family pictures or cards), and a calendar that points out important dates in the school year, such as holidays, teacher-workshops, parent-teacher conferences and after school activities I want/need to attend.
I would also like a filing cabinet under my desk, preferably next to the wall, where I can keep confidential information about the school, my students or anything else that I feel needs to be protected. It doesn’t necessarily need to lock, but I would like for it to be out of the way, to help keep it private.

The coat and supply room will have hooks along the wall for students' coats and emptied backpacks, and a cubbie or basket for them to put their lunch. Ideally, above the coat hooks will be shelves for older or infrequently used supplies, extra textbooks, and more. The mailboxes are between the Coat Room and the Computer center to keep them out of the way, but easily accessible. This way, if I need to send something home with a student, I can put it in his mailbox, which he can check when he gets his things at the end of the day.

The computer station is something I believe is important to any classroom, with students of any age, and I would hope to have two desktop computers that the student’s can ear the right to use. The computers are at the back of the room, in an an effort to keep them from distracting the rest of the class, and are close to my desk, so I can easily monitor the content the students are working on, or check to see if they are goofing off online.

Finally, I want the bookshelves in the classroom to be easily accessible to all of my students and myself. I want the shelves in the reading center to be filled with the books my students read for pleasure or independent assignments. The bookshelves next to the reading center, by the Coat Room, can house practical supplies: everything from office supplies like glue, markers and scissors to paper towels, soap for the bathroom, and additional tissue boxes and hand sanitizer. The shelves by the writing center will contain paper and pencils, coloring and craft supplies and books, both fiction and nonfiction, that are used in lessons. I will also have a bookshelf of any manupulatives I will use in the classroom, like blocks and tiles, tangrams, popsicle sticks or straws.

Writing Center

The Writing Center is a large, circular table at the front of the classroom. On the bookshelves next to the Center will be stacked trays containing several types of writing paper, and next to it will be an easily accessible container of sharpened pencils with erasers, colored pencils and markers or crayons for illustrations. I would ideally have room for four to six students to work at once. Having the Center near the blackboard means I can use the blackboard for writing prompts that everyone at the table will be able to see. Putting a bulletin board next to the blackboard means that I can display the students Writing Center work.

Math Center

The Math Center is the rectangular table, right when you enter the room. It is placed there to be out of the way, so students doing math work can consult each other with questions or play math-based games without distracting other students. While scrap paper and pencils are certainly going to be available at the center, I want this to be a space with several mathematical learning options. There will be worksheets related to current and previous lessons, of course, but I also want to make sure there are manipulatives, flashcards, math games and examples of practical mathematical applications that the students will understand. If I am doing a unit on currency, then I will have cut-out currency manupulatives, games and worksheets that teach about making change, adding money and proper decimal placement. If the class is working on time, I want to have movable clock manipulatives that students can reference. I want there to be enough calculators for everyone at the table, so if the class is working on counting by eights or fours, for example, or times tables, they can have use calculators to play games and make predictions.
I want my Math Center to be a place of cooperation and group learning. Not that I won’t expect occasional quiet work, but I want to use the Center to not only teach about math and it’s relevance to my students' lives, but also about working as a team, and being able to use resources provided to discover new ways of learning relatively unyielding facts.

Listening Center

The Listening Center is a semi-circular table by the teacher's desk. It is located near bookshelves, so that supplies, CDs, extra headphones and books can be kept nearby. I chose to make the listening center space smaller than the rest of the stations, because it is far too easy for primary-grade students to become distracted when working with technology, like a stereo, especially when they are in larger groups.

Reading Center

The Reading Center is a class library, with a rug and two comfortable chairs. I plan on having my bookshelves set up with bins or baskets of books, sorted by genres, reading levels, themes and more, all clearly labeled. I also plan on having a “reading binder”, sectioned off for each student, and kept in the library. When a student chooses a book to read, he will write down the date he chose the book, the title, the author and the genre. When he finishes it, he will write down the date finished and something he liked or learned in the story:

The Reading Binder not only allows me to see what my students are reading, and analyze the themes or trends in order to direct them to other books to explore, but also is a way for my student to have a visual record of what they have read – what they have accomplished in reading – which is an excellent self-motivator. So often students receive details of their accomplishments in fragments: they get tests and homework back sporadically, and usually don’t have access to their cumulative work. I am not a fan of having a star of accomplishment chart prominently displayed on the wall for the entire class to see (and compare themselves to). The Reading Binder is a way for a student to physically see what they have accomplished, which brings about a sense of individual pride.

One final note: my classroom floor plan doesn't include an American Flag, which is an unfortunate oversight, because I believe that national pride is something to be instilled in a child at a young age. For better or for worse, this is our country, and while people disagree and fight and there is constant turmoil on both small and large scales, there is still a reason to be proud to live in America. I support the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem in public schools, as they are often times the only cultural identity Americans feel they can claim. To that end, my classroom will have a flag, above the blackboard, by the entrance to the room.

Routines and Procedures

Routines

Routines are one of the most important components of classroom management, and something every teacher should have. Routines give students the ability to anticipate what is coming up in their day, and can ease the transitions throughout the say. I want my students to be aware of my set routines, and use them in order to maintain consistency.

There are two actions I would like to implement in order to begin my day: the first is that I would like to have music playing the classroom when the students enter. I don't necessarily want a song with lyrics, though there is certainly a place for that on some occasions, but I do want something upbeat and cheerful, or soothing and cheerful, to greet my students when they enter the classroom, and as they eat their breakfast.

The second action I would put into action is "Three H's", meaning I would expect a high-five, a hand shake or a hug from every student as they entered the room. This has the double bonus of making a connection with each student, so I can make a quick assessment of their mood, and preventing the students from racing chaotically into the room.

While the students are eating breakfast, I will call for attendance and ask for lunch money. As the students finish their breakfast, they will be expected to collect and throw away their garbage (in the same place eery day), and empty and put away their backpacks and coats. To help ease this transitional time, I will make sure to have a list of the materials they will need throughout the day, so they know what to keep at their desk. If there isn't a specific assignment to work on, I will make sure to have an assignment prompt on the blackboard, that my students can work on until it is time for the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem. Possible activities would include putting ten letters on the board and asking my students to find as many words as they can, thinking of a mnemonic device to recall the planets, drawing a picture of an activity they participated in over the weekend, writing about their favorite toy, and more.

After the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem, I would ask the students to gather for the Morning Meeting, which will be held on the rug at the front of the room. The class will sit in a circle and discuss the daily message, which I will have written on the board, and what we hope to accomplish for the day. I plan on starting out with simple daily messages, but as the year progresses, I will misspell words and use incorrect grammar in order to supplement the spelling and grammar lessons and to learn to identify these errors in their own work.

We would end the Morning Meeting by discussing the day's schedule, which I will have posted clearly on the board. I will answer questions about the day, but let my students know these questions have to benefit the entire class. If it is a personal question than a student can ask me quietly, either immediately following Morning Meeting or, if it isn't urgent, during individual work time.

Throughout my day, we will have several transitions, and I want my students to be aware of them coming up, so they can be prepared. I discuss specific transition techniques here, as well as different transitions my students make throughout the day.

Ten to fifteen minutes before the final bell, I will begin to wrap up the day. I will make sure all of my students are aware of the homework they have that night, which I will have written on the board throughout the day, and that it is written down in an Agenda Book. While my students are filling out their Agenda Books, I will walk through the class, writing notes in the Agenda Books if needed, and double checking that the students who might have problems copying down the assignments are not struggling. If they are, I will help them to get the information they need, either by reading the assignment to them as they write it or writing the assignment as they read it to me. If any students are going to stay in the building for an after school activity, I will ask them to get their coats and backpacks first, and have them line up separately and head to the afterschool program.

When it is time for the students to collect their bags and coats, I will turn on the dismissal music, which will let the students know it is time to get everything together to go. Students will get their coats and backpacks by desk group, and return to their seats to show they are ready to leave. When everyone is seated, the students will line up, with the Weekly Line Captains and Door Holders (see below) at the front of the line. After I make sure that everyone has pushed in their seat and there are no papers left on the desks, I will lead the students to the yard to be picked up, and/or to the Bus, to be taken home.

By establishing a routine, like the one detailed above, I can ensure that my students are not caught off guard during the day, and minimize disruptive behavior that might stem from the unexpected. An established routine also lends a level of comfort to the class for both the students and the teacher, which promotes a order and helps keep the students focused.

Procedures

My classroom procedures were inspired by both the classroom management video clip we watched in Practicum 2 and my Cooperating Teacher at Peirce School. I appreciated that both the clip and my teacher promote responsible behavior among students by delegating weekly jobs to the students. I plan on incorporating this strategy in my classroom by having enough jobs that each student is responsible for something throughout the week. Some of the jobs will include:

• Paper Passers, who distribute homework and assignments
• Bathroom paper towel attendant, who hands out paper towels during bathroom breaks
• Bathroom soap attendant, who dispenses a pump of soap to each student so he the can wash their hands
• Line leaders
• Door holders, who begin second in line, and hold the doors for their classmates
• Homework collectors
• Mail person, who files assignments, fliers, announcements and newsletters for the students to take home.
• Organization managers, who check for trash on the floor and make sure everyone has a clean desk and pushed-in chairs before they leave the room.
• Board erasers
• Recyclers, who collect recycling, box tops, pull tabs any anything else the classroom or school might amass
• And more

I will introduce these jobs on the first day of school and have a pre-made schedule, so I know who should be preforming what task, and when. Delegating jobs promotes responsible behavior, and helps the students feel they have a hand in creating a working classroom. I will stress the importance of the responsibility I assign my students by letting them know that I will take the responsibility away if I see they aren’t capable of performing their duties.

If, at the end of the week, I feel a student has completed his job to the best of his abilities, I will reward them with an Applause point, which can accumulate and lead to one of several rewards.

Transitions

I believe making smooth transitions between tasks and activities are one of the largest challenges a teacher faces. While routines and procedures are established from the very beginning and usually don't stray too far from the what is initially learned, transitions are opportunities for socialization, distraction, kinesthetic activity and more that students are quick to embrace. However, by setting structured transitions between lessons, and creating opportunities for learning during more active transitions, students will be more focused and less likely to devolve into wide-spread misbehavior.

Throughout the year, I will teach my students the structure of transitions between activities using direct instruction, teacher modeling, guided practice and independent practice (Burden, pp. 207-208). When an activity ends, I can use a rhyme (teacher: "One, two!" students: "Eyes on you!"), a clapped rhythm, a silencing technique like raising my hand, or ask the students to give me five: eyes on teacher, ears listening, mouth quiet, arms by your side, and feet still. One the classes attention has been obtained, I will give transition instruction, asking students to prepare for the next lesson. Because I will have the schedule posted clearly on the blackboard, my students will be aware of what lesson is coming, and be able to find the proper materials accordingly.

If the class seems restless, or the lesson being transitioned from involved sitting still for a long stretch of time, I will ask my students to stand by their desk and lead them through a quick physical activity, like a series of stretches, a quick game of Simon Says, or a group sing of "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes", in which the song gets progressively faster as it is repeated. The key is to make sure that these transition "breaks" are quick - no more than two or three minutes - and done as a class.

When the transition has been successfully completed, thank the class for their good work. A thank you is a simple, positive reinforcement technique that takes almost no time and lets the students know you appreciate their contribution to an efficient classroom.

Once task ends I will call the students' attention by saying, "One, Two!" and having students say, "Eyes on you!". I believe the ability to bring my class together in a simple way is very important to classroom management. I will also assign each student in the group jobs, for example, "One will return the materials, two will turn in work, three will put away books, four will monitor your group and be sure your teammates are following the instructions." I will let students know there will be no talking during transitions. I will have students raise their hands if they want to talk. I will keep a close eye on each student to make sure the transition procedure is going smoothly.

Students often move from whole-group lessons to small-group work, and it is important to plan for these transitions as well. Often these transitions happen during the course of a lesson, and if a procedure is set in place for the switch than the lesson will have minimal disruption. One way I can signal transition times and keep track of students as they move from one activity to another is to set a timer or a shadow clock to help students manage themselves and take responsibility for the move. The timer will let them know how much time they have and get ready for the next event. Let them know the amount of time allotted for this transition, and the students would be able see the time running out. Another way is to time transitions is to count down, out loud, from sixty. This gives the class enough time to gather up what they need and move to the next task. Additionally, it helps students become familiar with counting backwards, and usually ends up with a group countdown for the last ten seconds.

Beyond transitions that happen in the classroom, students make transitions throughout the entire school. Entering the building in the morning, going to the bathroom, walking to the lunchroom, walking to a different classroom and leaving at the end of the day are all transitions that often require students to act in a group, stand still in a straight line, and be quiet. Naturally, it is easy for these transition times to quickly become disorganized, with students talking, rough-housing, talking in clusters or pointing out anything that catches their attention. Additionally, several classes often transition at the same time, which means students will see friends in other classes, and want to talk, share something or just be together.

Fortunately there are several strategies for keeping students focused and orderly while completing these transitions throughout the school. As a teacher, the most important thing I can do is model, state and restate my expectations. If I want my class to stand up straight and be quiet, I should do the same thing. When I'm ready to walk down the hall, I will do so in the same manner I want my students to walk. I can point out students who are behaving as I expect them to, and praise them for their responsible actions, and I can stand next to clusters of misbehaving students to get them to focus.

There are also several quick activities I can use to focus my students while they are standing and waiting in line. Examples of these activities are:

• Ask students to show me numbers using their fingers. I can ask for them to show me four using two hands. I can ask them to show me six, using at least two fingers on each hand. I can have them to show me thirteen minus seven, or two plus eight. The only cautions I have for this activity is not to create sums that are larger than ten. When a student is suddenly asked to come up with a number greater than the number of fingers they possess, they tend to get silly, which quickly leads to chaos.
• I can ask the students to line up alphabetically, one at a time, so that everyone has to has to pay attention to see when it's their turn.
• I can play "I Spy", and have students raise their hand to guess what I see.
• I can ask my students to figure out their heart rate.
• I can ask my students to make different expressions.

There are several resources for creating smooth transitions throughout the day, both online and in classroom management books and articles. I chose the ones mentioned above as a sample of activities that I have either successfully tried, or would like to try with my class.

Classroom Rules and Expectations

Because I plan on starting the school year with a fairly high level of control with my students, I want to begin the year with three classroom rules:

1. Respect/Take care of yourself
2. Respect/Take care of others
3. Respect/Take care of your environment

The difference between the stating “respect” and stating “take care of” falls to the comprehension-level of the students. In early primary grades, like first and second grade, asking students to respect their environment might lead to confusion if they aren’t familiar with the concept of respecting things. By asking younger students to “take care of” themselves, others and their environment, I will be able to talk at their level of understanding, without devolving into the idea of metaphors, personification or other concepts they are not ready for yet.
On the first day of class, I will discuss the three main rules. I will ask what they mean to the students, and what they mean to me. I want to make sure to have plenty of time, because I expect that some specific questions and concerns will arise.

What the rules mean to me

Take care of yourself:

• make sure that you come to school every day ready to make the most of your time with me.
• Have your homework done, double checked and ready to be turned in or reviewed in a group.
• Be neat and comfortable, without a lot of distracting jewelry, gadgets or toys that might be confiscated.
• Know what is in your desk. Make sure there is always room for all of your books, and if there isn’t, figure out why: is there crumpled up paper in the back? Are unnecessary or older assignments taking up space? Do you have too many non-school related books?
• Have enough sharpened pencils that a broken or lost one won’t disrupt your work.
• Keep your desk-space clean, making sure nothing is on the floor or desk surface that shouldn’t be.
• Hang up your coat and backpack in a neat and orderly fashion, after checking you have everything you need out of them for the day.

Take care of others:

• Treat everyone like a friend. The success of every person in this class is shared. I will introduce my students to the concept of a community, and what a community does, and how a community works together to create something wonderful. Our classroom, I will explain, is a community that needs to work together to get the best success of all of the students. This means being polite all the time, being quiet when our classmates are speaking and listening to everyone’s questions, so that time isn’t taken away from a lesson to repeat something. This also means that we won’t be mean or rude. We won’t bully our classmates in order to make ourselves feel better, or get something we want. If there is a disagreement, it can be discussed with me, in a calm, respectful way, and we will abide by the resolution.

Take care of the environment:

• It is important to me that the students don’t only have strong lessons, they have a carefully crafted space that encourages learning. The room might be full, but everything will have it’s place, and the students are expected to make sure it stays there. If someone picks out a book to read, they will return it to the same place. If glue and scissors are used, they will be put back in the proper spot. Trash will be properly disposed of, not put in desks or pushed into corners, and if there is a spill, it will be cleaned up quickly and thoroughly.
• Taking care of the environment also means taking care of our personal materials and space. Books and homework should not be shoved into desks and backpacks, and ripped, messy papers will not be accepted (though what qualifies as messy will be determined on a student-by- student basis. I am aware that children come into their own as writers at different rates, and that messy, borderline illegible handwriting is sometimes the best a student is capable of producing). We won’t write in books, nor will we intentionally bend or rip pages, without permission.
• We will make sure every part of the classroom is accounted for, and kept orderly so as to promote good learning without distractions.

These three rules are important to me, and I will emphasize that they do not only apply to the classroom community, but also the entire school. Just because they are in the lunchroom or music room doesn’t mean they can disregard the rules, nor does having a substitute teacher. It is important to have a group discussion about this, because I feel that creating a harmonious community is one of the most important things I can do in my first week.

The School's rules are another thing I will discuss with the class. Sometimes there are rules that won't apply to my classroom, but will apply in other places they visit throughout the day. I want to make sure the my class know there is no running in the halls or sharing of lunches. I want them to be familiar with the playground rules, and help them understand that they are there to prevent people from getting hurt.

I will also make sure to acknowledge students who point out (or tattle) about their classmates breaking the rules. Children often tattle to get their peers in trouble, or when they feel there has been a slight against them (like name-calling and other general bullying), but they also point these indiscretions out to test teachers. My students want to know that I know the rules as well as they do, and when they point out an infraction, brushing it off or ignoring it might hurt my students' trust in me. When a student points out a broken rule, like sharing lunches, or talking out of turn, I will make sure to acknowledge that the rule has been broken, and let the student know I appreciate his or her attention to the rules.
I never want a student to be afraid to speak up in class, especially when it comes to their own understanding of rules and procedures, and I must remember that even though it might seem like tattling, it might be something much more critical.

Consequences for breaking the rules

It is important to me that my class is not only familiar with the rules of the classroom and the school, but also the consequences they face when the rules are broken. My plan for discipline is nothing concrete, but will be a guideline based on my discretion.
At the same time, my students should know what to expect when rules are broken or behavior warrants reaction. And realize that I play no favorites when it comes to discipline.

Minor acts of improper behavior: This would focus on problems such as repeatedly not finishing or submitting homework, goofing off in class, talking or running in the halls, being disrespectful to classmates and other similar actions. Responses to this behavior might be having applause points revoked, or having to do extra work to make up for what wasn't completed.

Moderate acts of improper behavior: This would focus on behavior that repeatedly disrupts the class, such as getting up and walking around without invitation to do so, being rude to me or other adults. If minor acts build up, they might also be dealt with via more severe discipline. This would involve having to sit alone at lunch, or miss recess. I might also switch a student's desk, so he isn't sitting near classmates who bring out disruptive behavior, or move her desk entirely, so she isn't sitting near anyone. While I would prefer not to isolate any student, I do recognize that sometimes that is the most effective form of discipline for a particular student, and will yield the best results.

Major acts of improper behavior: If serious rules are broken that hurt the student or his/her classmates, then I will contact his or her parents. This includes not only verbal altercations or obvious bullying, but also repeated delinquency on turning in assignments, or classroom misbehavior that doesn't improve with earlier discipline. If this level of behavior is reached, I will not only make a call to the student's parents, I will also suggest a meeting, in person, to discuss reasons why this behavior is occurring and how we can work to end it.

Severe acts of improper behavior: This would be anything that I thought put the student or his/her classmates or teachers in danger. Fighting, specific threats, and talk of suicide would fall under this category, though it would also include behavior that didn't change after meeting with a student's parents. If this happened, I would contact not only the student's parents, but the school principal, and set into motion a plan to help this child and, if necessary, remove him from the environment that brings out this behavior. If it came to this, I would make sure to stay as involved as I'm allowed to be in figuring out the next steps for this student's education. If it got to a point that I had to make the administration aware of the behavior, then I would want to make certain that I could do whatever possible to make sure he or she is given the proper guidance to overcome his or her severe behavior.

While I don't like the idea of disciplining any of my students, I do understand that teaching consequences to bad behavior is an important part of learning and something they will need to understand as they travel through school, and into the real world.

Getting to know you!

Know Your Students!

“Know your students” is one of the most consistently repeated phrases in the National-Louis MAT program. I have heard it repeated in every class, as an answer so many questions, and having spent time in the classroom, I feel its necessity even more. Getting to know the students is more than just correcting their homework or making note of their participation in class. It involves working with each child individually and in small groups, to assess strengths and weaknesses, as well as how they work with others. It involves knowing about the student’s neighborhood- whether it is in the same community as the school, or in an entirely different part of the city. It means learning about of the students outside of the classroom, and what they find important and interesting; learning about their home lives; and synthesizing that information so you, as the teacher, can understand why a student might be struggling or thriving, and how you can help them exceed expectations.

There are several ways to get to know the students, some more complex than others. And while implementing all of them might be overkill, it is important to make sure I use enough of them that I am comfortable leading the classroom in lessons that cater to everyone’s educational needs. It is also important that I am constantly updating my supply of "getting to know you" activities. Getting to know my students, and letting them get to know me, doesn't happen at the end of the first week, or month. It is an ongoing process that evolves throughout the school year. Because of this, it is important for me to have activities that allow for deeper insight into my students, in order to properly offer them a strong education.

What's in a name?

The first thing a teacher can do to get to know her students is learn the name of everyone in her class. In a primary-ages classroom, a teacher is usually with the students for five hours a day, so it shouldn’t take more than two or three days to have the students’ first names memorized. If a name is unusual or difficult to pronounce, it is up to the teacher to learn the correct pronunciation, as it shows not only that she cares about the student, but also that she respects the child enough to make the effort.

Beyond knowing my students’ names, I will use at least some of the following strategies to help know my students:

• A Birthday Graph: this will not only make me aware of my students’ birthdays, which I can then acknowledge on the day, but also let me know if any students are significantly younger or older than their peers. When a child is seven, a three-to-six month age gap (or more) can cause a significant difference in maturity and capability. Being aware of this difference can be an important factor in working with a student who seems to struggle more with following the rules or appropriate classroom behavior.
  

The data in this graph tells me a great deal about the students in my Practicum 2 classroom. Of the four youngest students, three are consistently struggling with both reading and writing at grade-level, two are RTI students, one is an ELL, and all four have scored below average on standardized tests.

• Classroom Student Tree: I can make a large tree, with seasonal leaves, and pin to it apples with information about each student. The apples can include information like:
• Student’s name
• Birthday
• Favorite food
• Favorite book
• Favorite class
• Something I am looking forward to this year
• A favorite memory

I can fill out an apple as well, and the information can be on display. During the first few weeks, one daily activity can be “Harvesting Fruit”, in which two or three students to read to the class from their apples.

• Student Information Chart: This is a tri-folded piece of paper (or three column table) with a row for each student. The chart reflects both my knowledge of the student (and can be updated as I learn more) and my students knowledge that I know something important about who they are. The chart is designed to be filled out “as you go”, with the understanding that the entire thing will be completed within the first month of teaching, at the latest.

Student Information Chart

Student name	Student personal fact	How they know you know
Isabella	Mom is pregnant	Ask about the baby
Isaiah
Xander	Dad has a dog
Kayla	Just lost her foster sister to adoption
Joshua	Loves the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack	Sing along with him. Engage him in discussion of other soundtracks

• Student Dictionary: Write three to five questions on the board. Questions might include the following:
• What is your name?
• How many brothers or sisters do you have?
• Do you have any pets?

The students will write the questions on a piece of paper, and include two to four more questions they might like to know about a classmate. Pair the students up and have them interview one another. When they finish, each student can write a “dictionary definition” of their partner, which will be added to the class dictionary. I can model the dictionary entry by using myself:

Kimball, Anne. proper noun. 1. One younger sister and one younger brother. 2. One old cat. 3. Likes to read and go for walks.

~

Learning about the students is important, but it is just as important that they know about me, their teacher, as well. Here are some ways I can introduce myself to my students:

• Introductory Bookmark: This is a bookmark I can create that has different personal facts I would like my class to know. I will send it to my students with my introductory letter, and invite them to use the bookmark to mark a favorite passage of a book they enjoy, which they can then bring to class the first week of school. The bookmark can include, among other things:
• A picture of me
• A bit about my home life
• Pets I might have
• Hobbies I enjoy
• Sports I play
• What I do to relax
• What I am looking forward to in the school year

The bookmark has a second purpose, in that by asking the students to mark a passage of their favorite book, I will be able to learn about what interests my students, their base reading level (I know some students’ favorite books will be below their reading level), and why they choose certain books.

• PowerPoint Slideshow: This can be used both to introduce myself, on the first day of class, and as a model for the students to then introduce themselves. The class can follow my example, writing about their families, friends and interests, and I can use that information to create a class slide show for parent-teacher night. This will also help me to learn more about my students individually, and my class as a whole.

Relationships with the home

Positive relationships with the students’ families

I believe that a child’s academic success is greatly enhanced when teachers and parents build a healthy partnership throughout the school year. When I need information regarding a child in my class or when a child is experiencing any kinds of problems, I will contact their parents or guardians because they are my number one resource. I plan to use a variety of communication methods to build a solid and healthy relationships with parents.

• I begin to set the foundation of my relationship with parents and guardians before the school year even begins. I will send out in the month prior to the first day of class, introducing myself and detailing my expectations and goals for the year. I want the letter to be inviting and warm, letting the parents and guardians know that I already care about the well-being and educational growth of their children. At the same time, I want them to know that I will push their children to grow, and won’t stand for misbehavior or sloppy work. I will emphasize that we - me and my students’ parents - are a team, and our combined effort will help their child thrive in my classroom.
• This letter will also include information on how the parents/guardians can contact me, via email or telephone, and the best times for me to take calls. While it is important to be available for discussion about all of my students, it is also important to set up boundaries early on, so that my personal life is not disrupted for menial reasons. I understand that a parent might think it is important that their child get a better part in a class play, but it isn't something that needs to be discussed during my dinner, when I'm out with friends, or when I am involved with my own family.
• The introductory letter will also include a personalized introduction to my students. I want them to be as familiar with me as possible, before the school year, and talking directly to them, even by letter, lets them know that I find them important. I can also include my personalized bookmark, as a way to begin instruction with my class.

• The beginning of the school year is when I build on the foundation. Parent-Teacher night, or Parent-Teacher meetings, will often by my first interaction with my students’ parents, and I want to make a strong first impression. I will make sure my classroom is warm and welcoming, and showcases my students, with specific examples of how every child contributes to my class.

• One of the easiest things I can do to form a solid relationship with parents and guardians is talk to them about their children. Letting parents know about their child’s success in the classroom by phone call, after-school discussion, letter or parent-teacher conference is a huge relief to parents, who often see a very different side of their child at home. I will make sure to call home about each student at least once a month; letting parents know about the strengths the student brings to my class. I will also make sure that if I am calling a parent due to academic struggles or behavior issues, I sandwich the issue between positive attributes I see in the struggling student.

• When taking parent-requested meetings, or requesting a meeting myself, it is important to me to be willing to listen and make every effort to understand the parent’s complaint or concern. I will address specific concerns and remain focused on what is best for the student. I will also share student work that supports my concerns. I will offer explicit advice, when I have it, and help parents set achievable goals for their child.

• Hopes and Dreams: This can be a stand-alone or an addition to the Student Tree. I will add a personal Hope and Dream for the school year, using paper balloons, flowers, apples or anything appropriate. My students will follow my example, creating their own Hope and Dream for the school year. Finally, on Parent-teacher night, I will ask each parent or guardian to fill out their Hopes and Dreams for their child for the upcoming school year. If it turns out that there isn’t a Parent-Teacher night, or if it falls to far into the school year, I will send the Hope and Dream cut-out home with my introductory letter, and ask each parent to send it with their child on the first day of class.

• Class Newsletter or Blog: This is an interesting and easy way for me to let parents know what is happening in my classroom during the week. It can detail everything from individual student accomplishments to upcoming tests and projects.It can feature:
• Student editorials
• A “Student of the Week”
• Helpful links to educational websites
• Teacher discussions about recent class events
• Notifications of upcoming events
• Pictures of students at work
• Pictures of the classroom
• Book discussions
• Tips for helping the students at home
• And more!

Both a newsletter and a blog have merits, and drawbacks, and deciding which is best for a class could be decided by parental vote. A blog can be updated with more frequency, allowing for last minute changes, and saves paper that might get thrown away before a parent can see it. But because a computer isn’t something found in every house, it might be difficult for parents without easy internet access to read and review.
A Class Newsletter might appeal more to the students, as it is something tangible, and students can show their contribution. They are also available to all of the parents and guardians. Newsletters might be more work, as each letter needs to be formatted and written completely by a certain deadline, in order to get out on a regular schedule (biweekly or monthly). They also use more supplies, that might be hard to come by, so bringing up the Class Newspaper should only be done if I am sure I have the means available to create one.

Understanding cultural differences in the parents of my students, and being aware of language and other communication barriers, is something I have to consider carefully when working with my students' families. I know that there is a good possibility that I will have students every year, with parents who have problems understanding English, the only language I speak. There are several ways I can make sure that I am including these parents in my family communications such as:

• Making sure I have a translator on hand when I plan on having a conversation with a parent who doesn't speak English.
• Writing my introductory letter, and subsequent letters in the parent's native language, with the help of a colleague or friend.
• Making a phone call, instead of sending a letter, if a parent is blind.
• Making parents aware of websites that translate websites into their native language, so they are able to read blog posts, as well as the school's website.
• Being aware of cultural and religious differences in my students families, and treating these beliefs with respect and understanding, even if they conflict with my own.
• Introducing parents to each other, and forming a class committee which can meet on a regular basis, and represents everyone's core beliefs about the classroom (though making sure they understand that I take everything into consideration, but I have to think for the good of the entire class, not individual students, and while I will do my absolute best to accommodate each student and parent, sometimes it just isn't possible.