Classroom Management Plan

An effective teacher is able to manage the classroom. Current brain research tells us that learning will not take place if the environment is not safe (Fogarty, 1997). A well-managed classroom provides emotional and intellectual safety. While incorporating school-wide rules, the teacher needs to work with the students to set up the expectations for student behavior in the beginning of the school year. The class and teacher can create a classroom constitution. Each student can put his/her "John Hancock" on the document. Copies of this agreement can be sent home to be signed by parents. Once the rules have been established, the teacher needs to follow through with the appropriate consequences when necessary. Having clearly explained processes such as morning and transition activities, as well as student jobs makes the organization clear to the students (Wong & Wong, 1998). The outstanding teacher realizes that attention to these details results in student success.

As a student teacher, I found that I was interested in teaching students in an environment that promoted self-efficacy and cooperation with others. Through class meetings, discussions of what is appropriate behavior, giving the students voice, teacher and student modeling of what it looks like to work together; the students felt that what went on in the classroom was important and that they were important. They demonstrated this by monitoring each other's behavior and making an effort to work together cooperatively. Combined with a challenging curriculum, I found that this approach to teaching not only worked, but also the students seemed more willing to delve deeper into subject matter and spend the time to create quality work. I found that Responsive Classroom techniques helped me create a classroom community in which quality learning took place.