Student Centered
Management System Final Project
Robin
Crim
Texas
Woman’s University
Author
Note
Robin
Crim, EDUC 5143, online course, Texas Woman’s University
This
research was made possible by the love and understanding of the Crim family.
Abstract
In
this final project I will be sharing my ideas on my own personal Classroom
Management System. This project will be
divided into two sections. In the first
section I will explain my personal philosophy and ethical standards that I plan
to abide by. I will also touch on what I
feel are the responsibilities of the teacher and the students along with how I
plan to intervene and entice students to follow and keep up with their
responsibilities. Section two will
contain my ideal classroom layout and rules and procedures for my classroom.
My Ideal Classroom Behavioral Management System
In
Texas, teachers are expected to know their students in order to promote a “positive,
productive classroom environment” and “emphasizes collaboration and supportive
interactions, respect for diversity and individual differences, and active
engagement in learning by all students” (TExES Domain II: Competency 5(a) and 5(b)). The following paper is my personal views on
how I plan to fulfill these requirements and how I plan to “[create] a safe,
nurturing, and inclusive classroom environment that addresses students'
emotional needs and respects students' rights and dignity” (TExES Domain II:
Competency 5(g)).
Section 1
Philosophy of Classroom Management
I
believe that students come from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, and
that all of those backgrounds and cultures should be considered, as well as
possible, when managing the classroom. I
believe that a teacher should be aware of the antecedent to the student’s
behavior before rushing to judgment. I
believe that there is a consequence to every action, rather it is a positive or
negative one and that students should be made aware of such consequences and
what your desired actions are in a plain and simple manner from the beginning
of the year. I believe that student’s
ideas and feelings may be integrated into each class’ set of rules, in this
way, the students will take ownership of their behavior as they have been made
a part of the rules. I believe that when
a student is in error they should receive their consequence swiftly. A consequence is not effective if it is not
consistent or timely. Recording
persistent behavior is imperative. I
believe that when an undesired behavior persists then it is the teacher’s
responsibility to work with the student, the parents and the school district to
come to a desired outcome. I believe
that classroom management is not just about discipline but a way to get desired
behaviors from students in a positive way.
I believe that a well-managed classroom is a highly engaged classroom.
Ethical
Standards
The
State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) states that “[t]he Texas educator, in accepting a
position of public trust, shall measure success by the progress of each student
toward realization of his or her potential as an effective citizen” (Tex. Admin. Code, 2010). In order to reach this goal as a classroom
teacher, it is my plan to show due diligence towards my students. I plan on achieving this by way of timely and
fair classroom assessments that are centered on my state and school boards
demands, as well, as the demands that are stated plainly and set forth by
myself and co-created by the students at the beginning of each semester. I plan
to have students help make the rules in the classroom and by becoming a part of
the process they will take value in the rules that they helped to create. In this way, students are made aware of what
is required and expected of them while in my classroom, as well as, in the
school district and the state in which we reside. As it is my goal to express to students that
all people in my classroom will be treated fairly and respectfully, I will have
a classroom that is open to discussion and differences of opinions as long as
those opinions are stated in respectful ways and voiced without the fear of
negative or harmful reprisal. We can
agree to disagree. As an educator, I
will be privy to confidential student information. I will not divulge this information to any
other person unless it is required by law for me to do so or there is profound
educational support that will help promote the student’s goal to become a
better, stronger, more self-sufficient, successful learner.
Teacher
Responsibilities
My
Personal Classroom Management System is a combination of the BEP-RTI Management
System and the Cooperative Discipline Management System. I believe that it is the teacher’s
responsibility to set the rules within the classroom, along with the student’s
input and help. It is important that the
rules are discussed and taught in the early days of the school year so that all
students will understand what the desired actions, behaviors and responses are
within the school day. It is also the
teacher’s responsibility to explain in simple, straight forward terms what the
consequences and the rewards are for unwanted or exemplary behavior. Consequences and rewards should be given in a
timely manner as to make the rule and learning of the rule more effective. As the teacher, you will need to document all
reoccurring behavior anomalies. It is
also important to understand the background and cultures of your students in
the event that a rule or consequence is not being followed due to familial or
cultural reasons. Finally, I feel that
it is the teacher’s responsibility to contact the principal, student’s parents
or community leaders when reinforcement or encouragement is required.
Student
Responsibilities
It
is the student’s responsibility to help create and follow the rules for the
classroom. Not only should the students
help create the rules, but it is also important that they are involved with
presenting solutions and consequences for unwanted behavior. Students should be made aware of the rewards
and consequences of their behavior early on in the school year, if they have
trouble understanding a rule or consequence then it is their responsibility to
ask for clarification. When a student
enters the classroom they must be willing to listen to others, be open to new
ideas and focus on assignments.
Incentives
I
have used behavior charts in the past, and for the most part, they are
successful when a student needs some incentive to help preform as
required. If a student is struggling in
extracurricular classes, Specials classes or in pull-out classes, it would be
in the student’s and the teacher’s best interest to create a behavior chart
with those instructors/teachers as well.
This will keep the student on task and will keep the rewards and
consequences uniform across the student’s school day. Another way to entice a student to perform as
desired is to give them a special job.
For instance, if the student is seen following the rules in the hall or
if the student is seen by staff helping out in an independent situation, then
the student may be allowed to read to one of the lower grades during large
group or be an honorary carpool car door opener in the morning. This will allow the student to receive praise
in areas around the school which will help with an overall positive attitude. A third incentive for students as a grade
level to perform, would be accomplishing a set number of goals as an entire
grade level. For instance, if classes
within a grade level are cited a certain number of times for waiting quietly in
the cafeteria before school starts, or waiting quietly in the hallway to enter
a Specials class by a different grade level teacher, that grade level may be
rewarded with a special activity such as pajama day, popsicle party or extra
time at recess. Another incentive
program could be when a student who is having difficulty with certain rules has
earned a certain number of tokens, then a system can be set up with the
principal or the morning announcement team that the student is commended either
by the principal in a personal note or by having their name announced on the
morning announcements for outstanding behavior.
A fifth and final incentive for students who need enticement to follow
classroom rules might be a ticket or token system that enables the student to
purchase items. A student is eligible to
earn tokens for following the classroom rules then at the end of a grading
period trinkets can be purchased with the tickets/tokens at the school store.
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Interventions
There
are several ways to intervene with a student who is not performing. Some of these ways can be unobtrusive. A student who is not staying on task may hear
a special word or get a gesture from the teacher that helps them refocus. Another unobtrusive intervention is proximity
and a gentle touch as a reminder that it is the student’s responsibility to be
on task and following the classroom rules.
Sometimes the teacher, or even the student, may recite the classroom
rules, in this way, the teacher is intervening by reteaching the rules that the
student has helped to create. If the
student is having trouble with a certain item or stimuli in the classroom, then
that stimuli can be removed in order for the student to refocus their attention
on the lesson and the classroom rules. I
have mentioned behavior charts as an incentive, but they can work as an
intervention as well. When a student is
not on task or is having a problem with their behavior then it is noted on the
behavior chart and the student does not earn their reward for that time
period. If difficult behavior continues
and it seems to be a matter of curriculum or attention span then the teacher
may have the option of shortening the student’s lesson. In this way, the student is still performing
equations or learning spelling words but is able to keep up with their
classmates and is less likely to act out.
Intervening when a student is struggling to keep up with their
classmates also might just be a simple matter of incorporating their personal
interests within the lesson plan or on projects. Lastly, the teacher can reach out to the
community and find a volunteer that might want to come to the school and help
tutor or teach a lesson.
Referral
Guidelines
If
a student continues with the disruptive or poor behavior after incentives and
interventions have been put into place, then it is time for an office
referral. First, a meeting should be set
up between the teacher, the student, the caregivers and administrative staff to
devise a plan for the student to be successful.
Secondly, a letter written by the student, accompanied by a letter from
the teacher, should be sent home in order for the caregivers to fully understand
the offending behavior, the consequences that will follow and an intervention
plan to help the student to self-manage and become independent.
In
Conclusion
I
have enjoyed my time in this course as it has opened my eyes to several new and
different forms of classroom management.
It has helped me to understand that there are some forms of classroom
management that I do not feel are affective, or that I do not think that I
would be able to enforce. In this way, I
will be able to select a school/district that is better suited to my ethics and
personal beliefs. For the most part I
have stayed true to my original beliefs and ethics as I stated in the beginning
of the semester. I think that the
biggest point I have learned is that there are ways to intervene with students
in an unbiased, uncritical way; classroom management is not necessarily
discipline.
Section 2
Classroom Architect
Figure 1.
Classroom arrangement. This
figure illustrates how to effectively arrange and use the space in a preschool classroom.
I have chosen to arrange my
classroom in this way in order to optimize the space for moving bodies, center
stations, table top work and small groups.
I have made a central space through the middle of the room in order to
make space for lining up. I have placed
the tables where students can either work together at table tops or with a
teacher during small groups or one on one teaching times. There is a white board along one wall to aid
the teacher while she is working at the round table during small groups. The storage cabinets within the room act as a
“boundary” for the center stations that they surround and they are low enough
for a teacher to see over wherever she is within the space. There is a restroom and a wash space in the
classroom for quick restroom breaks and for “messy” learning. There is a central area in the room for large
group or circle time. This area has a
smart board and white board and has an area rug for students to sit on while
listening to instruction. The teacher’s
desk, while accessible, it is not central or the focus of the room. I have placed necessities in this space such
as storage, telephone and pencil sharpener.
I have added a wall with windows for natural light and a large storage
closet for storing nap mats, supplies and materials. There is plenty of wall space to exhibit and
display student work and achievements. I
have placed lockers along one wall. I
would have preferred that these had doors and cubbies but there was not an icon
available for that. I do believe that by
separating the lockers from the “learning” area with the storage cabinets I
have effectively divided the space in a way that will keep students focused on
the tasks within the room rather on whatever happens to be in their backpacks. I believe that this room arrangement is well
organized and allows for unimpaired accessibility. Both teacher and students have the capability
to look around and see their surroundings without distractions or visual “black
outs”. The room is accessible for all
students who would be attending this preschool and allows for maximum
engagement while in the space.
Rules and Procedures
1. Use of Room Areas:
Learning
Centers:
1. Students
will sit on an assigned spot on the carpet (criss-cross and quiet mouths).
2. Teacher
will show the students a poster with open centers for the day. Teacher will re-teach rules and proper play
procedures within the open centers.
3. Students
who are following directions will be chosen first to come up to the teacher and
get a photograph of themselves with Velcro on back. Student will tell the teacher (in a full
sentence) where they would like to begin playing for the day and will then
place their Velcro photo on that center’s sign. You may not enter
a center that has all the Velcro spots covered by student picture; this
indicates that the center is full and therefore closed until one of the
students in that center chooses to move.
4. When
student is finished playing in a particular center, the center must be picked
up before that student may leave to go to another center.
5. Students
who are not sitting quietly will be chosen last.
6. If
students continually do not clean up and take care of the centers, then that
center will be closed for the rest of the week.
2.
Use of School Areas:
Forming
a Line:
1. At the beginning of every class period, the
teacher will remind the students of their jobs for the week.
2. When
it is time to line up, the line leader, door holder, schedule changer and
caboose will all take their spots on numbers that are placed on the floor. All other students will then fill in the
spots always going to the net available spot in line.
3. When
in the hallway, unless the class is being led in a transition song, students
will be facing the teacher with hands behind their backs.
4. Students
who leave the line or touch the walls/bulletin boards will be moved to the back
of the line or will lose their job for the day.
3.
Beginning the School Day/Starting Class:
Attendance
Check:
1. Before students enter the class room they will
take out their daily folder and place it in their designated “folder box” that
is sitting on a cart by the door. This
box will have their photograph on it for student’s easy identification and for
a quick check by the teacher to see how has arrived.
2. Students
will enter the room and will place their backpacks into their assigned locker
and their lunches/breakfasts into their cubbies.
3. Students
will then go to the Smartboard and locate their name and photograph under the
“Where Am I?” heading and drag it away from the icon of “home” and place it
under the icon of “school”.
4. When
the bell rings, students will then sit on the carpet in their assigned areas
and the teacher will count who is at home and who is at school. In this way the students will receive a
counting lesson and the teacher can check for attendance.
4. Ending the School Day/Class:
Clean-up
and Putting Away Materials:
1. After the teacher turns on the lights and
announces that it is time to wake up, students will fold up their nap mats and
place them in their lockers.
2. Students
are then allowed to eat the provided snack or get one from their
backpacks. Students will stay seated
while they are eating.
3. When a student finishes their snack they are
to clean their space at the table and throw away all their trash.
4. Once
they have cleaned their space, the student is allowed to sit on the carpet and
read until all of their friends are finished eating.
5. When
all students are finished and the tables are cleared and clean, students will
collect their backpacks and line up at the door (see Forming a Line).
5.
Small Group Activities:
Composition
of Small Groups:
1. Teacher will form four groups of high and low
performing students, allowing for one on one teaching or augmented small group
lessons.
2. The
names of students and their photograph will be placed in a pocket chart under
their corresponding group color.
3. The
colors will be displayed on that particular group’s table. That color group will always meet at that
table.
4. When
working at an independent small group activity, students will stay in their
chairs and will use indoor voices.
5. When
working at a teacher led small group activity, all students will have the
chance to participate while the rest of the group listens and waits for their
turn to participate.
6.
Other Procedures:
Fire/Disaster
Drills:
1. Students will stop what they are doing the
minute that they hear the emergency bells and line up at the door.
2. Students
will walk silently with their eyes on their teacher until they reach the
assigned emergency wait spot.
3. Students
will face away from the school and listen for instruction from teacher. There will be no talking. If students talk or disregard emergency
procedure rules they will receive a note home.
4. The
teacher will make a head count of students and wait for the “all clear” to
reenter the building. At this time the
students will walk silently with their eyes on their teacher until they reach
the classroom.
(Lillie J. Jackson)
References
Kaplan
Classroom Floorplanner. (2014). Figure I: Classroom
arrangement. Retrieved from https://www.kaplanco.com/resources/floorplanner.asp
Lillie
J. Jackson Early Childhood Center. (2014). Emergency
procedure handbook. Lewisville, TX:
Lewisville Independent School District
Tex.
Admin. Code ch. 247 § 1.7(b). Educator’s
Code of Ethics. Texas Code 7. 10 December
2010.
TExES
Domain II: Competency 5(a): The
beginning teacher uses knowledge of the unique characteristics and needs of
students at different developmental levels to establish a positive, productive
classroom environment
TExES
Domain Competency 5(b): The teacher
establishes a classroom climate that emphasizes collaboration and supportive
interaction, respect for diversity and individual differences, and active
engagement in learning by all students.
TExES
Domain Competency 5(g): The beginning
teacher creates a safe, nurturing, and inclusive classroom environment that
address students’ emotional needs and respects students’ rights and dignity.
Wolfgang,
C. H. (2009). Solving discipline and classroom management problems: Methods and
models for today’s teachers. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley and Sons
