Classroom Management Plan

Katelyn Ward
Having clear expectations for your classroom and your students is one of the most
important things a teacher needs to have. There is a big difference between disciplining the
students in your classroom and managing the students in your classroom. I think it is important
for teachers, especially new teachers to have a classroom management plan, although it can be a
challenge to plan for everything that could possibly happen, it is still important to have a general
plan in place. There are many good books out there to help teachers develop their classroom
management plan, but I think the one that every teacher should read is The First Days of
School by Harry K. Wong and Rosemary T. Wong. This book provides some really good
examples of how to deal with situations in the classroom and how to manage your own stress as
a teacher. It also creates a sense of yes I really can do this within a person, and I found myself
not thinking of the rules I could create but rather finding other ways to manage my classroom to
make sure it runs effectively.
Not only is it important for yourself, as a teacher, to have a classroom management plan
in place but it also helps your students, students need structure. Although they may rebel against
it, having a set structure in place and clear expectations will help them in the long run. This is
especially key for students who have exceptionalities and a good example of this would be
autism, an autistic child needs a set structure and set rules.
Classroom Procedures and Rules
The biggest rule in my classroom will be respect, and treating others the way you
would want to be treated, it is a rule that most people have but I think it is the most important.

To get respect from students they need to feel respected as well. On the first day I think it is
important to have a discussion with students, explaining to them what you expect of them and
what the consequences will be if the expectations are not met, and or broken. This is something
that will work especially well with an upper elementary class.. If you tell students rules but not
why, they will not be able to understand the importance of these rules and or guidelines. Give
the students their expectations, but tell them why, this I think is one of the keys to managing a
successful classroom. I do not plan to have a lot of rules because I think having clear procedures
in place will remove the need to have a list of rules. One of the procedures that will be expected
to be followed in my classroom for example would be, when I raise my hand or turn the lights
off the students are expected to turn their eyes to me and listen. Another example would be the
procedure for going to the washroom will be that the students will have to take the block off the
teachers central table and place it on their desk, one student of each sex will be able to go to the
washroom at a time. If an issue were to arise from this bathroom procedure, then as a class we
will discuss it and the blocks will have to go on the teachers desk and it will go back to the
traditional way of asking to go to the bathroom.
I plan to also use the 7 habits of happy kids in my classroom as well, this is something I
saw at my first placement and I thought it was a really good idea. I think having these traits and
the classroom procedures will allow students to take responsibility for themselves, and this will
work for any grade level in the elementary sector. The 7 habits breaks things up nicely for the
students, they are: habit 1 be proactive, habit 2 being with the end in mind, habit 3 put first
things first, habit 4 think win-win, habit 5 seek first to understand, than to be understood, habit 6
synergize and finally habit 7 sharpen the saw. These 7 habits teach students reasonability, but
they also teach students how to think critically, they need to being with the end in mind and

move forward and that they need to be mindful of themselves and those around them. A good
example of habit 2 would be if students do their homework right away when they got home from
school they would have the rest of the night to do what ever they wanted.
In the classroom students will be expected to follow the standard procedure of raising
their hands for answering questions and asking questions. I think it is also important to have a
daily helper in the classroom, and have a schedule laid out for the students, so they know what
we are working on and when. Having a daily helper allows the students to take responsibility in
the classroom.
Behaviour management
If a student were to not comply with one of the classroom procedures I, as the teacher,
would sit them down one on one and talk about what is happening, and how it is not acceptable
to not follow the procedures that are in place. I feel it is very important to NEVER call a child
out for misbehaving in front of his or her peers, it will embarrass the child or it will enforce their
seeking attention behaviour. If the whole class in general is unable to follow the procedures then
you are able to discuss the issue as a whole group, however it is very important to remember,
everyone has bad days and that is the same for students, at any age. So it is important for
students to know that even when they are not acting appropriately they will not be shamed for it,
but rather talked to and I as a teacher will help them work through whatever may have caused the
behaviour. Children often express their emotions through acting out, they really could be upset or
angry they just do not know how to express that. This is why it is very important to create bonds
with your students, that way when a student acts out you are able to reach out to them and help
them to express what they are feeling in a more positive manner. Having positive bonds will

also allow you to notice if something is off with students, not all students act out if they are
upset. You cannot ask a child if something is going on at home but you are able to listen to them
if they want to open up and talk to you about what is going on in their lives. And sometimes that
is just what a student needs.
Diversity
Having a diverse classroom is also very important; you want students to feel like they can
express their unique cultural traditions. This can be done through art work in the classroom, the
kinds of music you play in your classroom, the books you keep in your class, etc. I also think it
is an interesting idea to have students do little presentations on their favorite cultural traditions,
this is something that can be done around the holiday seasons, so students do not feel left out.
Taking the time to get to know your students and incorporating them into your classroom,
your lesson plans and just generally your class will make their learning experience so much
better and they will want to come to school. Plus I feel as though it is very important to teach
these students to learn to accept everyone and not to judge someone by their appearance or by
their exceptionality. Having a diverse classroom is not just based on different cultures but is also
based off exceptionalities.
Physical Environment
It is important to have an organized classroom, not only in the sense of materials but the
desks should be arranged in a manner that makes the classroom assessable for all. When your
students walk into your classroom on the first day of school you want them to feel comfortable,
safe and excited to be there. This can be done through creating a relaxing reading corner, or
having lots of bright posters and positive messages on the walls. It is also important to make

sure everything in your classroom is easy to find and labelled well, this will allow for more
learning time and less transitional time for the students.
Conclusion
Having clear expectations for your classroom and your students is one of the most
important things a teacher needs to have. If students know what is expected of them, where
things are located in the classroom, and that every single student is important and valued,
learning will take place. Students will be wasting less time transitioning from one task to the
other and they will feel confortable and safe within the classroom. It is important on day one to
set our your expectations, it is a lot easier to remind students of their expectations halfway
through the year, than to try and begin enforcing it then.