Colin Seebach

EDUC 132

Classroom Management Plan

I.

Management Style and Philosophical Beliefs

Classroom management may be one of the most important, yet challenging, thing for

teachers to practice. It is especially challenging to new teachers who are still developing these skills
while also working on their own curriculum and lesson plans. Good classroom management skills
can result in a productive learning environment, development of a sense of responsibility in
students, clear expectations from the students, and minimized time-wasting.
My personal management style is paralleled best by the Authoritative style to classroom
management. I want my students to be very independent and to speak up when they have
something important to say. I also want the students to understand that there are limits to their
independence and they cannot simply do whatever they want in my classroom. This openmindedness and respect based style of teaching allows for a positive learning environment and also
promotes my goals for students. (I attached my goals for students as I think they reflect a lot about
my philosophy and style of management, as they are something that I think about with everything I
do as a teacher).
I will tend to stay away from discipline, and focus on discussing the reasons why the
behavior is unacceptable. I believe that mutually respectful relationships and an engaging lesson
are the best ways to meet the needs of all students and keeping the students on task. Just as the
best offense is a good defense, the best way to manage a classroom is through an engaging and
challenging curriculum.

II.

Establishing a Positive Classroom Culture

Having a positive respectful environment and culture to my classroom is of the utmost

importance. Without a positive respectful environment, I cannot expect my students to learn at a

high level. To achieve this positive classroom culture I plan to focus on building relationships with
the students. This can include giving the students an interest survey early in the school year to
determine various things you can use to relate with the students.
The Classroom Management Book, by Harry and Rosemary Wong, provided me with a
plethora of ways to build rapport with students. These techniques include; greeting students at the
door (54), connecting via social media (56), and using specific feedback rather than just good job
(51). I also believe that smiling is another extremely simple tool that you can use to build
relationships with the students. It shows that you are friendly and approachable. Finally, I plan to
use the occasional personal story from my past that I can use to help relate to the students. This
also helps to get the students to understand that you are a person, just like them, and not only a
teacher. This idea is also referenced in the attached article about building rapport with students
from smartclassroommanagement .com.

III.

Developing Classroom Rules and Procedures

Rather than creating a long list of things that the students cannot do, I firmly believe the

benefits of creating a short list of things they should do that still covers all of the things that the
students cannot do. For example, I would have a poster reading Mr. Seebachs Classroom Rules: 1)
Be Respectful, 2) Be Responsible, 3) Be Ready. This simple list covers everything that a student
should not do, for example, if a student is making beat noises on his/her desk while you are

speaking, you can explain to that student that they are breaking the Be Respectful rule by both
being disrespectful to the teacher, as well as the rest of the class. In my practicum experiences I
have observed a teacher who had a long list of rules and it resulted in the students constantly
saying, well, the rules dont say I cant _____, the rules that I suggested above, and in the attached
document, cover all of the issues that my practicum teacher experienced.
I understand the need for a consistent procedure for the class to go, and how many
students need that. My class will always begin with a bell-ringer activity to target concepts from the
previous day, or the current day. This will get the students immediately in an engaged tone and
ready for the coming lesson. The bell-ringers will also act as a form of informal assessment that I
can use to gauge the level of understanding amongst the students, and plan for the future based on
what I notice. Besides the bell-ringer, I plan to use a lot of inquiry and discussion throughout my
curriculum. This will require that my expectations of their participation will need to be made very
clear early on, and may require some modeling of how to have a respectful discussion. I will also
need to make my expectation that I will teach to the end of the period, and the students will not
line-up, or pack-up before the bell rings. There already is not enough time in the school year, and to
lose the last 3 minutes of class everyday adds-up significantly.

IV.

Classroom Layout
My ideal classroom would consist of five to six tables, with groups of four students at each

tables (refer to the attached classroom layout diagram). I strongly believe in cooperative learning
and I plan to use a large amount of group discussion in my lessons. This layout is very conducive to a
discussion based class in that the students are already in groups so the transition will be quick, and
the students are facing each other. This layout also allows for the teacher to walk around the

classroom without worrying about having their back to any part of the classroom. I do not plan to
change the layout of the classroom throughout the year, but I will use my discretion on when to
change the seating arrangements of the students.
I would place my desk away in the corner as I plan to spend little time there. Most of my
time in my lessons will include me being up and working with the students. My desk area, and
shelves, will act as a resource hub for the students. This hub will include places for students to; pick
up their daily bell-ringers, find any assignment sheets, pick up notes and materials from previous
day if absent, and also an area for students to turn in assignments. The shelves will also host any
class set of laptops or tablets, if provided by the school.

V.

Monitoring the Classroom and Responding to Student Misbehavior

During any activity in my classroom, I will be listening to the students, and walking around

the room. Not only will this allow me to pay attention to the students level of understanding and
scaffold where necessary, but it also allows me to monitor the engagement of students and where
misbehavior may be taking place. Often times the proximity of a teacher will disrupt the
misbehavior.
In general, I will avoid giving out detentions and/or sending a student out of the room.
Often this results in a distraction for the whole class, and power struggles between the student and
the teacher. When I notice misbehavior in class, I will try first to use various nonverbal, low-profile
tools to stop it, for example, proximity to the student or eye contact (attached is a self-created table
explaining these, and more nonverbal tools to address misbehavior). If this fails, I will ask the
student to talk after class and have a calm conversation with the student about why the behavior
needs to stop. It is important that this conversation is not one-way, and the student is talking too.

Typically, the students will know why their behavior is unacceptable, and it is important for them to
tell you why. This friendly, calm conversation between the teacher and student can help build a
level of respect, as the teacher is not calling out the student in front of the class.

VI.

Parents as Partners
Parents can be an immense amount of help when it comes to classroom management. On

top of the authority that they hold over their children, they can also be a wonderful resource to use
when you need help learning what works with their child. The main way that I plan to achieve a
sense of partnership between myself and the parents is a high level of communication and
transparency. I plan to provide the parents with a general outline of the curriculum, as well as a
general update on the course with a monthly newsletter email.
A great way, that I plan to use, to get the parents on my side early on in the school year is
by calling the home of each student within the first two months of school. This call will be short and
aimed at highlighting something positive about the student that impressed me. For many parents,
this will be the first phone call from a teacher that they have heard something positive about their
child, and can result in parents who respect you as a teacher and will be more willing to act as a
partner to you in their childs education. (Attached is a sample script of a message you could leave
on the parents voicemail)

Artifacts
I.

Management Style and Philosophical Beliefs (My goals for students reminder sheet)

ARE YOU PROMOTING YOUR GOALS??

1. Students will demonstrate a deep & robust understanding of STEM content

and apply that knowledge wherever possible.
2. Students will be confident, curious & open-minded individuals.
3. Students will support their position by using factual evidence & make
informed decisions.
4. Students will communicate and collaborate critically and effectively through
written and verbal methods.
5. Students will think critically and use problem-solving skills.
6. Students will be active and respectful members of their communities.
7. Students will use technology appropriately.
8. Students will use creativity and imagination.
9. Students will demonstrate a strong understanding of the nature of STEM.
10. Students will be autonomous, self-motivated learners who will develop goals
and utilize resources to seek out information to become lifelong learners.

This is a resource that I keep handy any time I am lesson planning, deciding the activities, classroom
management tools, and any other interaction I have with my students. Every teacher action needs to be
promoting goals.

II.

Establishing a Positive Classroom Culture (Online Article)

2 Easy Ways To Build Rapport With Your Students by Michael Linsin on January 14, 2012

Building rapport with students can be a remarkably effective way to improve classroom management.
But there is some confusion over what rapport is and how one goes about building it.
Rapport is nothing more than a connection you make with your students based on their positive feelings
for you. When they like you and trust you, and when you in turn like and believe in them, youll form a
bond that makes classroom management a lot easier.
Its as simple as that.
But rapport isnt something you can force upon your students. Teachers who try to engage individual
students directly Hey, whats your favorite video game? often find the interaction brief and
awkward and the results less than influential.
To build genuine rapport, you have to draw students to you. You have to use your personality, your
humor, and your charisma to get students to want to be around you and take an interest in who you
are.
Its this natural appeal that allows you to effortlessly make personal connections with students and
influence their behavior choicesoften without ever having to say a word.
The idea of using ones everyday personality to draw students in and build rapport makes sense to most
teachers, but many struggle with how to put it into practice. What exactly does it look like?
Ive gotten this question a lot over the years, and the truth is we all have different personalities. We all
have our own unique talents, traits, sense of humor, and joie de vivre.
The simple answer is to just be likeable and rapport building will take care of itself. However, I know
how helpful it can be to hear specific examples. So in that spirit, here are two easy-peasy ways you can
build rapport todayand see results almost immediately.
1. Smile until they smile.
I love this strategy and find it works even when Ive never met the students before. You can use it
anytime youre passing out materials, checking student work, taking attendance, or anytime you have
occasion to make eye contact with individual students.

Lets say for example youre taking attendance. As you say each students name, you would take a
moment to look up and smile at the student. You would then continue making eye contact and smiling
until the student smiles back at you. And thats it.
What it does is allow you to make an instant positive and personal connection with each student. It
communicates a thousand wonderful things in just a couple of seconds. And when youre finished, each
student will see you in a different light.
You may notice other students begin to giggle as you do this. Thats okay. Its all good. Sometimes I
make funny faces instead of smiling or Ill exaggerate a frown until they do the same. Its really fun. And
lest you think your students are too old or too cool, Ive used this strategy with sixth-graders to great
effect and wouldnt hesitate to use it with older students.
2. Tell a story about your childhood.
If youre a regular reader of this website, or if youve read the book Dream Class, then you know the
power of storytelling. Nothing nothing, nothing, nothing is more effective. Done a certain way, it can
put your students in the palm of your hand. It does, however, take some practice.
Telling a story about your childhood is a good place to start. It places you in an environment theyre
unfamiliar picturing you in, but one in which they can closely identify with. You become, then, not so
different than themmaking connections easier.
Ive found stories about adventures or comedic hard luck to be most effective. But really anything with a
twist or a surprise works. Acting out the story is also especially effective. But its important you have fun
with it; stories about your dog Snowflake dying are verboten.
Why storytelling works so well is in some ways still a mystery to me. There is no doubt that your
students will love it and love you because of it. If you become a good storyteller, it will completely
change your teaching and will dramatically affect the influence you have with your students.
Accessed on < http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2012/01/14/building-rapport-withstudents/>

III.

Developing Classroom Rules and Procedures (My classroom rule poster)

IV.

Classroom Layout (Graphic of Ideal Classroom Layout)

V.

Monitoring the Classroom and Responding to Student Misbehavior (Nonverbal Responses)

I can use this as a reminder of the various nonverbal actions I can make to try to initially address
misbehavior.

Nonverbal Low-Profile Responses to Misbehavior

Proximity to the
Student
-Walking near the student
-Standing right behind the
student
-Placing a hand on the desk or
chair of the student

Expressions and
Gestures

Eye Contact

-Use facial expressions such as -Simply make eye contact

disapproval, puzzled or
with student
confusion
-Make sure they know that
-Use gestures such as shaking you are aware of their
your head, or putting your
misbehavior
finger to your lips as if you are
shhh-ing them

VI.

Parents as Partners (Phone message script)

The following is a transcript of something I might say when leaving a voicemail to the
parents of a student, within the first two months of school.

Hello Mr. Schmoe, this is Colin Seebach, your son Joes science teacher. I am calling today to let you
know how impressed I was today with your son. Joe was not only engaged and providing interesting
insights during discussion, but he was also helping another student in his group with the abstract
concepts that we discussed today. I look forward to seeing what insights Joe provides in the future. If
you have any questions about anything, feel free to call me at 555-123-4567, or email me at
colin.seebach@bestschoolintheworld.edu, have a great night, thank you, bye.

-This is such a simple and quick thing that we can do as teachers that will not only make the parent(s)
smile, but it will also help to develop a partnership-like relationship between the teacher and the
parent(s)