Classroom Management Action Plan | Example
Classroom Management
Introduction
Classroom management is a term that refers to the techniques and skills that teachers use to keep students organized, focused, on task, orderly, attentive, and academic productive, during class. When teachers implement the classroom management strategies effectively, they minimize the behaviors that obstruct learning for both individual students and group of students while maximizing behaviors that enhance or facilitate learning. A lack of classroom management is also a major factor that makes teachers leave their profession within their first year. I am facing some challenges with the students that I teach. I have developed an appropriate solution and action plan that I would follow to achieve it. I have learnt several things from my research that would help me in my future classroom management.
PROBLEM: CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
As a primary school teacher who is on placement, am faced with several issues regarding disorderly and disruptive behavior from my student such as talking, getting up from their chairs to walk to other students desks without permission, disobedience, aggressive behavior and refusal to finish assigned task or school work. My inability to control their behavior them has led to my lack of teaching them properly as required. The first reason for this issue is that this is because of my inexperience since this is my first role with a school setting of dealing with different children. Secondly, it is due to an underprivileged family background that most of the children come from. For example, some of them are from single parent family, other are living in extreme poverty conditions, and some parents are not concerned with their children education. Lastly, this is because of the different student’s ability to grasp information, For example lack of attention.
EVALUATION RELATED TO MY SOLUTION
To solve the above problems, I have realized that I need to implement a classroom management component. This is because the environment in which the students learn in is very important, and can create a learning atmosphere. Secondly, my behavior towards the students, how I interact and treat them is a concern on how they would act. I would develop a level of dominance in the class, through body language in a different situation, eye contact with the students, for example, when affirming an action to them. In addition, I should develop a positive attitude towards the students in my class, encouraging them to participate in class activities, treating all students fairly and equally.
The other important thing is to express my expectations from them. For example, how they should act in class, at the beginning of the lesson I clearly tell them what I expect from them at the end of the lesson. In addition, how they should relate to one another and ultimately make agreements with them on different issues in class that they should do and not do. We agree with them the repercussions when they do not follow the agreements we have set together. I would prepare different learning skills and lessons to be able to incorporate the student’s interest instead of relying only on my scheme of work. I would also get involved with what the students go through outside the class. This would include learning more about their homes, if they are in need, are they from divided homes, language barriers between them and me, and lastly handle students with special needs carefully.
ACTION PLAN
Room Arrangement
When the students enter the class, they are hit with exciting colors on the walls, with windows lighting reflecting on the different things on the wall, as they walk to their big circle table. They can look at their colleagues as they are facing each other. When they look at the wall they see arts, maps, famous people, and student work all portrayed in different posters that are colorful around the class. No work is in white paint. From my desk that is also in the circle, I will start the lesson. The students will get out their books and colorful pens to note today’s lesson. I believe the classroom set up would have a significant effect on the student and the environment would make them think discuss, and reflect on the lesson. The set up would help me walk around the class and look at what they are doing and their sitting arrangement will make them be able to interact with one another making room for discussions. The student work on the wall will help them feel part of the class. Classroom Rules
The best rule I would have will be a class is a place of learning, and we should all respect each other. If I respect them and they respect each other and me, I believe this would create a safe environment for learning. I would allow the students to eat and drink in class as long as they dispose of their waste correctly. However, I will notify them from the beginning that the privilege withdrawal things get out of control. I would create a class constitution if the behavior of the students were inconsistent. I will involve the students in making the rules, and allow them to discuss which ones to be in the constitution. I believe that involving them would make it a must for them to obey, and they will not fight back on the consequences of not obeying. I would make them write the final copy and hang it in class. To add on I would give them a copy to take to their parents to read, sign, and then return to school. This would help make the parents involved in what we are trying to do in class. In addition, I will be giving the students a newsletter monthly to take to their parents describing what we are doing in class. I believe involving the parents in their children schoolwork will make them support their children at home with any issue arising.
I also want to create an environment whereby there is a good student teacher relationship with my class. This is so because my students are from different backgrounds, and want to create an atmosphere where they feel they are equal to each other by the way I treat them. I do not want to assume their capability in education by the way they look or act. I do not want their background difference to affect communication in class. I believe this is the foundation of most behavioral problems begin. Therefore, I would like to create an environment whereby I accept by students as unique people with different cultures that I can relate, respect, and like them. In addition, be able to communicate and listen to them. I want my student to be able to relate their life experiences in our class exercises, teaching them to appreciate and celebrate cultural differences. I want to have an open forum class meetings whereby we discuss what is working or not for us in class. In addition, then implement the suggestions and ideas we have discussed. Am interested in finding out what the students are thinking of, and converting the environment to their liking as much as possible. This would make the student feel part and in control of their learning. In the case of a consistent misbehavior, I would ask the student to meet me after class. I would start by praising him on what he is doing well in class and explain to him how his behavior is interfering with the class. In addition, I would advise them on what to do to stop the behavior. In a class if they persist I would isolate them to seat alone at the back, if they persist I would call their parents to come to school and then we discuss the three of us. I believe in involving the parents in disciplining the child but disagreeing with sending the students at home. Class Procedures
I want to develop consistency with the procedures I use in class. For example, I will be putting the class program on the blackboard for them to copy when they come to class, use assignments sometimes to engage them in their writing skills. In addition, I will use interactive notebooks for them to do all their homework and class work in them. I would staple loose assignments to the notebooks this would help them when revising for exams. I would them stamp every student book that has done the homework. I would then collect the books after every two weeks to grade them. The stamping is to make the students finish the assignment before the two weeks. The stamping is just a motivation for them to do the homework on time before the grading day. I will assist those who are not understanding with the home and class work. I will also grade their class participation in class. This would make them participate in various class activities. Encouraging all students
Bill Rogers has different techniques on classroom management starting with preventing to positive management and ending with consequences. This is a very humane and logical approach to handling students. He gives strategies that teachers can use to work with the students for both of them control how the student’s behavior, instead of a teacher being authoritative, strict, and disciplinarian. Rogers’s first plan shows techniques to use to prevent problems dealing with discipline. Secondly, he distinguishes responsibilities from rights claiming that they need to balance. Under the rights, Rogers’s majors on how the students have a right to learn, feel safe, respected, and handled with dignity. I believe at the beginning of the term students be told their rights and explained to what they should do to have them. It is significant vital for the students to feel emotionally and physically safe for a good learning atmosphere to be established. Teachers should emphasize on how they treat each other, with full of respect and no calling each other names.
Still at the establishment stage, he emphasizes on teachers consistent in establishing rules for the class. I agree with the rule because it would create accountability for the student concerned. However, if the problem persists force should be used to correct the child. Establishing attention is a preventive technique. Teachers should not speak over the noise. I agree because there is a particular place in class where I stand and the students keep quiet.
Rogers talk about positive correction as a way to view the correction. His emphasis on address what a student should do instead of majoring on the problem. He should just state it and leave to give the student the right to choose to control their behaviors and not doing things just to please the teacher or other students. This has helped because when I find a student out of line, I tell them to stop and walk away, giving the student room to correct the mistake. Rogers’s deals with consequences by assisting the student find a connection between outcome and behavior. He insists that the consequence should be reasonable and related. I agree with the point because it gives the students a chance to decide about their own behavior. This would strengthen the teacher student relationship because the student feel fairly treated per the mistake done.
Conclusion
I have learnt that classroom management is a key component in any educational setting. I will use it to create a good environment for learning and to make my student feel safe participating. It does not mean punishing the behavior, but it involves setting up the right tone in class, preventing bad behaviors and encouraging a good relationship with the students, while encouraging them to do well and setting high expectations for them. I believe it is possible to create the environment that would limit the behavior problems from the start in my classroom.
References
Marzano, R. J., Marzano, J. S., & Pickering, D. (2003). Classroom management that works research-based strategies for every teacher. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Whitaker, T. (2003). What great principals do differently: fifteen things that matter most. Larchmont, N.Y.: Eye on Education.
Canter, L., & Canter, M. (2001). Assertive discipline: positive behavior management for today’s classroom (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Canter & Associates.
Abu Nemrah, M. (2006). Classroom Management and Organization. 2nd Edition. Amman: Dar Yafa.
