Comprehensive Behavior Management Plan

Georgie Stephens November 15, 2010 EDU 362- Classroom Management

Multi- Level Behavior Analysis: Student behavior is a multidimensional topic. In order for teachers to understand and successfully work with all types of student behavior, teachers must consider each of these dimensions. Educators need to first acknowledge the impact a students personal background has on the students ability to behave in class. Then, teachers should design lessons and conduct themselves in an appropriate and meaningful manner since this also plays a major role in proper classroom management. As misbehavior occurs after teachers consider these factors, teachers must additionally recognize the effect that various approaches of discipline have on a childs developing self-concept. Student behavior depends most on whether or not the students basic needs are met. As soon as a child enters a classroom, it becomes the teachers responsibility to ensure that the child has these needs fulfilled, at least at school. Abraham Maslow introduced The Hierarchy of Needs Theory to explain human motivation and behavior. Essentially, Maslow proposed that humans have levels of needs. Before we can reach the next level, we must successfully meet all the needs the previous level requires. Maslow places self-actualization, or the ability to realize and utilize ones full potential at the top of the pyramid. But he suggests that we cannot become self-actualized until we meet our physiological, security, love and belonging, and esteem needs. Translated into a context for the classroom, students will not reach their full social and academic potential until they develop confidence and a positive self esteem. Students will not develop a positive self esteem if they do not feel loved and accepted. Students will only feel this sense of belonging if they feel safe and secure in their surroundings. This security will come after students eat, rest, bathe, have shelter, etc. In order for teachers to bring out each childs full potential in a productive, well-managed, caring classroom, teachers must meet as much of these needs as possible. We can provide snacks in our classroom and establish a physically and emotionally safe environment. We can constantly praise each student, and individually reiterate strengths and talents while we create a positive way to encourage improvement. Doing these things will construct the very necessary classroom community, and give each student something proud to belong to. Eventually, student confidence will build and self-actualization can ensue. In order for any type of lesson to occur successfully, teachers must first identify and meet these aforementioned human needs. Once teachers do this, they must also adjust their lesson plans and mannerisms to accommodate student interest. Students will be more

engaged, and thus less likely to disrupt, if teachers make lessons dynamic, meaningful and relevant to student life. John Dewey substantiates this idea with his theory that students should have the opportunity to participate in their own learning. Dewey maintained that in order for children to truly access their full potential, teachers must present material in such a way that students can relate it to previous experiences. Basically, Dewey advocated teaching academic skills in a way that accounted for the interests of the students. Classrooms that exemplify this idea would include an enthusiastic, dynamic, and patient teacher, who constantly reaches to understand the interests of her students. Teachers would refrain from simple and boring lecture and note-taking approaches, which can induce loss of attention span and potential behavior problems. Alternatively, teachers would seek to instill certain academic skills, but in a clever and interesting way. For example, instead of lecturing a class about the structure of a letter, teachers should follow another one Deweys ideas and use the classroom as a mechanism for social change. Teachers could address what they expect in a letter, but then allow students to define their own specific topic based on reforms they perceive their communities may need. The activity is structured and academic, but allows for student choice based on interest. They can then address their letters to a prominent community representative and the teacher can actually facilitate an activity or fundraiser to promote this change. This allows the student to find a personal relevancy for writing (a probable tedious skill to master), participate in their own education, and to feel like a productive citizen of their microcosm. The teacher also meets some of Maslows needs with this meaningful lesson, and instances of misbehavior will most likely decrease. Meeting needs and designing meaningful lesson plans and activities will certainly decrease instances of misbehavior, but it will never eliminate it. Students will always need some type of discipline. The way a teacher chooses to discipline will profoundly affect the continuation of this type of misbehavior. Social psychologist Diana Baumrind indentified three types of disciplinary styles. A permissive style will not correct the behavior and it will send the message that it is okay for the student to repeat the action in the future. Conversely, an overtly strict authoritative style is just as ineffective. All rules and no explanations will cause the student to either tune out the discipline because they anticipate the teachers harsh response, or possibly lead to the creation of a self-fulfilling prophecy. Sociologist Robert Merton cautioned against the development of self-fulfilling prophecies, or false self-perceptions that eventually become true. If a teacher constantly berates a student for being bad or a mess-up or uses any negative labels for discipline, a student

might incorporate these words into a self image. Then the student could potentially hide behind an excuse, well my teacher says Im bad, so Im bad. I misbehave because Im bad. In actuality, no student is bad and the teacher missed out on an opportunity to guide this student toward proper behavior. An authoritarian approach to discipline is detrimental to positive self-esteem (a need for self-actualization) and student growth. Baumrind believes the best style of discipline is an authoritative one. This style includes reasonable consequence, guidance, and explanation. Teachers who use this style turn misbehavior into a teaching moment. They firmly address the action and give the student a chance to correct it. Teachers bestow fair and logical consequences appropriate to the magnitude of the misbehavior. Authoritative teachers do not let the student get away with disruption, nor do they yell reactively. Rather, they are proactive and guide the student toward proper behavior. An authoritative teacher would identify the problem behavior, perhaps talking in class, and ask the student firmly and politely to stop. If the student continues, the teacher would appropriately let the student know that now he or she is not only disrespectful but insubordinate as well. The teacher would offer the student a choice and hope the student takes it. If the student doesnt, a consequence and later conversation should occur. It is never too late for students to learn from misbehavior, and it is the teachers responsibility to effectively facilitate this learning. Teachers need to take these multifaceted measures into consideration in the classroom. When used successfully, each core belief will contribute to a happier, healthier classroom environment.

Sources: Classroom Management Textbook http://www.iep.utm.edu/dewey/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Self-fulfilling_prophecy http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/discipline_styles

Physical Space of Classroom: Based on Pablo Freires Critical Pedagogy

Classroom will be vibrant and colorfully decorated. Decorations will reflect classroom expectations, lessons from the current unit, motivational posters, etc. Student work and achievement will be hung on the walls to foster a positive self esteem

Filing Cabinet and Teacher Supplies

Chalkboard Filing Cabinet

Bulletin Board

Teacher Desk

Overhead Projector

Bulletin Board

Textbooks and Instructional Supplies Cubbies/Storage Bean bag Reading Area Bookcase

Ms. Stephens Fifth Grade Beginning of the Year Packet

Homework Philosophy: I believe meaningful assignments are necessary to reinforce the concepts we learn in class, so I will assign brief homework regularly throughout the week. However, I will never expect my students to complete busy work. I do not believe busy work does anything to help a student learn successfully. All homework assignments will be relevantly connected to the days lesson and emphasize academics as well as social skills and work study habits. In addition to brief daily homework activities, I will give students one more involved assignment on Monday. This assignment will always be due Friday. My goal is for students to learn effective planning and time management. I will always check for complete homework that reflects good effort first and then we will correct it in class. If it doesnt meet excellent standards, students should prepare themselves to redo it until it does. Although I expect homework to be mostly correct, I will never penalize a hardworking student with a wrong answer as long as I can tell the student put in substantial effort. I wont accept just anything scribbled and handed in, however. I can always differentiate between the two. Students will correct wrong answers during the period of time allocated for going over homework, then hand in the assignment for a final grade. I will always return homework promptly because I want my students to have a constant understanding of their strengths as well as an idea of what areas may need improvement. I want my students to find their full potential and develop a positive self esteem and solid work ethic. I hope to teach my students to have high expectations for themselves and their abilities., and to take pride in their excellent work. I want them to realize it is alright to make some mistakes, as long as they fix the mistake and learn from it. It doesnt need to be perfect, it just needs to be their personal best! Homework Expectations: I have very high expectations for my students homework 1. Students must have neat, legible work 2. Students must complete all of the assignment 3. The assignment should be as correct as possible
a. b. 4. I am always available to answer any questions a student may have and I offer a daily after school homework club for any interested students I will reward students for effort. If an answer isnt correct, but I can tell they tried very hard, I will award some points for effort. The student will still be responsible for correcting the answer (see below) Unless they talk to me about it in advance I am firm with this policy, but flexible and understanding to extenuating circumstances

Students must hand in all homework punctually

a. b.

5.

Students need to be prepared to redo homework if it doesnt meet excellent standards

a. No complaining!

Grading Policy: Daily assignments are worth ten points and the one weekly assignment is worth twenty points. I will grade based on neatness, completion of the entire assignment, effort, eventual correctness, and punctuality. I do expect that most of the assignment is correct, but I will give students the chance in class to redo assignments until they exceed standards for excellence. I will deduct points for sloppy or missing work without prior notification and for incorrect answers if the student work does not reflect any sign of effort when I first check it, or if the student refuses to redo the assignment. After we correct homework, I will collect it from students everyday for a final grade. I will return it the next day in their homework folder.

Rules: I have one major rule in this classroom:

If we are respectful we. 1. Keep our hands and feet to ourselves 2. Raise our hands to speak and follow all directions 3. Use positive language to reinforce a positive attitude 4. Pay attention at all times and stay in our seat when were supposed to 5. Do things the first time they are asked of us 6. Dont backtalk, complain, or insult 7. Dont touch things that dont belong to us and keep our space clean 8. Wait for our turn patiently 9. Mind our manners 10. Embrace each others differences and promote equality Can you think of anything else? Let me know! Consequences: Hopefully we wont need many consequences in this class, but if for some reason we arent being respectful at all times, I will give consequences in this order 1. Warning and a choice to fix behavior 2. Removal of distraction a. Take away particular object b. Change in seat 3. After school or lunch detention 4. Parent/Teacher/Student conference a. We will establish a Student Behavior Plan Severe Clause: This order of consequences goes out the window IMMEDIATELY if a student threatens or endangers another student. Excessive backtalk or unreasonable disruptions will also quicken the process to a Parent/Teacher/Student conference. Rewards: I will assign POWER points everyday. Each letter of the word POWER stands for a potential point students may receive. Every morning I will check to see that students are Prepared for class with their agenda book, homework, pencils, paper, etc. (If there is a valid extenuating circumstance for why students cannot be prepared, talk to me). I will check to see that students backpack, cubby, desk, and folders are Organized. After I assign homework, I will check to see that students Write it down in their agenda book. I will give an E for Excellence if students homework exceeds the standards, or if students redo without complaints. I will also give out Es if I see students working hard and being respectful throughout the day. At the end of the week, I will give Rs to the students who have been reaching for their goals. This includes noted grade improvements, asking for extra credit, or staying after school for Homework Club. The Golden Scholars, or students with a total of 20-25 power points at the end of the week will receive a treat of their choice (like pizza party, ice cream, etc.) Everyone has a chance to be POWERful! I understand these rules, consequences, and rewards and will constantly strive to be POWERful everyday (Ms. Stephens is keeping a copy of this!) ______________________________________________
Student Signature

____________________________
Date

Routines and Procedures: Every morning, students will enter the classroom quietly and be in their seat BEFORE the bell rings! Tardy students have to get a pass from the office to be admitted to class. A tardy student will enter the classroom quietly and without disruption and keep the pass at his or her seat until I come around to give POWER points. I will collect the pass then. Students will keep backpacks and folders open and ready for me to check! I also need to make sure students have their homework, pencil, paper, and anything else I may have specifically asked to bring that day. Then students should look at the board for our warm-up and complete it while I come around to give the mornings POWER points. Students will wait patiently in their seats while everyone gets their points. If I have an announcement to make of any kind, I will use my attention signal. I will raise my hand and call for Hands Up! This means students stop what theyre doing, turn around and listen attentively to my announcement! I promise it will be important! If a student is absent the day before, he or she must retrieve missing assignments with his or her name on them from the absent folder. Students should wait until after class or during recess to do this they should never interrupt class time! Students need to look over the assignment before they leave for the day and ask me any questions they may have. I am always happy to help! If a student needs to leave his or her seat to do something inside the classroom, they must wait for an appropriate time. Students will not interrupt a lesson to do this. They may go to their cubby, get supplies, or sharpen a pencil only during group work. Keep it brief! Students can only be out of your seat for twenty seconds and I dont want to hear the pencil sharpener for more than five. If students are getting supplies for group work, they shouldnt take more than they can carry. They will use both hands and walk slowly! If a student needs to leave his or her seat to use the bathroom, see a nurse, or do anything outside the classroom, they may raise their hands and ask permission only if it is a true emergency. Students should never call out. I will see the hand and address the issue. Students must then sign out in the log by the door and take the appropriate pass (health room, bathroom, office, counselor, etc.) Bathroom breaks are only five minutes! Students must bring a signed pass back from any other destination. All class work and homework assignments must be excellent! Students know what this means! Students can see previous homework sheet if they need a reminder! Basically, students will always hand in neat, mostly correct work. They will make sure that they spent enough time and put in enough effort! It doesnt need to be perfect, but it needs to be their best! Anything a student hands in to me must have student name, date, and my name written in the top right corner. Students will write the title of assignment in the top center. After we check homework, students will pass their paper to the person sitting to their right. If we are doing group work, students may raise their hand and I will come check and collect it.

Sometimes I will have pre-assigned groups for certain activities and sometimes we may play a quick game to break into groups. Whatever the case is for the certain activity, students will wait until I give all instructions to move! Students will never move while Im speaking! Once in groups, students should try to figure out the assignment first with their peers. If they are really stuck, then they may raise their hand and I will come help. Students should remember to always practice respect! If there is a serious problem with another group member, students need to come get me! Students must remember to use positive language and to keep their hands to themselves. If we are working on an assignment independently, students should try their hardest to figure it out. If they still need help, they should just raise their hand quietly and wait patiently for me to come to them. Students should never get out of their seat, I always see and will always come to the student. As students finish their work, they may either get a head start on that nights homework if they already have it, work on some extra credit (I always have some!), write in their journals, or quietly make their way over to the reading area for silent reading. For any transition, I will get everyones attention with Hands Up! once I see the whole class has finished the assignment. Students must remember to pay attention and follow all of my directions so they know where to go and what to do! I will give out a morning snack every day. Each day I will need two new people to help pass out snack. Once students are finished with their snack, they should carefully throw all their trash away in the trashcan. They should make sure their area is spotless! They may then quietly get water from the cooler in the back of the room. About ten minutes before the end of the day, I will call for Hands Up! This means it is time to go home! Students should stop what they are doing and return to their seat if they are not already there. They will clean and organize their area so it is ready for tomorrow. Students will put their chair up on the desk and sweep up their space with the broom if it is necessary. They will stand by their desk until everyone has finished. I will then call on the quietest students with the cleanest spaces to get their coats and backpacks and line up at the door. When we need to leave the classroom during the day, we will follow the same procedure, we just wont put our chairs up. Instead, we will push them in. Students will treat any visitor to the room with respect. Sometimes, I will ask students to introduce themselves. If I do, greet the visitor with Hello, my name is If I dont ask for this, students should just continue the usual activity, but they should remember that there is someone in the room! For fire drills and all other emergencies, students will stop their activity immediately and walk purposefully, but dont run, to the door. Once students form a straight line, I will take attendance quickly to make sure we have everyone. I need to be able to hear announcements from other teachers, and we all have to stay safe, so it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT that all students remain SILENT during safety drills. I know if we can follow these procedures, we will have a fantastic year together!

Focus on what it means to be a productive community citizen. Students will take active roles in their education and design some of their own community service projects. Lessons and activities will require full student participation and reinforce academic as well as social skills while connecting meaningfully to everyday life. In Language Arts and Reading: o We will analyze, write, and perform poetry in a poetry slam o We will interpret and perform famous Civil Right Speeches o We will discuss issues in our communities that require change o We write formal letters to government officials requesting this change o We will practice the art of pubic speaking o We will listen to a presentation from a Civil Rights Movement guest speaker o We will keep our own journals to develop our writing skills In Social Studies: o We will learn about the events leading up to the Civil Rights Movement o We will learn about significant Civil Rights Leaders o We will hold class discussions and learn how to respectfully debate, challenge, and disagree o We will go on a field trip to the Lincoln Memorial to understand its significance in the Civil Rights Movement o We will visit various museums to learn about other world cultures as well In Science: o We will take field trips to the National Zoo, Baltimore Aquarium, Anacostia River, Potomac River, and Natural History Museum to study the affect pollution has on animals and people in their natural environments. o We will compare our data from different riverbeds and discuss various social justice implications. o We will use our observation and analytical skills answer questions like, why is one area more polluted than the other? o We will design and carry out our own environmental clean up, beautification and prevention program o We will plant and tend to our own garden In Math: o We will practice our measuring skills to bake cookies o We will practice our accounting skills as we sell these cookies at a fundraiser In Art: o We will use different mediums to design decorations for our various events and fundraisers!

We will also have various family game nights, student productions, and a end-of-the-year potluck dinner celebration. Bring your familys special dish! More details to come!

Dear (individual student name), Welcome to your fifth grade year! This is a very important year for you! You are now among the leaders of your school! There are four grades full of younger students who will look up to you this entire year so you will need to always be respectful and set a great example. But with this new role of leadership comes new responsibilities. You will have to work hard this year, but it will all be worth it in the end, I promise! When you leave this classroom, you will have developed new academic knowledge, social skills, and work study habits to better prepare you for middle school and beyond! I expect nothing less than your best at all times and I will always be available for help or anything else when you need it. I have high standards for you, and I am extremely confident that you are more than capable of exceeding all of them. We have a lot of fun and exciting events and trips planned this year. We will visit the National Zoo, Baltimore Aquarium, Anacostia and Potomac Riverbeds, and various museums. We will also plan and perform at a poetry slam, write in journals, bake and sell cookies, and come up with our own community service projects. We will have an end of the year celebration as well. I am looking forward to an excellent year this year. We have a lot to learn and I cannot wait to get started!

Always, Ms. Stephens

Dear (individual parent/guardian name), I would love to welcome you and your child to fifth grade! This is a very exciting year for your student. As the leader of the school, your student will have to meet some very high expectations. I am absolutely confident that this will not be a problem. This years class already seems to be bright and promising! We will focus on citizenship for most of the year. Your student will engage in community service projects, social justice inquires, and field trips to further enrich their academic and social experience. It is my steadfast goal to ensure that upon graduation from my class, your student will have the academic knowledge, social skills, and study habits to succeed in middle school and beyond. Your student will need to work very hard to achieve this, but if the three of us work closely together, we can most certainly accomplish it. Parental involvement is among the most critical component to student success. I am fully committed to serving you and your student and I will make it my priority to ensure that your students needs are met. I am always available for conferences, phone calls, classroom visits, and whatever else you may need to feel comfortable this year. I will send home frequent progress reports and I ask that you sign and return them so we can all be on the same page when it comes to the success of your student. I ask that students come to class prepared with pencils, paper, a marble composition journal, and a backpack. I will provide any other supplies as we may need them. I will also distribute agenda books on the first day of class. Organization and planning are very important to your students achievement. Please insist that they write their homework down everyday. I will also check for this in the morning. I would like to implement the POWER incentive system in my class this year. Each letter of the word POWER stands for a potential point your student may receive. Every morning I will check to see that your student is Prepared for class with your agenda book, homework, pencils, paper, etc. (If there is a valid extenuating circumstance for why you cannot be prepared, talk to me). I will check to see that your students backpack, cubby, desk, and folders are Organized. After I assign homework, I will check to see that your student Writes it down in the agenda book. I will give an E for Excellence if your students

homework exceeds the standards, or if your student redoes without complaints. I will also give out Es if I see your student working hard and being respectful throughout the day. At the end of the week, I will give Rs to the students who have been reaching for their goals. This includes noted grade improvements, asking for extra credit, or staying after school for Homework Club. The Golden Scholars, or students with a total of 20-25 power points at the end of the week will receive a treat of their choice (like pizza party, ice cream, etc.) Everyone has a chance to be POWERful! If you have any questions, suggestions, or concerns, please feel free to contact me. If you have a preferred method or incentive, please let me know as well. I have very high expectations for homework. I believe meaningful assignments are necessary to reinforce the concepts we learn in class, so I will assign brief homework regularly throughout the week. However, I will never expect my students to complete busy work. I do not believe busy work does anything to help a student learn successfully. All homework assignments will be relevantly connected to the days lesson and emphasize academics as well as social skills and work study habits. In addition to brief daily homework activities, I will give students one more involved assignment on Monday. This assignment will always be due Friday. My goal is for students to learn effective planning and time management. I will always check for complete homework that reflects good effort first and then we will correct it in class. If it doesnt meet excellent standards, students should prepare themselves to redo it until it does. Although I expect homework to be mostly correct, I will never penalize a hardworking student with a wrong answer as long as I can tell the student put in substantial effort. I wont accept just anything scribbled and handed in, however. I can always differentiate between the two. Students will correct wrong answers during the period of time allocated for going over homework, then hand in the assignment for a final grade. I will always return homework promptly because I want my students to have a constant understanding of their strengths as well as an idea of what areas may need improvement. I want my students to find their full potential and develop a positive self esteem and solid work ethic. I hope to teach my students to have high expectations for themselves and their abilities., and to take pride in their excellent work. I want them to realize it is alright to make some mistakes, as long as they fix the mistake and learn from it. It doesnt need to be perfect, it just needs to be their personal best! Daily assignments are worth ten points and the one weekly assignment is worth twenty points. I will grade based on neatness, completion of the entire assignment, effort,

eventual correctness, and punctuality. I do expect that most of the assignment is correct, but I will give students the chance in class to redo assignments until they exceed standards for excellence. I will deduct points for sloppy or missing work without prior notification and for incorrect answers if the student work does not reflect any sign of effort when I first check it, or if the student refuses to redo the assignment. After we correct homework, I will collect it from students everyday for a final grade. I will return it the next day in their homework folder. Please let me know if there are extenuating circumstances that bar your student from completing exceptional homework and promptly handing it in. I am flexible and willing to accommodate for valid reasons, I just need to hear it from you. Additionally, I run Homework Club everyday after school if your student would like help on homework. I also would like you to be aware of my consequence system. I expect my students to be respectful at all times. Respect is the one rule I will continuously emphasize. I believe that if we are respectful, procedures like hand raising and keeping our spaces clean will come naturally. If for some reason a student is disrespectful, I will give a warning and a chance for the student to correct the behavior. If it continues, I will remove the distraction or perhaps change a seat. I might also assign after school or lunch detention. Constant misbehavior will result in a parent/teacher/student conference where the three of us may establish a behavior plan. The only reason I will not go through this order of consequences is if a student threatens or endangers another student. I really dont anticipate that happening, however. We will have many classroom events this year. I truly hope you can attend them! Your student will participate in poetry readings, oral presentations, fundraisers, and field trips. I will also try to hold monthly family game nights to encourage bonding with the school. I will send home more details as these dates approach. I keep direct and open communication with all my students parents and guardians. If you have any questions, concerns, suggestions, or comments, I am open to anything and everything. You may reach me by school phone, email, or my cell phone. I truly look forward to collaborating with you and your student and I cant wait to start a fun and productive year! Always, Ms. Georgina Stephens

Please detach and sign and date the portion below so I know you are aware of the polices, expectations, and rewards. Please return this section with your student during the first week of school so I may keep a copy in your students file. ________________________________________
Parent/ Guardian Signature

____________________________________
Date