Lindsey Holthaus

EDC323
Final Management Plan

Philosophy of Management

In order to achieve successful educational experiences, it is vital to have a well managed

classroom with methods that will steer the students in the correct direction. My philosophy aligns

with Dreikurs and Glassers Teacher Behavior Continuum. First, I believe that it all starts with

the teacher. The students view the teacher as a role model and the majority will follow what s/he

does. It is crucial for the teacher to be optimistic. There is a mutual respect for every one that

enters the classroom. The students need to be motivated by their teacher and pick up on any

attitude that might reflect disappointment or discouragement. Glasser places an emphasis on the

teacher setting an example. I think that this is so important whether it is an example of how to

walk in the hall or how to respect each other. The teacher should also establish a community that

helps each other, rather than competing against each other.

I think that the students and teacher should work together to a common goal of the way

that the classroom environment should feel. The students should encourage each other and

genuinely want one another to succeed. The students should collaborate together with the teacher

to establish rules for the school year. The students lead the discussion so that the students feel

responsible to follow these guidelines.

I will use Dreikurs consequence strategy of natural and logical outcomes to actions.

Students are not to be rewarded with concrete prizes and are encouraged to make good choices

because of natural consequences such as they are nice to a classmate so they become friends.
Logical consequences come into play when they are hinderred from learning or hurting another

student.

I believe that a very important part of creating and maintaining a well managed classroom

is that the students should be aware of the expectations. The students should start out the year

knowing what is expected of them. They should be aware of the way they need to act as well as

the consequences that will follow misbehavior. Learning should be fun and in order to make that

happen a well managed classroom is crucial.

A. Creating an Environment of Rapport and Respect

Primarily, I want to create a positive, welcoming, and supportive classroom environment

in which my students can call a second home. I wish for them to feel that they can approach me

with any problem, small to large, without the fear of being judged or embarrassed. I can achieve

this in many ways. First, I will establish a classroom based around helping each other, rather than

competing to have the best grades. Each student or faculty member that enters my classroom will

have one goal; to help someone. By doing this, failure can be diminished from the room. In order

to seem approachable to my students, I will share my personal life with them. I can open up and

tell them about my life outside of school so that they can get a better understanding and

connection to/of me. I also want to have the parents of my students very involved. I intend on

going on home visits before the school year in order to get an understanding of the childs

upbringing, home life, and culture. I can also schedule parent teacher conferences to discuss the

positive impact their child has on my classroom. I want to create volunteer opportunities for the

parents to come into the classroom and help with their childs education through center time or

other activities. This helps children realize that their parents value their education. An
environment of respect and rapport is an important foundation for success. This success is

achieved through my interaction with students as well as student interactions with one another.
a. Teacher Interaction with Students-
In order to build rapport between me and my students, I will invite two students every Friday to

eat lunch with me in the classroom. This will give them more personal time to talk about things

outside of educational topics. I also want my students to feel comfortable with inviting me to

their extracurricular activities, such as sports games or a play that they are acting in. This gives

me a chance to socialize with the parents and show my support for every aspect of my students

lives. Every week I plan on passing out a paper slip that says I wish my teacher knew ___.

These will be private and not shared with any other students. This presents my students with a

chance to privately tell me something personal or just something that will help me get to know

them. I think it is important that the students are greeted at the door every morning with a smile

and a high-five. Not only does this have a positive impact on my students, but it also gives me a

chance to see the mood that the children are in before they even enter my classroom. Also, it

creates a warm and welcoming environment. Lastly, I want to leave little love notes for my

students every once in a while. I would keep track of who I have given them to so that I do not

skip over any students. These love notes will consist of encouraging words to brighten their day

and to let them know that someone cares about them.

b. Student Interactions with one another-
With the goal of building respect and rapport among the students, I have thought of many

activities that will help them grow closer as a class. First, I will assign one star of the week each

week. They will be invited to bring a brown bag biography, a lunch bag filled with things that

teach us about that student. I also want to start each week off with a community circle question. I

would present a question to my students about a lesson we have recently learned or a simple

question about their weekend. Each student gets a chance to answer the question in front of their
classmates. I think that this gives the students a chance to learn more about each other and what

they do outside of school. Next, I will put up a mood of the day chart. It will have a sad, happy,

crying, excited, and nervous category. When the students come into my classroom, they will

move their clip to correspond with their mood. This lets the students know how each others days

are going and opens up an opportunity to make someone feel better. My fourth idea is to have a

fill the bucket jar. Every time students give a nice compliment to another student and is

overheard by the teacher, a small pom-pom is added to the jar. Once the jar is full, the class can

have a party. This motivates my students to have positive relationships with each other. Lastly,

we will create a list of rules for our classroom that will include guidelines for how to treat each

other. Each student will sign it, like a contract, so they are motivated to following the rules.
B. Establishing a Culture for Learning
Once the students in my classroom are comfortable in the environment, a culture for learning

needs to be created. With the goal of each student being interested and motivated in their
Based on my practicum experience in a third grade classroom, I would make the following changes.

When discussing the relationship between the teacher and students, I wanted to clarify that the teacher

needs to stay professional when sharing about her personal life. I think that there is a fine line of what the

students need to know about the teacher and things that should stay out of the classroom. Secondly, I

would not require students to share their answer to the community circle question because I do not

want the students to have anxiety about this part of their day; it should be something fun for them to

participate in if they choose to do so. Lastly, I think that most important part of creating an environment

of rapport and respect is all day, every day observation of the students. The teacher needs to always be

aware and alert of the students; how they feel and act. Once the teacher gets to know the students, she

can pick out a student that is not acting the same as usual. The teacher can build strong relationships with

students when she notices this and privately addresses the situation.
education, I need to convey the importance of the content and how they will use it in their

everyday lives as well as the future. When students understand that hard work leads to future

success, they have a newfound level of motivation in the classroom. My classroom will be a

place where education is valued by the teachers and the students alike.
a. Importance of the Content
With the goal of showing my students the importance of the content, I will relate the material to

real life experiences and show how they can use it in the future. I think that this will motivate my

students to learn the material because it will be applied to their lives in the future. I also want to

instill the mentality that hard work leads to success. It is important for my students to understand

that they cannot coast through my class or life. When they realize that their hard work leads to

success, they will put in 110%. Also, I would center my classroom and lessons around the

importance of standards. The standards that have been established for each grade and subject

have been put in place to strengthen the students education. These lessons should also have a

distinguished learning target. The learning target is the objective of the material I am teaching

and the reason for teaching it. My fourth idea is to have speakers all throughout the year to

discuss their careers with the students. I would like to have adults that were raised in the same

area or under similar conditions to my students so that they understand that it is possible for them

to succeed and that each step along the way is important. Lastly, I would also like to have service

projects that relate to the current lesson or material we are learning. The students could use the

knowledge that they recently learned to help others. An example of this could be learning about

pollution in the environment and going out into the community or around the school grounds and

picking up trash to help the Earth.

b. Expectations for Learning and Achievement
It is important that my students clearly understand the expectations I have for their learning as

well as achievement. I will have different expectations for each student, depending on their
education level, but I will ask that each student pushes themselves beyond their comfort zone. I

also want to hang a poster that my classroom is centered around which reads Mistakes mean

you are trying. This will ensure my students that it is okay to make a mistake and to not be

embarrassed of it. Also, I would utilize the CHAMPS expectations. For each task, students would

be told the conversation level they should be using (silent, partner talk, or table talk), how to ask

for help (raise your hand, ask your partner, come see me), what type of an activity they are doing

(independent work, class discussion, or partner and groups), the movements they should be using

(stay in your seat, move with permission, free to move around the room), and how they should

participate (answer questions when called on, focused on assignment, or everyone shares ideas).

For my fourth idea, I would use I can statements. The students will be aware of the

expectations that they will be held to during certain subjects. An example for math would be I

can work accurately, I can explain answers, I can use math tools correctly, and I can work

cooperatively. Lastly, I will meet with each student at the beginning of the school year and after

Christmas break to make short and long term goals, personalized just for them. Students can post

them on the bulletin board once their goal is completed. They should be proud of their

accomplishments and I want them to know that I am also proud.

c. Student Pride in Work
Students should be confident in everything they do and be proud of their hard work. In order to

help them achieve this, I will encourage the top three best journal entry writers to read their

accomplished piece aloud to the class. This gives them a chance to show off all of their hard

work! I will also have a board for tests the receive a 100%. This too gives them a chance to show

how great they did. I also want to utilize Classroom DOJO. Once the students earn a certain

amount of points, they will be treated with a prize. This could include ice cream at lunch, picking

something from the treasure box, and more. My fourth idea would be to have an awards banquet
where students can invite their parents to show them all of the hard work they have done. The

students can perform a song or a play that teaches their parents about a recent lesson they just

covered. Lastly, I want to have a place that students can hang up their treasured works. This lets

the students that do not get 100%s a chance to show of their work if they think they did a good

job.

C. Managing Classroom Procedures

Established classroom procedures are necessary for a teacher to run a well functioning

classroom. Instructional groups should be utilized and monitored effectively, transitions should

be smooth without disrupting or hindering instruction, materials and supplies should be managed

in a way that it does not impact learning, and non-instructional duties should be accounted for in

order to aid in the effectiveness of the way that the classroom is ran. The ultimate goal is for

there to be little to no loss of instruction time due to my classroom procedures. The classroom

Throughout my practicum experience, I have seen many of these ideas in action. I think that it is

important for students to learn in an environment that has importance, expectations, and pride. I

would not change anything in this section.

will be able to run smoothly on its own once all students have learned how to efficiently carry

out the routines set in place by the teacher.

a. Management of Instructional Groups
Instructional groups can be very helpful for students because it is a different way of learning and

allows them to learn how to work as a group. If these groups are not managed correctly, it could

be seen as time to socialize from the students point of view. I would like my students to know

learn how to work in groups, partners, and centers during their time in my classroom.

Instructional small groups will be determined by the colored dot with a number placed on each

students desk (yellow, green, pink, or orange). Each student at the table of four will have
different colors with the same number on it. There will be colored bins that correspond to each

group so that they students know which table to meet at. The number on their dot determines the

job that they have in their group: number one is the recorder who has the job of writing, two is

the reporter and speaks on the groups behalf, three is the leader who makes sure that everyone is

on task, and four is the communicator who stays in touch with the teacher. The students have

assigned jobs so that they will be productively engaged in their group and the work is dispersed

among each student. The groups can be easily reassigned using this method by reassigned

colored dots. Students will stay on task and know the allotted amount of time by the timing

device shown on the projector for all students to see. These groups could be used in tasks such as

Think, Pair, Share, Round Robin, or Centers. Centers are are great way for students to learn in a

fun way for every age. Studies have shown that students learn in all different types of ways from

kinesthetic to visually. Centers can be created that help each student learn in the way that the

prefer. I would also like to utilize partners in my classroom. A great way to do this is by asking

students to match with their shoulder partners to quickly discuss something, share an opinion, or

review before a quiz. Students will have a variety of partners or group members which will teach

them how to work with different personality types or work ethics.

b. Management of Transitions
Smooth and quiet transitions are important in order for instruction time to be maximized.

Students can be quickly silenced with attention grabbers such as call and response clapping,

Class, class replied with yes, yes, all set replied with you bet, and many more. I will

encourage the students to pick out which they want to use so that it is fun for them. The dot

system described in section C.a. is used for smooth transition from large group to small group

work. Students will be CHAMPed so that they know the expectations during transitions and

DOJO points will be rewarded to those that quietly follow the procedures. Hand signals will be
assigned for specific actions that the students may request to do such as use the restroom, get a

drink of water, or sharpen their pencil. These quiet hand signals will not disrupt the class and I

can answer with a simple yes or no without taking time away from instruction. After students are

granted permission to use the restroom, they will sign out on a sheet and carry the gender labeled

sanitizer bottle as a hall pass. While transitioning in the hallway to another location, I will

secretly choose one student to watch. No one will know who the student is except for me. If this

student behaves him/herself, s/he will be rewarded with a DOJO point. By using these described

procedures, my students will quietly and smoothly transition among different tasks or places

while maximizing instruction time.

c. Management of Materials and Supplies
The management of materials and supplies is also an important aspect to maximizing teaching

time. Students will play a large part in this as they will have assigned classroom jobs. They can

be light switcher, trash collector, chair monitor, door holder, line leader, table cleaner, pencil

sharpener, and more. Students will have these jobs for an extended amount of time so that there

is no confusion in what they should do and they will constantly be efficient in their role. There

will be extra pieces of paper and sharpened pencils in ach table bin. Students will use DOJO to

check in for attendance so that I can be preparing for the day or lesson. Folders, notebooks, and

turn in bins will be color coded according to subject. This will allow for organization which will

leave for no room for question that may take time from instruction. Students will clean up after

themselves quickly and efficiently in order for the whole class to move on. Using these

Based on my practicum placement in a 3rd grade class, I would make the following changes.

Instructional groups are a great idea and contribute to learning in a very unique and beneficial way.

With that said, I think that it really depends on the group of students from year to year. The class that

I was in this practicum semester was a chatty group that could not control themselves in groups.

When I am presented with situations such as this, I will find ways to modify instructional groups.

One example would be that I would be at a table for one center where a group of students would be

learning. I could be there to guide instruction or just monitor learning. The rest of the students would

be working on another activity independently or in pairs, depending on the class. Secondly, I would

use Eyes on who-eyes on you, when trying to get the students attention. This will lead them to

not only stop talking but to also look up at the teacher, ensuring that they are reading to listen.

procedures, students will take responsibility for the management of their materials and supplies,

allowing the class to stay on task throughout and in between each lesson.
 D. Managing Student Behavior

The management of student behavior is crucial to creating an environment in which the students

can efficiently understand and comprehend the material. In order to have a positive and

productive environment, the standards of conduct should be made clear to the students. They

should know what they are permitted to do and what I expect from them. I want the students to

feel respected at all times, including when their behavior is being corrected. Positive behavior is

not just suggested, but it is a prerequisite for success in my classroom.

a. Expectations

The first step to positive student behavior is the presence and prior knowledge of expectations.

To achieve this, I will meet with my class in the beginning of the year to have a discussion of my

expectations for them and vice versa. We will communally create a chart labeled my job versus

your job. This will be a list of expectations and we will verbally describe what they look like,

sound like, and feel like. The class will fill out the chart together, so that they too are responsible

for the expectations. Under the my job column, will be things such as teach the class, make

lessons, and have respect. Under the your job column will be things similar to do my work, be

responsible, have respect for everyone, and complete my weekly job. At the beginning of the

year I would also read the story, Have You Filled a Bucket Today? This story will lay the

framework for a program of monitoring behavior. In addition to outlining the expectations at the

beginning of the year, I will also hold classroom meetings every morning to discuss the expected

behavior for the day.

b. Monitoring of Student Behavior

Monitoring behavior is a means of keeping an eye on students with negative behavior but also

positive behavior, in order to ensure a productive day. To start off the day, I will greet my

students as they are coming into the classroom. This gives me a chance to see the students

attitudes before they even come into my room. I am able to pull a child aside and ask what is

wrong or I can give high fives as they enter, starting the day off on the right foot. Throughout the

day, the students will be monitored while I walk around the room, ensuring that everyone is on

task. If a student is being disruptive or not focused, I can walk to their area and they will be

expected to refocused himself. Monitoring should be timed more than frequent, and rather

constant. My classroom will use the behavior monitoring system of Classroom DOJO. This

program allows me to record positive and negative behavior, without taking away from

instruction time. The program automatically communicates with the parents, which maximizes

instructional time. In addition to my monitoring of the students, they should also hold each other

accountable. I will encourage my students from the start to remind each other of the expectations

we have put in place for each other. While monitoring behavior, I will identify the motive behind

individual students misbehavior. In order to respond to their behavior, I should know if the

motive is for attention, power, revenge, a display of inadequacy, and so on. Once this is

determined, I can move on with a response.

c. Response to Student Behavior

A response to student behavior is necessary whether the behavior is positive or negative. One

rule that I will make for myself is that I stay positive no matter the situation. When I have a

positive mentality, students will feed off of it. As mentioned before, the story about filling

peoples buckets will be utilized for acknowledging good behavior. When students fill mine or a

classmates bucket with a good action, they will write their name on a ticket, and drop it into the
bucket. At the end of each week, one ticket will be drawn from the bucket, rewarding the winner

with a prize. Good behavior such as staying on task or helping a classmate will also be rewarded

with a DOJO point. Misbehavior should be communicated with a nonverbal signal or a private

conversation. My goal is to correct the misbehavior without embarrassing the student or creating

a bad relationship with him/her. For the students that do not frequently display bad behavior, the

Classroom DOJO will be the program for student behavior response. At the end of each week,

students can use their points as money to either save it for the next week or to pick something

out from the DOJO store. There will be items ranging from free homework pass to a colorful

eraser. Students will be motivated to earn points by showing good behavior so that they can

redeem the points at the end of the week. Discipline in my classroom for misbehavior will have

natural and logical consequences. These consequences are logically related to their action and

allow for the student to build problem solving techniques. Through this method, choices should

be made for the student and their decision will be accepted. I will use a friendly tone of voice so

that the student understands my good will. As I am following through with the consequence, the

student will be reminded that s/he will have another chance to correct their behavior later. For

students with chronic misbehavior, we will meet with parents and a counselor to discuss and

create a plan. This plan will include a behavior chart or checklist that they student will work on

an individual improvement each week. Through this checklist, I will focus on the positive

progress they are making, rather than the negative. My main goal in responding to student

behavior is to keep it classroom-managed. The incidents should be minimalized to behavior that

is corrected by me or other assistants in my classroom. Physical incidents or behavior that is

overly disruptive to other students learning will be handled outside of the classroom. Each

student is different, therefore I believe that the response should be unique as well. The
aforementioned plans should be tailored to each student in order to have the positive outcome

that is essential for the creation of a productive learning environment.

Based on my practicum experience in the third grade classroom, I would change the following in terms

of student behavior. First, it is important to align my behavior management system with the one that the

school has in place. Often times, the whole school uses the same method for this. Once I am

comfortable with the school, I will be trusted to alter the behavior management system for my own

classroom. Next, I think that a classroom meeting every morning is somewhat unrealistic. A whole

class meeting should be necessary only when the classs behavior is beginning to go awry. Lastly, I

think in order to eliminate or greatly decrease negative behavior, I need to promote positive behavior

and avoid common triggers of negative behavior.

E. Organizing Physical Space

A depiction of the organization of physical space can be found below in the form of a

classroom map. To begin, the door is in the top right hand corner so that I can see anyone

entering or exiting, whether I am at my desk, at the board, or at the kidney table. My desk

is facing the student tables, but is able to see the computer faces and the reading center on

the square rug. The projector is facing the wall where the smart board is. The circle rug is

right in front of the smart board and can be used for reading time or activities. There is

also an easel by the circle rug that could be used for note taking or poster creating during

reading time. The students are situated at tables so that each one can see the board and the
teacher. They are at tables instead of desks so that they are already in designated groups

for activities or discussion. Students are to place their backpacks and other belongings in

the labeled cubbies by the door. The cubbies are out of the way of instruction and

immediately inside the door so that it does not distract anyone if a child comes in late or

needs to get something in the middle of the day. The cubby location also allows for all

pathways to be open at all times, rather than cluttered with backpacks or personal items.

There is a kidney table in the back that will function as a student/teacher work area. I will

use this for centers or to work with small groups. The reading center is for students to

read a book or have a little quiet time. The book stands will be filled with age level books

and some advanced. On the shelves will be materials and supplies. These are near the

back of the room so that students will not disturb the rest of the class or instruction. The

computer monitors are all facing into the classroom, towards my desk. They are arranged

this way so that I can see what the students are doing on the computers at all times for

safety and productivity reasons. The computers will allow students to have internet

connection which will improve instruction. The internet access will be limited to

guarantee safe digital citizenship. Safety is ensured in my classroom because I can see

every student at all times. There is also an easy exit due to the pathways in my classroom.

The organization of physical space in my classroom ensures safety and accessibility. The

arrangement provides accessibility to the learning activities for effective use of resources

which will ultimately maximize the instructional effect.

Based on my practicum experience in a third grade classroom, I would begin my year with the students

seated in groups at the tables. However, I think that each group of kids is unique from year to year so I may

have to take them out of groups. I would then rearrange the classroom to contribute to learning.