Classroom Management Plan

Classroom Management Plan

Kathleen Wright

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Table of Contents Introduction

Page 1

First Day of School

Page 2

Discipline Plan

Page 3

Physical Space

Page 5

Instructional Materials

Page 6

Procedures

Page 7

Summary

Page 8

Classroom Layout

Appendix A

Sample Name Tag

Appendix B

Introduction This classroom management plan has been developed for use in a Spanish classroom at the high school or middle school level. It outlines the first day procedures, discipline plan, classroom space, instructional materials and classroom procedures that are to be used in my classroom. Creating a classroom management plan is an essential part of planning for a new classroom. Creating a plan that details discipline policies, classroom procedures, instructional materials and classroom space, helps me to organize many aspects of teaching in a clear way that I can present to my students and my colleagues.

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First Day of School Teacher Image: I will always dress in clean, well pressed professional attire. More importantly, I will show students through positive expressions and posture a confident and positive attitude. Personal Introductions: When I introduce myself to my students, I will tell them about my degree in Spanish and my minor in Speech. I will tell students what I like about being a teacher and why I keep coming back for more. I will then tell my students briefly about my experience with Spanish both abroad and in the United States. Students can be involved in this conversation and will be encouraged to tell me about their experiences with Spanish as well. Finally, I will teach students how to address me politely in Spanish. Seating Chart: Students will be seated alphabetically by last name for the first two weeks of class. Each student will receive a name tag made from a recycled file folder which they are to bring to class with them each day. On the back of this folder are important questions and words they may need in order to participate in Spanish during their first few days of class. Work Focus: The objectives of this first day of class are to (1) introduce myself to the students and briefly get to know my students, (2) introduce the area of study in this classroom, and (3) prepare students with some common phrases they may use in the classroom. Procedures and Content: 1. I will introduce myself to my students and have each student to introduce herself/himself. 2. Students will work in pairs to answer the following questions: a. In your experience, where have you heard Spanish spoken? i. Expected responses: Telemundo, Vacation, neighbors, relatives, etc… b. Who are some famous Latino people you have either seen on TV or heard on the radio? i. Expected responses: Sammy Sosa, Jennifer Lopez, George Lopez, Carlos Mencia, Antonio Banderas, Juanes, Shakira, etc... c. What words do you already know in Spanish? i. Tell students to spell words as best they can. ii. Expected responses: Numbers 1-10, colors, “hola,” “adios,” “hasta la vista,” “fiesta,” “siesta,” “gracias,” “¿Comó estás?” etc... 3. Students will report back to the large group after five to seven minutes of discussion. 4. Classroom procedures, rules, and discipline policies will be discussed. 5. Common phrases and questions will be discussed.

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¡B ien ve nid os a la cl ase de espa ñol! Di sci pline Plan

Welcome to Spanish class! I am looking forward to a successful year of Spanish for all of my students. In this classroom we have the opportunity to communicate frequently with our classmates and look beyond our borders to learn new and interesting things about different cultures. In order to create a successful learning environment, I have put together the following guidelines for the students in this classroom.

Objetivos: Here are the objectives we will meet in this class: 1. Conversación: Students will converse in Spanish. 2. Interpretación: Students will interpret written and spoken Spanish. 3. Presentación: Students will present information in Spanish. 4. Cultura: Students will discover new things about the culture in Spanish speaking regions and countries. 5. Comparaciones: Students will make comparisons between their own culture and language and those of Spanish speaking countries. 6. Comunidades: Students will discover how and where Spanish can be used beyond the classroom and beyond this high school setting.

Materiales obligatorios: 1. Libro: Classroom Textbook 2. Carpeta: Two Pocket Folder 3. Lápices: Pencils Reglas de la clase de español: Rules of Spanish class. This class is about communicating with one another but we must be sure that we are creating an environment that allows each person to learn. Respect your classmates and your teacher by respecting the following rules: 1. Hable español en clase: Speak Spanish in class. Whenever possible, speak Spanish in this classroom. Use the signs around the room to help you with things you may need or want during class. Try out these phrases. See what using a little Spanish can get you! 2. Respete a la maestra y a todos los compañeros de clase: Respect the teacher and all your classmates. 3. Levante la mano cuando quiere hablar: Raise your hand when you want to speak. This is a class about talking, but all that talking can get hard to hear over.

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Whenever we are working as a large group, raise your hand to ask a question or respond with discussion. 4. Traiga todos los materiales a la clase cada día: Bring all your materials to class each day. Be prepared for class with your textbook, your folder, and a pencil everyday. 5. Complete la tarea para la proxima clase de español: Complete homework for the next Spanish class. Bring homework with you completed the day after it is assigned. Late work will not be accepted. Homework should always be headed with your Spanish first name (which you will receive in class) and your English last name followed by the hour you have this class.

¡Premios!: Rewards! Positive behavior will result in rewards throughout the trimester in the form of: • Comida – Food and Treats • Juegos – Games • Películas – Spanish Language Films • Conversaciones – Conversation days in which students lead discussion and conversations

Consecuencias: Failure to follow the rules above will result in the following consequences:

1st offence: Verbal warning in class 2nd offence: Detention 3rd offence: Conference with guardians, student, teacher and assistant principal “¿Puedo ir al baño?”: “May I go to the bathroom?” Every student is given three passes at the beginning of every trimester. If a student must leave the room in order to use the restroom, go to his/her locker, or for any other reason he/she may use a pass. The first two passes are worth five points of extra credit toward daily participation each if they are not used at the end of the trimester. The third pass is a free pass and may be used with no consequence. Any additional passes after the third pass will result in the consequences and disciplinary action listed above in “Consecuencias.” Please alert me if there is any reason why you will not be able to abide by this policy.

I _________________ have read and understand the above procedures. I will do everything within my ability to abide by the rules and procedures that have been outlined above. Student Signature: _________________________________________

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Parent Signature: _________________________________________

Physical Space •

This classroom configuration is created for a high school or middle school setting with a class size of approximately 25-30 students.

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Student desks will be arranged in six rows of five desks which face the black board. Students will be assigned partners based on the seating assignment Students in row one will partner with students across from them in row two. Students in row three will partner with students across from them in row four. Students in row five will partner with students across from them in row six.

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When students compete in activities or educational games that require teams, students will compete in rows.

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The teacher’s work desk and computer will be placed in the back corner of the room.

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A “Conversation Corner” will be placed in the adjacent corner. The corner will consist of a round table and four to five chairs. This table maybe used to display cultural realia, to present new vocabulary, or to stage small group presentations.

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One student desk will be placed in front of the black board to serve as a teaching station to hold materials that may be needed during teacher instruction.

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Bathroom pass sign-out sheets will be posted on the back of the door. Students should initial and date next to their names anytime they leave the room in order to monitor the number of passes used during the trimester to insure rewards and consequences are awarded properly.

See Appendix A

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Instructional Materials •

A homework inbox and outbox will be created for each hour of the day. A stapler and pencil sharpener will be placed next to the inbox. These baskets will be kept on the counter at the back of the room.

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Instructional Materials will be stored in the cupboards in the classroom. Props, realia, and flashcards for each chapter will be filed by chapter in boxes clearly labeled by chapter and theme.

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Print materials will be stored in files in the teacher’s desk. These will be filed by chapter and theme and will be locked for safe keeping as these materials will include quiz and test materials.

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Multi-media materials such as videos, CD’s, and computer software will also be stored in the teacher desk and locked for safe keeping.

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Books, magazines, and dictionaries will be housed on the shelves in the classroom so that students may have access to them before and during class.

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Bulletin Boards: o Two bulletin boards will be created that are intended to remain the same for the duration of the trimester. One bulletin board will contain a calendar that includes the months of the year and days of the week in Spanish as well as an example of how to correctly write the date in Spanish. The other bulletin board will contain the classroom rules in English and Spanish as well as helpful questions and answers such as, “May I use the restroom?” “Do you have paper?” “Do you have a pencil?” “How do you say _____ in Spanish?” “You say ___.” “What does ____ mean?” “It means ____.” etc… o A third bulletin board will be created based on the unit of study. This bulletin board may be used to show uses of Spanish in normal settings (Magazine ads/articles, menus, photos, comics, etc…) or pop culture. Student projects may also be used to fill this bulletin board. o Bulletin boards may be covered during tests and/or quizzes.

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Procedures •

Students will enter the classroom before the bell rings and will be seated in assigned seats.

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Students will follow rules that are set out for them on the first day of class and posted on the bulletin board in the classroom.

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Students must come to class prepared with all materials. Extra books will NOT be lent to students who do not come to class prepared.

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Students will communicate in Spanish whenever possible in the classroom.

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When homework has been assigned, it will be collected within the first ten minutes of class the following day.

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All work to be turned in should contain the student’s Spanish first name and English last name as well as the hour he/she has this class.

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A bell will be used to get students attention after a communicative activity. When students hear this bell they must return to their seats and face the front of the classroom and await further instruction.

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Students should come to class prepared each day. This includes taking care of any personal needs such as using the restroom. If a student must use the restroom during class, he/she must follow the policy outlined in the discipline policy.

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In the event of an absence, it is the responsibility of the student to check for missed assignments in the classroom schedule book located on the teacher’s desk. Missed quizzes or tests should be rescheduled during lunch or after school with the teacher’s approval.

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Summary It is important for me as a teacher to know exactly what rules and procedures I plan to use in my classroom and what discipline I will use to enforce those rules before my students step into my classroom. By doing this, I can be sure to be fair and consistent with discipline. Furthermore, it is important that these plans are presented in documents like these ones for my students. Students must be informed of their responsibilities in a positive and clear way. They should know exactly what consequences they face in the event of an infraction before any incident occurs. Having a plan for instructional materials and classroom space will help me to organize the many materials and props that may be used in my classroom. A classroom can easily become cluttered with the number of students that are coming and going each day if a plan is not in place for how the classroom will be organized. One thing I have learned in the past weeks of my student teaching and in the process of creating this plan is that teachers can never plan too much. I spend hours planning and each hour I spend pays off in immeasurable ways in the classroom during instruction. I have so many students coming in and out of my classroom and so many decisions to make on the fly that I can let myself get very overwhelmed. If I make plans like these ones, I save myself from those snap decisions by having a plan in place before an issue even arises.

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