Erin Farnes
Classroom management plan
March 1, 2011
Demographics: Elementary school resource room (K-6), one teacher, one aide.
Statement of purpose: Our classroom is a safe and active place to learn. We will feel safe and open to participate. This will help us gain the most success possible.
Rules:
1. Keep hands and feet to self.
2. Follow directions the first time.
3. Raise your hand to get the teacher’s attention.
4. Follow red, yellow, and green voice rules. (Red=no voice, Yellow=neighbor talk (only one neighbor can hear), Green=table talk (those around you can hear you all at the same time).
Strategy for teaching rules: On the first day of class I will teach the students the rules using pictures to introduce the rules and give examples and non-examples of each rule. I will then have the students break into groups and practice examples and non-examples in skits that they will perform for the rest of the class.
Strategies for booster/reteaching: The pictures introduced on the first day will be mounted to two posters that will display the written rules also. It will be hung by the main teaching area and by the door so the students will be reminded as they walk in as well as when they walk out. If the students seem to have a day where they “forget” the rules (5-7 total rules broken) I will reteach them as a group and go through 2 examples and 2 non-examples for each rule.
Method of informing parents about the plan: On the first day of school I will send home two copies of my disclosure document to each student. One will be kept at home as a reference for the parent(s)/guardian(s). The other will be signed by the student as well as the parent(s)/guardian(s) and returned to me. After I check it off the disclosure document it will be kept in the student’s folder for reference. This disclosure document can be seen at the end of this plan.
Strategies used to build and maintain relationships with students and parents: Parents will be able to contact me through my email, phone, and blog info given at the bottom of the disclosure document. I will also build and maintain relationships by having a back to school night, and a V.I.P. week focusing on one student for the whole week. When the scheduled V.I.P. for the student is one week away I will send a information sheet home for the student and parents to fill out. This information will be shared throughout the week of the student’s V.I.P. At the end of the week the students and I will write a thank you note to the parents for sharing the information with us and tell them what we learned about that student. If the information sheet is not returned by the week of the V.I.P. I will send another one home but also work with the student to fill it out as we share throughout the week. This information sheet can also be seen at the end of this plan.
Positive Consequences:
Free and frequent ways:
-thumbs up
-high fives
-verbal praise
Intermittent ways:
-notes home
-phone calls home
Strong and long term:
-class party points (party at the end of the year!!)
-individual free time points (“cash in” opportunity for free time will be given twice a month)
Negative Consequences:
1. General reminder
2. Individual reminder
3. Change of environment (either back to desk, or by me, or sit at my desk)
4. Phone call home
5. Office referral
Aversive: When an intervention is needed and calling home or office referral don’t stop the behavior, a time out desk in the front of the room will be provided. This will allow the student to continue to participate in their learning but not distract others. Time spent in the desk will be based off of age (one minute per year).
Data collection method:
Date______________
Student Name Positive Negative Student Name Positive Negative
Ammon NH #1 Justin CP
Alysse #1,#2,#3,#4 Kasey #1,TO Ben #1 Mike FT
Isabelle PCH Steven #1,#2
*For the chart click on the link at the end of the plan
Key for positives: NH=note home, PCH= phone call home, CP=class party point, FT=free time point
Key for negatives: As numbered starting from #2 (ex. #2=individual reminder, etc.), TO= time out
Method for students to monitor consequences received:
Students will track their class party points by putting a tally on the class party chart at the end of the class time each day. When the students reach 1000 points they will receive a class party. Students will track their own free time points on a sticky note given twice a month. This sticky note will stay in their folders until asked for by me. I will collect the notes and give the amount of free time indicated only if the student’s tracking closely matches (within 2) my record. The free time will be given the day I collect the sticky notes. The students will be doing review work until their free time starts. If the student does not have their free time sticky note they will not receive free time. If a student does not have any free time they will work on their review until free time is over.
Classroom Procedures:
*I will teach all of these procedures the first day and continue to teach/remind the students about the procedures during the first week of school. For each procedure we will go through examples and non-examples so that they will be able to understand appropriate and expected behavior.
Beginning: At the beginning of class the students will come in, get their binder from their cubbie or book box, if they did not have homework (if they did, they will bring their binders with them from their general ed. class) and sit down in their seat. The students will have assigned seats with those who need my help most sitting directly in front of me and those who need my help less sitting at the sides of my table. Until I see that the students can learn from any spot I will keep a seating chart. The students will sit in their assigned seat and start working on an activity that I provide. This activity will be a review about something we learned the last time they worked with me.
Bathroom: If a student needs to go to the bathroom they will have the chance during transition time. I will advise them to go before they come to my class but if they need to go during they can go when we are transitioning between guided and independent practice. This will be the only time they are able to go unless it is an emergency.
Ending class: At the end of class we will come together and talk about what we learned and why we learned it. They will then tuck in their chairs, put their binders back, or take them back to their class and put them in their backpacks. When everyone is ready they are sent back to class by me. I will lead them out and give a high five to them and a general praise statement as they leave. This will help them feel good as they leave which will help them come again the next time we meet because they will feel accepted in class.
Crisis or Emergency: If there is a crisis we will follow the crisis plan set by the school. For our own classroom crisis plan we will use the card system. For example, if something happens to me during class and it is an emergency that I cannot help a student will take the red card to the office. This card will have instructions on it that I have had an emergency (the secretaries will already know about the plan from a meeting with me previously). This will be very unlikely but it has happened: in third grade the substitute teacher in my friend’s class had a seizure during class and the kids didn’t know what to do. I want my students to know what to do if there is an emergency so they can keep calm and seek help.
If there is a problem with a student that keeps me from exiting the room I will send a student with a blue card. This will also have instructions that something has happened in the classroom that prevents me from leaving. These cards will be kept on the wall next to the chalkboard behind my teaching desk so that the students and I will always have access to them. An example of these is shown below.
Signals: I will have different signals for different transitions and expectations during class. I will have three signals. It is important to have an oral signal as well as one students can see so I plan to use both in all my signaling. The first one is to get their attention. I will say, “Five seconds” and at the same time raise my hand and lower fingers for each second. This means in five seconds I need all eyes and ears with me. The second signal I will use will be for transitions. I will say “One minute to transition” at the same time I am signing the word “change”. This helps the students know only one minute to transition. This will also decrease the wasted time used in transitions. The third signal I will use will be for the volume level. Before an activity I will tell the students the plan of the activity and then tell them what level of volume is appropriate. I will also have a picture on the board so they will always remember during that activity what volume level is appropriate. Red=no voice, Yellow=neighbor talk (only one neighbor can hear), Green=table talk (those around you can hear you all at the same time). Outside voices will never be used in class unless there is an emergency and my attention cannot be caught otherwise.
Physical lay-out of classroom:
*For the lay-out click on the link at the end of the plan.
Rationale: I wanted the small group table in the back of the room because I did not want to distract the other students that are doing their work at their desk but are not in small group. I wanted the student’s desks facing the chalkboard and nothing else so that there would not be any distractions. The desks are placed apart from each other so as to decrease behavior issues, but close enough to each other if group work is needed. There is also enough room for me to check on all the students as they do their work. Computers can be a distraction if students can see them so I placed them in the back of the room facing the rest of the class so I can always keep an eye on what the students are doing on them. The time-out desk is in the front of the classroom so that student receives the least amount of distractions possible. My table and my desk are both located near the door for safety reasons. This way I can ensure that I will be the closest to the door in case of emergency. I placed the trash near my desk but on the other side so that it does not distract the student in the time-out desk. I have seen some classrooms with windows and some without so I left windows out. If I did have windows though, I would situate my room so that the bookcase and computers are by the windows. This way the students are the least likely to be distracted by them.
To see the plan with table and lay-out click HERE
_____________________________________________________________________________________
Disclosure Document
Hello students, parents, and guardians! I am so excited to get to know you and work with your students this year! I have given your student two copies of this disclosure document. One copy is for you to keep as a reference and the other copy is to be signed and turned back into me. In order to run an efficient classroom and let your students learn as much as they can there are some things you need to know about the classroom and how it is managed.
#1 Statement of purpose: Our classroom is a safe and active place to learn. Students will feel safe and open to participate which will help them gain the most success possible.
#2 Rules:
1. Keep hands and feet to self.
2. Follow directions the first time.
3. Raise your hand to get the teacher’s attention.
4. Follow red, yellow, and green voice rules. (Red=no voice, Yellow=neighbor talk (only one neighbor can hear), Green=table talk (those around you can hear you all at the same time).
We went over these today in class and acted out some good examples of these rules. Ask your student to go through them with you see if you can guess what they act out.
#3 Positive Consequences: I like to give as many positives as I can. Each student benefits from hearing the good work they are doing and these are some ways I will let them know:
Free and frequent ways:
-thumbs up
-high fives
-verbal praise
Intermittent ways:
-notes home
-phone calls home
Strong and long term:
-class party points (party at the end of the year!!)
-individual free time points (“cash in” opportunity for free time will be given twice a month)
#4 Negative Consequences: As much as I want to give only positive consequences, we still need negative consequences for issues that may arise. This is the method I will use for such issues:
1st -General reminder
2nd -Individual reminder
3rd -Change environment
4th -Phone call home
5th -Office referral
Everyday I will collect data from students who receive major positive and negative consequences. Your student will also be tracking their own behavior on a sticky note attached to their folders. This way your student will have a visual reminder of the positive or negative consequences they have received for the day.
#5 My contact information: Please feel free to contact me for any reason. I am very prompt to reply back to emails, voice mails, etc but if you feel I am not prompt enough, please feel free to let me know. I want you to be able to count on me, especially with your concerns about your students.
Phone: (801) 472-1896
Email: erinfarnes@gmail.com
Blog: erinfarnes.blogspot.com
#6 In order to get to know all of you and your students better there will be a back to school night held: (date). At back to school night there will be a sign up sheet for a V.I.P. week for your student. When it is your student’s V.I.P. week, I will send home a couple of fun questions for you and your student to fill out for our class to better get to know you and your student. Any questions or concerns please contact me.
Thank you again for all the work you have done with your students. This is going to be a great year!
Please sign below to indicate you have read the disclosure document with your student:
___________________________ __________________________
Signature of student Signature of parent
_____________________________________________________________________________________
V.I.P. INFORMATION SHEET
Where were you born?
How long have you lived here?
How many people are in your family?
What is one thing you love about your family?
What is your favorite color?
What is your favorite food?
What is a fun thing you do with your family?
What is your favorite part of school?
What is your favorite place you have been with your family?
What is one interesting thing about you?
_______________________________________________________________________
RED CARD
There has been an emergency in my classroom and I am not responding. Please assist my class A.S.A.P. to ensure their safety. Thank you.
BLUE CARD
There has been an emergency in my classroom with one of my students. I cannot leave the rest of the students alone while I get help. Please send help A.S.A.P. Thank you.
