Classroom Management Plan By: Melissa Plumb Chiffon Srygler Jenna Roberts Katie Linder Janet Schipp Shannon Belt

What is Effective Classroom Management Structure is the organizational foundation of the classroom. In a well-structured classroom, many conflicts and behavior problems are prevented because children know what is expected. Routines and procedures are vital to classroom structure. Establishing expectations on the first day and beyond is critical. A well-run classroom uses ongoing strategies.

Why is Effective Classroom Management Important? Classroom Management is simply too important to be neglected or handled ineffectively. Guidance and discipline should be taught like any other subject with a sound curriculum, proven methods, and consistency across grade levels and throughout the school.

How to Have Effective Classroom Management When children are given clear and effective messages power struggles usually do not happen. This is why it is very important from the very first day to make sure your rules are clear and the class understands these rules. Let them know that if rules are violated they will have consequences. If you do this the children will not be tempted to begin what is known as a “classroom dance”. These dances can disrupt your whole classroom so the best way to prevent them is by not allowing them to begin. Here are some guidelines to avoid them: Give clear verbal signals Support words with effective actions Set firm limits Use effective and immediate consequences This information can be found in the book Setting Limits in the Classroom: Revised How to Move Beyond the Dance of Discipline in Today’s Classrooms by Robert J. MacKenzie, ED.D.

How to Have Effective Classroom Management (cont.) Make parents aware of classroom rules and consequences. Do not ignore misbehavior this will only pull you into a dance and/or power struggle. Consequences stop misbehavior and teach responsibility. Choose consequences that are immediate, consistent, logically related, proportional, and followed by a clean slate, to see the biggest impact. Consequences, natural and logical are learning situations that all children can use. Natural consequences allow students to experience the outcome of his/her behavior. Logical consequences are structured learning experiences.

How to Have Effective Classroom Management (cont.) Time-out can be used effectively if it is used as intended It is most effective when presented as a logical consequence and carried out in a firm, respectful, and matter-of-fact manner. Select an appropriate time-out area that is away from any audience, but within the classroom. Use a two-stage procedure for persistent disruptive behavior. Stage 1-time-out takes place in child’s immediate classroom for a predetermined time. Stage 2-time-out takes place in a buddy’s classroom for twice the usual period of time.

How to Have Effective Classroom Management (cont.) Introduce time-out to your students before using this strategy Use a timer. When limits are tested once a child is in time-out, set up the area with limited choices. Apply time-out directly when rules have been broken. After time-out is completed, provide a clean slate for the child. Hold children accountable for time missed from class.

How to Have Effective Classroom Management (cont.) Use time-out as often as you need it. Attention seeking behavior Limit-testing behavior Disrespectful behavior Defiant behavior Antagonistic behavior or hurtful behavior Violent and aggressive behavior Tantrums

How to Have Effective Classroom Management (cont.) Think twice before sending misbehaving students to the office! Here’s why: The office is too intriguing with all the staff members and the fact that the child is getting out of class. The administrator does play an important role in the school’s guidance and discipline program. Their job is to carry out school policy, provide back-up support for classroom teachers, coordinate supervision for the playground, cafeteria, library, and hallways; and arranges in-service training for staff.

Setting Limits in a Nutshell! Make your early childhood routines and procedures known on the first day of school and throughout the year. Provide visuals and cues around the room. Post concise rules with words and pictures. Make your words and actions match! Make time for your students to share with the class about themselves. Stay in communication with the parents of your students and work together to accomplish the goal of educating their child.

Setting Limits in a Nutshell! (cont.) When a problem arises, use a normal tone voice and use as few words as necessary to convey your message. To avoid classroom dances use a clean verbal message, avoid the bait students use to hook us, and be ready to use the action step. Have a cool down area or a time-out spot with a visible timer to the students. ( 1 minute per age of the student.) Have a back up plan in place with another teacher to be able to use the two-step time-out if necessary.

Always Remember Positive, encouraging messages feel good and motivate us to cooperate. They meet our need for belonging, reaffirm our feelings of competence and self-worth, and instill confidence in our ability to handle challenging problems. Positive messages have several outcomes which include: Encouraging better choices Encouraging acceptable actions Encouraging cooperation Encouraging independence Encouraging improvement When parents are involved in the process, the rewards are too numerous to mention!

Our group put together a Power Point for our group presentation Our group put together a Power Point for our group presentation. We want this presentation to be focused toward all staff but especially toward new teachers. This slide show would be presented prior to the beginning of the year. We would present it during a PD or a faculty meeting. We would use the text Setting Limits in the Classroom By Robert J. MacKenzie to reference by during our presentation. During the meeting we would encourage all staff members to purchase or have our principal to purchase this text for all staff members. We would use the slides and the text to conduct our PD. Hope you enjoy it. We all loved the book and working together.