Jackie Brison BTED 411 Classroom Management Plan Grade 6 Keyboarding Class My goals in a 6th grade keyboarding class

differ from those of a 12th grade accounting class. One of my main goals in this classroom would be to make sure my students understand that I am the enforcer. I do not want them to fear my class, but I want them to know that my class is not the place to be goofing off or misbehaving. A second goal that I would have for this classroom would be to make sure my students are comfortable in my classroom. I want them to feel free to ask questions when they feel they are needed and I want them to feel confident during group discussion. Goal three would be that my students leave my classroom with great knowledge of the keyboard and are able to key correctly and at a moderate speed. A fourth goal I have in mind is that when my students leave my classroom they will have the knowledge on how to conduct themselves in a computer lab classroom. They will know behaviors and actions that can be damaging in a classroom that is full of computers. Making sure students follow the rules in my classroom and conduct themselves in an appropriate way is very important. Later on in my plan I discuss my classroom rules. There are rules that would be minor to break, such as pushing in your chair at the end of the class, and there are rules which would be major to break, such as making inappropriate comments after a student has asked a question or conveyed their opinion. The punishment that goes along with breaking these two different rules will vary. When it comes to minor rules that are broken, I want to take steps that will help my students see first of all, why the rule is a rule. I want them to understand why I expect that certain behavior out of them. Secondly, I want to help them be able to fix the problem with the rule. An example would be if a student repeatedly forgets to push in their chair at the end of class, I want to help them remember to push their chair in at the end of

class. I do not want to use punishment to scare my students into following these minor rules. Instead, I would use some type of small reward. An example of this would be, after going a whole week with every person in the class remember to push in their chair at the end of the day, I would give the class some kind of reward, such as maybe getting to choose their assignment, or something else small along those lines. If major rules are broken, I have included a paragraph at the end of my rules that states how the discipline will be handled. Which rules are major and which ones are minor are up to my discretion. If a student continues to break minor rules after we have taken steps to help prevent the behavior, I have the right to take action as if it were a major rule that has been broken. I understand that it may take time for students to adjust to some rules in my classroom. To help them adjust, we will work on reinforcing good behavior. I will also work with my students on my different rules and procedures in my classroom thoroughly at the beginning of the year so they can adjust properly. When it comes to children that are at the 6th grade level, I believe that they still need structure when it comes to their learning. By this I mean, I dont want my students to run the class. I am going to be their primary giver of information. I intend to take on the role of commander in chief. I also want to encourage class discussions when they feel appropriate. Encouraging class participation that is not going to result in ridicule can help build a childs selfesteem and confidence. At this age, that is important. I want to be able to lecture to my students until they feel comfortable with the material and then be able to have an active class discussion with the material. My classroom will have a feeling of openness that will make students comfortable with raising their hands and contributing or asking questions when acceptable or necessary.

The layout of my classroom, ideally, would have tables, or desks, for the students to sit at in the center of the room that can be used during times in which the students do not need to be on the computers, and then computers lined along the walls for when they need to access them, all with the screens facing towards the middle of the classroom. This is more authoritarian, but it will help keep things orderly, help make transitions a little smoother, and make monitoring what the students are doing easier, also. When they are seated at the computers it will be very easy for them to turn around in their chairs to look at me when necessary. To monitor my students, I will walk around the classroom periodically while they are working at their computers. Having the monitors face towards the center of the classroom will make it easy to quickly glance around to make sure everyone is working on what they are supposed to be working on. When Im at my desk, I can make sure I take frequent glances around the classroom to make sure everyone is on task. During transitions, I will continue discussing with my students what they are supposed to be doing during and after the transition. I will inform them that there should be no chatter going on during transitions so they will flow nicely and we will not get off task. I want my classroom climate to be more competitive with this grade. With this I dont want it to mean that the students are constantly competing against each other with every assignment, but I want them to know that there are right answers to the assignment and I will be the only one to judge whether or not they got their answer right. I will take on the sole responsibility of planning what is going to go on in the classroom and how to present the material to them. I will, however, encourage discussions when they feel appropriate to me. Just like many other classrooms for this age group, my class will be expected to follow rules that I set. I will have these rules (a shortened version of them) posted somewhere in the

classroom that I can easily reference or point to if one (or more) is being broken. I will make a handout of these rules and give it to the students on the first day of class. I will want them to take the handout home, discuss the conduct expected of them with their parents, and bring it back to me, signed. I will also go over the rules orally on the first day, and maybe the second day to reinforce them. The rules concerning classroom conduct that I plan to convey on the first day of class are the following: 1. I make the seating chart. The first one will be alphabetical. Overtime, I will make changes that I see are necessary. If good conduct is shown by the whole class, I will let you choose your seat. That seat will have to remain the same until the seating chart is changed again. In other words, after I give the ok to sit where you want, you cant pick a new seat every day. 2. Before the bell rings and you enter the classroom, find your seat and get your materials ready for class. It is ok to engage in quiet conversations, but as soon as the bell rings, it is my time to teach and therefor, no more conversations. 3. When you have an idea, or question, feel free to raise your hand and give us your input or ask your question. Do not be afraid to ask questions. There is no such thing as a stupid question. 4. If you are working on an assignment towards the end of class, you may get your things ready to leave two minutes before the bell rings. If I am lecturing, please wait until the bell rings to pack up and go. When the bell rings, you are free to go. 5. This is a computer lab, no food, drinks, or gum. No exceptions.

6. If you need to use the restroom or get a drink, raise your hand and ask. Do not make it a daily habit. 7. If you are absent, you must get the work that you missed the day you come back. You have four days to complete the work and turn it in to me for full credit. Any days after four will count as late and you will lose points accordingly. 8. If you are tardy by two minutes more than three times, you will be reported to the principals office and will be disciplined by them as they see fit. 9. When another students answers a question, or inputs their opinion/knowledge on a topic, do not make any kind of rude or inappropriate comments about the question or input. The following rules are rules that are related to academic work that I will convey on the first day of class. 1. The book will be given to you for your use during the school year. Do not write in them or damage them. There will be no materials that you have to buy for this class. 2. Homework needs to be handed in on its due date, at the beginning of class. For every day that it is late, you will lose 10% of the grade. After 10 days, you will receive no credit for it. 3. Make up work needs to be picked up the day you come back from being absent. If you are absent for a long period of time you may make arrangements for it to be prepared and waiting in the office for someone to pick it up. As stated above, you have three days to complete the make-up work and hand it in. The only exception of this is if you are absent for a long period of time, then we will discuss an appropriate length of time for you to complete the work.

4. If you hand in an assignment that is incomplete, I will grade it as it is. You will not be able to receive full credit. 5. If you miss an exam or quiz, you have to make arrangements with me the day you come back to take the missed quiz or exam. It will be no longer than three days after your return. 6. To make sure that there are no errors in your grade at the end of the grading period, make sure to keep all graded material that is handed back to you. This is the only way a conflict with a grade can be resolved. 7. If you miss a due date for a homework or project, you will lose 10% of the assignments value per day it is late. After 10 days you will receive zero credit for the assignment. 8. This classroom should be neat and orderly, at all times. Since there is no eating or drinking allowed in class, there should be no garbage. Take all lose papers and books with you when you leave class. Also make sure to log off of your computer, turn the screen off, and push your chair in when you leave. 9. In a computer lab you must make sure there are no liquids, therefore enforcing the no drinking rule. There is to be no rough housing or behavior that may end up in causing damage to a computer. The following set of rules are ones that relate to classroom conduct that can be enforced later in the school year. 1. When you are working on assignments at your computer and feel the need to come up to my desk to ask a question, feel free to do so. Make sure you are quite and

respectful towards the other students who are working. If there are more than two people at my desk already, please wait until one has sat down to come up. 2. If someone knocks on the door, I will answer it. Please stay seated and quiet during this time. 3. You may leave the classroom if it is necessary (bathroom, drink, nurse, etc.). Do not make it a habit, though, and do not give me a reason to not trust you out in the hallway. The following rules are academic rules that can be conveyed later in the school year. 1. Do not be afraid to ask for help. If you are working on an assignment at your computer, you may quietly ask your neighbor for help. Do not become loud and disrupt the rest of the class. 2. Do your own work on assignments. There will be no group work/assignments to be handed in. If I suspect any kind of cheating, I have the right to give you zero credit for the assignment and turn you in to the principals office for cheating. Failure to follow these rules on a first offence will result in a verbal warning. It may not come immediately following the behavior, or in front of the whole classroom, but the warning will be told to the student. Breaking the rules a second time will result in a letter home to the parents regarding the rule(s) that were broken. The parents will then have to sign the letter and have the student return it to me the following day. Failure to follow the rules a third time will result in a write-up to the principals office. I will inform them of the verbal and written warnings that were already given and let them decide an appropriate means of discipline. This form of punishment will be used when a major rule is broken.

I plan on assigning students an assignment on a particular lesson as soon as that lesson has concluded, before a review or brief discussion on the lesson. I will make sure to thoroughly explain the assignments and answer any questions students may have about the assignment before they leave for the day so there is no confusion on what is expected of them. I will make sure to repeat due dates in following classes if the assignment is not due the following day. To close out my lesson, I want to encourage a class discussion on the material or have some kind of small review of the day. If the class is discussing, I will make sure to hit critical points of the lesson that they may have missed. I want my students to walk out of the classroom with a good summary of the lesson they have just been taught. To make sure that my students are engaged in the material that I am teaching them, I will try to make sure that the material is interesting to them or somehow relates to them. I want them to be excited and interested in the days lesson. As much as I can, I plan to provide different aids for my students such as handouts and visual organizers. As I have discussed above, another way I want to keep my students engaged is by making sure they feel confident in participating in class discussions. Techniques that I will try my hardest to avoid are negative reinforcements, such as not calling on a student to answer a question when they are avoiding eye contact. I want my students to think about rewards that they will get for conveying appropriate behavior in my classroom and not the punishment they will face if they break my rules. When my students are conducting themselves in an appropriate manner, displaying proper behavior for a computer lab classroom, or doing any other kind of behavior that should be reinforced, I will make sure to praise them. I will let them know that they are doing a good job and to keep up the good work.

With experience in the field of teaching, my thoughts and views of this classroom management plan may change. I may find that I need to change some rules or procedures. With gaining more experience, I will be able to come up with new and better ideas on how to best conduct my classroom. My thoughts on discipline and punishment may change. A classroom management plan should be flexible and change as you gain more experience and get a better understanding of your students.