Table of Contents

Comparative Essay1
Part B.2
Philosophical Statement3
Description5
Techniques8
Bullying
Part I.11
Part II12
Part III...13
Part IV...14
Appendix A...16
Appendix B...18
Appendix C...19
Appendix D...20

Comparative Essay
Every teacher utilizes different techniques for managing behavior. Mrs. O and Mrs. A,
two Kindergarten teachers at Grenloch Early Childhood Center, have developed their own plans
for behavior management. After interviewing the teachers (see Appendix D for interviews), I
noticed that a lot of the techniques the teachers used had the same reasoning behind their use and
were very similar.
Mrs. A teachers in a self-contained classroom where most of the children have a behavior
disorder. On the other side of the spectrum, Mrs. O teaches general education. Both teachers
use whole class rewards and individual rewards to reinforce good behavior. Mrs. A rewards the
class a ticket with a number on it, which is then filled in on a poster board. Once an entire row is
filled in, the class gets a reward such as extra play time. Mrs. A uses sticker charts for individual
rewards. Each child receives a sticker for behaving and places it on their chart, which when
filled, the child can pick out a prize from the toy box. Similarly, Mrs. O uses stickers to reward
students and once they earn a certain number, they receive a prize. Mrs. O rewards the class
with points throughout the day that are put on a scoreboard. If at the end of the day the class has
earned more points than Mrs. O, they are one step closer to earning a prize.
Both Mrs. A, and Mrs. O keep in touch with parents to update them on the childrens
behaviors and also learn more about what goes on at home. Mrs. O uses parent conferences to
inform parents of good behavior, but will also conduct conferences if there are areas of concern.
Sometimes, there needs to be a differentiation between behavior techniques due to special
needs or behavioral disorders. In Mrs. As class there are two students who have severe behavior
disorders and need extra support in the classroom. Each of those students receives a penny stick.

When they exemplify good behavior, they place a penny on the stick. After five pennies are
earned, the child can choose an activity to play for a short amount of time.
Mrs. A follows a Humanistic approach, influenced by Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers.
The emphasis in her classroom is placed on providing safety, love, and affection for all
children (Morrison, 2014, p. 74). Mrs. O uses Constructivist approaches because she believes
that children construct knowledge and learn through experiences. It was interesting to compare
and contrast the styles and techniques of both teachers.

Part B
During observations I collected data on frequent behaviors in a classroom containing only
5 year olds (see Appendix B for Frequency/Duration tables). I chose to discuss the top five
occurring behaviors, which include: talking, calling out, pushing/touching, whining/complaining,
and getting out of a seat. Students getting out of their seats was what took the longest to address,
or was not addressed at all. Most of the time, it was a girl who got out of her seat. Boys in the
class typically were the ones who were talking during work time or circle time. They were also
the ones who were most likely to push or touch (hug, high-five, etc.) others. The teacher used
strategies such as calling the students to attention or telling them that they were not making good
choices, which was the most effective strategy to redirect behavior.
2

Philosophical Statement
My beliefs about behavior management are influenced by the educational theories of
Robert Owen, Friedrich Froebel, Lev Vygotsky, and Abraham Maslow. Robert Owen believes
that a childs environment affects their beliefs, behavior, and achievement (Morrison, 2014, p.
73). I believe that the environment in a classroom affects how the child learns. The classroom
should be organized and safe to provide an active learning environment for each child. The
classroom should be nurturing, respectful, supportive, and productive. I believe that each child
deserves to feel safe and at ease. Friedrich Froebel believes in learning through play (Morrison
2014, p. 73). I believe that children of every race, gender, and background can learn their roles
in a community through play, and they can also learn to communicate and positively engage with
others. Lev Vygotsky believes that a child learns the most through interpersonal relationships
(Morrison, 2014, p. 74). I believe that children can learn to problem solve and learn
communication skills through these interpersonal relationships with their classmates and myself.
Finally, Abraham Maslow believes that in order for a child to develop cognitively, his or her
basic needs must be met first (Morrison, 2014, p. 74). I believe that it is of utmost importance
that a childs basic needs are met. If a child is hungry or isnt treated with respect at home, he or
she may cause disruptions in the classroom as a cry for attention due to a lack of needs being
met. I believe that it is important to get to know each child and his or her home life. Moreover, I
strongly believe that parental engagement should transpire within the classroom. Parents role in
a childs life is of great importance in his or her development.
The role of a teacher is to promote knowledge and critical thinking by being a guide and
facilitator of daily classroom lessons and activities. The teacher should set goals including
helping the children learn to self-regulate, helping them develop their problem solving abilities,

and helping them monitor their behaviors. Self-regulation should be developed within the Early
Childhood years. The term self-regulation refers to the capacity to control ones impulses, both
to stop doing something, if needed, even if one wants to continue doing it and to start doing
something, even if one doesnt want to do it (Leong, 2014, para. 1). In order to help the
students develop self-regulation skills, a teacher should include clear directions for each
assignment so the children know exactly what is required of them. Also, a teacher should
establish a daily schedule with daily routines and make sure all students are actively engaged in
the classroom. Along with self-regulation, motivating the students is extremely important if a
teacher wants them to succeed. Two forms of motivation that will work in a classroom setting
are extrinsic and intrinsic. I believe that a teacher should motivate children with a balance
between both intrinsic and extrinsic. The teacher can reward students with stickers or marbles in
a jar, but they should also help students set goals, encourage the students, and help the children
develop self-efficacy.
I believe that children should be respectful to the teacher and their classmates by sitting
in their seat during times of work, following the classroom rules, and taking turns. I strongly
believe that a teacher should not place high expectations on Early Childhood students, due to the
fact that they are new to the formal school settings and need room to play and learn. A teacher
should not be strict; however, they should put a set of rules in place such as (1) We play safely,
(2) We take turns, (3) We use our quiet voices, and (4) We are nice to others. These rules
are developmentally appropriate for Early Childhood students. I believe that rules will help
children to monitor their behavior and that children learn best by example and experience. I
believe that the best way to help students monitor their behavior is being knowledgeable about
child development and implementing developmentally appropriate practices in the classroom.

Description
Behavior management is an important part of keeping a classroom organized and a place
that promotes learning. Behavior management can is also known as behavior guidance, a
process by which all children learn to control and direct their behavior and become independent
and self-reliant (Morrison, 2014, p. 363). There are many approaches that can be taken to
encourage positive behaviors, and to discipline and redirect negative behaviors. My beliefs
about behavior management are influenced by constructivist, sociocultural, and self-actualization
theories.
One of the many behavior techniques I would use in my classroom is a daily schedule for
the children to follow. The schedule includes activities such as unpacking, table time for
individual work, circle time, and centers. The schedule provides structure and security for the
children. I believe that a daily schedule would promote self-regulation in each child due to the
structured routines. Going along with the daily schedule, I believe it is important to establish a
set of rules for the classroom. Rules are put into place to inform the children of the teachers
expectations. Rules allow children to make daily decisions whether or not to obey and make
responsible choices. I believe that rules help guide childrens behavior by displaying
expectations for them. A great addition to the rules would be to have the children participate in
making them. Childrens participation provides them with a sense of control and agreement.
Lev Vygotsky, one of the many educational theorists, believes that children learn best
through play. I believe that childrens behaviors can be redirected through play. Play is a great
time for a child to learn problem-solving skills and learn the importance of emotions, actions,
and consequences. Children tend to reconcile their differences without formal ceremony. But
they do so more easily if they experience the coaching of an early childhood professional who

over time models and teaches the skills of cooperative problem solving and reconciling
differences (Gartrell, 2013b, p. 91). I believe it is utterly beneficial to teach children how to
problem solve. The key is to guide the children, then over time they will learn how to problem
solve on their own.
With a self-actualization approach, I would implement weekly or bi-weekly conferences
with the parents/guardians of all my students. These could be phone or face-to-face conferences.
The purpose of the conferences is to check in with the parents/guardians to see how the child is
doing at home. Has the child been eating and sleeping well? Does the child have trouble getting
along with siblings? These are all important things to know as a teacher in order to prevent and
solve conflicts. I came up with this strategy after making a parent survey for my Child Study
project. The purpose of the survey was to get to know more about the child at home, and that
information would help me to determine where the child is developmentally. I truly believe that
background and additional information on the children in the classroom is vital to understanding
the children fully. Abraham Maslow says that all individuals, and especially children, must
have their safety needs metfor security, belonging, and affectionbefore they can progress in
cognitive and emotional learning (Gartrell, 2013a, p. 90). Knowing their home lives will help
me to understand more of the behaviors of the children. A student is more likely to have
behavioral issues if he or she is not getting fed at home or not sleeping well. An incident
regarding a challenging behavior may be a cry of hunger or frustration because a child is tired.
Learning cannot occur if a childs basic needs are not met first.
Once basic needs are met and learning has begun, the teacher needs to keep the student
motivated. A typical, but not pointless, behavior management strategy I would use to motivate
students is a reward system. I have seen this type of reward system in many of the classrooms I

have observed in. It is an effective strategy for managing behavior because it reinforces positive
behavior. Children love stickers and they love getting toys. I would have individual sticker
charts in my classroom for each child that are displayed on a wall for the class to see. Every
time I see a student behaving well, they will be awarded a sticker to place on their chart. Once
they fill up the chart, they receive a toy of their choice from the toy box. This reward system can
effectively monitor and help manage behavior. Children will be motivated to do well in their
academics and behave properly in order to receive stickers for their charts. This system of
rewarding is known as extrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation should be balanced with
intrinsic motivation but should not overpower it.

Techniques
There are different approaches on behavior management in a classroom. Some simple;
some more advanced and complicated. I intend to use a variety of techniques to manage
behavior in my classroom. I believe that the five I have chosen to explain are important and are
effective. Some of these techniques I have seen other teachers use and some of them I have
developed on my own in accordance with my observation notes. The key to finding an effective
technique to manage behavior is to knowing the children individually. As a teacher, it is so
important to know the children, their learning styles, their home life, and their interests.
Every day the children enter the classroom expecting to learn and to grow from where
they were the day before. A teachers job is to make sure that happens. In a classroom, having a
daily schedule is important because it provides structure. The schedule in my classroom will be
placed on the front board where all the students can see it. I will place pictures next to each
activity for the day, so the children have an easier time determining what the next activity is
(refer to Appendix C for example). We will go over the schedule at the beginning of each day to
prepare the children for the upcoming activities and for any changes in the daily routine.
Schedules keep everything in a classroom organized and help the teacher and students to
remember what comes next in the day.
Continuing on with establishing organization in the classroom, I believe that having rules
in the classroom is one of the most important things a teacher can do to manage behavior. I want
to make sure the students are a part of making the rules. The students should be able to think
about what they value most and what they wish to see happen in the classroom. This is a way to
make sure everyone is on the same page. I agree with George Morrison that rules should be
limited in number and only apply to behavior (Morrison, 2014, p. 58). Rules that are limited in

number are easier to read when displayed, they are easier to remember, and easier to follow. As
a teacher I will model these rules no matter if I am in or out of the classroom. Students run into
teachers outside of school occasionally, and it is extremely important that teachers model the
same behaviors that they do inside the classroom. The classroom rules will include rules such
as: We say please, We are safe, and We are kind to others. These rules are basic, due to
short sentences and a simple pronoun such as we, but they will help the children learn my
expectations for them. On the first day of school we will write the rules on a piece of chart
paper, and then display them on a wall that all the children can see. This will serve as a
continual reminder. Each day for the first few weeks of school we will go over the rules that we
wrote together. If a student is misbehaving, I will pull the student aside quietly during work time
and remind them that we are kind to others, or we are safe. I think that reminding the class
of the rules they made will guide them to making better choices.
Good choices can be hard for a child to make without guidance from an adult. I believe
that I can be that guide for the children in my classroom. During the day the children constantly
have to make choices. I believe that play is a great time of the day to teach children problem
solving skills and to help them learn about perspectives. For instance, in the vignette describing
Democratic Life Skill 2, one of the girls places her wand down, another picks it up, and then she
gets upset (Gartrell, 2013a, p. 90). If this occurred in my classroom, it would be a great chance
for me to guide the children into solving the problem. I believe that this technique is extremely
effective. After the child is aware of the meaning of his or her actions, the teacher can then
explain how the actions affected the other child, such as letting them know how it made the child
feel. This technique teaches the child to problem solve, and take others perspectives into
account, which are self-regulation skills.

I believe parental engagement is an important part of behavior management. One of the

techniques I have created is to have weekly or bi-weekly conferences with each childs parents
or guardians, which can be on the phone or in person. I will send home a slip with each child
that will have different times I am available to meet and the purpose for meeting. The slip will
be returned within the same week, and then I will notify the parent of their choice of time and
day. These slips are done on a first come first basis which means whoever returns the slip first
will receive that time and day before another parent who may have turned in the slip a few days
later. In my experiences, this technique has been used. The information I can acquire from the
parents/guardians is so important in helping me determine the best things to do for a child when
he or she misbehaves. A childs home life has such a tremendous impact on their school life. I
believe these conferences will establish a relationship between the parents or guardians and
myself.
The final technique I am going to share is based on a rewards system. I would like to use
sticker charts in my classroom to reinforce good behavior. Each child will receive an individual
sticker chart that will be taped to their desk on the first day of school. Each time I see a child
behaving well, they will receive a sticker to place on their chart. Once the chart has been filled
up they can choose a toy from the toy box. The toy box contains small toys or creative supplies
such as toy cars, notepads, colorful pencils, or stuffed animals. The rule with the toy box is that
if a child picks a toy that cannot be used during the school day such as a toy car, the child must
place the toy in their backpack until play time or until the end of the day when it is time to go
home. This will help prevent distraction from school work. I believe that this technique, along
with the other four discussed, are ideal and will be perfect for an early childhood classroom.

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Bullying: Part 1
Bullying is defined as unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that
involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be
repeated, over time (Bullying, n.d, para. 1). During the bullying process there are many roles
taking place: the bully, the victim, and the bystanders. The bully engages in bullying behavior
towards their peers (The Roles, n.d.). In a Kindergarten classroom, potential bullies are those
students that are mean to classmates, take others belongings and declare that they are in charge.
The victims are the targets of bullying behavior (The Roles, n.d.). Some victims in a
Kindergarten setting may be shy, while other victims can be very aggressive toward the bully.
The bystanders neither reinforce the bullying behavior nor defend the child being bullied
(The Roles, n.d.). It is possible for bystanders to encourage bullies by laughing or creating an
audience for the incident.
In Washington Township, where my observations took place, the protocols for reporting
an HIB incident are (1) that the witness must verbally report the incident to the principal on the
same day that the incident occurred, (2) the principal must tell the parents of the incident and all
the children involved and where they may get counseling, and (3) within 2 school days of the
incident it must be reported in writing to the principal. Any teacher, staff member, volunteer or
student must report an incident if it is in accordance with the legal definition of bullying (An
Overview, n.d, p. 22-23). There are Anti-Bullying Specialists in the district who are trained and
certified as a support system (Harassment, 2014). The specialist also creates a school safety
team comprised of the principal, a teacher in the school, a parent of a student in the school, and
other members determined by the principal (An Overview, n.d, p. 9-12). The school safety
team develops and maintains a positive school environment (An Overview, n.d, p. 10-12).

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Bullying-Part 2
Bullying can be caused by many reasons. Some reasons include the bullys temperament,
the bullys home life, the victims actions before the bullying began, and many more. Some
children that are more likely to bully others: are dominate, have social power, are concerned with
popularity, are aggressive, have issues at home and have less parenting, have difficulty following
rules, and view violence in a positive way (Risk, n.d.). Some children likely to bully are
depressed or anxious and are more likely sitting by themselves because they dont like
interacting with others. They may have low self-esteem and have been bullied by others a point
in their lives (Risk, n.d.). Children who bully tend to receive negative outcomes such as peer
rejection, delinquency, criminal activity, and depression as they continue with these behaviors
over time (Ragozzino, 2009, p. 5; Paul et al., 2007, p. 29-47).
Bullying prevention has become a major priority in schools today. There are many ways
to prevent bullying. Getting parents and teachers trained on how to prevent bullying is a great
start. There are workshops and training sessions for parents, as well as teachers. There are also
bullying prevention programs such as the Bullying Prevention Fund, the Week of Respect,
and discussions with students (An Overview, n.d, p. 42-44). The Bullying Prevention Fund is
created by the NJDOE to provide training on HIB and how to create positive environments. The
Week of Respect is the first week of October and serves to provide age-appropriate training in
HIB and throughout the year the training must be in accordance with Common Core Standards.
The schools must also develop a process in which they discuss the HIB policies with students.

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Bullying: Part 3
I was observing in a self-contained Kindergarten classroom and there were eleven
children, all with IEPS and different personalities. Most of the children in the classroom had
behavioral disorders and needed to be dealt with in a different way than the other children. One
day in gym class a girl taunted one of the boys and laughed at him. He ran as fast as a bullet and
pushed her over and started choking her. Later on that day he had tried to choke her twice more.
If a student feels threatened or insecure, he or she may dish out aggression and anger in the form
of bullying.
Bullying in a Kindergarten classroom may not sound like it occurs very often, but it can
occur due to several factors. Home life has a lot to do with how the student responds to certain
situations. A student may not have the same privileges as another; different socioeconomic
classes might cause bullying in a classroom. My teacher and I made assumptions that most of
bullying occurs when the teacher is either not paying attention to the students or the teacher is
not there. Children are not familiar with substitutes and therefore dont know the substitutes
expectations. It can be tough for a substitute to establish expectations when he or she is only
with the children for one day.
My cooperating teacher knows her students extremely well and she is in contact with all
the parents. She knows what triggers certain behaviors and knows who may start issues, so she
places them at different tables in the room. If an issue arises, such as the one with the boy
choking the girl, she would isolate the boy from the class so that he does not harm anyone else.
She would explain why what he did is hurting her and why he is not supposed to choke her. She
then explains that there are other ways to express his feelings. When it gets severe like this case,
she reports it to the director and then contacts the parents to notify them of the incident.

13

Bullying: Part 4a
This project opened my eyes to new information and opportunities. I have learned
different techniques that will help me manage behavior and get to know each student better.
Before the project was started, I was anxious about behavior and how to manage it. My fear was
that I would not be able to maintain control in the classroom. I did not know of any effective
techniques that I could use to manage behavior. I really learned a lot about behaviors, the many
reasons behaviors can change, and how best to manage behaviors. This project showed me who
I really want to be as a teacher. It made me think deeply about what I believe and how I can
implement that into my future classroom.
One of the things that I found the most interesting in my research for this project was
learning about whole-brain teaching techniques from my interview with Mrs. Otto (see Appendix
D for interview). Whole-brain teaching techniques incorporate all parts of how people learn:
seeing, hearing, saying, doing, and feeling. I believe this technique is ideal in a constructivist
classroom because it gives children the chance to experience and construct knowledge. Another
piece of important information I learned is that children cannot problem solve on their own at
such a young age, but an adult can guide the children and help them to problem solve.
According to the NAEYC Democratic Skills, children tend to reconcile their differences
without formal ceremony. But they do so more easily if they experience the coaching of an early
childhood professional who over time models and teaches the skills of cooperative problem
solving and reconciling differences (Gartrell, 2013b, p. 91). The final piece of information that
I found to be influential was what self-regulation was and how I can help students develop selfregulation skills. Self-regulation is when a child learns to manage their behavior and they act the

14

same whether or not an adult is present. I can help students develop these skills by creating
structure in the classroom and helping them problem solve.
The second part of this project was focused on bullying, why it can occur and how it can
be prevented. Before this project, I knew of some ways bullying could be prevented, but I didnt
know how to report bullying or the many reasons why bullying occurs. I learned a lot from the
research completed, but I found three pieces of information that I thought was the most
important. The first piece of information was how to report bullying. I learned that anyone who
witnesses a bullying incident should verbally report it to the principal on the day that the incident
occurs. 2 days later, a written report must be filed to the principal in order for an investigation to
begin. The principal must inform the parents of all involved that an incident occurred and
inform them of counseling options. The second important piece of information I acquired was
the different roles that are established during a bullying incident. There are the bully, the victim,
and the bystanders. The bully is the one who engages in physical, verbal, or written aggression
toward another individual or group of people repeatedly. The victim is the one whom gets
bullied and the bystanders are those who witness the bullying incident, but they do not take a
side. Sometimes the bystanders can encourage bullying when they create an audience during the
incident. The final piece of information I found to be influential was that bullies can be children
who are typically aggressive or have challenging behavior, but they can also be children who are
quiet, depressed, and have low self-esteem. This project has taught me a great deal of
information about behavior and bullying, the reasons why behaviors change, and why bullying
can occur.

15

Appendix A
References
An Overview of Amendments to Laws on Harassment, Intimidation and Bullying. (n.d.).
Retrieved December 3, 2014, from
http://www.state.nj.us/education/students/safety/behavior/hib/overview.pdf
Developmentally Appropriate Practice (DAP) | National Association for the Education of Young
Children | NAEYC. (n.d.). Retrieved November 27, 2014, from
http://www.naeyc.org/DAP
Gartrell, D. (2013a, March 1). Democratic Life Skill 2. Retrieved November 21, 2014, from
http://www.naeyc.org/yc/files/yc/file/201303/Guidance_Matters_0313.pdf
Gartrell, D. (2013b, July 1). Democratic Life Skill 3. Retrieved November 21, 2014, from
http://www.naeyc.org/yc/files/yc/file/201307/Guidance_Matters_Gartrell_0713.pdf
Harassment, Intimidation, Bullying (HIB). (2014, January 1). Retrieved December 3, 2014, from
http://www.wtps.org/Page/5944
Leong, D. (2014, January 1). Self-Regulation - Tools of the Mind. Retrieved November 21,
2014, from http://www.toolsofthemind.org/philosophy/self-regulation/
Morrison, G. (2014). History and Theories. In Fundamentals of Early Childhood Education (7th
ed., pp. 58, 73, 74, 363). Boston: Pearson Education.

Paul, J. J., & Cillessen, A. H. N. (2007). Dynamics of peer victimization in early adolescence:
Results from a four-year longitudinal study. In J. E. Zins, M. J. Elias, & C.A. Maher
(Eds.), Bullying, victimization, and peer harassment (pp. 2947). New York: Haworth
Press

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Ragozzino, K., & O'Brien, M. (2009, November 1). Social and Emotional Learning and Bullying
Prevention. Retrieved December 3, 2014.

The Roles Kids Play. (n.d.). Retrieved December 2, 2014, from

http://www.stopbullying.gov/what-is-bullying/roles-kids-play/index.html

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Appendix B

18

Appendix C
Sample Schedule with Pictures

Centers

Circle Time

*Additional Note: Images can be found at http://galleryhip.com/kindergarten-circle-time.html

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Appendix D
Interview with Mrs. O
1. How do you communicate with a parent about a students performance?
I communicate in a number of ways. We have formal conferences in November, February and
May/June. If there is an area of concern I initiate conversation via phone and then update by
email, phone or notes. I also often email parents to let them know that the student is doing well.
2.

Are the classroom rules posted somewhere in your classroom where the students can see?

The class rules are posted on the front board.

3.

Were the children part of creating the rules?

The students think they helped create the rules but in fact I led them to the 4 basic rules that I
use.
4.

Do you use the schools Discipline Policies in your classroom?

Yes. The policy of our school is to use positive tactics whenever possible.
5.

Do you reward your students in groups/tables or individually?

All of the above. I have individual rewards like stickers, or good day coupons. I also reward
tables and whole group.
6.

Do you reward the class as a whole?

We have a class scoreboard. The class earns points against me. If they win at the end of the day,
then they are one step closer to a class reward which I keep secret until they earn it.
7.

Has your behavior management plan changed in the past year?

In the past few years I have been implementing whole brain teaching techniques.
8.

Do you believe your plan for this year is going well? Have you had to adjust anything

since the first day of school?

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My plan is going well but you adjust and change throughout the year and from year to year.
9.

In what ways do you assess/evaluate each student? How often?

Assessment in Kindergarten is done formally three times a year and informally

On a daily basis. Much of what we do is activity based so monitoring and observation are key. I
prefer to do any formal assessments individually or in a small group but rarely whole class.
10.

What is your typical procedure for dealing with conflict?

When the students are in conflict, I try to teach them to solve their own problems first. Ill ask
them What can you do to solve this problem They can almost always resolve the conflict
themselves with guidance from me. We teach them to use their words and to ask a grown up for
help if they cant solve it. Physical fighting never escalates higher than perhaps a tug of war over
something. In that case, I will take the item away from both students. I find that when you
establish an environment of respect in the classroom (for the teacher and for each other) the
students very rarely persist after being told to settle the conflict. In the rare case when a child is
physically out of control, safety is always first. I remove the other students from the area and
then remove any dangers from the student in crisis. If I cannot calm the situation alone I call the
Guidance Counselor for assistance.
11.

What theory do you base your behavior management on?

Constructivist. I believe that that children construct knowledge and learn through

experiences.

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Interview with Mrs. A

1. How do you communicate with a parent about a students performance?
Every marking period, I send home progress reports with each child. I also send home slips
for parents to fill out which day and time works for them to have a conference. These slips are firstcome-first-serve. When the slips are returned, I number them so I know who returned them first and
then I will let them know which day they got to come in for their conference. For Gianna, who has a
behavior disability, I keep a pink notebook that gets sent home with her every day to communicate
with her parents. If Gianna is acting up, I will write about it in the notebook, but if she is having a
good day, she will get a sticker put in the notebook.
2.

Are the classroom rules posted somewhere in your classroom where the students can see?

Were the children part of creating the rules?

Yes, I created them myself but went over them with the students so they felt like they were a
part of making them. I also have pictures next to each rule so the children can refer to the pictures if
they have trouble reading the rules.
3.

Do you use the schools Discipline Policies in your classroom?

Yes, but there isnt really a discipline policy besides just making sure the children are safe. I

took a training course on how to handle children with behavior issues and feel that I am qualified
enough to handle these types of situations.
4.

Do you reward your students in groups/tables or individually?

Both reward systems take place in the classroom. Students are rewarded as a class by

receiving a ticket for good behavior. Once the ticket is pulled, the number on the ticket is then
colored in on the poster. Once a row is colored in on the poster, the children receive a surprise. The
children are rewarded individually with stickers to place on their sticker charts if they are seen
behaving well. Once the sticker charts are filled they receive a prize from the toy box. Two students

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in the class have individual reward systems as well, because their behavior issues can be severe. The
children receive a penny stick. There are 5 spots where a penny can be placed if good behavior is
seen. After the child receives the 5th penny, they can choose and activity to do or they can play on
the iPad for a short amount of time.
5.

Do you reward the class as a whole?

Yes, the class is rewarded with the tickets for the poster.

6.

Has your behavior management plan changed in the past year?

It changes every year; sometimes it changes many times throughout the year if the children
get bored of a certain technique being used.

7.

In what ways do you assess/evaluate each student? How often?

There is a test that they take in the beginning of the year to see what they know. Every
marking period there is a test that they must take to see how they can read and write
words. Finally, there are tests at the end of the year to make sure the students are ready to move on
to the next grade. I like to periodically test the children on vocabulary and phonics, even though it
isnt required.

8.

What theory do you base your behavior management on?

I typically follow a Humanistic view because I place a lot of emphasis on motivation and
encouragement. I try to make the children feel safe and able to learn in my classroom.

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