Classroom Management

The classroom is the place where students pass most time. I should allow them to feel comfortable as
well as provide them with formal structure that is important for their further success in life. When they
transition from students into active members of society, they change from their classroom to their place of work,
but the formal structure accompanies them wherever they go. This requires us, the educators, to aid them with a
strong and well founded structure that not only enhances their abilities of learning but also their ability to
respect others and became a productive member of their group.
Classroom Organization
i.

ii.

Classroom rules (students)

Respect Yourself
Be honest
Believe in yourself
Set goals and work to achieve them
Be prepared to do your best
Have a positive attitude
Use proper language
Avoid bulling
Take a risk and participate
Respect others
Be understanding
Work quietly
Work together
Wait your turn
Stay on task
Listen others opinions
Keep your distance
Manage your time efficiently
Respect your school
Be safe
Follow directions
Raise your hand
Follow school rules
Pick up after yourself
Classroom Rules (Teacher)
Maintain students engaged on task
Use classroom procedures to create consistency
Always check for understanding
Foster a classroom environment of respect and acceptance
State and support fair consequences to modify negative students attitudes and behaviors.
Express yourself using body language and your tone of voice
Maintain high expectations from your students
Raise your hand to call for your students attention
Create a seating chart

 Create working groups to foster collaborative learning

Class Organization and Procedures
Passing back or collecting papers
Students in the front of the class pass the papers backwards
Students in the back of the class pass the papers forwards
Taking Exams
Students will find their test on their desk and will not turn it around or start it until
instructed to do so.
Taking Pop quizzes
Students will write their name in a piece of paper and follow instructions from the
board
Homework assignments
Students will turn them in the desk as they walk in the classroom. No late papers

will allow without proper justification.

Make up papers will be posted on weekly basis on the schools website and they
will be due by the end of the week. Ten percent of the regular full credit

assignment will be deducted.

Working in group
The group members will be assigned by the teacher. The students will choose a
different leader every assignment. The leader will present the project to the whole

class.
Every member will be responsible for their own work.
Students must play one of the three roles (the skeptic, the friend and self).
If the students play the role of self, they will construct an argument to justify their
position in relation to the topic assigned by the teacher. They will use this
argument to convince their discussion group depending in their individual role.
If the students play the role of the friend, they will be persuaded by their group
mate (who plays self) to believe in his/her argument. They will friendly make
questions and maybe help their classmate to support his/her argument using their
understanding while he/she is convincing them.
If you the student play the role of the skeptic, they should be persuaded by their
group mate (who plays self) to believe in his/her argument. They will question
every statement that he/she uses to convince them and be resilient to believe,
unless the argument is completely supported by known facts.
Convince yourself, convince a friend, convince a skeptic Learning strategy
exerted from Mason, Burton, & Stacey (1982).

Field trips
Only students in good behavior standing will be able to attend.

Students will travel and work organized in groups assigned by the teacher during the
boarding of the bus.
Every field trip, new partners will be assigned. The purpose is to have the opportunity
to share experiences among the whole class.
Every member will be responsible for their own behavior. Although, the rest of the
group will work as their conscious.
Misbehaviors will not be tolerated and the whole classroom will participate in
modification of the negative attitude.
Hands on activities
Individual
Students will be responsible for their work and share their understanding

during their group activity

Group
Students will follow the same protocol for working in group activities.
Clerical duties: answering the phone, errands around the campus offices
Every week two students will be assigned
Classroom procedures for Passes
To the bathroom
Only one person at the time
No more than twice per day (Unless they have a note from the nurse)
To the nurse
Under valid request
To use the phone
Only if it is an emergency
Teaching Strategies
In my classroom interactions, I trust on the effectiveness of the BSCS (Biological Science
Curriculum Study) 5E (Engage, Explore, Explain, Extend and Evaluate) instructional model which I consider
crucial to guarantee the inclusion of every student in the classroom, regardless of their learning style, supporting
a logical sequential instruction that fosters natural inquiry from the students. Teaching is learning again, and
experience will enhance my knowledge and my ability to transmit it.
Direct and indirect teaching strategies provide the teachers with the ability to observe and experience
multiple levels of understanding from their students. The students will learn about inquiry and learning using
three different strategies.

Recipe activity uses a self-explanatory worksheet which includes the materials needed for each
group. This activity is a direct learning approach, where groups are given detailed instructions
and follow them strictly to completion, writing down their results in a student data sheet. Student
will work at their lowest cognitive level.

Competitive activity asks students, in groups of two or three, work together to accomplish a
specific goal. This activity is a mix of direct and indirect learning approach, groups are asked to
compete and accomplish a task, writing down what they carry out and comparing together at the
end of the activity. The teacher will participate setting the lab in motion, guiding the process and
helping students to reach a suitable understanding that corresponds to the learning objective. The
teacher controls the time line preventing classroom management issues. Student will work at a
fairly high cognitive level.

Full Inquiry activity asks students to work in groups of two or three to explore the potential of
the given materials and the associated teacher guidance. This is an indirect learning approach.
The teacher will be the facilitator providing materials and some guidance when needed, but
allowing the students to construct their own inquiry which will be aligned to the learning
expectations for the activity. The students work together to identify a question, formulate a
hypothesis (or several hypotheses) design the lab, accomplish it, take data, analyze it, and
making conclusions that reject or confirm their hypotheses that fit with existing understanding
and knowledge. It is important not to allow this activity, which focuses much of its time on
"playing," to contribute to the belief that inquiry is about play and not a process of making
real and valuable discoveries and progress. Once people get beyond the exploratory phase,
and do find a question that they can pursue in an intentional way within the time provided,
encourage them to pursue those questions, even if it is in a direction that they are not sure will be
fruitful. It is the most difficult to achieve. It requires the students to be prepared to work in
teams using efficiently their time, remaining focused and being aware of active learning
through making questions and answering others questions. Students will work at their
highest cognitive level.

In addition, part of my previous stated strategies can be integrated in to the SIOP model in order to
address the needs of my diverse student population.
Special Populations
The Public Law 105-17 and chapter 247 from the Code of Ethics and Standards Practice for Texas
Educators supports the need of lesson modifications to serve special needs population (Texas Safety Standards,
2000). Teachers must be aware of the Individual Education Plan (IEP) designed for the special needs students
to follow the Annual Review and Dismissal (ARD) committee recommendations to adjust the lesson plan to
their needs and take advantage of their existing equipment in order to provide the same learning opportunity.
The IEP if the students do not have sufficient equipment to be successful in the lesson you will need to
implement some modifications to it.
Educators should not only enlarge, illustrate, and emphasize the activity handouts for instructions and safety
precautions, but also review this information one-to-one using sound enhanced equipment (adjustable volume,
or speech rate) to accommodate the (hear or visual impaired) special students.
Further, the classroom should include graphic representations of the classroom safety protocol and
detailed instructions for students during an emergency (CAST, 2011).
Teachers need to clarify not only the lesson vocabulary and symbols but also those required for the safety of
the activity. Teachers and aides need to become familiarized to the National Center on Accessible Instructional
Materials (AIM) to access formats needed by the special needs students in order to provide them a fair
opportunity to access lesson content (CAST, 2011).
The instructor needs to provide the student with instructions handouts in Braille (request them in
advance so they can be available for the students by the time of the activity).
Make sure that all every student is receiving the same concept. Mathematical expressions, graphs and
symbols should be incorporated during the explanations. Special aide personnel (sign language interpreter)
should be allocated to provide guidance across the instruction time and make accessible the information from
the activity to special students.

AIM Explorer should be available in the computer software to provide students with the opportunity
to customize their use of the internet according to their needs. This software is free and allows the
user to magnify text and graphics. It also supports text to speech for human and synthetic voice and
allows the user to adjust the speed.
Every science teacher should master the WGBHs Guidelines for describing STEM Images (CAST, 2011).
Written description of the activities following these guidelines should be available to the aide
personnel to assist the blind student during the students instruction.
In addition, educators need to provide specific instructions to the aide personnel and allocate some time for
their special students to work on their homework activity under their supervision. This time will foster their
inquiry and active participation in the lesson.