Preamble

I believe that education is extremely important. My goal as a teacher is to help students in

our classroom grow academically, socially, and emotionally. By creating an open and
inviting environment, students will be able to express themselves freely and feel
comfortable taking risks to help maximize their growth as a whole child. I believe that
when students are given high expectations, they will rise to meet them. I want students in
our classroom to work cooperatively and celebrate the success of one another. By
working together and learning from one anothers mistakes and successes, students will
start to discover their own sense of self. I strive to help students develop a passion for
learning that will extend beyond the four walls of our classroom. I want them to realize
their full potential and the impacts their learning can have on others around them as well
as their own future.
I believe that good teaching challenges students of all levels and backgrounds. I expect
my students to be the best scholars they can be, and in return I will strive to be the best
teacher I know how to be. I will show up for my students and do my best every single
day. Something I think about often as I move into my role as a new teacher is the impact
one school year can have. I dont want to be another mediocre teacher; I want to be
memorable.

Preventive Techniques
Classroom Rules

Rules for the classroom will emphasize a sense of community. They will be
posted at the front of the classroom at students eye level. At the beginning of
the year, we will discuss the rules in depth. For example: what respect is and
how we can achieve it. Students will be involved in this process by having
them design the poster with their name, handprint or some other sort of
pledge to follow the rules (Marzano 2003). We will practice and return to
these rules throughout the year, giving examples and non-examples.

In OUR classroom:

WE RESPECT each other

WE try our BEST

WE are a TEAM

WE LEARN from mistakes

WE CREATE

WE CELEBRATE each others success!

Teaching Techniques

Lesson pacing: Lessons will be delivered efficiently and maintain a good

pace to challenge student learning. This will help minimize time for

distractions and management issues. A proper balance will help to maintain

high energy level but allow students time to process (Marzano 2011). Visual
timers will be used often to help achieve this in the classroom.

Engagement: Lessons created will be creative and innovative to engage and

motivate students. They will integrate technology, the arts, and other
meaningful mediums that students will be interested in.

Authenticity: I will create meaningful experiences and projects that will

help students learn content while connecting to their personal lives. I will
research to find out what students in my school need, based on data, interviews
and observation. I strive to make every lesson meaningful for individuals.

Options: Students will be given options as much as possible to help them

make decisions about their learning. This will allow students to take control of
their learning and choose something that will be meaningful and effective for
themselves.
Procedures, Transitions and Routines

Specific procedures and routines will be taught for anything we do on a

regular basis. We will give examples and non-examples to make them clear to
students. These will be continuously taught, timed for efficiency, and reviewed
throughout the year. By reviewing them constantly, it leaves less room for the
procedures and routines to be violated. Students will find comfort in knowing
what is expected of them.

Beginning of the day: Students will come in to class quietly and understand
that there will be something on the board for them to complete as a self-start.
This may be a math review problem with explanation, a report of something
they are doing outside of the classroom, a writing prompt, or anything else
students may need practice with. Students will be given 15 minutes to
complete their self-start. If they finish, they may read silently. In the event
there is no self-start posted, students will come in and read quietly.

End of the day: At the end of each day, students will color in a calendar that
will be their self-check behavior tracker, collect any homework to take home,
write in their planners, clean up the classroom and complete some sort of
reflection. This may include: sharing a success or celebration, discussing what
went well throughout the day, or something they are going home to share with
their family/community. This will be a time for positive reflection. At my
discretion, this may be in the form of an exit ticket containing: 1. Specific
questions they had about todays instruction 2. What went well? 3. What needs
improvement? 4. Questions/concerns in general?

Noise Level: Students are expected at a certain noise level for certain
environments and times. We will take time in class to practice what this should
sound like and what is expected in the library, recess, restaurant (cafeteria), etc

(Adeli). This will also tie in to Rafes six levels because it goes along with
having respect for others and not wanting to disturb them (Esquith 2007).

Other Procedures and Routines will include:

Where to get paper

How to pass papers

How to turn things in

How to grade

Class Jobs (whats expected of each one)

Entering the classroom

How to line up

How to walk in the halls

Lunch procedures

Carpet time

Test-taking

Prep class behavior

Substitute behavior

If students ever abuse one of these procedures or routines, they will be

expected to practice the proper way during recess. My expectations will be
clear and at the beginning of the year, I will call them out on EVERYTHING.
Transitions

Each activity has a clear beginning and end (give students cues: You have
5 more minutes You need to be in your seats with your books away in 10,
9, 8.) Students should have a clear idea of when an activity starts, how long
it will last, and when it will end (Marzano 2011). To help with this, I will have
a schedule always posted in the room and use visual timers letting students
know how much time they have left for any particular task.
Attention Getters

Each attention getter will have a specific expectation. There will be verbal
attention getters (i.e. Hey 4th Grade. Hey Ms. Holly, Snap, Crackle,
POP.Everybody STOP!, "Waterfall.... SHHHHH, And a hush fell
over the crowdSHHHHHH.., If you can hear me, clap 1 time, .. clap 2
times, .. go back to your seat, Countdown with numbers-each number has a
meaning/behavior). There will also be silent attention getters using American
Sign Language (wait, ready, help, etc.), clapping patterns, or turning off the
lights. I will switch these up and use them based on appropriateness. These will
be practiced often and I will not proceed with instruction until I have the
expected behavior.
*** Communication

I will maintain constant communication with my students. I will check in

on individual students one-on-one throughout the day. I will have a goal to talk

individually with at least one student per day. This will help me know what is
going on in students' lives and help them feel important and understood. This
will help me make changes to my management on a personal basis, as needed
(Marzano 2003).
*** High Expectations

Students in my classroom will be constantly reminded that I expect them to

do their best and be the best scholar they can be. I will always give them
suggestions for improvement to help them be making continuous growth.

Rubrics will be used often so students have a clear idea of what I expect
and how they can achieve the grade they want.
Supportive Techniques

PROXIMITY, time management, body language, positioning, role

modeling, responding quickly, following through with expectations and
consequences, class discussion during community circle about behaviors.
***Give students WIGGLE time: I understand students will need a break or change of
pace every once in a while. If I recognize they are becoming restless, we will engage
in an activity to get them up and moving (i.e. Tai Bo, jumping jacks, yoga poses,
Zumba, team building activities, etc.)
***For Fidgety Students:

tie an ACE stretch bandage around the front legs of their chair

Behavior Chart: A behavior rating chart will be at the back of the room. It
will look similar to a standard 'clip chart'. This will be used as a self-reflection
time for students at the end of the day. I will not embarrass them by having
them move clips, but instead have them start to recognize their own behavior.
Students will have a monthly calendar that they will rate their behavior each
day in class based on their behavior. The chart will have ratings as follows. 5
meaning FANTASTIC behavior (purple), 4 meaning GREAT behavior (blue),
3 meaning GOOD behavior (green), 2 meaning OKAY behavior (orange), 1
meaning SERIOUS REFLECTION. The behavior rating chart will look like a
rubric with each rating having a short explanation or description of what that
looks like, sounds like, etc... We will also discuss this often to help students
know what is expected and how to self-regulate and self-assess their own
behavior.
Intervention Techniques

If a student rates themselves as SERIOUS REFLECTION at the end of any

day, they will have to take 5 minutes to fill out a reflection form including:
What happened? Why did that happen? How can you handle the situation
better next time?

Change seating arrangement, buddy class, contract, ***problem-solving

conference.

For students with more common behavior issues, I will have signals for
them to get back on track, such as gestures only they will know, or a tap on the
back. Students have to know what these signal in order to be effective.

I want to be constantly communicating with my students. I want them to

know why they got in trouble, what they can do, and how I can help them be
more successful. Problem-solving conferences will be a common thing for
those who need the support.

If it is a major safety issue, they will have to go to the office. Students who
have to go to the office will owe me recess for however many days depending
on the situation. I will issue a phone call home to maintain communication
with parents about what is happening.
Classroom Environment
Service Learning/Helping the Community

At the beginning of the year, I will introduce service as a way to help our
community. I will read a book (i.e., Miss Rumpius, Ordinary Mary) to get
them thinking of ways they can do something nice that will impact or help
someone else. Weekly in our Monday class meeting, I will challenge students
to do something nice at home or in their community. As part of our self-start,
we will reflect on what kinds of things they are doing at least once a week.

Half-way through the year, this will be a nice introduction to a student-led

service learning project. Kids will vote on a group of the community they
would like to do service for and come up with a plan of action for how we can
help them. I will connect this to our curriculum and guide them as much as I
can.
Emotional Growth

According to Rafe Esquith, students are capable of understanding and

challenging themselves to grow emotionally using the six levels as described in
his book. I will have these levels posted in the classroom and continuously
refer to them as a way to help students grow emotionally.

I will also teach students to advocate for themselves. This will help
eliminate tattling and students not knowing how to handle emotional situations
with their classmates. A few ideas on how to teach them this is by using the
phrases Dont yuck my yum yum and Hike your own hike. These phrases
give students the vocabulary they need to deal with situations that arise
(Raven).
Competition: Any time we play a class game or have a friendly competition where we
need to keep track of points, I will ensure that the competitiveness doesnt fuel bad
sportsmanship by awarding random points (0.001, 5, 50, etc.). This will help show the
students that it isnt the points that matter.

Team Building Activities

Self-Starts: In the morning, students will have a self-start to complete. It

will be clear whether it is a team day or an on your own day.

On your own days would include self-starts like a report of something

they are doing outside of the classroom, a writing prompt, etc. Students will
have these often to reflect on positive things they are doing outside the
classroom, whether its service or something on their own. It is expected to be
quiet on these days and if they finish early, they will read silently.

Team days: Tables will be part of a team. They will have a team name, a
team chant, and will work together on self-start problems. During this time, I
am not interacting with students. Procedures are set up of what is expected and
students work in teams to complete the problems. There can be absolutely no
negativity or refusal to help anyone in the team or the entire team must read a
textbook alone during the next recess.

When it is a team day, there will be math review problems with

explanation, content questions from previous lessons, or anything else students
may need practice with. There will usually be three to five problems. On their
whiteboards or on scratch paper, students will start the problems. They will
only do one problem at a time and cannot go ahead. When the WHOLE team
has finished the problem, and they have discussed and gotten the SAME
answer, they will stand up, say their team chant, and move to the next problem.
If anyone on their team gets a different answer or is struggling, they must find
a positive approach to finding out where the discrepancy is in their answers or
helping someone who doesnt understand.

When the teams finish their morning work, they can work on the weekly
extra 20. This allows each team to earn 20 extra dollars in class money by
answering a few challenging questions. Each team will have this opportunity
once finished with their morning work. Their money can be used as they
choose or saved for the class store. After they finish this, they will read
silently.

Team Building Tuesdays: Every Tuesday, students will engage in teambuilding activities (i.e. energizers, yoga, Zumba, Lorde of the Dance,
Mingle, Mingle, Mingle, Ro-Sham-Bo, Ro-Sham-Bo Rocket etc.).
Sometimes this will be a wiggle time break in between activities when
students are getting restless or when there is extra time at the end of a lesson/
day.
Cooperative Learning Opportunities: Students will have multiple opportunities to
work in groups. I also do a lot of pair-sharing to get students interacting with their
peers.

Community Circle

Every Monday in place of a self-start, students will meet on the carpet for a
student-led Community Circle. Our President for the week will guide the
discussion based on the following questions:

Weekly challenge: how will we help out at home or in our classroom or

community this week?

What is going well in our classroom?

What can we improve?

Are there any major issues or concerns?

What solutions can we come up with?

Parent Volunteers/Guest Speakers

As often as possible, I will invite parents who want to volunteer into our
classroom.

Parents with any experiences or skills that would like to come and share
will often be invited in and tied to the curriculum.
Classroom Procedures
Classroom Incentives

Class Jobs: Our classroom will help students build a sense of personal
responsibility by having a classroom economy set up. Students will have
classroom jobs (i.e. president, vice president, secretary, nutritionist, librarian,
treasurer, meteorologist, substitute, chronologist, distributer, sharpener, etc.). I
will have a specific job for each student that will change every 2 weeks. This
will change bi-weekly in community circle where the president from the week
before will review any job duties.

Students will be paid each week based on their performance. The treasurer
will be in charge of handing out daily payments at the end of the day. If
students miss a day, they will not get paid for that day. There is the possibility
of being fired if they do not complete their job responsibilities for the week.
Students will be given random money rewards for being on task, bringing
assigned homework, helping others, or doing an exceptional job on an
assignment. The money they earn can be used towards extra pencils, leaving
class for a drink or to use the restroom, receiving a new paper, etc. Students
will also pay a monthly rent or have the option to buy their seat. Students
can also buy other students seats and charge them monthly rent. Students keep
track of their own finances using a transaction sheet as actual money will not
be given (Esquith 2007). At the end of the month, we will have a class store
with various items students can choose to purchase using the money they
have earned.

Students will be able to earn money for every five FANTASTIC days
they get on their clip chart for the month. There is no limit on this.

Students will be able to earn class parties by earning a jar full of marbles.
This will be used for quiet individual work time when everyone is on-task.

When students have particularly great days, they can earn short YouTube
clips. They can be funny, cute, or something to do with their content. (i.e. Kid
Snippets on YouTube) These can also be used on birthdays as a break/reward.
Classroom Arrangement

All posters and classroom artifacts will be at eye level for students.

Desks will be set up in connecting rows or tables, depending on the group

of students and what they can handle. Tables are much preferred for my
management style, although sometimes I know this is a difficult ideal to meet.

Sharpened pencils will be ready to go as to avoid sharpening or incidents of

I dont have a pencil during class.

There will be a place to file papers that are turned in by subject.

I will have a candle warmer or diffuser to keep our room smelling pleasant.
I also will have plants to help keep a calm energy.

As much as possible, I will use natural lighting or bring in lamps if that is

not available.
Daily Schedule

Skeleton daily schedules will be posted at the front of the room each day
and we will do our best to stay on schedule. However, if I feel we need to go
more in depth on any certain topic, we will be flexible to make that work.
Progress Monitoring and Assessment

I will keep student notes on each student throughout the year. This will help
me track their academics and behavior, showing progress over time.

Portfolios: Each student will have a portfolio in the back of the room that
they will put some of their work in. I will ask students to put work in their
portfolio that they are especially proud of. I will remind them of this often,
using examples of many content areas. In these portfolios, they will also track
weekly scores such as reading, spelling, homework, test scores, etc. I want
them to visually see their scores improving or not and we will graph them to
provide a picture.

Assessments will be given weekly in spelling, grammar, reading and biweekly in science, writing and math. I will keep track of their scores on a
spreadsheet to be able to show student progress over the course of the year.
Sometimes assessments will be in the form of a reflection or project
(preferred). I don't want to burn students out with 'standard' testing constantly.
Projects

Monthly Book Report: Students will be asked to create a monthly book

report about a book they are reading. They will have to manage their own time
in order to complete this, but will also be given some class time. This is
something they can finish on their own time to avoid the event when a student
will say Im done (Esquith 2007).

Young Author Books: Students will write a book over the course of a year.
We will occasionally have lessons and discussion on what good writing is and
what it looks like. I will help students at any time. They will also illustrate and
have their books bound. Students will work on these in their spare time
throughout the year and although a big project, will be something they will be
proud to take home and call their own (Esquith 2007).
Absent Students

One of our class jobs will be a substitute. This person will put a folder
together of any work we did in class for the absent student to pick up. If
absences become excessive, I will call home and possibly do a home visit.
Documentation

Everything that goes on in the classroom will be documented. This includes

behavior (both good and bad), when we start and end projects (to manage
time), student notes, etc. Documentation is important for my students and
myself.
Communication with Parents/Guardians

Whenever communicating with parents in person, I will always show them

the respect of shaking their hand. This is important and shows a mutual
respect.
Planners

Students will fill out their planner at the end of each day. This will help
them be responsible for their homework and also be something for parents to
see what is due and whats going on. They will also have a lot of reflection
writing in them.
Daily Behavior Tracker

At the end of each day, students will color in a calendar for their daily
behavior self-check. They will evaluate their behavior based on the rubric and
give themselves a rating. This is a way for parents to see how their child is
behaving and when they have perceived to have bad days.
Phone Calls

When needed, I will administer calls home. Sometimes this will be for
positive things, and other times for concerns. My focus is on positive phone
calls home.
Classroom Webpage

I will keep a classroom webpage with resources for parents, homework,

upcoming dates, etc.
Tea with the Teacher: Every so often, I might invite a student and their parent/s to
come join me for tea outside of the school setting. This is just to get to know parents
and better build that relationship. This is very helpful with behaviors in the classroom.
I will meet with each student at least once per year (Adeli).
***Academic Parent Teacher Team Meetings (SEP Conferences) (Paredes 2010)

In place of SEP conferences, I would like to use the allotted time to share
the following information/training. (At parents request, I will still schedule
traditional Student-Teacher conferences)

Set up time slots each day of conferences where a GROUP of parents will
come in at their convenience

Each parent will get a folder of their students data on recent tests. As a
whole group (and in multiple language sessions as needed), we will discuss
where we are as a class, using grade level data graphs, student scores, and
benchmarks. This will give parents an idea of where their child is in
comparison.

Parents will fill out: Goals for improvement (using traditional goal forms)

I will demonstrate skills to practice at home and provide any materials

game, sight words, etc. This will include explicit expectations and directions
for parents at home. I will demonstrate and have them practice with other
parents in the session.

This wont be anything big, just something to do daily at home to help their
child meet their goal

I will also address any information about testing, etc.

Parents will have time to network and communicate with other parents

References
Esquith, Rafe. Teach Like Your Hair's On Fire. New York: Viking, 2007. Print.
Marzano, R., & Marzano, J. (2003). Classroom management that works research-based
strategies for every teacher (pp. 13-26, 41-64). Alexandria, VA: Association for
Supervision and Curriculum Development.
Marzano, R., & Pickering, D. (2011). The highly engaged classroom (pp. 21-24).
Bloomington, IN: Marzano Research.

Paredes, M. (2010, October 1). Academic ParentTeacher Teams: Reorganizing Parent

Teacher Conferences Around Data. Retrieved December 1, 2014, from http://
www.hfrp.org/publications-resources/browse-our-publications/academic-parent-teacherteams-reorganizing-parent-teacher-conferences-around-data.