As a new teacher or even an experienced teacher starting a new school year, it

is very important to set up classroom management rules and expectations early so

students understand what they need to do to succeed in class and create a positive

learning environment. A positive learning environment allows students to feel free to

take chances, mess up and succeed knowing that they have the support of their teacher

and classmates. With this mindset, great learning will come and students will look to

challenge preconceived ideas. Not allowing themselves to fall in line with the general,

but to aspire to be better. To do this, the teacher needs to be a leader. Setting up their

classroom early, and then following through with the class expectations and rules,

letting the class know that they are not just words but actions.

Being a new teacher, I will be proactive so my reactions are productive. I will be

transparent with my students, allowing them to know who I am and setting an example

to make them feel comfortable to be true to who they are. The first year of teaching can

be very difficult, “using other teachers around you for support helps grow the teaching

community at the school”, New Teacher Survival Guide, Teaching Channel. With my

classroom’s positive learning environment, my classes will not only maximize learning

but they will also be fun, enjoyable and entertaining for students and myself.

Classroom Environment Plan:

1. Creating an environment of respect and rapport:

Respect and rapport is huge in schools. Students and teachers do much better

learning and teaching when there is respect. This is true for most everything in life.

Therefore, teaching respect and giving respect, as the teacher, is something that needs

to start at the beginning of the school year and follow through to the end. I believe to get
respect, you need to give respect. With that in mind, I will let my students know that I

want and will give them respect. I will allow for students to express dislikes in my class

about my material. I will allow students to have an input on how material is presented in

class and the kinds of learning assessments that they will do. I will be flexible, within

reason, to deadlines for homework and assignments. I want my students to know that I

care about them beyond just being a student. I will work to learning about their personal

life and their interest. I believe that me, the teacher, giving respect to them first, will

open them up to respect me and my job as their teacher. Giving respect allows me to

gain respect. Beyond just me, they will respect each other. I will stick up for a student if I

see others putting them down. I will stay constant with my judgement and support. By

this, respect will go all round, with teacher to student, student to teacher and student to

student.

I understand that at times, my students will cross the line of respect. They need

to know that this behavior is not acceptable. I will talk with them in a calm voice,

expressing this. But very important, along with addressing them, I will let them know that

I forgive them. Students may cross the line and need to be told but they also need to

know that just because they cross the line, it does not mean they cannot come back to

the other side. Forgiveness is very important, as it allows for a mistake to be a single

event, and not a life time of events.

2. Establishing a culture for learning:

Learning is the overall goal of schools. Empowering students with knowledge and

confidences to become successful humans. Therefor, my class needs to establish a

culture for learning. To do so, I will be upfront with my students on the importance of
lessons, what their target learning objective is. I will provide many ways to reach their

objectives. I will let them know that failure is not permanent, that with failing and

learning from it, they will succeed. I will celebrate my students learning with words of

encouragement and rewards. My class will share personal accomplishments with the

class, creating a positive and personal class. My students will know what they are

learning, why they are learning and ways to learn.

3. Managing classroom procedures:

Classroom procedures are best addressed at the beginning of the year and at

the begining of lessons. Collaborating with each class expectations and rules allow the

bar to be set, then it is important to live up to that bar each day but also accept when we

do not and learn from that. In regards to day to day procedures, it is important to explain

activities and expectations for class time and homework time. Trying to be as clear as

possible to the student will save confusion and wasted time. Addressing learning targets

and important information will help guide the students. Asking the class for

misunderstandings after explaining an assignment allows students to ask questions

before making mistakes which will save time. Students have lots going on in their lives,

saving them time helps save the teacher time and problems. Therefore, being upfront

with assignments and instructions will help both students and teachers.

4. Managing student behavior

Managing student behavior is important for running a smooth class. Behavior

expectations should be addressed at the beginning of the year so students know what is

expected of them and how they will be handled if they do misbehave. I believe it is

important to handle my classes by myself. I do not like the idea of sending students to
the office or calling security. I want to treat my classes like family and family does its

best to handle issues inhouse. This idea puts more responsibility on myself but I believe

the students will respect my views and therefore misbehave less and less. Along with

addressing misbehavior, I will address good behavior with compliments and rewards.

Teachers should not only look for bad behavior, they should look for good behavior too.

Encouraging students to do the right thing and rewarding them when they do.

5. Organizing physical space

I want my classroom to be easy to move around and easy to group students up

for work time. I have experienced individual desks, square tables and round tables in

classrooms and have found pros and cons with all of them. Desk allow for me to move

students in anysize grounds quickly and open up the room for open space if needed.

Tables make for a small community with the students around those tables. So both

have positives and truly, I do not know what style I want for my class. What I do want

though, is for students to be able to move around the class, talk with other students and

not just be sitting all hour. I like moving desk and tables around to change the

environment of my classes based on the lessons being presented. I would also like a

comfortable chair or couch in the room that allows for more relaxed learning. I do not

want it to be distracting but for it to allow students a different option when in the class.

My teacher's desk would be in one of the corners, taking up as little space as I can to

allow for more public space for students to use. The classroom and class are for the

students to learn and grow, I do not feel that I need to take control of the room with my

desk. I want the focus of the class to be on the students.

supportive through the use of technology:

I will use technology to support my lessons and enhance the experience for the

students, bring history alive and relevant to their lives.

7. Organizing an online environment using Course Sites:

I am a big fan of “Google Classroom” and have had lots of experience with it. I

feel that it provides the students with the best organization of the class and is very user

friendly. I would update the page daily with what we are doing in class and any other

needed material such as videos, assignments or web pages.

8. How technology through Course Sites and Smart Boards impacts my teaching:

I have never seen a Smart Board in a high school and personally have never

used one. I am open to the idea of one and would use it to the fullest if provided with

one. As far as Course Sites go, I like said above, I will have a Course Site and if by my

choice, it will be with Google Classroom. The page would be updated day to day with

lesson targets and needed information for the students. I do not like however the visual

turn-in for my classes. I believe it is easy for student to forget about homework and lose

points. So I will favor hard copies and for them to hand in assignments physically.

9. My beliefs about effective teaching and facilitating my classroom:

It is my belief that it is my responsibility to teach and lead my students to better

themselves educationally and personally. Not only do students learn subjects and

information from schools now. They also learn responsibilities, behavior and how to be

a successful adult with the freedom of pursuing their interest. Therefore, I need to be an

effective teacher and classroom manager in order to not only teach my material but to
also teach life skills. I do not get a lot of time with each student every day, so with our

little time together I need to deliver meaningful lessons that work to improve them in

everyday life. I like the “Do Now” strategy from Nick Romagnolo, Teaching Channel.

The students see what is expected of them to start class and waste no time getting into

work. He is also very detailed with instructions, which leads to a productive class. Being

ready for class to start, and organized throughout my lesson will help me be effective for

my students with the time we have together.

10. Management model(s) that best support my beliefs:

“Effective teachers manage their classrooms. Ineffective teachers discipline their

classrooms.” (Wong, p. 82)

Clear student, teacher and classroom expectations (Wong, p. 86)

Classrooms are organized and teachers are prepared to teach each day. (Wong,

p 91)

Behavior issues are addressed and handled within the classroom as much as

possible.

Present and conduct myself in a professional manner. (Charles, ch. 15)

Establish classroom conditions that help students develop inner discipline.

(Charles, ch. 15)

Intervene in a helpful manner when misbehavior occurs. (Charles, ch. 15)

11. Examples that I have seen or tried:

At my placement, my teacher is very good at keeping his class engaged in the

lessons and limiting behavior problems. My teacher is ready to go each day with their

lesson and material for the class. By now the class knows this, so they come in and are
ready to go themselves, using every minute of class time to learn and work. I have also

seen little misbehavior by the students. Zeeland East seems to have students ready to

learn and they know what is expected of them. I believe my teacher would handle any

issues within the classroom, keeping the problems to a minimum.

Charles’ Five Principles for building a personal system of discipline. Ch 15

Romagnolo, Nick. Teaching Strategy: Start Class with A Do Now.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/class-starting-teaching-strategy

Teaching Channel Presents: New Teacher Survival Guide.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/tch-presents-new-teacher-survival-guide

Wong, Harry K, and Rosemary T Wong. The First Days of School. Harry K. Wong

Publications, INC, 2009.