2. Introduction
By developing a Classroom Management
Plan before the school year begins, you set
the stage to deal productively with the range
of behaviors in your classroom.
An effective management plan is not a
canned program or a static entity. It’s a
framework that supports a variety of
rituals, routines, rules, consequences, and
motivational techniques you can use to
ensure that students are academically
engaged.
3. TASK 1:
Determine the Level of
Classroom Structure
Determine whether you need to develop a
low, medium, or high-structure management
plan by taking into account your personal
needs and the collective needs of your
students.
Bear in mind that it is always better to err on
the side of high structure. Research has
shown that classrooms with more structure
typically promote increases in appropriate
academic and social behaviors.
4. Consider Your Needs
Reflect on your personal style.
1. What is your tolerance for background
noise?
2. What is your tolerance for individual
voices?
3. What is your tolerance for interruptions?
4. What is your tolerance for background
movement?
5. What is your ability to multitask without
becoming flustered?
5. Consider Your Student’s Needs
If you have a significant number of
immature or emotionally needy
children, the risk factors are probably high
and so you need a more tightly structured
plan.
If your class is composed of
predominantly mature and independent
students, the risk factors are likely to be
low, and a more loosely structured plan
may be perfectly adequate.
6. What Level of Structure Do
You Need?
To determine the level of structure you
need, you should start the year with high
structures because you increase the likelihood
that students will engage in high levels of
academic engagement and appropriate
behavior later in the year.
You should also make adjustments as the year
progresses. Plan to evaluate students’ need
for structure at various times throughout the
year.
7. Develop and Display
Classroom Rules
Rules should serve as the basis for implementing
consequences for the most frequent misbehaviors.
Things you should think about when setting up rules:
misbehavior that is more likely to occur, consider
your schedule, your routines, your procedures and
so on.
Classroom rules should communicate to students
that you have specific expectations.
Provide clear examples of what it means to follow
the rule and what it mean to break it. Inform
students that unacceptable behaviors will result in
corrective consequences.
8. You should have no more than 6 rules.
Too many rules will make it difficult for students
to keep track and you may have difficulty
enforcing them.
Rules should be stated positively – they
communicate both high expectations and an
assumption of compliance. They set a more
positive tone. Students know what is expected
of them.
Don’t assume that when you tell students what
not to do, that they will know what to do
instead.
Rules should be specific and refer to observable
behaviors. Develop rules that describe specific
behaviors, not attitudes, traits, or conclusions.
9. Plan to teach your rules using positive and
negative examples. Demonstrate specific
examples of following and not following the
rules. Through both positive and negative
examples, you teach the students to
understand your interpretation of the rule
and how you will make judgments if a rule is
broken or not.
Rules must be applicable throughout the
class period.
Rules should be posted in a
prominent, visible location. It serve as a
visual reminder of your expectations and
creates a sense of permanence and
importance. It also allows the teacher to be
brief in some reminders about minor
violations.
10. Correct rule violations during the first week of school.
Preplanning how to respond to misbehavior will make
it more effective.
Precorrection – you prompt the desired behavior
during first week to minimize problem behaviors.
Proximity – involves moving toward the students who
are engaged in misbehavior. Students’ behavior is
likely to cease as you approach them.
Gentle verbal reprimand – to go to students and
quietly remind or tell them what they should be doing.
These are short, they cause only s very brief
interruption, given when you are physically near
misbehaving student, tone and content are
respectful, clear and unequivocal, state expected
behavioral, creates the illusion of privacy.
11. Discussion – sometimes you may need to talk to
the student. Wait until later when class is
engaged or after school.
Family contact – communication may increase
the effectiveness of behavioral supports and
promote positive behavior. Provide an
objective description of behavior, not child.
Suggest to discuss with child at home, create a
sense that you and family can work together in
helping the student reduce misbehavior.
Restitution – the goal is for misbehaving student
to learn that when their behavior causes
damage, they need to repair that damage.
Emotional reaction (such as anger)- should be
used no more than twice a year with a group of
students, and not at all in the first 5 or 6 weeks
with a new class.
12. It’sok to let them know you are angry for their
misbehavior and may have a bit of a shock
effect and help improve class behavior in
future. If used too often, it will lose any power it
may have had.
Humor (not sarcasm or ridicule)- can be a
powerful and effective way to respond to
misbehavior. The sensitive use to humor brings
people closer together.
Praise students who are behaving responsibly.
Give positive feedback when behavior
improves. Students need to see that you notice
positive behavior more than misbehavior.
Remember that behaviors that get more
attention increase.
13. Who will input the rules?
Deciding whether the rules are going to be
teacher-designed or student-designed is a decision
of style and expediency.
An advantage of student-developed rules is that it
gives the students a greater sense of ownership.
Some disadvantages are: Students tend to create
too many rules and rules that are overly restrictive.
There will be no rules in place the first day of school.
Students may not make all the rules you feel you
need to have an orderly classroom.
14. Other Factors to Consider for
Rules:
Rules should be stated positively.
Rules should be specific and refer to observable
behavior.
Teach the rules with positive and negative examples.
They must be applied through out the period or day.
They must be posted in a visible area.
15. Establish Corrective
Consequences for Rule
Violations:
Once students fully understands classroom
procedures and rules then calmly implement
consequences when rules are broken.
Plan to implement the corrective
consequences consistently. Only through
consistency will habitual misbehavior diminish.
Make sure corrective consequences fit the
severity and frequency of the misbehavior.
16. Make
sure to implement the consequences
unemotionally.
Emotional responses can fuel the misbehavior.
Plan
to interact with the student briefly and without
arguing at the time of misbehavior.
Simply state the rule broken and consequences.
Do not caught up in arguing the consequences.
Remind students who want to argue, that they may
discuss it further with you at a later time, like during
recess or after school.
17. Potential consequences
Time owed:
Decide when the time owed will be paid back.
Decide how much time will be owed.
Timeout (in-Class):
Timeout from a favorite object.
Timeout from a small group participation:
during the timeout the small group activity
should be enjoyable and engaging.
Timeout at desk.
Timeout in another class.
18. Restitution: It can be effective for chronic
purposeful misbehaviors when they involve
individual or social property.
Positive Practice: If the rule can be practiced or
redone, have the student correct the broken rule.
Response Cost/Loss of Points: If you use a monetary
or point system, the addition or loss of points can be
used.
Detention
Behavior improvement form: This form allows the
students to reflect on their actions.
20. Progressive or Nonprogress
Consequences System
Progressive consequences system: This system
is generally based on a color system. Most of
us here at Storm in the primary grades use this.
Pros: Consequences are defined.
Provides a visual for students.
Cons: Misbehavior does not always match up
with color coded consequence. In other words
the consequence is often to harsh or not harsh
enough for the behavior.
21. Nonprogressive consequence system: This system
allows for categories to be set up that covers all
behaviors
Pros: Behavior matches consequence.
Allows flexibility
Cons: There is no visual associated with the system for
the students to follow.
22. Knowing when (and when
not) to Use Disciplinary
Referrals
Our student code of conduct books, here
in SAISD, state clearly the different
offences that could lead to writing a
disciplinary referral.
If you are unsure about what misbehavior
could warrant sending a student to the
office, ask your administrator.
