Classroom Management Plan
People will get a sense of the kind of person that you are from their very first impression. Students and particularly elementary and secondary students are uniquely adept at reading weaknesses and making a judgment immediately. I want to create an environment that fosters expression, trust, creativity and camaraderie that lead to experiential learning. I believe that learning is a whole person experience and involves all of the senses and even emotion. Using the methods described by the creators of desuggestopedia will be an absolute must in order to create an environment that inspires learning and removes barriers.
The ideal classroom space will be easily filled with natural light and have high ceilings. I would have as close to a round seating arrangement as possible permitting all students to be on an equal facing with their peers this would discourage corner sulking, self-exclusion, and side-bar conversation. This will also allow for a large center area for out-of-seat activities and social/physical learning. There will be multiple areas for technology, art, science, and history – centers of learning that will lead to greater expansion of lessons. There will be a large desk or conference table in one area of the room under which I would store my files etc. but would keep clear for group projects. There would be a designate corner for reading or more contemplative study that would include traditional seating as appropriate to the target language culture. The walls would have easily changeable features for peripheral learning, visuals that highlight cultural elements, and of course classroom business and our core values.
The first days of class will involve creating a community that garners respect for me as the instructor and guide on this educational journey and admiration for their peers. We would use chunks of language to play teambuilding games, challenge creativity and create a system of core values to govern the classroom. I believe in using as much positive reinforcement along with clear expectations to instill a sense of ownership and self-motivated direction. I believe in creating a value system based on “do” rather than “do not”. I would build the value system around key ideas like: respect, for self, for others, for your environment; empowerment, which encourages students to take risks, asks questions, own their education, and mold their experience, it also builds on respect by allowing students to mentor their peers and guide each other in the learning process; have fun, if we’re not having fun or at least not progressing then there is something wrong a) with the way I’m teaching or b) with the student’s attitude and something needs to change.
I would use this value system as a constant tool and allow each class to build their own definition and expectations. Respect, Empowerment, Fun are three values that I feel permit students to grow in the best environment and maintain order. Each one of the values can relate to the other and every single behavioral situation can be addressed with these three simple values. Lack of participation can be addressed through empowerment or fun, either the student needs to take more ownership of their education, feel like I as the instructor see in them a greater capacity or they need to change their attitude. Acting out or property destruction can be addressed through respect, the student isn’t showing respect for his or her peers nor the environment he or she is in. This kind of classroom management is a clear diversion from the standard set of rules but allows for constant interpretation by the students and the Instructor. It will need some clear definition during the first few days of class and can certainly welcome language usage in the process. I would also expect to use a learning contract from day one that would bind the students to this commitment to learning in a healthy environment.
Consequences and rewards really will depend upon the expectations set on day one by the students. I can’t definitively say what I will do only that it will require the participation and input from the students. Their ideas of a reward will change from school to school and age group to age group. Trying to make a blanket set of consequences and rewards will only make me appear to be authoritarian and I would prefer to be seen as a trusted mentor. I want to guide the students to develop their own expectations and in turn develop the rewards for exceed expectations and the consequences for not respecting the community that we have built in our classroom.
Music would be a consistent part of the learning experience. Music would mark the opening of class, change in activities, and used during study periods in the classroom. Music will always be part of the target language culture. The classroom will be a haven for the target language, a place where only the target language is spoken. I as the instructor will have to set that precedent at all times with students, guests, and parents. We will have regular grammar days in the library where English will be the core language used to explain difficult grammatical processes that are not easily explained in the target language. This will serve as a change of pace for the students and will also respect the language of the classroom. I will use a pentagonal model of time management, meaning that the time will be divided into 5 blocks of time that may vary in order but will consistently divide my lesson planning into 5 specific parts to a lesson that will force me to use varied techniques to maintain student attention. The first couple minutes and the last few minutes will be some type of physical activity that will initially focus the students’ attention from their passing period to the subject at hand and at the end of class it will keep them from packing their bag too soon. For example we will play hot potato throwing a nerf ball around the room at the end of class as each student answers a question.
In order for this classroom management plan to work as a whole I as an instructor and mentor must hold myself accountable. I must set the example of both correct behavior and also the example of recognition when I err. I believe that building a community of trust and confidence creates lasting bonds that nurture and engender respect, growth, personal development, and most importantly empowers young people to think critically and creatively in such a way as to improve their own lifelong development and create tools and habits that will last a lifetime.
Classroom Layout Design
