Behavior Management Plan
After hearing about the endless amounts of theory and speculation about what works and does not work in a classroom, it is hard to imagine having to prepare yourself for any situation that may occur behaviorally in the classroom. As a future teacher, I know that it is important to have my own style and to create a plan in which I am comfortable implementing with my students. After being educated on the different theories and behavior plans, I can take away many things that I like and would definitely use but also things that I think need a lot of updating and would not work in a modern day classroom. I would ideally prefer my classroom to be a democracy setting where the children feel comfortable and have a say in the rules and consequences of the classroom. I believe that I have a strong idea of what my management and discipline plan will be like in my classroom, but I think that this is something that will change with the more experience I gain and the types of students I will teach from year to year.
Some basic foundations that I have found myself to have before writing this discipline plan I think are important in noting to understand who I am as a teacher. I believe that a teacher is there to guide the students through the school day and to do everything in his or her power to make sure that the students understand the content material as well as where they stand socially in the classroom and at home. I think that a teacher is a role model for students and that there is a very fine line between authority and friendship. I believe that I will be somewhere in the middle, using my authority when necessary to modify behavior. At the end of the day, I realize that I have a job to do and regardless of how the students may perceive me, I know that I will always have their best interest in my mind. I believe that students are in school to learn step by step to be future contributors to our society. I believe in helping them understand the bigger picture and setting goals for themselves in the near future. Goals can be short term or long term in my opinion because they can be used to build on one another for the overall achievement of the child. I also believe that students learn from each other and she be allowed to work with their groups to come to an answer. Sometimes independent work is necessary, but it is beneficial to a child’s development to understand how to effectively work with others. Lastly, I believe that a positive classroom environment is crucial to a successful behavior management plan.
My plan will begin at the very start of the school year. I believe that creating lasting relationships with the children the moment they walk in your classroom door will lead to more positive behavior throughout the year. I think this begins with asking the students to help write the classroom rules. This allows them to think about their expectations of themselves as well as what I expect of them as their teacher. I believe that allowing the children to help me write out the classroom rules will give them a sense of ownership over the rules and consequences leading them to be more cooperative and also encourage their classmates to do the same. I think that it important to stick to these rules and follow up on the consequences. This is the only way that the students will take the rules seriously from day to day. As I get to know my students and understand the ways in which I know they are capable of behaving, I will sit down from time to time with them to modify the rules. This will include adding rules for things we need to work on as a class and eliminating the rules that I believe the class has mastered. The consequences will also have to be modified as the year goes on. The rules will also be positively stated and straightforward so that there is no confusion from student to student.
Since I do not typically support punitive discipline plans, I believe in being a proactive teacher. I realize that I am not an authoritarian style teacher, so I have modified many of the theories I have studied to fit my personal style. I will use a reward system in my classroom for the completion of certain short term goals, but more likely for long term goals. Short term, I believe that stickers on tests promote good behavior as well as the use of behavior charts in the classroom. However, I don’t believe that using charts for bad behavior works in the classroom. Embarrassing a child is not part of my management plan. I think that publicly praising one child for good behavior increases the likelihood of the other student following that example. Sometimes, small rewards during the school day are useful in keeping the students attention and engaging them in the instructional material.
Something that I will include in my daily classroom management is the opportunity for the children to succeed as a team in the classroom. My plan will include the children working often with the children in their desk groups to achieve certain goals to obtain points. Points will not be deducted from a team for bad behavior, but points may be added to the other teams if one group isn’t behaving. This will take place on a weekly basis and at the end of each week; the team with the highest number of points will earn some sort of reward such as eating lunch with me or receiving a small gift from the class store. Each week, the points will be erased and will start new the following Monday. I believe that this type of management is positive and gives the children something to work towards constantly. I think it will also help with student centered redirection meaning that the students will help each other to behave properly within their groups since they understand that they will gain points only as a team.
Taking into consideration the fact that there will be students in my classroom who are in need of more extensive guidance, I will conduct conferences with the children on a one-to-one basis. I believe that making children feel ashamed in front of their peers is the wrong way to handle a situation for it will only lead to more outbursts in the future. During these conferences, I will listen to the child and make an attempt to understand where their behavior came from and let them know that I am there to work with them and not against them. Many times, it is an underlying problem causing the child to act out and it is part of my discipline plan to first help the child realize the cause of their behavior and then move forward in helping them make the right choice the next time. However, I also believe that consequences should remain consistent from student to student regardless of the underlying circumstances. All students should receive the same treatment for the same behavior no matter what the outside cause may have been or their typical past behavior. I believe that it is important to be compassionate and for the students to understand that you are there for them, but they must also realize that as they grow they will be held responsible for their own actions, words, and behaviors.
Responsibility will be a very large portion of my management and discipline style. Since I am setting up right from the start a sense of responsibility in creating the classroom rules, it will be instilled in them on a daily basis that they are responsible for themselves in my classroom. Of course, they will understand that I am always there to help them to succeed and make good decisions, but that ultimately it is them who are in control of their own outcomes in school. I believe that children at a young age want to take on responsibility and are usually eager to help in the classroom. I will assign classroom jobs to my students that will change periodically but will teach them what it is like to have others relying on you getting your job done and the importance of helping yourself and helping others to better the classroom community. Responsibility will be stressed in my plan because I believe it is the key in the future of my students. They’re never too young to start learning about responsibility.
Also, the same way as I expect them to be responsible for their actions and work, I will include my own responsibility in my management plan. I will be responsible for doing what I say and expect them to do. I do not like the phrase “Do as I say, not as I do,” because I believe this leads children to believe that this is an acceptable way to behave as well. I will be responsible just as they are for showing up, maintaining my professionalism, and being prepared for my lessons. I cannot ask the children to be responsible if I am not willing to do the same.
I will include routines and class meetings in my management plan. I think that this helps at the start of the school day with the transition from home into the classroom. If I don’t capture the students from when they enter the door, I will have probably already lost them for the day. Every day, I will have a do now activity for the children as soon as they enter making it easier for them to come in and know what is expected of them while they wait for the rest of the students to get to school. This is when some of the classroom jobs can be done and it gives the children a chance to relax and settle in to prepare for the day. During this time, the children can quietly and minimally talk to each other; it does not need to be completely silent. A structured routine is important to me because I think that it leaves little room for misbehavior. If the plan for the day is posted, the students can more independently carry themselves through the day and are less likely to disrupt or act out. The structure makes them feel more comfortable and makes school a place that they can have a little bit of control. Class meetings are important for classroom community, which results in improvement of behavior. Class meetings allow children to feel like they belong and are a part of something. This gives them a chance to speak to the teacher if they have any questions and any confusion can be cleared up during this time. It is a daily chance for myself as the teacher to set expectations and goals for the students and also to make sure that we are all on the same page as far as what needs to get done and how we are all to behave.
My discipline plan will rely on a combination of fairness, respect, and honesty. As the teacher, I will listen to all sides of a story before I decide an appropriate consequence for those involved. I expect the children to be fair to one another in treatment as well as fair to each other in that they do not disrupt one another’s learning processes. I will also act as fairly as possible in disciplinary actions. In saying this I think it is also important to not judge a student solely by their behavior. Sometimes, it is not a true depiction of who they really are so I will try to criticize their behavior instead of them as a student. I will treat students from all backgrounds in the same way and will expect them to do the same for each other. The students will have consequences for lying or stealing in the classroom and an emphasis will be put on honesty. Finally, respect will be given from me to the students all the time and I will expect respect in return. The students will also need to respect one another’s answers, belongings, opinions, and personal space. They will also do this for the other teachers and faculty in the school building. If they fail to do so, a discipline plan will be arranged. Without respect, a child cannot succeed to their highest potential.
My discipline will be a mix of assertiveness, humanism, and dignity. The theories regarding those things are close to my personal style, but I will add in a few modifications. I believe that I am an assertive person who finds little need to use aggression in the classroom. I will remain calm when a student is acting out, and although I will take their personal lives into consideration I find that it is important to accept no excuses and be consistent. I believe that students know what is right and what is wrong but that it is also my duty to help them to grow in their decision making. I think that setting up a warning system can be a good thing, but I will give out one warning, or reminder as I like to say, in my classroom because I find that nagging a child has never worked in my experience or observation. A child needs for their teacher to be firm with them in order for the day to run smoothly.
I believe that even discipline should have a positive spin on it and that meeting with a child to talk about feelings and behaviors is a better way to help a child improve their actions. A child typically does not want to hurt someone’s feelings just for fun, it is usually an outburst stemming from something else, and so I will manage my classroom with that understanding in mind. My classroom will be an organized and structured yet creative environment where students are free to add their own personality to each thing that we do. Forcing a child to perform in only one way will most times lead to unwanted behavior. I will explain all things that I do in terms of rules and consequence and engage the students in purposeful activities. I will bring my humor and sarcasm into the classroom whenever I feel it is appropriate and will not backfire. Humor is a wonderful way to manage a classroom and gives students a stress free feeling, for school shouldn’t be a stress filled place for a child. I believe that my discipline plan is a mixed and modified version of Assertive Discipline and the Rogerian Theory, and I believe that this plan will work very well for my personal style as well as the students I will meet in my future.
Some basic foundations that I have found myself to have before writing this discipline plan I think are important in noting to understand who I am as a teacher. I believe that a teacher is there to guide the students through the school day and to do everything in his or her power to make sure that the students understand the content material as well as where they stand socially in the classroom and at home. I think that a teacher is a role model for students and that there is a very fine line between authority and friendship. I believe that I will be somewhere in the middle, using my authority when necessary to modify behavior. At the end of the day, I realize that I have a job to do and regardless of how the students may perceive me, I know that I will always have their best interest in my mind. I believe that students are in school to learn step by step to be future contributors to our society. I believe in helping them understand the bigger picture and setting goals for themselves in the near future. Goals can be short term or long term in my opinion because they can be used to build on one another for the overall achievement of the child. I also believe that students learn from each other and she be allowed to work with their groups to come to an answer. Sometimes independent work is necessary, but it is beneficial to a child’s development to understand how to effectively work with others. Lastly, I believe that a positive classroom environment is crucial to a successful behavior management plan.
My plan will begin at the very start of the school year. I believe that creating lasting relationships with the children the moment they walk in your classroom door will lead to more positive behavior throughout the year. I think this begins with asking the students to help write the classroom rules. This allows them to think about their expectations of themselves as well as what I expect of them as their teacher. I believe that allowing the children to help me write out the classroom rules will give them a sense of ownership over the rules and consequences leading them to be more cooperative and also encourage their classmates to do the same. I think that it important to stick to these rules and follow up on the consequences. This is the only way that the students will take the rules seriously from day to day. As I get to know my students and understand the ways in which I know they are capable of behaving, I will sit down from time to time with them to modify the rules. This will include adding rules for things we need to work on as a class and eliminating the rules that I believe the class has mastered. The consequences will also have to be modified as the year goes on. The rules will also be positively stated and straightforward so that there is no confusion from student to student.
Since I do not typically support punitive discipline plans, I believe in being a proactive teacher. I realize that I am not an authoritarian style teacher, so I have modified many of the theories I have studied to fit my personal style. I will use a reward system in my classroom for the completion of certain short term goals, but more likely for long term goals. Short term, I believe that stickers on tests promote good behavior as well as the use of behavior charts in the classroom. However, I don’t believe that using charts for bad behavior works in the classroom. Embarrassing a child is not part of my management plan. I think that publicly praising one child for good behavior increases the likelihood of the other student following that example. Sometimes, small rewards during the school day are useful in keeping the students attention and engaging them in the instructional material.
Something that I will include in my daily classroom management is the opportunity for the children to succeed as a team in the classroom. My plan will include the children working often with the children in their desk groups to achieve certain goals to obtain points. Points will not be deducted from a team for bad behavior, but points may be added to the other teams if one group isn’t behaving. This will take place on a weekly basis and at the end of each week; the team with the highest number of points will earn some sort of reward such as eating lunch with me or receiving a small gift from the class store. Each week, the points will be erased and will start new the following Monday. I believe that this type of management is positive and gives the children something to work towards constantly. I think it will also help with student centered redirection meaning that the students will help each other to behave properly within their groups since they understand that they will gain points only as a team.
Taking into consideration the fact that there will be students in my classroom who are in need of more extensive guidance, I will conduct conferences with the children on a one-to-one basis. I believe that making children feel ashamed in front of their peers is the wrong way to handle a situation for it will only lead to more outbursts in the future. During these conferences, I will listen to the child and make an attempt to understand where their behavior came from and let them know that I am there to work with them and not against them. Many times, it is an underlying problem causing the child to act out and it is part of my discipline plan to first help the child realize the cause of their behavior and then move forward in helping them make the right choice the next time. However, I also believe that consequences should remain consistent from student to student regardless of the underlying circumstances. All students should receive the same treatment for the same behavior no matter what the outside cause may have been or their typical past behavior. I believe that it is important to be compassionate and for the students to understand that you are there for them, but they must also realize that as they grow they will be held responsible for their own actions, words, and behaviors.
Responsibility will be a very large portion of my management and discipline style. Since I am setting up right from the start a sense of responsibility in creating the classroom rules, it will be instilled in them on a daily basis that they are responsible for themselves in my classroom. Of course, they will understand that I am always there to help them to succeed and make good decisions, but that ultimately it is them who are in control of their own outcomes in school. I believe that children at a young age want to take on responsibility and are usually eager to help in the classroom. I will assign classroom jobs to my students that will change periodically but will teach them what it is like to have others relying on you getting your job done and the importance of helping yourself and helping others to better the classroom community. Responsibility will be stressed in my plan because I believe it is the key in the future of my students. They’re never too young to start learning about responsibility.
Also, the same way as I expect them to be responsible for their actions and work, I will include my own responsibility in my management plan. I will be responsible for doing what I say and expect them to do. I do not like the phrase “Do as I say, not as I do,” because I believe this leads children to believe that this is an acceptable way to behave as well. I will be responsible just as they are for showing up, maintaining my professionalism, and being prepared for my lessons. I cannot ask the children to be responsible if I am not willing to do the same.
I will include routines and class meetings in my management plan. I think that this helps at the start of the school day with the transition from home into the classroom. If I don’t capture the students from when they enter the door, I will have probably already lost them for the day. Every day, I will have a do now activity for the children as soon as they enter making it easier for them to come in and know what is expected of them while they wait for the rest of the students to get to school. This is when some of the classroom jobs can be done and it gives the children a chance to relax and settle in to prepare for the day. During this time, the children can quietly and minimally talk to each other; it does not need to be completely silent. A structured routine is important to me because I think that it leaves little room for misbehavior. If the plan for the day is posted, the students can more independently carry themselves through the day and are less likely to disrupt or act out. The structure makes them feel more comfortable and makes school a place that they can have a little bit of control. Class meetings are important for classroom community, which results in improvement of behavior. Class meetings allow children to feel like they belong and are a part of something. This gives them a chance to speak to the teacher if they have any questions and any confusion can be cleared up during this time. It is a daily chance for myself as the teacher to set expectations and goals for the students and also to make sure that we are all on the same page as far as what needs to get done and how we are all to behave.
My discipline plan will rely on a combination of fairness, respect, and honesty. As the teacher, I will listen to all sides of a story before I decide an appropriate consequence for those involved. I expect the children to be fair to one another in treatment as well as fair to each other in that they do not disrupt one another’s learning processes. I will also act as fairly as possible in disciplinary actions. In saying this I think it is also important to not judge a student solely by their behavior. Sometimes, it is not a true depiction of who they really are so I will try to criticize their behavior instead of them as a student. I will treat students from all backgrounds in the same way and will expect them to do the same for each other. The students will have consequences for lying or stealing in the classroom and an emphasis will be put on honesty. Finally, respect will be given from me to the students all the time and I will expect respect in return. The students will also need to respect one another’s answers, belongings, opinions, and personal space. They will also do this for the other teachers and faculty in the school building. If they fail to do so, a discipline plan will be arranged. Without respect, a child cannot succeed to their highest potential.
My discipline will be a mix of assertiveness, humanism, and dignity. The theories regarding those things are close to my personal style, but I will add in a few modifications. I believe that I am an assertive person who finds little need to use aggression in the classroom. I will remain calm when a student is acting out, and although I will take their personal lives into consideration I find that it is important to accept no excuses and be consistent. I believe that students know what is right and what is wrong but that it is also my duty to help them to grow in their decision making. I think that setting up a warning system can be a good thing, but I will give out one warning, or reminder as I like to say, in my classroom because I find that nagging a child has never worked in my experience or observation. A child needs for their teacher to be firm with them in order for the day to run smoothly.
I believe that even discipline should have a positive spin on it and that meeting with a child to talk about feelings and behaviors is a better way to help a child improve their actions. A child typically does not want to hurt someone’s feelings just for fun, it is usually an outburst stemming from something else, and so I will manage my classroom with that understanding in mind. My classroom will be an organized and structured yet creative environment where students are free to add their own personality to each thing that we do. Forcing a child to perform in only one way will most times lead to unwanted behavior. I will explain all things that I do in terms of rules and consequence and engage the students in purposeful activities. I will bring my humor and sarcasm into the classroom whenever I feel it is appropriate and will not backfire. Humor is a wonderful way to manage a classroom and gives students a stress free feeling, for school shouldn’t be a stress filled place for a child. I believe that my discipline plan is a mixed and modified version of Assertive Discipline and the Rogerian Theory, and I believe that this plan will work very well for my personal style as well as the students I will meet in my future.