Elementary Classroom Management Strategies

Purpose:

• The overall purpose of a management plan for students in elementary is setting the stage for a respectful student environment in the classroom. My feelings are that you are teaching these young students to be adults. Therefore the management strategies should correspond to this ultimate goal.
• In my approach to provide an effective classroom management plan, I would on the first day ask the students to come up with their own classroom management plan. Obviously if important expectations are not reached, then I would chime in offering a guided discussion of expected rules. The importance of this approach is the fact that students who break rules are breaking their own thus making themselves more accountable.
• The students will be rewarded for their classroom management process through a token society of points. I would integrate a system where students will have five points every start of class time in which their behavior will decide the points that are kept at the end of class. Once a class reaches thirty points over numerous class times, then students are entitled to a musical game day. So it is their behavior that will win the most game days in a school year.
• The class formulated behavior expectations and points will be present on a poster board hung where students can read it. The rewards and consequences will be explained thoroughly and reminded to the students the first weeks of school. Obviously when disciplinary actions occur students will also be reminded.

Room Arrangement:

• On the first days of class, I would allow students to sit where ever they want. The reason for this is to see how the class acts with one another. If the class seems to be functional in this setting, then this seating arrangement would continue.
• If the class needs to be arranged in a different order, students will be seated away from others who inhibit their performance. This might constitute to just plainly mixing up the students once again, to the extreme of putting students in particular spaces.

Behavioral Expectations:

• Students will be asked the first day to come up with their own rules. However the following rules will be standard:

o Students shall be quiet using common courtesy while others are talking, thus giving positive effort to the classroom instructions and activities.

o Students shall follow teacher’s instructional directions, being respectful and nice to the people in the classroom.

• The students will be rewarded when they act and portray common courtesy expectations.

Rewards:

• Students will have five points at the start of each class period. It is their effort which will determine the number of points awarded each day toward a musical game day.
• If the students are behaving extremely well, then it is up to the teacher’s discretion to provide these exemplary students an earning up to one or two extra bonus points.
• Once students earn thirty points, a musical game day will be provided. These games and activities will be ones that correspond to what the students are currently learning, as well as things students suggest.

Consequences:

• If infractions occur, the students will be reminded of what student formulated rule they are breaking.
• If the behavior persists then the student(s) will be warned that their entire class will lose a point the next time they are misbehaving. Obviously if things still get worse the students will lose more points toward musical game days.
• If things still are inappropriate, students will be first warned, then prompted to sit down being quiet and stay their seats until they understand what is inappropriate.
• If actions still become progressively worse, a call or conference with parents/legal guardians by the teacher will occur.
• The final stage when all other avenues have been exhausted would be bringing the problem to the school principal.