Katherine Keeling

November 30, 2005

Classroom Behavioral Management

Discipline Paper

Classroom behavioral management is both the teachers and students’ responsibility.  Teachers are responsible for planning engaging and worthwhile learning

 experiences for students and in return students are to behave in a manner where learning can take place successfully in the classroom. "The most important action an

effective teacher takes at the beginning of the year is creating a climate for learning." (Starr, 1) Furthermore, I believe that the way students behave many times reflect the

way a teacher is teaching or communicating with her students. Ginott believed that a teacher’s attitude set the tone for learning in the classroom, and I agree with him.

           Ginott emphasizes the importance of communication between the teacher and the students. I believe that in order to run my classroom effectively communication

between the students, parents, and myself should be open and friendly, yet professional. I will communicate my expectations to the students clearly so that they know what I

expect from them. “You must convey your expectations to your students”  (Mynster, 1). In return I will ask students what they expect from me as their teacher. I believe by

asking students to communicate their expectations of me it will make them feel as if they have a voice within the classroom, and it will also help me to know what my students

expect from the school year.

Student folders will be distributed in the beginning of the year. A colored folder will be given to each student in which their homework, and newsletters home will

 be sent. This folder will also serve as a place where students and or their parents can communicate their questions or concerns with me, and I can do the same to them. I

 believe this will help eliminate miscommunications between my students and I, which will in turn help eliminate misbehaviors due to bad communication.

 Classroom rules will be established within the first week of school.  I will establish three basic rules: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe. The

 students and I will then create the other classroom rules together. I believe by asking the students to participate in designating the classroom rules they will be more likely to

 follow them and think that they are “fair” rules because they created the rules themselves.

         Consequences will follow if the classroom rules are broken and they will also be discussed and explained at the same time that the classroom rules are established. As

the teacher I will designate consequences because I want to make sure that the consequences students receive are learning experiences and not just useless discipline where

the students feel he/she is being punished and does not learn anything.

           In my fifth grade classroom a card pull system will be established. Each student will have a pouch on a chart where they will have their name and five cards

 behind it. The five cards will each be a different color, each color representing a different level of behavior for the day. For each color there will be a reward or

consequence that will be clearly explained and written next to the card pull chart.

           Everyday the students will start out with a blue card representing excellent behavior. If students break a classroom rule their card will be pulled and a green card will

show representing a warning and showing that one classroom rule was broken. The card colors will continue as follows: yellow representing a second card pulled and a

missed recess where the student will have to write a small paragraph explaining what rule they broke, and why they chose to break this rule; orange representing that the

student has had to be spoken too several times throughout the day. This will result in a missed recess and a call home to the parents in order to communicate the problem the

student is having and agree on a solution to it. The last card will be red, representing that the student’s behavior interrupted the classroom environment and fellow students

were unable to learn because of the distractions caused by the student. This card will result in a missed recess, a call home, and a conference with the principal, myself, and

the student’s parents. Everyday in the student’s folder that is sent home there will be a place where the color of card the child was on at the end of the day is shown, as well

as an explanation from me.

          One card will be pulled at a time, unless violence or severe misbehavior occurs. Students will always get a fair warning before any card is pulled, and those students

who remain on blue throughout the day will be rewarded with praise from me. If students remain on blue all week they will receive an educational reward such as a cool

pencil, ruler, or some other type of school supply that could be used at school.

         I believe that there is no room for punishment in the classroom. Discipline should be something where the student learns from his/her mistake. Discipline should not

 be looked at as a form of embarrassment or punishment, but rather a learning experience where the student understands what he/she did to deserve the consequence

handed to them, and why it is important to follow the rule or rules that the student or students broke.

          I believe in the logic behind Fred Jone’s positive classroom discipline. As a teacher I will try to create an environment where good behavior is encouraged and

 rewarded. By focusing on teaching engaging and interactive lessons that the students want to participate in, I will gain their attention and participation, and therefore

decrease the time or chance the students have to misbehave.

         Time management is an important aspect to behavioral management. If students have a lot of free time or time were they are not involved in teacher instruction they

 will find things to do that might not be productive. “It is better to have planned too many activities and too much work than not enough. You never want students with time

on their hands and nothing to do” ( Mynster, 1). As Fred Jones suggests I will try to eliminate time wasting. I will do this by always having an assignment and/or a follow up

 activity that students will do if they finish an assignment before other students or have time between transitions in instruction. Examples of these types of assignments or

follow up activities are reading logs, journals, and other short reading and writing activities that integrate into themes or units that we are doing in the classroom.

         Say.See.Do. is another instructional method suggested by Jones that I will follow. By keeping the students involved by constantly requiring their attention and response

 they will stay focused on instruction and have less time to become distracted. When students are focused they are less likely to misbehave.

         In order to limit classroom distractions from peers as well as the classroom itself, I will have a seating chart at the beginning of the year. In my fifth grade classroom I

will put the students in groups, because I believe it is important for the students to interact and collaborate while learning together. However, I will move the students into

new groups whenever I feel that any student is being distracted and learning is unable to take place. Also, as an incentive to behave well the groups will be given points, or

have points taken away according to their behavior. I want to make sure the students are praisedwhen they behave well because I believe as Canter believed, “students

should enjoy positive support when they behave acceptably”( Charles, 39). Canter believed that positive acknowledgement is very powerful, and I agree. When a student

feels good and confident in the classroom they will behave better.

            I believe that the students in my classroom will follow my discipline plan and it will be successful. I know that with each new class will come new challenges; students

in which I will have to alter my discipline plan for. I will follow Canter’s (assertive behavior discipline plan) when dealing with these extra difficult children. I agree that

 “when responding reactively to a difficult student, teachers usually lose their tempers or end up sending the student to the principal’s office. This accomplishes nothing

positive” (Charles, 47). I want my classroom to remain a positive atmosphere so I believe by reaching out to my difficult students instead of focusing on their misbehaviors I

will gain their trust. When I gain students’ trust I will gain their respect. If students respect me then they will follow my directions and behave in class.