Amy Shorter

EDU 3431
Dr. Vowell
November 21, 2014

Philosophical Statement
My philosophy is that every student matters and every moment counts. Everything that I
teach in my classroom will have a purpose and I will let my students know why it is important
that we are learning this. I believe in positive reinforcement and encouragement. I do not want to
nag my students; this causes more harm than good. I believe in building a community in the
classroom. Our class will be creating our own Class Constitution. Along with this Constitution, I
will have the students create a list of expectations of me, as their teacher. Responsibility is also
important to me as a teacher. I want my students to be responsible for their actions and be
independent learners. The most important thing I want my students to know is that I really do
care for them.
Fred Jones Positive Classroom Management is what I feel most closely relates with my
own beliefs about teaching. This theory is based on eliminating wasted class time while teaching
student responsibility, independence and cooperation. It combines discipline, instruction and
classroom behavior. Dr. Jones believes that the key to positive discipline classroom management
is prevention. Teachers are to support students so they gain self-control, which leads to good
behavior, positive attitudes and enjoyable learning experiences in the classroom. Jones states,
"The best way to manage behavior problems is to prevent their occurrence". Jones created a
program that is based on five clusters of teacher skills.
Skill Cluster 1: Classroom Structure to Discourage Misbehavior

Room Arrangement
Opening Routines
Classroom Chores and Classroom Rules

Skill Cluster 2: Limit-Setting through Body Language

Physical Proximity
Proper breathing
Eye contact
Body carriage

Skill Cluster 3: Using Say, See, Do Teaching: "Say, See, Do

Say, See, Do Teaching

[Visual Instruction Plans (VIPs)]

Skill Cluster 4: Responsibility Training through Incentive Systems

Group rewards or incentives are structured to help build student cooperation and also
help to motivate responsibility, good behavior and productive work.
Preferred Activity Time (PAT)
Backup Systems

Skill Cluster 5: Providing Efficient Help to Individual Students such as efficient help through

Be Positive
Be Brief
Be Gone

Room Arrangement
Fred Jones recommends creating a room arrangement where you can easily get from one
side of the room to another with the least amount of steps. I will arrange the students desks in a
horseshoe, so that the students can all see each other. This will make group discussions easier
and will not require any additional desk movement. This arrangement will also allow me to get
to each student quickly. My desk will be at the back of the room. There will be a project table in
one corner of the room. The project table will have art supplies and manipulatives. This is where
students may do their PAT. There will be a reading/game area in another corner, with a couch,
bean bag chairs and a bookshelf. Students may read or play games, according the activity for the
day. There will also be a kidney shaped table along one side of the room for Guided Reading. I
have this table facing the wall so that the students I am working with do not get distracted by
others.
Room Arrangement map is attached.
Rules

Classroom Constitution that students and parents must sign and return to go into their
folder. I will have a larger, laminated copy visible in the classroom, for everyone to see. I
will remind students for the first two weeks of each new school year about these rules.
I will have a website for students and parents with a copy of the class constitution.
Examples: listen when your teacher is talking, follow directions quickly, respect others,
respect yourself, respect your school, raise your hand to speak to the class, be safe, be
kind, be honest

Procedures
Julie Sanford, in Managing Your Classroom for Success, stresses the importance of
procedures in the classroom. Students need to know what to do with almost everything that
happens in the classroom or they will do whatever they choose to do with their free time. A
classroom can become chaotic without procedures in place. I thought of everything that might
come up in my classroom and put a procedure with it.

Entering the classroom: Students will line up outside of the classroom, enter silently,
immediately find their seat, and begin the Bell Work.

Exiting the classroom: Students will dismiss silently by group as I direct. They will drop
their Exit Ticket in the designated location.
Starting class: Always start class with Bell Work. Take attendance during this time. Carry
high expectations for this time.
Ending class: End class with an Exit Ticket to review and check for understanding.
Gaining the attention of the class: Say Class 1-2-3. Students say, 3-2-1. Say it till
you have everyones attention.
Beginning class discussion: Clap a melody and say Discuss. Students clap melody back
and say, Ok.
Sharpening Pencils: When a student needs to sharpen their pencil, they hold it up and I
will bring either my hand held sharpener or trade the student a sharpened pencil for their
pencil.
Obtaining a pencil or paper: Students in need of a pencil will check one out from the
designated student during the Bell Work only. The designated student will be responsible
for collecting pencils at the end of the day.
Obtaining a tissue: Students will raise their hand and request a tissue or if it is during
silent time they can simply point to their nose.
Individual bathroom break: Provide students with three printed passes at the start of the
semester that they are responsible for tracking/using.
Whole-class bathroom break: Have a designated line up spot for boys and girls. Call
students by groups to line up silently. Walk students down to areas. Send in six or less
students at a time. As student comes out, students automatically go in.
Checking out classroom books: Create a sheet that students list the book they are
checking out, check out date, and their name. Designate an appropriate time and day to
check out books.
Going to and from classroom computers: Students will get up as they are asked to and
silently walk over to computers. When computer time ends, you make an announcement
and all students have one minute to shut down computers and stand behind their seats.
Upon request, they return to their seats.
Turning in homework: Leave a tray by the door where students always drop work as they
enter. Work not ready and dropped off upon arrival is considered late.
Turning in classwork: All students hand work to the Assignment Monitor.
Throwing away trash: Students will raise their trash in the air at appropriate times and I
will collect it.
Going to lunch: Follow same procedure as whole-class bathroom breaks.
Going over work in class: Announce, Trade and Grade. Give them a 15 second count
down.
Getting with partners/groups: Use CMCD and the Go-Around Cup
Handing out materials: Create containers for art supplies and other materials that can be
used to quickly hand out supplies.

Expectations
Be Safe

Hallway

Cafeteria

Playground

Restroom

Classroom

Walk, Stay to
the right

Keep all food to

self

Walk to and
from playground

Keep feet on
floor

Keep hands and

feet to yourself

Allow others
to pass

Be Respectful

Be Responsible

Use quiet
voices
Hold door
open for
person behind
you
Keep hallways
clean
Go directly to
your location

Sit with feet on

floor, bottom on
bench, and
facing table
Wait your turn
in lunch line
Use quite voices
Ask before you
borrow

Stay within
playground
boundaries

Keep water in
sink
Wash hands

Take turns with

playground
equipment
Play fair
Include others

Knock on stall
door
Give others
privacy
Use quiet voices

Get all utensils,

milk, etc, first
time through line
Clean up after
yourself

Keep
playground free
of trash
Line up when
teacher calls

Flush toilet
after use
Return to room
promptly
Report
problems to an
adult

Sit with feet on

floor, bottom on
bench, and
facing table
Use quiet voices
Wait your turn
Raise your hand

Return
borrowed items
Be on time
Be prepared
Take care of
your property

*This will be posted where everyone can see it.

Students will also create a list of expectations of me as their teacher. This helps them feel like
they have a say in their classroom.
Rewards
Another model of Fred Jones philosophy is PAT(Preferred Activity Time). I will use this as an
intrinsic motivator for my students to be productive and responsible. This can include any
activity from the PAT list.
Reward Coupons = No homework, Lunch with Teacher, Extra 10 PAT minutes,
Whole-Class Incentives = party, movie time, music
*Plan rewards in advance and announce them and hang them where students can see them
Consequences

Step 1 non-verbal warning (eye-contact, proximity, signal)

Step 2 verbal redirection
Step 3 verbal warning with reference to behavior matrix (Reteach!)
Step 4 teacher-student mini conference
Step 5 phone call home
Step 6 - office referral

*Give students a fresh start each quarter

*Do team wide rewards/consequences
Classroom Jobs

Post jobs where students can see them

Accept applications
Conduct interviews
Create job schedule for the whole year
Change jobs every 2 months
1. Pencil Monitor has a container of pencils, form, and clipboard to deliver
pencils to classmates during Bell Work.
2. Supply Manager knows the location of all classroom supplies and is always
prepared to efficiently distribute and collect at your command.
3. Time Keeper uses your stop watch to time portions of the lesson as needed
4. Assignment Monitor collects and passes out all assignments and handouts
5. Board Keeper cleans white board daily and updates the bulletin board
6. Electrician turns lights on and off at designated times
7. Teacher Assistant helps the teacher
8. Line Leader/Caboose leads and tails the line

Differentiation for Special Populations

First, teachers must have a thorough understanding of the academic content or skill they
want their students to learn. Second, they must determine how much their students already
knowand what they do not knowabout that content. Then they must decide which
instructional methods and materials will most successfully address those needs and, finally,
design ways to adequately assess student mastery of what is taught.
1. Vary the materials
2. Vary the process
3. Vary the assessment
Varying instructional activities allows all students to learn the same concepts and skills with
varied levels of support, challenge, or complexity. Differentiate even in your one-to-one work
with students, teaching the same concept but using an interview with one student and flashcards
with another.
Conclusion
Like I said in my literature review paper, Just like one type of classroom management
plan may work for other teachers, another classroom management plan that is out-of-the-box
might work perfectly towards your strengths. Even though I have taken a huge chunk of my
classroom management plan from Fred Jones, it may not actually work out for me. Ultimately, I
will need to figure out what works for me, but I believe I have created a wonderful foundation to
start.