Dietrich K.

Perchy
Classroom Management Plan
1. Philosophical Beliefs/Statement of Purpose
The management plan utilized in my classroom stems from the belief that education in the
classroom should not be a one way street in which the teacher or the student is behind the
wheel directing the class. In my own classroom design I implement a balancing system of
school and life. To achieve this goal I utilize a system of constructivism and behaviorism in my
own classroom. Constructivism is utilized by illustrating to my students how the content they
master in my class can be utilized in their academic and industrial futures. In my classroom I
have a section of my board dedicated to the objectives for each class day. These objectives
involve taking key content points and giving them a real world application. An example of this
would be during cellular respiration one of the listed objectives is asking how do we get energy
from our food? and Why do we eat/breathe? Questions such as these two help to push
students towards more critical thinking styles by applying content understanding to their actions
and experiences they perform everyday.
Behaviorism is utilized in my classroom by implementing a system of praise and punishment
based on students behavior and participation in the classroom. I should note that I do not
believe in punishing those who are learning, whether this is a reprimanding student for having
discussions related to classroom material or formative assessment that involves having
students practicing new application of concepts. I do not feel that it is right to impede the
learning of others because they are learning through a variety of means or because they are
simply practicing the material. Those who do encourage learning in my classroom, whether it is
through thoughtful analysis or leading peer-based discussion are rewarded with praise and
encouragement. I want my classroom to be an opportunity for those who want to learn to take
advantage of that and to improve their understanding of science. To stifle the creativity of an
individual is the quickest way to receiving any form of punishment in my classroom. Students
are expected to respect one another and encourage critical thinking, systems problem solving,
and concept mastery. If students are to show signs of not respecting one another's creativity or
desire to learn they will either be separated from their peers or asked to leave the classroom
until they are able to conduct themselves in professional manner. I will meet with students who
violate this expectation and discussion with them ways of respecting their peers and the overall
learning atmosphere of the classroom.
In terms of student and teacher leadership in the classroom I believe that this responsibility
should be an equal opportunity shared between the two groups. To have a successful
classroom in terms of determining student content mastery and progressing through material as
a class it is vital that there is input coming from both groups. When beginning units in my class I
begin with a small pre-assessment of some sort, this can range from a multitude of
assessments including short multiple-choice quizzes or short response questions. One student
interest response tool I always try and implement in my pre-assessments is a short response
question, normally turned in after the first introductory lesson asking students to write down a

question or idea they may have on the new unit. I then utilize these questions and ideas to help
guide the flow of particular lessons and it may help determine how I present certain subject
matter. For example when teaching about genetics many students were curious about genetic
disorders and how they were inherited. During a lesson on karyotyping I showed students how
medical professionals could diagnose whether or not an individual would have a genetic
disorder, we tied this in with an activity on predicting the probability of an individual passing
along genetic disorders if they were a carrier by utilizing punnett squares.
Creating a culture for high expectations and learning I believe is best represented through
example. By talking to students about what I enjoy learning in addition to have students share
what they find fascinating in and outside of the classroom is an excellent way to keep students
motivated and hopefully help to inspire other students to pursue their own interests in and
outside of the academic setting. I also find that bringing in local professionals and specialists is
a great way to show students real world applications of content they are learning in the
classroom. For example during my ecosystem unit I enjoy to bring in a local hydrologist and
have them share their data on species diversity and overall biome health. The hydrologist is
normally able to bring in water samples containing live specimen and show students the
difference between a healthy ecosystem versus a damage or unhealthy ecosystem. Having
these local professionals also help to show students about the different types of careers
available in their own town or city and hopefully convey to them that important jobs do not just
have to happen away from home, they can be in their own backyard.
2. Classroom Procedures/Expectations
There are three main routines I would like to instill in my future classes: attention, respect, and
inspiration. My expectations of attention include student focus on myself, their peers, and guest
lecturers when present. Giving attention does not simply mean to have eyes and ears on the
individual talking, I expect my students to be able to ask thoughtful questions, be taking notes
for class, and learn over time the ability of gathering key points and information from a lecture or
discussion piece to help improve their knowledge and understanding of a concept. Examples of
this include students being able to show written evidence in their notes during a teacher or
guest lecturer, questions related to the material covered in class, or their own contributions
during classroom discussions.
Respect is a daily expectation for students. The primary purpose of this classroom procedure is
to ensure that students are taking full advantage of their time while in school and includes such
practices as keep off topic discussion, sleeping, cellphone use, and any other sort of classroom
unrelated practices to a minimum. I want to see my students showing evidence of learning and
the best way to see these signs is through classroom discussion, questions, and formative
assessment responses. However if students are to abuse any of the unrelated classroom
practices listed previously they will be either asked to move away from their peers, leave the
classroom until they can conduct themselves, or return after school to finish their lesson from
which they decided to stop showing their respect. I will individually speak with students to

ensure they understand the importance behind respect in the classroom and reach an
understanding of what I expect of them in my class in the case of any misunderstanding.
Inspiration is the class routine I expect of my students. By inspiration I mean that students are
showing some sort of sign of wanting to further their understanding of concept mastery. This
can include helping others learn material in class, doing research on topics outside of class, or
showing signs in some sort of content related to class in a variety of forms. While this particular
classroom procedure does not necessarily come in any physical evidence I believe it is an
important classroom expectation I keep for my students. If students are not trying to inspire
themselves or others I believe they fall into a stagnant slump in which school and their
education as a whole becomes a monotonous grind that simply leads to performing the motions
without actually taking advantage of the educational and social opportunities they have while in
school. I hope that by the time students leave my class they feel inspired by at least one activity,
concept, or question they encountered while in my class. If I can leave an impression with
students then I believe they have taken something from my class that they can utilize to help
them in either their own future.
In terms of ensuring quick and efficient transitions between activities I give students timelines in
which activities are to be conducted. For example when we are performing a warm-up activity,
which normally includes reviewing previous lesson material, I give students five minutes to
complete the activity. When the five minutes is up I simply tell students that we are moving onto
the next portion of class. Imposing time limits similar to these in activities and following them
helps to encourage students to take advantage of the time they have in class to complete
activities, I believe this helps to encourage the three classroom procedures I expect of students
by having them practice their time management skills in the classroom setting. While this may
not be the best approach for all students this type of classroom management technique helps to
keep the class as a whole focused on the material being presented in class and avoid any
misuse of time in a class period.
When grouping students I believe that having a student-sorting plan is important. If the same
students are paired with one another repeatedly they see little to no diversity in the way they
work with others and this will overall hurt their social interactions in future group work settings.
Possessing the ability to work with a wide range of personalities and working styles is a key trait
for success in both the academic and industrial setting. I do my best to have students paired
with a diverse amount of their peers while in my class, but I also acknowledge that certain
student pairings should be avoided due to personality clashes or setting students up for failure.
While each pairing comes with a case-by-case issue, I believe overall that diversity is key when
creating student pairings and that students should not simply always be paired based on
academic performance but also on work style and problem solving skills.
Those individuals who come into my class as either staff or volunteers will be given specific
directions prior to the days lesson. If appropriate, I will encourage them to be interactive with
students and largely to be a resource in helping students progress towards content mastery
and inspiration while in the classroom. I will ensure that I am not simply trusting these

individuals with students on their own by keeping close attention to their interactions with
students, this is to ensure they are not impeding the creativity of students or putting their safety
in any type of compromising situation. I believe that staff and volunteers can be a valuable
resource in the classroom if utilized in an efficient and organized fashion.
3. Policies and Rules
A listing of rules and policies expected to be followed by students while in my classroom include
the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Encouraging the creativity and learning of others.

Treating students, teachers, and guests with respect.
Solving problems, not creating them.
Following classroom expectations and procedures.
Bringing a positive attitude in everyday.

The rationale behind utilizing such rules is to create a learning environment in which students
are comfortable to learn and ask questions. I have seen in too many classrooms where students
want to ask a question, but fear the ridicule or remarks they may hear from their own peers. Let
alone some of the less than encouraging response they hear from their own teachers. I want my
classroom to be a place for anyone to feel welcomed and encourage mastering new concepts
and creating new ideas. It should be a place where students are able to let out a deep breath
and relax, while being prepared to learn new material in a safe and judgment-free environment.
If students are able to see the way that ideas can solve problems faced by others, and how
these ideas can lead to success I believe students will be more inclined to be creative rather
than focused on answering questions or problems without showing interest in the material
presented in class. I want to give my students the ability to create ideas and utilize those ideas
to solve their own problems and problems faced by other individuals.
Students will learn the rules of my classroom on the first day of class during the class syllabus. I
will go over my expectations of them to follow these rules, and that they can uphold me to the
same rules. I encourage students to acknowledge when the classroom rules are not being
practiced as if any of these rules are violated then the type of classroom atmosphere I hope to
create for my students might be lost. It takes a team effort to uphold such expectations, without
that accountability it can be easy to fall into ways of learning that are not beneficial to the
student or the educator.

4. Positive Reinforcement and Hierarchy of Consequences

Positive behavior in my classroom is seen through a multitude of ways including helping others
obtain content mastery, going beyond expectations in terms of assignment or project guidelines,
facilitating subject related discussions, or bringing in outside research or evidence of exploring

content related to class. The primary point I hope to impart on students is that learning is not
simply a process that takes place inside the classroom. It is a practice that students should see
in all facets of their life. My hope is that students use the knowledge from class to help inspire
them to make observations or solve problems in other classes in addition to real world situations
they may encounter. If they are able to continue to hone their skills of the scientific method and
creativity I believe those are successful skills that can help any individual succeed in the
academic and real world applications. This type of behavior can be acknowledged through class
public recognition, parent emails, and student awards either in the class or the school
depending on the school and how they reward good behavior. Acknowledging these types of
positive behavior are important and if we are to help encourage students that they are able to be
future problem solvers and leaders of the world, it all starts in the classroom and it is up to the
teacher to impart those ideologies and practices onto their students.
In terms of responding to negative behavior I believe this is a subject that many believe they can
handle easily, but if done incorrectly can cause a severe amount of damage to the recipient.
Whenever I deal with students and misbehavior I begin with a one-on-one conversation with the
students. I start off this conversation by telling the student that I do not think any less of them or
that we are on negative terms, I tell them that the purpose of the conversation is to address an
issue in which they either did not follow one of the classroom rules or expectations. Depending
on what rule or expectation was violated helps to guide the conversation. The important
message I believe that must be made clear to the student is that they are no less in the eyes of
their teacher, that they can still be a good student but may need some additional help to help
them achieve success in the classroom. Students too often by high school have had
discussions or punishments from teachers that end with them believing they are worst than their
peers and should be treating less than them. With that type of thinking and self-loathing
occurring it can make it difficult for a student to want to be a positive influence in the class or to
want to try and master new material. Dealing with negative behavior does not have to be a
negative experience; it should be an educational and enlightening one that helps to show
students how to achieve success. Otherwise the students do not have an example to follow and
are bound to fall back into the ways that led them to this punishment in the first place.
5. Action Plan
To implement this action plan I believe it is important to clearly convey my expectations to my
students and their families. The most efficient way for my students time, their parents, and my
own time is to tackle this issue during the first day of class. By clearly communicating my
expectations and rules, along with explanations behind utilizing such classroom procedures and
rules this helps students see what type of classroom they will be in for the next school year, in
addition to how to be successful in this class.
This same concept is utilized with parents; being clear with communication is absolutely key in
terms of establishing a long-lasting and trustworthy relationship. If a parent is confused on how
their student is to be successful in the class then this will most likely lead to frustration and
anger. These types of negative emotions can then lead to experiences and inefficient uses of

time on both the parents and teachers time. I have communicated my classroom management
plans previous with parents in person, through email, and phone. I find that by far through email
appears to be the most efficient use of my own time and parents time. However some parents
enjoy coming in and seeing their students teacher and talking with them to learn more about
what is expected of their student in order to achieve success in the class.
I find that overall if I am clear with my communication, then the rest of my action plan for
classroom management comes easily. Whenever I begin in a new class I tell my students what I
expect of them, I write it clearly on the board, include a copy of it for their notes, and invite them
to come talk with me at any time if they have further questions. Avoiding confusion and
frustration by utilizing a variety of clear communication methods is the best way to share ideas
with students and their families. I hope that in my communication with both parties that we end
our first meeting or informational post on terms of understanding what is expected of not only
the students, but of their myself as their teacher.