Classroom Management/Safety Plan

Scholar: Diana Miculescu

November 16, 2018

1. My teaching subject area and anticipated grade level:

Biology; ninth grade

2. Attention to procedures. Use a statement to explain your procedural expectation for each of the following:

a. How are students to signal that they want your attention and help?

Raise hand to signal attention and help. Once I notice they have their hands raised, I will let them know I see
their hands raised (so they do not feel as if I am ignoring them or that they know I have not noticed their
hand up yet).

b. How do you call on students during question and discussion sessions?

During class discussion or lecture, I prefer students to speak out the answer to create a more interactive
feeling to the discussion. Students that prefer to answer more quietly within their groups are welcome to and
students that prefer to answer more loudly to the whole class and to me are also welcome. I want to create an
atmosphere in which all students are involved in response in ways they feel comfortable. This method allows
students to process the question, synthesize an answer, and share the answer with those they feel
comfortable. If I want to make sure all students are involved in processing the question and forming answer,
I will instruct students to speak within their table groups first, and then call on a student to give their answer
to the whole class. If students work in smaller groups, hand raising is not necessary, but students will wait
their turn to speak. Students will not speak over other students or students will not monopolize all classroom
discussion. Everyone should have a chance to speak.

c. How and when are students to enter and exit the classroom?

Students are to enter the classroom before the tardy bell rings and are dismissed when the bell rings. If class
is leaving together, students will leave once the teacher dismisses them. Students are to enter and leave in a
quiet and calm manner. (Walking, not running and using inside voices, not yelling). Students will not gather
at the door before the bell rings, but they can pack up at their desks and wait until the bell dismisses them.

d. How are students to obtain the materials for instruction?

Students will obtain necessary materials before bell rings (that designates class time begins) when walking
into the classroom from the table located closest to the classroom door. Students will listen to further
instruction from teacher of when to get up and collect materials for labs and group work. Lab materials are
either set up at each lab bench or located in the back of the classroom. Students will use the middle walkway
instead of walking along the lab bench to obtain lab materials from the back of the classroom to minimize
injury or slips during labs.

e. How are students to store their personal items?

Students will store personal items in their backpacks or at their desks. Backpacks can be stored at their desks
in ways that do not disrupt major walking paths. Larger items such as gym bags or instruments will be
placed at the front of the room under the large table or on lab bench when labs are not taking place. During
labs, backpacks are to be placed in the students’ chairs, as students will not be using their chairs, in order to
minimize tripping, slips, or falls. Phones, headphones, and other electronics, classwork for other subjects,
recreational reading items, etc. will be put away before class bell rings. Students with these items still out
 will be reminded to put the items away, and the second violation of this rule will result in a consequence.

f. What are the procedures for students going to the drinking fountain or bathroom?

If the student has walked in before the tardy bell, they will notify me of going to the bathroom or getting
water. They should be back before the tardy bell rings. Students can also wait until after introductory
instruction to ask teacher by raising their hand to get water or use the bathroom. If teacher is not giving
direct instruction (if at her desk), student may walk up to teacher to ask for permission. Student will return to
class immediately after getting water or using bathroom. In all these cases, except for using the restroom
between bells, students will use the sign-out sheet located next to the classroom door.

g. What are the procedures during class interruptions?

First class interruption will receive warning. Depending on severity of interruption, certain strategies will be
employed. Redirecting for off task students, while more serious interruptions such as yelling or taking back
with serious consequences, such as private talks with the student. If the class interruption is in violation of
Collins Hill High Policies then detention forms or referral forms will be completed to document the
interruption. Silent lunch is also an option for less-severe interruptions.

h. What are the procedures for tardies or early dismissal?

Collins Hill High School policy:

Students will receive 4 tardies before consequences are given. Students who show up after the tardy bell
rings cannot enter the classroom and must go to the nearest attendance/tardy office to receive a tardy note.
This will be entered into the school system. Upon the fourth tardy, students will receive silent lunch.
Tardies are excused if student is accompanied by a note or teacher email.

i. What are the procedures for turning in homework?

Homework will be turned in or collected during the beginning of class in assigned location in the tray at the
front of the classroom. Late work is always accepted but will receive a deduction of 10 points for everyday it
is late. Students who are absent will be responsible for any items that were turned during their absence.

j. What are the safety procedures for laboratory activities? What strategies will be used to remind students of
the procedures?

Planning for safety in the classroom at the beginning of the year will ensure all students receive proper
information and training regarding lab safety. Expectations and demonstration of proper use of materials will
be taught and students must demonstrate mastery of lab safety knowledge before they are allowed to carry
out any labs. Students will read and sign a lab safety contract after this training and keep this contract in their
notebooks as reference throughout the year. The lab safety contract to be used is a free Lab Safety Contract
from Flinn Scientific (can be accessed at link below). If a student has any allergies or medical conditions
regarding specific lab materials, parents of students must discuss these concerns with the teacher (allergies to
specific chemicals, latex gloves, etc.).
On lab days, students will wear proper clothing and closed-toe shoes when working with chemicals
and/or glassware. Students and teacher are to adhere to OSHA guidelines during lab which the Lab Safety
Contract from Flinn Scientific align to. Students are to follow all instruction given by teacher for lab
activities. Safety procedures will be reviewed before every lab activity. Students will use the middle
walkway to obtain their lab materials instead of walking along the lab bench. Students are to wear goggles,
gloves, and lab coat/apron, and any other safety procedures during labs dealing with chemicals, heat, or
glassware. Students will not leave lab experiment unattended unless instructed to do so. Students are to be
careful when using hazardous materials (materials used in biology lab are level 1 so they do not come into
contact with any materials that could do serious harm). No solution or food grade materials will be
swallowed, ingested, placed in their mouths, inhaled, etc. If any materials are ingested, student will notify
the teacher and report to the school clinic following incident to receive proper treatment. Students will rinse
or flush any part of their body that comes in contact with materials that could cause skin or eye irritations
and student will report this incident to the teacher. Eyewash stations can be set up in the classroom or
storage room at a sink and student should flush their eyes for 20 minutes. Safety showers are not located in
 biology storage rooms. If student reports any symptoms after they have rinsed or flushed their skin or eyes,
student will report to the clinic to receive proper treatment. If any chemicals are spilled, student will report
this to the teacher and the teacher will instruct the student how to properly clean up the spill or the teacher
will clean up the spill. If glassware breaks or cracks, student will notify the teacher to remove any glass
pieces. Teacher will dispose of broken or cracked glassware in the proper container in the storage room
away from student access. When heating or using a hot plate, students should never leave the lab station.
Heat gloves or tongs can be used to remove glassware from heated items. Only glassware made from
borosilicate glass are to be heated. Graduated cylinders, plastic containers, closed containers, or any other
materials not set out in the lab procedures to should never be heated or placed on a hot plate. Any student
injury will be reported to the teacher at the time of injury to ensure timely and proper treatment of the injury.
Solid waste and chemical liquids are to be disposed of in appropriate containers set out by the teacher or
down the drain when instructed to do so. Any handling of living or preserved organisms will be proper and
responsible in treatment of the organism and disposed in containers set out by the teacher.
If an emergency were to take place during the lab, students are to discontinue lab procedure and wait for
further teacher instruction. In biology labs, most materials can be left on the lab bench, and if no heat/gas is
being used, students do not need to worry about turning off any valves. Master controls for gas, water, and
electricity are located at the front of the room and the teacher is responsible for turning these off during
emergencies or when leaving the classroom.
Unsafe or improper behavior will not be tolerated and will receive a consequence, depending on severity
of behavior. To ensure all student safety, all students and teacher must adhere to expectations and rules
during labs.

Gwinnett County Public Schools. (2018). Best Practices for Laboratory Based Science Classes. Suwanee,
GA.
Flinn Scientific, Inc. (2017). High School Student Safety Contract. Retrieved from
https://www.flinnsci.com/high-school-student-safety-contract---english/dc10494/

k. What are the expectations for communication between students/students and teacher/students?

Students and teachers will communicate in a respectful manner. Meaning of “respect” will be discussed with
each class period, allowing students to add to the discussion. This discussion will focus on behaviors that are
overtly viewed as respectful and disrespectful among the class population and other behaviors that may not
be so obvious. Discussion about this topic will increase student understanding of the classroom expectations,
rules, and procedures. Students will communicate with other students in a respectful manner. This means
classroom appropriate talk and no use of obscenities or inappropriate topics. Classroom communication will
stay positive and negative/disrespectful communication will not be allowed and will have consequences.

l. What are the procedures for making transitions during the lesson?

Transitions will occur when teacher gives instruction to do so. Students are to follow transition instruction
immediately. If materials are to be obtained, one student in the table group will obtain the materials for their
group to minimize the transition time. Students will be dismissed by the bell and transition to their next
period.

m. How will the teacher deal with inappropriate behavior or procedure infractions?

Teacher has a set plan of classroom management plan for students to follow. This includes the school’s
policies that the students are notified of before attending school, as well as teacher specific policies. Teacher
specific policies include the classroom community charter that is created by students with teacher guidance
at the beginning of the year. This charter will include how students behave, communicate, and interaction
with other students and the teacher. The teacher will assess student behaviors using the functional behavior
assessment to analyze the function and events that cause specific student misbehavior so that teacher
response to the student will be appropriate. Students will be informed of consequences to infractions before
they occur to discourage them from behaving inappropriately. Less severe infractions will lead to a private
conversation with the student in which the student and teacher will discuss possible consequences or
necessary steps to amend issues. Severe inappropriate behavior and infractions of the school or district
policy will be documented on a detention or referral form depending on severity. All serious or chronic
infractions will be followed with a private talk with the student discussing restorative solutions.
 n. How will the teacher reward positive behavior?

Positive behavior that is to be rewarded includes staying on task, following instruction, positive behavior and
treatment towards other students and teacher, student effort and accomplishment. Rewards can be delivered
to the individual or the classroom. Students may receive “free class time” at the end of class if work is
finished early or if class stays on task. Positive behavior will also be rewarded with verbal praise,
individually and to the whole classroom. Improved behavior will also be rewarded and praised to encourage
students to continue their effort and accomplishments. Possible rewards for positive behavior includes, but is
not limited to, preferential seating, positive email to parents, possibility for extra credit, gift from the
treasure chest filled with candy, school supplies, and other small items, and ability to listen to music during
class time (if lesson activity allows for this). Student achievement will be rewarded with a star on the
bulletin board for every A or B student receives on a unit exam.

o. What responsibilities will the students have for maintaining the physical environment?

Students will only touch their personal belongings. Students will touch necessary materials when instructed
to do so. Students will clean up their area after they use it, leaving it the way they found it. The teacher will
model ways in which students can self-monitor themselves. They can monitor their behavior with a few
questions: Am I engaged in the lesson’s activities? Do I understand the instruction for this specific activity?
Am I behaving in a way that is conducive to a positive classroom environment? Do I have any other needs
that must be satisfied before I engaged in the activity or to facilitate my engagement in the lesson’s
activities? Do I need individual instruction to facilitate my engagement in the lesson’s activities? How can I
obtain the help I need to facilitate my achievement in this activity? Do I need help from a student near me or
do I need help from the teacher? What steps do I need to take to get help from the teacher that is appropriate
and maintains the positive classroom environment while it minimizes interruptions? This type of self-
regulation will be discussed with students at the beginning of the year when students are instructed of class
expectations, rules, and procedures. These self-regulation questions will be posted in the classroom for
student reference, but also be given to students to keep in their notebooks as a personal reference.

p. What procedures will teacher use to redirect inappropriate behavior?

Teacher will use surface management strategies such as redirecting, planned ignoring, signaling, use of
humor, hurdle help, antiseptic bouncing, proximity control, interest boosting, removal of object, etc. to
address and redirect minor disruptive behaviors without having to completely disrupt instruction. Functional
behavior assessment will be used by the teacher to analyze the function and events that cause specific
student misbehavior so that teacher response to the student will be appropriate.

q. What are procedures for making up work when absent from class?

If student’s absence is excused, student is responsible for retrieving class work the next day. Teacher and
student will set up a due date for homework. If the student knows they will be out a certain day or part of the
day, they are responsible for notifying the teacher and retrieving classwork for that day and making sure if
assignment will be turned in. If the student is absent from class on a test day, the student must schedule a
time to take the test before or after or during their advisement period. If the student’s absence is not excused
(because they have not provided a parent or doctor note to the attendance office or because they skipped
school, then assignments collected that day will receive a zero.

3. List of student behavior expectations that I will present to my class (no more than five):

Rule 1: Students will respect teacher, other students, and themselves in communication and treatment.

Rule 2: Students will listen to teacher instruction and follow instruction.

Rule 3: Students will respect the teaching and learning process.

Rule 4: Students will be honest To themselves, the teacher, and other students.

Rule 5: Students will be responsible and stay on task.

4. Explanation of consequences for broken rules:

Warnings will be given to remind students of misbehavior and consequences for future misbehavior.
Hurting other students, teachers, or environment physically will not be tolerated. Referrals or detentions for serious
misbehavior will be administered immediately.

5. How procedures, rules, or consequences may vary (if at all) according to the grade level taught or according to any other

criteria, such as in team teaching:

As students get older, they are better suited to manage their behavior on their own. They also respond better to
intrinsic rewards better than younger students. Teachers can use behavior charts for younger students to manage their
behavior (giving them stars or moving their clip up or down depending on their behavior). Older students do not
respond to this type of management method. Older students should be treated as adults and should be expected to
behave respectfully. Praise for positive student behavior will reinforce student behavior because students respond to
intrinsic rewards. Sometimes candy might be given out for positive behavior if classroom as a whole is becoming
problematic. This is an extrinsic reward that can be used if intrinsic rewards are not working.
Team teaching could create a divide between students and teachers as different teachers may have different
personalities which in turn influence how the teacher may go about reinforcing a behavior. Students with behavioral
issues may like a teacher that is more lenient, and they may also disrespect a teacher that will not allow them to act in
disruptive behaviors. In such cases, it is important for teachers to work as a team, always keeping the same
expectations for their students. Procedures, rules, and consequences should be the same for both teachers as it is
important to create a fair environment for all students.
 References

Barbetta, P., Norona, K., & Bicard, D. (2005). Classroom Behavior Management: A Dozen Common Mistakes

and What to Do Instead. Preventing School Failure, 49(3), 11-19.

Brainard, E. (2001). Classroom Management: Seventy-Three Suggestions for Secondary School Teachers. The

Clearing House, 74(4), 207-210. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30189662

The IRIS Center. (2012). Classroom Management (Part 2): Developing you own comprehensive behavior

management plant. Retrieved from https://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/beh2/

Ormrod, J. E. (2016). Human Learning (7th ed.). Columbus, OH: Pearson-Merrill Prentice Hall.