Kimberly Artman
Dr. Debra Dirksen
536 Classroom Management
28 November 2011
Classroom Behavior Management Plan
I have been a mother for eighteen years, a foster mother for one year and a teacher in elementary school for eight years so I feel I have some experience in behavior management. All I have to base my own theory on is that of which I learned over the years with personal experience and research in psychology books. I have seen the best and worst of behaviors in my class and home. I have a behavior management plan that ties all my past knowledge into an organized and structured way of expected behavior in and out of the classroom.
There have been many theories as to why students behave the way they do. Lee and Marlene Canter think teachers need to have an assertive discipline approach. Erickson believes that our lives are affected by our environment or surroundings. He believed each stage is based on a conflict that was either resolved or took a dramatic turn for the worse. Finally John Bowlby suggested that a loving caregiver early in the child’s life made a major impact on a child’s emotional development. After research of these three major theories, I am inclined to embrace not just one or two of them but bits and pieces from each.
Truth or Consequences, New Mexico is relatively small. I teach about six hundred students from kindergarten to fifth grade each week. Since I am a teacher, foster parent, after school director, and coach many people know me. I am also aware of the circumstances and living conditions of the students I teach. I have fostered many of them in my home.
Many of the students in our school system are from Mexico as our town is very close to the boarder. To understand their behavior one must dive into their culture. Mexican Americans in T or C, New Mexico are mostly field workers (onion, chili or pecan farms), have a large family, are Catholic, and have a dominant male figure to lead the their family. Males tend to be more aggressive where as females tend to be more submissive. The men work in the fields and the women learn to cook wonderful meals by hand. The older siblings take care of the younger ones.
Since my personal behavior theory incorporates several of the theories researched I will go into further detail as to why I chose parts of the assertive discipline, attachment theory, and the effect of the surrounding environments that are involved in the growth of a child behavior. I believe I have experienced all of the theories in my classroom students, foster children, teachers and caregivers. I believe each expert study by Canter, Bowlby, and Erickson has taken an in depth look into the learning process of children and should be examined further by all teachers.
I think one of the most important roles as a teacher is to be able to give students knowledge in a controlled atmosphere. I have seen teachers yelling at the top of their lungs and students that are either ignoring the instructions or hiding from the chaos presented. No student could learn in that environment. I have classroom behavior rules that focus on respect and an enhanced learning environment (see appendix C).
Behavioral Theories
Erikson believed that a conflict in each stage of life was like a step stone in learning. In the elementary school age children he talked about industry vs. inferiority and the importance of praise. Children develop a sense of self esteem and accomplishment at this stage. If they are encouraged they go on successfully and if they are denied encouragement they are more likely to fail. I have seen this stage in my classroom. One boy never got encouraging words at home and was a troubled kid in school. Many teachers didn’t like him as his out bursts were violent. He also disliked females and being told what to do. He turned in an art project and I tried to give him praise. He said it looked stupid and no one would like it anyway. He threw it in the trash and ran away. He was one of my first foster children.
Like Bowlby I agree that early, positive interaction with a mother and child (that involves touch and love) is essential in their mental growth. The security a child has is developed with a caregiver in the first two years of life. My latest foster child is two and a half has been diagnosed with an attachment disorder. This is the first child I have cared for that has been severely damaged. The damage wasn’t physical but mental. The mother abandoned the child and locked her in a room the majority of this past year of life. She had no social skills and trusted no one. I thought I could show her that all people aren’t mean and tried to shower her with hugs and kisses. She still remains distant (to some extent) and very angry.
I also agree with the Canter’s assertive discipline approach as a teacher. Far too often I see either an unruly class with no control or one with total silence and no interaction. Assertive discipline does not mean dominance over students but rather a take charge of the classrooms learning environment. All students should be able to learn in an environment free of chaos which means controlling those that interrupt learning of other students. Teachers need to remain confident in their content knowledge of the subject and controlling any issues that arrive suddenly. This shows the students that all is safe and taken care of. Students can feel free to learn in a controlled environment.
Plans for Success
Optimal Learning Environment
I have also rearranged my room several times in order to achieve a good working environment for teaching and student learning. I have two very distinct levels of instruction in my room. I separate the degree of difficulty by grade and adapt lessons within two subgroups of upper and lower elementary. The lower elementary consists of students in kindergarten, first, second, and third graders. The upper elementary consists of fourth and fifth graders.
Since the material varies and I don’t want the lower elementary to be over stimulated with a plethora of details, I have divided my classroom into two sections. I use small table and chairs for the lower elementary and large cafeteria tables for the upper elementary. The lower elementary students need simple directions and clear steps to execute an assignment. I have the first ten to fifteen minutes with the class sitting on a large rug that looks like a palette. I demonstrate the assignment as the students watch and ask questions (see appendix D).
The upper elementary students need advanced materials and techniques to enhance their lessons. I recently started using a mimio board (similar to a smartboard) to share my lessons. I am enrolled in a blended program that designs online curriculum for students and interacts with a traditional classroom. This helps to beta test my students with the interactive technology and uses traditional resources like books, overhead projectors, and dvd movies. The projector is arranged so that it doesn’t interfere with students blocking the lesson on the white board and is easily seen by all students.
I believe by creating a structured environment I help all students to succeed in my classroom. The students that like to disrupt this environment are those that are looking for attention from peers, are bored, not challenged, or don’t understand the instructions. I have developed a syllabus and pacing guide so each upper elementary student will know what to expect in a given semester.
Tools for Success
Syllabus
In the syllabus I outline specifics like ways of communication, grading policy, technology requirements, and the course description. This alleviates any miscommunication by having the students refer to the syllabus as to what is expected. Students that say “Mrs. Artman, I didn’t know that assignments were due on Sunday!” are referred to the paragraph stating when papers are due. Students are also able to submit assignments electronically through our schools blackboard portal at torcschools.net. (see Appendix A)
Pacing Guide
Another important item I include is a pacing guide. The pacing guide spells out each assignment and the week it is due. A student can print out the pacing guide and highlight the assignments as they complete them. It also gives the teacher an outline for the upcoming units and lessons associated with those units. I focus all my lessons around the states standards and benchmarks and work backward from there. The state sets forth eight standards that students should learn in visual arts. I take these standards and divide them into the semesters available. I teach two standards each nine week period. This method also lets the students know what exactly is expected in the course throughout the year. (see Appendix B)
Procedures
Students are expected to follow a long piece of colored tape on my floor as they walk to their seat. Once in their seat, they remove a pencil from the art container, found on each table, and look up at the warm up exercise. Each warm up is numbered, to help with grading, and contains a symbol or shape. Students have 5 minutes in which to turn the shape into an object. The most original ideas are chosen by myself and my assistant and the student is given an art ticket. Tickets are gathered in their portfolio to buy supplies they need in the art room (glue, scissors, pencils, sketchbooks, etc.) I do supply what is needed for each lesson but sometimes students want their own to take home.
After students have finished their warm up I give a brief lecture followed by a group discussion. I follow the states standards and benchmarks as I stick to a strict lesson plan (see Appendix E). I believe if I know what to teach in general, along with the time restrictions on all aspects of the lesson, it will keep me on track and less likely to skip important points I wish the students to receive. I believe lesson plans should be detailed and include a sample for students to look at.
I believe that student’s expectations in the classroom should be precise and constant. I think that having a well structured classroom with posted rules and consequences, a classroom layout plan, detailed syllabus and pacing guide, along with interactive lessons reduces behavior problems in my classroom. If the teacher is prepared and has background knowledge in several classroom management procedures then the groundwork is set for a positive learning experience for all.
