Jasmine Gomez
EDST 2501 AA
Professor Katz
April 15, 2012
Classroom Management Plan
Statement of Beliefs
I believe classroom management is a way for a teacher to set up a safe environment he or she
feels most comfortable in, as well as the students. The students should be able to be themselves
without any worries or doubts. The teacher should be able to support and encourage the students
to participate in class and enjoy it at the same time. I want the students to be aware of the
guidelines and rules that they must follow in order to maintain stability in the classroom. They
should always have a positive attitude and be responsible for their own actions. As a music
educator, my goal is to make these students into the best musicians they can be. I want them to
enjoy their time playing an instrument and give them the skills to become a professional
musician or music teacher if they wish to continue on that path. I want my students to feel like
they have gained something from what I taught them during their 4 years of high school. I know
music is not every student’s favorite subject, but I want him or her to at least enjoy coming to
class and participating in the program. I do not want the students to feel like they have wasted
their time with music.
Physical Space (see attached layout)
• Winds Seating
Since there are no desks in a band room, the students that play a wind instrument will sit in
chairs that are placed in an arc form based on sections. Each chair will have a music stand in
front of it for students to use for their music. The music stands are also there to be used as a table
when they are asked to complete writing assignments. In the layout there is about 60 chairs and
stands in the arc. This number can change depending on the size of the band. For a concert band
setting the flutes, oboes, and clarinets will generally occupy the first two rows. Alto, tenor, and
baritone saxophones will occupy the third row. If needed, extra flutes and/or clarinets can be
placed in the third row as well. All brass instruments will occupy the last row in the arc. If
needed, an extra row can be added for the brass.
• Percussion Section
The percussion section will be in a row behind the band. Mallet percussion will occupy the left
side of the section, with marimba being the last instrument in the row. The timpani will be placed
in the middle of the row. On the right side of the section, the drum set will be the last instrument
in the row. There will be a drum cabinet next to the drum set. All auxiliary percussion
instruments, extra drumsticks and mallets, drum pads, and cymbals will be in this cabinet for the
percussionists to use. There are also two snare drums and one bass drum next to the timpani.
Each percussion instrument has a music stand in front of it and a chair for the students to sit in.
There will be an extra row of chairs placed behind the timpani for percussionists that are not
playing at that exact moment.
• Instrument and Music Storage
In the band room there are two places to store instruments. In the back of the band room there is
a big storage room that can be used to store big instruments, like the tuba, extra wind instruments
that are not being used, extra percussion instruments, and marching percussion and wind
instruments. Ideally the marching percussion and wind instruments will occupy the storage room
during the winter and spring because the marching band season will be over. During the summer
and fall, the marching percussion and wind instruments will be in the band room while the
concert percussion instruments are placed into storage. It keeps the band room from being
cluttered. I would like instrument cages to be placed along the wall for students to use. They can
keep their instruments in the cages when they are not being used. If they are able to, the students
can keep their schoolbooks and bag in the cages during the class period. Next to the storage room
will be a file cabinet for the students to keep their band music. Next to the instrument cages will
be 3 big file cabinets for the music library. All new and old music will be kept there.
• Teacher’s Desk/Podium
In the back of the room there will be a small office space for the band director. In the office the
band director will have their desk and computer, a phone, and any additional materials and
resources needed. I would like to keep a mini-fridge in the office as well to keep my lunch in.
Students will be able to use the mini-fridge if they wish and have my permission. As for in the
classroom, there will be a small section with computers in the front left corner of the room.
There will be a computer there for the teacher to use if needed for a lesson. There will be a
podium in front of the band and that’s where the band director will teach from most of the time.
This provides the band teacher an easy view of the students.
• Whiteboards and Bulletin Boards
I prefer using whiteboards over chalkboards because it is not as messy to write on. There will
also be 2 bulletin boards placed on each side of the whiteboard. One board will be used for
marching band: rehearsals and performances, news, updates. The other board will be used for
concert band, same type of information as the marching band board.
• Materials and Student Resources
o There will be about 3 practice rooms in the back of the room available for
students to use. Whenever they have free time before, during, or after school
hours they are free to use the rooms to practice their instruments. The practice
rooms will be sound proof so other students will not be disturbed. There will be
no eating allowed in the practice rooms.
o There will be a small cabinet next the whiteboard that will have everything a
student may need for their instruments. The closet will have extra reeds, valve oil,
pad cleaning paper, mouthpieces, lyres, etc. There will be a small fee of $1 for
each item. The students will need permission before taking something from the
cabinet.
o If the students need extra chairs or music stands, they will be placed in the back 2
corners of the room.
o On the front right side of the room there will be a cabinet with a sound/video
system. The band director will be able to play music, DVDs, or anything else if
needed.
o The music library will also have a section for method books and warm up books
for each instrument. Students are welcomed to use these books when practicing.
Non-Instructional Routines
Non-instructional routines are something you do on instinct. You do not have to be told every
time to do it and you do it on a daily basis. It starts to become second nature to you. At the
beginning of class, students like to take the opportunity to talk to their friends, goof around, and
take their time getting prepared for class. In order to prepare the students for the task at hand,
they will practice the following routines on a daily basis in the band room:
• Beginning of Class – roughly the first ten minutes:
I will stand outside the band room every day to greet the students as they enter the room. If a
student has a question about something, they can use this time to ask me. When the students
enter the room, they are to go straight to their instrument cage and set up their instruments, grab
their music from the file cabinet, and sit in their section. The agenda for the day will be listed on
the whiteboard prior to the class period. The students are to use this time to put their music in
order and tune their instruments. They are free to warm up any way they wish. Percussionists are
to grab their music and set the section with all the instruments needed for the period. They are
free to warm up by practicing basic rudiments on drum pads. All students should be seated in
their sections for attendance by the second bell. Consequence: Students who are not set up and
seated in their sections when the second bell rings will lose some of their participation points and
be marked as “tardy”. After taking attendance, I will notify the students with any additional news
or updates that is not listed on the bulletin boards. I will then conduct the band through the basic
warm up exercises. For percussionists that are not playing the warm up exercises on a drum or
mallet instrument, they have to play them on drum pads. If needed, I will tune any section that
sounds a little off from the rest of the group.
• Ending of Class – last five minutes:
During the last five minutes of class, I will quickly remind the students of any rehearsals or
performances we may have that day. If a student has a question to ask, they have the opportunity
to ask me. After that the students are free to put away their music and instruments. Every wind
player is responsible for making sure their assigned seat in their section is clean before leaving
the band room: stand is tucked under their chair, no trash on the floor, etc. Percussionists are
responsible for putting away all auxiliary percussion instruments, drum pads, music, drumsticks
and mallets. They must check to see that their entire section is clean and looks neat. The students
are free to leave when the bell rings.
• Effectiveness
By having these established routines every day, it will help me get through what I want to work
on in class that day. There is a great amount of music the students will be learning during the
school year and I want my students to be able to perfect it to the best of their abilities. I want to
be able to showcase my band by how well they play and sound. Having the students come in and
automatically start prepping for the class will keeps the students from wasting time. Writing the
agenda before hand is another way to avoid wasting time. It will take a few minutes to write a list
of things on the board, allowing students to lose focus and do whatever. Coming into school
early and writing the objectives and agenda on the board for all classes will save a great amount
of time.
Instructional Routines
Instructional routines are similar to non-instructional routines, but the difference is that the
students learn through the teacher’s instructional plans. The band room is an environment that
students are always learning something new about music whether if it is by the teacher, their
classmates, or themselves. The following below are general instructional management strategies:
• Active Listening: it is very important for the students to practice active listening,
especially when they are learning a new piece. It can be irritating for a student when they
ask a question and other students are talking at the same time. Half the class is not able to
hear the question and the answer. Seconds later, another person from a different section
asks the same question again, taking away more time from learning the music.
• Sectionals: switching from full band mode to small sectionals can be beneficial for the
students and teacher because it gives each section time to focus on their own music parts
instead of the full piece. This gives the teacher an opportunity to walk around and work
with the different sections to see who is playing and who is having trouble understanding
the material.
• Providing the students with a grading rubric is very helpful because the students will
know how they will be graded in the class during the marching band season and concert
band season. With both seasons, the number of rehearsals and performances are different
so it is important for them to know what to expect throughout the school year.
• One way to test the students’ knowledge on music is to give them music theory
worksheets. The worksheets can vary from having terms they should know to identifying
intervals. This will help you see how much they fully understand about music.
• To make sure the students know all their major scales and chromatic scale, you can do
random scale tests in class to see if they can play whatever scale you name.
Discipline and Accountability
In my high school, there was a basic list of school rules the teachers were required to have in
their classrooms. There was only 3 rules listed and although I cannot exactly remember what
they were, they all dealt with respect. To me, respect is important because I want to be treated
nicely by others so the only way I can do that is by treating people the same way. I want my
students to enjoy the time they spend with their classmates and myself in the band, but I also
want them to know that there are certain rules and guidelines that must be followed at all times. I
also want my students to know that there are consequences for any rules they break. The
consequences will be dealt with in an orderly manner and is not meant to embarrass the student
in any way. If the student approaches me with a reason behind their actions (i.e. family trouble),
then we will have a meeting after school to discuss the situation and come up with a different
way to deal with the issue. I do not want my students to think that I am a cold-hearted person. I
will try to be assertive in the classroom, but I want my students to feel comfortable enough to
come talk to me about anything that is bothering them. I will be aware of their feelings and take
note of how to effectively deal with the students and their situations. Attached is a sample copy
of the classroom rules and expectations the students will receive with their course syllabus on the
first day of school.
Rules and Expectations For Ms. Gomez’s Band Class
Classroom Expectations In order to keep a friendly environment in the band room, I expect each student to: DEMONSTRATE respect for yourself, your section leaders, your peers, and
band director; TREAT the band room and everything in it kindly as if it was your own home; TAKE full responsibility for your own actions; ENJOY the time you spend in the band room and have fun!
Classroom Rules:
• Respect the band room; it belongs to the school, NOT you • Bring all needed materials to class • Respect other people’s property • Food and drinks are NOT allowed in the band room, except for water • Do not use profanity or vulgar language in the band room • Obey all school rules and policies
Consequences: Depending on the violation and circumstances, the following are possible consequences you might receive if you fail to follow the classroom and school rules:
• Verbal warning • Lunch detention • 15 minute detention after school • 30 minute detention after school and notification to parent/guardian • Discipline referral to Principal • Parent-Student Conference • In-School Suspension • Out-of-School Suspension
Consequences may be worse if the principal has to get involved with the issue. ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY: I will absolutely NOT ALLOW any student to discriminate and/or bully another student based on their race, color, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. This behavior will automatically result in notification to your parent/guardian, a discipline referral, and a meeting with the principal.
Student Motivation
Naturally as a music educator, I want to help my students become better musicians. I want my
students to feel like they have made great progress as a musician from where they have started at
the beginning of the school year. I want my students to feel like they can play any piece of music
without feeling intimidated or scared by what they see on the piece of paper. I want them to feel
confident in their playing and with themselves as musicians. I want the students to be open-
minded and have a positive attitude with music. In order for this to happen, I will help my
students in any way I can.
For example, if a student has trouble with sight-reading, I will give them basic rhythm exercises
to help them understand time signature, the value of each note, and how they can be grouped in
various ways. By doing this, they can apply it to a piece of music and figure out the rhythm on
their own. If a student feels like learning a new instrument just because they want to, I will be
there to help them through it. I will give them lessons and help them understand the new
instrument they are learning.
For positive reinforcement, I will praise the students when they come in to practice on their own,
helping their classmates on their own, taking responsibility to become a student leader, and
mastering the music I provide them by having an amazing concert at the end of the year. I will
not tolerate any students that will do anything to bring down the positivity of the band. If there is
a student that feels like he or she should cause trouble within the group, I will talk to them
separately to figure out the problem they are having. If it is a problem that cannot be resolved, I
will request a parent conference with the student, the student’s parents, and the principal to
figure out a solution that best suits the student. I want all of my students to feel like they belong
in the band and want to be there. My students should feel like the band is a family filled with
people that share the same love for music as they do.