Behavior  Plan  

Jeffrey  Hamblen  

Morningside  College  

Professor:  Susie  Lubbers  

   Hypothetical  Classroom  

• Grade  level:  11th  • Type:  Regular  • Gender:  60%  Female,  40%  Male  • Socioeconomic  Level:  Majority  upper-­‐middle  class,  minority  low  class  

• Ethnicity:  75%  white,  10%  black,  10%  Hispanic,  5%  other  • Class  Size:  15-­‐24  • Other:  Small  town  feel,  good  school  funding  

     

Room  Arrangement:  

The  door  will  be  in  the  rear,  left  corner  of  the  room  with  the  teacher  

desk  in  the  rear  right  corner  of  the  room.  There  will  be  a  large  

whiteboard  on  each  wall,  with  the  primary  board  at  the  front,  center  

of  the  room.  The  pencil  sharpener  and  wastebasket  will  be  location  

in  the  rear  left  corner  of  the  room  near  the  door.  An  additional  

wastebasket  will  be  near  the  teacher’s  desk  in  the  rear  right  corner.  

Desks  will  be  arranged  in  three  groupings  forming  a  horseshoe.  The  

daily  schedule  will  be  written  up  on  the  whiteboard  on  the  right  side  

of  the  room.  The  school  information  bulletin  board  will  be  posted  in  

the  back  left  of  the  room  near  the  door.  There  will  be  an  additional  

large  table  in  the  rear  center  of  the  room  for  small  conferences  or  

group  work.  The  two  front  corners  of  the  room  will  house  the  storage  

containers  for  classroom  materials  and  technological  items  such  as  

cables.  

   

       

   

Classroom  Rules    

 Respect  Yourself  

 Respect  Others  

 Respect  Property  

 Come  to  Class  Prepared  

     

Respect  Yourself,  Respect  Others,  Respect  Property      Consequences:  

• 1st  offense:  A  short  one  on  one  conversation  reminding  of  the  rules  and  policies  

• 2nd  offense:  An  in  depth  conversation  regarding  the  causes  and  effects  of  the  misbehavior,  may  take  place  before  or  after  school  if  necessary  

• 3rd  offense:  Written  note  to  parents/guardians,  detention  served.  May  include  referral  to  administration  if  the  offense  is  severe.  

   Incentives:  

• The  student(s)  will  be  praised  orally  for  correct  behavior  when  appropriate.  

• The  class  will  have  a  relaxed  Friday  lesson  if  the  teacher  feels  that  the  class  was  well  behaved  for  the  duration  of  the  week.  

     

   

Come  to  Class  Prepared      Consequences:  

• 1st  offense:  a  short  one  on  one  conversation  reminding  of  the  rules  and  policies  

• 2nd  offense:  a  discussion  with  the  student  outside  of  class  about  possible  fixes  to  the  problem  behavior  

• 3rd  offense:  a  written  note  to  parents/guardians  about  the  behavior  

   

Incentives:  • A  small  amount  of  oral  praise  will  be  given  for  being  prepared  when  class  starts  

   Rationale  for  Rules:    

Respect  Yourself  -­‐  It  is  important  for  each  student  to  feel  proud  of  him  or  herself  in  my  classroom.  Each  student  has  a  voice  and  an  opinion  and  should  feel  comfortable  sharing  and  participating  in  class.  

  Respect  Others  -­‐  Every  student  is  entitled  to  his/her  own  opinion  and  the  entire  class  should  listen  to  it  and  be  a  respectful  audience.  

  Respect  Property  -­‐  Items  such  as  desks,  books,  and  other  classroom  materials  belong  to  the  school.  They  need  to  be  taken  care  of  and  treated  with  respect.  

  Come  to  Class  Prepared  -­‐  This  rule  applies  to  the  beginning  of  class  when  all  students  should  have  materials  ready  to  go  when  the  bell  rings.  Pencils  should  be  sharpened,  homework  and  books  should  not  be  in  lockers,  and  daily  materials  should  be  placed  on  the  desk/table  ready  to  go  when  class  begins.  

 Consequences:    A  3-­‐strike  penalty  keeps  things  uniform  and  easy  to  enforce.  The  first  

violation  may  be  as  simple  as  an  accidental  slip-­‐up  so  the  consequence  

reflects  the  nature  of  the  offense.  A  quick  talk  can  remind  the  student  of  

his/her  responsibilities  and  serve  as  a  reminder  to  be  observant  of  the  

rules  and  procedures.  

 

The  second  offense  is  more  severe  because  to  reach  this  point,  the  

student  has  already  been  reminded  of  his/her  misbehavior  and  the  

rules  have  been  discussed.  A  more  in-­‐depth  reteaching  of  the  rule  is  

needed  and  the  student  will  come  in  on  his/her  own  time  to  complete  it.  

 

The  third  offense  will  result  in  a  detention  served  that  week  and  a  

written  note  to  the  parents/guardians  explaining  the  situation.  In  

addition  to  the  written  note  home,  an  email  or  phone  call  to  the  

parents/guardians  is  in  order  to  discuss  possible  causes  or  solutions  to  

the  student’s  problem.  If  the  student  is  unwilling  to  work  this  issue  out  

with  me  or  other  involved  faculty  members,  an  office  referral  will  be  

given.  

 Incentives:    The  students  will  earn  trust  and  respect  for  complying  with  the  rules.  

This  extra  respect  may  take  the  form  of  more  freedom  during  work  

time,  a  “no  homework”  pass,  and  a  more  fun,  relaxed  Friday  lesson.  

 

Cleanup:    The  classroom  will  be  left  in  a  state  where  a  person  could  walk  in  and  

not  know  that  we  just  got  done  with  class.  All  students  will  participate  

in  cleaning  the  room  in  the  last  minute  of  class.  Desks  will  be  put  back  

into  place,  all  paper  will  be  picked  up  off  the  floor,  and  all  garbage  will  

be  placed  in  the  proper  trash  receptacle.  All  borrowed  items  will  be  

returned  to  their  designated  spots.  

 Decoration:    The  classroom  will  be  decorated  with  a  “less  is  more”  philosophy.  

Required  materials  such  as  bulletin  boards  with  school  information  and  

postings  will  be  displayed  near  the  door  for  convenient  viewing.  Other  

decorations  will  consist  of  motivational  posters  and  math  related  

posters  (ie.  the  number  line).  During  certain  times  in  the  year,  students  

may  complete  projects,  which  they  will  have  the  option  to  hang  up  in  

the  room  at  designated  locations.  

 Enrichment:    If  a  student  complete  all  assigned  work  before  the  end  of  the  class  

period,  the  student  will  be  encouraged  to  help  other  students  who  

would  like  assistance.  If  the  student  does  not  want  to  help  others  during  

this  class  period,  he/she  will  be  allowed  to  work  ahead  in  the  book,  

complete  homework  from  other  classes,  or  quietly  read  a  teacher-­‐

approved  novel/magazine.  

 

Extra  assistance  from  the  teacher  will  be  available  30  minutes  before  

school  starts  and  1  hour  after  school  ends  pending  any  required  

meetings  for  the  teacher.  During  study  hall  or  a  prep  period,  the  student  

will  be  allowed  to  come  to  the  room  to  receive  extra  help  as  well.  

   Homework:    Homework  will  be  collected  at  the  end  of  the  class  period  the  day  it  is  

due.  The  first  part  of  class  will  be  dedicated  to  answering  questions.  

There  will  be  no  time  limit  on  this  section  of  class,  but  the  help  will  end  

when  the  students  stop  asking  good,  thoughtful  questions.  The  

homework  will  be  graded  and  returned  within  2  days  unless  otherwise  

discussed  with  the  class.  

 Late  work  will  be  collected  up  to  2  class  periods  late  unless  there  are  

extenuating  circumstances,  which  must  be  discussed  with  the  teacher  

personally.  All  late  work  will  be  worth  50%  of  the  total  credit.  Answers  

must  be  legible  and  written  in  either  pen  or  pencil.  The  proper  heading  

must  be  placed  at  the  top  left  of  the  paper.  An  example  heading  will  be  

placed  on  the  board  at  the  beginning  of  class.  

 Tests:    Tests  are  extremely  important  in  this  class.  No  make-­‐up  tests  will  be  

given  except  in  the  most  extreme  situations,  which  much  be  discussed  

with  the  teacher  before-­‐hand.  After  the  student  receives  the  grade,  

he/she  may  retake  the  test  one  time  for  up  to  a  maximum  of  5%  higher  

than  their  original  grade.  The  retake  must  be  completed  before  the  next  

test.  

 Attendance:    All  students  are  expected  and  required  to  attend  every  class.  If  a  student  

will  be  absent  due  to  illness,  family  issue,  or  school  activity,  he/she  must  

contact  the  teacher  personally.  It  will  be  the  student’s  responsibility  to  

find  out  what  was  missed  in  class.  Any  worksheets  or  other  material  

handed  out  in  class  will  be  placed  in  the  absent  folder,  which  the  

student  must  check.  

   

   

Character  Counts  

   The  most  important  part  of  a  student’s  education  is  learning  to  be  

civically  and  morally  responsible.  In  order  to  promote  good  life  skills  

and  improved  citizenship,  we  will  be  using  the  Character  Counts  model.  

The  school  year  will  be  divided  into  sixths  and  each  section  will  cover  

one  of  the  six  pillars  of  character.  Each  week,  we  will  select  a  time  to  

have  a  short  discussion  over  the  current  pillar  in  which  the  students  will  

be  expected  to  participate  in  the  discussion.  

   The  students  will  complete  projects  and  present  information  about  the  

pillar  that  we  are  focusing  on  for  that  section.  For  three  of  the  pillars,  

students  will  be  allowed  to  choose  their  method  of  presentation.  These  

options  will  include  a  short  play,  PowerPoint  presentation,  research  

paper,  poster  presentation,  or  another  appropriate  option,  which  must  

be  discussed  with  the  teacher  ahead  of  time.  The  other  three  pillars  will  

be  completed  in  collaboration  with  the  English  teacher,  science  teacher,  

and  social  studies  teacher.  These  cross-­‐curriculum  activities  may  

include  writing,  acting,  research,  or  experimentation  at  the  discretion  of  

the  teachers.  

 

 

 

Six  Pillars  of  Character  

                           1. Trustworthiness:  being  honest,  having  integrity,  keeping  promises,  being  loyal    

2. Respect:  be  a  good  listener,  follow  all  rules,  acknowledge  classroom  roles    

3. Responsibility:  be  accountable  for  your  actions,  do  your  best,  think  before  you  act  

 4. Fairness:  be  open  minded,  respect  others’  opinions,  treat  everyone  equally    

5. Caring:  be  kind,  be  compassionate,  forgive  and  forget,  be  thankful    

6. Citizenship:  follow  all  rules,  work  well  with  others,  stay  informed  

ELL  Students    

 The  modern  classroom  includes  a  much  higher  level  of  diversity  than  in  

previous  years.  A  large  majority  of  these  students  are  English  Language  

Learners  and  these  students  need  extra  assistance  to  break  down  the  

language  barrier  of  the  normal  American  educational  system.  I  will  be  

employing  different  strategies  too  help  these  ELL  students  succeed  in  

mathematics  as  well  as  their  other  subjects.  

     Strategies        1. Extra  Vocabulary:  In  addition  to  the  regular  vocabulary  that  the  

entire  class  will  be  covering,  I  will  also  incorporate  other  more  

basic  terminology  to  help  the  student  better  understand  the  

concepts.  Each  ELL  student  will  receive  a  typed  sheet  of  

vocabulary  and  identifying  words  to  help  him/her  develop  their  

language  skills  while  working  on  certain  types  of  problems.  

 2. Visual  Aids:  For  every  possible  situation,  I  will  include  a  visual  

representation  of  the  problem  to  assist  the  student  in  better  

understanding  the  problem.  This  may  include  pictures,  videos,  or  

manipulatives.  

       

3. Partner/Group  Work:  It  is  important  for  ELL  students  to  have  a  

classmate  or  group  of  friends  to  have  conversations  with,  so  I  will  

be  using  group  work  or  a  think-­‐pair-­‐share  method  whenever  

applicable.  Interest  surveys  will  be  taken  at  the  beginning  of  the  

year  and  these  will  be  taken  into  consideration  when  forming  

groups  to  ensure  the  best  reaction  between  group  members.  

 4. Conferences:  I  will  be  taking  time  to  converse  one-­‐on-­‐one  with  

the  students  once  per  day  or  weekly  as  needed  by  the  student.  

During  this  meeting  we  may  discuss  the  pace  of  the  class,  any  

confusing  ideas  or  topics,  the  difficulty  of  the  subject,  and  any  

other  concerns  or  questions  the  student  has.  This  is  essential  to  

maintaining  the  connection  between  the  teacher  and  student  and  

will  reinforce  that  I  am  always  available  for  help  whenever  the  

student  needs  it.  

 

5. Parent  Contact:  I  will  be  making  weekly  calls  or  emails  to  the  

parents/guardians  of  the  student.  We  can  discuss  the  student’s  

progress  for  the  week,  any  concerns,  and  comment  on  things  the  

student  needs  to  improve  on  or  things  that  the  student  did  well  

that  week.  Cooperation  is  needed  from  parents/guardians  to  

ensure  that  the  learning  continues  at  home  and  the  student  will  

receive  the  most  assistance.  

   

Dear  Parents/Guardians,    My  name  is  Mr.  Jeffrey  Hamblen  and  your  son/daughter  is  enrolled  in  my  mathematics  class  this  semester.  I  am  looking  forward  to  an  exciting  year.  It  is  my  goal  to  provide  all  students  with  an  educationally  challenging,  yet  fun,  experience  in  my  classroom.    I  only  have  four  rules  in  my  classroom.  They  are  to  respect  yourself,  respect  others,  respect  property,  and  come  to  class  prepared.  All  students  will  be  encouraged  to  speak  up  and  have  their  voice  heard  in  class.  In  order  for  each  student  to  have  a  turn  speaking,  the  rest  of  the  class  needs  to  be  a  respectful  audience.  I  will  be  using  a  3-­‐strike  penalty  system  and  encourage  you  to  be  an  active  participant  in  encouraging  proper  listening  skills.    Math  is  a  very  demanding  course.  As  a  result,  there  will  be  homework  assignments  given  almost  daily.  In  accordance  with  my  final  rule,  it  is  mandatory  for  students  to  be  prepared  for  every  class.  Each  student  will  need  a  single  subject,  college-­‐rule  notebook,  a  pocket  folder,  blue  or  black  pens  and  pencils.  These  materials  need  to  be  brought  to  class  every  day.    Hopefully,  your  son/daughter  has  brought  home  their  course  syllabus  and  you  have  both  read  and  signed  the  syllabus  contract.  I  have  written  this  contract  to  ensure  that  both  the  students  and  their  parents/guardians  understand  how  this  course  will  run.  If  you  have  any  questions  regarding  the  syllabus  or  the  course,  please  contact  me.    I  have  extremely  high  expectations  of  all  my  students,  and  for  that  I  will  not  apologize.  I  am  asking  for  your  help  to  maintain  those  expectations  by  checking  with  your  son/daughter  periodically  to  make  sure  that  his/her  work  is  being  done.  I  am  available  to  help  students  individually  before  school,  during  my  prep  periods,  and  after  school.              

My  schedule  is  as  follows:    

A-­‐Day   B-­‐Day  Prep  Period   8:35-­‐10:00   Pre-­‐Calculus   8:35-­‐10:00  Algebra  I   10:10-­‐11:40   Study  Hall   10:10-­‐11:40  Algebra  I   11:50-­‐1:45   Pre-­‐Calculus   11:50-­‐1:45  Algebra  II   1:55-­‐3:30   Algebra  II   1:55-­‐3:30    Once  again,  I  highly  encourage  all  forms  of  communication.  Your  child  is  the  most  important  part  of  this  process  and  it  is  in  his/her  best  interest  to  have  a  solid  line  of  communication  open  between  home  and  school.  If  you  ever  have  any  questions  or  concerns  about  any  part  of  your  child’s  education  do  not  hesitate  to  contact  me.      You  may  contact  me  via  email  at  anytime  and  I  will  reply  as  soon  as  I  can.  You  may  also  contact  me  via  telephone  before  or  after  school.      My  contact  information  is:    Email:  jlh015@morningside.edu  School  Phone:  712-­‐943-­‐5561      

Parent  Conference  Worksheet      

Student  Name:___________________________________       Date:_______________        Goal:  This  meeting  is  to  inform  the  parents/guardians  about  how  their  child/children  are  performing  in  class.  We  will  communicate  and  work  together  to  come  up  with  ideas  that  will  maximize  student  performance  and  increase  the  level  of  learning  in  the  classroom.        Classroom  Behavior  Information:    Current  Level  of  Understanding     1   2   3   4   5  

Staying  on  Task           1   2   3   4   5  

Participation           1   2   3   4   5  

Interactions  with  Others       1   2   3   4   5  

           

Student  Strengths    

Areas  in  Need  of  Improvement    

   

Questions    

Suggestions    

   

Summary:              

Follow-­‐Up  My  contact  information  and  schedule  are  posted  in  detail  in  the  student’s  syllabus.  I  am  always  available  at  jlh105@morningside.edu      Signatures      

Parent/Guardian:  _______________________________________________________  

     

Student:  _______________________________________________________  

   

Jeffrey  Hamblen  EDUC-­‐405  Philosophy  of  Classroom  Management  30  October,  2013    

  Sun  Tzu,  a  legendary  Chinese  general,  once  said,  “All  battles  are  

won  before  they  are  fought.”  While  my  classroom  may  not  resemble  a  

Chinese  battlefield  in  the  year  500BC,  I  feel  that  the  meaning  of  Sun  

Tzu’s  words  will  still  apply  to  my  philosophy  of  classroom  management.  

I  feel  that  the  best  way  to  keep  a  classroom  running  smoothly  and  

achieve  the  highest  level  of  student  engagement  will  be  to  have  a  

proactive  attitude  rather  than  a  reactive  one.  With  a  high  level  of  

planning,  I  can  prepare  for  nearly  any  situation  and  keep  down  time  to  a  

minimum.  The  transitions  between  activities  are  the  most  common  

times  for  students  to  engage  in  disruptive  behavior,  so  I  will  win  that  

battle  by  having  a  set  of  routines  and  procedures  fully  laid  out  

beforehand.  

  My  goal  for  a  year  of  teaching  will  be  to  have  all  students  take  

away  meaningful  information  that  can  be  used  later  in  life.  This  

information  does  not  need  to  be  purely  mathematical.  It  may  be  a  small  

lesson  they  learned  about  how  to  collaborate  and  work  well  in  groups.  

In  my  classroom,  the  implicit  curriculum  will  be  equally  as  important  as  

the  explicit  curriculum.  Our  job  as  educators  is  to  create  good  citizens.  I  

will  hold  students  to  a  very  high  level  of  expectations  and  work  with  the  

students  to  achieve  the  most  from  our  year  together.  

  A  key  part  of  my  classroom  management  strategy  will  be  

responsibility,  both  for  the  students  and  the  teacher.  Students  will  be  

responsible  for  attending  all  classes,  taking  their  own  notes,  preparing  

for  all  examinations,  and  following  all  classroom  rules.  My  classroom  

may  be  the  last  step  before  entering  the  real  world,  so  I  feel  that  it  will  

be  beneficial  to  put  extra  responsibility  on  the  students.  Students  will  be  

highly  encouraged  to  work  together  to  achieve  the  most  out  of  the  class.  

  Entering  the  world  of  teaching  is  more  challenging  today  than  

ever  before.  Every  school  is  experiencing  a  rise  in  diversity  of  both  

learning  abilities  and  ethnic  backgrounds.  As  I  enter  into  my  student  

teaching  experience,  I  will  need  to  use  all  of  my  resources  to  ensure  that  

I  provide  the  best  environment  for  my  students.    I  will  take  the  many  

lessons  I  have  learned  in  my  teacher  education  program  and  use  them  

to  develop  a  fitting  classroom  management  plan  that  best  fits  the  

classroom  I  am  placed  in.  Through  communication  and  collaboration,  I  

will  do  my  best  to  work  with  my  cooperating  teachers  to  ensure  that  my  

students  achieve  their  goals  and  work  towards  a  better  future.