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Ms. Risvold’s Management Plan for a 2nd Grade Classroom

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Table of Contents Part I: Classroom Organization 3

A. Physical 3 B. Operational 4

1. Record Keeping 4 2. New Students 5 3. Orderly Classroom 6 4. Displaying Student Work 7

Part II: Disciplinary Policies and Professional Ethics 7

A. Rules, Expectations, Consequences 7 B. Student Disrespect, Conflicts, Disruptions 8

1. Student Disrespecting Teacher and Others 8 2. Conflicts on Playground 8 3. Lack of Motivation, Inattentiveness, Not Getting Work Done 8 4. Tardiness 9 5. Disruption 9 6. Cheating 9

C. Professional Ethics 10 Part III: Classroom Routines and Procedures 10

A. Student Sharing 10 B. Room Helpers 10 C. Free Time 11 D. Field Trips 11 E. Doing Homework 12 F. Handing in Papers, Passing out Papers 12 G. Lining up, Dismissal for Recess, Lunch, Specials and End of Day 12 H. Bathroom, Getting a Drink Procedures 13 I. Differentiation Policy 13 J. Parents/Guardians 14

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Part I: Classroom Organization

A. Physical

For my 2nd grade classroom of twenty students, desks will be arranged in pods of five desks. There will be space in between the pods for me to walk through each desk and for easy access to help students when needed. With the student groups being in pods, this gives a sense of communication and connection within the classroom environment. Students can get to know one another, discuss, and ask help from each other. If needed, some students may be in their own pod depending on those students’ needs.

Against one wall of the room, where the windows are, there will be multiple learning

centers available. There is a huge library area that’s full of books for students to read and has comfortable chairs for students to sit in while they read. There will also be audio books available, along with graphic novels and bilingual books. Along with the reading library area, there’s also a language arts/English area, a social studies area, a math area, a science area, and a creativity/art area. The language arts and English area will include a board that has a Word Wall on it, and will contain words that the students have recently gone over in class. Students can make sentences out of these words, do poetry, work on fluency, vocabulary, phonics, phonemic awareness and comprehension through the work they do. Since this area is located right next to the reading area, this is also a great way to encourage students to use a dictionary or write down a word they’d never seen before so other students can see the word, and when they look up what the word means the student can share that new word on the Word Wall with the rest of the class. The social studies area will have everything that the class has been studying recently in social studies; there will be books available, a globe for the students to look at and explore, along with maps and historical posters on the wall. Fun interactive group games about social studies will also be included in this center. The math area will have all kinds of math activities for students to do with math. There will be books on math, worksheets for students to work on based on what we’ve been learning in class, there will be calculators, and an iPad available for appropriate math apps that are just right for the students. There are a few math games for the students to play as well to get them excited about math. In the science area there will be plenty of books about science experiments, and there will be multiple sources available based on student interest. This area will contain objects that the class has recently talked about in science, and will have lots of facts available for students to explore. There will also be some worksheets and a few educational games available for the students, along with a computer for students to look up and explore on certain science websites. The last station along the wall is a creativity/art area, where students are encouraged to explore making and creating something based on what we’ve been learning in the classroom. Students could color and draw a picture of a science experiment they did, or talk about an exciting scene in a book they just read by using paints or crayons. Students who want to can show their work and post it on the wall in the creativity area, to get other students ideas if they

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ever get stuck on what to do during this area. Besides the areas on the wall, there is also another learning center, called the “Featured Theme Table” that sits in the middle of the room. This table will have all kinds of books, worksheets, information and so on about a theme or unit that the students will be focusing on. This is a great way to get students interested more about what they’re going to learn later in the unit.

Small group work areas include the large rug in front of the white board, the large rug in

front of the “Student of the Week” section, and the Guided Reading Table area. In some cases, the Computer Work Area is also for small groups because there are not enough computers for all the students to use at the same time. Morning meetings are focused on the large rug in front of

the white board, the smart board and the bulletin board. The bulletin board contains lots of things including the calendar, a money section, patterns, how many days of school the students have been in, and the “Helpers of the Day” list. Each Monday, a “Student of the Week” will be chosen, and they will have a whole section dedicated to them. The Student of the Week will come in and he or she will bring in pictures of their family, pets, will get to bring in a favorite toy to show to the class, and will get to talk about the things they bring in. This is a way to show students that they are all special, and that we must all respect each other, even if they are different from us, because they are who they are. The Guided Reading Table will be used in guided reading exercises, while the rest of the class at this time would be exploring the learning centers. The Computer

Work Area is for students to explore academic websites and try to figure out a puzzle, a scavenger hunt or an activity that I have provided for the students.

The teacher’s desk will be placed in the corner of the classroom where I can see

everything going on. There will be student artwork placed all around the room and walls, especially behind the teacher’s desk and creativity area. I will have my own computer for emails (to access parents and other faculty), enter in grades, and using it to bring up things on the Smart Board. Behind my desk I will personally have my “Teacher Safe”, which, for multiple reasons,

will be kept locked and only I (along with a few faculty members) will know the combination to. (More about the Teacher Safe in Part II: Disciplinary Policies and Professional Ethics.)

B. Operational

1. Record Keeping

I will be keeping grades in my computer in a spreadsheet, periodically (once a week or so) printing out the sheets so I can have the copies in front of me and also in case of a computer breakdown. I will have files for each student stored in an area near my desk where I will place the printed grades in, along with other important files such as assessments. The grading process will help me to see if students are struggling or are excelling, and will help me differentiate class instruction to meet student needs.

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2. New Students

The beginning of the school year is an exciting time. It’s a time where I’m very excited

to meet my future students that I’ll be spending a year with. Before the first day of school, I would send letters to parents about supplies for class, along with a welcoming letter. In this letter I will introduce myself and what their second graders will be learning throughout the year. I will include a picture of myself along with ways for parents to get in touch with me (phone, email). I will briefly talk about what the students will be doing the first week of school and encourage parents to talk about this first week with their children; asking them what the best thing about the classroom is, or even asking them to talk about a book or something they read about in class. I will also explain my grading process and the homework process as well. I would definitely tell parents/guardians of the students that they are a part of their learning and I want them to know what’s going on in their child’s classroom. Having the family involved with the student’s learning has a huge impact on the child. I would also explain about the Student of the Week area and the discipline policies, including the Teacher Safe and the Token Economy. I would note about important dates for the upcoming year: conferences, breaks, holidays, parties, anything like that. I would encourage parents to tell me if their child has a food allergy for when the students bring in treats on their birthdays.

Every day I will do my best to wait outside my door and welcome the students in the

classroom. If I cannot do this every day, I will definitely do it the first week of school, especially the first day. If parents come to the school with their children I will eagerly introduce myself and try to remember everyone I see that day.

The first day will be spent introducing the classroom to the

students, telling them about the Token Economy, the Student of the Week (for the first week it will be myself, the teacher, so the students can get to know more about myself, my family, and my likes and interests), the Teacher Safe, all the different centers, and where everything can be found. I will talk about routines and procedures (Please see Part III: Classroom Routines and Procedures for this part), and about the schedule of the school day, which is always posted in the front of the classroom.

Sometimes, being a new student can be a hard time. I personally went to three different

elementary schools growing up and being a new student made me anxious and nervous yet excited. I want to help new students feel welcomed and know they’re in a safe environment.

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Before the new student comes to class, I will notify my classroom that there will be a new student and I will explain what I expect them to do when the student comes; be respectful, “don’t judge a book by it’s cover”, take the time and effort to get to know the new student and always

make them feel welcomed. When the new student does come to class, I will introduce him or her to the classroom, where everything is, and as a whole classroom, we all will explain to the new student the procedures and guidelines of the classroom. This will get all the students to have a part in explaining the classroom, and I will allow each student to tell their new classmate one thing they like most about the classroom.

If, it’s the beginning of the school year and

there’s a handful amount of new students who are entering the school, I would collaborate with the other teachers to try and get the new students together and

introduce them to the school in a little welcoming meeting. The new students can all meet each other, and that way they’ve already met someone before even entering their new classrooms. This is also a good way just to make the students feel comfortable around other new students and teachers as well.

3. Orderly Classroom At the beginning on the first day of school, I will help the students find their desks that

has their name on it (one of those name sheets that has the alphabet, numbers, shapes, etc. on it). I will explain everything that needs to be in their desks: folders, notebooks, pencils, erasers, scissors, their money case and a few other things. Depending on how much the desks can hold, I can store some notebooks and folders in my teacher storage area. I will tell the students that I expect their areas to always be nice and tidy. Students with orderly and clean desks will receive a positive reinforcement (such as a token; see Part II: Disciplinary Policies and Professional Ethics on the Token Economy). At the end of the school day desks should be completely cleared off of any work and should know where their things go after I’ve explained about it.

As for pencils; on my desk I will place two little

buckets; one will have a sad face, and one a happy face. These are the Pencil Faces. If a student has a pencil that needs sharpened, they can simply put that pencil in the Sad Pencil Face bucket, and then pick up a pencil from the Happy Face bucket. This will save time and will also help block away the pencil sharpening noise. One of the helper jobs will be to sharpen the Sad Pencils when they have a few moments which will help me a lot too.

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4. Displaying Student Work I will constantly be displaying student work by putting up their work up on the wall

above my desk and behind the Guided Reading Table. For specific activities they have done in the learning areas, I will put that work up in that specific area too. Sometimes I’ll compose a book that contains what each student did for one specific project. I will encourage visitors and parents who come into the classroom to take a look at these books to see the work that students have been working on. No matter what, I want my students to think they’re special in their own way, and by displaying their work they believe that they matter. They do matter, each and every single child, and I don’t want any of them to think otherwise.

Part II: Disciplinary Policies and Professional Ethics

A. Rules/Expectations/Consequences

On the first day of school, I will explain that there will be rules in the classroom that must be kept in order for us to learn and have fun in our classroom. I expect that every student will do

their best in their work, and I will tell them this. For this reason, as a whole class we will figure out the "Guidelines of the 2nd Grade Class!" together as a team effort. I will start off by adding my own expectation of the class: respect. When one gives respect, respect is given back. Encourage the students to share what they think should be the team's "focus". Create the guidelines together, and when finished I will have the students put their hand print on the rules, to show that they know what the rules are and that they will follow them. This just creates a sense of community that I love to have in my classroom.

As for positive and negative reinforcements for both good and bad behavior, I will hold a

Token Economy for the classroom. This Token Economy will give students independence in their behavior. The main idea of the economy is straightforward: if students are on their best behavior, they receive a token. If they are not on their best behavior, they get tokens taken away. Tokens are in the form of money: pennies, nickels, dimes, and quarters. After the students have gathered their tokens, I will open the Store once a month, giving the chance for students to spend or save their money. This is also a way for students to work on their money skills as well as behavior skills. Prizes for the store include (but are not limited to): eating lunch with me the teacher, choosing any learning area during free time, and skipping a homework assignment.

I do allow students to bring in e-Readers (like the Kindle or

Nook), or an iPad to use in an educational way. However, I will have to use the Teacher Safe when these objects are not in use and for when the class is going to leave the classroom. I will place the expensive objects in the Teacher Safe so no one steals them from the student. The Teacher Safe will also be used to take away unneeded objects in the classroom; like if a cell phone is being used. There are to be no cell phones at all in the classroom along with other electronic devices that

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take the student’s attention away from their learning. If I see any cell phones or other electronic devices being used at an incorrect time, I will take the object and put it in the Teacher’s Safe, and then will tell the student that I will give them back the object after school only if their parent or guardian comes in to hear why I had to put it away. B. Student Disrespect/Conflicts/Disruptions 1. Student Disrespecting Teacher and Others

Especially since it is on the list of rules, disrespecting teachers, faculty, and other students is not allowed in the classroom. Tokens will definitely be taken away if a student is disrespectful. That student will then apologize to the student who they disrespected with me

present, so I can overlook that things worked out after the apology. If the student disrespects another teacher or faculty member, I will also have them apologize to them in person. If the student disrespects me, I will set them down and tell them how what they said or what they did hurt my feelings. It's good to let them know both sides: my feelings vs. their feelings. I'll ask and make sure the student understands what he or she did, and to conclude I would tell them I forgive them.

I would get the parents involved if the situation continues, and only if in an extreme case

would I talk to the principal about it. With the principal I would call in the student with his or her parents to discuss the issue and try to solve the problem together. 2. Conflicts on Playground

I want the students to know that if anything extreme happens at recess, the situation should not be brought into the classroom. I've heard things before that should've never been said, and it affects the students when they back into the classroom. I will encourage forgiving and forgetting, since usually the next day what happened during recess the day before never even happened. Repeated remind students that respect is something that everyone needs to do, and if you hurt someone's feelings than you should apologize, forgive and forget.

3. Lack of Motivation/Inattentiveness/Not Getting Work Done Smile. For the student who isn't motivated or paying attention, there may be a lot that's

going on in their mind. What these students need are smiles and ways to show that you're there to help them. If they aren't getting their work done, gently smile at them. Say their name, wait a moment, and then ask them to do their work, still smiling and saying please. End with a thank you when the student starts on their work again. Let them know that you are there for them. Encourage them to talk to you if they ever need anything, and if anything is bothering them you're there to listen.

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4. Tardiness Besides depending on the school/district policy for tardiness, I will also emphasize in my parent letter at the beginning of the school year that I'd love it if students could be in class on time. This just shows that both the parents and the students are ready for the day to begin, and students are eager for the day ahead. If students are continuously tardy, I will discuss with parents about the tardiness. Repeated tardiness will result in taking away tokens. 5. Disruption It is greatly emphasized that students are not allowed to disrupt because it's disrespectful to both the speaker and the rest of the class. I will take tokens away if there are disruptions. This is the Whole Body Listening format that I will be sharing with my students about being a good audience and a good listener.

Eyes: Look at the person speaking Ears: Both ears are ready to hear Mouth: Quiet, no talking, no humming or making sounds Hands: Quiet in lap, pocket or by your side (if have a question can raise hand) Feet: Quiet on the floor Body: Facing the speaker Brain: Thinking about what is being said Heart: Caring about what the other person is saying

6. Cheating Cheating will not be tolerated at all. If a student is found cheating, they immediately get a zero for that assignment, and many tokens will be taken for this behavior. To prevent cheating on tests and assessments I will try to provide folders for the students to hide their work, but sometimes this isn't always the case, especially if I see someone cheat. Parents will immediately be notified through a personal note written by me for the student to take home and for the parents to look at it. If it's found that the student repeated is cheating, I may consult the principal, but only if needed.

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C. Professional Ethics

I will always keep my students and their needs before anything else. My goal is to help them become the best they can be, and even become more than that. I will never give up on my students, because if I give up, everyone else might give up too. I will not give up on my students because they are my students, and I want to help them in any way I can. I will also personally put my hand print on the guidelines as well, to show that I'm a part of our school community.

My school is my home, where the principal, teachers and

faculty members are all my family members. Together we are trying to create a community of learning, and it's for this reason that I do the number one rule: respect, for everyone in that community. I do not want to hear gossip about another member because we are all trying to help each other out. If I did hear gossip, I would try my best to try and speak up to stop anything else from being said. If I do not get along with a colleague, I will not let that interfere with my job and my duty as teacher to my students. My principal is the pinpoint of the school, of our house that connects us all together. I will stand by them with the utmost respect, and will not hesitate to back them up.  

Part III: Classroom Routines and Procedures

A. Student Sharing

Students are encouraged to share their work or thoughts throughout the day. While learning new things, students can talk to their sharing partner about their thoughts on what they're learning. I will help urge students that it's good to listen to your partner because it is a great way to show respect, and I'll even ask them questions like "How do you know your partner is listening to you?" This goes along with being a good audience member: Whole Body Listening (Look at Part II: Disciplinary Policies and Professional Ethics under Section A). Students can share their work to the class independently or even in a group when we do projects based on what we're learning.

B. Room Helpers

There will be multiple jobs for students to do throughout the day. Jobs will be switched weekly, so everyone has a chance to do something throughout the school year. Some of the job

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titles range from the Line Leader, the Door Opener (opens doors for the class if needed), the Paper-Passer (helps pass back papers), the Sweepers (usually two people each week-picks up paper scraps off the floor and desks), the Librarian (checks the reading area/library to make sure books are neat and straight), the Pencil Sharpener (helps sharpen the Sad Pencils, see Part I: Section 3, Orderly Classroom), the Computer Whiz (checks to see if all electronics are on or off, depending on the time of day), Board Cleaner (helps erases the boards), the Morning Helper (helps during the Morning Meeting), the Scientist (makes sure the Science Area is clean and neat), the Artist (makes sure the Creativity/Art Area is clean and neat), the Mathematician (makes sure the Math Area is clean and neat), and the Historian (makes sure the Social Studies Area is clean and neat). There are so many jobs and opportunities for the students; I may add more jobs throughout the year or get rid of some jobs, depending on how the students work with their jobs.

C. Free Time

If students have free time or get done with an assignment early before anyone else, I would allow them, depending on the work they just finished, to go to a learning center and choose a fun worksheet or activity that has something to do with what they just finished. For example, if we were studying something in social studies, I would allow students who finish early to grab a worksheet from the Social Studies Area, which connects with what they had just been doing. Otherwise, if there are projects or papers that still need to be completed from earlier in the day, students must finish those first before anything else.

D. Field Trips

Field trips will always be planned ahead of time and permission slips will be sent out to parents long before the date of the field trip. Letters of explanation for the field trip will be sent out to parents along with the permission slips so they know what the trip entails. Chaperones, depending on the field trip, are always welcome. It's always exciting when the students see other parents.

Students must be on their best behavior during field trips. I will reinforce positive behavior by giving out extra tokens to students who do a great job. I'll tell this to the students before the field trip, and as a class we will briefly remind ourselves what the rules of good behavior are.

If in the situation where students cannot go on the trip, I will create a packet for them on things that we will be learning in the field trip. I do not what these students to feel left out. For example, if we're going to a museum to study the pioneers or something, I would encourage the students who couldn't go on the trip to play a game: "What would you do if you were a pioneer?" "What would happen if….?" They could draw a picture of the pioneers, or write a story, or read a book. There are many things that can be done, my goal will be to keep the student happy.

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E. Doing Homework

Students are required to finish their homework for class. They will have a folder that they will take home every day after school is over. Parents are encouraged to look at their child's work and what they have been doing in school and what they need to do for homework. Parents are required to actually look over their child's homework and sign their signature so I know they looked at it and the students are sharing their work with their family. There will be two parts of the homework folder: one part will be titled "Bring Back" which is what the student

needs to do for the next day. The other part of the folder will be titled "Take Home", where the students can take their work home and keep it there.

F. Handing in Papers/Passing out Papers

I will have a special tray for when students hand in papers and their work. There will be a tray for homework, another for certain assignments that they've done in class, and one for quizzes, tests or assessments. After the end of each class day I collect these papers, grade them, and put them in another tray titled "Papers to Pass Out". I don't want these papers to get lost on my desk or anywhere else, which is why it's important for students to put their work in the trays. These "turn-in" trays will be in one specific area of the classroom, near my desk.

For passing out papers I've already looked at and graded, I will have my job helper help me pass out papers. It's important for students to know what exactly they got wrong or if they made a mistake on their paper. These papers that will be passed back out are in the "Papers to Pass Out" tray. The helper will know where it is and will already start passing out papers from that tray when required. Otherwise, if its new papers/assignments that need to be passed out, the helper will help me pass those out to each pod of students.

G. Lining Up/Dismissal for Recess/Lunch/Specials and End of the Day

I believe that getting in line to leave the classroom is a huge and important routine for the class to follow the rules. If the students do not behave well, it wastes their time and everyone else’s time. The students are to be quiet in the hallways, looking forward, hands at their sides, and walk in a straight line. Students are to quietly line up at the door, one at a time (there is a line leader job and a door opener job who are both at the front of the line). If they are disruptive, students will have to sit back at their desks until they are quiet. If they keep misbehaving, I will take away tokens from the students and those students will have to stand at the end of the line.

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H. Bathroom/Getting a Drink Procedures

There will be a place in the classroom where bathroom passes are set. There is one Boy Pass and one Girl Pass. I will explain that if a student needs to go to the bathroom, that they should quietly pick up the pass, and raise it over their head. They are to wait for my signal to say yes or no for them to go to the bathroom or not. When they come back from the bathroom, they are to place the bathroom pass exactly where they found it so no one loses it.

As for getting a drink, there is already a sink with a water fountain that the students can have access to whenever they need it in the classroom. (See Classroom Design Map for sink location.)

I. Differentiation Policy

For the longest time I had never even heard or thought of differentiation in the classroom. It makes sense though, looking back in 5th grade. During math, we would always have a few students from the 4th grade classrooms join us for math. I never really understood why they were in the class. It never hit me that they had a high ability skill in math and got to spend time with the 5th graders instead of 4th. Looking back on this experience, I know that those 4th graders learned a lot from their experience in the 5th grade classroom. I want my high ability or gifted students to feel the same way.

In my first practicum I ever did, I was in a 2nd grade class, the teacher asked me if I could give a spelling list to one of the students. I said of course, and the two of us went into a quiet area where the other students couldn't disturb us as I said his simple five or six vocabulary word list. Now, although he struggled at first, he steadily kept writing with an intense look on his face; a look that said "I really want to do my best!" Of course, every time I gave him his few spelling words he got them all right, and he was proud of himself. Although his classmates were taking twenty vocab word tests, he was still encouraged to do his simple list. The teacher assisted him and spent extra time with him to figure out words that he could put on his vocabulary list instead of her just picking the words for him, he was a part of the process. I want my students who need assistance to feel this way. I want them to know I'm there and will allow them extra time to do tasks and I will take the time to clarify with them if they are ever confused.

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J. Parents/Guardians

I will start a blog and update it every week; explaining what's going to happen throughout the week, what homework will be given out, and other things. This blog will be available for all parents and guardians. They can also comment back on my blog posts in case they're confused or interested about anything. My contact information will be on the blog, and I check emails periodically throughout the day for parents who need to get a hold of me.

I will send personal emails and/or send letters home with the students to tell parents about conferences. There will be times on the sheet and based on the times parents are free to come, I can make the conference schedule (or sometimes the office takes care of the times, too).