STEP Assignment

Classroom Management Plan

Developing effective engagement and classroom management plans, and how they would be implemented in the classroom, are crucial to the overall success of students. In a fifth-grade classroom where students have learned basic skills, like reading a math, continuing to build on those skills is important. Having a functioning classroom where learning is monitored through an academic success plan will only benefit students and keep them on the road to success.

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Part 1: Classroom Management Plan

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A classroom management plan is important for the overall success of the classroom. Not only does it allow the teacher to have a good handle and understanding of how students work together, but it also creates a system that will ultimately help students succeed.

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Motivating collaboration among peers is important to their ability to work together. One way to motivate collaboration is to minimize opportunities for students to sit and watch in group activity situations (Burns, 2016). Creating roles in a group will allow all students to get the full benefit of the group activity. Working together to come up with the solutions should be encouraged and practices collaboration. Guiding students to stay on task is also very important to their success. Keeping the same routine every day is one way to keep students on task (Stronge, Tucker, & Hindman, 2004). By students knowing how their day is going to look they will be able to stay on task and focus on what they are learning. Another way to keep students on task is to check in with them while they are doing work and helping them get back on track if they got off task. Resources should also be available to students to help them with their learning. The teacher in the classroom is the first resource students have. If they have questions of any sort they can turn to their teacher for guidance. Other resources, such as a tutor, mentor, reading teacher, or special ed teacher if it is needed should also be available for the students’ needs. Establishing a functioning learning environment is pertinent to student success. Making learning relevant and creating a positive action curriculum are two ways this can be achieved (Strategies for Building a Productive and Positive Learning Environment, n.d.). If students are learning material they are excited about, they will retain the information and learn more because of that. Having an overall positive classroom also helps with motivation and desire to learn. Students need to know the expectations and procedures of the classroom. In the beginning of the school year, teachers should explain their classroom expectations clearly, as well as practice the procedures of various activities. Throughout the year students should be reminded of expectations and they should also continue to practice classroom procedures. All of these aspects put into place will create a functioning classroom that produces successful students.

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Part 2: Communication Management Plan

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            Being able to communicate with families, parents, and guardians of students is an important skill that teachers must learn. After all, they are teaching their children and are with them for nine months out of the year. During that time, families will have their questions, concerns, issues, and many other things that a teacher is going to have to handle.

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            Communicating with, establishing, and maintaining positive relationships with families in order to establish positive school-home relations is extremely important. There are many strategies that help accomplish this. Parent newsletters can be given out weekly to inform parents of what will be covered in the week’s lessons (Building Parent-Teacher Relationships, n.d.). Another way in which teachers can communicate with parents is to send emails and make phone calls, as well as accept them from parents (Building Parent-Teacher Relationships, n.d.). Allowing the communication to happen freely between parents and teachers is beneficial to the relationship that is being built and the trust that comes with it, and it helps to address issues or concerns when they arise. Teachers should understand that parents are involved in their students’ education as well, so establishing a positive school-home relationship should be the end goal of any interaction with parents and families.

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            Making the connection from school to home to promote positive relationships regarding professional decisions and actions that maintain educational equity in order to establish a safe learning community for students is also important. In order for this to be effective, teachers should try to follow a few different strategies. Some strategies they can try out are initiating communication, being timely with their responses and contact to the parents, being consistent and frequent with their communication, and having useful information to carry out conversations with the parents (Building Parent-Teacher Relationships, n.d.). Having the open and free communication with parents will allow teachers to establish a safe learning community for students. When teachers and parents are on the same page as far as what is being taught, issues with behavior, or possible concerns with children, as well as many other things, the flow of the classroom and the whole classroom vibe will be cohesive and productive for students to learn to their full potential.

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            In communication, technology plays a big part in people talking back and forth. Not all students and parents will have access to technology though, so providing resources and offering suggestions on how to use technology in a safe, productive, and positive environment will be beneficial to the success of students and to the success of communication with parents. Students will use technology to find resources for assignments, to communicate within the classroom and beyond it, to collaborate, create, and share information (Gallagher, 2017). With the presence of technology growing significantly in the classroom, parents need to be aware that having access to technology will help their student grow. Public libraries are the easiest source of free access to technology students and parents will need. Informing parents of this resource will also allow parents to have access to technology which in turn can increase communication to their child’s teacher.

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Intent to establish a collaborative, learning environment that integrates families, colleagues, and professionals to create a positive, student-centered, supportive learning environment is the ultimate goal for any classroom. Providing the means to help with the growth of students’ intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development should be priority in the classroom. Ways in which this can be achieved is through positive and frequent parent-teacher communication, motivating students to do their best in the classroom, and providing them with resources in and outside of the classroom that helps them achieve the academic success they deserve.

Classroom management and communication management are two skills that need to be a key focus in any classroom. Without them, student success might not reach its full potential. Everything teachers do should be focused around helping the students succeed.

References

Building Parent-Teacher Relationships. (n.d.). Retrieved from Reading Rockets: http://www.readingrockets.org/article/building-parent-teacher-relationships

Burns, M. (2016, November 22). 5 Strategies to Deepen Student Collaboration. Retrieved from Edutopia: https://www.edutopia.org/article/5-strategies-deepen-student-collaboration-mary-burns

Gallagher, K. (2017, November 14). The Parent's Guide to Educational Technology. Retrieved from Connect Safely: http://www.connectsafely.org/edtech/

Strategies for Building a Productive and Positive Learning Environment. (n.d.). Retrieved from Education Corner: https://www.educationcorner.com/building-a-positive-learning-environment.html

Stronge, J. H., Tucker, P. D., & Hindman, J. L. (2004, December). Classroom Management and Organization. Retrieved from ASCD: http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104135/chapters/Classroom-Management-and-Organization.aspx