Mrs. Moss’ Classroom Management Policy
A well managed classroom is vital to our academic, emotional, and social success. My classroom expectations are that students will treat each other with respect, follow directions, and always do their best work. I hope that our structured classroom will help teach the children to become self-controlled, kind, and responsible for their own behavior. We will spend the first few weeks at school learning the routines, rules, and expectations.
Here are our class rules:
1. Follow all directions the first time.
2. Raise your hand and get permission before speaking.
3. Listen when others speak.
4. Keep hands, feet, and all objects to yourself.
We will take part in a unit on the traits of a good citizen during the initial weeks of school. We hold daily meetings to build a kind, caring community of learners where are students are greeted by name, get to know each other, celebrate successes, and discuss conflict resolutions. It is a time where children feel loved, welcome, and safe. When necessary we hold classroom meetings to resolve problems we may be having. We create a T-chart with the problem listed on one side and the children brainstorm ways to resolve the problem on the other side. The children become a part of the solution while sharpening their problem solving skills. I use the “three R’s” to manage behavior: reinforcing, reminding, and redirecting. I reinforce positive behaviors through verbal praise, remind students of the rules and routines, or redirect inappropriate or problematic behavior. However, if the three R’s don’t work I have a card chart system in place.
Daily Card Chart- Everyone will start each day with a card showing a bird in a nest. If your child doesn’t respond to the three Rs, I will ask him/her to turn their card so that a yellow card is showing. Yellow is a visual reminder and will not result in loss of privileges. If behavior doesn’t get back on track, the student will have to turn their card again. which will result in a consequence. There are five colored cards that a child could end up on (yellow, green, blue, orange, and red). I will choose a logical consequence that fits the crime to give children opportunities to learn from their mistakes. My intent is to help the students make better choices.
There are three logical consequences I use:
1. “You broke it, you fix it”-This consequence gives children a chance to repair their mistake by apologizing and finding a way to fix the damage done. We will call these an apology of action. It will also give those who are harmed a voice. It helps to teach critical social skills such as honesty, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.
2. “If you are not responsible, you lose a privilege”- I trust that children will act responsibly, tell the truth, do their jobs, take care of property, and treat each other with fairness, respect, and friendliness. A breach in this trust could result in losing privileges. For example, if a child makes mean comments to a classmate during an activity, I might say “I see that you not ready to work in a friendly way, you will need to leave this group and work alone until you are ready to use kind word and show your classmates respect”.
3. Time Out-All children explore limits and test the boundaries. Time out can allow children time to gather their self-control and reflect on their actions. I will teach children the procedures for time out so that it is consistent, familiar, and predictable. Upon conclusion of the time out, I will have your child tell him what he/she should have done and what he/she will do next time.
These consequences will allow children to learn from their mistakes and help identify inappropriate behavior. I ask that if your child moves their card to green, blue, orange, or red to please discuss what happened and what they can do better the next day. My main goal is to create a learning community built on trust, respect, and caring where all children feel safe and welcomed.
Rewards for Good Behavior:
· Verbal Praise
· Unexpected whole group rewards when doing a great job such as stickers, free time, extra recess, popcorn, popsicles, etc.
· Trips to the treasure box
· Extra yellow cards added to the child’s card charts
· Positive notes home
· The option to pick friends to sit with at lunch