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Transcript of Challoner_Classroom_Management_Plan
Classroom Management Plan
Grade 3: General Education Classroom
Christiana Challoner
November 11, 2013
Jennifer Birrell
Arizona State University
EED 521: Instruction Planning and Management in the Inclusive Classroom
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT PLAN
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Abstract
This paper details the classroom management plan I will execute in my classroom as per the
guidelines of EED 521: Instruction Planning and Management in the Inclusive Classroom with
Jennifer Birrell. The plan will address the following:
• Philosophy Statement
• Classroom Layout
• Procedures
• Discipline Plan
• Alignment to School Policy
• Parent Communication Plan
• Reflection
Each component of the paper will include examples from my own classroom as they align to
Quentin Elementary School’s school-wide behavior and citizenship program, Make Your Day.
The Reflection will address how the overall plan addresses the Managing Student Behavior
indicator and descriptors in the TAP Rubric.
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Mix-n-Match
Philosophy of Education
My first introduction to the works of bell hooks and Paolo Freire came shortly after I was
accepted into Teach For America. A close friend of mine raided her mother’s personal library
and practically shoved the unforgettable neon yellow cover in my face saying, “If you’re going
to be a teacher, you have to read this book. It’s like—cosmically required. I’d give you this copy,
but Mom would kill me.” She didn’t give me the book, but she didn’t give me the title either. It
was forgotten until the same neon yellow cover appeared in a Teach For America session with a
strong recommendation from our mentors.
Teaching to Transgress by bell hooks is an incredible collection of essays discussing
teaching, education, and what hooks (1994) calls a “pedagogy of hope.” hooks believes that
educating is a practice of freedom, a way of teaching so that everyone can learn. The social
activist and educator rejects what Paulo Freire (1993), one of her greatest influencers and
teachers, refers to as the “banking model” of education (p. 71-86). In this model, the students are
viewed as a depository of information, and teachers are the ones making the deposits of
information that is only withdrawn when needed in the classroom (Freire, 1993, p.71-86). In
place of this, hooks calls for a pedagogy that incorporates the student as a co-creator of the
content and knowledge they are gaining in the classroom. This pedagogy is an evolving one that
changes with every class, with every new set of background knowledge and interests, so that the
students hooks teaches are getting the most of their education and experiences, both in and out of
the classroom.
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While books’ work and pedagogy are geared toward college-age students, I believe that a
responsive pedagogy like the one she describes can be adopted for an elementary school
classroom like mine. While there are some instances where the banking method has its place in
the classroom, such as multiplication fact drills, there is no reason that teaching cannot be done
in a responsive way so that everyone in the classroom can learn. This “pedagogy of hope” is one
that I believe would be responsive to the entire class and shows students that they have a say in
their education, what they learn, and what they do with it. Self-efficacy is an important skill in
life, and there is no reason that it cannot begin to be developed in the classroom—even the
elementary school classroom.
A move towards a responsive pedagogy is also important with the new Common Core
Standards focusing on conceptual understandings of all subjects, including math. With this shift,
there is now room to start moving away from the banking system Freire describes, which is
something I hope to do in my classroom. I want the students to engage with the material, not just
memorize it. At this time, there are five critical components to my personal pedagogy that are
outlined below. They are an unapologetic hotchpotch of pedagogies, behavioral management
theories and practices, and pop culture references that should not mix, but somehow have come
to assist me in creating the responsive classroom that is a cornerstone of my personal philosophy
of education.
Discipline Plan
Quentin Elementary School implements the “Make Your Day” program, a school-wide
citizenship program developed by Earl Brown in 1989 as a way of providing students with a safe
environment where they had the right to learn . What many often overlook with Make Your Day
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is that it is not solely a discipline program, but a dual citizenship/discipline program meant to
create an internal locus of control within students so that the students can eventually manage
their own behavior with little to no teacher intervention. The program itself is governed by a
single rule used in every school that participates: “No person has the right to interfere with the
learning, safety, or wellbeing of others.” This rule not only applies to the students, but to the
teachers and administrative staff as well. Each person in the school is accountable for their own
behavior and actions.
Another often overlooked aspect of Make Your Day is that teachers are also responsible
for participating in points, the system by which student behavior is managed (Brown, 2005).
Throughout the day, a student can earn a set amount of points with the goal being to earn all of
them in order to “make their day.” For example, the students in my third grade classroom earn 10
points for every class period and 13 for lunch/recess. When students follow the expectations that
are set by the teacher and the school, they earn their full points. If a student does not follow
expectations, they are anticipated to adjust their points accordingly. A student who talks while
the teacher is talking can earn 9 of their 10 points as a result of their misbehavior. If a student
does not follow the expectations and does not adjust their points, their teacher can remind them
during Concerns, a portion of points where students and teachers can address issues with other
students, and ideally teachers as well.
While not every teacher participates in this aspect of Make Your Day, I do. During my
research of Make Your Day, I read several newsletters written by Brown that addressed
components of Make Your Day that he felt were necessary in the classroom in order for the
program to be successful. Brown (2005) writes in one issue that:
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“We don’t seek to be our students’ friends nor will we ever be their peers;
however, we should not expect more from our students than what we are willing
to demonstrate ourselves. Our participation in points and concerns facilitates a
greater understanding of the process and allows our students to know that there is
value in the experience for all. If we view self-assessment (points) and
confirmation (concerns) as a valuable experience for our teaching, students will
transfer a similar value to their learning experience.”
Based on the experiences in my classroom thus far, this is a fairly accurate assessment of
how the program could possibly impact students in the classroom through allowing them to
express themselves and their concerns. In doing this, students are comfortable in approaching me
not just during points and concerns, but also during independent work, lunch, and after school as
well. Through this, we are able to have an open dialogue about whatever they are experiencing or
might need in the classroom. Remarkably enough, this practice has allowed me to experience a
contained, small-scale version of what theorist C.M. Charles calls “synergism.” Charles defines
the synergism he speaks of, “a state characterized by high energy, creativity, and production”
(Deininger, 2010). While I may not agree entirely with Charles’ belief that the students and
teachers of a synergistic classroom “feed psychic energy to each other” (Deininger, 2010) in
order to maintain peak, exhilarating educational experiences, I do believe that this idea of
synergism creates a high energy classroom where students can be both creative and productive.
Real Talk
By being transparent with my students through points and concerns, it has allowed us to
have open dialogues outside of Make Your Day’s concerns period wherein we address questions,
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comments, and concerns students have with curriculum, the classroom environment, and
anything else that may be on their mind. This period is called “Real Talk” and it happens at least
weekly during our allotted “indoor recess” time towards the end of the day. If a student or myself
has concerns that need to be addressed by the class, we can call for a “Real Talk” for that day.
Through accepting their concerns and suggestions, we are able to create a “plan of
attack” that incorporates their ideas into the classroom and the content. This has greatly reduced
the anxiety levels in my classroom, particularly in regards to fractions, and has increased
participation in class wherein students are actually engaging with the material. Through this, they
are frequently on-task and there are few disciplinary issues that need to be addressed.
Steps
When there are disciplinary issues to address, it is done through Make Your Day’s step
system. “Step” refers to the system of consequences within the Make Your Day program and is
scaled from “least severe” to “most severe”. One of the most critical elements of this
consequence system that is often overlooked by teachers is that a student is never given step, but
rather they choose step. If a teacher prompts student to choose step, and the student declines, the
teacher cannot make them go to step. In a classroom where the program is implemented properly
this is rarely seen, however when it does happen, a student still has to adjust their points for their
behavior.
The steps are as follows:
• Step 1 – the student sits in a chair facing away from the class. They are expected
to sit still with their feet firmly planted on the floor and their hands folded in their
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laps. While they are on Step 1, they are to think about the behaviors that
“allowed” them to choose step.
• Step 2 – the student stands facing away from the class whit their hands at their
sides or folded behind their back. Like Step 2, they are expected to think about the
behaviors that “allowed” them to choose step.
• Step 3 – the student stands in Step 2 position, but rather than solely think about
their behavior, they are also required to read the Make Your Day rule. The rule is
either printed on a small card for the student to hold or is posted on a wall in the
classroom.
• Step 4 - the student is sent to the office to call their parents/guardians. Once they
have completed the phone call and either spoken with a parent or left a message,
they are sent to a “Buddy Room” on a different grade level where they sit on Step
1. The parents/guardians must come to the school and conference with the teacher
and their child regarding the behavior that allowed them to choose Step 4 before
they are allowed back in the classroom. The student is expected to lead the
conference and explain to their parent/guardian the actions and behaviors that lead
to their being on Step 4.
• Step 5 – the student is suspended for a time to be determined by administration.
As Make Your Day is a school-wide behavior and citizenship program, the steps are
leveled so that the student chooses the step that corresponds with the severity of their behavior.
For example, a student who does not follow the expectations during class can choose Step 1,
whereas a student who willfully causes harm to another student would automatically choose Step
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4. Students can also “upscale” through the steps if they do not follow the expectations for their
chosen step, as outlined above.
Another proviso within Make Your Day is that students can receive an Automatic Step 4
for aggressive behaviors, whether they are physical or verbal. If a student gets into a verbal
confrontation with a teacher, they are given an Automatic Step 4 and sent to the office. While
this is not ideal in any situation, it is a means of maintaining a safe classroom environment for
the other students as well as the teacher.
Make Your Day and the TAP Rubric: A Match Made in LESD #65
The school-wide discipline plan is executed with the “Manage Student Behaviors”
indicator and descriptors of the TAP rubric in mind. As Quentin Elementary is a TAP school, the
implementation of Make Your Day in the classroom is graded against the TAP rubric indicator.
It is believed that the components of Make Your Day collectively fall under the TAP descriptors:
• Students are consistently well-behaved and on task
• Teacher and Students establish clear rules for learning and behavior
• The teacher uses several techniques such as social approval, contingent activities,
and consequences to maintain appropriate student behavior
• The teacher overlooks inconsequential behavior
• The teacher deals with students who have caused disruptions rather than the entire
class
• The teacher attends to disruptions quickly and firmly
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The way Make Your Day is structured easily lends itself to several of these indicators
without much extra work on the teacher or student’s part. For example, allowing a student to
choose steps permits the teacher to deal with the student causing the disruption rather than the
entire class. Since students who choose step only remain on step for a maximum of 5 minutes, it
also allows the teacher to attend to disruptions quickly and firmly. As students are given an
internal locus of control regarding their own behavior and are aware of the consequences should
they choose not to, it is also fairly easy to keep students on task by asking them to adjust their
points for misbehaviors.
Alignment to School Policy
As Make Your Day is a school-wide behavior and citizenship program, it is the
expectation at Quentin Elementary that the program is followed to a tee in every classroom. As
such, there are no classroom rules or management plans for individual classrooms. Everything is
governed according to Make Your Day. Similarly, there are procedural expectations for lining
up, transitions, and common areas that fall under the purview of the Make Your Day Rule and
are to be followed by every student. As students are familiar with these procedures, there is no
need to teach them to my students, but they are reviewed at the beginning of the year.
Procedures
Transitions
At the end of every class, I prompt students to clear their desks for points. Taking points
signals the end of a class period. Students are expected to sit silently until their name is called to
state their points. This procedure takes no more than 5 minutes most days. Afterwards, students
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wait for my instruction as to what materials they will need. Interruptions are dealt with quickly
and firmly as any student who talks during points automatically adjusts their points by 2. For
example, a student who talks during points may have earned their full 10 points in class, but
because they were talking, their points adjust to an 8.
Lining up
Students are expected to line up quickly and quietly in alphabetical order. At the
beginning of the year, I assigned each student a number based on where they are alphabetically.
When it is time to line up for specials, lunch, fire drills, assemblies, etc… I call for my students
to “Assemble!” at which point they stop what they are doing, push in their chairs if necessary
and line up in alphabetical order. While not a part of the procedure to line up, my call to
“Assemble!” is a classroom quirk that ties into our superhero theme. It was initiated at the
request of the students during one of our “Real Talks”.
Common Area Expectations
Students are expected to walk silently in a straight line when in the hallways. Their hands
are expected to be either in their pockets, at their side, or behind their backs. This procedure and
expectations are reviewed on a weekly basis when I prompt students to remind us of the “line
expectations”. Students will either verbally state the expectations or model them.
Real Talk
While not strictly allowed within Make Your Day, there is an established set of
guidelines that were co-created by the students and myself for our “Real Talk” sessions. When I
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first introduced the idea of Real Talk, I established the procedure for meeting on the reading rug
in the back of our classroom. Students are expected to walk quickly and quietly to the reading
rug and sit in their own space (marked by various, colorful circles and animals) in a circle with
their bottoms flat on the floor and their legs crossed (after much jostling, it was respectfully
requested that we find an alternative to leg crossing for girls in skirts – they now sit with their
legs sideways underneath them). I modeled how I would share a concern or a topic with the class
and set it as our objective by writing it on a piece of chart paper.
After setting the first topic of discussion, I prompted the students to think of expectations
we might set for these discussions. Once I convinced students to think outside the “Make Your
Day Rule” Box, they created a short list of Real Talk Rules that addressed a surprising amount.
The expectations they created are outlined below, with additions and clarifications added later by
me in parenthesis:
• No finger pointing
• No naming names (if you have a concern with another student, simply say
‘another student’ instead of their name)
• Think before you say something
• Use respectful words
o No name calling
• Listen to each other
• Wait your turn to talk
• Raise your hand if you want to share
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In the future, I believe it would be beneficial to work in Barbara Coloroso’s six steps to solve
conflicts into these Real Talks in order to achieve what she refers to as the Three R’s of
Discipline (Gurcan & Tekin). These Three R’s—restitution, resolution, and reconciliation—work
to promote as much student ownership of the problem as they are able to handle while providing
the student with options to solve the problem while keeping their dignity intact. Coloroso’s six
steps, as outlined by Gurcan and Tekin, that I would seek to fully include in the Real Talk
discussions are:
1. Identify and define the problem
2. List possible solutions
3. Evaluate the options
4. Choose one option
5. Make a plan and carry it out
6. In retrospect, reevaluate the problem and the solution
While some of this is already evidenced in the course of our classroom Real Talks, I believe that
fully implementing these six steps would be beneficial in solving conflicts outside of Make Your
Day concerns as there would be a resolution to the conflict other than a student adjusting their
points for behavior.
And Everything Else In-between
Other procedures in my classroom include asking to use the restroom, asking to get a
drink, asking for a tissue, asking for a new pencil, and asking a question. All five are signals with
a raised hand and a different number of fingers, as outlined below:
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• 1 finger: request to use the restroom. This is not done during instruction unless it is an
emergency.
• 2 fingers: request to get a drink. This is not done during instruction unless it is an
emergency.
• 3 fingers: request to get a tissue. Students move quickly and quietly to the sink where
the tissues are kept and throw the tissue away when they are done.
• 4 fingers: request to get a new pencil. Students leave an unsharpened pencil in the
designated cup and take a new pencil from a different cup. This ensures that, no
matter what, I have pencils in my classroom.
• 5 fingers: asking a question.
During the first week of school, the hand signals are taught in several mini-lessons. In the
mini-lesson, I model how and when to make each signal and have students repeat the action. By
the end of the second week, the students are familiar enough with the procedures to complete
them without my prompting. The signals are useful because a student can usually silently
request something without disrupting class.
Classroom Layout
In order to facilitate the students’ engagement with the material, the first step I have taken
is to create an positive environment where students will not only feel safe and welcome, but also
one that encourages them to ask questions, take risks, and think critically about what we are
learning (Appendix A). So far, in practice, this has proven useful. Students know that they can
ask questions about the material and often offer their own opinions and commentary on what we
are discussing in class. As they are third graders, often times I direct the conversation so that it
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stays on topic, but their ideas are a part of the discussion. They are helping create material we
cover in class through their sharing, which encourages them to engage with the material based on
prior knowledge, experiences, and interest.
I have also arranged the room to encourage and facilitate more group work and partner
work by grouping desks together and seating students so that there is a mostly even mix of high,
medium, and low performing students. In doing this, I have found that the higher performing
students in my classroom enjoy helping others and that lower performing students receive the
information better if it is offered by a peer. I facilitate most of these peer-to-peer discussions by
prompting students who know the material covered to help their tablemates when they need it.
This both encourages collaboration and allows me to work with students in need of the most help
during Independent Practice.
The desks grouped together also aides in managing student behavior. Each group table
group is named after an Avenger from the Marvel move The Avengers. Not only does this play
into the superhero theme of my classroom, which will be discussed later, but also it provides
students with a pop cultural reference they can relate to and a way to incorporate the idea of
“coopertition” between tables. “Coopertition” is described as competitive cooperation, wherein
members of the same group are competing against each other for some incentive.
Typically, it is not advised that coopertition be used in a classroom below 4th grade. I
have, however, found it a useful tool in encouraging students to monitor their own behavior and
also practice certain elements of human interaction, another element of Charles’ Synergistic
Discipline (Deininger, 2010). While not a part of the Make Your Day program, I practice Team
Points in my classroom, wherein groups who are following all expectations and on-task earn a
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Team Point. At the end of the week, the points are tallied and the team with the most points eats
lunch with me in the classroom. Students are very competitive and often (enthusiastically)
remind each other of the expectations so that they can earn points. In this way, students are not
only managing their own behavior with their internal locus of control, but using that to guide
others to follow the expectations set in class.
The Daily 5
Another important component of the way my classroom is set-up is the facilitation of the
Daily 5. Within the Daily 5, there are five English Language Arts activities for students to
partake in for 20 minute blocks during our Reading Groups period: Read to Self, Read to Partner,
Listen to Reading, Writing, and Meet with Teacher (Boushey & Moser, 2006). During Meet with
Teacher, I work with a small group at a horseshoe table, which has been strategically placed to
allow me to see all angles of the room. By doing this, I can see what students are doing during
the reading activities and redirect behavior as necessary without interfering with the reading
group I am working with (Appendix B).
The entire reading rug is left open for students to sit where they want (Appendix B). The
idea behind the Daily 5 is that students will follow the expectations of the activities and monitor
their own behavior because they are making decisions about their own learning. If a student
wants to write before they Read to Self, they are allowed to make that decision provided they
follow the expectations. Doing this allows students some control over their learning and enables
them to make decisions based on what they want to do or accomplish rather than a prize or
reward.
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Skillful and Successful “Superheroes”
The second component of my personal philosophy of education comes from my being a
geek. I want my students to leave my classroom every day believing they are superheroes.
Superheroes are often thought of as people with superhuman or supernatural powers that are only
found in the pages of comic books or on TV and movie screens. What many people don’t realize
though is that superheroes are also defined as exceptionally skillful or successful people
(Webster). I believe that all students are capable of success, and it is my hope that the students in
my classroom will come to believe this as well. I want my students to believe they are both
skillful and successful both inside and outside of my classroom.
Part of believing they are exceptionally skillful and successful super-students comes from
students engaging with the material in a way that promotes the critical thinking skills and
problem-solving strategies that are necessary in later grades and in life. I encourage students to
ask questions in class and fully participate whenever they are able. Thus far, there have been
some incredible discussions in my classroom, especially during our reading blocks. Students are
asking questions and offering commentary that illustrate they are not just listening to or reading
the material, but thinking about it and what it means to them.
Parent Communication Plan
Another part of encouraging the students in my classroom to be skillful and successful
super students is to engage and communicate with the parents. At the beginning of the year, I
sent home a welcome letter to parents that was well received (Appendix C). Since then, there
have been several changes to how I continue communication with parents.
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Without the support from home, much of what I do in the classroom is null. My initial
communication plan included a monthly newsletter to send home with students informing
parents of events both in the classroom and on campus. However, copier restrictions prevented
me from executing this plan. In light of this, I set out to create a secure classroom blog site where
I would post the information, photos of the classroom, and other pertinent information for
parents. It did not occur to me at the time to consider whether or not families had access to the
Internet or computers to access a classroom site.
Eventually, I came to realize that the best way to communicate with parents was both
low-tech and free: student planners. It is an expectation at Quentin that parents sign their child’s
planner each night, and there is a very high percentage of parents in my classroom who do this.
Often times, I will write a note in the child’s planner, both for the good and not-so-good, so that
the parent is aware of what is happening. Parents respond to what I write in kind and if there is
any need for further communication, either the parents or myself will place a call. Parents also
communicate with me via planners by writing short comments or asking questions. Thus far, it
has proven a very effective means of communication in my classroom.
Test 1, 2, 3
The final part of my philosophy comes from the assessments used in my classroom. The
school district is very fond of formative and benchmark assessments that focus heavily on recall
and solely test content knowledge. In order to have students engage with the material, I would
like to use performance-based assessments in my classroom that gauge how well students can
apply the content knowledge both in the disciplines and in real life. For example, students solve
word problems in math that are grounded in real life. This is especially critical for third graders
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this year because, as I am to understand it, the PARCC exams to test Common Core Standards
next year are prominently performance-based.
Conclusion
It is my hope that these five components will come together and inspire students in my
classroom to engage with the material rather than just memorize it. Children are not banks, and
we should not treat them as such. Rather than acting as a banker, I would rather act as a
facilitator and encourage my students to engage critically and take ownership of their education.
Reflection
Overall, I believe that my plan addresses most, if not all, of the Managing Student
Behavior Tap indicators addressed earlier. Classroom procedures combined with the Make Your
Day citizenship program at Quentin Elementary create an environment where students are
encouraged to be well behaved and on-task while following clearly established rules for learning
and behavior. Through the use of points, steps, and Team Points, I am able to provide forms of
social approval that encourage this as well. Within the Make Your Day program, I am also able
to overlook inconsequential behavior and address a student who has caused a disruption quickly
and firmly without addressing or disrupting the entire class. It is a difficult program to execute at
first, but if done properly, it is fairly effective if students are willing to develop an inner locus of
control.
In looking through my notes and research, it is evident that my behavior management
plan has evolved into something that is less cut-and-dry than I originally thought. Originally, I
believed that within the Make Your Day program, it would be nearly impossible to incorporate
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any other theories or methodologies in my classroom. However, it has become apparent to me
that there is room to include ideas beyond what Brown originally intended for Make Your Day.
In starting this paper, I did not think it was possible for the ideas of theorists like Coloroso and
Charles to align with a program like Brown’s, but it was surprisingly easy to take elements from
all three philosophies and create one that is responsive to the needs of my classroom and, most
importantly, the needs of my students.
I believe that this seemingly mismatched set of theories will help guide the behavior of
my students in a way that enables them to create an internal locus of control in which they will
eventually be able to manage their own behavior. Until then, I am happy to guide them and
model as best I can under the guide of hooks, Brown, Coloroso, Charles, and others like them.
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References
Boushey, G., & Moser, J. (2006 ). The daily five . New York : Stenhouse Publishers.
Brown, E. (2005, January). Earl's corner. Make Your Day Newsletter, 2(1), Retrieved from
http://www.makeyerday.com/newsletters/January 2004/MYDNewsletter
January2005.htm
Deininger, K (2010). Synergistic Discipline: The disciplinary philosophy of C.M. Charles
[Prezi]. Retrieved from Prezi website: http://prezi.com/95uyc9xuk2rd/synergetic
discipline/
Gurcan , T., & Tekin , E. (n.d.). Inner discipline. Retrieved from
http://www.metu.edu.tr/~e133376/project/Inner Discipline.htm
hooks, b. (1994). Teaching to transgress: Education as the practice of freedom. (1st ed.). New
York : Routledge.
Freire, P. (1993). Pedagogy of the oppressed. (pp. 71-86). New York : Continuum Books
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Appendix A The layout of my classroom to facilitate peer-to-peer interaction.
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Appendix B The reading rug and reading spaces to facilitate the Daily 5.
Appendix C
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Below is the original parent communication letter home that I sent with students at the beginning of the year.
Welcome to Room 149!
Class of 2025 Welcome Third Grade Families! My name is Christiana Challoner (Ms. C) and I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself as your child’s teacher for this year. I recently graduated from Arizona State University and taught this summer at Conchos Elementary School in the Roosevelt School District. I am so excited to be a part of the Quentin Family this year and I look forward to working with you and your child in reaching his or her full potential. We will have many wonderful experiences and opportunities to learn and grow in the days ahead. I believe that communication is the key to a great parent-teacher relationship. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at any time. You can send me notes, email me, or call me through the front office. I will do my part by sending you a monthly newsletter to update you on what we have been doing in class as well as upcoming events. For other comments or concerns, I will contact you by phone, send a note home, or email you. Please feel free to participate in your child’s third grade year as much as you are able, and feel free to come and see your child learn by observing class! -Ms. C Contact Information: Phone: (623)-478-6037 Email: [email protected]