Jasmine Gomez

EDST 2501 AA

Professor Katz

April 15, 2012

Classroom Management Plan

Statement of Beliefs

I believe classroom management is a way for a teacher to set up a safe environment he or she

feels most comfortable in, as well as the students. The students should be able to be themselves

without any worries or doubts. The teacher should be able to support and encourage the students

to participate in class and enjoy it at the same time. I want the students to be aware of the

guidelines and rules that they must follow in order to maintain stability in the classroom. They

should always have a positive attitude and be responsible for their own actions. As a music

educator, my goal is to make these students into the best musicians they can be. I want them to

enjoy their time playing an instrument and give them the skills to become a professional

musician or music teacher if they wish to continue on that path. I want my students to feel like

they have gained something from what I taught them during their 4 years of high school. I know

music is not every student’s favorite subject, but I want him or her to at least enjoy coming to

class and participating in the program. I do not want the students to feel like they have wasted

their time with music.

Physical Space (see attached layout)

• Winds Seating

Since there are no desks in a band room, the students that play a wind instrument will sit in

chairs that are placed in an arc form based on sections. Each chair will have a music stand in

front of it for students to use for their music. The music stands are also there to be used as a table

when they are asked to complete writing assignments. In the layout there is about 60 chairs and

stands in the arc. This number can change depending on the size of the band. For a concert band

setting the flutes, oboes, and clarinets will generally occupy the first two rows. Alto, tenor, and

baritone saxophones will occupy the third row. If needed, extra flutes and/or clarinets can be

placed in the third row as well. All brass instruments will occupy the last row in the arc. If

needed, an extra row can be added for the brass.

• Percussion Section

The percussion section will be in a row behind the band. Mallet percussion will occupy the left

side of the section, with marimba being the last instrument in the row. The timpani will be placed

in the middle of the row. On the right side of the section, the drum set will be the last instrument

in the row. There will be a drum cabinet next to the drum set. All auxiliary percussion

instruments, extra drumsticks and mallets, drum pads, and cymbals will be in this cabinet for the

percussionists to use. There are also two snare drums and one bass drum next to the timpani.

Each percussion instrument has a music stand in front of it and a chair for the students to sit in.

There will be an extra row of chairs placed behind the timpani for percussionists that are not

playing at that exact moment.

• Instrument and Music Storage

In the band room there are two places to store instruments. In the back of the band room there is

a big storage room that can be used to store big instruments, like the tuba, extra wind instruments

that are not being used, extra percussion instruments, and marching percussion and wind

instruments. Ideally the marching percussion and wind instruments will occupy the storage room

during the winter and spring because the marching band season will be over. During the summer

and fall, the marching percussion and wind instruments will be in the band room while the

concert percussion instruments are placed into storage. It keeps the band room from being

cluttered. I would like instrument cages to be placed along the wall for students to use. They can

keep their instruments in the cages when they are not being used. If they are able to, the students

can keep their schoolbooks and bag in the cages during the class period. Next to the storage room

will be a file cabinet for the students to keep their band music. Next to the instrument cages will

be 3 big file cabinets for the music library. All new and old music will be kept there.

• Teacher’s Desk/Podium

In the back of the room there will be a small office space for the band director. In the office the

band director will have their desk and computer, a phone, and any additional materials and

resources needed. I would like to keep a mini-fridge in the office as well to keep my lunch in.

Students will be able to use the mini-fridge if they wish and have my permission. As for in the

classroom, there will be a small section with computers in the front left corner of the room.

There will be a computer there for the teacher to use if needed for a lesson. There will be a

podium in front of the band and that’s where the band director will teach from most of the time.

This provides the band teacher an easy view of the students.

• Whiteboards and Bulletin Boards

I prefer using whiteboards over chalkboards because it is not as messy to write on. There will

also be 2 bulletin boards placed on each side of the whiteboard. One board will be used for

marching band: rehearsals and performances, news, updates. The other board will be used for

concert band, same type of information as the marching band board.

• Materials and Student Resources

o There will be about 3 practice rooms in the back of the room available for

students to use. Whenever they have free time before, during, or after school

hours they are free to use the rooms to practice their instruments. The practice

rooms will be sound proof so other students will not be disturbed. There will be

no eating allowed in the practice rooms.

o There will be a small cabinet next the whiteboard that will have everything a

student may need for their instruments. The closet will have extra reeds, valve oil,

pad cleaning paper, mouthpieces, lyres, etc. There will be a small fee of $1 for

each item. The students will need permission before taking something from the

cabinet.

o If the students need extra chairs or music stands, they will be placed in the back 2

corners of the room.

o On the front right side of the room there will be a cabinet with a sound/video

system. The band director will be able to play music, DVDs, or anything else if

needed.

o The music library will also have a section for method books and warm up books

for each instrument. Students are welcomed to use these books when practicing.

Non-Instructional Routines

Non-instructional routines are something you do on instinct. You do not have to be told every

time to do it and you do it on a daily basis. It starts to become second nature to you. At the

beginning of class, students like to take the opportunity to talk to their friends, goof around, and

take their time getting prepared for class. In order to prepare the students for the task at hand,

they will practice the following routines on a daily basis in the band room:

• Beginning of Class – roughly the first ten minutes:

I will stand outside the band room every day to greet the students as they enter the room. If a

student has a question about something, they can use this time to ask me. When the students

enter the room, they are to go straight to their instrument cage and set up their instruments, grab

their music from the file cabinet, and sit in their section. The agenda for the day will be listed on

the whiteboard prior to the class period. The students are to use this time to put their music in

order and tune their instruments. They are free to warm up any way they wish. Percussionists are

to grab their music and set the section with all the instruments needed for the period. They are

free to warm up by practicing basic rudiments on drum pads. All students should be seated in

their sections for attendance by the second bell. Consequence: Students who are not set up and

seated in their sections when the second bell rings will lose some of their participation points and

be marked as “tardy”. After taking attendance, I will notify the students with any additional news

or updates that is not listed on the bulletin boards. I will then conduct the band through the basic

warm up exercises. For percussionists that are not playing the warm up exercises on a drum or

mallet instrument, they have to play them on drum pads. If needed, I will tune any section that

sounds a little off from the rest of the group.

• Ending of Class – last five minutes:

During the last five minutes of class, I will quickly remind the students of any rehearsals or

performances we may have that day. If a student has a question to ask, they have the opportunity

to ask me. After that the students are free to put away their music and instruments. Every wind

player is responsible for making sure their assigned seat in their section is clean before leaving

the band room: stand is tucked under their chair, no trash on the floor, etc. Percussionists are

responsible for putting away all auxiliary percussion instruments, drum pads, music, drumsticks

and mallets. They must check to see that their entire section is clean and looks neat. The students

are free to leave when the bell rings.

• Effectiveness

By having these established routines every day, it will help me get through what I want to work

on in class that day. There is a great amount of music the students will be learning during the

school year and I want my students to be able to perfect it to the best of their abilities. I want to

be able to showcase my band by how well they play and sound. Having the students come in and

automatically start prepping for the class will keeps the students from wasting time. Writing the

agenda before hand is another way to avoid wasting time. It will take a few minutes to write a list

of things on the board, allowing students to lose focus and do whatever. Coming into school

early and writing the objectives and agenda on the board for all classes will save a great amount

of time.

Instructional Routines

Instructional routines are similar to non-instructional routines, but the difference is that the

students learn through the teacher’s instructional plans. The band room is an environment that

students are always learning something new about music whether if it is by the teacher, their

classmates, or themselves. The following below are general instructional management strategies:

• Active Listening: it is very important for the students to practice active listening,

especially when they are learning a new piece. It can be irritating for a student when they

ask a question and other students are talking at the same time. Half the class is not able to

hear the question and the answer. Seconds later, another person from a different section

asks the same question again, taking away more time from learning the music.

• Sectionals: switching from full band mode to small sectionals can be beneficial for the

students and teacher because it gives each section time to focus on their own music parts

instead of the full piece. This gives the teacher an opportunity to walk around and work

with the different sections to see who is playing and who is having trouble understanding

the material.

• Providing the students with a grading rubric is very helpful because the students will

know how they will be graded in the class during the marching band season and concert

band season. With both seasons, the number of rehearsals and performances are different

so it is important for them to know what to expect throughout the school year.

• One way to test the students’ knowledge on music is to give them music theory

worksheets. The worksheets can vary from having terms they should know to identifying

intervals. This will help you see how much they fully understand about music.

• To make sure the students know all their major scales and chromatic scale, you can do

random scale tests in class to see if they can play whatever scale you name.

Discipline and Accountability

In my high school, there was a basic list of school rules the teachers were required to have in

their classrooms. There was only 3 rules listed and although I cannot exactly remember what

they were, they all dealt with respect. To me, respect is important because I want to be treated

nicely by others so the only way I can do that is by treating people the same way. I want my

students to enjoy the time they spend with their classmates and myself in the band, but I also

want them to know that there are certain rules and guidelines that must be followed at all times. I

also want my students to know that there are consequences for any rules they break. The

consequences will be dealt with in an orderly manner and is not meant to embarrass the student

in any way. If the student approaches me with a reason behind their actions (i.e. family trouble),

then we will have a meeting after school to discuss the situation and come up with a different

way to deal with the issue. I do not want my students to think that I am a cold-hearted person. I

will try to be assertive in the classroom, but I want my students to feel comfortable enough to

come talk to me about anything that is bothering them. I will be aware of their feelings and take

note of how to effectively deal with the students and their situations. Attached is a sample copy

of the classroom rules and expectations the students will receive with their course syllabus on the

first day of school.

Rules and Expectations For Ms. Gomez’s Band Class

Classroom Expectations In order to keep a friendly environment in the band room, I expect each student to: DEMONSTRATE respect for yourself, your section leaders, your peers, and

band director; TREAT the band room and everything in it kindly as if it was your own home; TAKE full responsibility for your own actions; ENJOY the time you spend in the band room and have fun!

Classroom Rules:

• Respect the band room; it belongs to the school, NOT you • Bring all needed materials to class • Respect other people’s property • Food and drinks are NOT allowed in the band room, except for water • Do not use profanity or vulgar language in the band room • Obey all school rules and policies

Consequences: Depending on the violation and circumstances, the following are possible consequences you might receive if you fail to follow the classroom and school rules:

• Verbal warning • Lunch detention • 15 minute detention after school • 30 minute detention after school and notification to parent/guardian • Discipline referral to Principal • Parent-Student Conference • In-School Suspension • Out-of-School Suspension

Consequences may be worse if the principal has to get involved with the issue. ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY: I will absolutely NOT ALLOW any student to discriminate and/or bully another student based on their race, color, gender, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or disability. This behavior will automatically result in notification to your parent/guardian, a discipline referral, and a meeting with the principal.

Student Motivation

Naturally as a music educator, I want to help my students become better musicians. I want my

students to feel like they have made great progress as a musician from where they have started at

the beginning of the school year. I want my students to feel like they can play any piece of music

without feeling intimidated or scared by what they see on the piece of paper. I want them to feel

confident in their playing and with themselves as musicians. I want the students to be open-

minded and have a positive attitude with music. In order for this to happen, I will help my

students in any way I can.

For example, if a student has trouble with sight-reading, I will give them basic rhythm exercises

to help them understand time signature, the value of each note, and how they can be grouped in

various ways. By doing this, they can apply it to a piece of music and figure out the rhythm on

their own. If a student feels like learning a new instrument just because they want to, I will be

there to help them through it. I will give them lessons and help them understand the new

instrument they are learning.

For positive reinforcement, I will praise the students when they come in to practice on their own,

helping their classmates on their own, taking responsibility to become a student leader, and

mastering the music I provide them by having an amazing concert at the end of the year. I will

not tolerate any students that will do anything to bring down the positivity of the band. If there is

a student that feels like he or she should cause trouble within the group, I will talk to them

separately to figure out the problem they are having. If it is a problem that cannot be resolved, I

will request a parent conference with the student, the student’s parents, and the principal to

figure out a solution that best suits the student. I want all of my students to feel like they belong

in the band and want to be there. My students should feel like the band is a family filled with

people that share the same love for music as they do.