Mark Heald's Classroom Management Plan
I believe relationships are key in being a successful educator, and because of this, one of the first things an observer would notice about my social studies classroom is that I am at the door each day when the bell rings to greet my students as they walk through. This is important to me, as I feel it aids me in learning more about my students and it demonstrates a genuine interest in their lives. My classroom is setup and decorated in a manner that aims to inspire my students. On the walls are posters of historical figures, both past and present. These include people like Muhammad Ali, Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln, and Caesar Chavez. It is important that the posters on my walls reflect the different ethnicities of my students. I want them to be able to see images of successful people who look like them, as it is my hope that the posters will help inspire them to strive for great things in life. The desks in my room are arranged in a double “U” shape. I like having my students able to see each other when we have class discussions, and I also like being able to walk amongst my students when I give lessons. I don’t like having my students feel like I am some authoritative figure that engages in the transmission of knowledge. Having the desks in this shape allow for this to be possible.
At the beginning of each school year, my students and I develop a list of class norms. These norms dictate the policy for the class, and include three main rules: Allow me to teach, allow others to learn, and be respectful. I make sure that my students are clearly aware of my late work policy, which is that unless in the case of an absence, all late work may be turned in for half credit. I want to encourage students to do the work, even if it is late, but I also want to reward those who turn their assignments in on-time. Attendance and punctuality are things that I take very seriously. I take attendance every day and expect students to show up on time. If tardiness becomes a reoccurring theme with a student, they disrupt their peers, or if they come in very late, then I will have a meeting with the student. I realize that every student has their own unique story, and I like to be sensitive to the fact that maybe the student is showing up late for a good reason.
In my classroom, I have a zero-tolerance policy for racial and gay slurs. These are things I take extremely seriously, and if I hear one, I make sure the student is punished accordingly. With this, I also do not allow bullying of any sort in my classroom. I strive to maintain an environment of respect and trust in my class, and anyone who disrupts this is punished. Much of my class is discussion-based, and each student is expected and encouraged to actively participate. Those who are quiet or shy sometimes are called on randomly by me, however, they have the option to pass if they are uncomfortable offering their thoughts. I sit down and talk with students who routinely pass or fail to participate in class discussions, with my goal being to give them the confidence to talk in class. With that said, I never punish students who don’t speak in class. A big part of participation to me is active listening.
My classroom is defined by student interaction, both with me and each other. My typical lesson is not filled with the dumping of facts onto my students. It is much more inquiry-based. I ask many questions to engage my students, with the hope that they can build on their previous knowledge to construct a better understanding of a particular topic. By having so much discussion in my class, students really get to know me and each other much better. While I can be strict at times, usually my interaction with students is fun. Being a young teacher, it is my hope that I can relate some to my students and vice versa. Therefore, I avoid presenting myself as a tyrannical figure. My students know that I am in charge, but they also know that they can talk to me about any problems or issues they might have.
My curriculum is very much based in multicultural education. Learning about other cultures and beliefs has always been a passion of mine, and I love sharing this enthusiasm with my students. Reflected in my curriculum is a shift away from the Eurocentric viewpoints that have long dominated history textbooks. Lessons that center on a multitude of perspectives dominate my unit plans. In my social studies class, students learn history through the eyes of not just Europeans, but of Latinos, Asians, African Americans, and Native Americans. Ingrained in my lessons are strong senses of prejudice reduction. Positive images of heroes and heroines of other cultures are commonly presented when I teach. By teaching about the positive contributions of people of different races and ethnicities, my students are able to challenge some of the stereotypes and misconceptions that they might have. Social justice is a key theme throughout the year in my classroom, and my goal is that by the end of each school year, students have a clear definition of what social justice means and some ways that it can be obtained. Ultimately, it is my hope that social justice becomes a major part of each of my students’ lives.
Related to my desire for my students to be immersed in multicultural education is a hope that each one of my students will learn to better engage in critical thinking. It seems that there is sometimes a tendency for young people to believe everything they hear. They have this belief that if the teacher says it, then it must be true. I strive to get my students away from this type of thinking. I routinely challenge my students to question things that they hear. Since this is a social studies class, I often have my students look for biases in documents they read. I have them consider who wrote it, what their point of view is, and why it is relevant. My hope is that my students are able to come to their own conclusions about issues. My class also challenges some of the previous notions that my students might have about history. Common in many of my lessons is an attempt to debunk some of the myths and misconceptions that exist about history. History is too often told through the eyes of the oppressors, and so I try to shift away from this type of history and look more at the bigger picture.
I have said that much of my class is discussion-based, and this is true. I like having discussion in my class because it allows for students to develop their own knowledge, and not just the knowledge that I tell them. However, I do realize that each student I have learns in a different manner, and because of this, I try to add much variety in my instruction. On a typical day in my class, it is impossible to predict what my students will be doing. Some days they may be listening to me lecture on a certain topic, other days they may be in small groups, watching film, working individually, or having a Socratic seminar. It is my belief that students will get bored if they spend too much time doing the same thing over and over. By adding diversity to my styles of instruction, students are always engaged in something different than the previous day. This keeps my class fun and refreshing, and I can please many different learning styles.
When assessing my students, I put great weight on their in-class participation. This includes contributing to discussions, active listening, completion of in-class work, and preservation of a respectful learning environment. I also like to assign a project or two each semester. These projects typically allow my students a great deal of freedom to be creative and really show off their own talents. My hope is that students get excited about them and really put time and effort into making a product that they are proud of. Homework and Tests/Exams are another means that I use to assess my students. While these aspects of the class are important, they do not factor in to the final grade as much as their in-class participation. There are many external factors that can influence success on tests and homework. I am well aware that some of my students may come from home environments where it is not easy to study. Some of my students may be very bright but get nervous and struggle when taking tests. It is for reasons such as this that I do not weigh tests and homework as heavily as the work my students do while in class.
Ultimately, I believe that all students are capable learners. I am not the type of teacher to ever give up on a student, no matter how hopeless they may seem. All children have talents and things they excel at, and it is my job as an educator to help my students realize their potential. If I ever give up on a student, then I know I have failed them as a teacher. The amazing thing about teaching is that educators don’t always know the influence they have on a particular kid. Some small, seemingly insignificant thing they say may have a lasting impact on a student. That is why I respect each of my students and always have faith in them. I teach my students to dream big and that anything is possible. Sure, many of my students will face challenges and people that will try to hold them back from their dreams, but I try to instill in each of them a belief that they can do anything if they set their mind to it. Education is the single most powerful tool one can have to gaining success in this world. I feel fortunate that I am in a position to inspire others to greatness.