My mission is to create a positive classroom environment where students know their expectations and feel comfortable building a relationship with myself and with their peers. I will encourage my students to participate and praise them for their efforts. Respect and responsibility will also be key factors in the classroom. Students will know that any expectations I have for them also apply to me and they are responsible for making sure I follow the rules as well. Frontloading information and expectations to students is very important for having a well-functioning and cooperative classroom. I like to show students my expectations using visual aids as a preventative measure to help maintain control of my classroom. Using images to portray proper behavior could make a world of difference to students that don’t respond well to simply being exposed to oral or written rules. This technique can be used with all age groups, however I find it very effective with the younger grades since many of them can’t read written posters. There are a variety of different visual aids that can be created to help students maneuver through tasks. Possibilities include: A) creating a single visual aid of the correct behavior showing exactly what students should be doing, B) creating two images with one showing what you see them doing incorrectly and the other showing what they should actually be doing, or C) a “cartoon strip” of multiple images could be made going from left to right of each individual step they need to accomplish before moving onto the next task. Either drawing expectations or taking pictures and attaching them to the poster allows students to be more in control and self- assess. They also give the teacher something to reference when students begin to get off task. Routine is also vital for students. Our everyday routine will be established within the first two weeks of school. I will post at least one schedule in a visible place for the students so they know exactly what we’re doing and at what time throughout the day. By providing them with a schedule, students know what to expect each day of class, which will hopefully prevent them from asking the teacher about what they are doing or what they will be doing next. The routine will be reviewed when needed and always after long breaks like winter or spring break. It’s essential to go over rules and protocols with students right before they begin the task so that expectations are fresh in their minds. If the task involves many steps, creating a poster as the steps are being explained provides a great reference for the next time they have to do the task. School policies and procedures will be best understood if they have a classroom specific example to go with them. As a class we will think of specific behaviors that demonstrate the policy or procedure and help them form a personal connection to the rule and its importance. When students do act up, it is important to explain the consequences for breaking the rules. I like to pull the student aside, and talk about what their negative behavior is and why it’s not appropriate in the classroom. Then, I make sure to explain to them what the consequence will be if they continue the negative behavior. I also like to give them a time frame to correct their behavior before the consequence is put into place and say something along the lines of, “I’m going to observe you until lunch time and if your behavior doesn’t improve you will face the consequence when you come back from lunch recess.” If a major punishment does have to be implemented over a large issue I would make sure to contact the parents directly so they would be aware of the situation. Communication with parents is crucial. At the very begin of the school year parents will receive a letter from me with my contact information. The letter will also state classroom rules, procedures, and expectations so parents can review them with students. I hope to create a welcoming community for both students and parents where everyone feels comfortable sharing thoughts, concerns or questions they may have. I will gladly work with them to come up with a solution that works for everyone.