Welcome to Ms.

Brownings
Busy Bees First Grade
Classroom

Table of Contents

Classroom
Organization
4
Physical Classroom
Organization4

Desk
Arrangement
.4
Learning
Centers
.5
Bulletin
Boards
.5
Reading
Corner
.5
Classroom
Computers
.6
Teachers
Desk
..6
Classroom
Rug
..6
Group Work
Area
7
Other
7

Operational Classroom
Organization..7
Record
Keeping
.7
2

New
Students
.8
Displaying Student
Work8
Keeping the Classroom
Orderly.9

Disciplinary Policies & Professional

Ethics9

Disciplinary
Policies
..9
Minor
Infractions
..9
Mid-level
Infractions
10
Major
Infractions
11

Professionalism &
Ethics.
11

Routines &
Procedures
12

Routines/Procedures
12
Daily Morning
Routine.
.12

Classroom
Helpers
12
Handing In/Passing Back
Papers.13
Homework
.14
Free
Time
14
Restroom and Drink
Policy14
Specials
15
Field
Trips
..15

Differentiation
Policies
15
Students That Need Extra
Help..15
Gifted
Students
..16

Parental
Involvement
16

References
18

Information
.18

Classroom Organization

Physical Classroom Organization

My first grade classroom will be organized in a way that promotes
collaboration between all of my students. I have chosen a busy bee theme
and there will be posters and objects throughout the room that promote this
theme.

Desk Arrangement

The students desk will be arranged in groups of four in the middle of the
classroom. The desks are located in the middle so that students who are
moving around can go around the desks not through them
to eliminate distractions. Each students desk will have a
number on it so that when I am forming groups or asking a
group of students to do something they will know which
number group they belong to. This will decrease the
amount of time that it takes to call groups together and
creates a routine that the students can follow. Each
student will have a name tag on their desk so that when a
substitute teacher comes in they can call on students based on the name
that is on their desk.

Learning Centers
My classroom will have a few different learning centers. Each center will
focus on a subject and on the wall by the table there will be a board that has
relatable material. I will make sure to change the boards throughout the year
with what the students are interested in and what we are learning in class.
The centers are there for students who would like to explore a topic further
and also for those students who may need some more help/work to do.
These tables will fit approximately four students around them and are
located on the outskirts of the desks in order to maintain a quieter learning
environment.

Bulletin Boards
There will be several different bulletin boards in my classroom and I will keep
to my theme of busy bee. At the front of
the classroom there will be a big bulletin
board with the classroom jobs, calendar,
and the kiddos birthdays written in a bee
hive by the month. On the other side of
the smartboard I will have a blank board
that says buzzing
about _____. This
board will be used
as a star student
board and every
student will get
featured on the
board throughout the year. These boards are at the
front of the classroom so that during morning meeting
time we can all see what is on the board and who our
student to buzz about is. The other bulletin boards will
be the ones that are above the learning centers as well
as quotes and topics that are posted as we discuss
them in class.

Reading Corner
My classroom will have a reading corner in the back corner of the classroom.
It will serve as a mini library that will have all sorts of books that will be
labeled by level and genre. The library will have a few comfy chair around it
and a lamp that can create a cozy environment for the kids to go and read in.
On the wall beside the library I am going to post a bulletin board like the one
that you see below. It will have each students name along with how many
books they have finished reading. Each week there will be a reader of the
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week posted on this board and that will change every

week. On top of the book shelves that form the library I
will put books that fit the season so that the students
can reach up and grab different books throughout the
year and seasons.

Classroom Computers

The computers in my classroom will be located beside

the reading corner and will face towards the middle of
the classroom so that it is easy to monitor what they
are doing. I would like to have 3-4 computers in this area along with a few
class iPads that will be charged beside the computers. This will allow all of
the technology to be located in one common area so that students can
quickly locate them and get to the task that they have been asked to do.

Teachers Desk
My desk will be located at the front of the classroom beside the carpet. From
here I can see what my students are doing at all times. I will have storage
around my desk in order to keep organized but also keep my work and
planning materials away from the rest of the classroom. The desk will be
easily accessed by my students and there will be a half-circle table
connected to my desk so if a student comes to me with a quick question
during learning time I can have them take a seat to help them. This could
also be used for students who are off task.

Classroom Rug
The classroom rug is at the front of the classroom facing the smartboard and
the main bulletin boards. The students will meet here every morning for our
morning meeting and throughout other parts of the day. All read alouds will
take place on the carpet and when we meet to discuss new topics in class
the students will often meet on the carpet. The carpet will look somewhat
like the one that I have pasted below. It is important to have some sort of
shapes on the outside of the carpet so when you call students to the carpet
they can sit on something, in this case a flower.

Group Work Area

The group area in my classroom will be located off of my desk. I will easily be
able to pull the materials that I need and I can continue to monitor the rest of
my class while I work with the group in front of me. The students will face
away from the rest of the class to eliminate distractions.

Other
As students walk into the classroom they will be able to quickly put away
their coats and bags in the lockers beside the door. The drinking fountain is
located on the far side of the classroom close to the
door so that they can grab a drink on their way in or
out the door and cause the least amount of
distractions for the other students. The smartboard
is located in front of the carpet so students can see
from where they are sitting at their desks but also
from the carpet. The projector would face towards
the white board as well so that we can be interactive
with it while I am teaching lessons and everyone can
see it. There is storage beside my desk but also in
where the extra supplies are. I put this in the front
corner so it is out of the way and when students go
over there to get what they need they are not
distracting the other students.

Operational Classroom Organization

Record Keeping
Assuring that the records of my students work is kept is extremely
important. I am going to make sure that their parents can track their
progress and have access to those records. I am going to use a hard copy as
well as an electronic copy just in case anything was to happen with either
method. I am going to use the Whaley Gradebook for my class that contains
three records: attendance, scores, and running total (Wong & Wong, 2009).
Every district is different but depending on what they have in terms of
grading policies I will be open to using. I am going to make sure that before
the first day of school these are all set up and ready to use.

New Students
It can be very hard to be the new student who walks into a class where they
dont know anyone. It is extremely important that the students and the
teacher make them feel welcome and included in the class immediately. I am
going to assign a buddy to any new student so they have someone who can
help them find their way around and they feel included in games at recess
etc. As soon as the student walks into the classroom they will have a desk
that has already been set up to look identical to the others. It will have a
name tag with their name on the desk, all supplies and books needed, and a
chair at the desk. Before the first day of school I will have sent home a letter
to their family that is called Meet the
teacher and it will provide a little more
information about me so their parents
and the student knows something about
me before starting school. If it is possible I
would also meet with the student and
parents before their first day in class so I could do over the classroom
expectations, policies, etc. On the first day the student is welcomed into the
class I will have my class play some mort of a get to know you activity so
that they can learn something about their peers. All current students will
know how to properly welcome a new student and we will all work together
to make the transition as easy as possible.

Displaying Student Work

I want my students to be proud of the work
that they do and be able to show it off. It
will boost their confidence and make them
want to keep producing a high level of
work. In my classroom I am going to have
one bulletin board that will say work to
BEE proud of. This is where the whole
class will have the opportunity to show off
their work. Outside of the classroom in the
hall I will post a bulletin board that will say
Buzz-worthy work. Anyone who walks by
the classroom will be able to see the hard
work they have done and I will make sure
to change what is on the board frequently.
When parent conferences come around I
will make sure to have all parents take a
peek at these boards to see the great work
their child has done.

Keeping the Classroom Orderly

On the first day of school I am going to have a conversation with my
students about how important it is to keep the classroom clean. I will tell
them that how the see the room now is how it should always be come the
end of the day. I am going to have designated storage areas in the room
(math games, supplies, etc.) so that when the students are done using
something they can easily find where it should go and clean up quickly. The
students desks should always be kept clean so after every activity that we do
I will have them put away the materials that they used and put their books
away in their desk.

Disciplinary Policies & Professional

Ethics
Disciplinary Policies

In a first grade classroom I am going to expect that I will need to spend quite
a bit of time of disciplinary policies and make sure they they understand
what is appropriate and what will not be tolerated in the classroom.

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Minor Infractions
When my students choose to break the rules that we have set it will not be
accepted. I am going to have each students name on a clothes pin that will
be attached the the behavior chart. Each student will start at ready to learn
and we will discuss at the beginning of the year what this means. If a student
shows great improvement with a behavior they will get to move up the chart.
If they are not listening and misbehaving
they will need to move their clothes pin
down the chart and we will discuss what
happens at that point. The consequence
will strongly depend on what the
infraction was.
Again, when a student decided to not
follow the rules they will immediately be
moved down to think
about it. Here they will have time to think about what they
have done and they will have the opportunity to correct
that behavior and then they may even move up the chart
throughout the day. If the student decided to keep pushing
with a behavior they will then be moved down to teachers
choice. Typically, this will be attending recess academy or
taking a trip to another first grade classroom. If they are
asked to go to another classroom it would typically be
something more serious or it would be at the end of the
day when there is no more recesses that day. They will sit
quietly at the back of the classroom until that teacher tells
them they can go back to their classroom.
During recess academy the students will need to show
that they have mastered the skill before they can go back
outside to finish their recess. If the behavior happens
again they will continue to repeat this process until they
have completely mastered the behavior. (Mackenzie &
Stanzione, 2010).

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Depending on the district that you are in I am aware that

some kids can come to school late and miss the beginning of
the day. If this is a reoccurring issue with a student, I will have
them pick up with what we are doing but when recess comes
along they will need to finish their work. If I do not have recess
duty they will stay in the classroom with me until the work is
done and if I am on duty they will come outside but they will
bring their work with them and will not be able to participate
in recess activities until that work is done. The students
parents will be contacted if the problem continues and they
will be made aware that when they show up late this is the
policy so that hopefully over time the student begins to show
up on time for school each day. The same policy will be in
place for students who do not complete their homework or an
activity in class. If the students have been given an amplitude
of time to finish something and they were not on task they will
then be forced to complete that work at recess.
In first grade it is common that students will come in from recess with tattles.
When the students come in from recess it is important to not waste too much
time with listening to all of these tattles and to get going with the work that
we should be doing. At the end of each recess when they come in I will have
a tattle book open on the corner of my desk so as the students come in they
can write down their tattle in the book and I will read through them later
when they are working. I will make sure to talk to my students about how
this book works and make sure that they know what is an emergency to tell
the teacher and what can wait and be written in the book.

Mid-level Infractions
It is important to be ready for students who will push their limits and go
beyond minor infractions. From the very beginning of the year I am going to
warn my students about the dangers of cheating and what will happen if
they decide to do so. I will explain to them that it is important to always do
your own work and that I need to know what each of them is capable of
doing on their own or else their work wont mean what it is intended to. If I
catch my students cheating I will immediately call them to my desk or out in
the hall and explain that I have seen them do it. I will take away what ever it
is that they are doing and have them re-do it on their own during recess.
Their parents will be called because this is something that is considered
more serious.

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The students in my class will be aware of the consequences when they

disrespect myself or other students. It will not be accepted in my classroom
and if such an incident occurs the student will first come and sit at my desk
for the remainder of that lesson or activity, they will owe me all of their
recess, and their parents will be contacted. If this problem keeps occurring
with the same student, I will have to take further action and call a meeting
with their parents to decide where we go from here. At this point I would lean
on my principal to ask what steps they think I should take and how I should
go about creating a behavior plan for the student.

Major Infractions
Major infractions are to be taken very serious in my classroom. The main
concern will be the safety of the other students so I will begin my calling the
office for back up and getting my class out of the room and lined up in the
hallway.(Mackenzie & Stanzione, 2010). Once the situation has been cleared I
will talk with my students about the incident and make sure that everyone is
okay. The student who caused the incident will be taken to the office and
his/her parents will be called. The parents will most likely meet with the
principal and myself to come up with a solution to the problem.

Professionalism & Ethics

The profession of teaching is highly respected by the members of our society
as well as myself. I understand the importance of maintaining
professionalism with my job and any situation that may present itself. I will
always dress and act professionally. I see the importance of maintaining
professionalism outside of the school as well.
It is not realistic to think that everything will always be sooth sailing. There
will most likely be a time when I will not agree with my colleges and that it
okay but you must always maintain professionalism. If someone is to
confront me regarding a choice that I make I will remain calm and explain
why I made the choice that I did in calm and respectful manor. If there is an
issue where teachers are talking about another teacher, I will remove myself
from the room and not contribute to the conversation in any way.
The parents of my students will mostly be supportive of the class but in the
case that a parent calls me out for something I do in my class I will make
sure to again remain calm and explain myself in a respectful manor. I will
make sure they know their voice is heard and I will do what I need to do to
make them feel better in the situation.

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Routines & Procedures

Routines/Procedures
Daily Morning Routine

Morning meetings are my favorite part of the morning routine. I am going to

greet my students every morning at the door with a smile on my face. It is
extremely important to start the day off with a positive attitude and create a
warm environment for the students to walk into. Once the students walk in
and put their stuff away in their lockers they will come to the carpet for our
morning meeting. It is at this time that
they will choose what lunch they would
like to have and we will send those down
to the office. Every Monday we will have
a new star student of the week and they
will get time in the morning meeting to
share some pictures or special things
they have brought in to show the class. I
will allow three questions that the star
student can answer and then we will go
on with our morning routine. We will
then have our weather helper tell us
what the weather is going to be for the
day and our calendar helper will tell us
what day of the week it is along with the
month and day. We will then go over the
schedule for the day and what we are
going to be doing, if there is anything
special going on. Before we leave our
morning meeting I will allow my
students to share out something they want to share with the class and if they
dont have any ideas they will have the choice to pass. I love this idea
because it allows students to relate to one another and it sets high
expectations for the day.

Classroom Helpers
14

Every Monday we will go over who has what job for the week during our
morning meeting. I want to have my kiddos feel that they are responsible for
something that is important to the classroom running smoothly. Every
student will have the opportunity to rotate through the jobs and by the end
of the year they will have had close to if not all jobs completed. Our
classroom jobs will include:
1. Messenger- The Messenger will be the student
asked to deliver any messages I need to get to
other teachers, the office, etc.
2. Paper Collector- At times students will put their
own papers in the Turn In basket, but at other
times the Paper Collector will go around and collect
all of the students papers rather than having
everyone get up.
3. Paper Passer- The Paper Passer helps pass out papers to the class.
4. Line Leader- The Line leader stands at the front of the line all week and
is expected to show correct hallway behavior for everyone behind
them. They will be responsible for making sure the class is quiet and
orderly.
5. Door Holder- The door holder stands at the end of the line all week.
They hold the door for everyone when they leave the classroom and
when they come in for recess.
6. Light Monitor- The Light Monitor turns the lights on and off when the
teachers asks him/her to and makes sure to turn them off when the
class leaves the room.
7. Calendar Helper- The Calendar Helper helps the teacher run the
morning meeting by helping with the date and what day of school it is
that day.
8. Weather Person- The Weather Person helps in the morning meeting by
going and looking out the window to tell everyone what the weather is
like that day.
9. Room Managers- The Room Managers must make sure that the room is
clean before the class can leave for recess. There will be 2 or 3 of them
and they must give the okay to the teacher before the class can exit.
10.
Pencil Sharpener- The Pencil Sharpener will sharpen all dull
pencils near the end of the day so they are ready for the following day.
11.
Center Cleaner- The Center Cleaner makes sure that all of the
different centers are kept clean throughout the week and that
everything is put away and the tables are clear.
12.
Board Cleaner- The Board Cleaner will ensure that the white
board and smartboard are clean for when the teacher will be using
them.
13.
Librarian- The Librarian will make sure the books are in the
correct boxes and that the library at the back of the room is clean and
clear.
15

Handing In/Passing Back Papers

At the front of my classroom by my desk I am going to have a basket that
students will put their work when they are turning it in. They will hand their
work in with the folder so that it is simple and easy to hand back. I will have
my helper hand the work back after it has been done and to make this as
easy as possible there will be another bucket called pass back that the
helper can go to and hand back any work that is in that bucket.

Homework
I will not be assigning anything that will be specifically for homework
because my class is only in first grade. I will have my students
take home any work that was not finished in class and that will
give them something to work on at home if they need more
time then was given in class. I am going to have homework
or I would like to call it extras that parents can have their
kids take home to get more practice. I will recommend to
certain parents that their child should work on something at
home and provide them with worksheets or how to practice it
but it will not be considered homework or required. Each student will have a
homework binder where they can put unfinished work to take home or they
will put the extra practice sheets that I give them and all of it will be put
here.

Free Time
Throughout the day there will be about 10 min allotted to have students
choose what they would like to work on. If they have not got done a project
and they dont want to take it home, they can have this opportunity to work
on it. They could also read, play a math or reading game, or complete their
classroom job. They can choose from these options but they cant simply do
what ever they want and they will be asked to work independently and
quietly.

Restroom and Drink Policy

I am going to encourage my students to only take bathroom breaks during
lunch or recess. If they do need to go during class they must give me one of
their bathroom passes for the day. Each student will get two bathroom
passes for the day and once those two bathroom passes are gone they will
16

not get one back until the following day. If there is an emergency and that is
clear to me I will make an exception but this will make it so that they use
their time wisely and I dont have students rushing out to use the washroom
several times a day. If a student is caught in the hall doing anything but
using the bathroom they will have their passes taken away and will owe me
recess time.
There is a drinking fountain in the classroom so I am not worried about kids
leaving to get water. I am going to allow my students to have a water bottle
on their desk so they do not have to get up and disrupt the class to get a
drink. If a student doesnt have a water bottle and needs to get a drink they
must quietly go and get a drink but it cant be during a test/assessment.

Specials
I

Whenever it is time for my class to go to specials

will give them a few minute heads up so they can
finish what they are doing, get packed up, and
line up at the door. Every morning I will tell them
what special they have today so they know
where they will be doing throughout the day but I
will also walk them down to specials each time to
help them keep track of where they are going. I
will keep in contact with the specials teachers to
make sure the class is behaving and if they dont
they will owe me recess time.

Field Trips
Field trips are so much fun for kids and I love that we can take them to do
fun things outside of the school. For each field trip that we go on I am going
to send home a permission slip that outlines what we doing and where we
are going. I will ask for parent volunteers and monitor which parents go so I
can allow every parent that wants to be involved to be included in at least
one trip. I will make sure to follow all of the policies that the school has in
place for field trips.

Differentiation Policies
One of the reason that I want to be a teacher is because I see the high
demand to meet the varying needs of students. I am going to differentiate all
activities for students who need more or less help and make sure that every
student is presented with the opportunity to learn and grow. I am going to be
very flexible with my grouping and present students with the opportunity to
work with students with a group who is similar to them or someone who has
higher abilities so they can learn from them. The grouping will be changed
frequently so all students can work with different people.
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Students That Need Extra Help

At the beginning of the year I am going to work hard at getting to know all
my students on a personal level. This will especially help those kids who are
struggling because I will be able to find out what they are interested in, how
to best help them, and what they will need to be successful on assignments
and projects. The accommodations for these students will be different based
on every students needs and abilities. I am going to hold all students,
including the struggling ones, to a high standard and expect that they meet
the needs of the classroom regardless if they are struggling of not. This will
push them to be the best learners they can be and make them feel as
though they are being help to the same expectations as everyone else in the
class.

Gifted Students
All of the activities that I do will also be differentiated for gifted students. It is
important that with gifted students you get to know them on a personal level
as well so when you are making these accommodations they are worth while
and benefit the student. I am going to keep an open mind when it comes to
working with gifted students because I know they can learn in a completely
different way and they will be challenged in a way that no other student will
be.

Parental Involvement
Before the start of each year I will be mailing out a welcome to the class
letter so the students feel welcome but the parents do as well. It will tell
them a bit more about me and say how excited I am to be able to teach their
son/daughter. I will invite them to set up a meeting time and come in to meet
with me before the year begins and at this point I will get their contact
information so we can be in contact throughout the year.
I am going to create a classroom website or blog that will frequently be
updated. Parents will be able to go on the website at any time to see what
we are up to in class. I am going to be open to communicating with parents
frequently so that they feel involved in their childs education. They will be
made aware that I will contact them regarding any issues with their child
when it comes to progress, accomplishments, and behavior.
Parent conferences are an important time of year where I will get the chance
to meet with them to discuss how their child is doing. I will always start with
the positives and then get to the things that could be improved. I want to be

18

honest about the progress and behavior of each student because there is
nothing to gain from sugar coating the truth.

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References
20

Information
1. Class examples provided by Dr. Sally Beisser.
2. Education 122- Curriculum and Pedagogy
3. Mackenzie, R. J., & Stanzione, L. (2010). Setting limits in the classroom:
A complete guide to effective classroom management with a schoolwide discipline plan (3rd Ed.). New York: Three Rivers Press.
4. Wong, H. K., & Wong, R. T. (2009). The first days of school: How to be
an effective teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications,
Inc.

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