Plan For Managing The Learning Environment Brooklynn Ramos: Graduate School of Education

GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION
Plan for Managing the Learning Environment

Brooklynn Ramos
1. Classroom Culture and Climate: Write a reflection on what you think constitutes a positive
classroom climate. List 3-5 strategies that you would like to try in your own classroom. The
strategies should rely on professional learning communities and address the physical, social,
and emotional needs of the whole child.
Classroom Culture and Climate
Reflection:
The best learning environment will encourage student growth both academically and
social-emotionally. Teachers must implement certain strategies to foster positive
relationships and enhance a positive classroom climate. Students will feel more empowered
and confident when they have a safe and healthy learning environment. A great classroom
climate will make all members feel respected, heard, welcomed, and makes students feel or
understand they are participants and important to the classroom.
In my experience as a student, the classrooms that had a positive climate were due to
the teacher making me and my classmates feel safe. The rules were always very clear and
helped keep everyone on track in their learning. The teacher would call on students who
raised their hands, instead of calling out students who were confused in front of the class.
They would keep us involved with relevant problems to the community. They would also
make sure we felt comfortable enough to ask questions and to feel confident in helping
others.
In my experience as a teacher, it is incredibly important to have classroom rules and
procedures and stick to them. When I haven’t stuck to the rules or strayed from them,
students notice and some will use that as an opportunity to disrupt the class. I also know to
avoid calling out students who aren’t confident in their answer and instead when a student
gives the incorrect answer, I support them and let them know it’s okay to make mistakes. I
have implemented the following strategies into my classroom and they have had a positive
impact on classroom climate so far this year:
Strategies for Positive Classroom Climate
● Involvement: Teachers need to actively involve students, whether it be by building their
confidence as a participant or by making their content more relevant to different
classrooms.
● Being vulnerable and honest about mistakes: Teachers need to help foster positive
teacher-student and peer relationships. This can be done by being vulnerable. Let
students get to know you as a person, and also use mistakes as a teaching moment.
Students should see teachers as mentors, but also as humans who can have a well
rounded life and can make mistakes, but learn from them. These relationships are
important to building trust.
● Greeting students at the door and check-in: This also builds a sense of students
individuality. It shows them that the teacher cares, and allows them to have a positive
human connection that day.

● Consistent classroom rules, procedures, expectations and routines: Setting clear
classroom policies allows for confidence in understanding the students and teachers
expectations for each other. Having the rules and procedures posted in the classroom and
discussed regularly keeps everyone on the same page.
Strategies or Modifications for Virtual Learning Environment

● Involvement: Actively involving students and allowing for collaboration using breakout
rooms. Interacting during the live meeting using video/audio or the chat feature, in
addition to emailing or communicating outside of the virtual classroom.
● Being vulnerable and honest about mistakes: Letting students know when it might take a
moment to set something up and listening to any mistakes students found in the digital
platform or content.
● Greeting students when they enter the virtual classroom: Say hello to each student
individually, and ask how they are doing. If you know a student might be feeling down,
send them a private chat and see if they want to chat!
● Consistent classroom rules, procedures, expectations, and routines: Setting regular
routines in the online environment allows for students to know what to expect from that
day. Posting weekly task sheets and going over them at the beginning of each meeting,
and again at the end of the meeting to introduce the next topic or upcoming important
dates.
2. Classroom Norms and Behavior Expectations: Classroom norms are the foundation of a
safe, engaging, and student-centered learning environment. List 3-5 clear, concise, and
positively framed norms and expectations that will guide the learning environment.
a. Universal and Simple: Focus on some themes or big ideas that might include respect
and integrity. Do not include every possible rule or policy you might need; rather
generate a few overarching norms that encompass many rules.
b. Positive: Norms are positive statements about what students and teachers do in
order to learn and collaborate effectively. Avoid negative norms (i.e. “Do not…”
“No…”).
c. Collaborative: Involve your students in developing and discussing norms and
expectations. This allows them to contribute and gives ownership of the class.
Classroom Norms and Behavior Expectations
● We will respect others and ourselves

● We will make informed decisions
● We will be responsible
● We will cooperate with each other
Strategies or Modifications for the Virtual Learning Environment

● We will respect others and ourselves

● We will make informed decisions
● We will be responsible
● We will be mindful
3. Routines and Procedures: Clear and consistent routines and procedures assist teachers in
managing their learning environment effectively. List out your top 3-5 routines and
procedures that you would implement in your own classroom. Following a routine lets
students know what to expect each day in class. While moving away from the routine
periodically can be effective for special days, doing it often causes students to be
unprepared. (Add more rows as needed to the table.) Include modifications that you would
make for situations when students don’t adhere to a particular routine or procedure.
Clear Routines and Procedures
Situation Steps
Entry Routine 1. Enter the classroom before the bell rings and you will be greeted by
High School the teacher.
Math 2. Quickly and quietly grab your math supplies and find your assigned
seat.
3. Place your math supplies, pencil, and any completed homework on
your desk.
4. Sit down and put your backpack on the back of the chair or on the
floor, without cluttering a walkway.
5. Open math binder and begin the do now while waiting for others to
join or until the teacher is done with attendance.
Modifications:
- Tardy students will quietly enter the classroom, grab their math
materials and go to their desk. The teacher will note the time they
entered and continue with instruction. Once the teacher has time,
they will speak with the student individually to determine if it was an
excused tardy or not. Then, the teacher will make sure to mark them
tardy with the LMS.
- The teacher will speak to the student about the tardy procedure and
steps to enter the classroom when late.
Exit Routine 1. Wait to pack up your materials to prepare for transition until the
High School teacher tells you to do so.
Math 2. Complete any exit ticket assigned.
3. Write down any homework and/or important dates (quizzes, tests,
projects). This information is available on the board.
4. Turn in your exit ticket and return any math materials or binders to
the correct spot for your period when the teacher indicates your
group.
5. Wait by your desk and make sure all of your belongings are brought
with you.
6. When dismissed, quietly leave the classroom and say goodbye.
7. Students may choose to stay and ask the teacher more specific
questions about content they are struggling with.
Modifications:
- When a student does not adhere to the routine, the teacher will
discuss the correct steps in the procedure to the student. In addition,
reteaching or practicing the method will happen if necessary/ record
the instances.
Bathroom/Break 1. Students should take advantage of time before/after school, passing

Routine periods, recess, and lunch to use the bathroom or get water.
High School 2. Unless it is an emergency, students must wait until introduction of the
Math period is completed to request the use of a bathroom, water fountain,
or a break.
3. Students should raise their hand and wait for the teacher to approve
use verbally, or use the sign the letter “t”, for toilet, to get more
immediate indication of leaving the classroom. For example, signing
the letter “t” looks like:

4. When approved to use the bathroom, the student must sign out with
their name, period, date, and time.
5. Then grab the class bathroom pass to their destination.
6. Students should take no more than 5 minutes to return to the
classroom.
7. When re-entering students must sign back in, with their return time.
8. Then get back to their seat quietly.
Modifications:
- If a student does not adhere to requesting a bathroom break, they will
be reminded individually by the teacher
- If a student takes longer than 5 minutes, they will be reminded by the
teacher of the procedure. If a student needs extra time in the
bathroom this will be discussed between the student, teacher, and
parents to determine the amount of time needed.
- If this becomes more consistent, then the teacher will walk through
the procedure in detail with the student.
Routines for Virtual Learning Environment:

Entry Routine 1. Before joining the meeting, remember to have tabs open for the
digital math binder and google classroom page.
2. Join the live meeting before the scheduled class time.
3. The teacher will greet students as they arrive. This is when the
teacher will begin to take attendance.
4. Students can respond to greetings with video, audio, or the chat
feature.
5. While waiting for classmates, students may ask questions or
participate in discussions with classmates or the teacher.
6. The teacher will begin reviewing the previous lesson, discuss any
upcoming important dates and then begin instruction for the class
periods lesson.
Exit Routine 1. As the meeting comes to a close, students should leave their breakout
room and wait for their classmates.
2. Once everyone is back to the main room, the teacher will review
today's lesson and students may present any last questions they have
for the teacher.
3. The teacher may give out an exit ticket with a link in chat, which
students will have time to complete at the end of the period.
4. Then the students will pay attention as the teacher reminds them of
any important upcoming tests, quizzes, or projects that are due.
5. Students may leave after saying goodbye, or stay and ask the teacher
more specific questions about content they are struggling with.
Bathroom/Break - If students are joining virtually and need to leave their computer to
Routine use the bathroom, grab water, etc. they need to message the teacher
that they will be right back.
- If students are in a breakout room when this occurs, they will message
their breakout room partner.
- If students are hybrid, and on campus due to being vulnerable, they
just need to let the teacher know and they will wait for a physical pass
to be written.
- They also only have 5 minutes to return to the “classroom”.
4. Transitions: Plan your transitions with a step-by-step process in the table below, and model
with students within the first weeks of school. Review and practice these transitions with
students after extended breaks, midyear, and anytime you add a new student to your class.
Include specific instructions you would use with students with special needs and English
language learners.
Transitions
Situation Steps
Whole group to Pre-teach transition from regular seating to combining desks or facing their
small group group (2-3 students). Practice this transition frequently to become more
Transitions efficient.
1. Students clear off desks to just have needed materials.
2. Instruct students on agenda, directions, materials needed (and where to
find them) both orally and written/displayed on the board.
3. Assign any roles needed (notetaker, timekeeper, material
grabber/returner, etc.) Explain any new roles as needed.
4. Ask students to repeat directions, use this time to clarify so that all
students understand.
5. Students move seats/desks to be facing each other or combined to work
in their group.
6. Students can start their activity.
● Rewards: Teacher can keep time to see how long the transition takes, and
keeps track of previous records. After efficiently transitioning the teacher can
give students a homework pass, snack day, emailing or calling home with
positive feedback.
● Consequences: Students may not have enough time to complete the
assignments and their grade will reflect that. Staying after class to discuss
following expectations for transitions. If it is continuous, then an email or call
home may be made.
Other specific strategies: Printed out notes/instructions, materials in a specific bin
or numbered in the same location for efficiency, letting students know there will
be this transition to small group work at the beginning of class, visual
cues/countdowns/schedules, allowing for extra time, rewarding and praising
students, modifying verbal or written directions to be more simple or visual,
individually pre-teaching transitions or specific steps.
From Review or Also pretaught, and reviewed before each assessment.

Warm-up to 1. Students turn in completed warm-up or review.
Assessments 2. Clear off desks, except for needed materials: pencil, scrap paper,
calculator, ruler, etc.
3. Retrieve materials needed if they don’t have it with them.
4. Give verbal and written (on board or projector) instructions for
expectations of being silent, asking questions by raising a hand and time
limit. Make sure the clock or timer is visible for all students.
5. Answer any questions or clarify for understanding.
6. Distribute tests and they can start.
give students an extra point for efficiency, snack day, emailing or calling home
with positive feedback. Allowing students to use their phone after handing in
the assessment for completing the transition correctly.

home may be made.
Other specific strategies: Materials in a specific bin or numbered in the same
location for efficiency, letting students know there will be this transition to
assessments in previous classes and again at the beginning of class, visual
students, individually pre-teaching transitions or specific steps.
Transitions for the Online Classroom:
To small group in This transition is retaught regularly, until students have a hang of it and
breakout rooms students are reminded of breakout room/small group work expectations
regularly.
1. Determine if any students are having technical issues beforehand, help
them set up correctly or give them time to solve the issues.
2. Present the task, expected outcome, time limit, and indicate any
materials or programs needed. Share screen with written instructions
(also shared with students to be accessible during group work).
3. Share screen and show examples or different programs that might be
used. Ask if they know where to find directions, examples, or programs
(again checking for technical issues).
4. Remind them how to ask questions when in a breakout room (“ask for
help” button).
5. Assign any roles needed (notetaker, timekeeper, screen sharer, etc.)
Explain any new roles as needed.
6. Ask students to repeat directions, use this time to clarify so that all
students understand.
7. Put students into breakout rooms and check in frequently, without
distracting them, and answer any questions they may have.
give students an extra point for efficiency or email/call home with positive
feedback.
home may be made.
Other specific strategies: Printed out notes/instructions, meeting with students
one on one to check for understanding, letting students know there will be this
transition to small group work at the beginning of class, visual
students, modifying verbal or written directions to be more simple or visual,

individually pre-teaching transitions or specific steps.
Bathroom/Water This transition is retaught regularly, until students have a hang of it and
Breaks students are reminded of asking to have a break and expectations
whenever necessary.
1. When in the main session, student indicates need to use bathroom by
chatting teacher.
2. Teacher approves or tells the student to wait a bit.
3. Student returns within 5 minutes and lets the teacher know they are
back.
a. If a student is in a breakout room, they let their group know so
when the teacher joins them, they can let the teacher know.
email/call home with positive feedback.
● Consequences: Staying after class to discuss following expectations for
transitions. If it is continuous, then an email or call home may be made.
Other specific strategies: Visual cues /countdowns /schedules, allowing for extra
time, rewarding and praising students, individually pre-teaching transitions or
specific steps.
5. Responding to Traumatic Stress: Create a data gathering exercise to understand students’

backgrounds and identify if any of them have experienced traumatic stress. Tip: Previous
teachers are sometimes a good source of information. Complete the chart below with
possible strategies that you would use for specific types of trauma.
Response to Traumatic Stress
Trauma Symptoms Response Strategies
Trouble making friends, loneliness - ● Team building activities

Bullying ● Establish safe school and classroom environment
● Model respectful behavior
● Buddy systems
● SEL programs
● Validate students feelings
Chronic-hunger and hoarding food ● Provide list of community resources to family

-Homelessness ● Have a safe place for them to keep their belongings
● Keep nutritional snacks available and free to grab
● Enroll student in free lunch program
● Avoid taking possessions or recess time away from
student as a discipline
● Avoid TV or electronic assignments

Unexplained bruises and/or ● Provide structure to school environment

uncomfortable with physical contact ● Create a consistent schedule and clear expectations
- Physical Abuse ● Respect their personal space
● Report abuse
Regression and low self-esteem ● Build trust

-Early Childhood Trauma ● Validate students feelings
● Create consistent routines and set reasonable
expectations
● Support students in self-regulation and in expressing
emotions
6. Technology Tools: Technology can improve the way you manage the learning environment
by helping save instructional time, track trends in student behavior, create lines of
communication with families, and even empower students to take leadership roles. Integrate
some technology tools for managing the learning environment in a physical and online
classroom into this planning document and explain how you plan to use each.
Management Technology
Technology Rationale and Use
Best Sand Timer In a physical classroom, it is important to be able to show a visual of when an
activity is going to end. The Best Sand Timer App allows for the teacher to
create a custom time and visual to go along with it. This is a helpful tool to
encourage time management for both independent and group work. By
displaying the timer app on a board, where all students can see it, it helps keep
students on task and leads to them taking accountability for using their time
correctly.
PowerSchool Having used this last year, it was an amazing way to keep track of student
attendance, grades, and behavior with a time and dated log. In addition to
logging behavior, it was easy to create detailed comments on grades and report
cards. It also allows for teachers to log parent contact attempts and sends
messages directly to admin after so many times a behavior is logged. This is
great for both the physical and virtual classroom, in order to have all
attendance, grades, and comments posted in one program.
Google Classroom Easy to learn interface for assigning lessons or material. By inviting parents to be
their students’ guardian, they get to have notifications turned on for grades and
missing work. Students are reminded of when they have due dates, and can use
Google Classroom to access materials from anywhere with wifi, a device, and
their account information. Students can make comments and reply to one
another's questions to create discussion or share information. This has been a
helpful tool in physical classrooms, for students to have links to any online
homework and to have information on lessons when they were absent. This tool
is even more helpful with online classrooms, as the main way of sharing all class
information, lessons, directions, tutorials, etc. It is easily organized, to make for
efficient use.
Technology for the Online Classroom:
TalkingPoints TalkingPoints allows for seamless two-way communication directly to parents

and students. The teacher can download the app and create different
classrooms to share reminders directly via text message. Teachers can send
classroom messages and reminders for special events or dates, as well as
connect to parents directly concerning good or bad behavior. This app can save
many teachers time and help set up a more efficient method of communication.
By seeing all conversations from a parent in one place, and being able to have
quick check-ins, without the more formal email format, teachers can connect
more parents in less time. This app is a great tool to use for both physical and
virtual classrooms to give more regular feedback and track the conversations
easier.
This app also has a free translation feature, which is very helpful in
communicating with households whose primary language isn’t English.
Nearpod A great tool to keep students engaged from home. Several different activities
put into one buildable lesson allows for teachers to save time in finding several
different programs or ways to keep students engaged and learning. After a
while, students get used to Nearpod and can work at their own pace through
lessons, or go with the pace of the teacher during live lessons.
Desmos Integrated with Google Classroom, completely free, and equipped with
pre-created lessons with interactive activities, Desmos is a must have for math
teachers. The integration with google classroom, makes it easy to import
rosters, assign or schedule activities, and grade their work. There are various
types of activities, which can be pre-made and edited to fit the curriculum, or
custom made by the teacher. The variety really helps keep students interested
and engaged in learning. By sharing an activity live during a virtual meeting, the
teacher can see how students are doing, where they might have all been stuck
at, pause the activity for everyone in order to review, and reassign work to be at
a students pace instead. Desmos is exceptional for using in a virtual math
classroom, but also a great program to have in a physical classroom as an
additional activity.
7. Communicating With Families: Use the box below to describe tools that you would use to
communicate regularly with families about students’ progress, achievements, or behaviors?
Family Communication
Tools for Regular ● Email: direct and leaves a paper trail of dates contacted. A
Communication: What tools great way to build a relationship with parents or guardians is by
delivering good news early on. In addition to that, I like to send
will you use to ensure that you weekly emails to parents for students who are doing
regularly communicate exceptional. I also send our regular emails regarding upcoming
students’ progress, tests, missed tests, and when retakes are scheduled.
achievements, and behaviors ● Infinite Campus: LMS that is available at all times for students
and their parents to check their grades or see if they are
to families? missing assignments.
● When discussing a more severe behavior, or a topic that a
parent or guardian is upset about, it is important to inform
your administrators. They are also part of a huge “toolbox” of
helpful information. Don’t be shy to ask for help.
● Phone calls: quite helpful. During online learning, when a test
is given I can see that a student hasn’t logged on so I call and
inquire if they know there is a test and that it is due by a
certain time.
● Google Classroom also allows parents and guardians to be
invited and see reports of what is missing or the grades on a
regular basis.
● Spreadsheets are a good way to track the various interactions
with parents or guardians, whether it is via phone, email,
webex meeting, etc.
Reporting Requirements for As a mandated reporter, there are specific steps to follow
Suspected Child Abuse: immediately and as soon as possible.
1. Mandated Reporter Checklist for Suspected Child Abuse
and Neglect
2. Call CWS Intake Reporting Line
3. Fax or mail the checklist to CWS after verbally reporting
to the intake worker.
Here is the link to the checklist with more details and phone
numbers for calling about the process.
The checklist and the oral report fulfills the mandatory reporters
obligation for two reports under Chapter 350-1.1(c), Hawaii
Revised Statutes.

Plan For Managing The Learning Environment Brooklynn Ramos: Graduate School of Education

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Plan For Managing The Learning Environment Brooklynn Ramos: Graduate School of Education

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GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION