Journal #2: Classroom Management Plan (Letter to Parents)

February 12, 2013

Dear Parents,

I am looking forward to an excellent year with each and every student in my class.  I want to take this opportunity to familiarize you with the kind of environment I intent to establish in my classroom.

My classroom management plan is simple.  It is character-based and grounded in ethics.  At the beginning of the year, your child will assist in defining the rights of the students in the classroom.  Students will be given positions of responsibility and leadership which will foster involvement, care, and reliance on fellow classmates.  We will discuss and practice ethical decision-making in my classroom.  Some example tenets of my classroom ethics are trustworthiness, loyalty, friendship, helpfulness, kindness, good cheer, cleanliness, and bravery.

If you would like to provide continuity at home, I encourage you to offer your child a position of responsibility in your household.  Now, when I say "position of responsibility," I do not mean extra chores (though those may be included).  I mean to give your child a say in the everyday routines and procedures of your household.  Listen to your child's suggestions for household policies that are fair to every member of your family.  Give your child the opportunity to claim ownership in the successes of your family.  Some example positions may include being a family tutor for a topic of interest, a tidiness monitor, an assistant or head cook, or even a recreation coordinator, organizing games and fun activities to do as a family within an outlined budget.

I will do everything I can to keep your child involved in the well-being of my classroom, and with your help at home, your child will grow to be an ethical influence on the whole community.  Thank you so much for the privilege of teaching and getting to know your child, and I am looking forward to a great year.

With the utmost sincerity,
Travis Koneschik, (future) M. Ed.