5 Points to Success

• Selena Ryan
• Posted 1/31/22
• 0 comments

A Classroom Management Plan

As music teachers, it is sometimes easy to forget that we must manage our classrooms with the same attention and standards as other teachers. Even though we teach a fun subject, we must provide boundaries for our students. This article will outline my classroom management plan, in which students are encouraged to act responsibly, respectfully, and take charge of their class. 

At the beginning of the year, I discuss with my students how a successful music class looks. Instead of telling them what they should do, they take ownership of what they need to do to have a successful class. For example, I share a list of what hands, feet, eyes, and voices should look like in music class. Then we create the classroom expectations together. 

I adapted this behavior strategy from the research in behavioral health and classroom management by the PAXIS institute. Learn more about the Tucson-based PAXIS institute here.

My biggest fear as an educator is that my students will believe that I am an adult that controls them and tells them what to do. It is important to me that students always take ownership of both their actions and their consequences. The 5 Point System that I use to manage my classroom reinforces the expectations and actions my students created and agreed to at the beginning of the year. 

The 5 Point System

When my students come into my classroom, there are five lines drawn on the board. 

What do the lines represent?

• A 5 Point class is a class that does everything correctly.  
• Students sit respectfully, participate, applaud others, and work diligently to learn material during class. Whenever the class makes a wrong choice, I take a point away.  

I believe it is essential that my students understand that I’m not punishing them but rather informing them that their choices have consequences. However, if they make better choices, I will add the point back.  

If there are 5 points on the board by the last few minutes of class, they earn fun activities like videos, games, or free time. If they do not have 5 points by the end of class, they will do a worksheet, continue with their lesson, or do something else that is still related to learning music but less fun. I have included links to channels and videos on YouTube that my students have enjoyed as 5 Point videos. 

When I first introduced this system to my class, I started by explaining and reminding them what the lines were and what would happen if I took them away. After a couple of weeks, I stopped referring to them as often because they had just become part of my classroom. I typically give the class one warning before I start taking points away, and when I take a point away, I don’t draw too much attention to it. 

Usually, just picking up the whiteboard eraser is enough reminder for them to correct their behavior. When this happens, my students tend to quickly notice that they lost a point and correct their behavior. If the correct behavior is maintained, they earn the point back. 

I like to use this system because it shows my students that there is always a chance for redemption and can reset their bad choices. The human experience is full of making mistakes and learning from them, and this is a simple way to teach and remind my students of that.  

Students are not working for a reward or prize but simply behaving as good human beings. Good human beings get to enjoy something fun at the end of their class, and human beings that are not good yet just need another opportunity to fix their choices. With this system, my students correct their behavior, have a productive class, and enjoy a fun ending when they do everything they need to have a great day. 

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