Identifying Classroom Management Strategies Using Observational Notes and Zone of Tracking Framework at the Elementary Level (K-5)

An effective classroom management plan helps to create a positive and safe learning environment that fosters motivation, addresses challenges, and develops critical thinking among students (Jobirovna, 2023). Social-emotional learning plays a crucial role in building self-regulation among students. Research shows that self-regulated and emotionally alert students can achieve higher academic success (CASEL,2021). A case study on an urban Midwest K-5 charter school helped to identify the classroom management strategies used by elementary teachers to enhance the socialemotional state of the students by implementing the “Zone of Regulation” strategy (Kuypers, 2023) and analyzing the observational notes. A framework known as the “Zone of Tracking” framework was developed to connect the emotional alertness of students with the predicted intervention, which included various classroom management strategies used by all core-content teachers. Using the Zone of Tracking framework, 165 students across all grade level teachers were observed (N=66 observations). Each observation was one hour for all subjects. Out of 66, in 33 observations, Following Classroom Expectations was identified as one of the strategies for creating emotional alertness among students. Note-making during all classroom observations (N=66 observations) exhibits patterns grouped into two categories: instructional and classroom routines. Instructional routines included four subcategories: lesson planning, teacher time management, proximity of teacher, and automaticity of students. Classroom routines included four subcategories: Teacher voice level, classroom norms, rewards, and transitions. Listing and recognizing the various classroom management elements, considering the emotional alertness of the students, could assist the teachers in building a strong classroom management plan that can cater to both the student's academic and emotional needs and create a positive classroom environment conducive to learning.