I. Room Preparation A. Bulletin Boards and Wall Space: Throughout the classroom and throughout the year, there will be many different bulletin board

Transcription

1 I. Room Preparation A. Bulletin Boards and Wall Space: Throughout the classroom and throughout the year, there will be many different bulletin board displays. While the seasonal bulletin boards will change, there will be a few that will be permanent. For example, one will feature the Helping Hands the names of the students in the class will be on a hand cut-out and the cutout will be placed in a jar cut-out with the name of the job the student is assigned to for the week. (Student jobs include: Librarian-straightening the books, Plumber-cleaning the sink, Messenger-taking notes to the office/other classrooms, Health Officers-helps with snack, Teacher s Assistant-general teacher s helper, Gardener-waters the plants, Zoo Keeper-feeds classroom pets.)another example of a permanent bulletin board will include pictures of the students, as well as their birthdays on birthday cake cut-outs. Also, there will always be a bulletin board displaying student work. Some of the seasonal displays will include bulletin board themes of: spring with flowers and bees, winter with Christmas trees and ornaments, fall with leaves, and summer with suns, as well as different holidays. At the time of study, there will be bulletin boards and posters so as to give a visual to the students as to what they are learning. In addition to the bulletin boards, there will be multiple posters hung throughout the classroom. For instance, there will be the rules and consequences in the front of the classroom, along with the routine for the morning and when the students walk into this particular classroom. There will also be a calendar, a wall clock, a schedule with the times of each period, and daily lunch menus. B. Floor Space: -Student Desks/Tables: Each student will have their own desk that is spaced appropriately for that individual student. On the top of the desk, the student will have their name written on a strip and laminated taped to the top of the desk. In addition to this, each student will have a copy of the alphabet in cursive which will also be laminated and taped down. Inside each desk, I will give each student the bottom of a case of soda (2) to act as a drawer to help the student stay organized. I will recommend that each student have a pencil/pen case for which to store their writing utensils so they are not scattered around the inside of the desk. The position of the desks will be changed constantly throughout the year. In addition to the students desks, there will also be a large table for the students to work at when working in groups. -Teacher/Teacher s Aide Desks: The teacher s desk will be located at the front of the classroom near the chalk board, but off to the side so the students will be able to see. On the teacher s desk, there will be a stack of plastic shelves for each class period for the students to file their homework in when they enter the room before class begins. There will also be a box of tissues on the teacher s desk, as well as band-aids, and other personal items that the students may need. The teacher s aide s desk will be placed near the rear of the classroom to ensure each teacher has their own space

2 and to allow for the teacher s aide to monitor and record classroom behavior with ease. C. Storage Space and Supplies: -Bookshelves: The bookshelves along the walls that are built into the classroom will hold reference materials, extra textbooks, and textbooks that are not being used at that point during the school year. These bookshelves will also house the classroom plants, instructional materials, hands-on learning activities, and other supplies that are being used during that particular unit. Other bookshelves will be used to hold free reading books, as well as multiple copies of guided reading books, and books used during different reading groups. These bookshelves will act as room dividers in order for the students to have a comfortable area with comfortable chairs and bean bag chairs to sit in when they read. -Supply Shelves: There will be a supply shelf, or supplies shelves, located in the classroom that has different compartments that will contain looseleaf notebook paper, several different colors of construction paper, several different colors of computer paper, tracing paper, a bin for markers, a bin of colored pencils, as well as a bin for highlighters, boxes of crayons, and a box of rulers. Staplers, hole punches, glue and glue sticks, tape, and paper clips will also be on the supply shelves. In addition to this, there will be calculators and wipe boards with dry erase markers and erasers. -Filing Cabinets and Equipment: There will be one, or more if necessary, filing cabinets in the room that will hold the teacher s frequently used instructional materials, reference materials for the teacher, and administrative materials. There will also be a drawer designated for the students in the homeroom to keep progress reports, behavior reports, report card copies, lesson plans, IEPs, FBAs, and 504s, etc. Another drawer will contain extra copies of hand-outs, worksheets, and dittos that the teacher finds useful, as well as extra transparencies for the overhead projector. The classroom equipment will include the overhead projector, computer(s), a television, a VCR, and a stereo. -Wall Shelves: These shelves will house seasonal materials, project materials, and other miscellaneous materials. -Closet Space: There will be a shelf for the students book bags, as well as hooks for the students jackets and other possessions. II. Classroom Procedures-Elementary and Middle School A. Morning Routine: Elementary and Middle School -Enter quietly, or speaking in a normal tone of voice. -Hang up jackets and book bags in the closet. -Give teacher any notes, absent excuses, permission slips, etc. -Use extra time in the morning to complete unfinished homework, read, or talk quietly with friends. -If possible, complete student jobs, or choose new student jobs (Fridays)

3 B. Rules: Elementary and Middle School -Respect: Teacher, Yourself, and Others (keep your hands/body parts, and other, to yourself) -Talk in turn/raise your hand -Talk in your normal voice -Use appropriate language -Do your work -Have Fun! C. Consequences: Elementary and Middle School -1 st warning: Verbal warning -2 nd warning: A check on the behavior chart and student writes in the discipline log: why they repeated the action, what they did, why it was wrong, and how it could have been handled better. -3rd warning: Loss of a privilege (free time, playing outside, computer time) and a note goes home. -4 th warning: Call home and sent to the principal (or in-school suspension) -Anything higher warrants teacher and principal collaboration. D. Seat Work and Teacher-Led Instruction: Elementary and Middle School -Get students attention by clapping a pattern (students must repeat) -Give the directions and/or deliver the lesson -Hand out the activity -Have students participate in class discussion or on work sheet if necessary -Students may ask each other (quietly and those around them) or ask the teacher for help -Teacher will circulate, ask students questions, and wait for the students to complete the activity before going on. E. Transitions In and Out of Class: -Students will enter quietly in the beginning of each period -Students will wait for teacher dismissal at the end of each period -Students will get up quietly to use the bathroom in the classroom (Elementary), or sign out (Middle School) without asking/disturbing the class when needed -Students will get up quietly to use the drinking fountain in the classroom (Elementary), or sign out (Middle School) without asking/disturbing the class when needed -Students will gather their materials and homework they are taking home and talk quietly to their friends at the end of the day. -Students will wait for teacher to dismiss or walk them down at dismissal. F. General Procedures: -Distributing or Collecting Materials: the Teacher s Assistant will help the teacher pass out homework/worksheets, in-class activities, and help to collect papers when necessary. -Hallways: This includes: walking to the library, main office, nurse s office, resource rooms, etc. Students will walk down the hallways single-

4 file without talking. Any student talking will receive the necessary warning. -Fire Drills: Students will walk down the hallways single-file, without talking, and walk straight to the designated area outside. Once the class reaches the area, the students will stand, or sit, in a straight line without talking. Any student talking will receive the necessary warning. -Playground: There will be a zero-tolerance for any bullying on the playground, or in the classroom in general. No throwing of objects, hitting, or kicking, or any such behavior will be tolerated on the playground. If a student is caught doing such behavior, they will report to the principal s office. III. Accountability Procedures A. -Grading System: Determine the grading policy/system for the school s district and grade accordingly for report cards. Grades will include, but are not limited too: homework, in-class activities, classroom participation and attendance, tests and quizzes, projects, and extra-credit assignments. -Grading Components: Homework (15%), In-class activities which will tie into the class participation and attendance (15%), Classroom participation and attendance (10%), Tests (25%), Quizzes (15%), Projects (15%), Extra-credit assignments (5%). Each assignment (homework, test, quiz, project, etc) will be recorded in the grade book and every student will be held accountable for turning in and completing the assignments. -Authentic Assessment: Authentic assessment, such as portfolios, projects, and etc, as well as differentiated instruction will be planned for according to each individual lesson. The assignments, projects, and other activities will incorporate the multiple intelligences so that each learning style of individual students is met. B. -Feedback and Monitoring: I will use post-it notes attached to a clipboard to write down observations and behavior issues as they arise within the classroom, as well as notes concerning students and class work. This will be done as I circulate throughout the classroom as the students are working. These notes will be used to give proper and daily feedback to the students. I will also hold student conferences either once a week or one every two weeks depending on the individual student and his/her needs. -Checking Procedure: The teacher s assistant (or teacher s assistant for every class if in Middle School) will walk around and check to see if the student s have completed their homework. They will record this information on a grid sheet on a clipboard. -Student s Record of Work: At the end of each class, or period, the teacher s assistant will record a Smiley face sticker next to the students names who completed the homework and a Frowning face sticker next to the students names who did not complete their homework. -Monitoring of Long-term Assignments: I will set deadlines and give a certain number of points for each part of the assignment that is due. I will ask the students about their work only to a certain degree, and then it is the

5 student s responsibility to see me if there is a problem, or if they have not completed the assignment. C. -Communicating Assignments: The assignments for the day will be posted on the board. The assignment that was due the day before will also be on the board. The assignment for the next day will be written on the board at the end of class. At the end of each class/period, I will tell the students to take out their agendas and write down the assignment that will be for homework for the night. -Grading Criteria: Other grading criteria, such as rubrics, will be used throughout the school year. Whenever a rubric is to be used, the students and I will make up the criteria so the students know exactly what is expected of them, and so they have a say as to what is stressed and what goes in the rubric. -Standards for Form and Neatness: Work must be hand written, or typed if it is for a project or final copy of an essay. Work must be done in pencil for grades 1-3, and pen (any color EXCEPT RED) may be used in grades 5-9. All grade levels must use PENCIL for math. All assignments are to be done on lined paper college or wide rule except when the assignment is to be typed. If using paper from a spiral notebook, the notebook must have perforations and paper must be able to be taken cleanly from the notebook. Student will receive half to zero credit depending on how much of the assignment is not completed. Student will receive half to zero credit depending on how late the assignment is being turned in. All students will put the heading on their paper using the form set by the teachers in the grade level. -Procedure for Sending Material Home: Every student will have a folder that is designated (that is color coded for the entire class and period) for going home. The papers that are to stay home will be in the right side of the folder and the papers (homework, permission slips, etc) will be in the left side of the folder. All tests and quizzes must be signed by the parents, regardless of the grade. This will be part of the test and quiz grade. -Display of Student Work: This depends on the type of work being displayed, however, a bulletin board with an appropriate theme will be created and the student work (final copy of essay, for example) will be hung up. I will also make use of the hallways to display student work. -Procedures for If a Student Stops Doing Assignments: First I would talk one-on-one with the student to see if there have been any changes at home and if this is causing the problem.

6 Next, I would try to differentiate the assignment and break it into parts. For example, if a work sheet is assigned, give the student two pages with 10 problems per sheet, rather than one page with 20 problems per sheet. I would then begin to keep a list of work that has not been completed and a folder for the student. I would then call home to inform the parents of the problem, inform them of my past efforts, and inquire any suggestions. Then, I would have daily written contact with the parents by having the student s agenda signed by both parents and myself every day after completion of the assignment. I would also allot the student additional time to complete the homework assignment. IV. Parent-Teacher Collaboration A. Communication: I will be in close contact with all of my student s parents. I will call home to give positive feedback and compliments, as well as to call with any concerns and/or problems that may have occurred. All parents are encouraged to call me if they have any questions, comments, and/or concerns. B. Classroom Visits: I am more than willing to open my door to any parents that wish to come in and help, or to simply watch a lesson as long as the visit does not interfere with their child s learning. I must ask that parents arrange times with me for when they plan to visit.