Statement of Purpose The aim of this classroom is to be a comfortable, respectful and friendly atmosphere in which we can learn about social studies. It is okay if you make mistakes because it is often the mistakes that we learn from the most. All students are expected to try their best and should be proud of themselves when they do. The Wright Rules 1. Be on time for class. 2. Come to class prepared--have your homework, notebook, writing utensil(s) and anything else you need for social studies. 3. Please raise your hand and wait to be called on before you speak. 4. Respect the feelings, space and property of your classmates and teacher. 5. Complete your assignments and turn then in on time. How to Arrive Procedure 1. Enter classroom on time. 2. Place homework in "Homework In" box. 3. Sharpen your pencil or borrow a writing utensil from the "Pens & Pencils" jar. 4. Get permission to use the bathroom if you need to, otherwise, hold it till the end of class. 5. Sit down at your desk and begin working on the "While You Wait" activity. "While You Wait" is just another term for "Board Activities." Late Arrival Procedure 1. Enter quietly. 2. Sit down at your desk. 3. Take out your social studies things and follow along. 4. See me after class or during class if there is some down time. We will discuss why you were late. Bathroom Procedure 1. Ask permission to use the bathroom at the beginning of class. First, place your things on your desk. 2. Fill out your pass and get my initials before you go. 3. If there is an emergency during class, i.e., you have to vomit, you may immediately head toward the bathroom. Do not worry about getting permission. Absences Procedure 1. The first day you are back in my class, see me as soon as you enter the room. I will have made a packet of the work you missed while you were absent. 2. We will then decide on an appropriate amount of time for you complete this work. Depending on time, we might have to do this at the end of class. 3. If you are absent for a prolonged period of time and if it is possible, arrange with a friend or sibling to bring you the work you miss. Or, have your parent come in to pick it up. Your parent is always welcome to call me to find out what you missed in class. Consequences of Your Good Behavior Free & Frequent Praise
Thank Yous (for answering questions or contributing to class in some other way) Smiles Stickers Intermittent High Fives Notes/phone calls home Class outside Free time at the end of class Prizes--pencils, fun-size candy, erasers, etc. Strong and Long-Term Skip a homework assignment--only IF all other assignments during that month have been turned in on time and receive a passing grade. Student of the Month Field Trip(s) Consequences of Your Misbehavior Level 1 General rule reminder or reprimand to the class (if there are many students speaking out of turn or otherwise misbehaving). Level 2 Quick & general rule reminder or reprimand to individual student. Level 3 Speak to student one-on-one. Level 4 Have student write an apology letter to the recipient of their offense or a reflection on their misbehavior. Call home at this point. Level 5 Principal referral. Call home again. Behavioral Crisis Plan Designate a student and backup student from each class to inform office of need for assistance. Create a color-coded card system and notify office of it. Behavioral card will be blue and will have a short note written on it: There is an urgent need in Mrs. Wright's classroom. Please send an administrator to classroom #xxx right away. Thank you. Send students to classroom next door. Speak calmly and slowly to student. Attempt to help him or her regain composure. Turn things over to administrator upon his or her arrival. Provide backup support as needed. Fill out proper forms. Notify home. Medical Crisis Plan Designate a student and backup student from each class to inform nurse of need for medical assistance.
Create a color-coded card system and notify nurse of it. Medical card will be red and will have a short note written on it: There is an urgent medical need in Mrs. Wright's classroom. Please send a nurse to classroom #xxx right away. Thank you. Depending on crisis, send students to classroom next door or tell them to give student some space. If student is seizing, have other students help me quickly move furniture away from him or her. If students still in room, tell them to continue their work or read quietly at their desks. The latter would work best if the school has a mandated individual reading program. Turn things over to the nurse when he or she arrives. Move students as directed by nurse. Fill out proper forms. Notify home. Mrs. Wright's Plan of Action Toolkit Put together brightly colored posters that delineate my rules and procedures. Hang them on the walls. Create red and blue Medical and Behavioral Crisis Cards Go over them with students on the first day of class. Get a large pot. Label it "Prize Pot." Buy little toys from Oriental Trading and some bags of candy. Students will help me assemble the Prize Pot on the first day of class. See next section for more detailed description. Poster board Construction paper Red and Blue index cards Markers Pens and pencils Glue Tape Stencils Pot Prizes--toys from Oriental Trading and candy Date of Completion Day before school starts (at the latest). I will have a means of communicating and displaying my rules, procedures and other classroom workings to my students. Teach Plan to Students On the first day of class, explain that there are rules and procedures for my classroom. Draw students' attention to the brightly colored posters around the room and go over them. I will then explain that they have a chance to earn prizes throughout the year. They can earn prizes for both good behavior and class/homework. Next, students
will be able to help me fill the "Prize Pot." I believe this will help them feel a little ownership over the "Prize Pot" and also be an incentive for good behavior as they will be exposed to their possible prizes. Myself Students Prize Pot Prizes Date of Completion By the end of the first class Students will be aware of the rules, procedures and possible prizes. Students will also be aware of the possible repercussions of their negative behavior. Teach Plan to Parent Create a welcome packet for students to take home to their parents. Part of the welcome packet will be a list of my rules on procedures, a description of my "Prize Pot," a description of negative consequences and a form for them to sign, indicating they have received and read the packet. There will also be a space for them to let me know of any food allergies their child has or any food items they do not want their child to consume that may be in my Prize Pot (such as Tootsie Rolls). Computer Paper Printer Ink/Toner Staples Day before school starts (at the latest). Parents are well aware of how I run my classroom and are given an opportunity to communicate with me from the very first day of school. Hopefully this will foster a good relationship between us for the year. Recognition Activities Thank students when they turn their homework in properly and on time. Sometimes let them choose a prize from the Prize Pot. Praise students when they pay attention and work hard during class. Sometimes toss them a prize from the Prize Pot. When writing feedback on work, include stickers and a little note that says something to the effect of "You've done an excellent job of helping make our classroom a comfortable and friendly learning environment." Give high fives when they seem appropriate. Write positive notes (or emails) home every so often. Offer them a carrot: "If you behave well today, then we'll have class outside tomorrow." Or, just surprise them one day and say "Since you've been behaving
so well lately, we're going to have class outside today." Give a "Student of the Month" award at the end of each month. Students would be told at the beginning of each month that they can win this award if they behave well and work very hard during the month. I might eventually split this into two awards: one for behavior and one for academics; academics does not necessarily mean the student with the highest grades. Stickers Pen, pencil Computer--for emails home and to make the Student of the Month awards My voice Rolling. These recognition activities will occur periodically throughout the school year and given their nature, I cannot predict a date of completion. Students will feel appreciated and be motivated to continue behaving (and perhaps even achieving) well. Booster Sessions At the beginning of each new marking period, I will review the classroom rules and procedures. Depending on student behavior during marking periods, I may have to review more frequently than that. Another good time to review would be mid marking period, around the time that midterm grades go home. Sometimes I will just go over the rules and procedures like I did at the beginning of the year. Other times, I will make the review more interactive by creating a Jeopardy, Bingo or other sort of game out it. For a game--paper, pens, pencils, erasers, game pieces, etc. Every 10 weeks. Possibly every 5. Students will be reminded of rules and procedures in a neutral to positive setting. In other words, their attention will not be drawn to rules and procedures because they are being broken, but simply in order to keep said rules and procedures fresh in their minds. Hopefully they will have fun because of the review games.