New Teacher Academy Handbook Table of Contents Introduction........................................................................................................................................................... 1 Becoming Familiar with Your School ................................................................................................................. 3 Becoming Familiar with Your School: Getting to Know Your Support Staff ....................................................... 5 Becoming Familiar with Your School: ................................................................................................................... 7 Getting to Know Your Co-Workers........................................................................................................................ 7 Important Building Information.............................................................................................................................. 9 Building Information Checklist ............................................................................................................................ 10 Navigating Administrative Paperwork ................................................................................................................. 12 Planning For Your First Day of School ............................................................................................................ 14 The First Days of School Checklist ...................................................................................................................... 15 Goals for the first Day........................................................................................................................................... 16 Your First Day of School...................................................................................................................................... 17 Creating Your Syllabus......................................................................................................................................... 18 Geometry Syllabus................................................................................................................................................ 19 Establishing Routines and Procedures .................................................................................................................. 23 Creating Classroom Rules..................................................................................................................................... 24 Procedure Checklist .............................................................................................................................................. 25 Personal Assessment: Establishing and Teaching Rules for a Classroom Learning Community ........................ 28 Student Questionnaires and Surveys..................................................................................................................... 29 Student Survey ...................................................................................................................................................... 30 Student Inventory (for Elementary Students) ....................................................................................................... 33 Student Inventory (for Middle School Students) .................................................................................................. 35 Student Inventory (for Secondary Students)......................................................................................................... 37 10 Ice-Breaker Activities ...................................................................................................................................... 39 General Sponge Activities All About Me............................................................................................................. 40 Interest Inventory .................................................................................................................................................. 43 Student Assessment: How Well Do You Study?................................................................................................. 44 Classroom Climate: Create a productive environment for learning .................................................................... 45 Establishing a Positive Classroom Climate; Teacher Advice............................................................................... 48 Room Arrangements ............................................................................................................................................. 49 Classroom Climate................................................................................................................................................ 50 Beat the Bulletin Blues ......................................................................................................................................... 51 Bulletin Boards ..................................................................................................................................................... 52 Purchasing Classroom Supplies............................................................................................................................ 53 Teacher’s Back-to-School Supply List ................................................................................................................. 54 Creating Useful and Detailed Lesson Plans.......................................................................................................... 56 10 Tips to Making Lesson Planning Easier .......................................................................................................... 57 Writing Lesson Plans ............................................................................................................................................ 58 Questions to Ask For Lesson Planning................................................................................................................. 59 Common Problems in Lesson Planning................................................................................................................ 60 Did You Care Today? ........................................................................................................................................... 61 Tips from Classroom Veterans ............................................................................................................................. 62 I Don't Know What I Need to Know!!.................................................................................................................. 63 Taking Care of Personal Business ........................................................................................................................ 64 Time Saving Tips.................................................................................................................................................. 65 Your First Year of Teaching at a Glance.......................................................................................................... 67 The Care and Feeding of Your Mentor................................................................................................................. 68 Parent Teacher Conferences ................................................................................................................................. 70 i Table of Contents Watch What You Say! .......................................................................................................................................... 73 Parent Conference-- What would you do if. . . ..................................................................................................... 74 7 Conference Don’ts ............................................................................................................................................. 75 Parent/Teacher Conferences ................................................................................................................................. 76 Sample Letter: Open House Invitation ................................................................................................................ 78 Meet the Teacher Night ........................................................................................................................................ 79 Creating Your Individual Development Plan (IDP) ............................................................................................. 80 Teacher Evaluation Procedures............................................................................................................................. 83 How Observers Will Evaluate You....................................................................................................................... 84 Evaluate Yourself as An Observer Might............................................................................................................. 86 Taking Attendance and Inputting Grades ............................................................................................................. 87 CLASSxp for Teachers ......................................................................................................................................... 88 Making the Grade ............................................................................................................................................... 108 Evaluating Students ............................................................................................................................................ 109 Reporting of Evaluations .................................................................................................................................... 110 What is Tenure and how do you get it? .............................................................................................................. 111 Important Information Regarding Your Union................................................................................................... 112 Making Health Care Choices .............................................................................................................................. 113 Planning for Your Absence From School........................................................................................................... 114 Tips for Substitutes ............................................................................................................................................. 115 Substitute Teacher Information........................................................................................................................... 116 Substitute Teacher Information........................................................................................................................... 117 Class List............................................................................................................................................................. 118 Substitute Plans................................................................................................................................................... 119 Daily Routine ...................................................................................................................................................... 123 Planning for a Classroom Field Trip................................................................................................................... 124 Preparing for a Guest Speaker ............................................................................................................................ 125 Creating Positive Relationships With Parents ............................................................................................... 126 Introduction Letter .............................................................................................................................................. 127 Sample Letter Introducing Yourself ................................................................................................................... 128 Student Information ............................................................................................................................................ 131 Communicating Student Progress....................................................................................................................... 133 Communicating with Parents: Tips and Suggestions From Veteran Teachers................................................. 135 Effective Communication ................................................................................................................................... 136 Home-School Communications .......................................................................................................................... 137 Missing Assignments .......................................................................................................................................... 140 Progress Notification Form................................................................................................................................. 141 Reporting Positive Student Progress................................................................................................................... 143 Encouraging Parent Involvement in the Classroom............................................................................................ 145 Student Self Evaluation and Progress Surveys ................................................................................................... 148 Student Self-Evaluation ...................................................................................................................................... 149 Sample Survey To Send Home To Parents......................................................................................................... 150 Parent Contact Log ............................................................................................................................................. 151 Student Disciplinary Record ............................................................................................................................... 152 Sample Parent Contact Log ................................................................................................................................ 153 Documentation Record: Contact Log ................................................................................................................ 154 Keeping Administration Informed...................................................................................................................... 157 Effectively Handling a Disgruntled Parent ......................................................................................................... 158 Creating Positive Relationships with Students .............................................................................................. 159 ii Table of Contents Creating Positive Relationships With Students Enforcing Fair and Consistent Classroom Rules ..................... 160 Personal Assessment: Establishing and Teaching Rules for a Classroom Learning Community ..................... 162 Assisting First Year Teachers with Classroom Management ............................................................................. 163 Implementing the Management System.............................................................................................................. 164 Classroom Management Principles..................................................................................................................... 165 Tips for Effective Discipline............................................................................................................................... 166 Guidelines for Effective Discipline .................................................................................................................... 167 Fifteen Ways to Earn Your Students’ Respect ................................................................................................... 177 Ten Ways to Create a Student- Centered Classroom.......................................................................................... 178 Effectively Communicating Ideas of Excitement, Concern, and Disappointment ............................................. 179 Recognizing Positive Student Contributions to the Classroom .......................................................................... 181 Responsive Classroom Strategies ....................................................................................................................... 189 Twenty-Five Discipline Don’ts........................................................................................................................... 192 Teachers, Start Your Engines: Management Tips from the Pit Crew................................................................ 193 Defusing/Breaking Up Fights Between Students ............................................................................................... 196 Building Student Self-Esteem............................................................................................................................. 197 Creating a Positive Work Environment ......................................................................................................... 199 Creating a Positive Work Environment Becoming a Team Player in Your School ........................................... 200 Journal Entries to Help You Become a Valuable Team Player .......................................................................... 201 On-the-Job Courtesy – New Teacher Etiquette .................................................................................................. 202 Working Well With Your Supervisors ............................................................................................................... 203 Exhibiting Professional Behavior at Staff Meetings........................................................................................... 204 The Teacher’s Lounge ........................................................................................................................................ 205 Maintaining a Private Social Life ....................................................................................................................... 206 Diversity in the Workplace ................................................................................................................................. 208 Collaborating with Special Education Teachers ................................................................................................. 209 Working Successfully with Paraeducators.......................................................................................................... 210 Knowing the Role of Counselors in Your School .............................................................................................. 211 Professional Tips................................................................................................................................................. 212 Creating Balance How to Effectively do Your Job and Have a Personal Life............................................ 213 20 Strategies for an Educator’s Tough Times..................................................................................................... 214 Get Control of Your Time................................................................................................................................... 215 Take Some Time for Yourself ............................................................................................................................ 216 Advice for First-Year Teachers -- from the 'Sophomores' Who Survived Last Year! ...................................... 217 Escape the Homework Trap................................................................................................................................ 220 When All Else Fails-Try This!............................................................................................................................ 221 How can I make the most of my first year of teaching? ..................................................................................... 222 What can I offer schools as a beginning teacher?............................................................................................... 225 Growing Professionally ...................................................................................................................................... 226 Reaching Out For Support............................................................................................................................... 228 Reaching Out for Support Resources.................................................................................................................. 229 Teacher Supplies and Discounts ......................................................................................................................... 229 Websites and Book Resources ............................................................................................................................ 230 You Still Have Rights as a Non-tenured Teacher!.............................................................................................. 236 How to Use Technology and Avoid Copyright Violations................................................................................. 238 Knowing the Role of Counselors in Your School .............................................................................................. 239 Child and Teen Suicide Awareness! ................................................................................................................... 240 Signs of Depression in Teens.............................................................................................................................. 241 Warning Signs of Drug Abuse............................................................................................................................ 242 iii Table of Contents New Teacher Academy....................................................................................................................................... 244 Effective Teachers .............................................................................................................................................. 246 Educational labels ............................................................................................................................................... 247 Only a teacher!.................................................................................................................................................... 248 15 Time Management Tips for Students............................................................................................................. 249 Bibliography ....................................................................................................................................................... 250 iv Introduction Congratulations on becoming a part of one of the most noble and rewarding occupations on Earth: TEACHING! This handbook was designed in hopes of providing persons new to the teaching field with helpful and informational resources as you proceed through your first year of teaching. Enclosed in this handbook you will find checklists, guidelines, resources, tools and many examples that you will be able to utilize as you begin to plan the climate of your classroom. It is our hope that you will be able to find supportive resources that will not only reassure and prepare you for your first day of school, but will serve as a manual throughout your first year of teaching. Again, congratulations on your new position! You have been given the opportunity of a lifetime to change the life of a child; we hope that this handbook will help you begin a successful career in education. Sincerely, Rebecca Akins, Fitzgerald Public Schools Emily Bennett, Fitzgerald, Public Schools Melissa Calice, Warren Woods Public Schools Shannon Sabo, Warren Woods Public Schools Kristen Winstead, Warren Woods Public Schools Dr. Laurie VanSteenkiste, Macomb Intermediate School District, New Teacher Academy Director Update Fall 2008 1 MISSION Macomb Intermediate School District: Service, Support and Leadership VISION We are the Macomb Intermediate School District. We provide quality service to special education and general education students, instructional and technical support to school staff, and cutting-edge educational leadership in Macomb County. We are committed to all the students of Macomb County. To serve them well, we are resolute in involving parents, school personnel, and the community at large, including business, government, and civic organizations as active partners in planning, delivering and evaluating our services. We work directly with individuals with disabilities who reside in Macomb County School Districts. We serve students of all ages, from newborns to adults, meeting their unique learning needs and supporting their families all along the way. Within the twenty-one local districts and public charter schools, we focus our efforts on building capacity with school staff. Through quality training and instructional support, we increase their knowledge, skills and abilities, so all students receive a rigorous and effective educational experience. We promote all aspects of the educational process through our development and support of technology. We provide training in the use of essential technology tools that enhance curricular, instructional and administrative services in our schools and, as a result, opportunities are expanded for all. We work collaboratively with colleges and universities and are leaders in state and national programs. We anticipate needs and opportunities, all with the single purpose of identifying, developing and implementing programs and practices that, through education, improve the quality of life in Macomb County. Macomb Intermediate School District Board of Education John A. Bozymowski, President Max D. McCullough, Vice President Charles C. Milonas, D.D.S., Treasurer Theresa J. Genest, Secretary Edward V. Farley, Trustee Michael R. DeVault, Superintendent Macomb Intermediate School District 44001Garfield Road Clinton Township, MI 48038-1100 586.228.3300 www.misd.net It is the policy of the MISD that no person, on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, sex, height, weight, marital status, or disability shall be discriminated against, excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination in any program or activity for which it is responsible. 2 Becoming Familiar with Your School Congratulations, you have successfully achieved a position in the world of education! You have dreamt about walking into your very own classroom on the first day of school and being the most prepared, organized, and effective teacher in the world. Suddenly your dream subsides as you realize you feel just like you did your freshman year of High School: overwhelmed by the task at hand and unsure of what to accomplish next. Like most first year teachers planning for their first days of school, the range of emotions that you will encounter often include excitement, anticipation and anxiety over a new beginning in your life. During this transitional time it is important for you to remember to set small goals for yourself and to gain as much knowledge about your situation as you possibly can. This section of the handbook is designed to give you a starting place in becoming familiar with your surroundings of your new position. Understanding who your administration and co-workers are and their roles in making the school function smoothly are invaluable tools that will help you transition into your new job. Much like an incoming freshman to a new high school, seeking information and becoming familiar with your surroundings will prove helpful as you begin to embark on a successful first year of teaching. 3 Becoming Familiar with Your School: Getting to Know Your Administration At the helm of your school’s vehicle towards success is your administration. The administration of a building sets the tone of the school environment and is there to support its teaching staff in any way possible. It is important for you to maintain an open relationship with your administrators; getting to know your administrators expectations of you and your students will be an invaluable tool during your first year of teaching. Below you will find a table for you to utilize as an organizational tool as you meet the members of your administration team. Understanding which administrator is responsible for certain tasks around the building and where to locate them will prove to be very helpful in the future! Title: Superintendent: Name: Location: Building Responsibilities: Principal: Principal’s Secretary: Assistant Principal: Asst. Principal Secretary: Assistant Principal: Assistant Principal Secretary: 4 Becoming Familiar with Your School: Getting to Know Your Support Staff Understanding who the following people are and where they can be found in your building will be a very helpful tool during your first year of teaching. Keep in mind as you fill out this table and meet new people that some of these special services personnel may only be in your building part time. Be sure you jot down the dates and times that these special services may be available to your students. Title: School Nurse: Name: Location: Building Responsibilities: Custodial Staff: Librarian: Curriculum Specialist: Technology Support: District Office Support: Personnel Director: Resource Director: Counselor: Counselor: Counselor: Psychologist: Speech Therapist: EEL Teacher: Reading Specialist: Music Teacher: Art Teacher: PE Teacher: Career Center: 5 Title: Cafeteria: Name: Location: Building Responsibilities: Substitute Secretary: Other: Other: Other: Other: 6 Becoming Familiar with Your School: Getting to Know Your Co-Workers As you embark upon your teaching career is it important to make an effort to get to know the people you will be working with. Understanding where your co-workers are coming from is an important piece in creating workplace harmony. Although teaching can be a demanding and time consuming job, many of your co-workers have taken on additional responsibilities throughout the school. As you meet your new colleagues, an easy conversation starter is to ask what other roles the person has in the building. Do they coach a sport, sponsor a student club or activity, hold an executive position in the teachers union, or are they a department chairperson? Such a question shows the person you are speaking with that you are interested in their contributions to the school and allows you to better understand the leadership positions your colleagues are in. As you meet your co-workers and begin to discuss with them their additional roles in the school, take a moment to jot down their room number and leadership positions within the school. Not only will this help you to remember where people are located in the building, but it will provide you with the contact information for the person to talk with should you be interested in helping out with an extracurricular activity. Title: NCA Chairperson: Name: Location: Building Responsibilities: Union President: School Improvement Team Math Department Chairperson: Science Department Chairperson: English Department Chairperson: Social Studies Department Chair: Technology Department Chair: Arts Department Chairperson: Football Coach: Cross Country Coach: Tennis Coach: Swimming Coach: Soccer Coach: 7 Title: Name: Location: Building Responsibilities: Basketball Coach: Cheerleading Coach: Volleyball Coach: Wrestling Coach: Baseball Coach: Softball Coach: Track Coach: NHS Advisor: Student Council Advisor: Ski Club Advisor: Foreign Language Club Advisor: Other: Other: Other: Other: 8 Important Building Information Because each school operates differently from others around it, it is important for you to complete this section as you complete your new teacher training. As you are given information pertaining to the list given to you below, be sure that you add it immediately to this section of the handbook. This will not only ensure that you have a safe place for this important information to go, but it will also provide you with a comprehensive handbook that is customized for your individual building. The following information should be inputted behind this sheet as you acquire them prior to your first school day. • • • • • • • • • • Daily schedule of classroom hours School year calendar Campus maps with important locations highlighted: o Main office o Counseling o Copy Machines o Teacher workrooms o Mentor teacher location Student Code of Conduct Student Dress Code Staff Dress Code Technology rules and regulations Grading and homework policies School discipline procedures – chain of command Planning for school emergencies: o Fire drill procedures o Tornado drill procedures o Code red/Code red secure procedures o Student health emergency classroom procedures o Silent fan out procedures Don’t be caught off guard – Ask questions and plan for the future!! 9 Building Information Checklist Here are some things to think about before the school year to help organize your first days. Question 1. Do you have keys to your classroom or other rooms you may need access to? 2. Do you have the necessary furniture for your room? 3. What are the “school rules” and policies you will need to present to students? 4. Are aids available and, if so, on what schedule? 5. What are the procedures for obtaining classroom books for checking them out to the students? 6. What expendable supplies are available, and what are the procedures for obtaining them? 7. What audio-visual materials and equipment are available, and what are the procedures for obtaining them? 8. What is the required paperwork for the first day of school, everyday attendance, and the lunch program? 9. What is the procedure for the arrival of students on the first day of school; for every day after that? (See #13 and #18) 10. What is your class roster? Do you have any special education or resource students? Do they, or any other students, leave your room during the day? If so, what are their schedules? 11. What time will your class have music, recess, P.E., lunch or library? 12. Are there any special events or assemblies you need to be aware of the first week of school? 13. How do students leave at the end of the day? Do you have any bus riders and do they leave early? 14. What are your school’s policies about rules and consequences, suspension, and keeping students after school for either make-up work or detention? Do parents need to be notified? 15. What duplication materials are available and what are the procedures? Check Notes 10 Question 16. How do you get assistance from the office for emergencies, illness or discipline problems? 17. Do you have a “buddy” teacher who you could call in case of an emergency? 18. What are the procedures for early dismissal and late arrivals? 19. When is the principal available, and about what should he/she be consulted? 20. When is the school nurse available and what are appropriate reasons for making a referral? 21. Is a counselor available and what types of referrals does he/she want? 22. What resources are available in the district for help in diagnosing or working with students with severe learning or behavior problems? 23. What janitorial services are available for your room and what should you do if they are inadequate? 24. Are you familiar with the parts of the building to which you may send students (library, restroom, etc.) and do you know the procedures to follow? 25. Have you prepared a handout for students or a bulletin board display of rules, major class procedures, and course requirements? 26. Do you know the bell schedule? 27. Are your lesson plans for the first few days of school ready for each class? 28. Have you prepared time fillers* to use if needed? 29. Do you know if any of your students have some handicapping condition that should be accommodated in your room arrangement or instruction? 30. Do you have a district and school calendar? 31. Where are student files kept and what is procedure to access them? Check Notes 11 Navigating Administrative Paperwork Understanding administrative paperwork can often become a daunting task for a first year teacher as the number of different forms and their respective turn in locations often are very numerous. Combine this with the fact that each school has different policies and procedures for having equipment fixed, partitioning for a field trips, use of school facilities, and many other staff requests. As you begin to understand your school’s policies and procedures, it’s important to keep a file of the different forms you may need to use during the year in this space in your handbook. A good suggestion for understanding the use of each administrative form is to collect a copy of each form available in the main office or counseling center, hole punch them into this binder and then complete the table below. It’s important for you to ask a trusted colleague or secretary what each form is for and how they are used so that you can keep this table as a quick reference during the school year. Form Title: Form Location: Form Purpose: Turn in Form To: Classroom supply requisition form Request for time off for personal business Sick leave or personal affair record Regular teacher substitute assignment card Property loss report Break in or vandalism report Employee report of injury form Accident report form Reimbursement of mileage form Staff development activity request Trip request for teacher travel Request for activity date for calendar Permission slip for field trip Grade change form Technology service requisition form 12 Form Title: Form Location: Form Purpose: Turn in Form To: Request for multilith materials Personal long distance telephone calls log Check request for reimbursement Other: Other: Other: Other: Other: 13 Planning For Your First Day of School Preparing for your first day of teaching has many similarities to planning for your move to college; you are excited about the new beginning in your life yet anxious for the uncertainties that may lie ahead. While these feelings are not uncommon in first year teachers, there are many techniques you can implement to decrease your anxiety about your first day of school. Perhaps the best step you can take in your preparation for school to begin is to become as familiar with your new surroundings as possible. Not only will this provide you with an immediate boost of confidence but it will help you to make an organized and professional first impression on your administrators, co-workers, and students. In this section of the handbook you will find suggestions, check lists, and other sources of information pertaining to preparing not only yourself, but your classroom as well for the first day of school. It is our hope that you will find comfort in knowing what to expect in your first day on the job, how to handle minor problems that may arise, and how to create a positive classroom learning environment for your students. 14 The First Days of School Checklist The first days of school are very important in establishing yourself as a respectable educator to your students. These first days of school are the foundation of a successful first year of teaching. With that said, it is crucial to your school year that the first day of school runs smoothly. Do not feel pressured to know how you will account for every second of the next 180 days, but rather concentrate on the organization of the first few days and weeks. Preparations for the first day of school begin long before the actual day. You do not have the advantage of prior experience to fall back on, so it is best to start planning and visualizing what you want to happen well in advance. This is the time to ask questions, read thoroughly and takes lots of notes. To Do During the Summer • Hit the back to school sales for supplies. • Make sure your wardrobe reflects your new professional status. Make sure you check with your district about wardrobe requirement, and always dress conservatively. • Pick up your curriculum guides to review on the beach. • Pick up school calendar. • Create your professional goals. • Create course overview for the year. • Create semester plans. • Think about resources and any field trips used for each unit. To Do Before the First Day of School • Memorize your daily schedule. Know when your classes begin and end and what each bell mean. Know what your duty assignment is. • Write out plans for the first few weeks and assemble the resources you will need. • Handouts used immediately are already should be copied. • If you are going to send home a parent letter, write, revise and re-read before copying the final draft. • Check your calendar against the district calendar. Make sure all lessons are scheduled around important holidays and special events. • Read faculty handbook. • Complete sub folder, including class roster and seating chart. • You know what to do in an emergency: fire, tornado, lockdown drill. • You filed away copies of the forms you will need: attendance, lunch forms, parent forms, syllabus, discipline, etc... • You should recognize the key people in the building, your principal, vice-principal, secretaries, technology and media specialist, and especially your custodian. Make best friends with the school secretaries and your custodian! • Know how you will keep your grades and attendance. Be diligent and keep both up to date. • Your classroom is decorated. • You have enough copies of textbooks for everyone. • You have the teachers’ edition and any resource materials you will need. • You know where your mentor’s room is and the phone number. • You personal life is in order to accommodate for the upcoming whirlwind you are about to experience. • Exercise, eat well, get enough rest and take vitamins. 15 Goals for the first Day When establishing your classroom expectations, it’s important for you to remember that the goal is to help students become more responsible. The intent for administering rules and procedures is to help students learn appropriate and productive life skills within a comfortable environment. Also, keep in mind that your responsibility goes beyond content information. Teaching and developing student behavior is a critical part of your job as a teacher. The activities of the first days of school (examples listed below) should lead to some specific goals. These goals might fit into three categories. 1. 2. 3. The teacher getting to know the students. The students getting to know the teacher and each other. Classroom organization and management. 1. The Teacher getting to know the students. • Review the diagnostic activities, both formal (testing) and informal. • Maintain a whole-group focus in instruction and review. • Monitor student activities, both academic and social. • Actively engage all student sin learning activities. 2. The students getting to know the teacher and each other. • Teacher greets students, demonstrates personal interest. • Students introduce themselves to each other. • Design activities to make students feel unique and successful. Keep activities simple but meaningful. Hands-on activities resulting in a product or sense of productivity are beneficial. • Establish an accepting climate. • Student self-assessment activities. 3. Classroom organization and management. • Acquaint students with room and materials they will use (supplies, texts, building). • Teach appropriate behavior, rules, procedures, consequences, attention signal. • Explain homework. • Demonstrate that teacher is well-prepared and purposeful. • Provide an overview of curriculum to be studied. • Preview curriculum as motivation device. 16 Your First Day of School You’ve spent the last few weeks getting your classroom set up; you’ve mapped out key spots like the parking lot and the restrooms; you’ve purchased and organized classroom materials and you’ve planned enough lessons to last well beyond the first day. And now it’s your first day as a teacher! Consider incorporating these activities into your first day’s lesson plan: • Get to school early on the first morning. Leave time to ask any last-minute questions, review your plans and just simply catch your breath before students arrive. • Greet your students. Whether you’re standing at the classroom door or in the room, greet students with a smile and a “Good morning!” Write your name on the chalkboard. Encourage students to take their seats and be ready for their first class. • Make a good impression. Let the class see that you are well-organized, prepared and you know what you’re doing. • Introduce yourself to give students an idea of who you are that goes beyond your resume. You never know when a student may find something that the two of you have in common. Such a positive start can contribute to a positive learning experience. • Go over the rules. Start off by establishing class rules or norms from the beginning. Don’t set more than five rules and let students have a part in establishing how the class will function. Write down the rules and post them in the classroom. • Start the learning. Make the first day of school a real one. Accomplish some constructive learning with your students. • Your first open house may coincide with your first day. As an assignment, consider having students write a letter to parents and leave it on their desks for them to read at Open House. Parents can write an “I’m proud of you” note for their child to read the next day. • Even though you may find the first day of school intimidating. Don’t be discouraged. While first impressions are important, you have an entire school year to develop and polish your professional image. 17 Creating Your Syllabus A Syllabus is a published lesson plan; you can probably recall the advantages of using a syllabus from the classes you have taken to prepare for your teaching career. You students and their parents will also appreciate a syllabus. It can help them stay organized while it promotes self-discipline. Students who know what they are supposed to do and when they are supposed to do it are much more likely to succeed than those students who report to class every day awaiting to hear what you have planned. Those students miss out on the big picture of what they are learning. Of course, not every student is old enough to handle the independence of a syllabus. You will have to determine the readiness of your students. While there are many things you can add to a syllabus to make it useful for your classes, some items that every syllabus should include are: • Dates of tests and quizzes • Spaces for students to record their grades • Classroom assignments • Homework assignments • Due dates for projects • Class objectives You will have to make a syllabus part of the culture of your class. But first, you will have to teach your students how to use a syllabus, particularly if they are young, and you’ll have to be patient and persistent with their attempts to learn to check their syllabus for homework assignments instead of just asking you. Don’t be afraid to change your syllabus if you find that you’ve scheduled more work than your students can complete because of unexpected events such as a snow day. When you show students that you are willing to work with them to adjust schedules, you are modeling responsible time management skills as well as good planning. Date 10-1 10-2 10-3 Sample Syllabus Format Class: English Period: 4 Teacher: Ms. Wallace Objective Classroom Activity Homework Grade Students will identify short story plot elements Students will identify short story plot elements Students will identify short story plot elements Discussion of the plot of “The TellTake Heart” Worksheet on story elements 87% Homework/group Review for diagrams/discussions quiz 97% Quiz on plot elements 98% Read “Charles” 18 Geometry Syllabus Expectations: You are expected to: • • • • • • Come prepared for class everyday Participate in class everyday Do the daily homework when assigned Work together cooperatively in your groups Formulate and ask questions Have some fun • Expect some difficulty The Teacher is expected to: • • • • • • Come prepared to teach everyday Help students learn the concepts of Geometry Be available outside of class for questions Give students timely feedback Have some fun Be stumped by a few questions Rights: You have the right to: • • • Be treated with respect by everyone in the class Work in a learning environment Professional instruction from teacher name The Teacher has the right to: • • • Teach in a learning environment Enforce all school and classroom policies Expect the most from each and every student in her classroom 19 Classroom Policies and Procedures: Materials: Each student should bring the following with them everyday to class: covered textbook, pencil, binder, and agenda. Each student is expected to have the above materials with them before the bell rings. There will be no passes issued to retrieve any material. Homework: Daily practice is necessary in mathematics so expect homework nearly every night. Homework is due at the beginning of the period on the next day after it has been assigned. You will receive a ~ for any assignment that is turned in late or incomplete. Assignments will include reading, writing, and problem solving. Attendance: Every student is expected to come to class on a daily basis. Geometry builds on itself throughout the semester so if a student misses an abundant number of days their success may suffer. There is an assigned seat for every student in the class. Each person is expected to sit in the assigned seat everyday when they enter the classroom. I take attendance from the seating chart so any student not in their assigned seat will be marked absent. THE PROCEDURE OUTLINED IN THE STUDENT AGENDA BOOK FOR ABSENCES WILL BE FOLLOWED. Tardies: If students are not in their assigned seats when the bell rings they will be marked tardy. THE PROCEDURE OUTLINED IN THE STUDENT AGENDA BOOK FOR TARDIES WILL BE FOLLOWED. Make-up Policy: Tests can be made up by appointment only. The time allowed to make up homework or tests is twice the number of consecutive days absent. Retrieving missed work is the student's responsibility! There is a monthly calendar posted in the classroom stating what was given for homework everyday of the week. Any worksheets handed out will be in the front of the absent folder. Extra Credit Lizards: Extra Credit will generally not be available in the form of an extra assignment. HOWEVER Students will have the opportunity to earn Extra Credit Lizards everyday for doing the following: • Answering questions during discussion • Asking questions during a presentation • Passing out papers • Being helpful to a fellow student • Being polite and respectful to others in the classroom • Coming in before/after school for extra help • Variety of other methods for showing good classroom citizenship 20 Each lizard is worth one extra credit point towards your overall grade at the end of each semester. You are responsible for keeping track of your Lizards and putting your name on the back of every one you earn. Your teacher is not responsible for lost, stolen, or forgotten money on collection day. Grading: You will be graded on tests/quizzes, presentations, projects, group work, homework, and class work. Percentage Scale: 98 -100+ = A+ 83 -86.9 = B 70 -72.9 = C 93- 97.9 = A 80- 82.9 = B67- 69.9 = D + 90- 92.9 = A77- 79.9 = C + 63- 66.9 = D 87- 89.9 = B + 73- 76.9 = C 60- 62.9 = D 0- 59.9 = F At the end of the marking period, I will add your total points up and divide by the total possible points in the class. The percent will then be converted to your grade using the scale above. The two-quarter grades are 40% each and final exam will be worth 20% of your semester grade. ****Any student receiving a grade below 70% will receive a progress report to take home and have signed by a parent or guardian or will receive one in the mail. Extra Help: I am always willing to meet with any student before or after school, however I ask you to please check with me the day you want to get extra help. I am involved in some extracurricular activities and I commute between the main and technology buildings. I encourage you to come and get help at the first sign of difficulty. Please do not wait. The longer you wait the further you will fall behind, so don't be afraid to come and talk to me. Responsibilities for each student everyday: A. Treat people like you would want to be treated. B. Stay in your seats until I dismiss you. C. The use of negative words which includes swearing or any words that degrade any person or groups of people are not allowed. D. No item(s) should be used as a flying object this includes any trash. E. Hall passes are allowed if you have your agenda and a Spartan pass. F. Each student will receive three Spartan passes for the semester. G. Food, drink, candy, etc. are allowed in the classroom, however if I find any wrappers or containers then I will ban them. I am not your maid so please clean up after yourself this includes gum. Gum should be placed in the trashcan or anywhere else in the classroom. H. The Fitzgerald High School's Code of Conduct is in effect and enforced at all times, this includes hats, coats, and headphones. All of these should be left in your locker or at home. 21 Students who conduct themselves inappropriately will have the following consequences: i. ii. iii. A verbal warning An after school detention with me. The length of the detention will depend on the inappropriateness. The student will be sent to an administrator. NOTE: Students who do not show up for a detention will double the length of time and I will call home. If the student proceeds to not show up administration will be notified. 22 Establishing Routines and Procedures All students have some characteristics in common. One is the need for a structured and safe environment. Students need these routines and procedures in their day to keep them on track. Students will know what to expect from you and what is expected from them. The following are classroom routines and procedures that you should decide how to handle before class begins. Beginning class Tardies, absences and make-up work Going to the locker, restroom, counseling, nurse or office Materials needed for class every day, and what to do if these don’t make it to class Homework Handing in work Class interruptions Formats for written work Class discussion Asking questions Coming to attention Emergencies and drills Testing procedures Keeping work area neat and clean Taking attendance Ending class 23 Creating Classroom Rules Rules will protect your right to teach and your student’s right to learn not only because they let limits for student behavior; but also because they provide guidelines for what is acceptable and what is not. When you create a set of classroom rules for your students, you establish a common language for the expectations that you have for good behavior. Rules also send the message that good behavior is important and that you expect students to work productively. Even though your students may try to convince you that rules are not necessary, they really do not want nor do they need total free establishing a tone of manual respect and cooperation. In creating rules for your classroom, you can take the following step-by-step approach. Step 1: Determine what areas your rules need to cover. Begin by asking yourself these questions. • What are some behaviors that make it possible for students to succeed? • What are some behaviors that make it difficult for students to succeed? • What limits can I set to guarantee that all students have the right to learn? Step 2: Draft a rough set of rules. After you have determined the areas that you want your rules to cover, write a rough draft. At this point, you may want to show your rules to a colleague to make sure they are in line with the school rules and that they are appropriate for the age and ability of the students. Step 3: State classroom rules positively. Take your rough draft and change the wording so the rules are stated in positive terms, conveying a tone of mutual respect and consideration. Step 4: state the rules so that they are easy to remember. Can you combine any of your rules so that they cover a general range of student behavior? For example, you could combine “bring your textbook every day” and “you will need paper and pens in this class” to read “be sure to bring the materials you will need for class. Step 5: Determine if your rules will be successful. In order for class rules to be successful, they should be: • Stated in positive terms • General enough to cover a broad range of student activity • Easy to remember To determine if your rules are working for your class, ask yourself these two questions: 1. Do all students understand the rules or is it too vague? 2. Do students understand the rationale for importance of this rule? If you are still not sure that your classroom rules will work, here are some the experienced teachers have found successful. Adapt them to meet the needs of your students. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Use class time wisely. Do your work. Treat other people with respect. Follow school rules. Bring your materials to class every day. Taken from Julie G. Thompson’s The First Year Teachers Manual 24 Procedure Checklist It is important to plan for routines and procedures that happen daily or frequently in the classroom. These procedures should not only be explained, but taught just like a content material. You might also like to use the following Procedure Checklist to help determine procedure in your classroom. What is my procedure? • Roll call, absentees, students who leave early. Comments: • Tardy students. Comments: • Behavior during PA announcements. Comments: • Distributing supplies and materials. Comments: • Student movement within the room. Comments: • Headings for papers. Comments: 25 • Degree of student talk during seat work. Comments: • What students do when they are finished. Comments: • Putting away supplies and equipment. Comments: • Dismissing the class. Comments: • Cues or signals for getting student attention. Comments: • Make-up work. Comments: • Fountain, sink, bathroom, pencil sharpener. Comments: 26 • Lining up procedures. Comments: • Playground. Comments: • Fire and disaster drills. Comments: • Lunch procedures. Comments: • Hall movement. Comments: • What to do when there is an interruption. Comments: 27 Personal Assessment: Establishing and Teaching Rules for a Classroom Learning Community A teacher's rules constitute the class; the question is whether those rules are productive and worthy of student support. Establishing and teaching rules for a classroom learning community. Rule by rule: Without Probably Doubt Maybe Probably Not Can I say clearly and confidently that the rule is necessary, and reasonable for learning, safety, and mutual respect, and so deserves respect and support by students? Can I say clearly and confidently that the rule is consistent both with learning goals and with what we know about how human beings learn? Can I say clearly and confidently that the rule is consistent with school rules? Will I be acting consistently with my colleagues in the faculty? Rules must be enforced; will enforcing this rule get me into fruitless conflicts that erode my relationships with my students? Can I say clearly and confidently that I can and do act on the rules both reasonably and consistently? Can I say confidently that the rule is clear and understandable? Can I teach it and enforce it without confusion? Have I taught the rule? That is, stated, explained why it is necessary and reasonable, discussed how it applies to situations, and talked about examples with my students? Adapted from Carol Simon Weinstein and Andrew J. Mignano (2003). Elementary/Secondary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill. 28 Student Questionnaires and Surveys Start the beginning of the year with a student questionnaire or survey. Student Questionnaires and surveys are very useful tools to provide you with up-to-date information on their family life, interests, and expectations of the class. Questionnaires and surveys help provide a smooth transition into establishing school appropriate behavior on the first day, sitting, and writing reflections. The information gathered on the survey can also be used throughout the school year. This information provides parent contact information, demographics of the student, and general student interests. Questionnaires should alphabetically organized and filed away for further use. It is suggested that you attach a sheet such as the student disciplinary log or parent contact sheet found in this section. This will be helpful in recording all parent – teacher contact throughout the year, or any student misbehavior. 29 Student Survey Welcome To Ms. Classroom! Please fill out the following questions so that we can get better acquainted. Please use the most accurate information possible. 1.) Student Name:_______________________________________________________________ 2.) What name would you like to be called in class? ____________________________________ 3.) What is your home address?____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 4.) What is your home telephone number?____________________________________________ 5.) What is your Mother/Guardian's Name?___________________________________________ 6.) What is your Father/Guardian's Name?____________________________________________ 7.) What is your Mother/Guardian's Address?_________________________________________ 8.) What is .your Father/Guardian's Address?_________________________________________ 9.) What is your Mother/Guardian's Home Phone?______________________________________ 10.) What is your Mother/Guardian's Work Phone?_____________________________________ 11.) What is your Father/Guardian’s Home Phone?_____________________________________ 12.) What is your Father/Guardian s Work Phone?_____________________________________ 13.) Do you have any allergies? If Yes, what are they?__________________________________ 14.) What are your hobbies or interests?_____________________________________________ 15.) What is your favorite food?____________________________________________________ 16.) What is your favorite candy? __________________________________________________ 17.) What after school activities, clubs, or sports do you participate in?_____________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 18.) What was the best thing you did/best place you went this past summer?_________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 30 19.) Do you have any pets at home? If so, what kind?___________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 20.) What are you most interested in learning about in this class?__________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 21.) What types of things would you like to do in this class? (projects, etc) _________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 22.) How do you learn best? (watching a demo, listening to teacher, doing a lab/activity , reading by yourself, etc)____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 23.) What is the one thing I can do this year to help you learn better?_______________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 24.) What is the worst thing I could do this year in our classroom? (giving homework is not an option-sorry!)_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 31 25.) .List four characteristics of a good teacher in your opinion. Complete the phrase: A good teacher is/does:___________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 26.) Typically, as a student, what percent of homework assignments do you normally complete on time? Why?_____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 27.) How do you typically study for a test or a quiz? ___________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 28.) What are five rules you think our classroom should always abide by? 1.)________________________________________________________________________ 2.)________________________________________________________________________ 3.)________________________________________________________________________ 4.) _______________________________________________________________________ 5.)_______________________________________________________________________ 29.) What do you plan on doing after graduation? _____________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 30.) What job do you want to have as an adult?________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________________ 32 Student Inventory (for Elementary Students) Name________________________________________________ Date___________________ My birthday is________________________________________________________________ My family members are _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ When I grow up I want to be _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ My favorite things to do at home are________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ My special friends are ___________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ My favorite things to do at school are_______________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ The subjects I do best in are_______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ The subjects I need help in are_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ If I could change anything about school, it would be____________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ This year I am looking forward to learning about______________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ I like it when my teachers_________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 33 I would like to know more about___________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ I am happiest when I am__________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Taken from Julia G. Thompson's First Year Teacher's Survival Kit 34 Student Inventory (for Middle School Students) Name________________________________________________ Date___________________ My birthday is________________________________________________________________ My family members are _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ When I grow up I want to be _____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ My closest friends are___________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ My favorite things to do are_______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Here are my favorites Radio stations________________________ Magazines__________________________ Sports______________________________ Hobbies_____________________________ Books _____________________________ Movies______________________________ Music _____________________________ Clothes _____________________________ One thing people don't know about me is_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ A skill I have is ________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ A person I admire is ______________________________________________because________ _____________________________________________________________________________ 35 Something I would like to learn to do better is________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ I appreciate it when a teacher_____________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ My previous teachers would tell you this about me____________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ I am proud of myself when I______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ Taken from Julia G. Thompson's First Year Teacher's Survival Kit 36 Student Inventory (for Secondary Students) Name________________________________________________ Date___________________ My birthday is________________________________________________________________ My family members are _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________ After graduation I plan to_________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ My greatest asset is______________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ I am an expert on________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ One thing people don't know about me is_____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ My teachers last year will tell you that I am___________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ I have trouble dealing with________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ My favorite class is ________________________________________because_______________ ______________________________________________________________________________ The most influential person in my life is __________________________________because_____ ______________________________________________________________________________ It was difficult for me to learn_____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ 37 It was easy for me to learn________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ I want to know more about________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Three words that describe my personality are._________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ One lesson I had to learn the hard way is_____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Taken from Julia G. Thompson's First Year Teacher's Survival Kit 38 10 Ice-Breaker Activities 1. Have students work in pairs or triads to fill out an information form for each other. Include questions that will cause them to learn interesting and unusual details about each other. For example, having students list their favorite performer or a pet peeve would make a good conversation starter. 2. Try playing a silly chain game where students try to recite everyone’s last name without having to stop to think. You can even offer a small reward for the first student who is able to do this. 3. Pass around a large calendar for students to mark their birthdays or pass around a map for students to mark their hometowns. 4. Create a class newsletter during the first week of class. Have students share a variety of ideas as they interview each other for articles in the newsletter. You can include almost anything you and your students would enjoy, including interviews with parents or administrators, predictions, advice, cartoons and study skill tips. 5. Create a duty roster for the classroom tasks that students can manage well. This will encourage students to work together to take ownership of the class. 6. Take photographs of your students and post them. Ask students to bring photographs from when they were much younger and post these. 7. Make it a point to focus on your students’ strength by asking them to reveal what they do well. Share these with the class when appropriate. 8. Put students in groups to determine just what they have in common, beyond the obvious to focus on mental traits, goals and successful attitudes. 9. Have each student research a quotation about school success and bring it in. Post these around your classroom to inspire all of your students. 10. Don’t forget that as your students are learning about each other that they need to learn a bit about you, too. While you should not be overly personal, they need to see that you have a human side. 39 General Sponge Activities All About Me Write your answers now. Then, do it again in the spring. 1. Date 2. Full name 3. Favorite dinner 4. My favorite color 5. My best friend 6. My favorite singer 7. My favorite sport 8. I like to 9. My favorite game 40 10. My favorite TV show 11. When I grow up, I'll 12. I like to spend time 41 General Sponge Activities Hunt for someone who can say "yes" to one of these questions. Have this person sign his/her name. Can you find a different person for each line? 1. can whistle 2. has freckles 3. has red hair 4. is wearing yellow 5. loves math 6. is new to our school this year 7. enjoys reading 8. worked on a computer this summer 9. lost a tooth this summer 10. watched or played baseball this summer 11. made a sandcastle this summer 12. has ridden a horse 13. had a birthday in July 14. has a birthday in October 15. wants to be a business owner 16. got sunburned this summer 17. can swim 18. has a pet cat 19. has an aquarium 20. loves yogurt 21. is left-handed 22. has brown eyes 23. likes pizza 24. wants to be a writer 25. has a cheese sandwich packed for lunch 26. has flown in an airplane 27. likes dancing better than school 28. has a great-grandfather 29. plays the piano 30. likes to rap 42 Interest Inventory Name______________________________ Grade_________ Date ________________________ 1. If you could not watch television at home, what would you most like to do? 2. If your parents told you that you could do anything that you wanted to do this weekend, what would you choose? 3. What is your favorite subject in school?____________________________________________ 4. What subject is most difficult for you in school?_____________________________________ 5. If you could learn about anything you wanted to learn about, what would you choose? 6. What is your favorite television show?_____________________________________________ 7. What book or story have you read recently that was really exciting for you? 8. Other than watching television what is the most fun thing to do indoors? 9. Do you like to do your work best in groups or alone?_________________________________ 10. Do you do your best work in groups or when you work alone? 11. Would your rather read a book or watch a movie if you had ~o learn something? 12. Who are your two best friends in this class? 43 Student Assessment: How Well Do You Study? Rank each statement as it applies to you by putting the appropriate number in the blank beside each of these excellent study strategies. If you can't mark “Always" beside a strategy, it is one you can improve! 4 = Always 3 = Sometimes 2 = Seldom 1 = Never I use these study strategies: 1. _______Take planned study breaks 13. _______Create my own study guides 2. _______Have a quiet place to study at home 14. _______Have someone quiz me 3. _______Tape record my notes 15. _______Have enough supplies 4. _______Focus my attention in class 16. _______Use a planner to schedule my work 5. _______Take time to proofread 17. _______Do difficult homework first 6. _______Rewrite notes into my own words 18. _______Ask for help 7. _______Make up missing work on time 19. _______Use colored pens to review notes 8. _______Spend enough time studying for tests 20. _______Take good notes during lectures 9. _______Study with a friend or group 21. _______Take good notes while reading l0. _______Plan what I need to study 22. _______Have a plan for taking tests 11. _______Finish my homework 23. _______Skim material before reading 12. _______Write neatly 24. _______Work towards a goal 25. _______Keep an organized notebook 44 Classroom Climate: Create a productive environment for learning Students who feel safe, comfortable, and engaged in your classroom are better able to meet educational objectives. The following tips will help you create this type of classroom climate. Physical attributes: • Seat children so they can see all parts of the room. • Arrange students so you can maintain eye contact with every child. • Maintain an appropriate physical environment. Provide proper temperature and ventilation. Keep noises and other distractions to a minimum. • Have a place for everything and insist that all classroom objects be kept in their proper places when not in use. • Leave the front middle desk unassigned. Use this as a �hot seat’ for the immediate alleviation of discipline problems. • Get right to business with the bell. Make sure students have work to do immediately. Establish an opening routine and make it a habit for your students. • Create an attractive and inviting room that reflects your goals, values, and classroom curriculum. Emotional climate: • Greet students with a smile and verbal acknowledgment when they come into the classroom. • Remain in emotional control; you are a model for your students. • Be consistent; if students know what to expect from you, the class will run more smoothly. • Treat students the way you want to be treated. • Leave problems at home; always go into the classroom fresh and ready to work. • Don’t carry things over from the previous day; start each day with a clean slate (unless, of course, you need to address student misbehavior with a substitute!) • Prevent problems by careful planning and a positive attitude. • Laugh with students, not at them. • Speak softly; it is rarely necessary to yell. • Maintain your sense of humor. A lighthearted response can defuse tense situations. • Teach and model effective conflict resolution strategies and expect students to use them. • Be confident in your methods, abilities, and authority. Children can sense when someone does not believe in these. • Talk with each of your students individually to foster feelings of inclusion and individualize student programs. 45 • Be fair, firm, and honest with students. • Know your own strengths and weaknesses and work to improve yourself. Model these behaviors for your students. • Never belittle another teacher or the principal in front of students; if you do it to others, they will believe you will do it to them. • Keep a calm attitude; a stressed or agitated teacher makes an excitable classroom. Responsive teaching: • Try to be aware of what motivates each of your students. • Provide opportunities for students to learn and participate auditorally, visually and kinesthetically. • Incorporate and alternate active and passive activities. • Don’t hesitate to change your way of teaching if you see your method isn’t working. • Stop a lesson if you need to gather students’ attention. • When you make an error, admit it; don’t try to cover up. • Take initiative from students; use their ideas for topics and incorporate their interests into the curriculum. • Give students opportunities to make decisions in planning some of the structure of classroom activities. • Be flexible. Plan thoroughly, but don’t be chained to your lesson plans or discipline methods. • Don’t be afraid to take two lessons to successfully teach what you planned to take one lesson. • Try to provide varied and unusual experiences for your students. • Share class projects to allow students to show off their work. • Provide opportunities for students to explore, experiment, initiate, invent, and gain self esteem. • Look at a situation from the student’s point of view. Try to see how it looks to him, what his reasons and motivations for acting a certain way were. Classroom Discipline: • Be consistent in punishment and rewards--avoid biases and favorites. • Be willing to change your way of disciplining if you see your method isn’t working. • Be aware--try to stop trouble before it starts. • Study current theories and methods of discipline; adopt those that fit your goals and beliefs. • State rules in a positive way (ex. �we listen to others’ rather than �don’t interrupt’) 46 • Make your behavior standards clear to students; don’t expect them to intuit appropriate behavior in your classroom. • Believe students can improve on inappropriate behaviors and help them find ways to do so. • Document in writing all severe or extreme behavior problems with students; make phone calls to parents from the beginning to keep them informed of both the problem and your plans for dealing with it. Provide periodic updates on progress. • When a child misbehaves, target the behavior, don’t reject the child. • Think of discipline in terms of building bridges between yourself and your students; don’t erect walls. • Let students help discuss and create classroom rules. • Engage students in productive meaningful work in your classroom to set the stage for orderly conduct. • Examine the conditions under which discipline problems occur. Are there times when you may be making it difficult for students? • When a student is angry or upset, be calm. • Try silence as a means of checking a misbehavior in an otherwise well-disciplined group. Stop dramatically in the middle of a sentence and wait for the group to sense the reason for your pause; then go on without comment. This alone is sometimes sufficient. • Avoid all punishment that hurts or humiliates a child. Taken from ASSIST Beginning Teacher’s website 47 Establishing a Positive Classroom Climate; Teacher Advice At a recent behavior-management workshop, teachers shared their best ideas for managing student behaviors in the classroom. Here are six tips that they offered: 1. Set firm but fair behavioral standards at the start of the school year. Teachers who set firm, reasonable expectations for student behaviors send the message from day one that they expect the classroom to be a place of respect, civility, and learning. As one instructor noted, "First impressions are everything. Students need to know the behavioral boundaries in the classroom-and they can only know them if you show them!" 2. If you teach with others, make sure that all members of the instructional team use consistent discipline practices. Nothing confuses students more than having various members of a teaching team impose different behavioral expectations and consequences. When teachers on a team are inconsistent in how they respond to student misbehavior, the result can be angry and frustrated students. Be proactive. Hold team planning meetings early in the school year to reach agreement on what kinds of negative student misbehavior warrant consequences and what those consequences should be. Write up the results of that discussion as behavior management guidelines. Then monitor to ensure that team members follow the plan consistently! (You may want to go a step further and share your behavioral guidelines with your students.) 3. Classroom rules: Keep them short and sweet. Classroom rules tend to be most effective when they are few in number (e.g., 3-5) and stated in positive terms whenever possible (e.g., "Work quietly at your desk" rather than "Don't disturb other students!"). Teachers also find that students are more respectful of rules when they have had a voice in coming up with them. Finally, remember to post rules prominently and review them occasionally to 'remind' students that you really do value appropriate behaviors! 4. Get to know your students from the beginning. Students are less likely to misbehave or act disrespectfully toward the teacher if they have a positive relationship with him or her. Teachers can get a jumpstart on getting to know their class as individuals by making up a simple survey for students to complete at the start of the school year. By asking students to answer items such as "What privileges or rewards do you prefer?", "List some learning activities that you enjoy", and "What instructional topics really interest you?", teachers can get interesting insights into their students as well as discover what topics, activities, or rewards are likely to motivate them. 5. Be a role model. Teachers should never forget that they are powerful behavioral role models for their students. Because they shape student behaviors by their own example, teachers should hold themselves to the same standards for civility and respect that they expect of their students. If a classroom rule states, for example, that "In this classroom, we use a respectful tone of voice", the rule applies equally to students and teachers. To quote one teacher with whom we talked, "In the classroom, teachers should aim to treat others consistently, fairly, and respectfully. We are mirrors for our students!" 6. Put together a classroom crisis plan. No teacher likes to imagine that a crisis will occur in his or her classroom, for example, a student suddenly becoming physically threatening. However, instructors who plan their responses to possible crisis situations are much more able to respond quickly and appropriately if and when such events occur. You can take charge of crisis planning by becoming familiar with your school's crisis plan, talking with staff whose rooms are near yours about how you can mutually help one another out in the event of a crisis, and teaching your students how they should respond (e.g., by evacuating the classroom in an orderly fashion) if a crisis situation occurs. Taken from Intervention Central website 48 Room Arrangements Keys to good room arrangements A. High traffic areas should be free of congestion. • Pencil sharpener • A Teacher's desk • Trash cans • Learning centers • Supply areas B. Students should always be visible to the teacher C. Frequently used materials need to be readily accessible • • • • • • Maps Books Flag Projection screens, outlets File cabinets Every day supplies (paper, paste) D. Students need a designated area for personal belongings (hats, coats, shoes, lunches, etc.) Tips for arranging furniture Consider placing student desks in rows facing the major instructional areas at the beginning of the year to minimize distractions. As you begin to know your students, you may want to change the environment to facilitate better learning. A. Keep in mind possible distractions such as: • Windows and doors • Animals and other interesting displays • Small group work areas B. Note where electrical outlets are located before you place equipment. Possible room arrangements are found on the following pages. After the first few days or weeks of school you may find you need adjustments for crowd control or better movement. You might want to reassess the room arrangement then. 49 Classroom Climate Seating Arrangements A Traditional Classroom often is set up with the desks in rows, the teacher's desk or table somewhere in front of the room, and student desks moved far enough apart to prevent easy wandering of eyes during tests. This arrangement packs desks into the room efficiently and lets student have easy access to their seats, but it certainly does not have to be the default room arrangement. The learning environment should be designed according to learning objectives and desired outcomes not just habit or a janitor's best guess. However, this arrangement is probably the best for preventing cheating on traditional testing days. The role of the teacher here seems that of a cop. Discussions & Debates and many other interactive classroom activities, where the whole class is looking and listening and contributing, probably work better if the students' seats are somehow facing each other. Some teachers find this arrangement of two sides with an isle down the middle (like Congress) works well. Put the teacher's desk in the back of the room to get it out of the way. It's still within easy access to grab a stack of handouts, etc. The role of the teacher here is kind of like Speaker of the House. A variation on the bicameral (two sides) arrangement is the Horseshoe. Remember, though, every arrangement should be made based on what you want the lesson to accomplish. Both the bicameral and horseshoe arrangements work well for handing out stuff. The role of the teacher seems to be coordinator and collaborator in these classrooms. Lastly, here's an arrangement for Group Here the teacher's role is facilitator. Work. Taken from the Huntington University Website 50 Beat the Bulletin Blues Thinking about the fall and the start of school may be the last thing on your mind, but the more preparation you do now; the smoother things will go in the fall. This past year, decorating a bulletin board probably took a back seat to simply surviving your first year of teaching. Be prepared for next year by following some of these tips: • Effective bulletin boards should be: o Simple o Attractive o Functional o Appropriate o Changed frequently • Use commercial bulletin board books to give you ideas. Visit your nearest teacher store for copies. • If you can afford commercial bulletin board materials, use them. • Students love to see their work displayed. Use their papers and projects to help design a bulletin board. • Use a file box with 3x5 index cards arranged alphabetically. Jot down bulletin board ideas and file them for future use. • Taking down and storing bulletin board material can be as challenging as putting it up. Set up a filing system. You can use guidelines like school months or events, holidays and subjects. • Store bulletin board letters in plastic shoe boxes. • Don't throw sets of letters away. You can use them again for the same bulletin board. • Avoid using orange and yellow because these colors tend to overly excite students. Blues, greens and pastels are calming. Pale pink and peach are especially soothing. There probably is no comparison but these colors are used in prisons! • If you are decorating the top third of the wall for a bulletin board, use it for large letters, murals, borders or pictures. • The lower two-thirds of the wall should be used for anything that has small details like student work. Taken from the Michigan Education Association website 51 Bulletin Boards Helpful hints A. If possible, have boards / displays completed before school starts. B. If you are doing child initiated boards, have ideas ready. C. Background for bulletin boards may be done with neutral colors, fadeless paper, fabric, wallpaper… D. Take a picture of your bulletin boards for future reference. E. Try to use re-useable or laminated letters which can be made at the Macomb Intermediate School District Teachers Workshop, 44001 Garfield Road, Clinton Township, MI, 48038 F. If you need ideas, ask to look at some other rooms around your school. G. Display shelves or boxes work just as well as boards. Bulletin board ideas • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Guess who? Baby pictures Safety Things done over the summer Fall Information board Alphabet Birthday board Number line Welcome Student name board Colors Child of the week and / or teacher of the week Reading board (book covers) Weekly schedules Famous people Assignment board Rules Student – created bulletin boards by project or theme Student work display 52 Purchasing Classroom Supplies In an ideal world teachers would easily receive all the classroom supplies they could possibly need. Unfortunately, many schools do not provide teachers with enough money to pay for necessary classroom supplies. Teachers everywhere have adjusted to tough economic times by recycling, asking parents and community businesses to donate, and making good choices with the supplies that you have. It is inevitable that all teachers spend some of their own money on their classroom. Part of making a safe and comfortable environment to learn in is to make it esthetically pleasing. You will end up buying posters, curtains, borders, magnets, special pens, paper, plants, so on and so forth. Luckily, teachers can claim $250.00 on their taxes (see resource section for a more detailed explanation of the Educator’s Tax credit) to offset some of these additional expenses. What the school should provide and what you should purchase? This will depend on your district and your budget. For the most part, all books and the majority of school supplies will be supplied by the school itself. If you want anything special for example, magazines, glue, paper, scissors or pens, you will have to provide them yourself. Developing Student supply list It is accepted in most districts to send home a list of supplies to bring to school, as long as it is labeled as “recommended”. See the following examples of supply lists. Your supply list should be dependent on the age and needs of your students. 53 Teacher’s Back-to-School Supply List Planning to begin your first teaching job is somewhat like planning to move into a new house for the first time. As you begin to make a list of the utensils, furniture, and supplies you will need for each new room of your house you realize that your list keeps growing and growing! Unfortunately for first year teachers, planning a purchase list for your classroom supplies often occurs in the same way. In an effort to save you some precious time, the following list of suggested supplies has been created for you: • Large sheets of paper and borders- this will help you to create your bulletin boards. If you are not interested in changing them each season then get black or white paper and a season neutral border. Check to see if you school already has the large rolls of paper. • Chalk- in case your classroom doesn’t have any. • Muli-colored chalk- for underscoring any main points • Dry Erase Markers- in case you are blessed with a white board. • Rubber Bands- in case you need to band something together. Keep these out of the hands of your students! • Pads of sticky notes- you will use these so much! • A mechanical lead pen- they are always sharp, don’t require a pencil sharpener and are fine, clear and erasable • Press-on white labels- these can be address label size or one-line width labels. So you can white out or label anything. They can be especially useful for re-using old manila folders. • Black ink ballpoint pen- form making carbon copies or for writing that is better reproducible by a copier than a blue ink pen. • A package of 3 X 5 cards- for class participations exercises, sort-able notes, hall passes, etc… • A yellow highlighter pen- to highlight points in your lesson that you inadvertently omitted, need to highlight, need to review. • A red pen- to write evaluative notes on student’s tests, homework. An alternative to the classic red pen is a green pen. Green ink is a little gentler and doesn’t carry the stigma of red marks on a paper. • Loose-leaf reinforcements- to keep pages from falling out of your binder • Wet-wash pads- for quick cleanups • Stain-stick pads- you will spill coffee on your shirt • A single-edged razor blade (instead of bulky scissors) - for cutting out magazine articles, pictures… they can be found in a secure plastic casing. • Aspirin- for headaches 54 • Mints- for fresh breath • Some large and small paper clips- to clip together homework or test papers from particular class periods. • A piece of carbon paper- incase you handwrite a note and need a copy for documentation • A see-through plastic pencil case- for organizational purposes • An appointment book- this will be handy as far as keeping track of weekly assignments, things to do… • A cell phone • A grade book- for taking attendance, checking homework, giving credit for class participation • A pad of newsprint- rolled up. This is to take notes on; especially useful when you’ll teach the same lesson more than once…in different rooms. • A magic marker or two- to make notes with, mark different surfaces… • A stapler- for securing posting items on a bulletin board, attaching papers. Mark this stapler with your name. • A small can of machine oil- in case a squeaky seat or door distracts students. • A fan- you may or not have air conditioning. Those first few weeks of the school year could be scorching. • Check this list over before school starts and add to it so who will know what you need for next year. Taken from the National Education Association website 55 Creating Useful and Detailed Lesson Plans Lesson planning is one of the most important tasks that you face as a first-year teacher, as a second-year teacher and as a third-year teacher and it will be just as important when you are a thirty-year teacher. Planning effective lessons is simply the blueprint for success in your classroom and ultimately, the success of your career. Successful teachers think very carefully about what they are going to do. There can be no substitute for this process. Successful teachers plan every lesson every day. Internet Solutions www.iloveteaching.com www.lessonplanspage.com www.learningpage.com www.lessonplans4teachers.com www.theeducatorsnetwork.com www.searchedu.com www.atozteacherstuff.com www.teachervision.com Taken from Julie G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Handbook 56 10 Tips to Making Lesson Planning Easier 1. Beginning the planning process by creating an overview of that year, of each semester and of each unit. Try to do this before school begins so that you will have a clear picture of what you want your students to achieve. 2. Schedule a block of uninterrupted time each week to write your daily plans. 3. Create a lesson plan format that is easy to use for writing your daily plans. 4. If you don’t use a computer to write you plans, use a pencil so that you can quickly make adjustment. 5. Use the school calendar that your districts supplies at the start of the term to schedule you lessons around holiday or other events that may affect how your students will perform. 6. Keep your lesson plans in a binder with you and other important school materials so that you can quickly check them each day. 7. Plan you lessons around the objectives that your state and district have determined for your grade level or subject. Objectives reflect the outcomes that you want for your students. Teach to those objectives. 8. Always plan more work that you believe your students will finish. You can always use the extra plans for remediation and enrichment. 9. Write the final assessment of each unit of study before you begin planning lessons. If you do this, you will know what material your students will need to learn as you teach each unit. 10. Never allow yourself to get behind in your lessons planning. It is almost impossible to catch up once you fall behind. Taken from Julie G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Handbook 57 Writing Lesson Plans Teachers' Roles A traditional view of the teacher is of someone who dispenses knowledge: someone who Lectures, tells, feeds, disseminates, covers material, teaches the subject matter more than the students. The students sit passively while the teacher is on show. Desks in rows and a blackboard and podium up front are an arrangement designed for this role of a teacher. However, lectures are effective for giving short sets of instructions, background information, guidelines, or other information that is needed in a short time frame (e.g., before doing a class project, lab, or group activity). Demonstrations, on the other hand, allow students to experience more fully the information and concepts the teacher wants to impart during the lesson. Although the teacher is still the center of the action and the dispenser of knowledge, students can more easily see what they need to know and more efficiently link it to prior knowledge in their own ways. Students remember much better what they have both heard and seen (or even touched, smelled, or tasted)! Listening is a very important teacher role, something that we don't usually think of in connection with the lecturer role, however. Listening is crucial for assessment of learning (checking comprehension and appropriate challenge level), for collaboration between teachers and students (coaching instead of just judging), and for giving students a real sense of ownership of classroom activities as well as for allowing students to articulate and internalize the learning processes. Teachers who listen can turn around and provide very effective support structures to guide students on to the next level of challenge. Empowering is really what teaching is all about. Ironically, though, many teachers act as if empowering student’s means weakening themselves-their authority as both a classroom disciplinarian and a subject-matter authority. But maybe power is like love: the more you give, the more you get. .. Obviously, teachers wear many hats: friend, counselor, and mentor--hundreds of roles and different roles for different classes, students, and extra curricular duties. The above animations, however, are meant to show the different effects on students of different teacher behaviors. Taken from the Huntington University website 58 Questions to Ask For Lesson Planning Although your written plans may become less and less formal, you may still want to spend some time thinking about the following questions before you teach a lesson. • Will the lesson serve the student learning goals? • How will I start? • What will I do during the lesson? Why? • What do I want the students to do? Why? • What do I expect them to say or do in response to the task I set? • How much time will I spend on various parts of the lesson? • What materials will I need? How will I organize them ahead of time to minimize wasted time during the lesson? • What directions will I give? • What will the final product look like? If there is no product, how will I know the lesson is complete? • What rules, routines or procedures will be important during this lesson? Taken from ASSIST Beginning Teachers Website 59 Common Problems in Lesson Planning While it is true that all teachers may have problems with planning effective lessons at some time, there are some problems that seem to be especially prevalent during the first few years of teaching. As a new teacher the biggest problem that you may face in creating lesson plans is that you don’t have a wealth of tried and true lesson plans and materials to draw on. Every lesson plan you write your first year is an experiment. No matter how hard you work or how much effort you put into your plans, a lesson can fail simply because it has drawbacks that you aren’t aware of yet. But you can reduce the likelihood of an unsuccessful lesson by paying attention to some of the incorrect ideas that you might have about writing your plans. Here are just a few of the problems concerning lesson plans that many first-year teachers share. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Rushing to cover materials instead of teaching your students Spending a disproportionate amount of time on a certain unit Failing to connect current learning to previous learning Focusing instruction on the knowledge level of thinking skills instead of the critical thinking levels Not allowing for differences in learning styles Failing to assess students’ prior knowledge before starting new instruction. Failing to successfully motivate students to want to learn new material Pacing a unit of study incorrectly Neglecting to provide an anticipatory set for each day’s lesson Neglecting to provide closure for each day’s lesson Testing students on material that they have not adequately mastered Failing to provide the correct amount of practice Failing to provide enough “checkpoint” assessments before a final test Mistaking a list of activities for a lesson plan Not planning for the year, the semester, the unit and each day Taken from Julie G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Handbook 60 Did You Care Today? If you haven't realized it already, you've chosen a profession that makes a difference in lives. That's important to remember when you've had a particularly lousy day. If you cared for your students that day, it was a successful day! To establish the rapport you need with students and to help manage your classroom, keep these ideas in mind: • Get to know your students' names as soon as possible. • Go over the daily schedule with students. • Post a copy of the class rules for everyone to see. • Find out if there is a "dress code" for teachers in your school district and/or building. Dress appropriately. • Remember-you can't out scream 30 or more students. The louder you get, the louder your classroom becomes. Learn to moderate your voice. • Be yourself. Don't take on mannerisms that compromise who you really are. • Keep humor in your teaching. You chose a profession that cries for joy and laughter just to keep your sanity. • Don't prejudge any student, no matter what you hear about him/her in the staff lounge. • Be sensitive to gender differences; avoid sexism. • Respect your students' religious, cultural and ethnic backgrounds. • Reward and praise-- sincerely and frequently. • Create a safe environment where your students know you will try to protect them from physical or verbal harm. • Be a good role model. Be confident and positive. Taken from the Michigan Education Association Website 61 Tips from Classroom Veterans When the National Education Association (NEA) asked veteran teachers what advice they could give new teachers, the following Top 10 list was created. 1. Take your vitamin C. You’ll find yourself sick all the time but it will give new meaning to the phrase, “sick of your job.” 2. Stock up on antibacterial waterless hand soap and disinfectant sprays. See tip number one. 3. Children are brutally honest. They believe they are doing you a favor when they announce to the class that your shirt or pants are unbuttoned. 4. Keep a journal of the funny things your students say. Not only will it keep your job in perspective but it could also make you rich when your journal becomes a best-seller. 5. Invest in good comfortable shoes. This is no time to be suffering for fashion. 6. Practice not going to the bathroom for hours at a time. This probably isn’t something you learned in any of your education courses but it’s an important skill to master. 7. Practice eating your lunch in three minutes or less. See tip number 6. 8. Have a stash of chocolate in your desk—you’ll need it some days. Enough said. 9. When shopping at grocery stores, don’t snap your fingers at other people’s children who are misbehaving. It’s hard to resist the temptation but this is not your classroom. 10. Try not to treat your significant other or friends as though they are in third grade—not unless you want third grade behavior in return. Taken from the Michigan Teachers Association Website 62 I Don't Know What I Need to Know!! Mentors and association reps sometimes forget to tell you the basics. It's information that they simply take for granted. So, if you already know where to park and you have your grade book in hand, here are some more things to know and have. Know: • Your school hours • Your classroom and curriculum duties and responsibilities • Additional duties and responsibilities such as bus, hall and lunch duties • The district's and/or school's policy on: Homework Dispensing medication Referrals to special programs E-mail and Internet usage Grading Fire drills and lockdowns Field trips • How to handle a sick day, personal leave day or an emergency • Who to contact in case of a classroom or school emergency • When faculty, team or other regular meetings are held • Where and how to get classroom supplies • How to communicate with parents • How to fill out school forms • How and when you are paid; payroll deductions • What insurance coverage you have • When is open house and what is the policy or procedure for it Have: • Required district forms such as W-2, insurance enrollment, teaching license, contract • Grade book or other student record forms • Calendar • A copy of the student handbook • Forms you will need during the first week: hall passes, detention forms, etc Taken from the Michigan Education Association Website 63 Taking Care of Personal Business As you begin to prepare for your first day of school, it is important not to be overcome by the emotions you may be experiencing. Many first year teachers feel overwhelmed at accomplishing the tasks of setting up their classroom climate and syllabus yet forget to organize their personal business decisions. A beginning teacher needs to set up a personal file to ensure they maintain an organized copy of all professional documents, personal health insurance and investment options, teacher evaluations, and other professional necessities. The following is a check list of suggested items to keep in your personal business file: • • • • • • • • • • Health care information Information on purchasing service credit, also known as “Buying Years” Retirement Fund Important personal documents Copy of your contract Explanation of employee benefits Copy of current resume and teaching certificate Copies of all evaluations throughout the year Student injury reports and records Records of professional development workshops and conferences This is also a good time to start your reflective professional journal. Purchasing a small notebook, perhaps with a lock on it and taking it home with you every night can be a useful tool in tracking your professional progress throughout the year. When you look back a year from now you will not believe how far you’ve come and the professional growth your reflections exhibit! 64 Time Saving Tips • Make a “to do” list every morning. Check off tasks as they are completed. • Teach students procedures to hand papers in, right side up, with their names at the top, into your completed work basket. Have a basket for each subject or class so papers are sorted for you. • Assign each student a partner. When a student is absent, his or her partner can gather notes, handouts and assignments that the absent student has missed. • When students check each other’s papers, have the checker sign their name at the bottom. Students are more careful when their names are on the checked papers. CHECK TO SEE IF YOUR DISTRICT ALLOWS THIS PRACTICE. • When you put student(s) names in your grade book, number the names in consecutive order. Have students write their name and number on their papers. You (or a student) can quickly put papers in order. You can easily see which papers are missing and, when they’re corrected, they will be in the correct order to put into your grade book. • Use an answer column along the right margin of the paper when doing math assignments from textbooks or short answer assignments. Have students transfer answers from the problem to the answer column. You can correct half a dozen papers at a time by looking at several answer columns. (Learning to copy answers into an answer column carefully is an important skill, especially for taking standardized tests. • Make a stencil from which you can cut out the answers to check multiple choice answer sheets. • Put answers on transparency to have students check homework while you take attendance. • Ask for clerical help from parents. Choose tasks for parents to do at home on a weekly or monthly basis. Ideas include: typing newsletters, preparing teaching materials, preparing book club orders, etc. • For short warm-up activities, cut worksheets into mini-strips containing 4 or 5 items. This miniworksheet can be done in a few minutes and helps to prepare the students for the lesson to come. • Designate one spot on the chalkboard where you write what students should do as soon as they enter your classroom. Teach students to look there and begin without wasting time. It will give an orderly beginning to your classes. (Good time to use a min-worksheet – see above). • Write frequently used direction on a chart instead of the chalkboard. When needed, hang the chart on the chalkboard. Good ideas for: assignment guidelines, book report outline, paper heading, studying for test, many others. • If you classroom is far away from the office or teacher workroom, keep a supply box “hidden” somewhere. Include: pens, pencils, scissors, class list with student phone numbers, tape, etc. • Save time by designing your own lesson plan book on the computer. Take a page from your book and put in room numbers, times, subjects, special classes and any other constant features. 65 Duplicate this page and, when you make your lesson plans weekly, you’ll only need to add the lessons for the week. • Place extra copies of worksheets in a “homework box”. Students can help themselves for extra credit or extra practice. • Identify your supplies (pencils, scissors, markers, etc.) with a masking or colored tape strip. • Use an overhead projector and transparency to write class notes and presentations instead of chalkboard. This way you can date and save them, use them again, give them to an absent student, or review them on another day. • Make a poster to keep a daily list of assignments for students who are absent. • Ideas for “floating” teachers: Make a box or use an AV cart to keep your “desk” materials with you as you travel from room to room. • Instead of collecting and checking homework every day, have students keep homework in a folder and collect once a week for recording. • Designate one day a week to send student work home to parents. • Re-file your materials as soon as possi8ble so you can find them later. • Have a bulletin board that includes special class schedules announcements, lunch menu or important things you or your substitute might need. • Use one calendar to keep track of future important events – pocket calendar, desk calendar, lesson plan book, etc. • Make two blank copies of student worksheets – on to use, one to file for future reference or to make copies for an answer key. • Teach students to do as many clerical tasks (attendance, lunch count, etc.) as possible. • Laminate often used materials for reuse in subsequent years. • Have a personal care kit at school, which might include aspirin, needle and thread, etc. 66 Your First Year of Teaching at a Glance Now that you have a fundamental understanding of what you will encounter in your first days of teaching it’s time to look forward into your first year of teaching. While you will encounter many different situations that will test your patience, understanding, and knowledge of teacher etiquette, this section is devoted to providing you with information regarding common situations that all first year teachers will encounter. In this section of the handbook we will discuss suggestions for creating your Individualized Development Plan, surviving the teacher evaluation process, taking attendance, and evaluating student progress in your classroom. In reading this section of the handbook you will gain knowledge about common situations you will find yourself in such as reporting your absence from school and preparing for field trips and speakers. 67 The Care and Feeding of Your Mentor It's the Law! You may feel secure and confident enough to think that you don't really need a mentor but The Revised School Code (380.1526) states, "For the first 3 years of his or her employment in classroom teaching, a teacher shall be assigned by the school in which he or she teaches to 1 or more master teachers, or college professors or retired master teachers, who shall act as a mentor or mentors to the teacher." Consider these tips for building a positive relationship with your mentor. • If we lived in a perfect world, you would have a chance to meet your mentor before school starts. But many times, the reality is that you are meeting him/her on the first day of school. Get to know your mentor. • Mentors aren't mind readers. • Don't always expect your mentor to come to you. It's a two-way relationship. They aren't mind readers and can't anticipate all of your issues and concerns. If possible, set up a regular daily meeting time with your mentor. Mentors aren't mind readers. • Ask to visit your mentor's classroom to see other approaches to teaching. Invite your mentor to your classroom. Ask for feedback on your techniques and style. • Don't reinvent the wheel. Before you begin developing a unit, find out what materials or thoughts your mentor has. • Let your mentor know that his/her help is appreciated. • Hopefully not, but if the relationship between you and your assigned mentor is not all you had hoped it would be, let your association rep know. Mentoring is part of the School Code and many local contracts address the issue because an ineffective mentor relationship hurts everyone. With the help of the association, you may be able to set up a mentor relationship with another colleague who better matches your philosophy and style. Get your association rep's advice on who might be a good match for you. • Keep an open mind. You may learn a lot from your mentor and at the same time your mentor can be learning from you. • Do what you say you will do. Let your mentor know if you can't follow through on a promise. Suggest an alternative. • When your mentor offers some information or opinion, make sure you fully understand the information before going on to another topic. Ask questions for clarification. Taken from Michigan Education Association website 68 • Even though you may not always agree with them, acknowledge, understand and respect your mentor's feelings and ideas. • Avoid making assumptions about your mentor's plans and expectations. If you're in doubt, ask. • Ask for feedback from your mentor as a way to improve your teaching. Receive the feedback objectively. • Identify teachers other than your mentor that you would like to observe. Get permission to set up an appointment. Focus on a particular aspect or skill when you go in to observe a classroom. Withhold judgment on what you’ve observed until you've had the opportunity to reflect on the observation and talk to the teacher. • Understand that you have the responsibility to ask for help. Identify and deal with the most pressing need-to-know items first. • Share your progress with your mentor. • If there isn't a discussion and support group for you and your fellow new teachers, organize one. • Take informed risks. Don't take a risk until you've considered all the consequences and you've talked with your mentor. • Pay attention to the results of your decisions. What have you learned from them? • Share your enthusiasm for teaching and learning with your more experienced colleagues. They could use a breath of fresh air and a new idea every once in a while. Taken from Michigan Education Association website 69 Parent Teacher Conferences A parent-teacher conference can be one of the most effective tools in your teaching tool kit when it comes to communicating with parents. To keep the conference from becoming a discouraging waste of time for everyone or an unpleasant confrontation, you need to do some preparation. The first place to start is by checking with your mentor, colleagues and the association for their suggestions and to learn if there are any district policies in place. After that, try some of these strategies to make conferences a celebration--not a catastrophe. • Invite both parents whenever possible. You can sometimes gauge the kind of parental support a student has if both parents are able to come. • Make contact early with a letter or memo telling parents when the conferences will be held. Don't rely on the district to do that. Be aware of parents' work schedules. • Plan ahead. Be ready to answer specific questions parents may have. You should have your grade book, samples of the child's work and any other important data you may need right at your fingertips. • Greet parents at the door and be sure to get their names right. • Try to arrange comfortable, informal seating for you and the parents. Don't sit behind your desk and have parents sit in student desks. It may bring up unpleasant school memories for them. • Set out the agenda of the conference right away. You have very little time, so make sure everyone is clear on why you're meeting. Remember! Parents may have their own agenda. Be flexible. • Start on a positive note no matter how difficult that may be. Every child has some redeeming qualities and you don't want parents on the defensive immediately. • Don't do all the talking. Listen to what parents have to say. Ask for their advice and opinions. • Be specific in your comments. "He doesn't accept responsibility," doesn't translate well to parents. Give examples. • Stress collaboration. You both are talking about the same child. Explain clearly how parents can help you with their child's education. • Summarize the discussion you have had and decide what you and the parents will do next. • Schedule another time to meet if you need to. If the conference is not going well, a cooling-off period may be needed. • Try to end up on a positive note. Save at least one final encouraging comment for parents about their child. Be sure to thank parents for their interest and support. Taken from Michigan Education Association website 70 • Keep a record of the conference. Try to take notes as you meet with parents. Highlight specific things you and the parents have agreed to do so that you can follow up on them. • Whether you think the conference went well or not, review the experience with your mentor. This isn't brain surgery. No one will die if you make a mistake. You'll have another chance in the spring. Educating Parents about Conferences Many times parents are as nervous about a conference with their child's teacher as you are with the child's parents. You've read the tips you need for a successful conference. Consider some of these ways that parents can prepare themselves for a conference with you. Include these ideas in your letter inviting parents to the conference. • Talk to your child so that he/she understands that you and the teacher are working together. • Ask if your child is having any problems in any specific classes or subjects. • Find out which are your child's favorite classes and why. • Make a list of questions you want to ask the teacher and any information you would like to share. • Take notes during the conference. • Ask questions to clarify anything you don't understand. • Share your insights about your child's talents, skills, study habits, or concerns. • Discuss any change in your child's behavior that might help in understanding your child better. • Ask how you can help your child at home. • Make it clear if you think your child needs help. Try to be specific in what you think the school can do for your child. Taken from Michigan Education Association website 71 72 Watch What You Say! While it's always important to choose your words carefully when talking about students and their behavior, it's even more important when you are talking with parents about their child who is perfect in every way in their eyes. The following positive expressions were taken from "Conference Time," produced by the National Education Association. POSITIVE EXPRESSION Should Can do more when s/he tries Disturbs the class Depends on others to do his work Working at his own level Insists on having his own way Not challenged Could make better use of his/her time Difficulty in getting along with others Uses unbecoming language Tries to get attention Inconsiderate of others Has a chance of passing, if Outspoken Achieving below his ability level Can do better work with help Poor habits Cooperation Usually Failed to meet requirements NEGATIVE EXPRESSION Must Lazy Trouble maker Cheats Below average Stubborn Disinterested Wastes time Bullies Swears Shows off Rude Will fail Insolent Poor grade of work Stupid Unclean Help Time and again Failure Taken from Michigan Education Association website 73 Parent Conference-- What would you do if. . . Of course you want parent conferences to be positive experiences where you can strengthen the bond between home and school. Realistically, however, you may find some parent behaviors to be as unpredictable as those of their children in the classroom. How would you handle the following situations? Talk to your mentor and colleagues for advice. What would you do if the parent(s). . . • Don't speak English? • Become verbally abusive? Physically abusive? • Want to include the student(s) in the conference? • Will not attend the conference and won't reschedule an appointment? • Want to compare their child with their siblings or with other students in the class? • Refuse to acknowledge any weaknesses in their child? • Start an argument with each other? • Want to discuss unrelated topics? • Ask for your home phone number? • Want to discuss other teachers or the administration? • Want you to offer medical, parenting or counseling advice? • Invite you to their home to get to know you better? Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 74 7 Conference Don’ts 1. Don’t put parents on the defensive by becoming angry or by asking questions that are too personal. 2. Don’t talk about other students or compare their child to theirs. 3. Don’t try to outtalk parents. You may make your point, but the parents (may) not listen to you. Do not give in to the temptation to interrupt. 4. Don’t forget to document the conference and to file your notes. 5. Don’t neglect to follow through on the decisions that you and the parents made. 6. Don’t divulge any confidential information that you have learned. When Parents or Guardians Are Uncooperative Sometimes no matter how hard you try, parents or guardians will not be as cooperative as you would like. Sometimes this will be a result of your interactions with them, and at other times, the lack of cooperation will have nothing to do with you. Regardless of the reason, it is unpleasant to deal with uncooperative parents or guardians. The best way to avoid this situation is to prevent it by intervening early, following procedures and rules, maintaining accurate records, presenting yourself as a professional, and by making sure that parents are kept informed about their child’s progress from the beginning of the year onward. If you find yourself in a confrontation with a hostile parent, it is up to you to assume control of the situation. The following are some steps that you can take to accomplish this successfully so meetings with parents will result in productive outcomes instead of heated words. • • • • • • • • Listen to what angry parents or guardians have to say without trying to interrupt or correct them. Don’t try to present your side of the disagreement until they have had an opportunity to express themselves. Show your interest by asking questions about specific details. Often a misunderstanding is the cause of the problem. Find out exactly what is bothering the parents. Make sure that you restate the problem so that the other person can be reassured that you do understand. Try, “I think you’re saying….” Explain the problem from your viewpoint as objectively as you can. Be specific about what was expected of the child, what the child did that was not appropriate, and how you responded. Make it clear throughout the confrontation that you want to work together for the child’s welfare. Remain calm throughout the confrontation. It can only harm you in the eyes of the parents and your supervisors if you act upon your natural desire to justify your actions in a loud tone or by returning insults. You do not have to accept threats or abuse from a parent. If, after you have sincerely tried to solve a problem, the parent or guardians remain upset, suggest that you call in an administrator. If you suspect that a parent plans to contact your administrator, you should make the contact first. It is never wise to surprise your supervisors with bad news. Instead, see an administrator; present your point of view, and ask for assistance. 75 Parent/Teacher Conferences Tips and suggestions for parent conferences: • • • • • • • • • • • • • Make clear the four purposes of a conference a. Information getting b. Information giving c. Joint problem-solving d. Development of mutual interest Let parents see first-hand how their child is doing. Come prepared with a computer print-out or grade book, reports, papers, a copy of the textbook, grading policy, course objectives anything else that might enhance parents understanding of their child’s progress. Parents are impressed wit teachers who are organized. Remember to protect student confidentiality when opening your grade book. Sit in an arrangement where you are not behind your desk. Establish a positive rapport by making your first statement about the student a positive one – even if you really have to dig for one. When you are scheduling conferences (elementary), first call those who need the conference the most so that they have the widest range of times to choose from. You want them to come! Don’t assume the adult’s relationship to the child is the natural parent (many step-parents and guardian situations occur). Try to get a realistic picture of the home situation before you make any suggestions. Often your perspective is changed when you understand what the student has gone through. Ask the parents for their perception of the child’s strengths and weaknesses before offering yours. Thank them for their helpful insights and seek their input. Be positive! Do NOT compare the student with a sister, brother or friend. Do NOT refer to the whole class in a negative way. Do NOT offer outside services (resource people, tutoring) that you can’t guarantee will be available. Do NOT forget what you promised to do, and do it promptly. Don’t let a parent berate you. If a parent becomes verbally abusive, simply say that you do not think that the objectives of the conference are being met and that you believe another time would prove to be more beneficial. The next conference should be in the office with an administrator and/or union representative. Try to end every conference on a happy note. If some hostility was shown, document it by making a brief written evaluation of what transpired and keep it for future reference. You might want to inform your principal to expect a possible call. Stick to your schedule on conference day/night. If the parent seems reluctant to respond to your lead, schedule another time and date to finish up loose ends. After the conference is over, you may want to ask yourself the following questions? √ How well prepared was I? √ How well did I use time? √ Did I start on a positive note? √ Did I listen attentively? √ Did I involve the parents? √ Were follow-up plans made, if needed? √ Did I gain any insights? √ What needs to be changed? 76 Many parents do not have time or the opportunity to get as involved in their child’s school as they would like. However, they still desire a quality education. We should let all parents know how much we value and encourage their support and participation in this important aspect of their child’s life. We know they should and probably will respond in a positive way in any way they can. Once we have reached out to them, exchanged our expectations of each other, encouraged them to keep us abreast of important happenings in their child’s life, we can look forward to a great partnership and a rewarding year. Suggestions for parent/teacher conferences Teaches, like most professionals, have developed their own special language. There are many expressions which we use that may leave a false or undesirable impression. Here is a list of expressions which may leave a negative impression, when a kinder, more positive, phrase might be used: Negative Expression Must Lazy Trouble maker Uncooperative Cheats Stupid Never does the right thing Below average Truant Impertinent Steal Unclean Dumb-bell Help Poor Calamity Disinterested Expense Contribute Stubborn Insolent Liar Wastes time Sloppy Incurred failure Mean Time and again Dubious Poor grade of work Clumsy Profane Selfish Rude Bashful Show-off Will fail him Positive Expression Should Can do more when he tries Disturbs the class Should learn to work with others Depend on others to do his work Can do better work with help Can learn to do the right thing Working at his own level Absent without permission Discourteous Without permission Poor habits Capable of doing better Cooperation Handicapped Lost opportunity Complacent, not challenged Investment Invest in Insists on having his own way Outspoken Tendency to stretch the truth Could make better use of his time Could do neater work Failed to meet requirements Difficulty in getting along with others Usually Uncertain Achieving below their apparent ability level Not physically well coordinated Uses unbecoming language Seldom shares with others Inconsiderate of others Reserved Tries to get attention Has a chance of passing, if… Taken from Conference Time, National Education Association 77 Sample Letter: Open House Invitation Dear Parents or Guardians, Our school’s annual Open House will be held this year on Thursday. September 22 from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m. We will meet first in the auditorium for a brief PTA meeting and then will adjourn to the classrooms. I am looking forward to visiting with you and sharing some of our class’s routines and activities. Please attend if you can possibly do so. Please let me know if you plan to attend by signing the appropriate note at the bottom of this sheet. I am looking forward to our visit! Sincerely, Ms. Thompson ________ I plan to attend Open House on Thursday, September 22 from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m. ________ I do not plan to attend Open House on Thursday, September 22 from 7:00 until 8:30 p.m. Parent or Guardian Signature___________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ Sample Letter: Conference Confirmation (Although you have probably arranged a conference over the phone, it is polite to send home a letter as a reminder with special information that may make the parent or guardian more at ease.) Dear __________________________________, Our conference will be Wednesday, May 13, at #15 in Room 16. You will find plenty of visitor parking places in the parking lot directly in front of the school at that time. Please stop by the front office and pick up a visitor’s pass. The office staff will call me and I will come and escort you to the classroom. I look forward to meeting with you. Sincerely, Ms. Thompson 78 Meet the Teacher Night The first formal introduction to parents will usually be in the form of some sort of “Meet the Teacher” activity. This may have different names, but usually is a time to introduce yourself and your curriculum. 1. All about parents You will want to talk to colleagues to find out what parents expect from this session. You should also seek information regarding the demography of the parent population. 2. All about you As a first year teacher, many parents will be coming to “check you out.” Be prepared to instill confidence regarding your instructional abilities. Communicate about your relevant experiences (camp counselor, club sponsor, etc.) Let your enthusiasm show! 3. All about your classroom You might consider discussing the following: • Rules and operating procedures • The subject(s) • Goals of the curriculum • Expectations for students • Instructional materials 4. Your presentation You will want to be well prepared fir this session. Some of the following techniques may be helpful: • Handouts of curriculum, grading procedures, homework criteria, etc. • Use of overhead • Sample lesson • Outline f what you are going to address (watch your timing to be sure you hit all relevant points) 5. Working together This is a good opportunity for you to identify how home and school can work together: • Inform parents of when, where and how you can be reached. • Discuss how parents can best support their child’s learning out of school. 6. Cautionary notes • Don’t let one parent monopolize the discussion or sidetrack you. • Have a conference sign-up sheet available. • Don’t get caught in a student conference situation. This is not the intent of the session. 79 Creating Your Individual Development Plan (IDP) Tenure laws require a four-year probation period for teachers who have never earned tenure in Michigan. Teachers who have earned tenure in Michigan and who move to another Michigan district are subject to a two-year probationary period. While on probation, teachers must be provided with an Individualized Development Plan. This plan must be developed by the probationary teacher in consultation with the administrator. Requirements for an Individual Development Plan vary from school district to school district. Check with your mentor or administrator. There is an example following this section. 80 81 82 Teacher Evaluation Procedures Just like other professionals, teachers are evaluated on a variety of criteria every year. There are several components to the evaluation process. First, you can expect one of your supervisors to talk to you in a pre-observation conference where you will discuss your goals and progress so far that year. This is a good time to mention any particular problems that you are having and to solicit advice. Some time after your pre-observation conference, your evaluator will make a planned classroom observation. At this point, the evaluator will be looking for your strengths and weakness as an educator. You will probably just want to get through this nerve-racking time without forgetting your own name. After the observation, you will meet with your evaluator again in a post-observation conference. At this conference, the evaluator will talk with you about the lesson that you taught and about your strengths and weaknesses as a teacher. There will be other observations in the course of the year, also. The number varies from school district to school district. Expect to have many informal visits from administrators over the course of your career, but especially during your first few years when you don’t yet have tenure. At some point near the end of the school year, you will have a final evaluation conference. This conference will involve more than just the formal classroom observations that you have had throughout the course of the year. It will address your overall effectiveness as an educator. There should be no surprises with regard to your final evaluation. If your supervisors believe that you are not an effective teacher, you would certainly receive some indication of that before the final meeting. Preparing for an Observation In many ways, the informal visits that evaluators make are much easier to get through than the planned, formal observations. You don’t have time to worry and build up anxiety about an unannounced visit, whereas knowing that an administrator is going to observe you in a few days leaves plenty of time to worry about everything that could go wrong. Taking steps to prepare for the observation can help you feel confident, both before and during the observation. 5 Steps You Can Take to Prepare for an Observation 9 Step1: Be proactive. Make sure you ask for a copy of the observation form if a copy is not in your faculty manual. In fact, you should do this as early in the term as you can. Study the form so that you know what the observer will be looking for as you teach. 9 Step 2: Clean your room. This will give you a psychological boost as well as a positive mark on your form. 9 Step 3: Plan a lesson that is interesting and not very complicated. Do not plan a test or a video. The observer wants to see you and your students interacting. Keep your lesson simple so that you can do it well. Experimenting with a class skit or a first time collaborative grouping are not activities that will showcase your confidence and skill early in your first-year. 9 Step 4: Write out your lesson and collect a copy of all handouts, textbooks, or materials that you need for this lesson. Select a non-intrusive place for your visitor and place this material there. Be ready to show all of your lesson plan books as well as your grade book. 9 Step 5: Now, prepare to take the most important step in your preparation: getting control of your anxiety. If you are prepared, and have a well, planned lesson, you do not have to worry. Expect to be nervous and to feel stressed, but also expect to do well. Have confidence in yourself! 83 How Observers Will Evaluate You When you are evaluated during a classroom observation, your observer will make note on a form that has been approved by your school district and that should be available to all employees. While these forms vary from district to district, there are certain items that are common to most of them. These include: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Demonstrating that you follow the district’s curriculum Having an objective for the lesson Making the objective of the lesson clear to students Delivering accurate and appropriate information Showing a depth of understanding of the material Making use of all available class time Keeping students on task Providing for transition times between activities Using a variety of teaching strategies Demonstrating effective questioning skills Creating a student assessment instrument for the lesson you are teaching Motivating students to succeed Establishing the relevance of the lesson Providing timely feedback Monitoring students effectively Encouraging and assisting students Interacting in a positive way with students Maintaining an orderly classroom Minimizing and disruptions that might occur Giving preferential seating to student who require it Incorporating critical thinking activities in assignments Having classroom rules posted Enforcing classroom rules Demonstrating that procedures for routine tasks are in place Delivering clear instructions Projecting a professional image 84 Make Evaluations Work For You Evaluations throughout the year can either be of enormous benefit to you or they can turn you into a nervous wreck. The difference is in your attitude. If you want to grow as a teacher, then adopt the attitude that your evaluators can only offer you suggestions and advice in areas that you need to improve that you had not yet thought about. And remember: No teacher is perfect, and every teacher has areas of performance that can be improved. On way to identify those areas is through evaluations. You can suffer through the process or you can benefit from it. The choice is yours. Turn Criticism Into A Positive Experience Hearing negative things about yourself is never pleasant. Hearing them from your supervisor is even less so. The following are a few things you can do as a first-year teacher that will help you turn the inevitable criticism that you will hear into a positive experience instead of a negative one. ¾ Go into your post-observation conference or any other evaluation conference with paper, pen, and an open mind. Be prepared to hear negative as well as positive comments about yourself. ¾ Listen objectively. Most of the criticism is likely be about issues that you are already aware of and have already started to address yourself. Before you allow yourself to become defensive, stop and make the effort to remain objective. ¾ Listen more than you speak. During an evaluation conference, ask for advice and suggestions for improvement, then listen carefully, write them down, and follow them. ¾ Ask a mentor for suggestions regarding how you can handle a specific criticism. ¾ Release your negative emotions in your teacher’s journal and not in the lounge. ¾ After the conference, when you have had an opportunity to correct some of your weaknesses, keep the administrator up-to-date on your progress in following his or her suggestions. The Importance Of Self-Evaluation If you are already in the habit of evaluating yourself there will be few surprises for you when an observer is in your classroom. Many experienced teachers do this on a daily basis in a variety of informal ways. Here are three techniques you can use to develop this habit. 1. Use your teacher journal to reflect on your day. Pay attention to what went wrong and what went well and exactly what you did to cause both outcomes. 2. Elicit feedback from your students. This does not have to be a lengthy or elaborate process to be effective. Many teachers have found that simply asking students to jot down what they liked about class at the end of the day is a useful indicator. 3. Videotape yourself in class, then watch the tape with the evaluation form that follows near at hand. If taping yourself is too distracting to your class, complete the form based on your recollection of the class. Try to fill out the form as soon as you can after the class you targeted is over so that you can have accurate information. 85 Evaluate Yourself as An Observer Might Rate your performance on each of these positive qualities by circling the number that best fits your assessment of your own skills in teaching a particular class. Use this scale: 1= I had no problems. 2= I only have a few problems. 3= I really need to work on this skill. 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 I followed the district’s curriculum I had objectives for the lesson I made to purpose of the lesson clear to my students. I delivered accurate and appropriate information I showed a depth of understanding of the material I made use of all available class time I kept all of my students on task I provided for transition times between activities I used a variety of teaching strategies I demonstrated effective questioning skills I had an assessment instrument for the lesson I motivated my students to succeed I established the relevance of the lesson I provided timely feedback I monitored my students effectively I encouraged and assisted students I interacted in a positive way with my students I maintained an orderly classroom I minimized any disruptions I gave preferential seating to my students who require it I incorporated critical thinking activities in today’s assignment I had classroom rules posted I enforced classroom rules I made sure that procedures for routine tasks are in place I delivered clear instructions I projected a professional image 86 Taking Attendance and Inputting Grades Every district within Macomb County uses SASIxp to compile attendance records and Integrade Pro to maintain student performance records. Within the SASIxp program you can access your class lists, make seating charts, find demographic information of each of your students, and hourly attendance. Within Integrade Pro you can create spreadsheets that display student grades and classroom assignments, create individual student progress reports, and generate graphical analysis of student academic progress. Following this section is a packet of information for SASIxp. Most likely during new teacher training you will receive a packet of instructions on how to use Intergrade Pro. Please feel free to hole punch and place the instructions into this binder. 87 CLASSxp for Teachers SASIxp Prepared By: 88 Course Description SASIxp Classroom provides classroom teachers with an introduction to the basic concepts and operation of the SASIxp Classroom module. It includes login/logout procedures, accessing classes and student information, adding dropping and moving students on the seating chart, taking attendance, and assigning academic and citizenship grades and comments. Expected Outcomes Upon completion of this course, the participant will be able to: ƒ Start SASIxp Classroom. ƒ Access classes taught. ƒ Add new students to the seating chart. ƒ Remove dropped students from the seating chart. ƒ Move students onto, and within, the seating chart. ƒ Take attendance. ƒ View a student’s attendance record. ƒ View a student’s supplemental data forms. ƒ View a student’s grades and standardized test records. 89 Using SASIxp Classroom Classroom is a SASIxp module created especially for teachers. Designed around an on-screen seating chart complete with student photos, it provides a class management system you can use to quickly perform administrative tasks right at a classroom workstation (Macintosh or Windows). Just by clicking photos in seating charts and selecting functions from menus, you can instantly locate the student data you need in the classroom. You work directly from seating charts to take attendance and view student demographic information. Starting and Logging In to SASIxp Classroom Both teachers and administrators can start SASIxp Classroom by double-clicking the Classxp icon from the Macintosh desktop or from Windows (you must be connected to the network first). You then log in from the Welcome Window that displays. Your User ID determines your User setup. Your setup identifies whether you are a teacher or an administrator (Security Officer) and which SASIxp folders and atoms (if any) have been assigned to you. If you are a teacher, you have access to your own classes and to SASIxp Classroom features. You also have access to any SASIxp folders and atoms that have been assigned to you. User IDs and passwords are assigned initially by an administrator. Unless the administrator assigns a special password, it is the same as your user ID. You can change your password using the Change Password function that is available from the Welcome window and from the lockout screen. To log in to SASIxp Classroom: 1. Double-click the CLASSxp icon. The Welcome window displays. 2. In the User ID field, type you SASIxp Classroom User ID. 90 3. In the Password field, type your password. (For security reasons, asterisks display instead of your password). 4. Click Login (or press Enter). • If you have only one class, the SASixp desktop displays with the seating chart for your class. In addition, the message “Loading students, please wait” displays in the message center. • If your school uses schedules and you have more than one class, the system displays the Class selection window. 5. Select a class from the Class Selection window (if your class is not displayed already) by double-clicking the name of the class (or click the class name once then press Enter). To change your password: 1. Double-click the CLASSxp icon. The Welcome window displays. 2. In the User ID field, type your SASIxp Classroom User ID. 3. In the Password field, type your SASIxp Classroom password. (For security reasons, asterisks display instead of your password). 4. Click Change Password. The system displays the User Password window. 5. In the Enter your new password field, type a new password. 6. In the Enter your new password again field, re-type your new password. 7. Click Change to record your password and return to the Welcome window. 8. Click Login to log on to SASIxp Classroom using your new password. (You can also click Cancel to save your password and close the Welcome window (or click Exit to quit SASIxp Classroom). Using the Class Selection Window You can select the classes that you want to work with in SASIxp Classroom from the Class Selection window. This window displays the current date, the teacher, the default term, the period, and the course title for each class assigned to the teacher for the selected term. 91 If you have only one class, the system bypasses the Class Selection window and automatically displays the seating chart for your class. To open one class: From the Class Selection window, double-click the line for the class (or click once to highlight it then click OK). You may need to use the scroll bar through the list of classes. To display classes for a different term: 1. In the Term field, display the pop-up list of terms by clicking the arrow. 2. Highlight the term that you want. When you release the mouse button, the new term displays in the Term field, and the system displays classes for the selected term. To quit SASIxp Classroom: From the File menu, select the Quit option (Command/Control Q) to exit completely from the SASIxp system and return to the Macintosh desktop or Windows. Before quitting, the system saves your desktop arrangement including any open folders. To log out of SASIxp Classroom: From the Class menu, select the Logout option. You will not exit completely from the SASIxp system. The Welcome window displays so that another user can log into the system. This feature is handy when two or more teachers share a workstation. To close a Class: Use the Close Class function when you want to exit from the current class (or classes) and return to the Class Selection window to choose another class to open. 92 Things to keep in mind: • If you are a teacher and you click Cancel instead of selecting another class, the Welcome window displays. From this window, you can either log in again or click Cancel to exit from SASIxp Classroom. • If you are a teacher with only one class, selecting Close Class displays the Welcome window. From here, you can either log in again or click Cancel to exit from SASIxp Classroom. 93 A Look at Classroom Features When you open a class, the SASIxp Classroom seating chart for that class displays on the desktop. Classroom menus become available on the menu bar, and other Classroom features become available for use in the SASIxp environment. (The SASIxp environment includes the toolbar, message center, menu bar, SASI Modules Globe, and more). The main features of SASIxp Classroom are: • Seating Chart---Displays the names and photos of the students in the selected class or classes. When you select one or more photos in a seating chart, the data forms that you select from SASIxp Classroom menus are for those selected students. • Class Information Window---Displays basic information for the selected class including date, period, term, teacher, course title, student name, total students in class, and total number of students who are present, absent, or tardy. • Student and Class Data Forms---Contain data for individual students or for an entire class. To display data forms, you select them from the three SASIxp Classroom menus. • Class, Personal, and Performance Menus---List of SASIxp Classroom functions. These display in the menu bar next to the File, Edit, Windows, and Data menus available for SASIxp. Class Information Window The Class Information window displays basic information on one selected class. From the Class menu, select the Class Info option to open the Class Information window. You can tell the system to display Class Information automatically each time you locate a class. From the Class menu, select this as a preference from Teacher Preferences. The Class Information window remains open until you click the Close box Working with Data Forms Data forms display records for individual students or for an entire class. The data comes from the school’s central SASIxp files, and almost all displayed data has been entered by school staff members in various SASIxp atoms. 94 The exceptions are attendance data and grading data. Teachers can enter attendance data using the Take Attendance function on the Class menu in SASIxp Classroom. Depending on the update rights assigned to all Classroom users, you can update attendance in Class Attendance, Period Attendance or Daily Attendance records. Teachers can enter grading data in Class Grades, Grades, and Progress records. The data forms used for SASIxp Classroom are the same as the corresponding forms used for SASIxp classroom menus instead of launching them from atoms. Available Data Forms --Demograhic --Class Schedule --Student Attendance --Period Attendance --Parent/Guardian --Emergency --Health --Immunization --Discipline --Notes --Student Grades --Student Progress --Student Course History --Student Test Scores --Data Forms for an Entire Class --Class Attendance --Class Grades SASIxp Classroom Menus Most selections on the SASIxp Classroom menus enable you to display forms or to perform functions such as taking attendance. Available menu items display in black, and unavailable menu items display in gray. Functions for individual students become available only when you select one or more students in the seating chart. Class Menu Functions The Class menu is SASIxp Classroom consists of these functions: Class Info Opens the Class Information window. Take Attendance Enables you to take attendance for the current day or period. Show Class Att. Displays year-to-date attendance for an entire class. Show Student Displays a list of all students in the selected class including students not displayed in the List seating chart. Show Readmits Displays a list of students who need readmit slips. Show Stu Enter Displays a list of students being added to the selected class. Show Stu Leav Displays a list of students being dropped from the selected class. Use Seating Charts Displays a submenu listing the default seating charts (Alphabetical and Chart 1) and any charts you create using the Seating Charts function. You can display the selected class in one of these charts by selecting it from the list. 95 Seating Charts Enables you to create up to seven seating charts. You can also use this function to remove any charts you create. Print Report Displays a submenu listing three reports: 1. Class Roster---Not currently implemented. 2. Seating Chart ---Not currently implemented. 3. Class Attendance---Indicated the types of absences and absence type totals for each student during the specified week for both daily and period attendance schools. Preferences Displays a submenu listing Teacher Preferences. Selecting these open windows where you can set preferences for a variety of system features. Close Class Closes the currently selected class and returns you to the Class Selection window. If you area teacher with only one class, selecting Close Class displays the Welcome window. Logout Logs you out of SASIxp Classroom and displays the Welcome window. This enables another teacher sharing the same workstation to log in to the system. (To completely exit from SASIxp, select Quit from the File menu.) Personal Menu Functions The Personal menu in SASIxp Classroom consists of these functions: Demographic Displays the student form for a selected student. Class Schedule Displays the class schedule for a selected student. Stu Attendance Displays the daily attendance record for a selected student. Per Attendance Displays the period attendance record for a selected student. Parent/Guardian Displays the parent/guardian record for a selected student. Emergency Displays the emergency record for a selected student. Health Displays the health record for a selected student. Discipline Displays the discipline record for a selected student. Notes Displays a form for viewing and entering notes about a selected student. Full Student Displays multiple information forms for a selected student. (It may take some time to display Data all the forms.) 96 Performance Menu Functions The Performance menu in SASIxp Classroom consists of these functions: Class Grades Displays the grade reporting record for an entire class. Student Grades Displays the grade reporting record for a selected student. Student Progress Displays the progress reporting record for a selected student. Stu Crs History Displays the course history record for a selected student. Stu Test Scores Displays the test scores to date for a selected student. Show the Student List Function From the Class menu, select the Show Student List function (or use Command/Control L) to view a list of all students in the current class or classes. You can use the list as a reference or as an aid in setting up seating charts. The Student List consists of two sections: Students in Chart (those who display in the seating chart). A scroll bar displays when the section contains more than six students. Students Out of Chart (those who are enrolled in the class but do not display in the seating chart). A scroll bar displays when the section contains more than five students. 97 Setting Preferences SASIxp Classroom enables you to choose default settings for a variety of system features. From the Class menu, you can access Preferences that display the Teacher Preferences window and the Class Preferences window. Teacher Preferences Window Teacher Preference Window Fields Open form on Determines which student information form opens automatically when you double-click a doubleclick student in the seating chart. You can select another form from the pop-up list. Show Class Info Determines whether Class Information displays automatically. Show Readmits Determines whether readmits display automatically after you take attendance. Not currently aft tkg attend implemented. Finder Active Determines whether the Macintosh finder (available only on Macintosh computers) remain active. If this is active, you can run other applications on the Macintosh desktop without quitting SASIxp Classroom. If the finder is not active, you cannot access the Macintosh desktop until you quit SASIxp Classroom. Hide Student This option determines if you want to hide students’ last names so that only their first names Last Names display in the seating charts. Default Term Determines what term is used as the default in the Class Selection window. Classes are listed for that term when the window first displays. You can select another term from the pop-up list. How Many Determines whether one form or multiple forms can be open at the same time. If you choose Forms one form, SASIxp Classroom automatically chloses any form currently displayed when you open another. Not currently implemented. Multiple Class Determines how students are sorted when more than one class is selected. Not currently View implemented. 98 • Alphabetical---Combines all classes and puts students in alphabetical order. • By Class---Groups classes separately and puts students in seating chart order. Class Preferences Window Class Preferences Window Fields Maximum Seating Enables you to set your own defaults for the maximum seating chart size for the Chart Size selected class. System defaults are six rows and seven columns (which accommodates 42 students). You can customize the seating chart size. To display a preference window: From the Class menu, select the Preferences option. The system displays a submenu. From the submenu, select Teacher Preferences or Class preferences to display the Teacher Preferences window or the Class Preferences window. To select preferences: Specify among the available preferences in either the Teacher Preferences window or the Class Preferences window. To save preferences: Click Save or press Enter to save preferences. To restore previous settings before you exit from the window, click Close. If you change the seating chart size in the Class Preferences window, you must close then re-open the class for the new seating chart size to become effective. To set rows and columns in Class Preferences: 1. In the Rows field, type a new number for rows in the seating chart. 2. In the Columns field, type a new number for columns in the seating chart. 3. Click Save to save the new seating chart size. (Close class then re-open to display new chart size.) 99 Working with Seating Charts The first time you select a class, the seating chart displays in alphabetical order by student with the chart name Chart 1. You can rearrange Chart 1 by moving students to different seats. You can create up to six new seating-charts using the Seating Charts function on the Class menu. To display a class in any of the available arrangements, go to the Class menu and select the Use Seating Chart function. The system also comes with an alphabetical seating chart entitled Alphabetical. The Alphabetical chart cannot be rearranged or removed. Things to Keep in mind: • If you want to move a student to a seat that is beyond the edge of the chart, you can resize the chart or use the scroll bars to display more of the seating chart. You can also drag the student’s photo to the edge of the chart and continue to hold it as the window scrolls to the seat you want. When the seat you want displays, release the mouse to drop the student photo onto the seat. • You can scroll through student photos on a seating chart by clicking the vertical and horizontal scroll bars. • The system saves any changes you make to a seating chart under the title of the current seating chart. • You can work from the Student List on the Class menu to move students in and out of seating charts. Seating Charts Window Seating Charts Window Fields Chart Name Displays the name of the chart selected in the list of available charts. You can use this field to enter new seating chart titles or change existing titles. Available Seating Lists all user-created charts as well as Chart 1 (the default chart) in which each Charts List class first displays. The system accommodates up to seven chart titles. To change the default seating chart, click another chart name and drag it to the first position. The way charts are 100 ordered here is the way they display when you select the Use Seating Charts option. To display a class in one of the charts, click the class name. Add Button Enables you to add a blank seating chart. Adding a seating chart in the Seating Charts window also adds that chart to the list displayed by the Use Seating Chart option. Remove Button Enables you to remove a seating chart. Removing a seating chart in the Seating Charts window also removes that chart from the list displayed by the Use Seating Chart option. Change Button Enables you to change the name of an existing seating chart. Duplicate Button Enables you to create a new seating chart by duplicating an existing chart. You can perform modifications to the new chart. Student List Button Enables you to display the student list from the Seating Charts window. You can then add students to, or remove students from, seating charts. Displaying Seating Charts The Use Seating Chart function on the Class menu enables you to display a class in any seating chart that exists for the selected class. Seated charts may vary among classes. The Use Seating Chart function displays the list of existing seating charts as well as the Alphabetical chart defined by the system for each class. The list includes Chart 1 if you have not renamed it. The first seating chart in the list is the default chart for the selected class, and the class opens in that seating chart until you move another seating chart to the top of the list. To display a chart: 1. From the Class menu, select the Use Seating Chart function. The system displays a submenu of all existing seating charts for the class. 2. Select the chart that you want. The class displays in the seating chart arrangement that you use. The system also places a check mark next to the selected seating chart arrangement. Creating Seating Charts Use the Seating Charts function on the Class menu to create seating chart arrangements. The system displays the Seating Charts window. To create a seating chart, you use the Seating Charts function on the Class menu. This brings up the Seating Charts function on the Class menu. This brings up the Seating Charts window. You can create up to six different seating arrangements for each class. You supply the name for each seating arrangement that you define, and you can change the names of any existing seating chart titles. You can also change or delete existing seating chart arrangements. Things to keep in mind: • When you add a new seating chart, the chart remains blank until you add students to it. • The most efficient way to create a seating chart is to duplicate an existing chart. That way you can work from a chart with an existing student population, and add or delete students as required without having to add all new students. 101 • If you rearrange an existing seating chart, the new arrangement is saved automatically under the old chart’s name. • You cannot remove the alphabetical seating chart that comes with SASIxp Classroom. • You cannot remove the last seating chart in the Seating Charts window if only one chart is listed. • You can remove Chart 1 (which is the default seating chart that displays initially for each class) as long as it’s not the only seating chart listed in the Seating Charts window. To Create a new seating chart: 1. From the Class menu, select the Seating Charts option. 2. In the Chart Name field, type a name for the new chart. 3. Click Add. The system displays a blank seating chart. (The new seating chart is now available from the Seating Charts and the Use Seating Charts functions). 4. Click Student List to display the list of students currently enrolled in the class. 5. In the Student Out of Chart section of the student list, click student names than drag and drop them into seats on the chart. The system displays student photos in the seats on the charts and adds the students’ names to the Student in Chart section of the student list. 6. Close the student list. (Click once on the Close box for Macintosh or double-click the Control menu box in the upper left corner or click on the X upper right corner for Windows). 7. Chose the Seating Charts window. (Click once on the Close box for Macintosh or double-click the Control menu box in the upper left corner or click on the X upper right corner for Windows). The system saves the new seating chart. To remove a seating chart: 1. From the Class menu, select the Seating Charts function 2. Select the chart title for the chart that you want to remove. (You cannot remove a chart if it is the only one in the list). 3. Click Remove. The system displays a message asking you to confirm deletion of the chart. 4. Click OK to delete the chart permanently from the list of available seating charts for that class. To change a seating chart name: 1. From the Class menu, select the Seating Charts option. 2. Select a chart from the list available. The title displays in the Chart Name field. 3. In the Chart Name field, type a new chart name. 102 4. Click Change. The new name replaces the old name on the list of available charts accessed from both the Seating Charts and Use Seating Charts functions. To duplicate a seating chart: 1. From the Class menu, select the Seating Charts option. 2. Select the chart you want to copy from the available list. The class displays in the selected chart. 3. Click Duplicate. The system copies the selected chart and duplicates its name followed by a unique number in the Chart Name field. 4. Rename the new chart by typing a different name in the Chart Name field. Click Change. 5. Rearrange the new chart by moving students or by working from the Student List (click Student List to display this list). • Move students on the chart by clicking student names in the Students Out of Chart section then dragging and dropping them onto available seats. • Move students out of the chart by clicking their names in the Students In Chart section then dragging and dropping them into the Students Out of Chart section. To move students into a seating chart; You have two options: 1. Click student names in the Students Out of Chart section then drag and drop them into the Students in Chart section where names display in alphabetical order and photos display in the next available seats. OR 2. Click student names in the Students Out of Chart section then drag and drop them onto available seats where their photos display. To move students out of a seating chart: Click student names in the Students in Chart section of the Student List than drag and drop the names into the Students Out of Chart section of the Student List. The system removes student photos from the seating chart. Show Students Entering Function SASIxp Classroom automatically displays the names of new students entering a class when you first open the class. You can either acknowledge new students at that point or you can acknowledge them later using the Show Students Entering function on the Class menu. This function displays the same window that displays when you open a class with new students. New students are listed in this window until you click their names to acknowledge them. 103 Whether you acknowledge added students right away or later, you must do so before you take attendance for the period or the day. To acknowledge an add right away: 1. Open a class. The system displays a window with all adds (new students) for that class if any exist. 2. Click the name of an added student. The system marks the student with a dot and adds the student to the Students Out of Chart section of the Student List. You can add this student to the seating chart now or later. OR Click the name of an added student then drag and drop that student onto an available seat in the seating chart. The system marks the student name with a dot and adds the student to the Students In Chart section of the Student List. 3. Close the window. If the Student List displays, close this in the same way. To acknowledge an add later: 1. Open a class. The system displays a window with all adds (new students) for that class if any exist. 2. Close the window that displays the new students. 3. Later go to the Class menu and select the Show Students Entering option to redisplay the window of new students. 4. Click the name of an added student. The system marks tha student with a dot and adds the student to the Students Out of Chart section of the Student List. You can add this student to the seating chart now or later. OR Click the name of an added student then drag and drop that student onto an available seat in the seating chart. The system marks the student name with a dot and adds the student to the Students In Chart section of the Student List. 5. Close the window . If the Student List displays, close this in the same way. 104 Show Students Leaving Function SASIxp Classroom automatically displays the names of students leaving a class when you first open the class. (In addition, the system tags the students photos as DROPPED). You can either acknowledge dropped students immediately or you can acknowledge them later using the Show Students Leaving function on the Class menu. This function displays the same window that displays when you open a class with drops. Dropped students are listed in this window until you click their names to acknowledge that they are leaving the class. Acknowledging drops later enables you to continue working with that student until you finish gathering notes and data about that student’s time in your class. However, you cannot take attendance for dripped students. To acknowledge a drop right away: 1. Open a class. The system displays a window with all dropped students for that class if any exist. 2. Click the names of all dropped students. The system marks the students with a dot. 3. Close the window. The system removes the selected students from the Student List and from the seating chart. To acknowledge a drop later: 1. Open a class. The system displays a window with all dropped students for that class if any exist. 2. Close the window that displays the dropped students. 3. Later go to the Class menu and select the Show Students Leaving option to redisplay the window of dropped students. 4. Click the names of all dropped students. The system marks the students with a dot. 5. Close the window. The system removes the selected students from the Student List and from the seating chart. Take Attendance Function The Take Attendance function on the Class menu enables you to record student attendance for the current day or class period. You can select from a maximum of 12 attendance reasons defined by your school. Each time you click a particular student photo, a different attendance reason displays. The available reasons and the order in which they display as you click student photos are defined in the Attendance Preferences atom. The default system attendance reasons are Present, Absent, and Tardy. 105 As you take attendance, totals change in the Class information window. When you complete taking attendance, the system immediately updates records in SASIxp Daily or Period Attendance files. When to Use the Take Attendance Function You can use the Take Attendance function as many times as necessary throughout the day to modify attendance status or correct errors. For example, you might change a student’s status from Absent to Tardy or from Absent to Present with a legitimate office pass. If you need to modify attendance information for a previous day or period, you must work from either the Student or Period Attendance matrices or the Class Attendance matrix. The setup in the Attendance Preferences atom determines how many days or periods you can go back to modify attendance information. Update rights are the same for all SASIxp Classroom users. If an administrator wants to update data beyond the time limit set for SASIxp Classroom, then the administrator needs to do this from SASIxp Security. Before you take attendance • Acknowledge any students entering or leaving. Adds and drops display automatically when you open a class. • Make sure all students in the class are displayed so that you can take attendance accurately. You can check this by displaying the Student List from the Class menu. If any students are listed in the Out of Chart part of the list, drag their names into the seating chart. • Ensure that the seating chart is the active window. If another window is active, the Take Attendance function is not active. 106 To take attendance: 1. From the Class menu, select the Take Attendance function. The system displays the current date (from the network file server) and this message displays in place of the menu bar at the top of the window: Taking Attendance (click here to stop) 2. Click a student’s photo to begin cycling through the list of attendance reason codes defined by your school. Continue clicking the photo until the appropriate attendance reason code displays. If the school office has already entered a verified absence for the student, then an absence code displays and you are not able to change it. If a student left the class, DROPPED displays and you are not able to assign attendance status to the student. 3. Click another student photo to assign an attendance reason to the student in the same way. 4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 until you complete taking attendance. 5. Click the Taking Attendance message at the top of the window. The menu bar returns with the Class Information window and the system immediately updates the SASIxp attendance title. 107 Making the Grade You've probably already established a grading system for your tests and assignments. And you've probably already discovered how important those grades are to students, parents and administrators. Check with your mentor or association rep to see if there is any standardized school policy on grading and how well your grading system fits into that policy. If you're looking to make some changes in how you assign grades, the following tips can be helpful. • Grade books Even if you have a computerized grading system, your district may still require back-up records kept in a grade book. If it's possible, have two grade books-one for attendance and one for recording grades. • Calculator/computer program It may sound pretty basic, but a calculator can take the guesswork out of calculating grades. Better yet, if your school district uses a computer program for grading, the whole job of grading becomes much more objective, dependable and easier. • Percentage system Consider converting all grades and numbers to a system of 100. It will make for easier figuring. • Numbers Consider converting letter grades to numbers. Parents have an easier time understanding a percentage or number total rather than a letter grade. • Grading formula Determine ahead of time the weight you will give to tests, homework, quizzes, projects, etc. Explain the system to your students and to parents so everyone knows what to expect. 108 Evaluating Students Student evaluation is an ongoing cooperative process among teachers, students, and parents. It begins when the child walks into class the first day and the teacher begins observing daily skills and behaviors. There are many purposes for evaluation, including: 1. Gathering information on student progress to report to parents. 2. Gathering information on student progress to better meet future instructional needs. 3. To make students aware of their strengths and needs. Evaluation can be done formally, including standardized tests, teacher-made tests, book tests, quizzes, daily work and homework. It can also be done informally by observation. Tips for evaluation • You will need to have a procedure for evaluating and grading in place at the beginning of the year because: A. It will help you determine the evaluation methods you will use. B. You will need to explain this carefully to students and parents. • Talk with other teachers or administrators on grade level or subject area to learn about appropriate evaluation techniques and school polices. • It is an important technique as a professional to develop good observation skills, focusing in on the whole child (social, emotional, physical and academic). • Keep an anecdotal record of specific student behaviors. Example: “Johnny stared out the window for 20minutes today during instruction.” • Keep a folder for each student to file samples of daily work, all correspondence to and from home, copies of student self-evaluation and student anecdotal records. • Refer to student cumulative record (CA 60’s) to gather information such as: age, family unit, previous teacher’s comments, health and referrals for special services. • Talk with other professionals who come in contact with the student. Be careful not to be unduly influenced by comments. • Try to give tests mid-week because students tend to perform better. On secondary level, check to see if a test day has been set. • Determine a specific objective for each assignment and check the assignment for that objective. • Keep students and parents apprised of school progress with a progress report at the mid-point of a marking period. 109 Reporting of Evaluations There are many ways to inform students and their parents of the child’s progress in school. * it is important to have this kind of communication with the students and parents long before the first report card goes home. Methods for reporting 1. Notes sent home 2. Checked and returned work 3. Sending home results from standardized tests 4. Telephone calls home-reporting outstanding performances as well as concerns 5. Progress reports 6. Teacher-student conferences 7. Parent-teacher conferences 8. Student-parent-teacher conferences 9. Report cards 110 What is Tenure and how do you get it? Teacher tenure is an employment security devise by which the teacher attains permanent status and protection against dismissal except for just cause. Here is some information about the Michigan Tenure Law that you may find helpful: • You must successfully complete a probationary period of FOUR full years. • Teachers who have earned tenure in a Michigan school district may be required to serve up to TWO years probation if they go to work in another Michigan school district. • For more information on this topic, contact your mentor/administrator. Taken from Michigan Education Association website 111 Important Information Regarding Your Union As members of a professional union, local affiliates of MEA-NEA are responsible for negotiating and maintaining the contracts that determine the wages, hours and working (professional) conditions for the teachers they represent. Local affiliates in public schools bargain contracts under the authority of Michigan’s Public Employment Relations Act. This act, supported by MEA and passed by the Michigan legislature in 1965, gives public employees the right to organize for bargaining purposes and requires their employers to bargain with them. A requirement of locally negotiated contracts is that teachers must join the unified organization of the NEA-MEA local association, or pay an agency shop fee. That fee covers all the expenses incurred in representing them, including the costs of running viable local, state and national organizations. Contracts must be ratified by members of a local association. Through local bargaining, members often gain the benefit of health, vision, and dental coverage through MESSA. MESSA is the MEA-affiliated service organization that makes health coverage programs available to be bargained into local contracts. MESSA programs are designed to be superior, as well as cost-effective. Another benefit available for bargaining is prepaid legal services, offered by MEALS (MEA Legal Services), and MEA-affiliate. Members also have access to MEA Financial Services, which offers insurance products. MEA Financial Services has a substantial number of investment products, ranging from tax deferred annuities to retirement programs. It has a no-fee credit card program and meets travel planning needs through a fullservice travel agency. MEA Financial Services can be reached toll free at 800-292-1950. Taken from Michigan Education Association website 112 Making Health Care Choices Yet another personal choice you must make at the beginning of your teaching career is the type of health care that will benefit you and your family the greatest. Most districts provide you with a contact person and information that discusses the benefits of each health care plan offered in your district. Before you choose a plan make sure you read through all options carefully. It is also important to think of you present family situation when evaluating different health care options. For example, ask yourself some of the questions below to help you make your decision: • • • • • • Are you married? If so what is your spouse’s insurance like? Do you have a lot of prescriptions? What will your deductible be? Do you need dental and eye insurance? What is the yearly maximum for dental and eye? Are “Well Baby” visits covered? All information on the health care option you choose should be available through your districts human resources department. Be sure to ask your mentor or administrator for a contact name and phone number so that you can discuss your health care options in the beginning of the year. 113 Planning for Your Absence From School • • • • • Have a folder or binder with o Lesson Plans for the day o Class list of every hour/class o Seating charts for each hour/class o Class rules and procedures you want the substitute to enforce o List of students with special needs or health concerns o Short list of students from each period who are trustworthy sources of information o Attendance sheets o List of administrative contacts o A map of the school o There are suggestions/tips for substitutes following this section Emergency Lesson Plans o Try to get a collection of brain teasers, articles with questions, worksheets, or activities your students can do without your direction o Make enough of copies of two or three of these above things for every student o Type emergency plans telling the substitute what the students are to do with the copies you left them o Have a place in your room where you leave the emergency plans o Notify a neighbor teacher of where you have left the emergency plans Contact your local support staff who is in charge of substitute assignments o Complete any substitute paperwork required from your school The day you are absent o Make sure to call the appropriate staff member before the required time of day o Phone number: __________________________________ Call before: ___________ o Make sure to check if you have to call back upon your return Professional Development/Field Trip Days o Call the appropriate staff member as far in advance as you can o Check on what the procedures are for you individual school How to Handle Behavior Problems When You Return Make sure that your students know that you expect good behavior from them while you are absent. However, if your students have misbehaved while you were out, don’t rush to punish. First, have students write out their version of the events of the class. You can even have them do this anonymously. Read these and think about what you are going to do before you punish an entire class based on what a substitute teacher has told you. If you have to deal with misbehavior problems after you have gathered the facts from the sub and from your students, then do so promptly. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 114 Tips for Substitutes Dear Substitute, The information in this folder has been prepared to provide you with a good deal of general information about my class. Specific daily lesson plans will be furnished in addition to this. I hope the material is useful and that you have a good day with my group. When you finish the day, please complete the enclosed evaluation sheet and return to the office with this folder. Sincerely, Teacher__________________________________Room_____________________Grade______ Home Phone Number___________________________ Inside you will find: Schedules (classroom and building) Emergency procedures Classroom rules Building and playground rules Attendance forms Class list Time schedule Seating chart (if name tags not used) Time Schedule Routine Doors open at________________________________ ______________________________ School begins at______________________________ ______________________________ Recess is scheduled for_________________________ ______________________________ Lunch time is_________________________________ ______________________________ Noon recess is________________________________ ______________________________ Dismissal time is______________________________ ______________________________ 115 Substitute Teacher Information Name___________________________________________________ Grade_______________ Daily Schedule Time MONDAY TUESDAY WEDESDAY Recess Time THURSDAY FRIDAY Daily Duties • _________to__________ • • _________to__________ • • _________to__________ • Where to locate Who can help • Lesson plans • Other teachers • Materials/supplies • Administrators • A-V equipment • Clerical personnel/nurse • Books • Helpful students 116 Substitute Teacher Information Name___________________________________________________ Grade_______________ Procedures • Attendance • Extra time • Discipline/consequences • Rainy/snowy days • Restroom/drinks • Illness • Lunch • Fire/storm drills • Cost of a teacher’s lunch ___________ • Dismissal Children who go to special classes Name Class Day/Time Name Class Day/Time 117 Class List Name______________________________________ Notes_____________________________ Grade______________________________________ _________________________________ 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 118 Substitute Plans Teacher______________________________________ Date____________________________ Time • • Activity Notes: • • 119 From Your Substitute Name_______________________________________ Date____________________________ The day went… About the lesson plan(s)… Students who were helpful… Students who were absent or tardy… Any problems… Comments… 120 My signal for getting students’ attention is: All students should STOP, LOOK AND LISTEN. Dependable students Possible disciplinary concerns Discipline Students are expected to follow building rules as well as reasonable requests from adults. Specific room rules are: Consequences for disruptive behavior Health concerns Extra duties Check daily bulletin for any recess, bus, or hall duty. 121 Out of classroom activities Speed reading, music, patrol, A.V., library, staff, kitchen, etc. Name Activity Time Student classroom responsibilities End of day room pick-up, chairs, etc. Free drill procedures Tornado drill procedures 122 Daily Routine Correspondence from home_______________________________________________________ Restroom______________________________________________________________________ Drinking fountain_______________________________________________________________ Pencil sharpener________________________________________________________________ Talk among students____________________________________________________________ Passing out books/supplies_______________________________________________________ Out-of-seat policies_____________________________________________________________ What to do when finished with work_______________________________________________ Where to turn in completed work___________________________________________________ Failure to bring materials (pencil, paper, textbook)_____________________________________ Dismissal procedures are_________________________________________________________ 123 Planning for a Classroom Field Trip Here are some guidelines you want to follow when you are planning a field trip: • Make sure your students o know the purpose for the field trip o have questions or an agenda for what tasks are to be accomplished while on the trip o are prepared to find the answers to your questions pertaining to the trip • Evaluate your field trip destination by going over these questions: 1. How does this field trip tie into your curriculum goals? 2. When is the site open? 3. How far is it from school? How are you going to get there? 4. Does the site offer any special events you can take advantage of? 5. How much time do you need for this trip? 6. Do you need to bring any special supplies or equipment? 7. How much will this trip cost each student and who is paying for it? 8. How many adults will you need as chaperones? • Be sure to check on what the procedures are in your school for field trip policies. If the policy is vague, check with your mentor and other teachers to see how to handle a field trip. Listen to their horror stories about the worst field trip they ever took and learn from their mistakes. • Deal with logistical and discipline-related problems with advance planning. 1. Get administrative approval before announcing the trip to your students 2. Avoid scheduling field trips on Mondays. Weekends give students two days to forget to bring their spending money or lunches. 3. Recruit, screen and instruct parent chaperones. Send a note home before the trip so parents know what your rules are and what their roles are. Make sure you have enough chaperones to supervise the students. 4. Try to divide students into task groups. Each group should have a specific responsibility such as keeping records or getting supplies for the trip. 5. Try to find a spot for the field trip that is interesting. If you're tired of going to the sewage plant each year, so are the students. 6. Take everyone, including the troublemakers. Leaving someone behind could lead to even more discipline problems. 7. Make sure you have permission slips for each student. This protects the students and you. Know the district policy about liability. 8. Use name tags with the student's name, the school name, bus number, etc, especially at the elementary level. • Make sure to fill out the correct paperwork requesting transportation. Also check for availability for the bus or buses needed. You don’t want the students thinking you are going on a field trip and then find out later there is not a bus available. • Distribute a final list of student names who will be attending the field trip to the appropriate staff members. • Don’t make assumptions about anything-be prepared for everything! Taken from Michigan Education Association website 124 Preparing for a Guest Speaker Having guest speakers in your classroom can be as valuable as a field trip. There are dozens of people in the community who have specialized interests or knowledge that can interest your students. Like a field trip, identifying someone as a potential guest speaker takes prior planning. • Evaluate your choice of a guest speaker based on these questions: 1. Who is the person? 2. How did you hear about this person? 3. What does this person have to offer your students? 4. Does this person provide special materials, media or activities for your students? 5. Is this person available? Is there a charge? 6. What do you need to provide for their presentation? • Once you’ve chosen a guest speaker you may have to help choose relevant material that your students will understand and like. • Meet and talk with the guest beforehand. You don’t want to bring someone into your classroom that sees this as an opportunity to push for his/her own agenda. • Before you issue the invitation or tell your students about this guest, make sure you have checked with district and school policy. Also talk with your mentor and colleagues. • Work with your students beforehand so that they feel they really need to hear this guest speaker. Make sure the guest’s information is in keeping with the curriculum. • Have your students put together a list of questions or topics for the guest speaker. Make sure to share that list ahead of time with your guest. • Prepare name tags or some other kind of identification for your students so your guest can personalize his/her presentation and call on students by name. Also provide some sort of introduction and identification for the speaker. • Lay the ground rules for what is acceptable behavior. Remind your students that they are the hosts and the speaker is a guest. • Invite the press to cover the event for a story and pictures. You might want to videotape the presentation. • Be sure to send a thank-you note to the speaker. Taken from Michigan Education Association website 125 Creating Positive Relationships With Parents As an educator you must be the driving force in creating, maintaining, and nurturing relationships not only between yourself and your students, but more importantly with your student’s parents. Establishing effective communication with parents is a very important part of creating an educational network for the success of your students. Throughout your teaching career you will find that working with parents can be a very rewarding experience in that most parents are very willing to aide in the educational success of their child. By keeping your students parents informed of the changes and activities that are occurring in your classroom you signal to your student’s parents that you are a concerned teacher who values parental involvement in your classroom. 126 Introduction Letter Whether you teach elementary or secondary school you should send a letter home to parents on the first day of school introducing yourself, listing recommended classroom supplies, and providing parents with your classroom contact information (avoid giving out your home or cell phone number), and the best time to get in touch with you. Parents feel more comfortable when they are informed of the environment their child is learning in. Secondary teachers can send these letters home at Back-ToSchool night or with your students on the first day of school. You may want to require parent and student signatures to ensure your letter has been read and that your policies and procedures are understood by both the student and the family. Below are some suggestions of information you might want to include in your introduction letter to your student’s parents. Be sure that as you read through the suggestions you think about how you will adapt your policies and procedures to make your classroom run effectively. • • • • • • • • • • Introduction paragraph discussing yourself and your history in education Course description and topics covered (Secondary) Student supplies needed for the class Classroom rules for behavior Classroom consequences for misbehavior Classroom policies regarding homework, absent work, and late work Grading scale indicating percentages needed for each grade Classroom policies on passes out of the classroom Classroom policies on tardies and absences Signed contract portion for students and parents to sign and give parent phone number and/or email addresses 127 Sample Letter Introducing Yourself Dear Parents and Guardians, With this letter I would like to introduce myself as your child's English teacher this year. I am originally from Southwest Virginia and I graduated from Virginia Tech. On September 23, I would like to welcome you to the PTSA Back-to-School night. I am looking forward to meeting you and showing you our texts and classroom. Please attend if you have the opportunity to do so. This year will be an exciting one for my students and me. We will study literature, usage, grammar, study skills, vocabulary, and writing. I have planned many activities that I hope will encourage my students to succeed. Many parents ask about homework assignments. While there may be times when long-term assignments will take lots of time, there is a routine that I try to follow as closely as possible to insure that students benefit from their homework assignments. You can expect to see your students doing homework for this class every night from Monday through Thursday. I try to avoid assigning homework on weekends. The assignments are listed on the syllabus that students are required to keep in their notebooks. If you have any questions or if any problems arise, please contact me at school. The number is 5552400. I will be glad to speak with you if you just give me a call or send in a note. I look forward to working with your child this year. I also look forward to meeting you and learning how I might be of assistance to you and your child. Sincerely, Ms. Thompson 128 Dear Parents and Guardians, I’d like to introduce myself as your child’s Social Studies teacher this year. I am originally from California and graduated from San Jose State University and have been teaching for ten years. This is my fifth year with Warren Woods Middle School. On August 25 I would like to invite you to our Back-To-School night from 6:30 – 8:30. I look forward to meeting you and giving you a brief overview of our year, textbooks, and classroom. Please attend if you have the opportunity to do so. This year will be an exciting one for my students and me. We will be incorporating literature circles into the curriculum this year which will allow students to view some of the cultures we will be studying from a young person’s perspective. We have at least one field trip planned and one crosscurricular activity. Many parents ask about homework and the frequency of it. Homework is assigned daily and very rarely on Fridays. You can expect to see your child doing homework from my class every night unless he/she has finished it in class or Advisory. I always encourage parents to ask students to show them their homework and explain what it is they are doing and how it relates to the day’s lesson. Longterm assignments are done mostly in the classroom but will require some time at home and possibly the library. All homework assignments are posted on my homework hotline at the beginning of the week and in the classroom daily. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me at school. I will be glad to talk with you regarding concerns or questions. I look forward to working with you and your child this year. I hope to see you at Back-ToSchool night Wednesday, August 25 at 6:30. Sincerely, Teacher’s Name 129 Dear Parent(s) or Guardian(s), My name is ____________________and I will be your student's Geometry teacher for the semester. I am very excited to have the opportunity to teach and to get acquainted with your student. Please take the time to read the attached syllabus to make sure you and your adolescent understands what is expected from them throughout this course. The first homework assignment is for each student to complete and have you sign the student information sheet. Last year _district____________ math department started an after school-tutoring program. We are going to continue the math-tutoring program this year! There will be a math teacher available for students to receive help in any math class they are taking. Dates, location and times will be given to each student about a week after school begins. I also wanted you to be aware that I post grades bi-weekly in my room by student numbers so your child will always know their grade. If at anytime you want a progress report sent home please contact me by phone or email. For any student to be successful in school there needs to be collaboration between you, the student and the teacher. I hope throughout the semester we will be able to maintain a positive line of communication that will help your child succeed in my class. If at anytime you have a question, please feel free to contact me. The best time to reach me by phone is before or after school. I also have a prep period at 10:45 am -11 :45am. The number to call is _______________. You may also reach me by email at ____________________. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Sincerely, Teacher Name Math Teacher 130 Student Information Name of student:_____________________________________________________________________ Name of Parent/Guardian:______________________________________________________________ Best time to contact a parent/guardian:____________________________________________________ The last math class taken:_______________________________________________________________ The last math teacher's name:____________________________________________________________ Grade received in that class:_____________________________________________________________ What grade do you expected to receive this semester:________________________________________ What things are you going to do to make sure you receive the grade you want? What interests you? Sports, reading, etc. All of you have had a math class before, from your experiences I would like to know the following: When answering the questions below please focus on the methods or produces not the teacher or the quantity of homework. • What did you liked from your last math class that you would like to see happen this semester? • What did you not like and why? ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I have read the geometry syllabus from cover to cover. I understand what is expected of me on a daily basis and know there will be consequences for inappropriate behavior. I understand that the outcome of my grade is my responsibility to make sure I am doing the homework, using my time wisely and participating during class. I will not hesitate to ask questions if I do not understand the material. Student's Signature________________________________________________ Date________________ Parent's Signature _________________________________________________Date________________ 131 School Name School Address School Phone Number Dear Parents and Guardians: Welcome to the 20__-20__ school year! We look forward to a successful year with you and your child. This letter is to inform you of recommended supplies for each classroom, a list of teachers’ names, email addresses, and phone numbers, and our Team 5 guidelines regarding tardies, homework, and absent expectations and procedures. Please feel free to contact any of us regarding questions or concerns. Sincerely, Teacher Name RECOMMENDED SUPPLIES: • Several #2 pencils • Blue, black, and red ball point pens • Yellow, red, and green highlighters • 8 spiral notebooks (math, social studies, science) • 1 (2”) 3-ring binder (science) • colored pencils • pencil holder for inside binder • loose leaf paper HOMEWORK POLICY Students are assigned homework on a daily basis and are expected to complete it on time. We follow homework guidelines outlined in the agenda which states that students have two days to complete assignments for each (1) day they are absent, anything received after that will be considered a zero. Students have one day to turn in late assignments for half credit. Anything received after that will be considered a zero. ABSENT WORK It is each student’s responsibility to find out what assignments are missed if they are absent. Each teacher has an area in the classroom where absent work will be placed for that week. Students have two days for each (1) day they are absent to complete and return assignments in. Homework is not considered complete until it is turned in to the teacher. If your child is absent during a test or quiz, it is his/her responsibility to make time to make it up. Students have one week to do this. TARDY POLICY Students are expected to be in class on time each day prepared for the day’s activities. Team 5 has established a tardy policy that we feel is most effective. If a student is tardy two times in a five week period, they will fill out an RTP (Responsible Thinking Process) plan and negotiate with that teacher. If a student is tardy three times in a five week period, they are required to call home and return to RTC. Any tardies following the third within a five week period will be handled by administration. If a student comes to class unprepared and needs to return to their locker, they will be marked as tardy. MY CHILD AND I HAVE READ, DISCUSSED, AND UNDERSTAND TEAM 5 POLICIES. WE UNDERSTAND THAT HOMEWORK AND COMING TO CLASS PREPARED IS MY CHILD’S RESPONSIBILITY. _______________________________________________________ Parent Signature _______________________________________________________ Student Signature 132 Communicating Student Progress Taken from The First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit by Julia G. Thompson and Manitoba Department of Education website Parents appreciate receiving updates on their child’s progress throughout the year. Many parents believe that their student’s grade is assigned merely on the basis of tests and quizzes. However, not all student progress is gathered through final assessments. It is important for you to convey to your student’s parents how their child’s grades are compiled. For instance, do you assign a weight to tests and quizzes that is more than the value of say homework or daily assignments? Is their child’s participation in your classroom affecting their grade too? As a parent, understanding the process their child is evaluated on will help to avoid future conflicts. As an educator it is important for you to establish a successful line of communication with parents so that the parents of your students feel comfortable making the first contact with you. While it is imperative that you contact parents immediately when a child’s progress begins to change, it is also helpful if parents feel as though they can speak to you regarding their child’s progress even if they are in academic jeopardy. The effects of establishing a positive relationship with parents can be seen in the level of comfort parent’s exhibit in taking the first step in contacting you. Throughout the year try to implement various communication strategies such as the suggestions listed below: • • • • Telephone discussions Teacher initiated letters Professional e-mail letters Have students take home progress reports to be signed as an assignment grade Make Telephone Calls With Confidence: When communicating on the telephone with parents, it is important for you to always keep your relationship professional. Phoning parents when there is a problem is one of the most unpleasant tasks that teachers face. Such a conversation can be a daunting task for a first year teacher as no one likes to be the bearer of bad news. You can eliminate some of your anxiety about these types of parent conversations by following the suggestions listed below: • • • • • Use the contact information that you have collected from your students early in the term to save time searching database records in the office. Identify yourself and make sure you are talking to a parent or legal guardian. Plan what you want to say and what information the parent needs to know in order to work together towards to solve the problem. Make your call from a phone with some privacy so you won’t be interrupted. Do not hesitate to call a parent at work, but begin the conversation by asking, “Do you have a few minutes right now?” 133 • • • • • • • • • • Begin with a positive statement about the student and express that you would like to enlist their help in solving a problem, “I had a problem with Jim today, and wondered if you could help me?” Be very specific about the problem; don’t just say “Jim is acting odd today.” Instead try, “Jim laughed out loud six times at inappropriate moments today, and fell asleep right before lunch.” Ask parent for input and help and propose ways to encourage and support student progress and achievement. Offer possible solutions to the problem stating what you have already done and list the result of your actions. Keep in mind that the purpose of the phone call is not for you to vent your frustrations on the parent, but rather, to solve a problem by working together. Never lose sight of the fact that you and the parent are working together to solve the problem. A team work approach to solving the problem is the best approach to solving the problem. Find a diplomatic way to end the phone call expressing your appreciation for taking time to talk and work together. If the conversation becomes hostile, remain calm, restate your reason for the conversation, diffuse the situation and bring the phone call to a diplomatic close, and inform your administration. Date and document your phone call. If emailing, leave a paper trail and have copies of all contact throughout the year on file. 134 Communicating with Parents: Tips and Suggestions From Veteran Teachers Below are some tips and suggestions for communicating your student's progress as well as the events that are taking place in your classroom. It is always a good idea to look through the suggestions of others who have had success with the given suggestion and then adopt it to fit best in your classroom. It's important for you to think about how a tip or suggestion will fit into your classroom routines and procedures; many times you will need to adapt the suggestion so that you will be able to smoothly implement it into your classroom. • Send a Syllabus to Parents Send a course syllabus to the parents of your students, either before school begins or shortly thereafter. Include evaluation procedures, a tentative semester outline, homework policies, make-up policies, and how you can be reached, either at school or home. Depending on the socio-economic background of your students, you may need to make several copies of a video of you reading your syllabus available to students. • Send a Content/Homework Calendar to Parents Prepare and send to parents a calendar listing daily content and homework assignments, prior to beginning a new unit. Parents are empowered to encourage completion of assignments when they know exactly what has been assigned; the homework calendar removes all doubt. Teachers, however, cannot alter the assignments without notifying parents or this technique becomes ineffective. • Create a Class Web Site to Communicate with Parents Create a website about your class. List long- and short-term assignments, daily objectives, lesson plans, homework assignments, and any information that you think parents may want to know about school and class activities. For families with access to a computer, this is a valuable means of communication, especially if parents can contact you via a link on the website. • Make Face-to-Face Contact With Parents Often Attend school and community functions. Save formal communication about a student's progress until you have the student's artifacts in hand to support your explanations. Use the informal contact created by school and community functions to open the door to more formal communication. • Make a Newsletter to Send Home to Parents A newsletter is an excellent way to highlight the mathematics students are studying. A newsletter might include student work, stories about student insights or conjectures, a summary of a particularly rich class discussion, or other evidence of achievement. If your district already has a community newsletter, then it may be possible to include news from the mathematics classroom in the newsletter. • Parent Call-In An outgrowth of personalized telephone communication at some schools is the parent call-in. Teachers or administrators set up a regular call-in hour on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. During this time, parents can call to discuss their questions or concerns. These calling hours are announced in school newsletters, flyers sent home, and at school meetings. 135 Effective Communication Once you have opened the doors of communication with parents, you are on the road to developing a trusting relationship. There are several ongoing means of communication such as phone calls, newsletters*, progress reports, notes, happy-o-grams, volunteering and conferences (informal and formal). Here are some general tips for fostering effective communication. How to communicate 1. Be professional in dealing with parents (avoid rumors and gossip). 2. Be assertive, yet flexible enough to take appropriate suggestions from others. 3. Be direct with parents; be clear in what you say. Think through, in advance, what you are going to say. 4. Be sure to listen to parents; show respect. 5. Be friendly. 6. Be positive with parents, even when discussing problems with their child. One way is to involve parents in the decision making process. 7. Be sure to use plain English; don’t use jargon a parent might not understand. 8. Be sure to have someone proofread any notes and/or newsletters going home. Frequency of communication Communicate as often as needed or desired. 1. Communicate as often as needed or desired. 2. For documentation, keep a record/log of notes, calls and other communication to and from parents. 3. If you have any doubt about the communication you are going to send to a parent, discuss it first wit a colleague or your principal 4. Inform the principal of any problems. This way the principal can be in a position to back you case he/she receives an unexpected communication form a parent. 136 Home-School Communications Communication is the foundation for all other parent involvement activities. Yet, most parents typically hear from the school only when their child is in trouble. Positive examples of efforts to improve communication are listed below: Personal Contact: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. Hold a "Parent Get Acquainted Coffee and Continental Breakfast" in the fall. Invite new children and their parents to a "Get Acquainted Hour" the week before school starts. Invite new teachers and new parents to a tour of the district. Cover points of interest, local churches, facilities available in the area, places that could be used for field trips, boundaries of attendance area. Develop a slide presentation orienting new parents and students to the school. Establish regular visitation days for observation of classes and a chance for parents to offer constructive suggestions. Invite parents to come with pupils to "See What I Do in School" one day during the year. Invite parents to visit classrooms whenever they wish to do so and send special invitations for culmination of a unit, puppet play, songfest, etc. Arrange meetings with parents whenever an innovation in curriculum and instruction is to be tried. Invite parents of a particular grade level, such as sixth grade, to informal "buzz" sessions in small groups and school-related topics of concern to parents and teachers, such as discipline, homework, or communicating with that age child. Have open houses for one grade level at a time. Small groups of parents lend better to communication. Vary the times for open houses. Hold some in the afternoon, some at night. Set up parent conference days during the school year for parents to come to school to discuss progress with their child's teacher. Schedule a parent-teacher conference in a student's home. (It'll help you see what it's like for some parents to come to school.) Hold monthly informal "rap sessions." Plan to drink lots of coffee, share lots of information, and do lots of listening to concerns while building goodwill and feelings of unity. Organize special outreach efforts to hard-to-reach parents through telephone calls, home visits, and special mailed invitations to parents in home languages to have lunch at school with children. Invite fathers to a breakfast with teachers where discussion will take place and dads may then visit classes as their day permits. Have teachers select a "Student of the Month. "The student's parents are invited to lunch with the principal and parents of other "Students of the Month." Invite community leaders to the lunch also. Have children prepare a luncheon for parents, teachers, and themselves. Send handwritten invitations. Invite several parents to sample the school lunch once a month. Seat them with the principal, a teacher, and several randomly selected students. Invite each parent to have lunch with his/her child at school during American Education Week. 137 21. 32. Let the students in your room cook an evening meal or a luncheon for their parents. While they are eating, let the children tell what they're learning. Hold a bean and hot dog supper and open house coordinated with a talent show. Allow children to show their parents around the school building. Hold a "Grandparent's Day" to honor grandparents with special recognition given to those who had made a contribution to the school. Hold a "Senior Citizen Day," inviting grandparents and other older friends of the school. Provide transportation. Set up a plan for principals to make "house calls." Make it possible for teachers to make home visits at least occasionally. Try neighborhood coffees in parents’ homes. Invite people in area to meet informally with the principal and one or two teachers and trained volunteers. Conduct home visits involving teachers and trained volunteers. Be sure that teachers are represented and recognized at PTA or other parent group meetings. Encourage teachers to become more visible in the community. Seek out the parents who never participate. Sometimes these parents feel inadequate or timid and simply need to be encouraged and needed. Use the “grapevine” network; nothing is more powerful and gets the word out faster. 33. 34. Provide translators and translations. Establish a Home-school Cooperation Committee. Exchange reports with other schools. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. 31. Telephone: 35. 36. 37. 38. 39. 40. Make an effort to improve the telephone answering techniques of everyone in the school office. Try teacher phone calls to parents to invite them to back-to-school nights. Occasionally, ask the child to have parents call the teacher rather than the teacher contact the parent. Set up a listeners' bureau in your community. Suggest members advertise their telephone numbers. Let them know that you really want to know what is being said, and be sure to let them know when you have followed up on concerns they have shared with you. Advertise one evening a week when parents or students can telephone the principal to ask questions or discuss problems. Have teachers make at least one positive phone call per week to a parent to report on a child's accomplishment. Written: 41. 42. 43. 44. 45. Hold staff workshops on communications skills with a special focus on parents. Have an information brochure on your school for visitors, for parents to send to grandparents, or for graduates to have. Improve the quality and frequency of school newsletters. Try mailing home. In each month's newsletter, publish the names and phone numbers of a few parents who are willing to talk to other parents about any kind of interest or concern. Set up an idea exchange in the school newspaper. Ask parents to send in ideas. Then, in a later issue of the paper, publish ideas and how they are used. 138 46. 47. 48. 49. 50. 51. 52. 53. 54. 55. 56. 57. 58. 59. 60. 61. 65. 66. Writing in the school plan that each teacher will send home weekly class newsletters. Send home "Happy-Grams"-good news notes about accomplishments and achievements. Send home weekly notices in a school envelope, inviting two-way communication on the envelope. Send home weekly lesson plans (one page so parents can follow the week's lesson). Send preprinted postcards to parents. Provide a weekly student performance contract which student, parent, and teacher sign. Set goals for each child and send home notes that parents must sign and return. Send weekly or bi-monthly progress reports to parents. Reward students for returning signed notices, homework, etc, Advise parents of the teacher's conference periods or other best times to reach the teacher. Take note of the fact that more fathers are participating in school activities. Be sure to include fathers in all school communications. Have a monthly birthday calendar posted in the hallway with everyone's birthday on it. Be sure to add new students when they arrive. Request that when a parent visits school that he/she complete a survey, perhaps while enjoying a cup of coffee, on their interests and needs. Obtain parent surveys on key issues and invite parent opinions (e.g., sexuality issues, discipline policies, home-school communications). Have students conduct a survey of parents to evaluate the school and collect ideas for improvement. Distribute the survey results to all parents. Survey after parent-teacher conferences. Ask how effective your conferences are and what additional kinds of information parents want about your school classroom. The responses will help you identify communication needs. Have parents obtain articles to be sold in "Santa's Secret Shop" to enable children to purchase gifts for family members. Urge teacher training institutions to place more importance on home-school cooperation in their teacher education programs. @2003 by Kathleen l. Bulloch, MA, CCC About the Author: Kathleen l. Bulloch was a Speech/language Pathologist for the Riverside County Office of Education in Riverside, California and an Educational Consultant/Scriptwriter for a children's television series. Ms. Bulloch passed away on May 29, 2004. 139 Missing Assignments Teacher Name and Information Your child is missing two or more assignments this week in Social Studies. Although it is too late to make up these assignments, I feel it is important to keep you informed of your child’s progress. Please return this form signed to me as soon as possible. Please feel free to contact me with questions or concerns regarding your child’s progress. Sincerely, Teacher Name Child’s name_________________________________ Date_______________________ Current grade________________________________ Missing Assignments Due Date _________________________ ___________________________ _________________________ ___________________________ _________________________ ___________________________ _________________________ ___________________________ _________________________ ___________________________ _________________________ ___________________________ _________________________ ___________________________ _________________________ ___________________________ _________________________ ___________________________ Parent Signature______________________________________________________________ 140 Progress Notification Form Ms. A -.Biology and Chemistry ________________________________________________, has earned a letter grade of __________at present time. Due to the fact that my class is important to his/her academic performance, I thought it necessary to contact you. This grade and progress in my class is due to the following: _______Excessive tardies/absences from class _______Not coming to class prepared _______Excessive talking/socializing during work time during class. _______Not following written or oral directions _______Not participating in class _______Refusing to complete the tasks asked of him/her _______Threatening the safety of self or others/Inappropriate Behavior _______Swearing and disrespectful language used _______Poor test/quiz scores _______Missing or Incomplete assignments. The above checked identifies the behavior your child is exhibiting in my class. I find this behavior inappropriate and detrimental to their goal of academic success. In order to help your child succeed in my classroom, I have already attempted to remedy the above mentioned concerns by: _______Stopping class and asking your child to pay attention/participate in the lesson. _______Speaking with your child in private about their behavior/grades. _______Speaking to your child about their missing work and reminding them where extra copies of the material they are missing are located in the classroom. _______Printing individual progress reports for your student illustrating their missing assignments/poor test grades, etc. Please take the time to speak to your student on how important it is for him/her to participate in class and turn in all assignments on time for full credit. Thank you for your time and concern, hopefully this will encourage your student to take ownership of his/her actions and they can make the desired improvements. ________________________________ Teacher’s Name Science Department E-mail address: Extension #: Date___________________ Prep time: 1st hour 7:30-8:25am Teachers can be reached before and after school and during their prep hour by dialing and ask for the extension listed above. 141 September 19, 200__ Dear Parents/Guardian of __________________________________: This letter is being sent to notify you that I have been unable to reach you by both telephone and progress reports being sent home with your child. I would like to discuss your child's progress in my classroom with you so that we can form a stronger parent-teacher bond for the improved education of your child. At your earliest convenience, please contact me at, ____________________High School at________________ or by e-mail ________________________ so that we can discuss your child's success in my classroom. Sincerely Yours, Teacher’s name 142 Reporting Positive Student Progress All too often in education, parents develop a negative perception of teachers and school systems because the majority of the communication they have been a part of in their child’s academic career has been to discuss a negative subject. While communicating concern over poor choices a student made in the classroom is a necessary component of being an effective educator, it is important to remember that educators have a much larger responsibility at hand. As a new teacher it is your responsibility and duty to your profession to cultivate a parent’s appreciation and respect for the educational system of this country. While this sounds like a monumental task, as an individual teacher you can help to achieve this goal! One of the most effective methods to combat this problem is to provide students and parents with a positive interaction with the educational system; namely your classroom. A simple yet highly effective method to achieving this goal is to communicate positive student choices and progress seen in your classroom. A parent’s greatest accomplishment in life is the celebrating the success of their child. Having an adult outside of the family recognize and celebrate their child’s academic or social success is a very moving occasion for most parents. Whether it be a phone call, a letter sent home, or recognition in a school newsletter or community organization you will be amazed by the positive response and appreciation parents will give you. A sample elementary school positive postal note: To the Parents or Guardians of: ___________________________ I am writing to let you know how pleased I am with your child’s recent success in my class. You will be proud to know that: _____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ I know you are as proud of this effort and achievement as I am. Thank-you for your continued support in your child’s education. Sincerely, Teacher Name Taken from Julie G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher Survival Kit 143 A sample secondary school positive postal note: March 2, 200_ Dear Parents/Guardians of __________________________________: The purpose of this letter is to let you know how impressed I have been with the dedication and responsibility your child has exhibited in my science classroom. Throughout the last few weeks your child has been a very respectful, self-motivated, and cooperative student who is a pleasure to have in my classroom. In addition to their great behavior in the classroom, your child recently received a 93% or better on a very challenging unit test! It is my personal belief that students who work hard and contribute to a positive learning environment should always be recognized and honored by both their parents/guardians, and their educators. Each semester the criteria to receive a letter such as this one changes slightly to encompass a wide variety of student achievements. Such students serve as positive role models for the rest of youth community. In order to congratulate your son or daughter for their hard work and dedication to their academics, the enclosed coupon entitles them to their choice of a special surprise. Please sign the enclosed coupon and have your son or daughter bring it to class with them. Students will then have their pick of a variety of prizes including: extra credit, free assignment passes, candy bars, and other science related surprises. I hope that you will pass on the congratulations to your child, and continue to encourage them to keep up the wonderful work ! Sincerely Yours, Teachers Name 144 Encouraging Parent Involvement in the Classroom Taken from the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory website Encouraging parent involvement in the education of their children is not as complicated as it sounds. Parents need assurance that their children will receive adequate preparation to lead rewarding adult lives. Studies show that parent involvement in their child’s learning is positively related to academic achievement. Incorporating parent collaboration in your classroom does not always mean they are physically in your classroom; there are many ways in which parents can be involved in the learning process of their student including some of the following suggestions: • • • • • • • • • Have a sign up sheet at Back-To-School Night for parents who are interested in helping in the classroom. Call parents at least two weeks in advance to remind them when to come in, for how long, and where to go. Field trips are a good opportunity for parents to be involved. Have a career day and have parents visit the classroom and discuss what they do as a career Set up times for parents to read to the classroom Encourage parents to get involved in their school’s PTA or PTC. This is an excellent way for parents to get involved Ask parents to rotate placing book orders (elementary) for you. Always encourage parents to stay involved by attending school functions such as parentteacher conferences. Encourage parents to take an active role in monitoring their child’s homework, arranging study times, and showing overall support in their school work. 145 BACK-TO-SCHOOL NIGHT PARENT SIGN IN SHEET YOUR NAME CHILD'S NAME TELEPHONE or CELL # BEST TIME TO REACH YOU 146 PARENT VOLUNTEER SIGN UP SHEET please sign up if you’re interested in volunteering in the classroom YOUR NAME CHILD'S NAME TELEPHONE or CELL # BEST TIME TO REACH YOU 147 Student Self Evaluation and Progress Surveys Taken from ASSISST Beginning Teacher’s website While you as the educator have the responsibility of assessing your student’s academic progress, gaining the perspective of your student’s opinion of their achievements is a valuable source of information. One particularly beneficial method of gathering this information is to periodically provide your students with self evaluation surveys. Such surveys allow students the opportunity and responsibility to evaluate their own progress. While student self-evaluations provide the student an opportunity to reflect on their level of commitment to their education, it also provides parents with insight into their child’s effort in your classroom. When giving these types of evaluations to your students, it is important for you to ask your students to be truthful in discussing their commitment to your class. Interestingly enough, most students are very forthcoming with their actual amount of effort and dedication they put into your classroom. This information is very beneficial when presenting a student’s poor academic progress in your classroom to his/her parents/guardians. Often times when a parent can see evidence of their child’s lack of motivation or commitment to succeeding in your classroom they are less likely to assign fault to your teaching and accept their child’s responsibilities to their own education. In this section of the handbook you will find sample student self-evaluations and survey’s you might find helpful in your classroom. Name_______________________ Date________________________ Hour_______________________ 148 Student Self-Evaluation Once each quarter you will be given a self-evaluation survey to help assess how well you’re doing in class. This is your opportunity to be responsible and accountable. Please be honest with your answers. 1. How do I think I’m doing in Social Studies right now? _______________________________________________________________ 2. Do I have any missing assignments? If so how many? ________________________________________________________________ 3. How well did I do on my last test? __________________________________________________________________ 4. What is my current grade in Social Studies? _______________________________________________________________ 5. If my grade is below a C, why do I think this is so? ___________________________________________________________________ 6. What can I do to improve this grade? ________________________________________________________________ 7. How is my behavior in class? _________________________________________________________________ 8. Does my behavior affect my grades? If so, how? _________________________________________________________________ 9. What is my plan to remain or be successful for the remainder of the year? _________________________________________________________________ 10. Whose responsibility is it to maintain good grades and a positive attitude in class and school? _________________________________________________________ 149 Sample Survey To Send Home To Parents Making connections: What are your questions about the curriculum? Dear Parents, I am organizing a Curriculum Orientation section at Back-To-School Night so we can talk about our goals for the year, the types of things your child will be learning, concerns you might have, and how you can become involved in supporting that learning. To help me plan for this evening, I am asking that you take a few minutes to respond to the following questions. I will be sending home more detailed information as the time gets closer. Thank you for taking time to help make this evening a success. Sincerely, Teacher Name 1. What questions do you have about the curriculum? 2. What questions do you have about your student and the curriculum? 3. What do you want to know about homework in this class? 4. What else would be helpful information in supporting your child’s learning? 5. What useful information can you provide me in assisting your child this year? 150 Parent Contact Log Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit One of the most valuable tools you can provide yourself with in your teaching career is to create a detailed parent contact log. Such a document ensures that you are keeping track of all parent communication aside from parent-teacher conferences and it provides proof that you have done all that you could to keep your students succeed. An up to date contact log ensures that you have accurate documentation and it enhances your professional reputation and provides quick proof when your administrator asks about your conversations with parents. The following are a list of ideas in creating a parent contact log: • Keep a binder of all class lists/hours with columns set up for name, date, class hour, and reason for contact. • 5 x 7 index cards color coded for each hour that students fill out and you keep on a large metal ring. Documentation is recorded on the back of each card. • Keep copies of all emails on file, this includes emails you have responded to. 151 Student Disciplinary Record Student Name__________________________________________________________________ Date Reason Who I Spoke With Response 152 Sample Parent Contact Log Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,© 2002 Student_________________________________ Parent________________________ Date and time of contact___________________________________________________ Person initiating contact____________________________________________________ Reason for contact_________________________________________________________ Type of contact: _____Phone call _____Note home _____Letter _____Home visit _____E-mail _____Detention notice _____Open House _____Informal meeting _____Meeting with administrator _____Meeting with counselor _____Meeting with all teachers _____Other______________ Topics discussed: _________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Steps teacher will take: _____________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Steps parent will take: ______________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Additional notes: __________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ Persons attending: _________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________ 153 Documentation Record: Contact Log Student_________________________________ Parent________________________________ Date and time of contact__________________________________________________________ Person who initiated the contact____________________________________________________ Type of contact: _______Phone call _______Note home _______Letter _______Home visit _______E~mail _______Detention notice _______Open House/Meet the Teacher _______Informal meeting _______Meeting with administrator _______Other:___________________________ _______Meeting with counselor Topics discussed: Steps parent will take: Steps teacher will take: Additional notes: 154 NAME_______________________________ CLASS_______________ HOUR______________ MOTHER’S NAME___________________________________________________________________________ FATHER’S NAME____________________________________________________________________________ HOME PHONE__________________________________ WORK OR CELL PHONE_____________________ ALLERGIES & MEDICATIONS_________________________________________________________________ MY STRENGTHS ARE_________________________________________________________________________ An area in school that they think they are good at, for example math, gym, art, etc. *This info can be put on colored 5 x 7 index cards (one color/hour) and kept on a metal ring in your desk or closet or someplace safe that students do not have access to. Elementary teachers can use one color and keep on metal ring. All phone calls and parent contact can be logged on the back of the card corresponding to each student. This is easy and readily accessible. 155 STUDENT'S NAME DATE REASON FOR CONTACT FORM OF CONTACT PERSON CONTACTED 156 Keeping Administration Informed Along with keeping a detailed parent contact log, it is important for you to have established an open line of communication with your administrator so that when problems arise you can share the situation with them. Remember that it is always better for you to approach an administrator to inform them of a potential problem or upset parent before they hear about the situation from someone else. Should an email or phone conversation with a parent become hostile, immediately inform your administrator of the nature of the phone call and dialogue. Chances are that he/she will receive a phone call or visit from that parent and knowing the background information of the situation will make it easier for your administrator to deal with the problem. In addition to informing your administration regarding problems, it is also important for you to keep them informed of changes in your teaching strategies. For instance, guest speakers and field trips out of the classroom should be approved by your principal prior to implementing them in your classroom. 157 Effectively Handling a Disgruntled Parent Some time in your teaching career you will cross paths with a disgruntled parent. In order to effectively handle this difficult situation, follow these helpful guidelines: • • • • • • • • • Avoid arguing with a parent; they’re already angry. Maintain eye contact and be a good listener. Remain calm and restate the topic or concern. State that you understand their frustration/concern. Be as positive and professional as possible to help them overcome their negative feelings. If the conversation becomes hostile, diffuse the conversation. If the parent chooses to hang up or walk away, allow them. Immediately inform your administrator. Keep your tone of voice reassuring and understanding, do not raise your voice to make a parent understand your side of the story. If a parent comes to your room during class time, thank them for stopping by and politely and quickly state that you’re currently teaching a class and they are more than welcome to call and set up a time to sit down and talk. If an angry parent should come to your room uninvited or without checking into the office, follow the same protocol as interrupting your class. Immediately inform your principal of the situation so that the proper actions can be taken. 158 Creating Positive Relationships with Students One of the most important relationships you will develop in your teaching career is the rapport you will develop with your students. In order to be an effective classroom teacher it is important for you to start building trust and respect with your students from the first moment they enter your classroom. As a teacher you are in a similar predicament to what a Hollywood star deals with in their daily life: having at least one hundred eyes watching your every movement. As a teacher, your students will watch and listen to how you act, speak, and conduct yourself every second that they are in your classroom. It is your responsibility as a teacher to set a positive example for them to follow of how to properly interact with adults. Not only are you teaching your students how to respect and have a positive relationship with an adult, but you are establishing the foundation of your classroom. A teacher who can make a connection with his/her students in the first few days and nurture that positive relationship throughout the year has a much lower incident rating of discipline problems in their classroom. In this section you will find helpful tips and suggestions for fostering a positive classroom climate founded on the basis of consistency, respect, and recognizing positive student contributions to the classroom. 159 Creating Positive Relationships With Students Enforcing Fair and Consistent Classroom Rules As the backbone of a positive classroom environment, creating and then enforcing clear and consistent classroom rules is a must in the process of generating a positive relationship with your students. A clear and concise set of classroom rules is the cornerstone of a well organized and effective classroom. As you begin to prepare for your first days of school, it is important for you to think about how you want your classroom to run. There are a multitude of options a teacher has when creating classroom rules. Some teachers swear by letting the students create the classroom rules and consequences, while others insist that you enter your classroom with a printed list of classroom rules and your consequences if they are broken. As you have learned throughout your teacher education classes, each teacher and their respective classroom is unique from others. As a new teacher you must decide for yourself what rules you must have in your classroom and which rules you can allow your students some latitude on. In the information that follows in this section, you will find tips and sample classroom rules that experienced teachers have found to be successful. Remember as you read through this section that a cookie cutter approach to devising your classroom’s rules often will not work. You are a unique individual and your classroom rules must reflect your own personality. For example, implementing a rule stating there is absolutely no gum chewing in your classroom because the teacher next door enforces rule does not mean you must adopt it as well. Remember that your classroom rules must be a fair task to ask of your students and also be a rule you are comfortable in enforcing on a daily basis. Below are some sample rules that experienced teachers have implemented in their classroom: Elementary School Student Expectations: ƒ Raise your hand to speak. ƒ Keep your hands, feet, and objects to ourselves. ƒ Share your supplies and classroom materials with others. ƒ Walk in the classroom an in the halls. ƒ Keep our room neat and clean by putting all of our materials away. ƒ Listen carefully when the teacher is speaking. ƒ Come to class with all materials. ƒ Positively participate in all classroom activities. ƒ Stay on task without disturbing others ƒ Do not use �put downs’ when talking with another student. ƒ Use an inside voice so that loud noises do not hurt our ears. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit and Education World website 160 Middle School and High School Student Expectations: ƒ Be in the room when the bell rings. ƒ Bring all supplies to class including paper, notebook, books, and a pencil. ƒ Listen closely when the teacher or a fellow student is speaking. ƒ Accept your role in the group and work responsibly. ƒ Complete all work and turn it in on time. ƒ Speak without using any negative comments. ƒ Call people by their proper names. ƒ Participate actively in the learning process. ƒ Treat others politely and with respect. ƒ Stay in your seat until I dismiss you, not when the bell rings. ƒ Do not take things from the teacher’s desk, ask if you need something. ƒ Do not move from your assigned seat without permission. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 161 Personal Assessment: Establishing and Teaching Rules for a Classroom Learning Community A teacher’s rules constitute the class; the question is whether those rules are productive and worthy of student support. Establishing and teaching rules for a classroom learning community. Rule by rule: Without Doubt Probably Maybe Probably Not Can I say clearly and confidently that the rule is necessary, and reasonable for learning, safety, and mutual respect, and so deserves respect and support by students? Can I say clearly and confidently that the rule is consistent both with learning goals and with what we know about how human beings learn? Can I say clearly and confidently that the rule is consistent with school rules? Will I be acting consistently with my colleagues in the faculty? Rules must be enforced; will enforcing this rule get me into fruitless conflicts that erode my relationships with my students? Can I say clearly and confidently that I can and do act on the rules both reasonably and consistently? Can I say confidently that the rule is clear and understandable? Can I teach it and enforce it without confusion? Have I taught the rule? That is, stated, explained why it is necessary and reasonable, discussed how it applies to situations, and talked about examples with my students? 162 Assisting First Year Teachers with Classroom Management By Barry Sweeney The importance of a good start to the school year is well documented, and the role of a solid class management approach is a key to that god start. Beginning the year with a class management plan IN PLACE communicates clear expectation and helps beginning staff to be more consistent in enforcing their behavior standards and that leads to less student misconduct and stronger teacher self-esteem Planning the Management System Be sure that protégés know school-wide expectations for behavior, in class, in halls, at lunch, at recess, or on campus. Develop classroom rules consistent with school rules an which administrator will support • Rules need to be within student control to accomplish • Limited in number, clear and specific about observable behaviors Establish routines and procedure to handle daily classroom business such as: • • • • • Use of restrooms (time of day is important here) Beginning and ending of class expectations for attendance, noise, seating, dismissal, etc. Distributing and collecting materials, papers, and equipment Setting up and running audio-visual equipment Lining up or group movement to assemblies, PE, specials such as music or art Accompanying the rules should be a set of consequences including rewards and punishments • Rewards can include praise and encouragement, participation choices and recognition. Review with the protégé the pros and cons of punishments, such as: • Overuse decreases effectiveness • Punishments can actually reinforce some behaviors (i.e., ditches class = suspension?) • Use punishments that can lead to behavior changes Help plan the layout of the room to reduce traffic flow problems, keep all areas visible to the teacher and the teacher visible to the students, make displays, instructions, and clocks visible to all work areas. Plan an area near the teacher for students who need closer supervision, for materials or sample displays, and for collecting papers and projects. 163 Implementing the Management System Rules need to be written, posted, and enforceable by the teacher. Teach the students the rules and routines, Explain your expectations. Teachers who routinely refer misbehavior to “the office” can also create the impression that the teacher can’t handle problems. Try to solve your own problems but ask for specialist or principal help. Consistency in enforcement is critical. Uneven application (random?) decreases impact and is unfair. New staff often want kids to “like them” but that will often conflict with getting kids to learn. Barry Sweeny, Resources for Staff & Organization Development 26 W. 413 Grand Ave, Wehat Il 60187 (630) 668-2605, email: [email protected] 164 Classroom Management Principles In order to develop a discipline program that will work for you and your students, there are some ideas that you need to examine. The bad news is that at some time or another, all kids misbehave. The good news is that all kids can behave. Further, you have the right and responsibility to discipline your students. It’s important at the outset to clarify the difference between discipline and punishment. The purpose of discipline is to teach responsibility, train students in needed skills or correct an existing problem situation. The purpose of punishment, however, is to impose a penalty or seek revenge. The focus of discipline is on behavior, and what behavior will occur in the future. The focus of punishment is the misbehaving child and what’s occurred in the past. Discipline can, and should, be imposed with a positive attitude and concern for the student’s dignity. Punishment generally is delivered as a negative response generated by anger or frustration. Maintaining a positive relationship with students that facilitates a good learning situation is an important consideration in how you use discipline with your students. The following are some principles on which you might base your discipline plan. Consider them as you determine how to best work with your students. • Dealing with student behavior is part of your job. Discipline should have as much energy and enthusiasm as content. • Always treat students with dignity. This is the most important element in discipline. Treating kids with dignity works for you. Not using dignity can work against you. • Responsibility is more important than obedience. Obedience is doing what we are told. Responsibility involves making the best decision. Sometimes being obedient is being responsible. Sometimes they conflict. • Students must learn to accept responsibility. When a student tries to shift responsibility to others, guide him/her to accept it as his/her own. A student who says, “My parents forgot to sign my paper” should be encourage to reword the sentence to “I forgot to get my paper signed.” • All interventions can stop misbehavior. More important is what happens later: √ To motivation for learning √ To student’s sense of responsibility √ To student dignity √ To student-teacher communication 165 Tips for Effective Discipline • • • • • • Give simple incentives for positive behaviors “The row that is quiet first goes to lunch first.” Give, rather than take away. Create a warm friendly atmosphere – the optimum condition for learning. Firmness does not negate a warm, friendly atmosphere. A low, controlled voice is all the “ammo” you need for most classroom situations. Whatever you expect your class to be, you must be: on time, organized, prepared, cheerful, polite to all. Set a good, responsible example. Start fresh every day. What happened yesterday is finished. Act accordingly. Listen to what students are thinking and feeling. Students misbehave when they feel angry, fearful or bored. Teachers who can convey understanding are usually able to short-circuit the disruption. Provide instruction at levels that match the student’s ability. Misbehavior often arises out of frustration if the work is too difficult, or out of boredom if the work has little value. Sever Discipline Problems Even though you may have planned your day to avoid down time, planned a stimulating, motivating lesson, taught the rules, consequences and procedure to your class, you will probably have a situation where the misbehavior is severe. Consequences, whether for major or minor misbehavior, should be logical, natural and related to the rule. Now is the time to think about what your options are. In order to be most effective, find out what the limits are in your school. Enlisting the assistance of parents is an important strategy to employ. • • • • Can you keep students after school? Is there a detention policy? What is the procedure for getting assistance from a counselor or principal? In what cases should the principal be involved in your discipline procedures? Having this knowledge will make it impossible for you to keep your sense of autonomy in handling any situation. Getting assistance from others is different than giving away your role in the discipline plan. Enlisting the assistance of parents is an important strategy to employ. Your approach will have a lot to do with the level of cooperation you might receive. Very few parents object to a teacher approaching them with an idea that might help their child if the idea shows the teacher’s commitment to the success of that child. Parents may react negatively when told, “Here’s what your child did today!” Consider parents as part of the support for a mutually agreed-upon solution to discipline problems. 166 Guidelines for Effective Discipline 1. Monitor student behavior Use an “active eye.” See what is going on. Don’t become preoccupied with someone or something and ignore the rest of the class. It's said that one teacher on his/her feet is worth two in the seat. This benefits your discipline program as well as having an effective teaching strategy. 2. Consistency Have the same expectations for appropriate behavior for all students. Your students should know that you will enforce rules consistently and apply an appropriate consequence. Your goal is to be fair, but that might mean not applying the identical consequence to all students. If one student frequently fails to return homework, you may apply a different consequence than you would to a student who forgets his/her homework for the first time. In knowing that you'll be fair, but not equal, your students should understand that being equal is not always fair. In order to be consistent, be certain that the consequences you apply are reasonable and appropriate. 3. Prompt management of inappropriate behavior Effective classroom managers know that misbehavior must be handled immediately or there is risk of a snowballing effect. Instead of one or two students involved, soon there may be several. In order to provide maximum time for learning and to reduce minor behavior problems, there are some strategies that you can employ that deal with behavior in the least amount of time, with the least disruption and the least negative feelings. • Eye contact Simply looking the student directly in the eye for prolonged contact while you continue your lesson sends a non- behavior verbal message that says "I saw what you did and I want it stopped. • Proximity Continuing your lesson while you move about the room, pausing near "trouble spots" can let the students know that even though they are not near the teacher’s desk, they are still expected to demonstrate appropriate behavior. Getting “boxed in” behind your desk or podium encourages misbehavior in the far corners of the room. • Pause The continuous sound of “teacher talk” can provide students with a noise screen for their own conversations. An occasional pause – just a few seconds of silence – can bring an off-task student back into focus. • Touch/gesture This can be added to the above strategies for emphasis. A touch on the shoulder 0 not a squeeze – or a shaking in your head helps to stress your message to the student. 167 • Asking for a response Hearing your name can be an attention-getter, even if you’re not paying attention. Working an off-task student’s name into a question can often bring the student back into the lesson. Remembering the student’s dignity, it would be appropriate to say the student’s name fist, in order to allow them to hear the question they’ll be expected to answer. The purpose is to get the student back into the lesson, not to embarrass him/her. • Praising appropriate behavior With larger numbers of misbehaving students, addressing the whole group may be necessary. Rather than addressing the negative behavior, paring the students demonstrating appropriate behavior cues the misbehaving students and reinforces the other students. Hearing your name can be an attention-getter, even if you’re not paying attention. • Active participation Sometimes having the student respond to a question or become involved in an activity can eliminate the undesired behavior. Asking for a show of hands, having student’s performance a physical activity or having each student write a quick answer to a question can make all students accountable for an immediate response. • Rewards and reinforcement Rewarding students with an enjoyable activity that is contingent on appropriate behavior can be effective in motivating students to commit to the completing of a task. “If we can finish this chapter by 9:45, we’ll have time to play the map game.” 168 Four Steps for Better Classroom Discipline Even if you understand that children function at different stages of discipline, it is not easy to sell administrators, school board members and parents on the idea that you are going to have different sets of rules for different kids in your classroom. You don’t have to. If you set up a discipline policy in your classroom that progressively attempts to meet the needs of the students first at Stage 4, then Stage 3, and finally Stages 2 and 1, you can be as consistent in your discipline as everyone expects you to be and at the same time encourage students to practice behaving at a stage higher than the one they normally use. Let’s look at four steps for classroom discipline that you can start using right now. Step 1: Reminder This is a reminder not a reprimand. It may be directed to the whole class at once. It may be directed to one or two students. The teacher does not need to approach the student when using this step. The teacher needs to take the opportunity to remind students early enough that the situation does not progress beyond a point where a simple reminder is no longer appropriate. Example 1: "There is the bell, class. You should all have your homework out on your desk, now." Example 2: "Janice and Maria, the rest of us have all started working, now. You need to stop talking and start too." The importance of this step cannot be understated. Students who consistently function at Stage 3, the mutual interpersonal stage, will quickly respond to your reminder. They want to please you and this is right at their level. Students who are in transition to Stage 3 have an opportunity to practice their discipline skills at this level. Some teachers may complain that they should not have to remind children over and over again. We remind the children because they ARE children. Step 2: Warning This is a reprimand. The student is approached. The warning may be either verbal or written. Verbal warnings should not be delivered across the classroom. The teacher moves in close to the student and lets him know what he is expected to do. The student is asked to identify the next step. Example 1: Steven is sitting sideways in his chair and keeps messing with things on Maria’s desk. The teacher approaches Steven and says "Steven, I expect you to turn around in your seat and get on with your assignment. This is your warning. What is the next step?" Taken from Discipline By Design website 169 Example 2: During a class discussion, Tammy suddenly speaks out. "Boy, this stuff really sucks!" The teacher walks up to her and calmly, but firmly, says, "Tammy, I will not tolerate your outbursts. I expect you to raise your hand and wait to be called on before you speak. This is your warning. Now, can you tell me the next step?" Written warnings are even more effective. The student is approached and handed an Honor Level System infraction slip. The teacher has checked an item on the slip and may ask the youngster to fill in the information at the top. He is told that if no further problem occurs he will be able to throw the slip away at the end of the period. If the misbehavior continues, the slip will be collected and turned into the office. Example 2: Jason has been teasing Janice. The teacher fills out an infraction slip and takes it to him. He says to Jason "Here is an infraction slip with your name on it. I have marked �Failure to treat peers with respect’ because you have been bothering Janice. I will put it here on the corner of your desk. If it is still there when the bell rings, you may throw it away. If you continue to pester her, I will pick it up and it will be turned into the office." The warning step would normally be the first step if you were using Assertive Discipline. Instead of putting a name on the board (or on a clip board, as Lee Canter now recommends), placing a slip on the student’s desk keeps it much closer to the child where he is less likely to forget and get into trouble again. If you do not teach in a regular classroom with desks, still give the slip to the student. Even in a gym class the youngster can tuck the slip inside an elastic band somewhere. The slip can even be folded and put in a shoe! It is important that the child has possession of the slip and that he realizes that he is the one in control of it. Just as he is in charge of the infraction slip, he is also in charge of his own behavior. This helps the student learn to take ownership for his own actions. When the slip is in the hands of the teacher or his name is on a board far away, it is too easy to think that the situation is in someone else’s hands. Instead, this technique fosters and encourages internal locus of control rather than external locus of control. There is no doubt in the student’s mind that he has been reprimanded, but he is not left with a feeling of helplessness: that his fate is in the teacher’s hands. The warning step, especially the written warning, directly addresses the needs of the student who functions at the power stage will be sizing up the situation. You have moved into their space and made your expectations quite clear. If you are firm, cool, and assertive, they may feel that the balance of power tips in your favor. If you shout and display excessive anger, it will be read as a challenge and this student will confront you. Regrettably, the situation will then escalate quickly to the next step. Taken from Discipline By Design website 170 Step 3: Infraction Slip The student is approached again. She is reminded that she has already received her warning. An infraction slip will be turned into the office. If she has received a written warning, the slip is collected from her. The student is asked to identify the next step. Example: Nathan has been warned about staying in his seat and working on his assignment, but he keeps wandering over to argue with Jeff about a missing baseball card. The teacher marks "Failure to follow classroom rules" on an infraction slip and asks Nathan to fill in the top. She says "Nathan, I warned you only a few minutes earlier about following directions. Yet you refuse to go to work. You will receive a detention. Can you tell me the next step?" Nathan has refused to follow classroom rules even after being reminded and later warned. The infraction slip will be turned into the office where this information is entered into a computer that manages the data for The Honor Level System. Nathan’s Honor Level may change and depending on the number of other infractions that he has received in the past 14 days, he will be required to serve an appropriately significant consequence. If the slip is the first, he may serve a short detention during noon. If the slip is one of many, he may be suspended from school. In either case, the consequence is not chosen by the teacher. It is part of a consistent school-wide discipline plan. It is important that the teacher has tried Steps 1 and 2 before turning the infraction slip into the office. Only in special, extreme cases, should an infraction slip be used as the first step. Remember: The Honor Level System is an extension of your classroom discipline system, not a replacement for it. Step 4: Send to the Office The student is removed from class. A special "Time Out" slip is filled out and sent with the student, or a "Referral Form" will be completed for the office later. Example: Linda has been acting up in class quite a bit today. She has been warned, and has had an infraction slip written up. Still, she continues to disrupt the class. The teacher sends her to the office. As she leaves the room, the teacher calls the office to let them know that Linda is on the way. As soon as possible, the teacher stops by the office to fill out a referral form and check with the principal. The teacher will contact the girl’s parents, as well. If the first three steps are followed faithfully, this step is rarely needed. When things do progress this far, the teacher can proceed with this step in a cool, unemotional manner. There is no need for shouting or anger. Taken from Discipline By Design website 171 The student may want to bargain for leniency, but the effective teacher has remained calm through all the previous steps and lets Linda know that she has left him with no other option. He will insist that she leave the room, but may send her off with an optimistic "Tomorrow we will try again. I’m sure we can make this work right." Post the Steps and Classroom Rules These steps for discipline should be posted in several places in the classroom. The teacher should identify three to five classroom rules that are important to his or her teaching station and post them, as well. The list should be as short as possible and stated in a positive way. Write down your rules as behaviors that you expect of your students. Including an item like: Follow directions the first time they are given helps cover most problems that may occur in the classroom that are not addressed by more specific expectations. Take time to go over the rules and the steps with each class. Explain to your students that they may be asked to identify the next step if they get into trouble. Let them know that they can always look on the wall to answer your question. Also, let the students know that in extreme cases you reserve the right to skip to higher steps. There may be certain behaviors that you simply will not tolerate. Be specific and give them examples Techniques for Better Classroom Discipline Here are eleven techniques that you can use in your classroom that will help you achieve effective group management and control. They have been adapted from an article called: “A Primer on Classroom Discipline: Principles Old and New” by Thomas R. McDaniel, Phi Delta Kappan, September 1986. 1. Focusing Be sure you have the attention of everyone in your classroom before you start your lesson. Don’t attempt to teach over the chatter of students who are not paying attention. Inexperienced teachers sometimes think that by beginning their lesson, the class will settle down. The children will see that things are underway now and it is time to go to work. Sometimes this works, but the children are also going to think that you are willing to compete with them, that you don’t mind talking while they talk, or that you are willing to speak louder so that they can finish their conversation even after you have started the lesson. They get the idea that you accept their inattention and that it is permissible to talk while you are presenting a lesson. The focusing technique means that you will demand their attention before you begin. It means that you will wait and not start until everyone has settled down. Experienced teachers know that silence on their part is very effective. They will punctuate their waiting by extending it 3 to 5 seconds after the classroom is completely quiet. Then they begin their lesson using a quieter voice than normal. A soft spoken teacher often has a calmer, quieter classroom than one with a stronger voice. Her students sit still in order to hear what she says. Taken from Discipline By Design website 172 2. Direct Instruction Uncertainty increases the level of excitement in the classroom. The technique of direct instruction is to begin each class by telling the students exactly what will be happening. The teacher outlines what he and the students will be doing this period. He may set time limits for some tasks. An effective way to marry this technique with the first one is to include time at the end of the period for students to do activities of their choosing. The teacher may finish the description of the hour’s activities with: “And I think we will have some time at the end of the period for you to chat with your friends, go to the library, or catch up on work for other classes.” The teacher is more willing to wait for class attention when he knows there is extra time to meet his goals and objectives. The students soon realize that the more time the teacher waits for their attention, the less free time they have at the end of the hour. 3. Monitoring The key to this principle is to circulate. Get up and get around the room. While your students are working, make the rounds. Check on their progress. An effective teacher will make a pass through the whole room about two minutes after the students have started a written assignment. She checks that each student has started, that the children are on the correct page, and that everyone has put their names on their papers. The delay is important. She wants her students to have a problem or two finished so she can check that answers are correctly labeled or in complete sentences. She provides individualized instruction as needed. Students who are not yet quite on task will be quick to get going as they see her approach. Those that were distracted or slow to get started can be nudged along. The teacher does not interrupt the class or try to make general announcements unless she notices that several students have difficulty with the same thing. The teacher uses a quiet voice and her students appreciate her personal and positive attention. 4. Modeling McDaniel tells us of a saying that goes “Values are caught, not taught.” Teachers who are courteous, prompt, enthusiastic, in control, patient and organized provide examples for their students through their own behavior. The “do as I say, not as I do” teachers send mixed messages that confuse students and invite misbehavior. If you want students to use quiet voices in your classroom while they work, you too will use a quiet voice as you move through the room helping youngsters. Taken from Discipline By Design website 173 5. Non-Verbal Cuing A standard item in the classroom of the 1950’s was the clerk’s bell. A shiny nickel bell sat on the teacher’s desk. With one tap of the button on top he had everyone’s attention. Teachers have shown a lot of ingenuity over the years in making use of non-verbal cues in the classroom. Some flip light switches. Others keep clickers in their pockets. Non-verbal cues can also be facial expressions, body posture and hand signals. Care should be given in choosing the types of cues you use in your classroom. Take time to explain what you want the students to do when you use your cues. 6. Environmental Control A classroom can be a warm cheery place. Students enjoy an environment that changes periodically. Study centers with pictures and color invite enthusiasm for your subject. Young people like to know about you and your interests. Include personal items in your classroom. A family picture or a few items from a hobby or collection on your desk will trigger personal conversations with your students. As they get to know you better, you will see fewer problems with discipline. Just as you may want to enrich your classroom, there are times when you may want to impoverish it as well. You may need a quiet corner with few distractions. Some students will get caught up in visual exploration. For them, the splash and the color is a siren that pulls them off task. They may need more “vanilla” and less “rocky-road.” Have a quiet place where you can steer these youngsters. Let them get their work done first and then come back to explore and enjoy the rest of the room. 7. Low-Profile Intervention Most students are sent to the principal’s office as a result of confrontational escalation. The teacher has called them on a lesser offense, but in the moments that follow, the student and the teacher are swept up in a verbal maelstrom. Much of this can be avoided when the teacher’s intervention is quiet and calm. An effective teacher will take care that the student is not rewarded for misbehavior by becoming the focus of attention. She monitors the activity in her classroom, moving around the room. She anticipates problems before they occur. Her approach to a misbehaving student is inconspicuous. Others in the class are not distracted. While lecturing to her class this teacher makes effective use of name-dropping. If she sees a student talking or off task, she simply drops the youngster’s name into her dialogue in a natural way. “And you see, David, we carry the one to the tens column.” David hears his name and is drawn back on task. The rest of the class doesn’t seem to notice. Taken from Discipline By Design website 174 8. Positive Discipline Use classroom rules that describe the behaviors you want instead of listing things the students cannot do. Instead of “no-running in the room,” use “move through the building in an orderly manner.” Instead of “no fighting,“ use “settle conflicts appropriately.” Instead of “no gum chewing,” use “leave gum at home.” Refer to your rules as expectations. Let your students know this is how you expect them to behave in your classroom. Make ample use of praise. When you see good behavior, acknowledge it. This can be done verbally, of course, but it doesn’t have to be. A nod, a smile or a “thumbs up” will reinforce the behavior. Taken from Discipline By Design website 175 Sharing Proper Information about Yourself With Your Students As you embark on a new school year, part of creating the trust and respect with students that is so critical to a positive learning environment involves sharing some personal information with your students. When done properly this allows your students to see you as an approachable person with hobbies, likes, and dislikes just like themselves. As you go about discussing your personal hobbies it is important for you to remember what types of information is appropriate for your students to know, and what types of information is best kept to yourself. In the chart below are some helpful guidelines of what personal information is appropriate for your students to know about you and what is not appropriate. Things To Share With Your Students: 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 9 Favorite food Favorite color Favorite restaurant Favorite animal Do you have any kids? Pets Any foreign languages you can speak Your favorite summer vacation Where you are from What college you went to Favorite sports team What types of books you like to read Things NOT to Share With Your Students: 9 Your romantic relationships 9 Your personal address or phone number 9 Your candidate in the next election 9 Your disagreements with another faculty member 9 Who you live with 9 If you smoke, drink, etc. 9 How old you are 9 Confidential information about other students grades or discipline files 9 Your personal views on religion, etc. Welcome to my classroom! Let me tell you a little about myself… Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 176 Fifteen Ways to Earn Your Students’ Respect Below is a list of statements involving practices that are geared to earn your students’ respect. As you read over the statements, judge yourself as your students would judge you. 1. I engage every student in all assignments each day. 2. I know the material that I am supposed to teach. 3. I use a variety of discipline techniques to establish a positive class atmosphere. 4. I am willing to be flexible when necessary. 5. I use a variety of strategies to keep by students interested and on task. 6. I respect my students’ differences and encourage them to do the same. 7. I encourage a teamwork approach with my students and their families. 8. I am a good listener who is available to my students on a regular basis. 9. I focus my energies on preventing behavior problems through an assortment of techniques instead of having to deal with the serious consequences caused by misbehavior. 10. I make sure that my students know I care about their welfare. 11. I practice being a patient and understanding person. 12. I teach my students how to do their work. 13. I make sure that my students know the benefits of doing an assignment so that they will want to do their work well. 14. I make a special effort to enforce rules consistently. 15. I use a wide variety of assessment techniques to evaluate student progress. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 177 Ten Ways to Create a Student- Centered Classroom 1. Decorate your classroom with student work. Students feel a sense of ownership and pride in a class where their work is displayed. Be sure to display everyone’s work. If you hang only the best work, you can be accused of favoritism, which will only cause harm. 2. Keep a supply of recycled paper, construction paper, crayons, markers, and other supplies on hand to help your students create work for display. Some of the items that would make interesting displays include projects, group-generated lists, homework assignments, cartoons, “sponge” activities, posters…anything that your students would be proud to display. 3. Have a sense of humor, particularly about yourself. If you make a mistake, admit it graciously. Don’t be one of those teachers who never laugh with their students and never admit when they are wrong. 4. Give your students a voice in how some of the procedures of the class should be managed. They need to assume responsibility for running some of the class routines if they are to feel that what they do matters to you and their classmates. 5. Teach your students how to work together well. This will take time and patience, but is worth the trouble. Students who have the support of their classmates are not afraid to speak up or try new activities. 6. Your students crave success and approval. Create opportunities for this to happen by designing lessons that are challenging, but achievable. When students succeed, reward them. Keep lots of small, tangible rewards such as stickers on hand. 7. Make sure that your students are in touch with school events. Maintain a bulletin board with items about schedules, lunch menus, upcoming events, and other important information. 8. Promote courtesy and respect for school and classroom rules. Make sure that you model the behavior that you encourage from your students. 9. Encourage students to share their opinions and ideas. Teach them to value each other’s creativity by encouraging and accepting their ideas. 10. Survey your students periodically so that you can make sure that the student-friendly a. classroom you think you’ve created really is. Surveying your students is a terrific way to b. find out what they think and to improve the way you manage your class. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 178 Effectively Communicating Ideas of Excitement, Concern, and Disappointment One of the major components of becoming an effective educator is knowing how to convey your thoughts and concerns to your students in a constructive and appropriate manner. Throughout your first year of teaching you will encounter situations that require you to convey your enthusiasm for your student’s progress and growth in a struggling subject area, as well as your disappointment and concern for their poor choices in the classroom. Whether you are conveying your feelings of joy or sorrow to your students, it is important for you to understand how to convey your thoughts in the most effective manner possible. Below are some examples of communicating your thoughts to students that experienced teachers have found to be helpful. • Begin conversations with phrases such as: √ What would you like to happen? √ Would you like my thinking on that? √ Is it possible that…? √ How do you feel about…? √ Is there any chance that…? √ How do you suppose that might work out? √ What do you think I think? √ On a scale of 1-10, how good of a decision do you think that is? √ Would you like to hear with others have tried? √ Your behavior/actions make me feel… √ When you say/do ______ it makes others around you feel like… √ What could you have done instead of ______ to make the situation better? √ How did your actions affect what happened in the situation? √ Why do you think I am so concerned about what you said/did? Taken from Jim Fay and David Funk’s Teaching With Love & Logic 179 • Allow students to see that you genuinely care about their situation: o Be careful to listen to what students have to say before offering your opinion on the situation. o Tread lightly when offering constructive criticism of a students decision or action in a particular situation. Often times when you are speaking to a student after the fact the student already has realized that they did not handle the situation the best possible way and is now looking for direction of where to go now, not necessarily a discussion of what they did incorrectly. o Begin the solution finding portion of the discussion by allowing the student to brainstorm ideas. By offering your suggestions without listening to the student’s ideas you may inadvertently cause the student to feel threatened and not in control of fixing the situation. o Be sure students know that if they are sharing information that involves someone being hurt or in danger/trouble you are obligated to share that information with the proper authorities. • Provide students with positive feedback regarding their academic growth in your classroom: o Start off conversations with sentences such as: “I’m really proud of the effort you have been giving in my classroom – look at what you have accomplished!” o Be sure to gauge your positive feedback according to what the student would be most comfortable with. For instance, announcing a shy and reserved students name over the PA system to congratulate them on their high test score in your classroom would not necessarily be the most effective way to communicate praise. o Surprise students by sending home letters or notes indicating how pleased you are to have seen that child exhibit positive behaviors such as helping a fellow student, following classroom rules, cleaning up the classroom materials, doing well on a difficult test or assignment, going above the requirements for a project or working exceptionally well in a group. o Let coaches, club sponsors, and other teachers of that particular student know how proud you are of the student’s accomplishments. Often times for a student, having another adult outside of the situation mention their achievements signify how much of an impact their positive contribution made in your classroom. Taken from Jim Fay and David Funk’s Teaching With Love & Logic 180 Recognizing Positive Student Contributions to the Classroom Rewarding students for their positive contributions to the classroom environment is a vital role in establishing a students respect and motivation to learn in your classroom. So many times educators get caught up in managing the behavior problems that we often forget to celebrate the students who exhibit the behavior we desire. By rewarding students who display positive behaviors in the classroom you not only provide direct positive feedback to that individual student, but you also provide other students in your classroom with a model of the behavior you expect in your classroom. Below are some simple suggestions from experienced teachers who have used these methods to instill a positive sense of self worth in students who positively contribute to the classroom learning environment. 9 Communicate your high expectations to your students. Students whose teachers expect a great deal from them will soon be students who are confident that thy can accomplish a great deal. Don’t over-praise students for behavior that is only minimally acceptable, because this communicates to them that you do not believe that they are able to accomplish much. 9 Make it very clear to your students that when you praise them you are commenting on their work or their behavior and not on their worth as a person. For example, you should replace, “You are such a neat kid!” with “Your work is very neat!” This will place emphasis on the activity and will encourage them to continue their good work. 9 When you praise a student, be careful not to overdo it. If you are over dramatic your students will find your praise insincere and you also risk embarrassing sensitive students. 9 Praise individual students whenever possible, and vary what you say to each one so that they will know that you see them as individuals. Also, occasionally follow up your praise with a positive note or phone call home. 9 Be careful to reach every student. Some teachers may unconsciously favor some students. Be positive with every student at least once during every class. 9 Encourage effort. If you have students who are struggling, encourage them to persevere by praising their efforts. Also, boost their confidence by praising their successes along the way. 9 Be prompt in giving rewards for good behavior so students will be able to identify the action for which they are being rewarded. 9 Be careful to combine rewards with praise. If you don’t make this connection for your students, they may not understand that they earn rewards through their own efforts. 9 You do not have to spend a fortune on rewards for your students. The most effective rewards are activities that students enjoy. Try playing a game such a history trivia game or a geography bee to reward students with enjoyable activities. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 181 Simple Inexpensive Rewards to Use in Your Classroom - Colorful pencils - Reward stickers - Bite size candy pieces Fifteen Ways to Reward Your Students Without Going Broke! • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Allow your students to use the library during free time. Extra time on the computer Being a team captain Time to work on a classroom puzzle or game Give out extra credit points Put their work on a classroom bulletin board Turn in their name to the principal for The Principals Lunch Group Being on the class Honor Roll Being nominated for “Student of the Week” Earning extra time to complete an assignment Send a positive letter home to their parents Submit their name and photograph to a local paper showcasing student achievements Use stickers or stamps to rewards positive behaviors or actions Set aside a bulletin board to keep a running list of all of the good deeds you see students doing in the classroom. Reward classes by allowing them to play educational games Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 182 Samples from Experienced Teachers About How They Implement Rewards in Their Classrooms. Not that anyone ever gets a whole free day, but Friday is the day most teachers choose for class parties, rewards, and free time. After all, the end of the week really is the best time for these types of things. If your students happen to have a great time and get really wound up, they're already headed out the door for the weekend anyway. On the other hand, they're probably feeling a little worn out at the end of a long week (sound familiar?) and not only do they need some free time, but they may be a little less likely to get as rowdy as they would at the very beginning of the week. How do you reach a "freeday"? Having a system in place is key because it means you and your students have something you can count on. The basics are simple - good behavior of some form on behalf of the students = reward for the students given by the teacher. We've compiled some ideas to help you set up your own rewards system, but keep in mind that rewards aren't always free time or parties. Our contributors share many ideas below which you can adapt and use in your classroom. I taught 4th grade last year. Each week my class looked forward to "Friday Fling". This was a time set aside to reward those students who followed the rules in class and elsewhere on campus. (music, art, bus, etc.) I only have three rules 1. Be polite, 2. Be positive, 3. Be prepared. During our Friday Fling, we might play board games, have a free recess, go for a walk I usually only allowed 20 to 30 minutes. It seemed to work! Those students who chose not to be a part of the team and play by the rules were supervised by an aide or placed in another classroom during the Fling. It was a great way to end the week. -Anita Checkbook reward system: Each child receives a checkbook in the classroom. You begin each week with a specific amount of money deposited into the checkbook say $200. If a student does not get their homework finished they might have to write a check for $50 to you. If a student breaks one of your classroom rules, perhaps they will owe you $25. You can use any behaviors that you would like to encourage in your room. At the end of the week, the students are able to purchase privileges based on the money they have left in their checkbooks. For instance, they may pay you $75 to eat lunch with the teacher, $50 to sit by a friend for a day etc. -Patti, P.A.F. My son was in fourth grade last year and some of the incentives he liked were decorated pencils, pens, candy, homework passes (teacher made), scented stickers. They also had a personal incentive chart on their desks, where they could fill up the little squares with tiny dot stickers when they brought their homework in. After five spaces were filled they got a reward, after the entire chart was filled they got a "bigger" reward. The McDonald's (right across the street from the school) gave us coupons for free hamburger, fries, soda, or sundae, to give to the children for anything we deemed worthy of reward. Other companies will do the same. -DJ Thomas Orlando, Fl Taken from Teachnet.com website 183 Homework passes (don't give too many!!) are the number one incentive for my kids. I also sometimes use a "class compliments" chart on which I put a sticker/kid's thumbprint or whatever every time a class member or the class as a whole received a compliment outside of the classroom (line, recess, lunch, PE, etc). After an agreed upon number, the kids vote on a perk (art day, extra recess, etc.). Be sure to tell the other teachers what you are doing so they will be sure to "compliment". I am constantly torn up about giving kids rewards for what they are supposed to do versus not rewarding them. I have taught for 20 years and this is still an issue. Since each group is different, you will be able to make your decisions about incentives once you see how they are. Fourth grade still loves stickers, being able to stamp their own papers, candy is big; I use free rug time a lot, being able to use the teacher's desk for a day, period, etc. I have an "office" (just a carrel type board at a special table with a lamp) for reward (or those in need) students to use. You will think of many more on your own!! -CH [Murandsyd] Another idea is rather simple but it really works for me. My children are seated at tables (but this could also be done with clusters of desks) and each table or group is given a paper plate on Monday. This plate lasts all week. Whenever an instruction is given or a transition is initiated, I silently get out a sheet of stickers, hold it up and reward the first table who "gets ready, or gets the job done." At the end of the day the group with the most stickers gets to pick out of the penny candy jar. The stickers are cumulative and at the end of the week, the group with the most gets something bigger, like a Little Debbie cake, etc. It is amazing what they will do for those stickers. I've had subs tell me they can’t believe what happens when they hold up the sticker sheet. It keeps the students who don't usually follow directions on their toes because the other kids push or encourage them to hurry up and get ready. These are only two things I do, but I think the most important. -Judy Vornholt I am teaching summer school, grades 3 and 4 combined this year, and I am finding that having a box of prizes works well. When a child gets 100% on a spelling test, or manages to stay on my "token list" all week (they must pay attention and follow the classroom rules to stay on the list), they get a token which they can exchange for a prize. If they choose to save their tokens and get three of them, I have bigger prizes they may exchange their tokens for. This past week was the first week they all stayed on the token list, and I know that was difficult for them! As a reward, I ordered pizza for them for lunch on Friday. (I had told them that I would do this, so it was a goal for them to work toward). The first time is the most difficult, but now I think that they will be motivated. Next time they all stay on the list all week, I am going to bake them cupcakes. *Note: as prizes, I have small plastic lizards and insects, plastic jewelry or cute hair accessories, special pencils and erasers for one token and larger toys, such as yo-yos and puzzles for larger prizes. All of these items can be found inexpensively at 99 cent stores or Pic-N-Save. -Sarah [tandirose] Taken from Teachnet.com website 184 A few of the teachers at my school use a "token economy" for classroom management that they adapt according to the grade level they teach. The children love it and I'm planning on implementing a similar system this year: Children will receive 2 tickets/day for good behavior. I will have a "Conduct Book", and students must write down the date, their name, and give a brief description of the inappropriate behavior that was exhibited. They are given a verbal warning first. After that, they must sign the Conduct Book and they lose five minutes of recess time. Our students don't sit at recess--they walk. This gives them an opportunity to expend some of that pent up energy!! The second time they lose 10 minutes--third time is a phone call or note home. Obviously--for a more serious offense such as fighting or disrespect to a teacher or adult, they must visit the principal. The Conduct Book gives me documentation of behavior in case I need to follow-up with parents. The first nine weeks, I plan to give a bit of "grace" :) If a child has to sign the Conduct Book, they will just lose one of their tickets for the day. After the first nine weeks are over, I figure children should know my rules, and they lose both tickets. On Friday, we set aside time for children to receive and turn in tickets. Different teachers use different ideas. Below is a list of rewards I plan to use this year: 5 Tickets 1 Piece of Candy, 10 Tickets 2 Pieces of Candy, 20 Tickets Sit Anywhere, 30 Tickets Treasure Box--items I purchase from Oriental Trading Co., 30 Tickets Thumper Bumper-the student bumps another and gets to do his job for the day, 40 Tickets Soda Sipper-I buy the student a soft drink at lunch, 40 Tickets Choose a Center, 50 Tickets Thumper Bumper (2 Days), 60 Tickets No Homework, 75 Tickets Extra Class Recess, 100 Tickets Be the Teacher. If I have a student who is turning tickets in for "Choose a Center", "Sit Anywhere", "Extra Class Recess" or "Be the Teacher" changing --then we plan a day during the upcoming week for them to do that. The students must keep up with their tickets in a baggie they have in their desk. If they lose them, we start over. One of the things that I like about this system is that every child is rewarded because it's rare for a child to lose tickets every single day of the week. Consequences for misbehavior are still in place; and some children enjoy saving tickets for the really big rewards. Some of the other teachers at our school include other ideas like: "Pizza Day" -the teacher and student have pizza together at lunch one day during school; "After School Snack"-the teacher takes the student to the place of his/her choice; "Saturday Matinee"-the teacher takes the student out to a show. (I have a limited budget and a family of my own and have opted not to include activities like those. I realize that if you are teaching in a public school, it may not be feasible for you to use some of the reward ideas; but I think you get the gist of the idea. -[AshDell3] Did you ever think about possibly starting your students out w/nothing, and then let them earn money (play money) for the store instead of taking the points away from them. I believe if you take points away from students that is negative reinforcement, but if you reward them for doing good, the students that misbehave will see the others earning money and able to buy stuff from your store. -Megan Andrews I want to use clothespins (I was intending to use wooden clothes pins with the student’s names on them) in the place of tokens. I want to either: 1. give each student that didn't get their name on the board or loose recess a clothes pin each day before we go home, 2. give each student five clothes pins on Monday and take away as the week goes by. They would give me the clothes pin clipped to a piece of paper that told what they got in trouble for. Either way I want to let the students exchange their clothes pins on Friday for a nickel each which they can spend at a classroom store. On the first day of school I have a plastic "school" cup on each student’s desk. I am thinking of letting the students keep the clothes pins in their cup... -Carol Taken from Teachnet.com website 185 An elementary teacher just explained her classroom management plan to me today, and I think I'm going to adapt it for middle school. It's a ladder plan, and I think it might work for the school store idea that everyone keeps talking about. You make a ladder out of poster board with six rungs and post it. Students each get a clothespin with their name on it to put on the third rung at the beginning of each day. (This helps to check roll quickly, as well.) When they do something well, they move up a rung. When they do something inappropriate, they move down a rung. At the end of the day, they go to bins and choose beads corresponding to whatever rung their clip was on to put onto a shoestring that they keep in their pencil box. Top rung 2 beads; Second rung 1 sparkle bead; Third rung 1 bead; Fourth rung signing their consequence chart; Fifth rung 10-minute time-out; Bottom rung writing a behavior plan. So, the beads don't get taken away, but they can trade them in for rewards. Her rewards are not tangible, though. She uses things like free time, first to read aloud, lunch with the teacher, etc. Also, even the student who is there and is well-behaved without doing anything extraordinary still gets a bead at the end of the day. -Jenny Koons I had a large metal beam going up the front of my room, wasn’t too out of place, but I found a nice way to use it....anything metal, or even magnets placed on the wall would work. I had these "caught u being good" stickers. I would give them out to kids whom where "caught" doing something extra nice for anyone else. I had so many, I laminated 12 of them, put magnets on the back, and used them when the WHOLE CLASS was being good, working very hard, came in with extra quietly, etc. after a few days, when I had several magnets up, I would add a piece of candy to a small jar. When the jar got to be full, we had a great party!! everyone brought treats, we had an extra recess, we got to bring a pop to keep at our desk (only SO big...no 2 lt. types, must have a screw on lid...all mentioned in a letter sent home) a movie....free time classroom games.. after the party, for every magnet up, we took one OUT of the jar...reversed it....see? (one of my kids thought that would be a fun thing to do, sounded like a great idea to me) this event occurred about once every 9 weeks. The kids loved it! It motivated them, and put a little positive peer pressure on the ones who needed it... one good thing...they never knew WHEN THEY WOULD GET a magnet!! One of the best forms of reinforcement...intermittent...sometimes they were rewarded, sometimes the were "good" but didn’t get a re-enforcer...I tried to give lots out...sometimes I would actually forget, or take for granted they were doing extra well....that is ok I found on the days I was really stressed, I tried to be careful to give them magnets, this kind of kept me in check with my attitude in the classroom too. -Cris Pruser I teach 6-8 grades. What I do for consequences/rewards were something’s that I learned in a management workshop. As a reward, I have a "Mystery Envelope" On Monday, I put some sort of prize in it (pencils, stickers, notebooks, etc) At the end of the week, a name is drawn from the bucket. Whoever is called wins the contents. The kids especially love the homework passes. I also have a spinner, and draw another name. That student gets to spin and win anything from a treat to library time. Consequences are simple. I have a continuum as follows: 1. Warning card. A card is placed on the student’s desk with a written warning. No communication; 2. Removal of name from mystery envelope drawing; 3. TIME OUT for 15 minutes or 30 minutes (some of my classes have 45 minutes, and some 90 minutes) and a phone call to the parent; 4. sent to CHOICE room (a school program we have, where the student spends the remainder of the class period in another room isolated). This works for the most part for those minor infractions. A lot of time, a warning card is enough. The cards are bright orange index cards, so everyone knows that you have been warned!! Of course, for major infractions (disrespect, fighting, profanity, etc) students are immediately removed to the CHOICE room, bypassing all previous steps. Students can also earn their way back into the mystery envelope drawing. The key is to be consistent. -Susan Hewett Taken from Teachnet.com website 186 We have three strikes, you're out policy. At the end of each six weeks we have a "reward" (games, movie, and refreshments - usually two hours). If you have three strikes, you are not invited. I know it seems severe, but we really have very few students who don't get to attend. At the end of the semester we have a big reward usually skating or bowling and if you attended at any of the three little rewards you can attend this. We also tie Homework into this too. Three strikes and your out again. We do not add the homework and discipline together - each stands alone. Consequences for homework up to the strike out are the same as behavior. In the last two years I have had very few problems with homework or discipline in either the 8th or the 7th grade. The turnover in the struck out crowd is amazing. Once they have to sit and work while everyone else is having fun, they rarely come back again. I am teaching 6th again this year for the first time in 5 years. I am expecting this plan will still work, as the teacher who taught it to me had previously used it with her 6th grade classes. Last thought, we type this up and put it in our team handbook. Parents have to sign off as having read and understood the handbook. Parents supply the refreshments and sometimes volunteer to serve. -Cathy Gates I am a math teacher. Last year my students went to the CCC Math learning lab three times each week. Each student made a personal goal as far as what they thought their gains would be at the end of the week. Our class had a goal of gaining 10 points or one month improvement. If we reached our goals parents would reward us by cooking brownies, popcorn, sodas, 20 minutes free time, the principal even bought into our action. She was so proud of the achievement of the students on the standardize test that she sat on the roof of the building for 3 hours. The deal was if 75% of the students had ITBS test scores of 50 or better or if 75% of the class improved their test scores by 3 points from last year she would spend the night on the roof. The students did not reach their goal however rather than say oh well. She decided she would spend 3 or 4 hours on the roof. Next year if they want her to spend the night they know what they must do. Hope this will help you in your class with your students. -LASAL98 I will be teaching first grade this year and plan to implement the following reward system. Each day, students will have the opportunity to earn one or more pennies (photocopied from our math book). They can use those pennies to purchase things at the store on Friday afternoons. One of the things they may wish to purchase is a coupon for extra free time, or a "get out of ...." free coupon (I haven't worked that out yet). I don't know how it will work, yet. As the year goes on, I will introduce nickels and dimes, and raise the prices in the store. -Lauren We have a program called 100 Minute Club. All students (K-5) are expected to read 100 minutes weekly. Parents sign weekly verification slips. We ask that they either read 20-30 minutes nightly during the school week or spread it out to include the weekend as long as it equals 100 minutes. K,1 students are read to by family members to earn their minutes at beginning of year. We reward all students who have completed this weekly requirement at our 6 weeks awards ceremony. They receive certificates and usually something additional like pencils, ice cream from cafeteria, DQ gift certificates, etc. It has grown to be very successful. -Linda/OH A few more related ideas: [I'm reminded] of something funny that happened this past year. My students had been really good, so I told them they could vote on a movie. One of my fifth graders voted for Cheech and Chong Up in Smoke. He was even quoting some of the funny parts. I couldn't keep myself from laughing!! Make sure that if you are choosing movies they are appropriate. One of the other teachers was talked into showing Son In Law to her 5th grade class! I could have told her that it wouldn't be appropriate, but she didn't think her students would watch anything like that! HAHA -Tracy Keirns Taken from Teachnet.com website 187 Make sure that if you are choosing movies they are appropriate. Not only that, but preview it with teacher's eyes! I once showed a reading rainbow type of movie. I tried previewing it...got about half way through, though it was fine! They were just reading the story, flipping the pages of a kid’s book!! WRONG.....Remember the scene where he is imagined in his birthday suit? In this version of the book they showed him...FULL frontal nudity, pubic hairs and all! If I could have leaped out of the room and committed suicide I would have! I was teaching 2nd grade, and THANK GOD I learned early on not to react. I didn't (hard as it was) kept watching.....till the end. (No more nudity scenes). Not one child said a thing to a parent. They looked at me, I had a stoic face, they looked back at the movie. I was convinced I was going to lose my job! Since then, every new movie I show, I watch till the end! Now, when I think of it I die laughing. -Teri 4/5 Read the books by Jane Nelson and Stephen Glenn on Positive Discipline. I followed the steps they outline. My 2nd graders did well with it. I think it really made a difference in morale, and in the atmosphere of the classroom. I also felt more relaxed and could focus on the important things. I had previously tried using extrinsic rewards, but they don't feel right to me. Another excellent book on this topic is "Punished By Rewards" by Alfie Kohn. -Michele Contributions ----------------------Since I have structured my 5th grade classroom into 5 teams of 6 students, I used a point system this year that proved to be very effective. I keep a point chart at the front of the room that is really a pocket chart for sentences. Each team gets to select a team name that goes along with the topic we are studying. The "point person" for each group uses a dry-erase marker to put up the earned points. My students earn points for completing a transition within a time limit, when I catch them being good, etc. The area that this is most helpful in is students turning in their homework. I award 10 points for each team where all the members have their homework. This positive peer pressure has even my unmotivated students turning in his/her work!! 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place ribbons are moved daily as the points are daily totaled. At the end of each week the winning team has a blue ribbon posted on the wall and gets the special classroom privileges (lining up first, errands, passing out/taking up papers, etc.) At the end of each 9 weeks, the winning team gets a pizza party with the teacher!! This has really promoted an environment of cooperation and enthusiasm in my classroom and several parents have commented that their child thinks school is "FUN" this year!! Karen Taken from Teachnet.com website 188 Responsive Classroom Strategies By Ruth Sidney Charney The Three R's of Logical Consequences Danny is the first one to get irate when a classmate denies that he was tagged during their recess game. But then, when Danny gets tagged, he refuses to freeze, ignoring the rules. Sore feelings result unless Danny gets his way. The next time the teacher notices this happen, she calls Danny over. "Take a break," she tells him. "What did I do?" he cries. "I want you to watch the game and tell me what you see happen when people are tagged. And tell me the rule." Danny goes over to the fence and sinks to the ground, covering his face with his hands, refusing to watch. The teacher ignores him and continues to observe the game. After a while Danny picks up his head and starts to watch. "Teacher, can I go back now," he calls. "Not yet," she replies. "You need to do your research first." "If you get tagged, you freeze," he reports quickly. "But I didn't…" "More research," the teacher says. "I don't see anyone else arguing. So, what are they doing?" Eventually, Danny finds the words and shows he knows the correct behavior for the game. "Tomorrow," the teacher tells him, "I want you to model for us the 'taggers' choice rule,' okay?" Then she adds, "When everyone follows the rules, what happens to the game?" "It's more fair, "Danny admits. "Yes. It's more fair." The teacher nods. In this way, Danny was held to the rules, was not allowed to intimidate others, and also remained engaged in the process. Logical consequences were implemented. Logical Consequences Children can be counted on to forget the rules. At times, they might even choose not to follow them when impulse and immediate gratification hold sway -- to take another run around the playground; to dawdle their way to a lesson; to pass a note; to make a rude gesture; or to use feet, not words, to settle a dispute. When a reminder fails to redirect behavior, teachers using a Responsive Classroom™ approach and implement logical consequences. Logical consequences, as discussed in the last article, are ways in which adults’ structure learning opportunities for children when natural consequences pose too much harm. The goal is to help children recover their self-controls and, with guidance, make constructive choices -- choices that help preserve the integrity of the individual and of the community. 189 A logical consequence generally has two steps. The first step is to stop the misbehavior. The second step is to provide an action that recalls children to the rules, reinstates the limits, and teaches alternative behaviors. 'Logical consequences' is a strategy that seeks to help children learn from their mistakes. In my experience, children are more apt to learn from mistakes when adults implement consequences with respect and firmness. How we approach children when they mess-up matters. In the Responsive Classroom approach, we advocate using criteria we title, "the three R's." The Three R's of Logical Consequences: Logical consequences are respectful, relevant, and realistic. Respectful Respect is conveyed through words and nonverbal gestures. • Use a normal tone of voice. Avoid sarcasm • Speak directly and quietly to the student. Whenever possible, avoid calling across a room or raising your voice. • Focus on the deed and not on the doer. Convey the message that it is the behavior you object to, not the student. • Be clear and firm and don't negotiate. "You need to leave the circle now," gives a precise direction. "You were talking and jabbing your pencil, etc. etc. etc" gives too much information, and opens the teacher up to argument: "I was not…He was too.." Relevant A consequence needs to be logically related to the students' actions. • It helps children see a cause and effect. (For example, when you talk, your work doesn't get done.) • It references the rules. ("What do our rules say about name-calling?") • It focuses on the specific problems created when rules are broken. ("When you tell me you're going to the bathroom and instead you fool around in the hall, what happens to our trust?") • It focuses on individual responsibility and accountability for helping preserve a safe learning community. (A student ignores the signal for quiet and keeps on talking with a neighbor. The teacher points out that the signal is a way to make sure everyone can receive directions quickly. It keeps everyone safe. Thus this student needs to see that his or her behavior is not responsible. The teacher implements a short time-out period for the student to recover controls and observe the limits. Later, the teacher perhaps will arrange a practice time so the student can return to the group and show by hid or her actions the "signal" procedures.) 190 Realistic A consequence should be something the teacher and student can follow through on. • There is a reasonable follow-through action expected by the student. (A student who is not looking where he or she is going spills paint all over the floor. The student will help clean it up, but is not expected to mop the entire class, the hall, and the lunchroom as well.) • There is a clear time frame that is appropriate to the developmental age of the student and the behaviors of the student. (A two-minute time out might or might not give a student time to recover controls. If the student returns to the group before he or she has truly regulated the behavior or while he or she is still pouting and angry, it is likely the misbehaviors will quickly resume.) • Time frame makes sense -- it is not too long and thus harsh, or too short and thus ineffective. (A student sent on an errand gets caught playing with the water fountain in the hall. The student loses the privileges of running errands for a few days or the rest of the week -- depending on the behavior, prior experience, and so on -- but not for a month or forever!) Remember, children need on-going opportunities to learn from their mistakes, develop their self-controls, and regain trust. • The teacher is prepared to follow-through and implement. (Told that homework that isn't handed in has to be made up after school or before school begins, teachers need to check the homework and reinforce expectations, as well as be realistic about their own time availability and parent communication. No empty threats!) In sum, logical consequences applied with respect, relevancy, and realistic guidelines help children understand the consequences of their own choices and, hopefully, help them learn from their mistakes. Article by Ruth Sidney Charney Education World® Copyright © 2005 Education World 191 Twenty-Five Discipline Don’ts 1. Don’t waste time trying to prove that you are right and your students are wrong. Instead, work together with your students to solve problems. 2. Don’t let a situation strip you of your objectivity or cause you to lose your temper. 3. Don’t take student misbehavior personally. Distance yourself emotionally from student misdeeds and remain objective. 4. Don’t create problems by tempting your students. Don’t leave valuables lying around, don’t leave the room unsupervised, and don’t allow students opportunities to cheat because you are not monitoring. 5. Don’t confront a student in front of the class. Not only will this create a disruption that will upset everyone who watches, but the misbehaving student may act even worse to avoid more embarrassment. Talk to misbehaving students privately whenever you can. 6. Don’t force a student to apologize. This will only humiliate the student and is not likely to result in a sincere apology. 7. Don’t subtract points from a student’s grade because of misbehavior. A grade reflects a student’s academic progress, not his or her behavior. 8. Don’t touch an angry student. Your innocent touch can be misconstrued. 9. Don’t neglect to intervene when a problem is small enough to be handled simply. 10. Don’t label students negatively. Their behavior may be bad, but they are not bad people. 11. Don’t be too quick to send a student to an administrator. Handle your own problems as often as you can. 12. Don’t jump straight to a referral for a pattern of small offenses. Establish a management plan where consequences build in severity as misbehavior continues. 13. Don’t assign double negative consequences. Not allowing a student to join classmates at recess and also assigning a detention is an example of double negative consequences. 14. Don’t remain angry at students who have misbehaved. Knowing hat you are till angry will not encourage students to behave better after they have made mistakes. 15. Don’t reward student for improper behavior. Allowing students to make fun of each other or just rolling your eyes as they do are two ways that you reward improper behavior. 16. Don’t attempt to threaten or bully your students into behaving well. It won’t work. 17. Don’t just tell them to stop; tell them what they must do to be successful. 18. Don’t hide a serious problem such as cheating in an attempt to help the student. Involve other concerned adults and follow your school’s policy. 19. Don’t punish in anger. Calm down and think before you act. 20. Don’t assign academic work as punishment. The consequence should match the misbehavior. 21. Don’t punish a group of student for the behavior of some. 22. Don’t be confrontational. Take a problem-solving approach instead. 23. Don’t order an angry student to comply with your demands. 24. Don’t bargain with your students to coax them to behave better. Enforce your rules instead. 25. Don’t be inconsistent. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Teacher’s Survival Kit 192 Teachers, Start Your Engines: Management Tips from the Pit Crew Who said classroom management has to be boring? The editors at Education World offer 20 successful classroom management strategies to get your year off to a great start and keep your classroom running smoothly throughout the entire year. Included: 20 tips for taking attendance, motivating students, rewarding good behavior, and more! Every teacher knows that the right strategies can make the difference between a calm classroom and a classroom in constant chaos. Teachers in well-organized classrooms in which students know and follow clearly defined rules and routines spend less time disciplining and more time teaching. To help keep your classroom running like a well-oiled machine in the coming year, we've collected some successful -and often fun -- classroom management techniques from teachers across the country and around the world. Start The Day The Right Way Words of welcome. Many teachers have found that the best way to start each day is by greeting students at the door. A warm personal welcome sets the tone for the day and gives the teacher a chance to assess each student's mood and head off problems before they start. One teacher reports that she offers her younger students a choice of three greetings -- a handshake, a high five, or a hug. Their responses, she says, tell her a lot about how each student is feeling that day. A sea of calm. Kids who arrive at school wound up or upset often calm down, experienced teachers say, if classical music is playing as they enter the classroom. Some teachers also turn the lights down low and project the morning's brainteaser or bell ringer activity onto the chalkboard with an overhead projector. That spotlight in the dimly lit room helps focus students' attention on the day ahead. Time's a Wastin'! For most teachers, there are never enough hours in a day. Saving even a few minutes of your time can make a big difference in what you accomplish this year. On the move. Increase flexibility in seat assignments -- and make life easier for substitutes -- by creating a visual seating chart. Take a digital photograph of each child in the class. Print the photos and write the student's name at the bottom. Attach a Velcro dot to the back of each photo and to a seating chart created on laminated poster board. The Velcro allows seats to be changed as necessary, and substitutes love being able to easily identify each student. Make it up. When distributing work sheets, place copies in folders for absent students. At the end of the day, simply label each folder with the absent students' names, and missed work is ready for the students' return. Would you sign in, please? Avoid time-consuming attendance routines by following the technique used by a Washington teacher. Write each child's name on a strip of tag board, laminate it, and glue a magnet to the back. Each day, post a question and possible answers on a whiteboard. Students can "sign in" by placing their magnets in the appropriate answer column. Questions might be personal, such as "Do you own a pet?"; trivial, such as "What was the name of the Richie's mother on Happy Days?"; or curriculum related. Make attendance count. If you prefer to take attendance individually, make it meaningful. Instead of calling out students' names and waiting for them to say "Here," ask each student a quick question related to the previous day's work. 193 Where's My Pencil? The average teacher spends $400 a year of his or her own money on classroom supplies. At that price, holding on to the supplies you have can be a priority. But who has time to search every child's backpack for borrowed pencils? These teacher-tested techniques can save your money and your sanity. Forget-me-nots. A South Dakota teacher uses floral tape to attach large silk flowers to the tops of the pens and pencils she keeps for student use -- turning the writing tools into hard-to-forget flowers. The "flowers," kept in a vase on the teacher's desk, also serve to brighten up the room. Do you have a shoe to spare? If you find the flower pens cumbersome, try the technique used by an Iowa teacher. She allows students who forget their pens or pencils to borrow one -- if they give her one of their shoes. Students only get the shoe back when they return the pencil. No half-shod student ever forgets to return that borrowed pencil! Neither a borrower nor a lender be. This tip comes from one of Education World's regular contributors. It developed, says Brenda Dyck, a teacher at Masters Academy and College, in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, because she grew tired of dealing with students who came to class without pencils, texts, or homework. In Dyck's classroom, each student starts the term with 100 points toward a "Preparedness Grade." If they come to class with a pen or pencil, textbook, and completed homework, they get to keep the 100 points. Every time they show up without any one of those things, however, one point is subtracted from their grade. The students' report cards include a category called "preparedness," which counts toward their final grade. "For some reason, keeping their 100 points is quite motivational for my middle school students," Dyck says. "Unprepared students have become almost nonexistent in my classes. I've been amazed!" Motivation Discipline problems, experienced teachers say, can be greatly reduced if students are properly motivated -- to come to school, to arrive on time, and to work diligently while they're there. Some simple techniques can make doing the right thing even more fun than misbehaving. Round 'em up. First you have to get them there. Discourage absenteeism by randomly choosing one student's desk or chair each day and placing a sticker beneath it. The student who arrives to find the sticker under his or her seat gets to choose a small prize. If the student is absent, of course, the prize is forfeited. (And the other students are always happy to pass along that news!) Don't be late. A teacher in California discourages tardiness by inviting students who are not in their seats when the bell rings to go to the front of the room and sing a song. "Sometimes we have a duet, a trio, and even a choir," she says. "It puts a smile on everyone's face and starts the class in an upbeat way. And no one has been more than 30 seconds late since I started using this technique!" Can you spell homework? A simple group motivation technique can be helpful in encouraging students to complete their homework. Every day all students in the class complete their homework assignments, write one letter of the word homework on the chalkboard. When the word is completed, treat the entire class to a special reward. 194 Not a minute to waste. Do you find yourself losing precious minutes as you attempt to change activities, line up for specials, or return from recess? Tell students that they are going to be rewarded for the time they don't waste during the day. Explain that you will give them 3 minutes a day of wasted time. They can use up that time each day or save it up and use it for something special. Agree on something students could do with the "wasted" time and decide how much time they will need to save for that special event. Tell students that as soon as they've saved the required amount of time, they will be able to hold their special event. Each day, give students three minutes. When they waste time during the day, start a stopwatch, time the amount of time wasted, and subtract it from the three minutes. You'll be surprised at how quickly your students learn the value of a minute! The door swings out. Sometimes it seems as though you have a swinging classroom door -- leading straight to the restroom. How do you determine if those restroom requests are legitimate or just an excuse to leave the room? Stop guessing! You can discourage middle and high school students from asking to leave the room unnecessarily by providing an unwieldy or embarrassing hall pass. Some suggestions: an old wooden toilet seat or a huge stuffed animal. You Done Good! Many new teachers make the mistake of thinking that discipline is all about dealing with poor behavior. In reality, the best discipline is the kind that encourages good behavior. Try one of these strategies for encouraging students to do the right thing. The victory dance. At the beginning of the year, help students create a classroom victory dance. When you want to reward them, either individually or as a group, allow them a minute or two to perform the dance. Cheers. Reward students for good work and good behavior with a silent cheer. And the winner is ... Throughout the week, "catch" students in the act of doing something good -whether it's good work or a good deed. Write down each student's name and good behavior on a slip of paper, and place it in a jar. At the end of the week, draw a few names from the jar and hand out small prizes to the winners of the drawing. I spy. Create character "tickets" by writing the words I Spy, along with a list of positive character traits, on slips of paper. When you see a student demonstrating one of those traits, circle the trait and write the student's name on the paper. At the end of each month, count the papers and name the student with the most tickets "student of the month." Display his or her picture on a classroom bulletin board, and at the end of the year, reward all students of the month with a pizza party or another special treat. Poppin' good. Each time the entire class receives a compliment from another teacher, completes their homework, or behaves particularly well, place a small scoop of un-popped popcorn in a jar. When the jar is full, have a popcorn party. Now You're Cooking! What are you going to do with all those great tips to make sure you don't forget them? Print this article and cut it up into individual suggestions. Paste each idea to an index card and file them under an appropriate category in a recipe box. It's a sure-fire "recipe" for a successful year! Article by Linda Starr Education World® Copyright © 2002 Education World Taken from www.educationworld.com 195 Defusing/Breaking Up Fights Between Students From: Dwight Hodgin Student Support Specialist/Student Assistant Program PCHS: Room 104 Ph. Ext. 5271 1. Assess the situation. Don’t over react and rush in. walk… don’t run to the fight scene! 2. Use repeated verbal commands. Don’t scream. Use a firm and appropriate verbal command (i.e. “Stop fighting!” Use the students’ name if you know them.) 3. Disperse the crowd with repeated verbal commands. 4. Send (call) for assistance. Send student to get another teacher, liaison officer or administrator. 5. Remove any items from the area that can cause injury. 6. Make mental or written note, if possible. ƒ Who is involved? ƒ Are others antagonizing/instigating it? 7. Avoid stepping between fighting students; you can unintentionally be struck or shoved. 8. During a fight, always be aware of what is going on around you. 9. Before separating students who are fighting, it is suggested to have another adult involved. If you are trying to restrain on student and are holding him or her, the other student could hit the student you are holding. 10. First, before deciding to restrain a student, assess his/her size, strength and anger level. 11. If you choose to physically restrain a student, do so at the chest and upper arm Level making sure you keep your head on one side of the student’s heard, not directly behind his/her head, so their head dos not unintentionally hit you in the face. Never grab a student around the neck! 12. Physical intervention is a choice, but you must use reasonable verbal intervention and seek assistance. (i.e. “STOP FIGHTING NOW!) NOTE: According to the Michigan Law, if a student is injured when you find it necessary to restrain him/her, you are NOT subject to liability as a school employee. The key is that you use good judgment and reasonable physical restraint measures. 196 Building Student Self-Esteem Self-esteem is how people feel about themselves. It’s their perception of self-worth. If students have positive self-esteem, they feel good about themselves. If students have negative self-esteem they will not value themselves and will be presented to others as negative. Ultimately, the results of self-esteem shows up everywhere. Since there is a correlation between academic achievement and self-esteem, you become a facilitator of self-esteem and can make a difference. You can promote a feeling within a child of being lovable and capable. As the teacher, you can create a safe and accepting environment where the child feels free to grow and change. As you begin to shape a child’s self-esteem, you also begin to nurture hour own. Tips for Fostering Self-esteem • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Be non-judgmental – accept students as they are Validate feelings See uniqueness Encourage positively – say “You can succeed” Reaffirm a child’s existence – a touch, a compliment Respect others’ feelings Provide undivided recognition Provide a safe classroom – minimize risk Foster openness and honesty Participate, as well as facilitate – share feelings Keep boundaries that allow give and take Emphasize what each child knows Use humor, but not at the expense of students Give children choices Teach self-awareness Acknowledge positive qualities Use “I” messages – “Heather, I heard exciting events in your story.” Separate the action from the person Demonstrate appropriate ways of releasing anger Listen reflectively and genuinely Give support for growth and change Develop skills to help child feel better about him/herself Use praise 197 Praise All children do not react to praise the same way. Your objective in using praise is to get children to develop an internal locus of control to improve behavior and academic achievement. Suggested uses of praise: • • • • • • • • Give praise for desired behavior, and define the behavior. “Thank you for picking up the paper. You really helped the class save time.” Vary your praise and be creative. Don’t use trite phrases such as: great, fine and wonderful. At times, give praise privately to avoid competition, embarrassment or “teacher’s pet” syndrome. Praise needs to be genuine and matched by your body language. Draw the student’s attention to his/her effort and ability. “You sure learned those 10 addition facts quickly. You must have spent a lot of time practicing.” Be careful not to compare children to each other. “Gee, you have almost caught up to Karen.” Avoid teacher pleasing phrases. “I really like the way you used descriptive words in your poem.? Don’t minimize a child’s success. “Your math assignment must have been easy. You finished so quickly.” 198 Creating a Positive Work Environment One of the most important relationships you will cultivate in your first year of teaching is that with your co-workers. Establishing positive relationships with those that you work with is an essential component to a successful teaching career. Not only will the relationships you form with your co-workers provide you with resources and suggestions for making your first year of teaching successful; but they will provide you with the emotional support and listening skills you are certain to use during your first teaching year. 199 Creating a Positive Work Environment Becoming a Team Player in Your School • Becoming a Valuable Team Player o For many people, it comes as no surprise that the primary reason that many employees are fired is not poor job performance, but the inability to work well with others. Schools are like other organizations in that there, too, employees must learn to work well with others. • 10 Teamwork Skills that Build Success o According to an ancient Japanese proverb, “None of us are as smart as all of us.” Teams make the workload easier and the task more pleasant only if all of the team members have the skills to work well together. But just what does it take to be a good team member? The following ten teamwork skills are a good place to start. o Teachers who are good team members… 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. …build bridges of understanding and connectedness to their colleagues and students. …treat all people in their work community with courtesy. …listen to all other opinions before making decisions. …are reliable and can be counted on to keep their promises. …commit themselves to the good of the school. …are quick to celebrate the hard work and success of others. …are prepared to compromise when a group decision depends on it. …cheerfully offer help to other colleagues when needed …are cheerleaders for their school. …are sensitive to the needs and feelings of others. Now look at each of the above teamwork skills. See each one as a goal to work towards and literally determine the steps you need to take to achieve each of these goals. Make sure that the steps you decide to take are achievable and geared to your success. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 200 Journal Entries to Help You Become a Valuable Team Player Create a Journal! Creating and keeping an updated journal of your thoughts and ideas during your first year of teaching is an excellent method for you to reflect upon both your triumphs and your difficult situations. Below are some sample questions you may want to reflect up on in your journal in order to help you become a valuable member of your school’s educational team. • Are you a trustworthy faculty member? Explore ways in which you can enhance this attribute. • Who among your peers supports your growth as a teacher? In what ways can you benefit from this support? • What is the best piece of advice about education you have ever received? Explore ways in which you apply this in your role as an educator. • What keeps you from listening? How does this affect your role as a teacher? What steps can you take to become a better listener? • What strengths have you developed as a teacher? What strengths have you observed in your colleagues? How can you learn from them? • As a first- year teacher, it is often difficult to fit into the school environment. What roles do you play in that environment right now? What roles can you anticipate that you will play in the future? • What are some of the contributions that you make to your school? What do you add to a friendly and professional atmosphere? What contributions can you make in the future? How will you go about this? • What are some of the negative comments you have heard in an evaluation conference? How can you benefit from those comments? How do you plan to use constructive criticism to improve how you teach? • What emotions do you feel before a parent teacher conference? What emotions do you imagine that the parents feel? How do you imagine students feel? How can you deal with those emotions successfully so that everyone benefits? • What unexpected courtesies have you noticed at school lately? What problems could these courtesies have prevented? How can you add unexpected courtesies to your school environment? Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 201 On-the-Job Courtesy – New Teacher Etiquette Now that you have minded your manners long enough to make it through the initial interviews that resulted in your new career, it is time to develop the business manners that will guarantee your success. Follow theses suggestions to present yourself as a courteous professional. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Refer to other adults in the building by their title and last name in front of students. Greet absolutely everyone you meet with a pleasant smile. Do not allow your students to complain to you about another teacher. Pay attention during faculty meetings. Be known as a punctual person. Plan ahead so that you don’t have to ask to cut in line at the photocopier. Be extra careful to say “please” and “thank you”. Take care to remember this in stressful times. Don’t repeat gossip. Leave your work area clean. If you use the paper cutter, pick up scraps; if you spill food at lunch, wipe up the mess. Answer the phone or respond to the intercom message in a businesslike manner. Be very polite to all cafeteria staff members and expect that your students will do the same. If you are having a disagreement with a colleague, be careful to remain calm and professional. Never raise your voice. Absolutely never stage such a disagreement in front of students. If you see another teacher struggling with books, papers, or any of those other packages that teachers lug around, offer to help carry a couple of items or hold the door. If you borrow it, (ask first) and (promptly) return it. Keep the noise level in your class down so that you don’t disturb other classes. Meet your students at the door with a friendly word. Share your materials, supplies, and other resources. Respect the class time of other teachers. Unless there is an emergency, try not to interrupt another teacher’s instruction. Do not make students late to another teacher’s class or ask that they be allowed to miss another class to come to yours instead. Share the phone lines. There will never be enough phones in a school, so be careful to limit your phone conversations to business matters. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 202 Working Well With Your Supervisors If you want to establish a positive relationship with your supervisors, you will need to take positive action. Don’t just hope that on one will notice you because you are a first-year teacher. In fact, you are particularly noticeable just because you are a first-year teacher! Follow these suggestions to establish a positive working relationship with all of your supervisors. • If you work in a large school, you will probably work with a large number or administrators. Get to know each one as well as you can as quickly as you can. • Behave in a professional manner at all times. This will win you the support of administrators not only because it will make their jobs easier, but also because a solid reputation will make it easier for an administrator to support you when you make mistakes. • Take time to familiarize yourself with the information in your faculty manual. This will help you avoid mistakes that may lead to negative interaction with your supervisors. • Your administrators are responsible for the entire school and you are responsible for only a very small part of it. If you can achieve this mind set, you’ll find that it is easier to understand some of the policies or decisions that you might otherwise find confusing. • Accept the fact that you are not always going to agree with the decisions and actions of the administrators with whom you work, but public criticism of their actions can seriously damage your professional reputation. Think before you voice criticism in public. • Don’t threaten to send your students to the office instead of independently resolving the problem using other, more successful methods of discipline. Maintain control of your classroom, so that when you have to send a child out of class, the action will have meaning – to students as well as administrators. • Once you have referred a student to an administrator, you may disagree with an administrator’s discipline decision, but you should not publicly criticize that action. Instead, make an appointment to discuss the situation with the administrator. • Remember to always be professional in your dealings with administrators. Always present a calm and competent image, not an image of a furious teacher lacking in self-control. • Regardless of your personal feelings toward a supervisor, always model the respect that you want your students to show towards your supervisors. • When you make mistakes, be truthful in discussing it with your supervisors. And if you can do this before they find out the bad news from someone else, you should do so. • Share your successes with your supervisors. Help them create successful public relations for your school by letting them know about noteworthy positive news about your students. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 203 Exhibiting Professional Behavior at Staff Meetings No matter how friendly and informal the atmosphere is in your school, faculty meetings are serious business. If you’ve never had a job where staff meetings were routinely scheduled to work out problems or share information, adjusting to professional faculty meetings may be difficult for you at first. And while you may quickly become bored with information that you believe you have already heard many times; do not give in to temptation to act on this feeling. Staff Meeting Etiquette • Be on time. • Mark meetings on your calendar. • If you have to be absent, contact the person in charge of the meeting to let him or her know that you will not be there. • Arrange for a friend to take notes and collect handouts for you. • Sit near the front and take notes. Bring a paper and pen. Keep a notebook specifically for staff meetings. • Pay attention to the speaker and follow along on your agenda. Do not chat while the speaker is leading the meeting. This is not only rude to the speaker and to the people around you who are trying to hear, but it marks you as a rude person to your colleagues. • Even though you may have a tall stack of tests to grade, it is still rude to grade papers or do other paperwork in a meeting. • Turn off your beeper or cell phone Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 204 The Teacher’s Lounge A teacher’s lounge offers a haven for teachers who want to take a break and still be in the company of others. In a lounge you can enjoy a rare opportunity to socialize with your colleagues during the school day. You can also share ideas and solicit suggestions for solutions to problems you may be having with your classes. If you are fortunate enough to work in a school with a teachers’ lounge, take advantage of the opportunities it offers, but be sure to avoid its pitfalls. The advantages of a Teachers Lounge: • A time and space to relax and get away from your desk. • Communication with other staff members about shared experiences. • Comfortable eating area specifically designed with adults in mind. The Pitfalls of a Teachers’ Lounge • The first pitfall of a teachers lounge is shared space. A lounge is not for intense work requiring concentration and quiet unless everyone in the room agrees to this. It is also not the place to share intimate details of your weekend with a colleague who is also a close friend. Personal matters should be discussed in private. • The second pitfall of a teachers’ lounge involves student intrusions. Students should not be in the lounge. Do not send students to the lounge to collect papers that you left behind, or to purchase a snack, or for any reason. Respect the privacy of other teachers who may be there for a break from the demands of their students. You should also never discuss students in the lounge. This is an unprofessional practice. • A final caveat: Gossip of any kind – about other teachers and especially about students- is never acceptable in the lounge. Do not allow yourself to initiate or participate in this unprofessional practice. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 205 Maintaining a Private Social Life Watch what you reveal about yourself to your colleagues and to your students. If you are indiscreet about sharing details of your personal life, expect to have the details not only gossiped about in homes all over your school district, but wildly embellished. Be very careful what you reveal about yourself to your colleagues and even more so about what you reveal to your students. Follow these guidelines to keep your social life private: • It is not a sensible idea to purchase alcohol, tobacco products, or other very personal items in a place where you could run into your students, their family members, or unsympathetic colleagues. • If you eat out in a restaurant, limit your alcohol intake. In fact, to avoid hearing rumors of how you were publicly intoxicated, avoid purchasing alcohol in places where you could meet someone connected to your school. • Avoid sharing too much information about your personal life at work. It is one thing for your colleagues to learn that you have a new puppy; it is quite another for you to tell about how the puppy accompanied you and your new boyfriend on a romantic weekend adventure. • Do not make personal phone calls or send personal e-mails at school. The phone calls may be overheard and school e-mail is not private. • If you decide to date a staff member, keep your relationship as private as possible. Your students should have absolutely no idea that you are involved with a fellow staff member. The less you say about the details of your personal life to your students, the better. Instead, model acceptable and mature behavior. Before you reveal anything about your personal life, ask yourself, “Would I be comfortable revealing this if a school board member were in the room?” Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 206 “How do I get support from more senior teachers?” FAQ taken from the Michigan Education Association website: Integrating yourself into a positive work environment is essential towards establishing a positive teaching career. One key aspect of creating a positive work environment is seeking support and suggestions from senior teachers on your teaching staff. While this seems like a simple task, you will benefit from reading the suggestions listed for you below and heeding the advice of other first year teachers as they completed their freshman year of teaching. • First, be sincere. Are you really looking for their support and suggestions or are you trying to “wow” them with your ideas and enthusiasm? • Second, don’t assume because their style may be more subdued than yours that there isn’t real learning going on in their classroom. They may not wear their dedication on their sleeve, but that doesn’t mean they don’t share your commitment to teaching. • Third, if you want support, give support. If you want constructive criticism, make sure your comments are constructive. • Fourth, whether the teacher is a veteran or fairly new to the profession, the greatest threat to a non-growing teacher is a teacher who is growing. At work as in life, do not listen to cynical, non-growing people. Move on. Find yourself a mentor who will inspire you and who will serve as a role model for your continued growth. It’s a good idea to look for support and input from more experienced teachers. When teachers learn together, test ideas together and solve problems together, everyone in the school community benefits. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 207 Diversity in the Workplace What is your role as a first-year faculty member in a diverse workplace? While the parameters of your workplace will dictate the specific actions that your school will take to include all faculty members in the common goal of educating students, the following guidelines will assist you in finding a way to become a team player in the “global classroom” in your school. 1. Keep an open mind. Realize that you can learn a great deal from people whose backgrounds are very different from yours. Work with your students to help them learn to value people from other cultures. Everyone benefits when a diverse workplace is a successful workplace. 2. Make sure that your language is appropriate. Be aware that the names you use and the things that you may criticize when referring to people of other cultures are very real reflections for your own thinking. Make sure that your language is reflective of an open-minded, welleducated person who values people of other cultures. 3. Reach out! If you sometimes feel ill at ease in your school environment, think how much more difficult it is for teachers of other cultures. Be friendly to everyone. Show a genuine interest in and respect for another person’s culture. HINT: To find further information on how to thrive in a diverse workplace see Understanding Diversity under the Resources section of this handbook. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 208 Collaborating with Special Education Teachers When special needs students were “included” in all classrooms, special education teachers and general education teachers began forming teams to help students requiring special accommodations in inclusion classes. The unique feature of this collaboration is that frequently both teachers are present in the classroom at the same time, and both maintain a join responsibility for the education of all students in their class. These collaborative teams of teachers face an important challenge: how to successfully share the duties of the class so that they have common goals regarding delivering instruction, assessing progress, and managing behavior. Research reveals that successful collaboration is highly likely if team teachers see themselves as equal partners who are actively engaged in all parts of the teaching process. When collaborative teachers begin to work together, they must realize that they both have expertise in a particular field and that, by sharing that expertise, they can form a strong team to meet the needs of the learners in their shared class. A typical division of responsibilities between team members: The general education teacher’s responsibilities include: • Creating activities to teach the content • Finding and adapting resource material for all students • Delivering effective instruction • Meeting the curriculum requirements of all students The special education teacher’s responsibilities include: • Adapting material to meet the needs of special needs students • Adapting activities to match the learning styles of special needs students • Modifying assessments • Meeting the curriculum requirements of special needs students What makes it possible for two teachers with different educational backgrounds to work together in a successful collaboration? The primary requirement for a positive working relationship is a commitment on the part of both teachers to work together for the common good of their students. Both teachers should agree to: • Plan lessons together • Follow the same classroom management procedures • Be dependable team members • Discuss controversial class events in civil tones and in privacy • Assume equal responsibility for what happens in class • Present a united front to students • Share monitoring duties and maintain an orderly classroom environment for all students • Share resource materials • Schedule time to work together on a regular basis HINT: To learn more about collaborating with Special Education teacher see Special Education under the Resources section of this handbook. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 209 Working Successfully with Paraeducators Paraeducators are professionals who assist special education teacher and general education teachers by working directly with students. Paraeducators will often be the people with whom special needs students have the closest contact all day. Paraeducators can assume a variety of tasks in the classroom depending on the particular needs of their students. As a part of an inclusion team or as teaching assistants in your classroom, the paras that you work with will best be able to help you and your students if you work together well. The following tips will help you and the paraeducators that you work with learn to work together successfully. • Make sure that you include paraeducators in meetings you have with parents and administrators about students. Paras can often offer special insights about the students they work with. • Treat paraeducators with professional courtesy at all times. • Once you determine the strengths and special skills of the paras you work with, tap into those skills to help your students. For example, if you have a para that is excellent at reading aloud, encourage him or her to read to students. • You should decide together what the para’s role should be in various aspects of class. Plan exactly what duties and responsibilities you are both comfortable with and remain flexible to change as the term progresses. • Anticipate and clarify issues that might cause problems. For example, what kinds of interventions should the para make if students are misbehaving. • Unless a paraeducator is also a certified teacher, do not leave him or her in charge of the class while you are absent from the room. The law requires that a certified person supervise students. • Maintain open lines of communication by scheduling time to discuss any problems or concerns that may arise. HINT: To learn more about how to work well with a paraeducator see Paraeducators under the Resources section of this handbook. Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 210 Knowing the Role of Counselors in Your School Taken from the American School Counselor Association website Professional school counselors are certified/licensed professionals with a masters’ degree or higher in school counseling or the substantial equivalent and are uniquely qualified to address the developmental needs of all students. Professional school counselors deliver a comprehensive school counseling program encouraging all students’ academic, career and personal/social development and helping all students in maximizing student achievement. HINT: To learn more about the Role of Counselors in Your School see School Counselors under the Resources section of this handbook. The following are a few areas your school counselor may be able to assist you in: • Advising • Academic goal setting • Academic planning • College preparatory • Academic credits • Family and emotional support • Conflict resolution • Behavior intervention • Networking social workers, school psychologists etc. • Establishing parent contacts • Transfer credit • Assisting in the acclamation of new students • Student support groups • Grades Taken from Julia G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 211 Professional Tips • • • • • • • • • • • Dress as a professional. An adult coming into the school should be able to tell the difference between you and the students. Model respectful behavior towards: √ Self √ Students √ Staff √ Parents Keep student information confidential. Keep informed about educational issues: √ Local √ State √ National Action should reflect your belief that all children can learn. (You are the teacher for all children, not just 80% of them.) Be a salesperson for your content area as well as the profession. Be an active participant to improve the teaching profession. Continue to improve your professional skills by begin a life-long learner: Read journals Attend seminars Participate in workshops and in-services Education Labels AI CA-10 ERIC I.S.D. CA-60 ITIP IEPC LD EMI EI TMI TC MEAP MEA NEA Austically Impaired Attendance book Educational Resource Information Center Intermediate School District Cumulative Records for Students Instructional Theory Into Practice Individualized Educational Planning Committee Learning Disabled Emotionally and Mentally Impaired Emotional Impaired Trainable Mentally Impaired Teacher Consultant Michigan Education Assessment Program Michigan Education Association National Education Association 212 Creating Balance How to Effectively do Your Job and Have a Personal Life While teaching is one of the most rewarding occupations you could have chosen to enter, it is also one of the most demanding and emotionally challenging occupations known. Becoming an effective educator is a challenging task that will take you many years to master, don’t expect to become an expert over night! One of the pitfalls that many new teachers fall into is spending countless hours in the school doing work. It is imperative for your mental health that you find a balance between your new job and your family and social life. 213 20 Strategies for an Educator’s Tough Times Having a bad day? Try the following strategies to banish the stress that comes with a bad day at school. 1. Go to your school’s media center and escape into a good book or read a newspaper 2. Talk thing over with a sympathetic colleague or mentor 3. Take a brisk walk around the perimeter of your building 4. Refuse to take it personally when students are rude or disruptive 5. Find a quiet pot and practice deep breathing exercises 6. Slowly count to one hundred before you speak in anger. Still stressed? Keep counting until you feel yourself relaxing. 7. Find a way to laugh at yourself or the situation 8. If you have too much to do, divide each task into manageable amounts and get busy. 9. Turn on some music. 10. Take a break. Change activities. Do something you enjoy 11. Brainstorm solutions to the cause of your stress 12. Eat a healthful snack. Avoid junk food 13. Acknowledge that you are genuinely upset. Denial doesn’t help you solve problems. 14. Plan a pleasant activity that you can anticipate with pleasure 15. Clear up some clutter. Tidy your desk or your classroom. 16. Shift your activity. Move to another location, if possible 17. Ask for help 18. Tackle busy work: grade quiz papers, answer e-mail, anything to be productive instead of paralyzed by negative emotions. 19. Deal with the problems that cause you stress. Don’t procrastinate. Cope. 20. Remind yourself once again that today’s problems probably won’t be important a year from now- or maybe even a week from now. Taken from Julie G. Thompson’s First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit 214 Get Control of Your Time It's pretty obvious by now that teaching can be a 24-hours per day, seven-days per week, 12-months per year job. Control of your time starts with planning and prioritizing your list of activities each day. Veteran teachers offer these timesaving tips. • If you are still using a paper grade book rather than a computer program, color-code your grade book. Choose a color for attendance, grades, projects and assignments. • Organize your paperwork. Categorize according to priority. Once papers are sorted, deal with them as quickly as possible. • Learn to delegate. Establish rotating class responsibilities to make use of the talents and skills of your students. Use your paraprofessional (if you have one) and student volunteers to assist you. • Write it down. You can't remember everything. Keep a list and take notes in your calendar or planner. • Develop a class conduct sheet so students know what is expected of them. Send a copy home to parents. • Post signs. Try one on your room door that says, "Do you have your book? paper? a pen or pencil?" Store-bought posters make a quick and easy room decoration. • File material by class or subject area. Keep a file box or folder for each class, subject area or theme. • Try to get your papers graded during the day or stay after school to get them graded. If it's acceptable in your district, let some of your assignments be ones that students could grade themselves during class. • Get absolute must-do work accomplished early in the day while you're still fresh. Avoid that frantic catch-up feeling during the day. • If it won't result in losing your job, your family or your life, it's okay to say no when someone asks you to do one more thing. You have a right to a life. Taken from the Michigan Education Association website 215 Take Some Time for Yourself Congratulations! You've made it to the holiday break! For new teachers, that's quite an accomplishment. The rest of the good news is that things will start to get better after the holiday break since you're beginning to feel more comfortable with your students and your teaching. Use the holiday break as a time for rejuvenation. Try these tips to help you survive and thrive. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Put problems behind you. Use the new year as a fresh start if need be. Focus on the future and what you want for yourself and your students. Continue to have high expectations but also face up to reality. Pace yourself and leave room for mistakes. Be clear about your goals and what you want for your students and for yourself. Concentrate on polishing your teaching techniques. Work on improving weak areas. Ask for help from your mentor, your colleagues and the association. Write in a time on your calendar for regular exercise. It's a great stress reliever. If you can, leave you’re teaching at school. If you have to lug schoolwork home, get it done early in the evening. Get plenty of sleep. Leave your classroom issues back in the classroom. Don't lie awake worrying about how you should have handled Johnny or Susie in class. Tomorrow is a new day. Observe good eating habits. Organize a regular eating plan. Don't feel you have to do everything. Get over it! You can't do it all and you won't. Set and recognize reasonable goals for yourself and your students. Keep a "to do" list. Review it daily and try doing at least one or two things you can check off. It will bring a real sense of accomplishment. Find a friend who can be a trusted listener. Your mentor and association rep can fill this role. Don't vent in public; find a private place for your conversations. Don't procrastinate about things you have to do. Get those papers graded rather than let them hang over you. Just think-if we spent as much time doing the job as we do avoiding it, we could have more time for ourselves. Learn to tolerate and forgive. Walk a mile in someone else's shoes to try to understand why he/she might behave in a particular way. Learn to plan ahead. Develop a personal style for getting things done. Organization keeps stress to a minimum. Learn to have fun and laugh at yourself. Smile often - hopefully, you've done this before December! When you're facing a stressful situation, ask yourself, "What's the worst thing than can happen as a result of this?" Anything less than the worst happening will be a pleasant surprise. Reward yourself for your professional achievement. Celebrate your accomplishments! Taken from the Michigan Education Association website 216 Advice for First-Year Teachers -- from the 'Sophomores' Who Survived Last Year! Education World asked the "sophomores" who faced -- and survived -- that dreaded first year to reflect on their successes and failures. First-year teachers, here is their best advice for getting through it. There's no doubt about it. Beginning the school year in a strange environment filled with new faces, unfamiliar procedures, and unknown pitfalls can be a scary prospect. You're the teacher, however, and you can "never let 'em see you sweat." To help you stay cool and dry in the coming year, Education World asked the "sophomores" who faced - and survived -- that dreaded first year last year to reflect on their successes and failures. They offered their best advice for getting through it. What advice did those teachers offer? From North Carolina to Arizona, from Mississippi to Wisconsin, the "grizzled veterans" agreed on several essential points: • Take charge. Wisconsin teacher Dawn Schurman recommended "having a clear discipline plan set up, with both rewards and consequences. Explain it to the kids on day 1 and review throughout the first week. In addition, I'm very glad that I sent home a copy of the discipline plan. I asked parents to read it with their child and for parents and children to sign and return a contract stating that they agreed to the rules. This has come in handy a few times." • Keep students busy and engaged. First-year teacher Jean Federico said "I have one big piece of advice for first-year teachers: Before the first day of school, have plenty of activities prepared for emergency use. I learned the hard way that kids will misbehave if they have nothing to do. A class full of bored kids won't all sit quietly for ten minutes waiting for you to figure out what is next." • Get peer support. Retta Threet, a teacher in Sumter, South Carolina, admitted "My biggest mistake was not insisting on a mentor, or at least a peer teacher. If I had it to do again, I would make a good friend whom I could go to for advice." • Get parental support. North Carolina teacher Jana Lippe suggested "Use your parents as much as you can. Every time I needed supplies for a celebration, I just sent a note home asking for donations. Every time, the parents came through." • Organize yourself. Arizona English teacher Alana Morales advised "Find an organization system that you can live and work with and stick with it. With 120-plus students, it's crucial that you stay organized!" • Organize your students. Said Mississippi teacher Lisa Packard "Don't assume they know how to organize themselves, because they don't. Show them how to organize their notebooks and folders. Show them exactly what you want on their papers and homework." 217 • Write and reflect. Teacher Mike Powell advised "Start keeping a professional journal. After the course of the year, this journal will allow you to reflect on your professional practices and to witness what is probably going to be enormous personal growth." • Have fun. "Do your best and have fun doing it. Once I finally relaxed, I had a great time," said teacher Tracy Keirns. So, with thanks to Dawn, Jean, Retta, Jana, Alana, Lisa, Tracy, Lew, Mike, and all the other teachers who responded to our request, Education World compiled a list of the 26 top tips for surviving the first year. We call them The ABCS For First Year Teachers • Admit your mistakes -- and learn from them. • Be firm but flexible. • Communicate with parents. • Develop a homework policy -- and stick to it. • Empower your students; don't just lecture to them. • Find time to attend after-school events. • Get to know all the teachers in your school and make friends with the cooks, custodians, aides, and secretaries. • Have the courage to try something else if what you're doing isn't working. • Institute a clear discipline policy -- and enforce it consistently. • Just listen -- both to what the kids are saying and to what they're not saying. • Keep a journal. • Learn your school's policies and procedures. • Model desired attitudes and behavior. • Non carborundum ignorami. (Don't let the imbeciles wear you down.) • Overplan. • Prepare interesting lessons. • Quit worrying and just do your best. • Remember that you teach students first, then you teach whatever academic discipline you learned. • Stay alert. • Take pictures. 218 • Understand that the learning process involves everyone -- teachers, students, colleagues, and parents -- and get everyone involved. • Volunteer to share projects and ideas, and don't be afraid to ask others to share their ideas with you. • Work within your limits. • Xpect the unexpected -- and plan for it! • Yell if you need support. • Zero in on your strengths, not your weaknesses. (Remember -- nobody's perfect!) Article by Linda Starr Education World® Copyright © 2002 Education World 219 Escape the Homework Trap Homework can serve a number of purposes-to enhance student learning, to review previous content and to introduce new content. While the benefits of assigning homework are many, don't get caught in the dilemma of assigning homework for homework's sake or not assigning homework because no one does it anyway. Here are some guidelines for keeping the subject of homework in perspective. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Don't give homework as punishment. The value of homework will be lost on your students. Don't give spur-of-the-moment homework assignments. They should be well-thought out and a BE segment of your daily lesson plans. Don't assume that because no questions are asked when you give the assignment that students have no questions about their homework. Be clear in your directions. Write the assignments on the board. Be sure to explain the purpose of the homework assignment, too. Don't expect students-even your best ones-to always have their homework done. Sometimes a student's best intentions for doing homework can be interrupted by the realities of life. Understand that not all kinds of homework assignments are equally valuable for all students. Provide variety in the type of assignments you make to account for different abilities. Offer to help students before and after school with some homework assignments. Sometimes a little help getting started with the assignment is enough encouragement for the student to complete the work at home. Acknowledge and be thankful for students' efforts to complete homework. At the same time, don't confuse excuses with legitimate reasons for undone or incomplete homework assignments with legitimate reasons. ("The dog ate it"; "It was crinkled up and I tried to iron it"; "Homework? What homework?"-clever excuses but probably not legitimate reasons.) Make every effort to acknowledge completed homework assignments. If you grade them, grade and return them right away. Listen to what students say about their experiences with homework. It's a good indicator of how well they understand the lesson. The amount and frequency of homework needs to be appropriate for the grade level. Talk to your mentor and other teachers at your grade level to get a perspective on what's reasonable. Provide students with guidelines for when and how to complete homework or how to get assignments they missed. Determine how you will handle late or missed assignments. Be consistent in your policies. Homework should be a part of your overall assessment of student progress and your own success in presenting a lesson. Let it be just one more way of measuring student learning. Decide whether it's acceptable for students to ask for help with homework from their parents. If so, send home a tip sheet for parents on how they can help. Be sure to talk to your mentor, association reps and other teachers for more tips on handling homework. Taken from Michigan Education Association website 220 When All Else Fails-Try This! The best way to get control of your classroom-and keep it there-is by making sure that learning is fun, interesting and relevant to your students. Good planning helps, but when it seems like even the best lesson plans aren't working, consider these tips from veteran teachers. • Make sure all students can easily see you when you are presenting information or using the chalkboard or AV equipment. • Keep in mind potential distractions-windows, doors, animals, instruction stations. • Locate your desk, work areas, and instructional areas where you can see everyone all the time. Establish Discipline Standards • Students needing extra help or attention should be seated close to the front of the room. • Make sure parents and students know your discipline standards and the consequences when rules are broken. Make sure your rules align with the district's policy. • Be consistent. Be fair. Be positive. • Treat students with the same respect you expect from them. Have students help set classroom guidelines for behavior. • Don't be afraid to laugh at yourself when you make a mistake. • AND. . . Classroom management can be a difficult skill to master. If these tips aren't helping, reevaluate your rules and policies. Talk to your mentor. Let students know you're making some changes and be consistent from then on. Taken from Michigan Education Association website 221 How can I make the most of my first year of teaching? The first year of teaching is a challenging and emotional experience for many new teachers. Researchers at the Santa Cruz New Teacher Project have found that the experiences of beginning teacher tend to fall into predictable phases. You may find yourself experiencing some of the same highs and lows of teacher who contributed to this study. The suggestions in the chart are meant to help you capitalize on the enthusiasm and successes you will experience throughout the year and respond to the challenges all beginning teachers face. The phases are Anticipation, Survival, Disillusionment, Rejuvenation, and Reflection. During the anticipation phase: Phase Anticipation (before the school year begins) Beginning Teachers Typically: Begin the year with enthusiasm and a great deal of energy. Have a romanticized and idealistic view of what it will mean to teach. You might: Begin to identify different sources and types of support you can draw on throughout the year. [Create graphic that shows this]. Become familiar with the faculty, policies, procedures in the school. The orientation handbook tool can help you organize this information. Begin to establish routines, initial lesson plans, set up learning environment, etc. Begin to work with your principal on developing your Individualized Development Plan (IDP) [Page not made], which will establish your professional goals for the year. Begin to prepare a preliminary management plan. Taken from ASSIST Beginning Teachers website 222 During the survival phase: Phase Survival Beginning Teachers Typically: Feel overwhelmed by the amount of work that is required, particularly in developing curriculum. You might: Ask for help! Beginning Teachers Typically: Feel disappointed that initial expectations are not being met. Question his/her own commitment and competence. You might: Use or build a support network for yourself. Initiate professional conversations with a mentor or colleagues around topics such as planning, getting to know students, assessments and record keeping, etc. During the disillusionment phase: Phase Disillusionment Feel run down or become ill. Remember that the first year of teaching is challenging. Look back on what you have accomplished. Focus on a particular area that is a priority for you in the classroom. This area may be articulated in your IDP. Start to plan for conferences, report cards, etc. in advance. Ask your principal or a colleague what the expectations are for your school. Taken from ASSIST Beginning Teachers website 223 During the rejuvenation phase: Phase Rejuvenation (~January) Beginning Teachers Typically: Feel refreshed after winter break. Begin to recognize his/her accomplishments. Refocus on curriculum development, long-term planning and teaching strategies. You might: Celebrate your successes! Refer to your IDP. [To be developed] Collect samples of student work that reflect movement toward your goals. Take advantage of your renewed energy to work with colleagues to plan and adjust instruction. During the reflection phase: Phase Reflection (~May) Beginning Teachers Typically: Reflect on the highs and lows of the year. Anticipate how he/she will teach next year. You might: Celebrate your accomplishments! Begin to set goals for the upcoming year. [To be developed] Taken from ASSIST Beginning Teachers website 224 What can I offer schools as a beginning teacher? At some point during the first several years of teaching, it is common for a beginning teacher to question his or her efficacy as a teacher or even whether he or she wants to continue teaching. If you begin to feel this way, remember that you can make a unique contribution to your school. You may offer: • Enthusiasm and passion New teachers often have strong reasons for entering the field. Are you passionate about helping all students succeed? or using integrated curriculum? or participating in action research? Your commitment to your ideals may inspire other teachers to reflect on their own commitments or develop a new focus in their teaching. Your idealism can revitalize others. • New ideas and fresh perspectives If you participated in a teacher preparation program, most likely you had access to research and ways of thinking about teaching that you’re more experienced colleagues have not. You are in a perfect position to collaborate with others to integrate what research tells us about teaching with your practical experience and that of others. • Learning through collaboration Not only will you learn from working with others, but your colleagues will too. Teachers often report that they benefit from describing, justifying, and analyzing their own practice as they mentor and work with less experienced teaches. Taken from ASSIST Beginning Teachers website 225 Growing Professionally Teaching is a journey with no definite destination. Just when you think you've arrived, you find that there are other places to go. Continually making new discoveries about the profession and renewing your spirit are what keep teaching exciting. Review the list of professional development topics below. Rate your skills at the beginning of the school year and as they are now. Use a scale of one to 10, with 10 being highly skilled. Calculate the average for each column. Think about sharing the results with your mentor. SKILL FALL TODAY Making enough time to care for your health Managing your emotional state Having enough time for personal responsibilities Staying on top of employment details Getting actively involved in professional development Sharing your time and expertise with colleagues Effectively communicating with parents, students, administrators, colleagues Understanding federal and state expectations Understanding your district’s policies and procedures Understanding your grade level or subject area curriculum Understanding programs for exceptional students Getting your paperwork done on time Understanding parents’ expectations Handling extra duties Using your planning time wisely and effectively Understanding how others can help you Knowing where to get the teaching tools you need Determining your personal goals Developing effective lesson plans Increasing the knowledge of your subject or grade level 226 SKILL FALL TODAY Varying your teaching strategies Making your lessons interesting and motivating Reaching all students Accommodating individual needs and differences Designing and using effective teaching strategies Maintaining adequate records Establishing and maintaining a positive classroom climate Managing student behavior Managing your own response to student misbehavior Using empathy and active listening skills when communicating with others Developing effective classroom rules and procedures Getting along with administrators and colleagues Working with parents successfully Conducting effective parent conferences TOTAL FINAL AVERAGE Is today’s average higher or lower than in the fall? Are you pleased with your progress? Why or why not? Can you identify areas of strength? of weakness? What do you plan to do differently next year? Taken from Michigan Education Association website 227 Reaching Out For Support As a new teacher it is imperative that you be able to ask others around you for support. Many new teachers entering into the educational field feels as though they must have all of the answers and in asking for help in a colleague shows that they are unprepared. In teaching we stress the importance of collaborative learning to our students, that working together in a group setting and asking questions when something is not understood is a valuable tool to have. We in turn as educators need to be able to take our own advice and reach out to others for support. 228 Reaching Out for Support Resources Teacher Supplies and Discounts (Bring your teacher ID) Teacher Stores in MICHIGAN • A+ Teaching Center - Okemos MI (517)321-6223 • Borders, Inc. - Ann Arbor MI (734)477-1100 • Creative Classrooms Inc - Traverse City MI (231)947-0414 • Debby & Company - Grand Rapids MI (616)364-7660 • Doll Hospital & Toy Soldier Shop, The - Berkley MI (248)543-3115 • Education Express - Bay City MI (989)894-6666 • Educator's Warehouse - Saginaw MI (989)781-3130 • Erasers & Crayons - Southgate MI (734)284-4884 • Hage's Teachers' Learning - Muskegon MI (231)722-2146 • Hillsdale Educational Publishers - Hillsdale MI (517)437-3179 • Holcomb’s Knowplace- Sterling Hgts., MI (586) 739-5900 • Horizon Books - Traverse City MI (231)946-7290 • Imagination Station - Fenton MI (810)750-2808 • Imagination Station - Flint MI (810)715-0331 • Knowledge Nook - Fraser MI (586)296-6515 • Learning Gizmo's - Warren MI (586)757-8488 • Learning Works & Wonders - Adrian MI (517)263-3151 • Let's Learn - Grandville MI (616)257-9595 • Mary Gibson & Associates - Warren MI (586)756-1837 • Office Central - West Branch MI (989)345-4120 • Parent Teacher Tech Center - Brighton MI (810)227-9915 • Print 'N' Go - East Tawas MI (989)362-6041 • School Days - Midland MI (989)636-7604 • The School House - Detroit MI (313)342-1261 • The Teacher Center - Portage MI (269)327-4666 • Teacher's Discovery - Auburn Hills MI (248)340-7220 NOTE: See superpages.com to search for other stores in your area A few known places that offer discounts to teachers: Kinkos Borders Barnes & Noble Sears –one time per year they give a discount for all types of services Petco –for science teachers Pets Smart –for science teachers MEA -gives all kinds of discounts (car insurance, mortgage, food, travel etc) See website- http://www.mea.org/ NOTE: Check with local stores for supplies they may discount/donate to teachers 229 Websites and Book Resources Help Sites for Educators • http://mea.org • http://mtn.merit.edu/ • http://nea.org • www.nea.org/tips -join the mailing list and receive classroom tips Helpful Books for New Teachers • First-Year Teacher’s Survival Kit – Julia G. Thompson (Ready to use strategies, tools and activities for meeting the challenges of each school day) • How to be an effective Teacher the First Days of School – Harry Wong and Rosemary T. Wong • Discipline for home and School – Edward E. Ford • The Frazzled Teacher’s Wellness Plan –J. Allen Queen & Patsy S. Queen (A five-step program for reclaiming time, managing stress, and creating a healthy lifestyle) • Teaching with Love a& Logic – Jim Fay & David Funk (Taking control of the classroom) Class Management • Carol S. Weinstein & Andrew J. Mignano, Jr. (2003). Elementary classroom management: lessons from research and practice. Boston : McGraw-Hill • Edmund T. Emmer, Carolyn M. Evertson, Murray E. Worsham (2003). Classroom Management; For Secondary Teachers 6th Edition: Pearson Education • Carol S. Weinstein (2003). Secondary classroom management : lessons from research and practice. Boston: McGraw-Hill • Jere E. Brophy (1998). Motivating students to learn. Boston : McGraw-Hill • Elizabeth G. Cohen (1994). Designing groupwork : Strategies for the heterogeneous classroom. New York: Teachers College. The Essential 55: An Award-winning Educator’s Rules for Discovering the Successful Student in Every Child Engaging Communities • Parents Night: http://www.publicengagement.com/resources/standards/oldstandards/engaging/btsnight/ • Responsive Classroom: http://www.responsiveclassroom.org • Family and Community Programs: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/pidata/pi0targ.htm • NEA help for Parents: http://www.nea.org/parents/index.html 230 Readings • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Barton, A. C., Drake, C., Perez, J. G., St. Louis, K., & George, M. (2004). Ecologies of parental engagement in urban education. Educational Researcher, 33(4), 3 – 12. Cahvkin, N. F. (Ed.) (1993). Families and schools in a pluralistic society. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press. Edwards, P. A. (2004). Children’s literacy development: Making it happen through school, family, and community involvement. Boston: Pearson. Edwards, P. A. (1993). Parents as partners in reading: A family literacy training program, Second Edition. Chicago: Children’s Press. Epstein, J. L. (1987). Parents’ reactions to teacher practices of parent involvement. Elementary School Journal, 86(3), 277-293. Epstein, J.L. (1995). School/family/community partnerships: Caring for the children we share. Phi Delta Kappan, May, 701-712. Epstein, J. L. & Salanis, K. C. (2004). Partnering with families and communities. Educational Leadership, 61(8), 12 – 18. http://www.ascd.org/publications/ed_lead/200405/epstein.html Heath, S. B. (1983). Ways with words: Language, life, and work in communities and classrooms. Cambridge, MA: Cambridge University Press. Howard, G. R. (1999). We can’t teach what we don’t know: White teachers, multiracial schools. New York: Teachers College Press. Huseth, Melissa. "The School-Home Connection: Using Technology to Increase Parent-toTeacher Communication." Learning and Leading with Technology 29.2 (2001): 6-9, 16-17. Ladson-Billings, G. (1994). Dreamkeepers: Successful teachers of African American children. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Murrell, P. C. (2001). The community teacher: A new framework for effective urban teaching. New York: Teachers College Press. Swap, S. M. (1993). Developing home-school partnerships: From concepts to practice. New York: Teachers College Press. Vopat, J. (1994). The parent project: A workshop approach to parent involvement. York, MN: Stenhouse. Planning Activities • www.education-worlds.com –Integrate the Internet in your classroom • www.theteacher.corner.net/index.htm -Lesson plans, activities • www.mcrel.org/resources/links/lesson.asp -Links to lesson plans • www.huntington.edu/education/sholtrop/Plans.html • http://www.adprima.com/easyless.htm • http://edweb.sdsu.edu/Courses/EDTEC470/sections/F02-10/lesson_planning.htm 231 Planning Specific to Content Area (See Google Search) • The Gateway (http://thegateway.org/) • School Discovery (http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/) • The lessonplanspage (http://www.lessonplanspage.com/) • http://www.New York Times for teachers (http://www.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/lessons/archive.htm) • PBS Teachersource (http://www.pbs.org/teachersource/) Language Arts • http://www.readwritethink.org/index.asp • http://www.webenglishteacher.com Math • http://illuminations.nctm.org/ • http://mathforum.org • http://math.com Science • http://webwatchers.nsta.org/default.asp • http://www.getbodysmart.com/ • http://know.soe.umich.edu • http://www.iit.edu/~smile/index.html Social Studies • http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook • http://bensguide.gpo.gov/ • http://lcweb2.loc.gov 232 Physical Education/Health • MAHPERD: http://www.mimahperd.org (Michigan Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) • PE Central • Body Systems: http://www.getbodysmart.com • AAHPERD: http://www.aahperd.org (American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance) Family and Consumer Sciences • AAFCS: www.aafcs.org (American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences) Assessment of Student Learning Websites • Michigan Department of Education Curriculum Framework Assessment (Section V): http://www.michigan.gov/documents/MichiganCurriculumFramework_8172_7.pdf • No Child Left Behind: http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml?src=pb • MLPP: http://www.mlpp-msl.net/ Further reading • Burns, D. & Purcell, J. (2001). Tools for Teachers. Educational Leadership, v. 59, n. 1, pp. 5052. • Drake, S. M. (1998). Creating integrated curriculum: Proven ways to increase student learning. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press, A Sage Publications Company. • McTighe J. & Thomas, R. (2003), Backward Design for Forward Action, Educational Leadership, V. 60, N. 5, pp. 52-55 • Wiggins, G. (1998). Educative assessment: Designing assessments to inform and improve student performance. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. • Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall. • Zeichner, K. & Wray, S. (2001). The teaching portfolio in US teacher education programs: What we know and what we need to know. Teaching and Teacher Education, v. 17, pp. 613-621. • Zemelman, S., Daniels, H. & Hyde, A. (1998). Best practices: New standards for teaching and learning in America’s schools (Second Edition). Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann. 233 Understanding Diversity • The Multicultural Alliance Box 857 Ross, California 94957 (415) 454-3612 • U.S. Department of Education Office of Bilingual Education and Minority Language Affairs 600 Independence Avenue, SW Washington, D.C. 20202 www.ed.gov/offices/OBE/MCA • National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) 2816 Georgia Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. 20071 www.nabse.org Celebrate Cultures • www.nameorg.org • www.newhorizons.org • www.curry.edschool.virginia.edu/go/multicultural Gifted Students • www.smu.edu • www.ed.gov/databases/ERIC_Digests • www.kidssource.com At Risk Students • www.ed.gov • www.mckinneyisd.net/soar • www.wmich.edu/at-risk Pregnant Students • www.ed.gov/pubs/ParentingTeens/chapter • www.reeusda.gov/f4hn/efnep/success-pregnantteens.htm Economically Disadvantaged Students • www.findarticles.com/cf_dls/m2248 • www.students.dsu.edu/barthelc/education.context.html • www.fortnet.org/hcc/issues Understanding Special Education Collaborating with Special Education Teachers • www.inclusion.com • www.projectparticipate.org • www.specialed.com 234 Attention Deficit Disorder • www.addwarehouse.com • www.chadd.org • www.add.org Students with 504 Plans • www.mindskillspress.com • www.angelfire.com • www.adprima.com.specialed.htm Special Needs Students • www.nichcy.org • www.ldonline.org • www.cec.sped.org Understanding Paraeducators • www.ed.gov/pubs/paraprofessionals/profdev.html • www.nrcpara.org • www.para.unl.edu School Counselors • www.schoolcounselor.org 235 You Still Have Rights as a Non-tenured Teacher! Taken from the Michigan Education Association website Don't be fooled into thinking that because you're a good teacher, no bad things will happen as you begin your teaching career. As a non-tenured teacher it may seem as though you have no rights or protections. You're wrong! You have rights and you need to protect them and it's the association that can do that for you. If you need help, run-don't walk to your nearest association rep or to your local president. Here's some advice from the association in dealing with job security issues: • • • • • • • • Assaults Report the incident immediately to your principal and your association. Write down all the details of the incident-date, time, names, location. Child Abuse By law, education professionals must report suspected cases of abuse of children less than 18 years of age to the Department of Social Services. Notify your principal and your association of any evidence you have. For further information see the Michigan Education Association website: http://www.mea.org/Design.cfm?p=2721 The Duty of Public School Employees to Report Child Abuse Discrimination According to state and federal law, your employer can't discriminate against you on the basis of race, age, sex, national origin, religion or color. Notify your association if you suspect any violations. Reprimands and Suspensions If you get a verbal or written warning or reprimand or you're suspended or dismissed, contact your association immediately whether you're guilty or not. You only have a short time to challenge the discipline. Legal Representation Through your association and your Uniserv director, you can request representation for many job-related issues. Liability Protection You are provided with a $1 million liability insurance policy for protection when you are criminally investigated, when criminal charges have been filed against you, or when a parent or student is suing you. These incidents must be job-related. Contact your association and Uniserv director immediately. Sexual Misconduct Sexually oriented contact between you and a minor child is illegal and can be grounds for dismissal. Complaints from parents or students should be reported to your association immediately. Worker's Compensation immediately report any job-related injury to your principal and to the association. Write down the important facts about how the injury happened. 236 • Evaluations Contact your mentor and association right now if you are dealing with a less-than-glowing evaluation. The season for non-renewal of probationary teachers is fast approaching. It's not too late to get help from your mentor or association. Let them know of any problems immediately 237 How to Use Technology and Avoid Copyright Violations Taken from the Michigan Education Association website As a new teacher, you’re more likely to use technology on a regular basis in your daily lessons. As a result, you’re also more likely to run into copyright violation issues. Keep these points in mind the next time you decide to incorporate the Internet into your lesson plan. • The purpose of copyright is to encourage authors to create new works by giving them an economic incentive to do so. • In order to be copyrighted, the work must meet three requirements: 1. The work must be either written or recorded 2. The work must be original in whole or in part. 3. The work must show at least minimal creativity • It is safe to assume that any document found on the Internet is copyrighted • “Fair use” is the exception to the copyright laws, allowing teachers to use copyrighted material. The basic factors that determine “fair use” are: 1. The work must be used for nonprofit or educational purposes. 2. Works that are factual in nature are more likely to be subject to “fair use” rather than works of artistic expression. 3. The more of a work that is used, the less likely “fair use” will apply. 4. The more the use of the work differs from the original use, the less likely it will appeal to the same market or infringe on the original author’s economic gain. • If large portions of a work are going to be used over a long period of time, the safest practice is to get the author’s permission for limited use. • It’s always good practice to give the original credit through footnotes or bibliographies 238 Knowing the Role of Counselors in Your School Taken from the American School Counselor Professional school counselors are certified/licensed professionals with a masters’ degree or higher in school counseling or the substantial equivalent and are uniquely qualified to address the developmental needs of all students. Professional school counselors deliver a comprehensive school counseling program encouraging all students’ academic, career and personal/social development and helping all students in maximizing student achievement. HINT: To learn more about the Role of Counselors in Your School see School Counselors under the Resources section of this handbook The following are a few areas your school counselor may be able to assist you in: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Advising Academic goal setting Academic planning College preparatory Academic credits Family and emotional support Conflict resolution Behavior intervention Networking social workers, school psychologists, etc. Establishing parent contact Transfer credit Assisting in the acclamation for new students Student support groups Grades 239 Child and Teen Suicide Awareness! Suicide is rarely a spur of the moment decision. In the days and hours before people kill themselves, there are usually clues and warning signs. The strongest and most disturbing signs are verbal - "I can't go on," "Nothing matters any more" or even "I'm thinking of ending it all." Such remarks should always be taken seriously. Risk Factors for Suicide If you are concerned about a student who displays ANY signs of suicide bring it to the attention of your school counselor and document your action. • • • • • • • • Previous suicide attempts. Close family member who has committed suicide. Past psychiatric hospitalization. Recent losses: This may include the death of a relative, a family divorce, or a breakup with a girlfriend. Social isolation: The individual does not have social alternatives or skills to find alternatives to suicide. Drug or alcohol abuse: Drugs decrease impulse control making impulsive suicide more likely. Additionally, some individuals try to self-medicate their depression with drugs or alcohol. Exposure to violence in the home or the social environment: The individual sees violent behavior as a viable solution to life problems. Handguns in the home, especially if loaded. Warning Signs for Suicide • Suicidal talk • Preoccupation with death and dying • Signs of depression • Behavioral changes • Giving away special possessions and making arrangements to take care of unfinished business • Difficulty with appetite and sleep • Taking excessive risks • Increased drug use • Loss of interest in usual activities 240 Signs of Depression in Teens • Sad, anxious or “empty” mood • Declining school performance • Loss of pleasure/interest in social and sports activities • Sleeping too much or too little • Changes in weight or appetite Take Action! (NOTE: If you are concerned about a student who displays ANY signs of suicide, immediately bring it to the attention of your school counselor and always remember to document your action.) Three steps parents can take 1. Get your child help (medical or mental health professional) 2. Support your child (listen, avoid undue criticism, remain connected) 3. Become informed (library, local support group, Internet) Three steps teens can take 1. Take your friend’s actions seriously 2. Encourage your friend to seek professional help, accompany if necessary 3. Talk to an adult you trust. Don’t be alone in helping your friend. Adolescents often will try to support a suicidal friend by themselves. They may feel bound to secrecy, or feel that adults are not to be trusted. This may delay needed treatment. If the student does commit suicide, the friends will feel a tremendous burden of guilt and failure. It is important to make students understand that one must report suicidal statements to a responsible adult. Ideally, a teenage friend should listen to the suicidal youth in an empathic way, but then insist on getting the youth immediate adult help. The National Hopeline Network 1-800-SUICIDE provides access to trained telephone counselors, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 241 Warning Signs of Drug Abuse Please note that even though some of these warning signs of drug abuse may be present in teens, it does not mean that they are definitely abusing drugs. There are other causes for some of these behaviors. Even the life stage of adolescence is a valid reason for many of them to exist. On the flip side of that, do not ignore the warning signs of teenage drug abuse. If six of these signs, (not all in the same category), are present for a period of time, you should refer your concerns to your school counselor. Signs at School • • • • • • • • • • sudden drop in grades truancy loss of interest in learning sleeping in class poor work performance not doing homework defiant of authority poor attitude towards sports or other extracurricular activities reduced memory and attention span not informing you of teacher meetings, open houses, etc. Physical and Emotional Signs • • • • • • • • • • • • • changes friends smell of alcohol or marijuana on breath or body unexplainable mood swings and behavior negative, argumentative, paranoid or confused, destructive, anxious over-reacts to criticism acts rebellious sharing few if any of their personal problems doesn't seem as happy as they used to be overly tired or hyperactive drastic weight loss or gain unhappy and depressed cheats, steals always needs money, or has excessive amounts of money sloppiness in appearance Taken from Parenting Teens website 242 243 2005-2006 New Teacher Academy Chronological Listing of Sessions Date August 15 Time 8:30 - 3:30 August 16 8:30 - 3:30 August 17 8:30 - 3:30 September 15 4:30 - 7 September 22 4:30 - 7 September 28 4:30 - 7 October 4 4:30 - 7 October 6 Title The Right Start: Classroom Organization and Management Secondary Education The Right Start: Classroom Organization and Management Elementary Education The Right Start: Classroom Organization and Management – 2nd & 3rd Year A Framework for Professional Practice: New Teacher Academy Orientation Working with Parents: Perspectives and Strategies Presenter Laurie VanSteenkiste Room 201A&B Laurie VanSteenkiste Superior Laurie VanSteenkiste Superior NTA Instructors 201A&B Mel Miller and guest speakers 201A&B Creating the Culturally Responsive Classroom Reflecting on Your First Month of School Su McKeithenPolish Laurie VanSteenkiste 201A&B 4:30 - 7 Parent/Teacher Conferences Laurie VanSteenkiste 201A&B October 11 4:30 - 7 Su McKeithenPolish 201A&B October 18 November 2 4:30-7 4:30 - 7 Using Cultural Responsive Instruction to Meet the Needs of Diverse Students No Homeless Student Left Behind Technology Resources for Classroom Teachers Kathy Kropf Frank Miracola and Jim Wenzloff 201A&B November 7 4:30 - 7 November 8 4:30 - 7 November 10 4:30 - 7 November 14 4:30 - 7 November 15 4:30 - 7 November 29 4:30 - 7 December 1 4:30 - 7 December 5 4:30 - 7 December 6 4:30 - 6 What Effective Teachers Do to Educate All Students: Making Adequate Yearly Progress for Students in Subgroups Cohort Dialogue Session “Planning and Preparation” What Works in Social Studies Classrooms: Understanding Social Studies Using the Michigan Curriculum Framework Teacher Certification Understanding Students of Poverty: The Ruby Payne Model What Works in Science Classrooms: Understanding Science Using the Michigan Curriculum Framework What Works in Language Arts Classrooms How to Meet the Academic Needs of Special Education Students in Core Areas Math MEAP Planning & Preparation Dialogue Session - Elementary Judy Backes 201A&B PC Classroom South 201A&B Laurie VanSteekiste Mel Miller Michigan/S uperior Laurie VanSteenkiste Dr. Rita Pierson 201A&B Mike Klein/Paul Drummond 201A&B Kelley Zagaiski 201A&B Guest Speaker 201A&B Marianne Srock 202 201A&B 201A&B 244 Date December 8 Time 4:30 - 6 December 12 4:30 - 6 December 14 4:30 - 6 December 15 4:30 - 6 January 12 4:30 - 7 January 25 4:30 - 7 January 26 4:30 - 7 February 7 4:30-7 February 23 4:30 - 6 March 2 4:30 - 7 March 9 4:30 - 7 March 16 4:30 - 7 March 21 4:30 - 7 March 30 4:30 - 6 April 5 4:30 - 7 April 26 4:30 - 6 May 3 4:30 - 7 Title Math MEAP Planning & Preparation Dialogue Session - Secondary ELA MEAP Planning & Preparation Dialogue Session Science MEAP Planning & Preparation Dialogue Session Social Studies MEAP Planning & Preparation Dialogue Session All Things Digital: Simple Technology Solutions for At-Risk Students What Works in Math Classrooms: Understanding Math using the Michigan Curriculum Framework Elementary What Works in Math Classrooms: Understanding Math using the Michigan Curriculum Framework Secondary Understanding Students of Poverty: The Ruby Payne Model Follow Up Instruction Cohort Dialogue Session Creating a Community in Your Classroom: How to Facilitate Bully-Free Relationships (Elementary) Emotional Literacy: Building a Caring Community of Learners Motivating Students Differentiated Instruction: The Complex Issues of Academically Diverse Classrooms The Classroom Environment Cohort Dialogue Session Teacher Certification Professional Responsibilities Dialogue Session: Reflecting on your Teaching Practice Finale: Maintaining Professional and Respectful Teacher/Student Relationships (Middle/Secondary) Presenter Marianne Srock Room Superior Elaine Weber/ Guest Speaker Paul Drummond 103A&B Mel Miller 201A&B Sue Hardin PC Classroom South Marianne Srock 201A&B Marianne Srock 201 A&B Kathy Kropf 201A&B Paul Drummond 201A&B Lucy Smith 201A&B Julie Lemond 201A&B Laurie VanSteenkiste Julie Lemond 201A&B Julie Lemond 201A&B Laurie VanSteenkiste Laurie VanSteenkiste 201A&B Robert Livernois 201A&B 201A&B 201A&B 201A&B 245 Effective Teachers The most consistent finding in the majority of studies on school effectiveness has been the “crucial connection” between expectations and achievements. Good teachers not only motivate their students, organize the class, clarify the material, and provide illuminating generalizations, but they also project a “vision of excellence.” Their expectations more often than not become self-fulfilling prophecies. Teachers with high expectations: • Believe in their own ability to make a positive difference in the lives of their students. • Assign meaningful homework. • Make students accountable for their learning. • Communicate objectives and teach directly to objectives. • Not only demand achievement, but provide opportunities for it. • Are readily available to students outside of class. • Believe that students can reach their potential. 246 Educational labels AFT ECE ESL LEP MCTM NCTM NCSS NCTE MRA MASCD ASCD NAEYC MAEYC TBS SAT ACT American Federation of Teachers Early Childhood Education English as a Second Language Limited English Proficiency Michigan Council of Teachers of Mathematics National Council of Teachers of Mathematics National Council of Social Studies National Council of Teachers of English Michigan Reading Association Michigan Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development National Association for the Education of Young Children Michigan Association for the Education of Young Children Test of Basic Skills Scholastic Aptitude Test American College of Testing TET PET Oak Tec CAT Para-Pro ADD SMI VI HI POHI SXI Fourth Friday Count AP Teacher Effectiveness Training Parent Effectiveness Training Oakland Technical Center California Achievement Test Paraprofessional Attention Deficit Disorder Severely Mentally Impaired Visually Impaired Hearing Impaired Physically and Otherwise Health Impaired Severely Multiply Impaired Attendance records on which state aid is based Advanced Placement for student classes 247 Only a teacher! I am a teacher! What I do and say is being absorbed by young minds who will echo these images across the ages. My lessons will be immortal, affecting people yet unborn, .people I will never see or know. The future of the world is in my classroom today and this future has potential for both good and bad. The pliable minds of tomorrow's leaders will be molded either artistically or grotesquely by what I do. Several future presidents are learning from me today; so are the great writers of the next decades and so are all the so-called ordinary people who will make the decisions in a democracy. I must never forget these same young people could be the thieves and murderers of the future. Just a teacher? Thank God I have a calling to the greatest profession of all! I must be vigilant every day lest I lose one fragile opportunity to improve tomorrow. By Dr. Ivan Fitzwater 248 15 Time Management Tips for Students Here is a list of fifteen time management tips that you can share with your students as you show them how to do their work intelligently and efficiently. 1. When you have to read a selection and then answer questions about it, read the questions first so that you will read the rest of the selection with a purpose. 2. Make sure you have the supplies you need for class and for projects. This will save you trips to the store the night before a project is due or having to borrow pens and paper. 3. When you pack up at the end of a class, don't just shove papers into your book bag or notebook. Spend thirty seconds stowing away your work in an organized way so that you can find it quickly. 4. Write down your homework assignments so that you won't have to waste time phoning around to find out what they are or worrying if you did the right ones. 5. Use your class time wisely. It will save you time at home if you learn the material in class. 6. Work with a purpose in mind. If you do this instead of daydreaming, you will cut down on the time that it will take you to do your homework. 7. Reward yourself for staying on task for a week or for even a day if you had to struggle to do it. 8. When you take breaks from your homework, get back to work as quickly as you can. Stay away from the television and the phone during breaks. 9. When you have a test, read it over first, paying attention to the point values of each question so that you can plan a sensible strategy for taking it. If you don't think that you will finish all of the questions, do the ones with the higher point values first. 10. Review your class notes before your start your homework. This will refresh your memory and make doing homework much easier. 11. Take the time to do each assignment correctly the first time so that you don't have to redo it. 12. When you have facts to look up and learn, concentrate on learning them as you look them up. It will take you at least twice as long to master the material if you have to memorize them afterwards. 13. Set aside the same amount of time each night to study. If you don't have any written assignments, get ahead on reading or review your notes for an upcoming test. 14. At the end of a homework assignment, ask yourself what you could do to learn just one more fact in the assigned work. 15. While you want your work to be accurate and neat, don't be a perfectionist. It's not sensible to waste time picking over mistakes that only you can notice. Taken from Julia G. Thompson's First Year Teacher's Survival Kit 249 Bibliography Thompson, Julia G. First Year Teacher’s Survival Kit: Ready-to-use Strategies, Tools & Activities for Meeting the Challenges of Each School Day. California: Jossy-Bass A Wiley Imprint, 2002. Bauer, Judy, et al. The Beginning Teacher’s Manual. Produced by Oakland Schools with a grant from the Michigan State Board of Education, 1989. Michigan Education Association. 23 Jun. 2005 <www.mea.org> ASSIST Beginning Teachers. The ASSIST project was supported by a grant to Michigan State University from the Michigan State Board of Education through funding provided by the U.S. Department of Education. 23 Jun. 2005 <http://assist.educ.msu.edu/assist/> The Official State of Michigan Website. 23 Jun. 2005 <www.michigan.gov> National Education Association. 23 Jun. 2005 <www.nea.org> The American School Counselor Association. 23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.schoolcounselor.org/> Starr, Linda. “Teachers, Start Your Engines: Management Tips From the Pit Crew.” Education World. 5 Aug. 2002. 23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/profdev003.shtml> “Establishing a Positive Classroom Climate: Teacher Advice.” Intervention Central.23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.interventioncentral.org/htmdocs/interventions/classroom/classclimate.shtml> “Behavior Management Checklist.” Behavior Advisor. 12 Jul. 2001. 23 Jun. 2005 <http://maxweber.hunter.cuny.edu/pub/eres/EDSPC715_MCINTYRE/BehManCheckList.html> Chuchward, Budd. “Four Steps for Better Classroom Discipline.” Discipline By Design. 2003. 23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.honorlevel.com/x116.xml> “Happy Feeday.” Teachnet.com.23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.teachnet.com/howto/manage/freeday120100.html> Kelly, Melissa. “Top 10 Tips for Classroom Discipline and Management.” About. 23 Jun. 2005 <http://712educators.about.com/od/discipline/tp/disciplinetips.htm> Witmer, Denise. “Warning Signs of Teenage Drug Abuse.” About. 23 Jun. 2005 <http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/drugsofabuse/a/driug_abuse20.htm> Charney, Ruth Sidney. “Responsive Classroom Strategies: The Three R’s Logical Consequences”. Education World. 28 Feb. 2005. 23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/columnists/charney/charney006.shtml> Defusing/Breaking up Fights Between Students. Dwight Hodgin Student Support Specialist/Student Assistant Program. 250 Fay, Jim, and David Funk. Teaching With Love & Logic: Taking Control of the Classroom. Colorado: The Love and Logic Press, Inc, 1995. Wong, Harry K., and Rosemary T. Wong. How to be an Effective Teacher: The First Days of School. California: Harry K. Wong Publications, Inc, 2001. Weinstein, Carol Simon, and Andrew J. Mignano. “Establishing and Teaching Rules for a Classroom Learning Community.” Elementary/Secondary Classroom Management: Lessons from Research and Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003. Sweeny, Barry. “Assisting First Year Teachers With Classroom Management” Resources for Staff & Organization Development. 23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.teachermentors.com/MCenter%20Site/ClMgmtTips.html> DeWitt Public Schools. Individualized Development Plan Track I and III. DeWitt Public Schools, Professional Growth and Evaluation Process for Certified Staff. Board Approved July 14, 2003. CLASSxp for Teachers: SASIxp. Midwest Educational Group, Inc, 8 Aug. 2001. Holtrop, S. “Writing Lesson Plans Teachers' Roles”; “Writing Lesson Plans Seating Arrangements.” The Huntington College Department of Education. 1999. 23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.huntington.edu/education/lessonplanning/> “Communicating Student Progress.” Ministry of Education, Manitoba Education, Training and Youth, School Programs. 1997. 23 Jun. 2005. “Child and Teen Suicide.” HealthyPlace.com, Inc. 2000-2004. 23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.healthyplace.com/communities/depression/children_10.asp> “Summary of Abuse and Neglect Reporting Requirements.” 23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.misd.net/connection/abuse.pdf> “The Duty of Public School Employees to Report Child Abuse.” Michigan Education Association. 23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.mea.org/design.cfm?p=2721> “Tips on Communicating With Parents.” 23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.glencoe.com/sec/teachingtoday/weeklytips.phtml/26> “Connected Mathematics Project.” 23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.math.msu.edu/cmp/ImplementingCMP/ParentCommunication.htm#Suggestions> “Student Self Evaluation Form.” 23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.phschool.com/math/cmp/materials_send_home.html> Bulloch, Kathleen L. “Home School Communications.” Education Oasis. 2003. 23 Jun. 2005 <http://www.educationoasis.com/instruction/bt/home-school_communication.htm> 251 MISSION Macomb Intermediate School District: Service, Support and Leadership VISION We are the Macomb Intermediate School District. We provide quality service to special education and general education students, instructional and technical support to school staff, and cutting-edge educational leadership in Macomb County. We are committed to all the students of Macomb County. To serve them well, we are resolute in involving parents, school personnel, and the community at large, including business, government, and civic organizations as active partners in planning, delivering and evaluating our services. We work directly with individuals with disabilities who reside in Macomb County School Districts. We serve students of all ages, from newborns to adults, meeting their unique learning needs and supporting their families all along the way. Within the twenty-one local districts and public charter schools, we focus our efforts on building capacity with school staff. Through quality training and instructional support, we increase their knowledge, skills and abilities, so all students receive a rigorous and effective educational experience. We promote all aspects of the educational process through our development and support of technology. We provide training in the use of essential technology tools that enhance curricular, instructional and administrative services in our schools and, as a result, opportunities are expanded for all. We work collaboratively with colleges and universities and are leaders in state and national programs. We anticipate needs and opportunities, all with the single purpose of identifying, developing and implementing programs and practices that, through education, improve the quality of life in Macomb County. Macomb Intermediate School District Board of Education John A. Bozymowski, President Max D. McCullough, Vice President Charles C. Milonas, D.D.S., Treasurer Theresa J. Genest, Secretary Edward V. Farley, Trustee Michael R. DeVault, Superintendent 252 Macomb Intermediate School District 44001Garfield Road Clinton Township, MI 48038-1100 586.228.3300 www.misd.net It is the policy of the MISD that no person, on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, sex, height, weight, marital status, or disability shall be discriminated against, excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of, or otherwise subjected to discrimination in any program or activity for which it is responsible. This book supports the MISD’s countywide 2004–2009 School Improvement Plan. 253
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