Classroom Community & Managment

ENGAGED, SAFE AND PRODUCTIVE COMMUNITY

Dear Parents,

Welcome to a great new year!!! I am looking forward to a wonderful year. In order to begin our year together successfully, I would like to explain some of the basic principles and guidelines in our classroom: My goal as a teacher is to provide a safe and stimulating learning environment. In order to do this, there is a reliable and consistent discipline system enforced in our classroom. I feel that a good discipline system reinforces positive behaviors and discourages behaviors that are negative to your child and his/her classmates.

 In our classroom we have the following rules:

 

Rule 1: Listen when someone is speaking

Rule 2: Follow directions quickly.

Rule 3: Raise your hand to speak.

Rule 4: Respect others, our school and yourself.

Rule 5: Keep your dear teacher happy.

 

We will be practicing many components of our rules and routines every day. Students will receive the opportunity to practice following our rules during class time. We will learn what each rule means and the steps to achieve them.

We will use our behavior folder for daily communication on how well the rules were being followed. If a child breaks a rule after two practice session a note will be sent home describing the behavior.  Use the note as an opportunity to speak with your child and discuss making better choices. 

We will also use an online behavior management program- Class Dojo.  ClassDojo is a classroom tool that helps teachers improve behavior in their classrooms quickly and easily. It also captures and generates data on behavior that teachers can share with parents and administrators

If you haven’t done already, please submit your email address, I will send you an invitation.  You can use the online program to track your child’s daily progress.  ClassDojo will automatically send you a weekly behavior report.  If you do not have access to a computer, a hard copy will be sent home.

Individual Motivation

In order to promote a positive learning environment for all students, appropriate conduct must be emphasized.  I know that my support is important in motivating children to show appropriate behavior.  In addition to praise, students will have the opportunity to earn both individual and group rewards for their appropriate conduct. 

All students will begin each day on green, which means “Good Day”.  They have the opportunity to move up or down throughout the day.  To move up, students must show positive behavior.  This includes but is not limited to walking quietly in the line down the hallway, helping a classmate, raising their hand to be called on, and reading quietly during transition times.

A student can move down by not showing appropriate behavior.  This includes but is not limited to speaking out without being called on, talking in the hallway, sharpening a pencil at an inappropriate time, and being mean to another class member.  If they move to yellow the student will receive a warning. If they move to red they will receive time off of their teacher-directed recess.   The breakdown of the system is below:

Blue: Excellent Day

Green: Good Day

Yellow: Warning (Given after 1 practice session of a broken rule.)

Red: Unsatisfactory (Given after 2 practice sessions of a broken rule.)

If your child receives a red for the day, you will receive a note or phone call explaining why they received that for the day.

Whole Class Motivation: Scoreboard Game

It works like this:

On one side of the board I will draw a grid divided into two columns.  In the top box of one column draw a smiley face; in the top box of the other column draw a frowny face.

During class I will reward a mark in the smiley section for procedures performed well. When I reward them, I will involve the kids in a really fun way. I will say “One second party!” Students will respond by clapping and throwing their hands in the air and yelling “Oh, Yeah!”

But there is a down side here. Because, as you know, the kids do not always do as you ask (Gasp!). When this happens the frowny strikes! I say, “Mighty Groan!” and point to the class. They must lift and then drop their shoulders and groan! Since they are getting to make noise in class it is usually nearly as enthusiastic as the one second party (also known as, the Mighty Oh, Yeah!)

The difference between the smilies and frownies will not be greater than 3 marks.  if you reward too much your students will become lackadaisical. If you penalize too much, they will become resentful.  That is the reason for the +-3 rule.

When the entire class earns more smiley faces than frown faces, the class will earn a point for that day.  At the end of the week,if the class earns 4 points, the class will get a special treat (i.e. educational game day, lunch with the teacher, extended recess, etc…)

 

 

What happens when my child consistently disrupts instruction?

The Bull’s Eye game is one of Whole Brain Teaching's most potent resources for dealing with your most challenging students.  The game is designed expressly for students who are immune to punishment. 

The core idea of the Bull’s Eye game is quite simple.  In a brief one on one session, student and teacher, without letting the other see, grade the student’s behavior in class that day on a 1 to 5 scale (with 5 being best).  If the student’s grade matches the teacher’s, then the student scores two points.  If the student’s grade misses the teacher’s by a point, then the student scores one point.  Points are accumulated over time for a small, agreed upon reward ... anything from stickers to a soda.

The beauty of the Bull’s Game is that students are rewarded for seeing their behavior through the eyes of their teacher.  Sam had a very bad day.  He knows it and scores himself a 1.  The teacher agrees and also gives him a 1.  Sam wins!  Sam wins because he was able to objectively evaluate his own behavior.  That’s a skill rare even in adults. 

When the Bull’s Eye game concludes, and it only takes a minute to play, teacher and student have an opportunity to discuss the student’s behavior ... in a non-threatening, “game” context.  “Well, Sam.  Why did you get a 1 today?  How are things going at home?”  Simple questions like these can open up powerful opportunities for counseling.

Positive reinforcement is an important component in our classroom and in our school.  This year, we are implementing PBIS, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports.   The students can work hard to earn tickets from me and from any other adult in the building.   We expect students to be ready, to be respectful, and to be responsible.  When we see these desired behaviors, we will give the students tickets.  These tickets can be saved or spent on a variety of school wide prizes, such as pencils, certificates, name said on announcements, and fun school wide parties!  

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COMMUNITY HELPERS

Classroom jobs are an important component in our classroom.  Classroom jobs enable us to feel important, help us learn responsibility, and keep us involved in maintaining a successful and clean classroom.  Every student has a classroom job.  We switch our jobs every Monday.  Ask your child about his or her job! 

Line Leader:
This student leads the line throughout the building.

Door Holder:
This student is always second in line, so he or she can hold the doors for our class.

Caboose:
This student makes sure we are all in line.  He or she also turns our lights off and closes the door.

Paper Managers:
These two students help pick up papers and pass out papers throughout the day.

Bag Holder:
This student carries our emergency bag with us wherever we go.  The bag houses our clinic cards, emergency procedures folder, pencils, and our conduct cards.

Where Are We Helper:
This student moves our clip to wherever we travel to in the building.  They also deliver messages.

Librarians:
These students help make sure that our classroom library and listening center books are in the correct bins and put away nicely.  They also return any books to the library for our class.

Board Eraser:
This student erases the easel and the ACTIVboard.

Math Tub Manager:
This student makes sure our math tubs and nice and neat.

Attendance Keeper:
This student takes initial student attendance.

 Lunch Helpers:
These two students wipe down our lunch table and sweep the floor under and around our table.

Chair Monitor:
This student makes sure chairs all pushed in and put away properly.

Duster:
This student dusts our classroom.

Trash Can Monitor:
This student empties our little trash cans daily.

Pencil Sharpener:
This student sharpens our broken pencils at the end of the school day.

Teacher Assistants:
These students assist me in daily tasks.  They also take over any job for an absent student.

Room Inspectors:
These students make sure our room looks great and trash and pencils stay off the floor.

Soap Dispenser:
This student passes out our hand sanitizer before we eat lunch.

Clip Monitor:
This student puts all of the behavior clips back to Green at the end of the school day.

Group Captains:
We also have table captains at each table to help do odds and ends throughout the day, like pass out post-its or pick up and pass out privacy folders

 

Your child's birthday is special, and we want to celebrate!  On each student's birthday, I make sure to make the children feel extra special!  They will each receive a birthday pencil, and we read a special birthday book and sing to the birthday boy or girl!  If you would like to bring cupcakes, please bring them to the cafeteria during our lunch time.  The kids can enjoy their yummy treat after they eat their lunch!