Author: dendi

Blog 6: Philosophy of Education

Top Ten Things you will see in the Mrs. E’s 5th Grade Classroom.
Room #126

1. My classroom is an extension of me in many ways. I will provide your child with a safe, warm and welcoming learning place and welcome his/her participation every day.

2. I work extremely hard to design lessons, provide materials and guidance to allow students to explore their learning.

3. I have high expectations for my students and myself and never settle for mediacracy.

4. I believe that education goes beyond the confines of the classroom and thusly are out and involved in the community in positive ways. One favorite activity is supporting the local food bank with drive to collect canned food over the holidays. You will see us around the community asking for donations.

5. I am fair and firm with discipline in my classroom and we will adhere to school wide policy and procedures in our school.

6. I will establish communication routine with each parent and family. Our class will be seeking family and parental participation throughout the year in a variety of means to support learning.

7. I will challenge students, I will coach students but I cannot make them learn.

8. I will provide a variety of experiences for students and utilize some positive competition when appropriate.

9. I allow students to take ownership and drive their own direction including to organize into groups for learning.

10. I will be here in this community, in the school and involved in your child’s learning

Classroom organization and management is the foundation on which all learning can happen. Without sound foundations of clearly defined expectations, rules and routines, the classroom becomes a chaos of happenings none of which are beneficial. Room design and organization speak to the students as a teacher’s determination to provide quality learning events. Disorganization and clutter shows the same expectations in a student’s mind. Education today is a consistently changing and fast paced environment, students and teachers need to be flexible to the needs that arise.

Draft Plan: D Endicott Class Mgmt/Organization

Classroom Management Plan

Deborah Endicott
ED658 Classroom Organization and Management
Fall 2014
dendicott@swrsd.org
Table of Contents
Page 3 Introduction & Parent Letter
Page 4 Preparation Before School Starts
Getting Off to a Good Start
Page 5 Research on Effective Planning
First Day of School
Page 6 Policies/Procedures/Rules
Discipline and Consequences
Page 7 General Classroom Rules and Expectations
Page 8 Beginning and Ending Routines
Transistion between classes/activities
Page 9 Interruptions and Disruptions
Page 10 Discipline and Consequences – Levels of Behavior Chart
Page 11 Safety and Legal Requirements
Demonstrating Personal Interest in Students
Page 12 Student Responsibility
Page 13 Behavior Management at School Level
Current Safety Rules and Procedures in place at your school
Emerency Crisis Procedures
Safety Drills
Page 14 Severe Weather
Safety Materials, Equipment and Training
Visitor Management
Page 15 Fire Safety
Page 16 Lab safety
Page 17 Code Yellow – Stay Put/Lock Down Drill
Page 18 Student Diversity
Special Needs students
Page 19 Cultural Diversity

Page 20 Planning and Conduction of Instruction
Page 21 Parent Teacher Communication
Page 22 Mental Set
Charcteristics of Burnout
Positive Self-Talk
Page 23 Diversity in Instruction
Page 24 Student Motivation
Page 25 Summary Top 10 Things you will see in 5th grade classroom
Page 26 Bibliography and other resources
Introduction and Parent Letter
Effective learning takes place when students feel safe and are willing to take academic risks. In order to facilitate this type of learning, a comprehensive classroom management plan that benefits all students.

Welcome to our classroom where you will be challenged everyday to do your very best. Here is where you grow from a needy elementary student into an independent positive learner.

I am going to challenge you, push you, coach you into learning new things. I will meet you everyday each morning and welcome you into our learning community with patience and commitment.

You will become an integral part of our community and have expectations that you will come to school every day. Your learning happens here at the school. Lowering your expectations by not attending school is not welcomed here.

I expect you to do your very best in everything you do. I challenge you to always produce your best work everyday. Mediocrity is only the beginning for our class. We learn to face our academic challenges and fight to overcome them for future learning opportunities. We step up our game and produce quality results here.

Be kind in words and deeds in our classroom. Everyone has feelings and cares about others here. In this room, you will hear words of support and encouragement. You will feel welcomed and wanted in this community and that you are important to others here. I care about you more than test scores or reading levels.

Helping others will become a foundation in our learning together. Often we will be out in the community and participating in events outside of our textbooks and classroom. Learning to be a positive and productive citizen in our village will be a significant portion of our learning too. Learning to help our neighbors starts right here.

Welcome to another exciting year here in Mrs. Endicott class. Come with enthusiasm to explore new things and to become that dynamic learner ready to enter the Middle School with skills, talents and ability to succeed in all your future educational endeavors.
Preparation Before School Starts

Research on Effective Planning

Strategies for Effective Classroom Management in the secondary setting, 2007; one can see that effective teachers spend a good deal of time planning activities that engage students immediately and keeps them engaged during the entire period. But for this to even begin to happen, teacher must establish a classroom climate that supports students learning through consistent classroom procedures and expectations. And those classroom plans and procedures are consistent to the school wide plans and parents are informed as well. If the rules are firm, followed with consistency and fairness, classroom instruction will proceed uninterrupted by student distractions.

First Day of School

Your success during the school year will be determined by what you do on the first days of school. Pg. 3 The majority of new teachers entering the profession have little or no training or experience setting up their classroom and often fall victim to struggling classroom. Research has proven that student outcomes are in direct relations to effective classroom management skills of the teacher

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Policies/Procedures/Rules
Designing an effective classroom management plan is complex task and something that should evolve with your students. Every class is unique and the management procedures should also be unique to that class and those

students. I think it is something that changes in your classroom. Solid procedures and protocols allow the teaching to continue and the learning to happen in environments free from distractions. Good lessons come from quality planning and good curriculum materials, resources and strong professional development for all staff. All of that is great, but without a solid foundation of classroom management, none of that will happen.

Discipline and consequences

Discipline and consequence has a natural tendency to refer to the negative side of the issues. My thoughts or feelings toward the discipline and consequence theory are more toward the positive side. Young people need to build and develop positive discipline in their learning. Discipline to stay on task, to try new things and to take pride in themselves and their accomplishments. Consequences are the good things that occur from the stronger positive discipline skills such as acceptable grades earned, playing on the sports teams or even a monetary reward for a good report card.

Classroom Management Plan Page 7

Rules/procedures establish in the classroom

General Classroom Behaviors are those expectations that cover a broad area of expectations you would expect in the classroom. They deal with common courtesy to others and yourself. Many are not spoken but are displayed.

Rules about saying only nice words to others or help one another when asked and hands to your self. These rules establish the overall rules of conduct in your class.

Mrs. Endicott 5th Grade Classroom Expectations
Come to school everyday
Respect yourself and try every day
Be kind in word and deed every day
Help one another every day

Beginning and Ending the Period or the Day

Students come into the room already knowing what to do. We have established these procedures in the very beginning of school. They know that assignments are up on the board, they know what book to have ready, they know what supplies to collate and they quickly get them selves busy accomplishing the task at hand. Teacher can start the day with positive comments and recognizing students who were successful in their duties.

There is a three minute bell towards the end of the period that sounds signaling for student to begin to end their conversations, log out of the computers, put their materials away and get ready to end our time. Again, these procedures were established at the very start of the school. Ending the day with a positive activity such as a exit ticket or jeopardy questions helps students to remain engaged in their learning right to the bitter or sweet end.

Transitions in the classroom
I use music to transition in the classroom from one activity to another. It’s a website of music that automatically comes on when our internet is strong. The back up system is a CD player on my desk loaded with good bluegrass music. It signals to the students to begin to end their conversations, come to a stopping point of the reading, put books and materials away and move back to their tables and ready for the next activities.

Interruptions and Disruptions are at a minimum if an effective program includes a variety of strategies and events for students to become engaged in their own learning. Targeting the positive behaviors with individual or whole group strategies is important. There are many ways one can design and orchestrate their students to represent and learn effective skills to be successful in and outside of the classroom

Choosing and implementing programs that are relevant to the students is the key. If they buy into it, see the benefit of it they will exhibit and learn the behavior you are guiding them to learn. If the event is not relevant to them, they will not participate at the level to change behavior or establish a habit. I think you get more for rewarding the positive than punishing the negative. (Pg. 37)

If the disruption happens it is first met by the teacher looking directly at the student(s) causing the trouble.

Most often, that will help students to refocus back into the learning. If it continues, then there is a hand gesture to “think and change’ offered followed by a quiet verbal warning.
If the disruption is dangerous, then this teacher has a whistle that can quiet an entire gym during a basketball game is heard. Get’s everyone’s attention now. I would stop the learning, give verbal commands at this point, and re-start the lesson once again. ‘ƒ
Discipline & Consequences: Levels of Behavior Chart

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Safe Acting Angry Physical aggression Harassment
Responsible Interrupting Disrespect Stealing
And Showing Frustration inappropriately Disobeying School Rules Vandalism
Respectful Negative actions or words Dishonesty Weapons
Choices Not cooperating Other Irresponsible or unsafe choices Threatening behaviors
Repeated Level 1 behaviors Violence
Repeated Level 2 behaviors

Orange: Level 1
Acting angry
Interrupting
Showing frustration inappropriately
Negative actions or Words
Not Cooperating

Blue: Level 2
Physical aggression
Disrespect
Disobeying school rules
Dishonesty
Other disrespectful, irresponsible and unsafe choices

Red: Level 3
Harassment
Stealing
Vandalism
Weapons
Threatening behaviors
Violence
Other disrespectful, irresponsible and unsafe choices
Repeated Level 2 behaviors
Repeated Level 1 behaviors

Safety and Legal Requirements
Demonstrating Personal Interest in Students

– Simple or easy ways to build positive relationships with students is to discover their interests outside of the classroom and incorporate them into the instruction. An effective way to research their interests is through a survey to the students. Then share the results with the whole class.

– Here is another activity I would do to build classroom community early in the school year. I would have the class break up into pairs and instruct them to interview the other with a set of prepared questions. They would role-play a news reporter and then play the part as a news broadcaster sharing their information from their partner to the class or whole group. Then reverse the roles and interview the other partner. It was a big hit in the 5th grade.

– Acknowledging students outside of the classroom by name is great to validate your concern of the child. Say hi when you meet at the grocery store or at the movies. Don’t be shy and always share positive remarks about the student. It’s a great opportunity to thank him/her and share how nice it is to have them in the class. Great way to

– Effective classroom teachers develop a separate language when initiation conversation with groups of students. Having several positive verbal and body language gestures will assist them in offering student participation.

– Give credit to a student when his/her response is requested. “Thanks Jacob for your response’ provides ownership to that student and self-confidence to continue participation. Adding positive response such as, “That’s very interesting – I like the way you are thinking.’ Confirms again to the student and the whole class that you value their input.
(pg. 64)

Student Responsibility

For the first quarter of school, the class heard me every day talk to them about being responsible for their own learning. We spend a good portion of time learning what being responsible means. We share how being responsible can give you praise and rewards while being responsible for your actions can also bring trouble when poor choices are made.

I can provide you opportunities and activities to make the learning fun and engaging. It’s up to you to take advantage of it or not. I can give you tools to use and accomplish many assignments in style and ease. It’s up to you, not me to learn those tools and apply them to your learning. I can coach you to learn new things and I can guide you through learning experiences. I can show you why it is important to learn and how this is going to make your life choices easier in the future. I can even model being a life long learner and share with you my new experiences but I can’t make you learn.

At some point you have to take the initiative and become responsible for your own learning. We can develop self-discipline so that your successes far out number your struggles through out your school years. We can learn how to manage your time in an efficient manner and realize that schoolwork is not difficult and you can accomplish the task assigned to you easily. We are strengthening your self-control and making good choices in your educational life that will benefit you both in short term goals but you will be successful in your long term goals as well. And we will improve your social skills include how to resolve personal conflicts in an acceptable way so that you are a positive member of your family, among your peers and community.

Video clip What Students Need to Hear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O7v4EJjx-g&feature=youtu.be

Management at your school level

The classroom and the school-wide program and expectations have to be mirror reflections of each other with specific expectations address for whole school focus. Policy and procedures need to be established for areas outside of the classroom but still on premise of the whole school locations. Such things as behavior in the parking lot, outside on the playground, entrance to the building, common areas and such.
School wide management provides a broader picture of how this school should look, feel and sound during the day at any time. And those same expectations should move effortlessly into the classroom settings.

I would also include the policy and procedures for enforcing the rules and rewards or consequences thereof. Plus, there has to be expectations spelled out for teacher and staff alike. Those behavior guidelines should be the same for teachers as it is for students at a higher complexity.

Safety rules and procedures in place at your school/school district
https://www.rcs.k12.tn.us/education/components/scrapbook/

Emergency Crisis Procedures: Every employee should have immediate access to an Emergency Safety Flip Chart that is to be used in the event of an emergency. All flip charts should remain in an easily accessible location and provide detailed information about the names and duties of the Crisis Response Team Leaders, which include a First Responder Team, Sheltering Leader, Lockdown Leader, Transportation Leader, Relocation Center Leader, Evacuation Leader and Utilities/Maintenance Leader.
Safety Drills: Throughout the school year, all schools are required to perform safety drills as specified by the Director of Schools. At this time drills include two fire drills in the month of August and one fire drill per month thereafter, one tornado drill per semester, one lock down drill per semester, one medical drill per semester and one target scenario drill per semester. A sign-off sheet listing all of the drills performed will be turned into the Central Office at the end of every year.
Severe Weather: ԬWhen the National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Rutherford County, all students and staff who are outside will be moved inside. Tornado drill procedures and location of safe areas will be reviewed. Students may be released to a parent with proper identification.լOnce a tornado warning is issued, all schools will intiate their weather emergency response. Students, employees and visitors will be moved to safe zones within the school. Students may be dismissed to parents after the tornado warning has been lifted by the National Weather Service. During a warning, buildings will be kept open if possible to allow for parents and/or visitors to seek shelter near the front office safe area.
Safety Materials, Equipment and Training: All schools have been trained in Incident Command and will remain consistent with the philosophy of the Rutherford County Emergency Safety Flip Chart. The basic principle of Incident Command Training involves the delegation of authority so that the authority figure is able to concentrate on managing resources and problem solving during times of emergency. Additionally, schools have been given resources and materials needed to help maintain a safe environment.
Visitor Management:
All visitors are required to check-in through the main office and present a valid ID with picture. Where available, the ID is scanned through a program called V*Soft which is a web-based software application that searches mulitple sex offender databases as well as private alerts such as custody orders, restraining orders and banned individuals. A special badge will be given to each approved visitor and IDs will be returned to the individual upon exiting through the main office.

Fire Safety
National Fire Protection Association
School Safety Tips
– Fire drills must be held at least once a month while school is in session. (Schools located in climates where weather is severe have the option of deferring monthly drills).
– Principals, teachers or other school staff must inspect all exits daily to ensure that stairways, doors and other exits are working properly and are unblocked.
– On the day of the drill, the emergency drill alarm should be sounded on the school fire alarm system. Make sure that everyone can recognize the sound of the alarm and knows what to do when it sounds.
– Teachers, officials and staff should be familiar with the school’s fire protection system, including the location of fire alarm pull stations and sprinklers.
– Every room in the school should have a map posted identifying two ways out. In schools with open floor plans, exit paths should be obvious and kept free of obstruction.
– On the day of the fire drill, everyone in the school should participate.
– Students with specific needs should be assigned an adult or a student buddy to assist them. Fire drills are a good opportunity to identify who among the student population requires extra assistance.
– While it’s important to make sure that students leave the building as quickly as possible, order is more important than speed when it comes to conducting a safe fire drill.
– Once everyone has safely exited the building, they should remain outside at a predetermined location until the ‘all clear’ has been given to reenter the school.
– Use rosters to ensure that every student is accounted for.
– Fire drills should be held both at expected and at unexpected times, and under varying conditions in order to simulate the conditions that can occur in an actual emergency.
School fire drills are a model for students to use in their homes. Encourage students to practice their escape plans at home–just as they do at school.

https://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/occupancies/school-fires/school-safety-tips

Lab Safety
Note: Our sites do not conduct science lab experiments to the extent intended for this project.

All students must read and understand the information in this document with regard to laboratory safety and emergency procedures prior to the first laboratory session. Your personal laboratory safety depends mostly on YOU. Effort has been made to address situations that may pose a hazard in the lab but the information and instructions provided cannot be considered all-inclusive.
Students must adhere to written and verbal safety instructions throughout the academic term. Since additional instructions may be given at the beginning of laboratory sessions, it is important that all students arrive at each session on time.
With good judgement, the chance of an accident in this course is very small. Nevertheless, research and teaching workplaces (labs, shops, etc.) are full of potential hazards that can cause serious injury and or damage to the equipment. Working alone and unsupervised in laboratories is forbidden if you are working with hazardous substances or equipment. With prior approval, at least two people should be present so that one can shut down equipment and call for help in the event of an emergency.
Safety training and/or information should be provided by a faculty member, teaching assistant, lab safety contact, or staff member at the beginning of a new assignment or when a new hazard is introduced into the workplace.

https://www.kostic.niu.edu/labsafetyrules.html#Laboratory_safety

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Code yellow
Again, police arriving at our school sites would never look like this. Our reality is that law enforcement (one or two officers) flies into the village one to two full days later. All actions are handled with the school principal and district office Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent.

For the purpose of fulfilling the project requirement, here is a suggested lockdown protocol when police are called to your school.

STAY PUT/LOCK DOWN

During extreme crisis situations there will be three possible commands given over the intercom or through word of mouth. For security reasons, they will not be explained. Please know this information and follow these directions closely.
During a “STAY PUT’:
1. Office staff personnel will announce “Stay Put’ over the speaker system.
2. All students and teachers should report to the nearest classroom.
3. As soon as hallways are clear, teacher should close and lock the door.
4. Take roll of students in your room.
5. Class activities may continue as normal, but they should remain quiet.
6. Have class roster ready for an evacuation, noting those absent.
7. No one should leave the room for any reason unless directed by the administrators or rescue officials.
8. Consider exit routes and be ready to evacuate to ensure safety
9. An “ALL CLEAR’ will signal a return to normal activities.
During a “LOCK DOWN’:
Office staff personnel will announce “Lock Down’ over the speaker system. Repeat three times.
1. Secretary calls the police immediately using the phone or VHF system
2. All students and teachers should report to the nearest classroom.
3. As soon as hallways are clear, teacher should close and lock the door.
4. Turn out classroom lights.
5. Teachers will display the green card for all students present and red card for a student missing. If missing student, contact office (ext 301, 302, 304)
6. Move students away from the visual path of doors and windows.
7. Hide as best as possible.
8. Cell phones on silent.
9. Remain completely silent. Make the room seem empty.
10. Take roll of students in the room.
11. Evacuation is likely to follow.
12. No one should leave the room for any reason unless directed by administrators or rescue officials.
13. Consider exit routes and be ready to evacuate to ensure safety
14. An “ALL CLEAR’ will signal a return to normal activities.

From Manokotak School Emergency plan

Student Diversity
Special needs students:

This district is a full inclusion policy district. Meaning that all Special Needs students are included into the regular classroom supported by trained professional aides. The regular classroom teacher and the SPED teacher spend considerable time in collaboration to share lesson plans and to make accommodations for the students with specific learning needs.

I would share the lesson plans for the class with the SPED teachers and we would create changes for the SPED students to participate in the class.

Some common changes would be less work to be finished or longer time to accomplish the assignments would be established.
Possibly a different scoring rubric would be used. Providing students with questions being asked in a conversation early so that their response could be created ahead of time is another way to include all students in the lesson.

Sometimes different group jobs would automatically be assigned to certain students.

I had one 5th grade student who became the official timer in a variety of events in the classroom. We purchased a mechanical timer for him and he mastered setting the time for everyone.

We also made sure that all students were members of different groups in the classroom.

Identify students with categories of needs is also realized. Aggressive students may need more organization to their lessons, Passive students need more support to feel confident to join in a discussion and some students will need to adjust to a non-successful result.(pg. 72 )

_______________________________
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Also, “regular’ students were coached how to best help the SPED classmates by the SPED teacher when necessary. We learned that sometimes our good intentions were not the best method to include these students. Often we would do too much for them thus limiting their participation and to contribute to the group. The SPED teacher showed us how we can be stronger partners with our Special Needs classmates.

Establishing and maintaining open and consistent communication with the SPED teacher and parents was vital in including

all students into the classroom environment.

https://kc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy_files/inclusioninclassroomtips.pdf

Cultural diversity (discussion, research)

Our world is getting smaller and smaller and our classrooms need to show that by acknowledging the various cultures of our communities. Here in Rural Alaska, those diversities are lesser than of larger urban populations. If we are structuring education to meet the needs of students for their futures, then recognizing people of different culture is included.

1. Get to know the students: Make connections to their life outside of the classroom

2. Establish parental contact for students and maintain open communications with them

3. Understand and support students who participate in cultural or religious events outside of the school

4. Remain unbiased about students other commitments

5. When appropriate ask students to share their experienced with others

6. Don’t be afraid to ask student questions (private conversations) about their other commitments could strengthen the students vision of you being a support for them,

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Planning and Conduction Instruction

I have in my past experienced worked with educators that had great awareness in their classroom and others who were absolutely clueless to what was happening right behind their backs. I think this is a truly learned strategy for teachers. Our plates are so full with the quantity and the qualitative expectations of us that it is easy to slip into moments of tune it out-ness. I think the pressure to remain on top of the game for teachers is immense. We are asking them to be the coach, counselor, educator and parent in some cases everyday kids walk into their classrooms. Teachers really need to be aware of their status at any given time and learn strategies to check themselves, gather back-up and to recuperate from experiences.

Teachers are people too and have real emotions. No one is perfect and have good days and not so good days. It’s a fact of the human condition. And to say you are not personally affected by teaching is just a fib. No one enters this profession with the intention to cause harm to children. Some of these social, abuse issues we deal with has to have an effect on you that could show itself in the classroom. Having the ability to recognize your emotional status along with developing some saving habits will make this task easier to accomplish.

https://www.onlinecollegecourses.com/2012/12/10/how-to-motivate-your-students-what-every-teacher-should-know-but-doesnt/
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(Page 94) has a good chart of the characteristics of a burnout that are apparent when someone is ready for a break.

Depersonalization: feeling like you are in a dream and that the surroundings are not real.
Reduction in personal accomplishment, forgetfulness and even apathy with all things.
Emotional exhaustion – just don’t feel anymore, it doesn’t affect me, so what . . .
Increase physical illness – stomach, digestive issues, sleep disturbance, muscle spasms
Mood changes that exhibit quickness to anger
Increased feeling of overwhelmed
Preoccupation with work excluding all other aspects of life

People need to be aware of their mental well-being and take proactive steps to improve that state when needed.

Some good suggestions appeared on (pg. 95) that are just common sense strategies.

Use positive self-talk.

I can do this, it’s not bad

Use regular exercise: bike, swim, walking on a schedule

Practice good nutrition

Make time for yourself

Set realistic goals

Be around positive people

Diversity in Instruction

It’s a big world out there and educators need to prepare students to be successful in their world, not in our world. That includes a better job in teaching about diversity. We are communities of different cultures now and learning to respect other’s cultures is important. This teacher will use a variety of resources exploring topics like race and ethnicity, gender equality, and sexual orientation with students.

We will be inviting all our families to come and share in the classroom about your family and your culture. One project we do is Student of the Month: We have a bulletin board where the family can bring in photographs and create a student family tree on our board. That Student and Family will get the opportunity to share with the class about their heritage and customs.

Our Social Studied curriculum in the 5th Grade is learning the 50 State of our country. A major component of that curriculum is to study the variety of lifestyles in that State. We work hard to develop inclusive learning environments and approach topics of race, gender equality, empathy, and bullying prevention during class. In conjunction with our school’s counselor, we are always open to new ways in learning about other people life and ways.

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/preparing-cultural-diversity-resources-teachers

Student Motivation comes from designing a classroom that students’ find relevant learning in and they feel they are contributing members of the classroom community. It is probably the most difficult task teachers may face. My goal is to have each student experience a feeling that drives them to return the following day.

– In the fifth grade, students learn to become independent learners we will have several project-based units though out the year.

– Research suggests this is most effectively achieved through instructional behaviors and course design.

– Students respond positively to a well-organized course and instruction. Careful planning is important in order to provide quality learning
– Providing students with clear goals and choices will give them stronger skills in self-directed learning.

– Challenges presented to students will be carefully constructed so that students will be successful but also challenge to stretch into deeper knowledge.

– Each project is carefully outlined with adequate materials, resources and time for students to produce quality product and ending in positive results. Each step of the project is specifically paced so that feedback is given and students can change to improve their final product.

https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/motivating-students/
https://www.teachthought.com/teaching/21-simple-ideas-to-improve-student-motivatio/

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Summary: some personal ideas that reflect your philosophy of teaching

Top Ten Things you will see in the Mrs. E’s 5th Grade Classroom.
Room #126

1. My classroom is an extension of me in many ways. I will provide your child with a safe, warm and welcoming learning place and welcome his/her participation every day.

2. I work extremely hard to design lessons, provide materials and guidance to allow students to explore their learning.

3. I have high expectations for my students and myself and never settle for mediacracy.

4. I believe that education goes beyond the confines of the classroom and thusly are out and involved in the community in positive ways. One favorite activity is supporting the local food bank with drive to collect canned food over the holidays. You will see us around the community asking for donations.

5. I am fair and firm with discipline in my classroom and we will adhere to school wide policy and procedures in our school.

6. I will establish communication routine with each parent and family. Our class will be seeking family and parental participation throughout the year in a variety of means to support learning.

7. I will challenge students, I will coach students but I cannot make them learn.

8. I will provide a variety of experiences for students and utilize some positive competition when appropriate.

9. I allow students to take ownership and drive their own direction including to organize into groups for learning.

10. I will be here in this community, in the school and involved in your child’s learning

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Classroom Management Plan 26

Bibliography

Feriazzo, L. (2012, October 1). Eight Things Skilled Teachers Think, Say and Do. Education Leadership.

Marzano, R. (2007). Chpt. 6: What will I do to establish or maintain classroom rules and procedures? In The Art and Science of Teaching
(1st ed., Vol. 1, p. 130). Alexandria: ASCD.

Kraft, M. (2010, April 10). From Ringmaster to Conductor.
Kappan, 44-47.

Marzano, R. (2005). Teacher-Student Relations. In A Handbook for Classroom Management that Works (pp. 56-80). Alexandria: ASCD.

Video clip What Students Need to Hear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-O7v4EJjx-g&feature=youtu.be
https://www.rcs.k12.tn.us/education/components/scrapbook/

https://www.nfpa.org/safety-information/for-consumers/occupancies/school-fires/school-safety-tips

https://www.kostic.niu.edu/labsafetyrules.html#Laboratory_safety

https://kc.vanderbilt.edu/kennedy_files/inclusioninclassroomtips.pdf

https://www.onlinecollegecourses.com/2012/12/10/how-to-motivate-your-students-what-every-teacher-should-know-but-doesnt/

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/preparing-cultural-diversity-resources-teachers

Classroom Observation #1 Response 1st Grade

This is a first grade class with 7 students doing a reading lesson utilizing the direct instructional strategies and curriculum. The entire lesson lasted 20 minutes of time.

 

1.) Describe effective management strategies you observed for opening a lesson, applied during a lesson, and for lesson closure.

 

Her lesson was started at the classroom door. She welcomed each student with a handshake and a positive comment to each one. Her classroom was all set up and materials were arranged at a Moon-shaped table. Each student went to their spot along the table and looked at the storybook in front of them. As soon as the teacher sat down, she asked for everyone to have eyes on me. She stated the learning goals for the lesson and had students individually repeat them back to her. Each one received a positive comment and she moved them into the lesson. Reminding them of the goal at appropriate times. At the end of the lesson, she thanked them for their hard work and how proud she was of their learning. Then gave them instructions to return to their desk as they were getting ready to move into another activity.

 

 

2.) Name 3 common transitions you observed and how did the teacher handle those.

 

Students were reading with a partner the same passage practicing for a fluency test later that day. She used a kitchen timer as a signaling device for the duration of the activity. She established the partners and they already had their reading passage and instructed that each person will have five minutes to read the words. When the timer went off, circle the last word read on your card and pass it onto your partner. While the reader was reading, she was able to take notes on individual students. The timer went off, and students stopped reading, circled the last word and passed the card to the partner. The teacher initiated the second group by repeating the instructions and in less than 30 seconds, started the timer.

 

Getting ready for lunch: Students were involved in a variety of centers through out the room. There’s a math game center, an art project center, a computer center and a reading center. She used a music recording to signal the groups to end their center. The music gave them three minutes to end their lessons, clean up the area and get back to the desk for lunch. Students were able to stop the computer, shut down to an appropriate program, stop the art projects-clean up the art table, the math game ended peacefully and the readers inserted the bookmarkers in their books and moved to the desks. She gave them compliments and showed individual praise to a few students. She said, “I like how the art table is cleaned up and all the supplies are put away. Thank you and that is a huge help to the next group the next time.’

 

The third transition was at the end of the day and getting ready to go home. Everyone had a homework assignment to read with parents or a sibling at home. The book was the same book they used for their reading lesson earlier that morning. Each student had their book in their desk and their backpack on their chairs. She called one student name and they put the book in their backpack and called on another student. Once you put your book in the backpack, you went to get your coat, hat, boots on and then to your place in the line. Instead of a mad rush to the coats, it was an orderly paced procession thus eliminating the confusion and congestion in the classroom.

 

3.) Describe a strategy that you observed and may apply to your classroom.

 

It is called inside-outside circle. She used this activity in a math lesson. This group of 12 students were learning to recognize geometric shapes to their words. She had two sets of cards. One had the shapes drawn on the card. The other set had the words written on the card. Students made two circles facing each other. She passed out one set of shape cards to the inside circle. And the other set of word cards to the outside circle. She was very careful in keeping the card-matches in the same order. She then used music in the background and instructed for the inside circle to move one person to their right. Next, both students then showed their cards to each other. If they matched, the inside student steps to the outside circle and stands next to their match. In four whole group moves (to the right) the entire two circles will be matched: shape to the correct word.

 

We repeated this three times. The challenge came at the end of the math activity when she mixed up the cards. And the students played the game, almost by themselves. There was little direction from the teacher. Students were helping others and at the end of the game, the teacher and the group did a loud cheer. We’re number 1, We’re number 1.

 

I think the music in the background was a key factor for this group. It eliminated the verbal outburst in the room and it made the atmosphere more relaxing.

 

The cheer at the end was a great way to celebrate the success.

Blog #4 Building Teacher – Student Relationships Dendicott

EDSC F658 Classroom Organization & Management

CRN 75835

Due 10/16/14

Blog #4

1.) Post the three links ( website, blog, video) to our blog

www.ascd.org    Founded in 1943, ASCD (doing business as the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is the global leader in developing and delivering innovative programs, products, and services that empower educators to support the success of each learner. The association provides expert and innovative solutions in professional development, capacity building, and educational leadership essential to the way educators learn, teach, and lead. The nonprofit’s diverse, nonpartisan membership is its greatest strength, projecting a powerful, unified voice to decision makers around the world. (from webpage)

I think that designing classroom management plans takes more than just one point of view or come from just one source. Successful schools will share how their plans too time and many, many revisions, changes, deletions to come to this point. Here is an organization, with good foundations and reputation to be of service and I like how it addresses the administration side of education too.

Blog: www.scholastic.com

Scholastic Instructor Blog

Blogs that have taught us a few things, made us laugh, made us cry, and reminded us that we are not alone in this sometimes stress-inducing, always awe-inspiring profession. Grades: PreK—K, 1—2, 3—5, 6—8, 9—12

I think it’s important to establish a support group of your own that understands what is happening in your classroom. It may not always be the teacher across the hall either. Connecting with people of same or similar profession can provide you with the comfort and collegiality necessary to survive. And some days we need all the help we can get. I like this resource too because it has other options as well. It’s a know company, it’s been around for a long time and they all talk teacher talk.

Video:

Video.pbs.org/video/2365006547

Rita Pierson: Build Relationships with your students

I like to use the pbs resources when ever I can. I have in the past purchased video sets of science and social studies topics. And put them in my learning plan for my students. So this website is familiar to me.

Everyday as a teacher, we struggle with the best of students and are under continual stress to always provide more, provide better and ensure all students have equal opportunity to learn. It’s not an easy job and some days I just need a little pep talk and to remind me why I put myself through this torture.

Here’s such a pep talk and you will laugh, you will cry and you will come away learning one more trick to put in your basket to make tomorrow a better day for everyone.

Blog #3: Endicott: Future of AK Native Education

If it is ever finally determined at the State Education and Early Childhood Administration level that Alaska Native Education becomes the primary method of instruction then there should be very significant changes.  This State has struggled ever since it’s push into the villages of assimilation of children into dominant western culture education.  Children were physically taken from the families and forced into boarding schools away from their villages.  History has too numerous registered events recorded inappropriate behaviors happening.  It’s not working, it will not work and it needs to cease, stop all together.

If preservation of the culture is the goal, then schools need to be turned over to local control.  Employ only Yupik speaking teachers and limit outside influence.  Each village will determine it’s education direction and design the curriculum to support the culture.  Require only the language to be used in the village.   Not only should the school be turned over to local control but all the services need to be separately contracted with outside agencies  to fulfill their needs.  That means no Special Education, no required services for Speech, Occupational Therapy or Physical Therapy would ever be in the school.

Medical clinic personnel, dental, or vision groups would travel to the villages to provide their products and services under separate contracts of employment outside of the school facility. Currently these organization and services use the school building as their place to provide services to villagers.  A vast majority of these events are absorbed into the schools operating budget.  Few offer to compensate the district for the cost of lighting, heat or water usage in the buildings.  Many of the technicians reside in the school too during their stay.

Maintenance of the school facilities will be turned over to the village office.  Previous funding resource from State, Federal or local grants will become a responsibility of the village.

Each village will design their commitment to the State Education Department for equal assessment and measuring student success program.  In order to participate in programs to receive a funding source (Migrant Education, Title 1) there has to be an agreement of compliance.

Each village will create their own economic program and generate funding for city or village services probably utilizing grant(s) procurement and usage of that funding resource.  Products and services paid with State Taxation funding source would continue as it stays now.  Clean water, electric and sewer services would remain.

By Federal Law, each state is mandated to support citizens with funding or services.  For Alaska, use the Permanent Fund to support the transformation of Education in the rural villages.  Design a program that provides all the services the school system now provides adding designing curriculum and materials for the Yupik Culture.  I think it was Einstein who said “If you want change to happen you have to do things in a different way.”

Families who wish different school environments have the opportunity to move and reside in urban communities.  The State also continues to offer Boarding School for those students wanting alternative learning.

This state has the funding capabilities to make this significant switch in their education plan.  I have no problem if villages make that determination to orchestrate their programs to the needs of their villages.  I would in fact, encourage that very notion.  I am confident the Yupik culture would provide adequate education for their communities.

 

Endicott Blog #2 4 classroom rules

1.  Be on Time

2.  Be Ready to Learn

3.  Respect yourself and others

4.  Be kind in word and deed

I will assume this is a Middle School or Intermediate grade level class.

 

Endicott’s Classroom Expectations

EDSC 458/658

Classroom Organization and Management

Deborah Endicott

Fall 2014     9/9/2014

 

Creating a Productive Learning Environment

Or Classroom Management Plan

 

Designing an effective classroom management plan is a complex task and something that should evolve with your students. Much of the design will be dependent upon the teacher’s instructional style(s) that are implemented. The profession as a whole is making a significant swing to a “coaching or conductor’ methods of instruction.     Archival thoughts are about the teacher are viewed as the “sole dictator’ within the classroom is becoming a method of the past. Hopefully, we are moving from the Silo Teacher methods to collaborative efforts between professional approaches of delivering instruction to students.

 

In my classroom, the students, instructional aides, parent, principal all played a role in designing our classroom environment program. The first few weeks, we all worked on different components of our classroom community. Students and teachers would work out their standards and behavior expectations as a group. Coming to an understanding on how behavior would be expected by all students supporting a positive learning environment. We would compose our classroom rules together and publish the listing for all to see and review when needed. Communication to parents of the classroom expectations would be letters written by the students to their parents sharing our expectations.

 

Procedures to help students to become and maintain a independent and productive student would be established as our class community culture develops. How to get paper, pencils or supplies, turn in assignments, pick up missed work, to be designed as a group.

 

Safety protocols (fire drills, lock-down etc.) were always practiced until they became routine.

 

Having a ‘time-out’ area is a good way to allow students take a few minutes to recollect their thoughts and prepare to re-enter the class in a productive manner.

 

Disruptions to instruction are first met with a “look’ from the teacher and a silent moment. If the disruption continues, then the student is given a hand signal (sign language) to think and change. If that does not change the behavior, then the student is not ready to learn and needs to excuse themselves from the instruction area and into our “time-out’ spot. If that does not help, then moving the student outside of the classroom with our instructional aide to either the counselor’s office or front office assistant principal is warrented. Follow-up with a phone call to the parent that same day or evening will occur. Our conversation will always end on a positive message to the student.

 

I meet my students every morning at the door. Inside the classroom are starting activities and every student comes into the room, knowing what to do to get the day started in a positive manner.

 

I use music as my transition signal to end one activity into another. It’s a music clip of three minutes and I will change it through out the year.

 

Lining up at the door, I give each an exit-ticket question. Students need to answer it correctly to exit the room. Incorrect responses, they go to the back of the line and try again. Correct responses are always given a verbal positive comment.

 

I’m rarely at my desk when students are in the classroom. I am constantly making the rounds checking on progress. I’m sure I clock about 6 miles a day in the classroom.

 

Instruction is given with a variety of technology tools and methods. I use the overhead projector for the Daily Oral Language sentences. The Elmo projector is great for the student textbook display for all to follow along and demonstrate resources. The computer projector for on-line learning opportunities such as webinar’s or recorded events. There’s teacher read-aloud everyday where I or another student read a chapter in our reading program. Teacher lecturing is rarely over 15 or 20 minutes in duration.

 

Supported individual learning is with choice reading, write or draw during transition times in between academic core areas.     Students on computers are guided to resources relevant to their learning.

 

My class is always busy, often times louder than other classrooms and you can witness several things happening at the same time. My goal is that students leave for the day, challenged and tired. More importantly, they leave the day with a desire of returning the following day.

 

Classroom management is a forever-changing event in productive classrooms. It has to have solid foundation of high expectations for all students and a safe environment to be a part of.