First week of School Activities
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Recognizing Birthdays
Student Jobs
Admittedly, I have a hard time keeping track of student jobs - and changing them. This year, I decided to take a different approach: Teams or squads for jobs. There are four teams: Teacher assistant, Environment, Communication, and Technology. I put job responsibilities on each team sheet and laminated them. So far, I've had reluctance to volunteer in some classes. It's odd - it seems that there are either a lot of volunteers or none.
Drawings & Emails from Students
Having a positive relationship with my students is of the utmost importance for me. Knowing my "kids" is the best way to be preventative with classroom discipline issues. I make every attempt for students to feel important and valued in class - by recognizing their birthdays, by respecting if they don't want us to sing to them, by asking for input into what classroom jobs they may want to help with. There are too many to list! I don't know how I can quantify the quality of these relationships. The student jobs are the hardest thing for me to keep track of (I'm really bad at this!).
Class Motto & Logo
Todo es posible (Anything is possible) en la clase de español.
This logo was also added to my Back to School letter for parents.
This logo was also added to my Back to School letter for parents.
Classroom Objectives & Can Do Statements
Can-Do Statements by proficiency level are posted in the classroom.
We refer to these often so that students know exactly what are reasonable expectations for them.
Learning goals are posted on the front chalkboard.
We refer to these often so that students know exactly what are reasonable expectations for them.
Learning goals are posted on the front chalkboard.
Rules & Procedures
I revamped my expectations a bit this year as well as my Power Point. I am able to make the expectations clear from the beginning of the year and can access them easily when we need retraining.
Beginning of Class Routines
I have a music video playing when students enter class. I play the same video for about one cycle.
After I see that most of the class is there (or after the video), we go through the following slides:
After I see that most of the class is there (or after the video), we go through the following slides:
Class Instagram Feed
This has been a very motivating tool for the students (and a great way to publicize great things that we're doing in class).
Routines, not rigidity, are extremely important - to students and to me. It makes the classroom a less stressful place for everyone because we all know what to expect. A few years ago, I "branded" of the Todo es Posible motto and logo. I work to be careful of providing structure without being too rigid. The time spent teaching (and revisiting) the procedures is DEFINITELY worth the time saved in the long run!
Signing Out a Book from the Classroom Library
Student Supply Area & Paper Turn In Area
Selecting Groups
This year, I retooled the country partner sheet again - this time labelling each Spanish-speaking country. For the region with the most countries, I will use those partners for a longer period of time than the Caribbean and Europe/ Africa.
Students select DIFFERENT partners by country. They must work with at least one person of the opposite gender. A back up copy is kept as a photo on their iPads. |
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Transitions Between Activities
Magic Hand Clap and the "Hay un Cuento" song
Magic Hand Clap and the "Hay un Cuento" song
Procedures for Non-Instructional Tasks
Most are posted - either on canvases or using visuals (icons, pictures with the words).
I made some changes this year. Based on student feedback from last year, I changed the student jobs. They were too cumbersome for me to manage, and I kept forgetting to change them. Next I decided AGAINST a complex check out system for books in my classroom library. Admittedly, over time I have abandoned certain non-instructional management strategies because they were too tedious to manage. Thus, the selfie with the book was created. Students love taking selfies, and it is EXTREMELY easy for me to manage. Next, I've been relying on posting my rules and procedures using canvases or other visuals. I've noticed that having a tangible, visual reminder alleviates a great deal of confusion - which is a sanity saver for me.
Documentation on eSchool Plus
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Student Reflection about Behavior
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Behavior Plan (working with team Sirius)
Parent Contacts Regarding Behavior
I had previously called this mother and could sense her frustration. When I reached out to her about a different behavioral issue, I decided to email her in her native language. I made such a decision in order to foster the positive home-school relationship with her while taking care to address her in a culturally-appropriate manner. I let her know what happened, the consequence, and that I know that her child has a good heart.
Use of Preferred Activity Time (PAT) as a Class-Wide Behavioral Incentive Plan
I was struggling with my 6th grade classes' behavior. When I would talk, they would talk. I waited. I did my "Magic Hand Clap". I became frustrated and didn't like the way I was feeling nor the way I was reacting to students' behavior. I knew that I needed a change.
Setting limits does NOT mean that the teacher has to be a jerk to the students!!! Through my experiences and research, I know that positivity yields better results than negativity ever did.
I searched for some ideas of how to implement PAT, resources, and activities would work as rewards. Here is what I discovered:
Setting limits does NOT mean that the teacher has to be a jerk to the students!!! Through my experiences and research, I know that positivity yields better results than negativity ever did.
I searched for some ideas of how to implement PAT, resources, and activities would work as rewards. Here is what I discovered:
BehaviorsWhat were the behaviors that were bothering me, stopping me from teaching and impeding student learning?
How the class earn points? -- by being on-task How do I earn points? -- when I have to stop teaching because of students talking. This is the ONLY way I can earn points Students agree on a point goal. Their daily total is their earned points minus my earned points. |
ActivitiesBank of activities - Fred Jones
What are subject-related activities that I would normally do but could package as "extra special" for PAT?
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Having a relationship with each of my students is my "secret" to managing their behavior. I'm a big proponent for treating students with respect, integrity and understanding. Because of the mutual trust and respect we have, students have gone so far as to police each others' behavior - or behavior that I may have missed. I also realize that students crave structure but also need to be recognized for doing the right thing. Putting a positive spin on what could have been a negative situation was the right thing to do.
A Tour of the Room: Flexible Seating
This year, I got rid of even more desks, and the seating has evolved based on students' needs and the activities. I thought that it was important to keep some desks since there are some students who "must" have a desk. I brought in my old kitchen table (pub height), some stools, my childhood coffee table and end tables. I also have many cushions and a yoga mat for students' use. I had to add some additional tables and stools because of normal "wear and tear" as well as their popularity.
Why?
Why do we "individualize" our instruction but not classrooms to meet students' needs? Why do our seating arrangements look more or less the same as they did when I was in middle school in the mid-1980s? It seemed very paradoxical to me. Two years ago, I asked 6th grade students for input. If they could design the space, what would they want? How would it flow? What was already working in our space, and what needed to improve? As a result, a 6th grader made a spec drawing of how she and her classmates envisioned the learning space.
During that summer, I researched deskless classrooms and flexible seating. After lots of reading and soul-searching, I decided that, although it would be additional work for me, flexible seating would be the best fit for my students.
On the October 2017 district conference day, Amy Allen and I presented about flexible seating. In the slide show, I have evidence of the evolution of the seating in my classroom.
Why?
Why do we "individualize" our instruction but not classrooms to meet students' needs? Why do our seating arrangements look more or less the same as they did when I was in middle school in the mid-1980s? It seemed very paradoxical to me. Two years ago, I asked 6th grade students for input. If they could design the space, what would they want? How would it flow? What was already working in our space, and what needed to improve? As a result, a 6th grader made a spec drawing of how she and her classmates envisioned the learning space.
During that summer, I researched deskless classrooms and flexible seating. After lots of reading and soul-searching, I decided that, although it would be additional work for me, flexible seating would be the best fit for my students.
On the October 2017 district conference day, Amy Allen and I presented about flexible seating. In the slide show, I have evidence of the evolution of the seating in my classroom.
I took a big risk in getting rid of my teacher desk, and I don't miss it at all. I also got rid of my filing cabinets since most of my files and materials are digital. Looking at how to make the classroom an even more student-centered learning space, I pared down the amount of furniture, gave more options in seating, and we now move furnishings as we want and/ or need. I'm excited to have such a flexible, open space for student learning!