Great classrooms can come from 4 general rules:
- We will show respect for people, their ideas, and their property.
- We will work hard to ensure our own growth and to assist the growth of others.
- We will persist, even when things are difficult and uncertain.
- We will accept responsibility for the quality of our work and for our behaviors and actions.
Strategies to Enhance Classroom Guidelines:
- Time is Valuable
- Fair is Ensuring All Learners Get What They Need to Succeed
- Teach Up, Work Up
I know when I think of "Routine" I think of this...
Wake up, exercise, shower, eat and brush teeth. This is MY daily routine. In a classroom there should be a daily routine also. Routines are great for students and NEEDED! I think the teacher needs a routine also just to stay sane...and on top of things.
Additional Classroom Routines That Support Flexible Teaching:
- Use Visual Cues
- Pre-establish Groups
- Use Goal Cards Regularly
- Teach for Smooth Transitions
In "Fulfilling the Promise" it said, "There are an infinite number of supports that teachers use to bridge the gap between the learner and the unfamiliar. They exist to help students think more efficiently about their work, to teach, to model, and to encourage. Absent such support systems, students muddle in uncertainty. Clarity of understanding is hard to come by. Discouragement prevails."
Careful observation-kid watching-is important in providing appropriate scaffolding for students!!!
Additional Support for Learners Success:
- Vary Materials
- Use Graphic Organizers to Help Structure and Extend Thinking
- Provide Survival Packets
- Use Participation Prompts
- Build Language Bridges
Remember to work together as a class so there is shared responsibility. Students need to know the classroom is not "yours" it is "ours."
Additional Examples of Shared Responsibility:
- Use Evaluation Checklists
- Involve Students in Scheduling Decisions
- Engage Students in Assessing Their Own Progress
- Help Students Learn to Set Their Own Academic Goals
You've "collected" some great routine ideas! Good for you! Also, are you on Pinterest? I've seen some great ideas for all of the things you talk about in this post... you probably found them, too!
ReplyDeleteThis post reminded me of something my intern friend told me the other day. She said the first week of school is about assessing your students and doing a bunch of little tasks or assignments to help them practice the routines and procedures. I asked, "Even if they're in third grade? They need a whole week to practice?" she replied, "Yes because every teacher does things differently." So that was useful information for me! Now my job is to create tasks that are meaningful and not just busy work!
ReplyDeleteOh hello there! I was just looking over your blog and for some reason I missed this post! I think that in order for a classroom to be a place where students want to come everyday, students need to feel like they belong. Like you said above, make sure the students know it's not just your classroom but it's everyone's classroom. I've been in classrooms where there is no shared responsibility--the teacher does everything and the students sit there and obey. That is not a fun or successful class at all! Shared responsibility is so important in order to help students feel like they belong. Wonderful post dearest :)
ReplyDelete