Be The Teacher: How To Begin Your School Year With
Calm, Confidence and A Clear Plan
A Workshop Presented by Rachel Schankula
“A well-managed classroom is a task-oriented environment where students know what
is expected of them and how to succeed. According to the research, most students
will make better achievement gains in a class such as this.
A well-managed classroom is also a predictable environment. Both teacher and
students know what to do and what is supposed to happen in the classroom. You
should be able to close your eyes and not only envision learning taking place but
also know why it is taking place because o f how you have chosen to manage the
classroom environment.
It is the responsibility of the teacher to manage a class to see that a taskoriented and predictable environment has been established.”
-- From The First Days of School by Harry & Rosemary Wong
Useful Books:
How To Be An Effective Teacher By Harry K. Wong &
•
The First Days of School:
Rosemary T. Wong
This book is the “bible” of first day stuff. It contains lots of very
practical advice about how to be effective and efficient in your classroom.
•
Assertive Discipline By Lee Cantor
A very useful book full of concrete ideas and solutions.
Assertive
discipline is a direct and positive approach to taking charge of your class.
•
Classrooms That Work: They Can All Read and Write By Patricia Cunningham
This book provides extremely useful examples of what elementary classrooms
should look like. It was a powerful tool for me during my first year
because it allowed me to really understand what I should be shooting for.
Useful Websites:
•
www.disciplinehelp.com
This wonderful resource includes tips for handling 117 different types of
misbehavior.
It also contains a comprehensive explanation of the many reasons
why students misbehave and four-step discipline model for how to structure your
response to misbehavior.
•
www.teachers.net
This GREAT website is full of useful information including lesson plans, articles
on classroom management and literacy instruction, support groups for new teachers
and chatboards organized by grade level and subject. There’s just tons of stuff
here that you’ll find useful as the school year progresses.
•
http://atozteacherstuff.com/tips/Back_to_School/index.shtml
This collection of tips will be useful to you as your prepare to start your first
year of teaching. It includes tips for bulletin boards, parent communication,
organization and record keeping, first day activities and much much more.
•
www.lauracandler.com/
A website FULL of GOOD ideas from the classroom of Laura Candler. Includes clear
explanations of thoughtfully developed activities that would be a great addition
to any classroom. There are also great first week tips and activities in the
Cooperative Learning Network section.
•
http://www.creativeclassroom.org/a00ttt/index.html
1
An article about good ideas for the first six weeks of school. Focuses on
creating community, collaborating on discipline, curriculum & resources.
•
http://teachers.net/gazette/JUN00/wong.html
This is the link to the article “Your First Day” by Harry & Rosemary Wong.
•
http://teachers.net/gazette/NOV00/wong.html
This is the link to the article “The First Five Minutes Are Critical” by Harry
& Rosemary Wong
2
DURING THE FIRST WEEK I RESOLVE TO:
1.
SET THE TONE
From the very first moment that students enter my classroom, they begin to
draw conclusions about me and about how my class will work. Based on these
conclusions, they make decisions about how they will behave and how much they
will accomplish. I am, therefore, determined to make sure that all aspects of my
classroom, my appearance and my behavior communicate to my students that this
year will be a academically rigorous year and that I am, above all else, there to
ensure that they make significant gains in their academic achievement.
In order to establish the serious, academic, outcome-oriented tone that I
think is crucial, I must make strategic choices about how I dress, how I decorate
the room, how I speak, how I present & enforce the rules and how I have students
get to know each other. I must pick certain key messages to repeat and
reinforce, & I must be prepared to stick to those messages for a while before
moving on to others. For example, although I may ultimately decide that I want
students to know that I am funny, I don’t want this to be one of the primary
take-aways of the first week. Therefore, I will make a strategic choice to play
down this aspect of my classroom persona until other aspects are firmly
established.
In addition, in order to set the desired tone, I must make engage students
in the process of setting individual and collective goals for the year. From
that goal setting, we will develop the momentum and sense of urgency that will
drive us throughout the year. Students need to have a sense of what is at stake
and why every moment is precious. They need to know that I am totally committed
their success & that I am prepared to do ANYTHING to ensure that they succeed.
2.
BE THE TEACHER
As a first year teacher, there were a number of factors that made it
difficult for me to “be the teacher.” First, I didn’t look like most of my
students’ former teachers – I was white, relatively young & I dressed funny. I
didn’t act like most of their past teachers – I’d leap around the room, crack
jokes, sing songs, dance & fail to hand out dittos. I’d talk fast with an
accent. I didn’t know their parents or their neighborhoods. I was from
Kentucky. I frequently didn’t know exactly how things were supposed to work at
our school, and I didn’t use corporal punishment. Second, I didn’t want to be a
“typical” teacher. My own first impulse was to be friendly & fun. I didn’t want
kids to hate me or to think I was mean. I didn’t see myself as an authority
figure & I didn’t relish the idea of enforcing consequences or getting kids in
trouble. It seemed weird that I was expected to stop kids from chewing gum and
to send kids to the office for not wearing the school uniform. Third, although
lots of people had told me about the importance of classroom procedures, it still
seemed a little obsessive to create systems to manage how frequently students
sharpened their pencils or in exactly what order they were to line up. At the
time, I think I believed that by calling myself “Ms. Schankula” and by standing
up in front of the class, I would be the teacher. I didn’t realize that that
would not be enough.
From the very beginning of my first year, my students didn’t perceive me as
the teacher; therefore, they didn’t treat me as the teacher. Things happened in
my classroom that didn’t happen in another first grade classroom at my school.
Students behaved in ways they wouldn’t have imagined behaving if they had had
Mrs. Rush or Mrs. White as their teacher. I grew more and more frustrated as I
realized how desperately my students needed me to be the teacher and how
profoundly I was failing at the task.
I now believe that I have to transform myself in order to be the teacher.
This does not mean that I have to create a teacher persona that is so far from my
real personality that I feel unbearably uncomfortable. It does mean that I may
3
need to step outside my comfort zone in order to be the teacher my students need.
I must look very carefully at how other teachers at my school behave and consider
what my students think a teacher is. I also need to make strategic choices about
my behavior and presentation. In some cases, I must choose to do what is best
rather than what feels most natural. I need to trust that experienced teachers
are making the choices they’re making for good reasons and that although I may
not immediately understand the reasons, I should still really consider making
similar choices.
3.
CREATE A SENSE OF COMMUNITY AND COLLECTIVE RESPONSIBILITY
The activities I plan and the way I talk about them must communicate to
students that we will succeed collectively and that none of us can be satisfied
unless all of us are making significant progress. This will ensure that students
don’t encourage each other to distract that class and that they encourage each
other to be on task and to be successful. The activities I plan must also give
students some experience with and strategies for working together. Although
we’ll go into this much more deeply in subsequent weeks, we must begin to explore
these issues during the first week so they’re part of our foundation.
4.
ESTABLISH STYSTEMS/ROUTINES DELIBERATELY & THOUGHTFULLY TO BUILD A SOLID
FOUNDATION
5.
GATHER & ORGANIZE DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION ABOUT STUDENTS
I have the opportunity to learn so much about my student during the first
week. I must ensure that I’m collecting good data, recording what I’m observing
and organizing the information in a way that makes it accessible for future
reflection. Since academic growth is the purpose of my classroom, I have to have
a clear picture of where students begin in order to know how much they’ve grown.
4
SYSTEMS/ROUTINES
Create Routines for ALL of the following situations. Think strategically
about which routines need to be introduced in the first day and in the
first week. After you’ve introduced them, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.
Shoot for excellence now!
I.
Beginning Class
A.
Taking Attendance
B.
What to do before school starts
C.
Putting away backpacks
D.
Turning in HW
E.
Do Now!!!
II.
Use of and Movement In Room/School Areas
A.
Shared Materials
B.
Teacher’s Desk
C.
Water Fountain, Bathroom, Pencil Sharpener, Nurse
D.
Changing classes
E.
Lining Up
F.
Walking in the hallway
G.
Student storage
H.
Student Desk
I.
Learning centers
J.
Playground
K.
Lunchroom
III. Instructional Activities
A.
Getting the student’s attention
B.
How to get the teacher’s attention
C.
Student talk during independent work
D.
Student talk during group work
E.
Activities to do when work is done
F.
Student participation
G.
Distributing and collecting materials
IV.
Ending Class
A.
Putting away supplies/cleaning up
B.
Recording homework assignments
C.
Distributing notes/student work to go home
D.
Dismissing class
VI.
Interuptions
A.
Conduct during interruptions or delays
B.
Fire drills/Tornado drills etc.
VII. Work
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Requirements
Heading papers
Neatness, legibility
Incomplete work
Late work
Supplies
5
F.
Homework
6
1.
2.
3.
4.
A COLLECTION OF 25 ACTIVITIES FOR THE FIRST DAY/WEEK OF SCHOOL
Gathered & adapted from various locations on the web
Take pictures
Bring a camera to school. Take individual pictures of each students.
Have the students create picture frames. After school, develop the
film at a one hour studio and ask for double prints. That evening,
STUDY! Start learning names and faces. Keep one set of pictures at
home. You’ll love having them as momentos. Bring the other sent to
school. Put then in the student-made picture frames and feature them
on a bulletin board. After the first two weeks or so of school, let
the students remove the pictures from the fulletin board and place
them in their time capsules to be opened at the end of the school
year.
Create a time capsule
Use empty Pringles cans, cardboard paper town rolls, Ziploc bags or
other easy to come by containers. Inside have students place some of
the following:
Short interest inventory (favorite food, music group, slang
terms, clothing, etc)
A handwriting sample
A tracing of his/her hand
A self portrait
Letter to self about expectations, goals, etc.
Height and weight (include a string that is the same length
as the student)
Place items in time capsules, decorate with colored tissue paper,
yarn, ribbon, glitter, etc. and have a sealing ceremony. Hang
capsules in the classroom close to the ceiling using clothespins and
strong string. At the end of the year, have students complete
similar activities (new writing, handwriting samples, interest
inventories etc.). Have an opening ceremony, take down the time
capsules and open. Have students compare and complete written
reflections about the experience and how they’ve changed.
Friendship Quilt
Help students to create quilt squares using whatever art materials
you have available. The quilt squares could include: their name,
favorite activity, family member names, favorite book. Have students
glue the squares onto larger construction paper squares of different
colors. Hole punch all four corners of each square and “quilt” them
together with yarn. Display in the room or in the hallway.
Get To Know You Game
Form a circle. Have each student introduce themselves based on the
following prompt: “My name is _____________ and if I were an animal
(a soft drink, a cartoon character, a movie star, a wrestler, a
color, a place) I’d be a ____________________ because
_______________.” Model for your students. Give them time to think.
Have a student start and then paraphrase what they say. At the end,
challenge anyone to remember all the name/animal (or whatever)
combinations in the room. Try to remember them all yourself. Next
have the kids draw themselves as their animal (or whatever) leaving
space at the bottom of the drawing for a writing assignment. Have
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them write the sentence from the above activity (with the blanks
filled in) at the bottom of the page. Bind and create your first
class book.
5.
Start the Day with a Sponge Activity:
A Few Primary Grade Sponges:
Write down the names of the children in our class which begin with
“J” or “M” etc . . .
Draw something that is only drawn with circles.
Count to 100 by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, etc. –either oral or written
Think of animals that live on a farm, in the jungle, in water, etc.
Draw as many as you can.
List as many words as you can using the letter of the day. Reading
the room IS allowed.
A Few Upper Grade Sponges:
List the continents of the world. Name at least one country in each
continent. At least 1 city . . .
Brainteasers and riddles (see the collection of Brain Boosters at
http://school.discovery.com/)
Jokes where you provide the set-up and they create a punchline
Quickwrites
Daily Edit
Use blank maps of the U.S. Ask students to label as many of the
states as they can. Ask student to color all
the states in a particular region or all the states beginning
with a given letter.
Daily Geography (Check out
http://www.geocities.com/siliconvalley/Foothills/7848/archive.html)
Challenging math word problem
Quick math drills or problem solving (Check out: The Mad Minute: A
Race to Master the Number Facts
by Paul Joseph Shoecraft, Terry James Clukey)
Think of as many synonyms as you can for the word
________________________.
6.
Create a “We Go Together Bulletin Board”
As each student arrives, give him/her a piece from the puzzle. Have
them draw pictures or symbols and write words that describe them and
their families. When all the students have finished, allow them to
assemble the puzzle, attaching the pieces to the board. For easy
assembly, write numbers on the back of each piece. For more bulletin
board ideas, visit
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/bulletin/index.html
7.
Wordsearches and Crossword puzzles
VISIT THIS AMAZING WEBSITE: http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/
8.
Introduce vocabulary words for the week
Make them first week related (examples: consequences, creed,
success, capable, goal). Students can define words, put them in
alphabetical order, divide them into syllables, write the parts of
speech, include them in well-contructed stentences, write synonyms
and antonyms for them, etc.
9.
Create a birthday calendar or birthday chart.
10. True or False?
8
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
Write four facts about yourself on the overhead in the form of a
true/false test. Three of the facts shold be ture. One of the facts
should be false. Let the students take the test. Survey them for
the results. Go back over each question to see what they thought
about each statement. This gives you a chance to tell them a little
about yourself. On a sheet of paper, have students write three
interesting facts about themselves that are true and one that is
false. Throughout the day, give a few students an opportunity to
stump the rest of the class.
“Who Am I?” Riddle Book
Have the children share facts about themselves by creating a “Who Am
I?” riddle book. Students write 4 or 5 statements about themselves.
The last line is a questions, “Who Am I?” These books should be
added to the classroom library and shared throughout the week.
Create a Goal Wall
Have each student decorate an 8 ½ by 11 piece of paper with one
academic goal for the year. Decorate the wall outside your classroom
with these goals.
Calendar Activities
The calendar can be utilized to teach a variety of skills to young
learners. Skills to cover at this time may include: counting,
patterning, counting by 5’s and 10’s, sequencing, place value,
before/after, more/less, alike/different, shapes, colors, leftright/top-bottom directionality, what comes next, predictions, etc.
If you plan to count down to the 100th day of school (which is a super
cool thing to do!) check out: http://teachers.net/project/100days/
Make “Me” Boxes
Ask students to bring shoeboxes to school. For homework, they should
fill the boxes with 6 or 7 things that tell about themselves.
Students can share the boxes with partners first and then with the
whole class. After everyone has shared their box, have students
brainstorm topics (connected to Me Box items) to write about during
Writing Workshop.
Decorate student journals
Venn Diagram Get to Know You
Find this activity described at
http://home.att.net/~teaching/refbook.htm
Write Acrostic Poems using students’ first names
Student Biographies
Have students write biographies of each other. There’s a great
lesson plan for how to do this at:
http://home.cogeco.ca/~rayser3/writing.htm#biogr
Go on a Scavenger Hunt
For a STUDENT HUNT look at:
http://members.accessus.net/~bradley/ScavengerHunt.html
For a CLASSROOM HUNT look at:
http://sciencespot.net/Pages/7grhunt.html
Do a BACK –TO-SCHOOL craft
Check out: http://www.freekidscrafts.com/backtoschool_projects.htm
Give a READING ATTITUDE INVENTORY
9
22.
23.
24.
25.
Find out how your students feel about reading. This will be a great
thing to give again at the end of the year. You can set goals about
how dramatically your students attitudes to reading will improve.
Check out:
http://www.cameron.edu/~pauld/DRAS.html
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/mla/sampread.pdf
http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/~hkatz/Courses/3103/intrview2.html
Introduce HANDS ARE NOT FOR HURTING
The HANDS ARE NOT FOR HURTING PROJECT, a nonprofit organization
located in Salem, Oregon is dedicated to educating children and
adults about their moral and legal right to live free of violence.
Visit the site: http://www.handsproject.org/home.html & learn about
the official HANDS ARE NOT FOR HURTING program. Introduce the idea
of violence prevention and non-violent conflict resolution in an
activity based on this program and culminating in having all student
recite the pledge: “I will not use my hands or my words for hurting
others or myself.”
Give a Learning Styles Inventory
Find out how your students learn best. Give this inventory:
http://home.att.net/~clnetwork/co-op/misurvey.pdf
Play FRIENDLY FAVORITES
This get-to-know you game, available at
http://home.att.net/~clnetwork/co-op/favorit.pdf, allows kids to get
to know classmates who share their interests. It’s also a good
opportunity to practice appropriate ways of moving around the room
and appropriate ways of talking to each other.
Introduce/Practice Small Group Work w/ TEAM TALK
Do the Team Talk activity explained in the first day of school
section of the http://www.lauracandler.com/
Website.
10
Before
8:00
8:00 –
8:30
8:30 –
9:00
9:00 –
9:30
9:30 –
10:00
10:00 –
11:00
Monday
Put back-pack away
Complete student information
sheet
Introduce procedure for Daily
Edit
Complete Daily Edit
Correct Daily Edit
Say the Learner’s Creed &
Reader’s Oath
Discuss Creed & Oath
Introduce self – be brief
Rules, consequences, and card
chart
Practice changing cards
Students write letters to parents
in which they explain the rules
of our class
Introduce procedures for lining
up. Practice. Introduce
procedures for bathroom breaks.
Take a bathroom break. If class
completes trip in 10 minutes, the
class receives a game point.
Explain game points.
Introduce attention getting
signal.
Introduce rules for working in
pairs.
Introduce “Droodles”
Do “Droodles” Activity
11:00 –
11:30
11:30 –
12:00
12:00 –
12:30
12:30 –
1:00
1:00 –
1:30
1:30 –
2:00
2:00 –
2:30
2:30 –
3:00
Homework
Tuesday
Turn in HW
Put back-pack away
Read silently
Review procedure for Daily
Edit
Complete Daily Edit
Correct Daily Edit
LC & RO
What does creed mean? What’s
an oath?
Review rule #1 & rule #2
Brainstorm what following this
rule looks like & doesn’t look
like
Brainstorm scenarios
Set expectations for partner
work. Work with partner to
write a skit that shows why
rule #1 or #2 matters
Bathroom Break (10 mins)
Wednesday
Turn in HW
Put back-pack away
Read silently
Daily Edit
LC & RO
What does capable of greatness
mean?
Distribute textbooks while
students work silently on a
math diagnostic.
Start running records while
students work silently on a
reading comprehension
diagnostic
Discuss expectations for
interaction, mvmt. around the
room and appropriate talk. Do
FRIENDLY FAVORITES activity.
Practice attention getting
signal in the middle of the
activity. Reflect on how
activity worked (30 mins)
Introduce George Ella Lyon’s
Poem “Where I’m From”
Review rule #3 & rule #5
Brainstorm what following this
rule looks like & doesn’t look
like
Brainstorm scenarios
Review expectations for
partner work. With partner
write a skit that shows why
rule #3 or #5 matters
Bathroom Break (10 mins)
Write
“Where I’m From” poems
Share poems.
HANDS ARE NOT FOR HURTING
(30 mins)
Students should silently
complete the Unfinished
Sentence Interest Inventory.
While they’re working, check
in briefly with individuals.
Review expectation (5 min)
Continue running records while
students work silently on a
social studies/geography
diagnostic
P.E.
Music
Lunch
Lunch
Lunch
Introduce expectations for
behavior during Read Aloud
Review what happened in story
yesterday
Review what happened in story
yesterday
Read Aloud
Read Aloud
Read Aloud
Introduce idea of “predictions”
- Make prediction for next time
Time Capsules
Review “prediction.” Make
predictions for next time.
Introduce the concept of a
rubric using the “CRUNK PARTY”
lesson plan.
Introduce expectations for use of
the Reading Oasis.
Mini-lesson on how to choose a
book. Let students choose a
book. Silent Reading
Think/Pair/Share about books.
Introduce HW folders, Parent
Letter, Homework Assignment
Sheet. Review procedures for
entering the classroom in the
morning
Get parent letter signed
Develop and revise an
Independent Reading Rubric
Review “prediction.” Make
predictions for next time.
Remind students of behavior
standards established during
FRIENDLY FAVORITES – take some
class pictures
TEAM TALK ACTIVITY
Complete Reading Attitude
Inventory.
List as many book titles as you
can think of on back of the RAI
Introduce expectations for
behavior during P.E. & Music. Go
to Music
Review expectations (5 min)
Silent Reading
Think/Pair Share about books.
Introduce Reading Log.
Practice filling out Reading
Log. Review procedures for
entering the classroom in the
morning
Read for 20 minutes & get
reading log signed.
Silent Reading.
Think/Pair/Share. Review
Reading Log. Review
procedures for entering the
classroom in the morning.
Read for 20 minutes & get
reading log signed.
11
12
Before
8:00
8:00 –
8:30
8:30 –
9:00
9:00 –
9:30
9:30 –
10:00
Thursday
Turn in HW
Put back-pack away
Read silently
Daily Edit (10 mins)
LC & RO (10 mins)
Why does the creed say “I must
learn?”
Review rule # 4
Brainstorm what following this
rule looks like & doesn’t look
like
Brainstorm scenarios
Review expectations for partner
work. With partner write a skit
that shows why rule #4 or #5
matters
Bathroom Break (10 mins)
Continue running records while
students work silently on a
writing diagnostic
10:00 –
11:00
Continue running records until
while students work silently on
writing diagnostic – until 10:30.
Introduce idea of GOAL SETTING.
Brainstorm individual goals.
Create a GOAL WALL.
Friday
Turn in HW
Put back-pack away
Read silently
Daily Edit (10 mins)
LC & RO (10 mins)
What does it mean: “to do my
best”?
Review rule #6
Brainstorm what following this
rule looks like & doesn’t look
like
Brainstorm scenarios
Finish a skit from earlier in
the week & rehearse.
Bathroom Break (10 mins)
Videotape student skits to
create a “How To Follow The
Rules” instructional video.
Watch video.
Discuss how to give feedback.
Share feedback.
Give FIRST TEST! It should
cover your class rules and
procedures. Make a big deal
about students receiving their
first MAJOR grade! . . .
Collect tests, review answers,
explain that all students who
don’t get 100% will retake
until they do.
11:00 –
11:30
Discuss class goals. Introduce
class goal. Create a visual to
represent CLASS GOAL. This has
to be engaging!!!!!
11:30 –
12:00
12:00 –
12:30
12:30 –
1:00
1:00 –
1:30
Review expectations (5 min)
Complete a written reflection
on the week – this should be
the first entry in students’
journals. Do a bit of talking
before students write to help
generate questions & ideas.
Review expectations (5 min)
P.E.
Music
Lunch
Lunch
Review what happened in story
yesterday
Review what happened in story
yesterday
Read Aloud
Read Aloud
Review “prediction.” Make
predictions for next time.
Hand out & decorate student
journals. Introduce rubric for
journal entries.
Review “prediction.” Make
predictions for next time.
Share reflections on the week
Share photographs from
Wednesday. Recognition of
students who stayed on black
all week.
Class should have met its game
point goal. Play “Excuse Me,
What Are You Doing,” “Alphabet
Conversation,” “Going on A
Picnic” etc. from
http://pbskids.org/zoom/games/
Silent Reading.
Think/Pair/Share. Review
Reading Log. Review procedures
for entering the classroom in
the morning.
Read for 20 minutes and get
reading log sighned.
1:30 –
2:00
2:00 –
2:30
Work time to finish rules skits &
finalize plans for tomorrow’s
filming.
2:30 –
3:00
Silent Reading.
Think/Pair/Share. Review Reading
Log. Review procedures for
entering the classroom in the
morning.
Read for 20 minutes and get
reading log signed.
Review for Friday’s TEST!!
Homework
13
Student Information Questionnaire
(to be completed at school by the student)
First Name _______________________________ Last Name
____________________________
Nicknames
____________________________________________________________________
My birthday is
_________________________________
I am
_______________ years old.
My address is
___________________________________________________________________
My phone number is
_____________________________________________________________
Last year, my teacher was
_________________________________________________________
List the names of the GROWN-UPS that you live with and tell me how they’re
related to you. _________________________ lives with me.
S/he is my
_______________________________.
_________________________ lives with me.
S/he is my
_______________________________.
_________________________ lives with me.
S/he is my
_______________________________.
_________________________ lives with me.
S/he is my
_______________________________.
_________________________ lives with me.
S/he is my
_______________________________.
_________________________ lives with me.
S/he is my
_______________________________.
List the names of the KIDS that you live with
and tell me how they’re
related to you and how old they are.
________________lives with me.
S/he is my _____________.
S/he is
S/he is my _____________.
S/he is
_____________ years old.
________________lives with me.
_____________ years old.
14
________________lives with me.
S/he is my _____________.
S/he is
S/he is my _____________.
S/he is
S/he is my _____________.
S/he is
S/he is my _____________.
S/he is
_____________ years old.
________________lives with me.
_____________ years old.
________________lives with me.
_____________ years old.
________________lives with me.
_____________ years old.
Do you have any relatives who work at this school?
YES
NO
Her/his name is
_______________________________________________________________________.
How do you get to and from school (bus, walk, car)?
__________________________________________.
Where do you study and do homework?
_____________________________________________.
15
The Learner’s Creed
Written by Ms. Schankula
I believe in myself and my ability to do my best.
I am intelligent. I am capable of greatness.
I can learn. I will learn. I must learn.
Today, I will listen. I will speak. I will see.
I will think. I will feel. I will reason.
I will read, and I will write.
I will do all these things
with one purpose in mind: to do my best.
I am too smart to waste today.
Readers’ Oath
Written by Debra Angstead, Missouri- National Education Association
I promise to read
Each day & night.
I know it’s key
To growing up right.
I’ll read to myself,
I’ll read to a crowd.
It makes no difference
If silent or loud.
I’ll read at my desk,
At home and at school,
On my bean bag or bed,
By the fire or pool.
Each book that I read
Puts smarts in my head,
‘Cause brains grow more thoughts
The more they are fed.
So I take this oath
To make reading my way
Of feeding my brain
What it needs every day.
16
MS. SCHANKULA’S CLASS RULES
1.
RESPECT
We will respect ourselves, others, and their property.
We will always behave in a way that we can be proud of.
We will be polite and avoid insults and put-downs.
praise others.
We will ask before we borrow.
We will encourage and
We will return property in good condition.
We will keep our classroom clean. We will return supplies to their correct
locations.
2.
PREPARE
We will be ready to learn by 7:55 a.m. This means that we will be seated.
Our backpacks will be hanging on the back of our desks. Our supplies will
be unpacked and our coats will be hung on their hooks. Before 7:55 a.m., we
will dispose of all food and chewing gum.
We will wear the school uniform.
We will begin our morning assignment at 7:55 a.m.
We will bring all necessary materials to school.
We will sharpen our pencils before 7:55 a.m. or after 3:00 p.m.
We will be organized and focused when changing classes.
3.
WORK!!!
We will learn. We will work hard.
4.
We will work together.
BUILD PEACE
We will not fight.
We will work to find peaceful solutions to conflicts.
5.
FOLLOW DIRECTIONS
We will listen and follow directions in the classrooms, hallways and
cafeteria.
We will follow directions the first time they are given.
6.
REMAIN SEATED AND RAISE YOUR HAND TO SPEAK
17
THE CARD CHART
Students keep track of their behavior using a card chart. Each
student has a pocket on a class card chart. Each pocket is labeled with a
student’s name and contains five cards. Each student begins the day on
black. The black card means excellent behavior. I keep a record of where
students’ cards are at the end of the day. Each afternoon, a student
helper records cards in an Excel file. I refer back to this file when
determining conduct grades and when having parent/student conferences.
POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES
Individual
Any student whose card is still on black when the day ends receives
Ms. Schankula’s Spectacular Stunner Handshake. Any student who doesn’t
change a single card during the week receives a homework pass on Friday
that allows her/him to not do one homework assignment . Students who stay
on black or yellow throughout the entire week receive some type of treat
(sticker, cupcake, popcorn etc.) on Friday. I create other incentives for
students who stay on black for longer than a week. These incentives
include trips to McDonalds and invitations to my house for dinner and/or
movies. In addition to these rewards, I also recognize good behavior by
sending praise notes home, making phone calls to parents to talk about
good behavior, recognizing students in class, and giving students extra
free time or computer privileges. Every two weeks, on Friday, we have an
all-class meeting. One part of the meeting involves recognizing those
students who have exemplified excellence in their behavior during the past
two weeks.
Whole Class
In my class, I have two point systems which serve as whole class incentive system. The first system
consists of LUNCH CHANCES. Every morning I write the number three on the board. If we keep three
lunches until lunch time, students are permitted to sit where they want at the lunch table and to talk with each
other during lunch. The second system consists of GAME POINTS. At the beginning of each week, we set a
goal for how many points we want to earn by Friday afternoon. Each time the whole class does something well,
they earn a game point. If they reach their goal by Friday, they enjoy 15 – 20 minutes of game time in which
we play board games, kickball or other whole class games.
NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES
Individual
If a student chooses to break a class rule, s/he is directed to
change her/her card. S/he will then be on the yellow card. This yellow
card means that the student has received a formal warning about her/his
behavior. This is the ONLY warning that the student will receive. If the
students chooses to break a rule again, s/he will again be directed to
change her/his card. The student will now be on the red card. The card
means that the student must sit by her/himself in the cafeteria OR write a
behavior essay AND that I will speak to his/her parents on the phone that
night regarding the observed behavior.
If the student chooses to break a
rule yet again , s/he reaches the blue card. The blue card results in a
15 minute after-school detention on FRIDAY afternoon. I send a notice
home to parents to tlet them know that we need to make arrangements for
their child to stay for detention. In extreme situations, a student will
18
reach her/his white card. This means that the student must immediately
leave the classroom and go to the principal’s office.
In addition to the consequences on the card chart, I also run a
program called “Hands Are Not For Hurting.” Briefly, this program
requires that if a student is physically violent towards another student,
s/he must spend ONE HOUR after-school on Friday using her/his hands for
helping. The detention task might include assisting custodians with trash
collection, scouring the campus for litter, and/or cleaning the bathrooms.
Whole Class
With the LUNCH CHANCES system, students can lose their lunch chances
during those times when the entire class fails to meet an expectation or
if anyone talks or behaves inappropriately in the hallway on the way to
lunch. If they lose one or two lunches, they have to sit in alphabetical
order at the lunch table but they can still talk. If they lose all three
lunch chances, they must sit in alphabetical order and have silent lunch.
With the GAME POINTS system, the class does not receive game time if we do
not reach our point goal for the week.
19
SAMPLE ESSAY TOPICS (adapted from & inspired by essay topics
used by Alan Giuliani, ’94)
Essay 1:
Write 50 reasons why you are bright, talented and the best.
Essay 2:
Explain why you are too bright to waste your time with
distracting, unimportant matters. Explain how the education you
get in this class will result in your future success.
Essay 3:
Write an essay on how you are college-bound, career-bound and
success-bound. Write about how you will never be sidetracked by
someone messing with you because you have far too much to
accomplish.
Essay 4:
Write 10 nice things you could say to someone instead of “shutup.” Explain how you disrespect yourself when you tell someone
else to “shut-up.”
Essay 5:
Write an essay about the good qualities of the person you putdown today. Explain how you make yourself into a smaller person
by trying to make someone else feel small.
Essay 6:
Explain why you are too talented and special to ever let
yourself down by not having your supplies. Create a plan for
how you will get the supplies you need in the future. If you
have difficulty getting the supplies, what should you do?
Essay 7:
Define excellence. Describe someone who you think is excellent
at what they do. Explain how hard work and excellence are
connected. Create a plan for how you will show more excellence
in Ms. Schankula’s class.
Essay 8:
Abraham Lincoln once said, “I do not think much of a man who is
not wiser today than he was yesterday.” What did he mean by
this? How will you make sure that you get wiser every day?
Essay 9:
Figure out how many minutes every week you spend in Ms.
Schankula’s class. Explain why each of those minutes is far too
precious to waste. Make a list of at least 15 things you need
to learn during next week’s precious minutes.
Essay 10: Our learner’s creed says, “I am intelligent. I am capable of
greatness. I can learn. I will learn. I must learn.” Explain
why each of these sentences is true. Explain how you’ll hold
yourself to the learner’s creed tomorrow.
I hand out a list of the behavior essay topics at the beginning of the
year. Students keep this list in their three ring
binder. If they reach their red card & I assign them an essay, I tell
them they number of the topic they must write about. I try to match the
topic to the behavior which led to them having to change a card. The
20
essay is due the next day. It must be written on notebook paper and must
address the topic. It must be one page long, from the topic line of the
notebook paper to the bottom line of the notebook paper. Poor quality
essays will not be accepted. If the essay is not turned in the next day,
the amount due is doubled. The student owes me 2 pages the next day. If
the 2 pages are not turned in the following day, the amount due is
doubled. The student owes me a 4 page essay the next day. If the 4 pages
are not turned in the following day, the amount due is doubled. The
students owes me an 8 page essay the next day. When the amount of pages
due grows too huge, I will notify the parents and schedule the student for
detention to complete the pages assigned to him/her.
21
22
Teaching the Rules – Lesson Plan
Lesson Purpose/Objective
Students will be able to list the six rules of Ms. Schankula’s classroom.
Students will be able to explain each rule and justify its importance.
Lesson Opening
“This morning we will be learning about the six rules that we will
observe at all times in our classroom. By the end of our lesson, you will
be able to list the six rules and explain what each rule means. You will
know exactly how you are expected to behave in my classroom. The
information we learn today will help you to be a successful member of our
class this year.”
Heart of the Lesson
Introduction of New Material
I will begin by giving students two minutes to brainstorm as many situations as they can
think of where there are rules for how people should behave. I will then hand out
markers to five different students. Each of these students will come up to the front of
the room, write his/her situation on a blank piece of butcher paper and then, silently,
hand his/her marker to a new student. Students will add ideas to our class list until
every student has contributed one idea. Once we have a complete list, I will lead
students in a brief discussion of what rules are required in several of the situations
and, most importantly, why these rules are necessary. After this brief discussion, I
will make the transition to our class rules. I will direct students attention to the
bulletin board at the front of the room where our rules our listed. I will compare
traffic rules to classroom rules. In both cases, we develop rules so that people can
safely reach a destination. In the case of our classroom, we have rules because we need
all students to reach a sixth grade reading level by the end of the year. Just as people
wouldn’t get very far on a highway where traffic rules didn’t exist, students can’t make
much progress in a classroom where rules don’t exist. At this point, I will briefly
introduce each of the rules, focusing on the specific behaviors that are targeted by each
rule and why the rule is important.
Student Practice with New Material
On a large piece of butcher paper, I will display a chart that looks like
this:
When we’re following
When we’re
breaking
We have this
This rule we will:
This
rule we will:
rule because:
1. Respect
2. Prepare
3. Work
4. Build Peace
5. Follow directions
6. Remain seated &
Raise your hand
To speak
Students will work in pairs. Each pair will receive six Post-It notes and will be
assigned to one of the class rules. Students will generate examples of three behaviors
that would be considered following the rule and three behaviors that would be considered
breaking the rule. Students will write these suggestions on their Post-It Notes. One
member of each pair will then come up and place their Post-It Note on the butcher paper
chart. When the Post-It Notes are all in place, I will distribute blank copies of the
chart to students. We will discuss the student contributions and work together to come
up with reasons for having the rule. I’ll remove the Post-It Notes and rewrite the
correct contributions while students fill out their own charts. After students have
completed their charts, I will distribute written copies of the rules. Students will
immediately place the copies of the rules in their three ring binders where they will
remain for the rest of the year. Then I will distribute parent letters that contain
23
blanks where students have to fill in information about the class rules. The students
will complete these letters while I walk around the room checking for understanding.
These letters will be taken home, read to parents/guardians, signed by parents/guardians
and returned to school the next day.
Lesson Closing
Does your closing complete a coherent lesson by reinforcing the objective and checking
for student understand?
“We have A LOT to accomplish this year. In order to achieve our goals, we
must have rules that prevent us from wasting time and which keep us
focused on learning. Today we’ve learned about the rules that we’ll be
following every day in this class.” I will then engage students in a
brief re-cap of the days lesson by having several students share the
letters they wrote to their parents/guardians. Finally, I will say, “When
you go home tonight, please share your letters with your
parents/guardians. Also, for homework tonight, you need to study the
rules carefully in preparation for the text we’ll have on Friday. This
test will be the first grade that I enter into my gradebook this year. It
will be worth 100 points, and each of you will retake the test until you
make a perfect score.”
24
August 25, 2001
Dear ___________________________,
This a letter to tell you a little bit about the rules in our classroom.
We only have _________ classroom rules to follow. The rules are:
1. __________________________
This rule means that we’re supposed to
__________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
______________
2. __________________________
This rule means that we’re supposed to
__________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
______________
3.
__________________________
This rule means that we’re supposed
__________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
______________
4. __________________________
This rule means that we’re supposed to
__________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
______________
5. __________________________
This rule means that we’re supposed to
__________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
______________
6. __________________________
25
This rule means that we’re supposed to
__________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________
______________
Our class rules are important because
____________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
_______________
We will be having a test on these rules on
________________________________________.
Love,
26
DROODLES ACTIVITY – AN EXPLANATION
Droodles are apparently simple line drawings that don’t look like much of
anything until you know their titles. Please see the examples on the next
page for more clarity about what I mean. In the DROODLES ACTIVITY, you’ll
begin by introducing droodles to your students. It works well if you
present the first droodle on the overhead without displaying the title.
As your students what the drawing is a picture of. Push them to
speculate. They’ll probably come up with some HILARIOUS stuff.
Then,
share the actual title with them, “A Ship Arriving Too Late To Save A
Drowning Witch.” Have a student explain why this is a perfect title and
how hearing the title makes the picture makes sense. Now do the same
thing with the second droodle. Again, when you finally share the title,
make a point of emphasizing how the pictures is suddenly meaningful when
you know it’s called “Man Playing A Trombone in A Phone Booth.”
Once you’ve done these two together, and if you feel that students have
got the idea, pair them up and tell them that their task is to collaborate
to come up with title for the four droodles that you’re going to hand
them. Review the characteristics of a good title. Then hand-out a
worksheet that contains the droodles numbered 1, 2, 3 & 4. After an
appropriate amount of work-time, during which you remind students of your
expectations for how they’ll work together & praise those who are doing
well, ask the students to stop working. Put droodle number 1 on the
overhead and let students share the titles they have come up with. After
students have shared title for all four droodles, tell them it’s now their
turn to transform from Title Writers to Droodle Drawers.
Have students work individually to draw a droodle that represents
something they did on their summer vacation. They should be provided with
black magic markers and half sheets of 8 ½ by 11 copy paper – alternately,
you could give students overhead transparencies to draw on but this
requires that you have enough Before students begin drawing, they need to
review what will make an effective Droodle drawing. When the drawings are
finished – this shouldn’t take long – students should craft a great title
for their droodle, keeping in mind everything they’ve learned so far about
droodle titles. Then students can share their drawings and allow
classmates to offer possible titles. After a few folks have offered
titles, the artist should reveal the real title and explain, briefly what
part the depicted event played in his/her summer.
27
Droodles Sheet
28
How to Choose a Book
Adapted from http://www.emslibraries.com/youngcritics_choosebooks.htm
Finding a good book is like finding a best friend. Don't give up until you
find one! Here are some things to try when you’re looking for a book:
Get some Recommendations
This is one of the best ways to find a good book to read. What are your
friends' favorite books?
Which books does your teacher really like?
Award lists and book reviews are also ways to find recommended titles.
Find Book By An Author You Like
If you liked one book by a particular author, you may want to try another
one by the same person. For example, if you loved Captain Underpants by
Dav Pilkey, you might also like Kat Kong, another book he wrote.
Use the FIVE-FINGER method to pick a “Just Right” Read
Read any page of a book that interests you. Every time you come to
a word you can’t read, put up a finger. If there are five words
you can’t pronounce or whose meaning you don’t know, the book may
need to be read to you. Choose another one if you want to be able
to read it.
Choose a Book in a Genre or About A Subject You’re Interested In
What category of books do you like? Become an expert in one genre. Here
are a few to choose from:
Fiction books, including mysteries, fantasies, folktales, myths,
historical fiction, and adventures
Non-Fiction books about pets, wildlife, astronomy, technology, cooking,
history and famous people.
Look for a Great Cover!
Some people say "You can't judge a book by its cover," but we do it all
the time. A catchy title and good illustration may draw our attention, but
we need to look further for more information. Read what is written on the
back of the book, as well as the inside book flap. Figure out what other
books the author wrote. See if this book received an award?
Read A Bit
Read the first page or two. Read a page in the middle of the book as well.
Does it capture your attention? You may want to choose another book if
there are more than five words on a page that you don't understand.
Keep Looking
Finding a good book is like finding a best friend. Keep looking. You may
need to read a few books before you find that special one just for you.
29
August 14, 2001
Dear Parents and Guardians,
Welcome to the 2001 – 2002 school year! I am very excited about having your child in my fifth grade class. I’m looking
forward to working closely with you and your child as this year of hard work, education and achievement proceeds. To
begin our partnership, I want to share the answers to two very important questions that you may have as the year begins:
How can my child be successful in Ms. Schankula’s class?
●
Your child should complete every homework assignment.
In order to make sure that all students learn as much as possible every day,
I will assign homework EVERY night. The homework is designed to allow
students to practice what they’ve learned during the school day & to improve
their reading ability. If your child ever has trouble with an assignment,
s/he should call me at home.
●
Your child should work hard and read A LOT.
●
Your child should follow the rules of our class.
In my class, we have six simple rules that will help to make sure
that all students can focus on learning, and I can focus on teaching.
Your child received a copy of our class rules today. S/he can show
them to you and explain each rule. In my class, we will be using a
card chart to keep track of student behavior. Each child will begin
the day on his/her black card. Students with excellent behavior will
stay on black all day. If a student chooses to break a rule, s/he
will have to change a card.
Your child can tell you exactly what
will happen if s/he changes a card. Students who stay on black all
day, all week, or all month will receive recognition for their
excellence!
How will I know what’s going on and how my child is doing in Ms. Schankula’s class?
●
I will send a letter to you every Monday.
This letter will always come home in your child’s purple homework
folder. It will be your child’s responsibility to get it signed by
you and to return it to me in on Tuesday. This will let me know that
you’ve had a chance to read it. The weekly parent/guardian letter
will contain important information for you about what we’re studying
and what projects are due. It will also contain homework assignments
for the entire week.
●
●
I will send home progress reports every three weeks.
You can call me at home or stop by to talk with me during my planning period
If you would like to know about your child’s progress at any time,
please call me or stop by school during my planning period which
takes place every day from 11:35 a.m. – 12:25 p.m.
In my two years at Carver, I have worked with energetic, intelligent students and hard-working, supportive parents. I
really appreciate the time you take to make sure your child does well in school. Like you, I can greatly about your child.
If you ever have questions for me, if you want an update on how your child is doing or if you simply want to say
hello, I can be reached at home at 887-8126. I would LOVE to hear from you. Together, I know we’ll make this an
excellent year!
Thank you,
Ms. Schankula
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
30
Please sign on the line below once you’ve read this letter. Return the signed part to school
with your student tomorrow so that s/he will get at A+ for homework. Thanks!
Parent/Guardian Signature:
______________________________________________________________
31
Parent/Guardian Information Questionnaire
(to be completed at home by the parent or guardian)
Student’s Name:
________________________________________________________________
Parent(s)/Guardian(s)
Name(s):
____________________________________________________
Nighttime Phone
Number(s):______________________________________________________
Daytime Phone Numbers:
______________________
__________________________________________
Cell Phone Number(s):
___________________________
______________________________________
Phone number of a family member or friend for emergencies:
______________________________
What is the best time of day for me to call home?
____ IN THE MORNING BEFORE SCHOOL
____ BETWEEN 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
____ BETWEEN 5:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
Does your child have any medical conditions that I need to know about?
Please explain.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
________
Does your child take any medications regularly?
YES
NO
If yes, what medications does s/he take?
__________________________________________________________________________
____
What are you most proud of about your child?
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
32
What do you hope your child will accomplish this year?
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
Is there anything your child might need special help with?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
________
Is there anything else that you would like to tell me that might help me
to teach your child?
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
________
33
Friendly Favorites Sheet
34
Explanation of HANDS ARE NOT FOR HURTING
At the beginning of the school year, I use the ideas from the “Hands Are
Not For Hurting” program to introduce students to the ideas of nonviolence
and conflict resolution. We build on these ideas throughout the year.
During my first year of teaching, I had students change cards when they
were physically violent towards each other. Eventually, I decided this
didn’t make sense because I didn’t think that students should have the
same consequence for hitting a classmate as s/he would receive for not
bringing a pencil to class. I want to create an extreme consequence for
violence so that students would have a clear incentive for making the
choice not to be violent.
While talking to Emily Harris ‘99, I heard about “Hands Are Not For
Hurting.” I now do the following introductory activity at the beginning
of every school year:
FIRST:
Students brainstorm a list of ways that hands can be used for
hurting. They come up with all kinds of things – hitting,
pinching, stealing, etc. We list all of their ideas on a piece
of paper at the front of the room.
SECOND:
We talk about the negative effects of using hands for hurting.
How do victims of violence feel? What are some possible
negative consequences for perpetrators of violence? How does
violence make the classroom an unpleasant way to be? How does
violence distract from our progress towards our academic goals?
THIRD:
helping.
Students brainstorm a list of ways that hands can be used for
FOURTH:
We talk about the many benefits of using hands for helping. How
do people feel when they’re
helping others? How does it feel to be helped? How can our
communities be helped by people
joining together to make improvements? How can we reach our
academic goals more quickly if we
help each other?
FIFTH:
Students trace their hands on construction paper and write all
over them the helpful things they can
do with their hands. We then create a bulletin board in the
classroom of everybody’s colorful, decorated paper hands. Then
students sign a copy of the “Hands Are Not For Hurting” pledge.
It says “I will not use my hands or my words for helping myself
or others.” The poster with the pledge & everybody’s signature
also becomes part of the bulletin board.
LAST:
I inform everyone that in my class, for all the reasons we’ve
already discussed, we will NOT use our hands for hurting & that
anyone who chooses to disobey this rule will be required to stay
35
after school on Friday & spend one hour using their hands for
helping.
36
Unfinished Sentence Interest Inventory
Name ____________________________________________Date __________________
1.
Sometimes I like to
____________________________________________________________.
2.
Last summer I
________________________________________________________________.
3.
I hope I’ll never
_______________________________________________________________.
4.
When I read I
________________________________________________________________.
5.
My friend likes to
_____________________________________________________________.
6.
I often worry about
____________________________________________________________.
7.
The best thing about school is
____________________________________________________.
8.
Someday I want to
_____________________________________________________________.
9.
The person I like best is
_________________________________________________________.
10.
I wish someone would
__________________________________________________________.
11.
Learning to read is
_____________________________________________________________.
37
12.
My favorite television show is
____________________________________________________.
13.
The worst thing about school is
___________________________________________________.
14.
I have fun when
_______________________________________________________________.
15.
The biggest problem with reading is
_______________________________________________.
16.
After school I like
to____________________________________________________________.
17.
I wish my teacher would
________________________________________________________.
18.
My eyes are
__________________________________________________________________.
19.
I would like to be able to read
____________________________________________________.
20.
If I had three wishes I would wish for
______________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
______
_____________________________________________________________________
______
Taken From:
Cohen
Literacy Portfolios:
Using Assessment to Guide Instruction by Roberta B. Wiener and Judith H.
38
Explanation of Crunk Party Rubric Lesson Plan
Created by Jeremy Beard ‘96
The Crunk Party Rubric Lesson plan is designed to introduce students to
the concept of rubrics & to set them up for creating and using rubrics to
evaluate their own work
FIRST
The teacher introduces the concept of rubrics
SECOND
The teacher tells students that they’re going to make a
rubric to evaluate a party.
THIRD
The teacher asks the students to think about all the
different categories of things that make a
good party. Some suggestions might be: the music, the
food, the people, the location, etc.
FOURTH
When the class has agreed on the important categories, the
teacher writes the categories on a
blank rubric form.
FIFTH
The student begin describing levels of performance for
each of the categories. For example,
they might determine what a 4 would be for music, what a 3
would be, what a 2 would be
and what a 1 would be. The teacher might divide the
categories between small groups of
students, let them work on the ranking system & then bring
the class back together to talk
about & agree on their findings.
SIXTH
When the rubric is complete, the teacher will hand out
descriptions of various different parties & students will
use the rubric to evaluate the parties. Finally the whole
class will share their findings and rank the described
parties from best/most fun to worst/least fun.
LAST
The teacher will relate the Crunk Party Rubric to rubrics
that the students will use later in
the school year to evaluate their own school work.
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Sample Rubric for Independent Reading
4
3
2
Always chooses a “just
Usually chooses a “just Sometimes has a hard
right” read
right” read
time finding a “just
right” read
Always finds materials
Usually finds materials
Finds materials but gets
quickly and gets to work quickly and gets to work to work slowly
Always sits down
quietly and reads the
whole time without
talking or interrupting
others
Always uses reading
strategies to making
meaning from the words
Usually sits down
quietly and reads the
whole time; tries not to
talk or interrupt others
Records reading in
reading log every day
Records reading in
reading log almost
every day
Takes Accelerated
Reader tests on most
books that are finished
Takes Accelerated
Reader test on every
book that is finished
Usually uses reading
strategies to make
meaning from the words
1
Often can’t find a “just
right” read
Often can’t find
materials & usually gets
to work slowly or not at
all
Wanders around, reads a Wanders around; talks,
little; may talk and
interrupts others, and
interrupt others
keeps them from
reading
Doesn’t always use
reading strategies to
make meaning from the
words
Often forgets to records
reading in reading log
Seldom uses reading
strategies
Seldom remembers to
record reading in
reading log
Seldom takes
Doesn’t finish books;
Accelerated Reader tests doesn’t take Accelerated
on books that are
Reader tests
finished
As you’re teaching students about independent reading, it’s important to
teach mini-lessons that cover the following issues:
How to choose a book
How to care for a book
What to do if the book doesn’t work for you
How to record books in your reading log
Where to sit/how to sit
What do to do if someone is distracting you
What is Accelerated Reader
When to take Accelerated Reader Tests
40
41
READING LOG FOR __________________________________________________________
Write your name here!
You must read for 20 MINUTES. This log needs to be filled out completely and signed by a parent or
guardian every week night. It should stay in your parent folder at all times. When you fill this
one up, you’ll get another one.
Date
Day of the
Week
Title of your book
Author of your
book
Page
where
you
started
reading
Page
where
you
stopped
reading
Parent/Guardian signature
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
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Friday
43
44
Where I’m From
By George Ella Lyon
I am from clothespins,
from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.
I am from the dirt under the back porch.
(Black, glistening
it tasted like beets.)
I am from the forsythia bush,
the Dutch elm
whose long gong limbs I remember
as if they were my own.
I am from fudge and eyeglasses,
from Imogene and Alafair.
I’m from the know-it-alls
And the pass-it-ons,
from perk up and pipe down.
I’m from He restoreth my soul
with cottonball lamb
and ten verses I can say myself.
I’m from Artemus and Billie’s Branch,
fried corn and strong coffee.
From the finger my grandfather lost
to the auger
the eye my father shut to keep his sight.
Under my bed was a dress box
spilling old pictures,
a sift of lost faces
to drift beneath my dreams.
I am from those moments –
snapped before I budded –
leaf fall from the family tree.
45
Where I’m From Activity
46
Explanation of Team Talk Question Cards
Print one copy of the Team Talk Question Cards for each group of four
students in your class. Cut the question cards apart and stack the cards
face down in the middle of each team. Tell one person in each group to be
the Question Reader. That person should turn over the first cards and
read it aloud. The Question Reader should give everyone time to think
about their answer. When everyone is ready, they should nod at the
Question Reader. The Question Reader should give his/her answer first,
followed by each team member. At the end of the round, the person to the
left of the first Question Reader becomes the new Question Reader. The
new Question Reader turns over the second card and the process begins
again. The group should continue to answer questions until they’ve moved
through all the cards.
The final component of this activity is to have a small group & whole
class discussion about what people did that constituted a good choice for
team work and what they did that constituted a bad choice for team work.
From that, that class should extrapolate some norms or key principles for
how to work together in small groups or teams.
47
Team talk Question Cards
48
TEST ONE - RULES AND CONSEQUENCES
Name ____________________________ Date ________________ Number __________
1.
What are the rules of this classroom? (6 points)
The first rule is
_____________________________________________________.
The second rule is
__________________________________________________.
The third rule is
____________________________________________________.
The fourth rule is
___________________________________________________.
The fifth rule is
____________________________________________________.
The sixth rule is
____________________________________________________.
2.
Choose one of the rules and write a paragraph to explain exactly what
it means. (5 points)
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
3.
List three ways you can prepare for this class. (6 points)
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
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__________________________________________________________________________
____
4.
When your teacher wants your attention, what will she do? (5 points)
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
5.
When are you allowed to talk in the hallway? (5 points)
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
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6.
What happens if you stay on your black card all week? (5 points)
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
7.
What happens if you get to your blue card? (5 points)
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
8.
What does creed mean? (2 points)
__________________________________________________________________________
____
9.
Why do we say the Learner’s Creed every day?
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
10.
What is our CLASS GOAL? (10 points)
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
__________________________________________________________________________
____
BONUS QUESTIONS:
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1.
Spell your teacher’s last name. (4 points)
________________________________________
2.
What is your teacher’s favorite animal? (2 points)
__________________________________
3.
What is your teacher’s favorite color? (2 points)
___________________________________
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