Getting off to a Good Start

1
Getting off to a Good Start
Teacher Factor

• Classroom Management that Works
• (Chapt. 7)
• A Handbook for Classroom Management that Works
• (Chapt. 6 Modules 21-23)

2
An Overview

• A classroom doesnt start off well-managed and it
  doesnt happen by accident
• Without effective management there is less chance
  for effective learning
• Research points to the beginning of the school
  year as the linchpin for effective classroom
  management.
• Good planning can ward off potential problems

3
Research The findings

• In effectively managed classrooms the beginning
  of the school year is devoted to
• Classroom physical arrangement.
• Establishing a schedule of routines.
• Establishing a system of rewards and recognition.
• (six days to accomplish this)
• Also, effective classroom management is
• Understood by students.
• Accepted by students.
• Practiced until it is routine.

Applies K-12
4
The COMP Program
Getting off to a Good Start is one step in the
COMP model (Classroom Organization and Management
Program) Chapt. 2

• Organizing the Classroom
• Planning and teaching rules and procedures
• Developing student accountability
• Maintaining good student behavior
• Planning and organizing instruction
• Conducting instruction and maintaining momentum
• Getting off to a good start

5
Action Step 1

• Arrange and decorate your room in a manner that
  supports effective classroom management
• You can easily see all students
• Student can easily see all presentations and
  demonstrations
• Frequently used materials are easily assessable
• Pathways facilitate traffic flow.
• It is easy to organize student into pairs, triads
  and small groups
• The room does not provide or highlight
  unnecessary distractions
• Display decorative elements

6
Action Step 2 (elem)

• Begin with a strong first day of class.
• Name tags (on student or desk)
• Warmly greet students at the door
• Make a seating chart
• Dont allow students to wander around or become
  confused
• Tell students something about yourself and have
  them do a get acquainted activity
• Present and discuss classroom rules/procedures
  and disciplinary interventions

7
Action Step 2 (secondary)

• Begin with a strong first day of class.
• Greet at door
• Seating explanation
• Explain required administrative tasks
• Tell students something about yourself
• Get acquainted activity
• Activity related to content
• Course outline
• Written copy of rules and procedures
• End of class routine

8
Action Step 3

• Emphasize classroom management for the first few
  days.
• Help students get to know you and each other
  better
• Learn names
• Practice classroom routines
• Review rules and procedures and talk about
  rationale for having them, have discussion, make
  changes if necessary
• Communicating with parents establish a system
• Review grading procedures, invite input

9
Chapter 7 Summary

• The beginning of the school year is the critical
  time to set the tone for classroom management.
  Such things as room arrangement and decoration
  provide a subtle but important communication to
  student regarding how you will manage the
  classroom. The first day of class provides an
  important opportunity to make a good first
  impression and to introduce rules and procedures
  that will form the basis for your classroom
  management routine. Reinforcing students
  understanding of the rules and procedures through
  various activities during the first few days of
  the school year will help ensure that your
  classroom management procedures are well
  established.

10
Discussion/Activity

• What problems/irritations have you experienced
  this year? Can they be improved by more
  pre-planning next year?
• What specific action steps could you take to get
  off to a better start next year and mitigate
  those problems?
• Please mark 2-3 items on the Action step summary
  sheet that you could do next year to get off to a
  better start.

11
Handbook Modules

• Module 21 Before School Begins
• Module 22 The First Day of School
• Module 23 The First Two Weeks of School

Very Similar Strategies for All Three
12
Module 21 Before School Begins

• Three Broad strategies to lay a strong foundation
• Organizing and preparing the physical space
• Laying the foundation for strong teacher-student
  relationships
• Preparing rules, procedures, and academic
  expectations

13
1. Organizing and preparing the physical space

• Create a physical situation that gives you an
  advantage (Figure 21.1 and 21.2).
• Most effective deterrent to off-task behavior is
  teacher proximity.
• Assigned seating gives students a territory of
  their own, decreases anxiety.

14
2. Laying the foundation for strong
teacher-student relationships

• Make contact before school starts (post cards or
  phone calls)
• Talk with previous teachers
• Learn about student interests and activities
• Create getting-to-know you activities for the
  first few days, (these can later be transformed
  into content related-activities ex. seasonal
  partners)

15
Seasonal Partners a grouping strategy

• Use the form to make appointments with others
• Modify this strategy to make small groups based
  on content related areas
• On the back of the handout talk with your
  neighbor and create 2 options for this activity
  based on your content area
• (ex. Leaves, stems, trunks, roots)

16
3. Preparing rules, procedures,and academic
expectations

• Clearly state and post initial learning goals,
  (essential questions/learning targets /unpacked
  standards)
• Develop a course syllabus
• Start each day with a warm-up activity
• Plan for and schedule class meetings for feedback
  on rules and procedures
• Prepare and practice your welcoming remarks
• Develop and rehearse a stellar lesson plan
• Strive for a balance of warmth and structure

17
All Rules fall under these three categories

• Respect yourself, others and their property.
• Dont interfere with the learning process.
• Dont interfere with the teaching process.

18
A Speaking Standard

• Students are able to differentiate between formal
  and informal language and use descriptive
  vocabulary when speaking for different purposes.
• What grade?
• Define formal and informal language?
• Give 3 examples of descriptive vocabulary?
• What are the different purposes of speaking?

3.S.2.1 third grade!!
19
State Benchmark Assessment Project

• Webb leveling of standards
• Unpacking each standard (sample)
• Teacher speak
• Student speak
• Identification of key concepts within each
  standard
• Identification of test items that are aligned
  with each key concept and modifying them for best
  alignment.
• Test question will be available in an online
  testing format www.achievementseries.com

20
Module 22 The First Day of School
It is the most important day of the school year
in establishing a well-managed classroom the
linchpin!

• Three aspects
• Familiarizing students with the classroom and
  seating arrangement (a room tour)
• Using icebreakers exercises and other
  getting-to-know you activities
• Establishing rules, expectations, and academics
  as the framework for the classroom

21
2. Using icebreaker exercises andother
getting-to-know you activities

• Classroom door meet-and-greet
• A seat-based welcome
• A front-of-the-room intro
• A nametag getting-to-know-you activity
• Icebreakers (three facts and a fib)

22
Three facts and a fib

• Ive been on my own DaVinci Code tour of London
  and Paris.
• Ive traced my family lineage back to the 1500s.
• I have won the state mountain bike championship
  in the sport class in my age range.
• My husband proposed to me on Valentines day.

23
3 Facts and a Fib

• Take a few moments to create your own three facts
  and a fib.
• Try to incorporate information that would allow
  your students to get to know you (as well as your
  winter partner)
• Can you think of ways to do this same activity
  with classroom content?

24
Module 23 The First Two Weeks of School

• Two aspects
• 1. Building relationships
• 2. Setting and reinforcing academic and
  nonacademic expectations and routines

25
Building Relationships

• Learn names
• Survey students to learn about interests and
  hobbies
• Organize a person of the week bulletin board
• Display your own family artifacts
• Create a you are a star display (my variation,
  a me box)
• Call parents, invite parents in
• Involve students in decisions about policies

26
A Me Box

• Kids love to make things
• Provide the me box template for younger
  students, make older kids measure it out for
  themselves
• Options for each side of the box name, photo,
  favorite song, favorite school subject, hobbies,
  a job you have had, things I do well, your pets
  name, what you want to be when you grow up, a
  solid color or part of a larger drawing

27
Setting and Reinforcing Academic andNonacademic
Expectations and Routines

• Clarify and communicate the learning goals for
  each class period or lesson
• Clarify and communicate the behavioral goals for
  each class period or lesson
• Know the essential knowledge that all students
  learn from standards
• Pretest to determine proficiency, plan to meet
  various needs

28
(cont.)

• Develop two weeks worth of lesson plans before
  school starts
• Develop rubrics with clear criteria that match
  learning goals (standards)
• Establish homework policies
• Clarify grading policy
• Give students a course guide
• Establish class period/school day routines

29
(cont.)

• Practice providing timely feedback
• Monitor students learning
• (assessment FOR learning)
• For formative
• Of summative

30
Questions/Comments

• My contact info
• Julie Mathiesen (TIE and ESA 6 7)
• jmathiesen_at_tie.net