Hello! The goal of my classroom is student achievement, while having fun I hope and stretching brain capacity. Bad behavior and poor grades are not the “right answer, “ so to speak. So, here is how I try to engineer a successful learning environment:
Room Rules:
1) Be here on time every day and be prepared.
2) One person speaks at a time.
3) Respect.
Consequences:
+ Positive:
1) You stay out of trouble – and the principal’s office.
2) You and your classmates get to receive the best level of education because you can focus.
3) Effort = Advancement.
4) No Drama = No citations/notes home.
5) More respect for yourself, from others, classroom awards/rewards/raffle/table points, Richman school wide yellow ticket incentives.
- Negative:
1) Warning.
2) Written Apology to teacher.
3) E-mail or note to parents/caregiver.
4) Phone call home.
5) Principal’s office.
Rewards:
1) Individual: Learning, growing, weekly homework passes for H.O.T. Homework On Time, tickets toward the Friday raffle.
2) Table: I do table points prizes on Friday. The first tally mark given each day is for tables that have all friends here on time with no tardies. This reinforces my rule#1 and ideally a good attendance %.
3) Whole class: games (e.g. BUTTERFINGER to learn times tables), incentives, and more choices/computer time if quiet when they need to be.
Community Building/Anti Bullying:
Source I use to infuse a bully free classroom throughout the school year is “The Bully Free Classroom” by Allan L. Beane, Ph.D. At the onset of the school year, kids take a T/F test about bullying that we grade and discuss whole class. Thereafter, we revisit periodically positive affirmations, as well as remember not to be "vultures" with one another. Positive behavior is encouraged, modeled, noted, and rewarded. Negative behavior is not accepted nor the focus.