Be The Teacher: How To Begin Your School Year WithCalm, 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 task-oriented and predictable environment has been established.”

-- From The First Days of School by Harry & Rosemary Wong

Useful Books:• The First Days of School: How To Be An Effective Teacher By Harry K. Wong & 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 CantorA 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 CunninghamThis 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.comThis 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.netThis 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.shtmlThis 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.htmlAn article about good ideas for the first six weeks of school. Focuses on creating community, collaborating on discipline, curriculum & resources.

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• http://teachers.net/gazette/JUN00/wong.htmlThis is the link to the article “Your First Day” by Harry & Rosemary Wong. • http://teachers.net/gazette/NOV00/wong.htmlThis is the link to the article “The First Five Minutes Are Critical” by Harry & Rosemary Wong

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DURING THE FIRST WEEK I RESOLVE TO:

1. SET THE TONEFrom 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 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

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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 FOUNDATION5. 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.

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SYSTEMS/ROUTINESCreate 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 ClassA. Taking AttendanceB. What to do before school startsC. Putting away backpacksD. Turning in HWE. Do Now!!!

II. Use of and Movement In Room/School AreasA. Shared MaterialsB. Teacher’s DeskC. Water Fountain, Bathroom, Pencil Sharpener, NurseD. Changing classesE. Lining UpF. Walking in the hallwayG. Student storageH. Student DeskI. Learning centersJ. PlaygroundK. Lunchroom

III. Instructional ActivitiesA. Getting the student’s attentionB. How to get the teacher’s attentionC. Student talk during independent workD. Student talk during group workE. Activities to do when work is doneF. Student participationG. Distributing and collecting materials

IV. Ending ClassA. Putting away supplies/cleaning upB. Recording homework assignmentsC. Distributing notes/student work to go homeD. Dismissing class

VI. InteruptionsA. Conduct during interruptions or delaysB. Fire drills/Tornado drills etc.

VII. Work RequirementsA. Heading papersB. Neatness, legibilityC. Incomplete workD. Late workE. Supplies

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F. Homework

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A COLLECTION OF 25 ACTIVITIES FOR THE FIRST DAY/WEEK OF SCHOOLGathered & adapted from various locations on the web

1. Take picturesBring 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.

2. Create a time capsuleUse 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 sampleA tracing of his/her handA self portraitLetter 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.

3. Friendship QuiltHelp 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.

4. Get To Know You GameForm 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 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 . . .

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Draw something that is only drawn with circles.Count to 100 by 2’s, 5’s, 10’s, etc. –either oral or writtenThink 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 punchlineQuickwritesDaily EditUse 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 problemQuick 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 puzzlesVISIT THIS AMAZING WEBSITE: http://puzzlemaker.school.discovery.com/

8. Introduce vocabulary words for the weekMake 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?

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.

11. “Who Am I?” Riddle Book

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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.

12. Create a Goal WallHave 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.

13. Calendar ActivitiesThe 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, left-right/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/

14. Make “Me” BoxesAsk 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.

15. Decorate student journals16. Venn Diagram Get to Know You

Find this activity described at http://home.att.net/~teaching/refbook.htm17. Write Acrostic Poems using students’ first names18. 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

19. Go on a Scavenger HuntFor a STUDENT HUNT look at: http://members.accessus.net/~bradley/ScavengerHunt.htmlFor a CLASSROOM HUNT look at: http://sciencespot.net/Pages/7grhunt.html

20. Do a BACK –TO-SCHOOL craftCheck out: http://www.freekidscrafts.com/backtoschool_projects.htm

21. Give a READING ATTITUDE INVENTORYFind 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.pdfhttp://www.uwinnipeg.ca/~hkatz/Courses/3103/intrview2.html

22. Introduce HANDS ARE NOT FOR HURTINGThe 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.”

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23. Give a Learning Styles InventoryFind out how your students learn best. Give this inventory: http://home.att.net/~clnetwork/co-op/misurvey.pdf

24. Play FRIENDLY FAVORITESThis 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.

25. Introduce/Practice Small Group Work w/ TEAM TALKDo the Team Talk activity explained in the first day of school section of the http://www.lauracandler.com/Website.

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Monday Tuesday WednesdayBefore 8:00

Put back-pack awayComplete student information sheet

Turn in HWPut back-pack awayRead silently

Turn in HWPut back-pack awayRead silently

8:00 – 8:30

Introduce procedure for Daily Edit Complete Daily Edit Correct Daily EditSay the Learner’s Creed & Reader’s OathDiscuss Creed & Oath

Review procedure for Daily EditComplete Daily Edit Correct Daily EditLC & RO What does creed mean? What’s an oath?

Daily Edit LC & RO What does capable of greatness mean?

8:30 – 9:00

Introduce self – be briefRules, consequences, and card chart

Practice changing cards

Review rule #1 & rule #2Brainstorm what following this rule looks like & doesn’t look likeBrainstorm scenarios

Review rule #3 & rule #5Brainstorm what following this rule looks like & doesn’t look likeBrainstorm scenarios

9:00 – 9:30

Students write letters to parents in which they explain the rules of our class

Set expectations for partner work. Work with partner to write a skit that shows why rule #1 or #2 matters

Review expectations for partner work. With partner write a skit that shows why rule #3 or #5 matters

9:30 – 10:00

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.

Bathroom Break (10 mins)

Distribute textbooks while students work silently on a math diagnostic.

Bathroom Break (10 mins)

Start running records while students work silently on a reading comprehension diagnostic

10:00 – 11:00

Introduce attention getting signal.

Introduce rules for working in pairs.

Introduce “Droodles”

Do “Droodles” Activity

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”

Write “Where I’m From” poems

Share poems.

HANDS ARE NOT FOR HURTING (30 mins)

11:00 – 11:30

Complete Reading Attitude Inventory.

List as many book titles as you can think of on back of the RAI

Students should silently complete the Unfinished Sentence Interest Inventory. While they’re working, check in briefly with individuals.

Continue running records while students work silently on a social studies/geography diagnostic

11:30 – 12:00

Introduce expectations for behavior during P.E. & Music. Go to Music

Review expectation (5 min) Review expectations (5 min)

12:00 – 12:30

P.E. Music

12:30 – 1:00

Lunch Lunch Lunch

1:00 – 1:30

Introduce expectations for behavior during Read Aloud

Read Aloud

Introduce idea of “predictions” - Make prediction for next time

Review what happened in story yesterday

Read Aloud

Review “prediction.” Make predictions for next time.

Review what happened in story yesterday

Read Aloud

Review “prediction.” Make predictions for next time.

1:30 – 2:00

Time Capsules Introduce the concept of a rubric using the “CRUNK PARTY” lesson plan.

Remind students of behavior standards established during FRIENDLY FAVORITES – take some class pictures

2:00 – 2:30

Introduce expectations for use of the Reading Oasis. Mini-lesson on how to choose a book. Let students choose a book. Silent Reading

Develop and revise an Independent Reading Rubric

Silent Reading

TEAM TALK ACTIVITY

2:30 – 3:00

Think/Pair/Share about books. Introduce HW folders, Parent Letter, Homework Assignment Sheet. Review procedures for entering the classroom in the morning

Think/Pair Share about books. Introduce Reading Log. Practice filling out Reading Log. Review procedures for entering the classroom in the morning

Silent Reading. Think/Pair/Share. Review Reading Log. Review procedures for entering the classroom in the morning.

Homework

Get parent letter signed Read for 20 minutes & get reading log signed.

Read for 20 minutes & get reading log signed.

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Thursday FridayBefore 8:00

Turn in HWPut back-pack awayRead silently

Turn in HWPut back-pack awayRead silently

8:00 – 8:30

Daily Edit (10 mins)LC & RO (10 mins)Why does the creed say “I must learn?”

Daily Edit (10 mins)LC & RO (10 mins)What does it mean: “to do my best”?

8:30 – 9:00

Review rule # 4Brainstorm what following this rule looks like & doesn’t look likeBrainstorm scenarios

Review rule #6Brainstorm what following this rule looks like & doesn’t look likeBrainstorm scenarios

9:00 – 9:30

Review expectations for partner work. With partner write a skit that shows why rule #4 or #5 matters

Finish a skit from earlier in the week & rehearse.

9:30 – 10:00

Bathroom Break (10 mins)

Continue running records while students work silently on a writing diagnostic

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.

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.

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!!!!!

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.

11:30 – 12:00

Review expectations (5 min) Review expectations (5 min)

12:00 – 12:30

P.E. Music

12:30 – 1:00

Lunch Lunch

1:00 – 1:30

Review what happened in story yesterday

Read Aloud

Review “prediction.” Make predictions for next time.

Review what happened in story yesterday

Read Aloud

Review “prediction.” Make predictions for next time.

1:30 – 2:00

Hand out & decorate student journals. Introduce rubric for journal entries.

Share reflections on the weekShare photographs from Wednesday. Recognition of students who stayed on black all week.

2:00 – 2:30

Work time to finish rules skits & finalize plans for tomorrow’s filming.

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/

2:30 – 3:00

Silent Reading. Think/Pair/Share. Review Reading Log. Review procedures for entering the classroom in the morning.

Silent Reading. Think/Pair/Share. Review Reading Log. Review procedures for entering the classroom in the morning.

Homework Read for 20 minutes and get reading log signed.Review for Friday’s TEST!!

Read for 20 minutes and get reading log sighned.

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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 _____________ years old.________________lives with me. S/he is my _____________. S/he is _____________ years old.________________lives with me. S/he is my _____________. S/he is _____________ years old.________________lives with me. S/he is my _____________. S/he is _____________ years old.________________lives with me. S/he is my _____________. S/he is _____________ years old.________________lives with me. S/he is my _____________. S/he is _____________ years old.

Do you have any relatives who work at this school? YES NOHer/his name is _______________________________________________________________________.How do you get to and from school (bus, walk, car)? __________________________________________.

Where do you study and do homework? _____________________________________________.

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The Learner’s CreedWritten 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’ OathWritten by Debra Angstead, Missouri- National Education Association

I promise to readEach day & night.I know it’s keyTo growing up right.

I’ll read to myself,I’ll read to a crowd.It makes no differenceIf 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 readPuts smarts in my head,‘Cause brains grow more thoughtsThe more they are fed.

So I take this oathTo make reading my wayOf feeding my brainWhat it needs every day.

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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. We will encourage and praise others.

We will ask before we borrow. 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. We will work together.

4. 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

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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 CONSEQUENCESIndividual

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 CONSEQUENCESIndividual

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 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

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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.

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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 “shut-up.” 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 put-down 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 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

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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.

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Teaching the Rules – Lesson PlanLesson Purpose/ObjectiveStudents 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 LessonIntroduction of New MaterialI 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 MaterialOn 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. Respect2. Prepare3. Work4. Build Peace5. Follow directions6. Remain seated &

Raise your handTo 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 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

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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.”

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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. __________________________

This rule means that we’re supposed to __________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________

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Our class rules are important because ____________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

We will be having a test on these rules on ________________________________________.

Love,

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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.

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Droodles Sheet

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How to Choose a BookAdapted 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 RecommendationsThis 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 LikeIf 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” ReadRead 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 InWhat 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 BitRead 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 LookingFinding 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.

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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

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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!

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Parent/Guardian Signature: ______________________________________________________________

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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 NOIf yes, what medications does s/he take? ______________________________________________________________________________What are you most proud of about your child? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________What do you hope your child will accomplish this year? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Is there anything your child might need special help with? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Is there anything else that you would like to tell me that might help me to teach your child? ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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Friendly Favorites Sheet

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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: Students brainstorm a list of ways that hands can be used for helping.

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 after school on Friday & spend one hour using their hands for helping.

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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 _____________________________________________________________.

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 ______________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________________Taken From: Literacy Portfolios: Using Assessment to Guide Instruction by Roberta B. Wiener and Judith H. Cohen

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Explanation of Crunk Party Rubric Lesson PlanCreated 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 rubricsSECOND 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 Reading4 3 2 1Always chooses a “just right” read

Usually chooses a “just right” read

Sometimes has a hard time finding a “just right” read

Often can’t find a “just right” read

Always finds materials quickly and gets to work

Usually finds materials quickly and gets to work

Finds materials but gets to work slowly

Often can’t find materials & usually gets to work slowly or not at all

Always sits down quietly and reads the whole time without talking or interrupting others

Usually sits down quietly and reads the whole time; tries not to talk or interrupt others

Wanders around, reads a little; may talk and interrupt others

Wanders around; talks, interrupts others, and keeps them from reading

Always uses reading strategies to making meaning from the words

Usually uses reading strategies to make meaning from the words

Doesn’t always use reading strategies to make meaning from the words

Seldom uses reading strategies

Records reading in reading log every day

Records reading in reading log almost every day

Often forgets to records reading in reading log

Seldom remembers to record reading in reading log

Takes Accelerated Reader test on every book that is finished

Takes Accelerated Reader tests on most books that are finished

Seldom takes Accelerated Reader tests on books that are finished

Doesn’t finish books; doesn’t take Accelerated Reader tests

As you’re teaching students about independent reading, it’s important to teach mini-lessons that cover the following issues: How to choose a bookHow to care for a bookWhat to do if the book doesn’t work for youHow to record books in your reading logWhere to sit/how to sitWhat do to do if someone is distracting youWhat is Accelerated ReaderWhen to take Accelerated Reader Tests

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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

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursday

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Friday

MondayTuesdayWednesdayThursdayFriday

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Where I’m FromBy George Ella Lyon

I am from clothespins,from Clorox and carbon-tetrachloride.I am from the dirt under the back porch.(Black, glisteningit tasted like beets.)I am from the forsythia bush,the Dutch elmwhose long gong limbs I rememberas if they were my own.

I am from fudge and eyeglasses,from Imogene and Alafair.I’m from the know-it-allsAnd the pass-it-ons,from perk up and pipe down.I’m from He restoreth my soulwith cottonball lamband ten verses I can say myself.

I’m from Artemus and Billie’s Branch,fried corn and strong coffee.From the finger my grandfather lostto the augerthe eye my father shut to keep his sight.Under my bed was a dress boxspilling old pictures,a sift of lost facesto drift beneath my dreams.I am from those moments – snapped before I budded – leaf fall from the family tree.

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Where I’m From Activity

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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.

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Team talk Question Cards

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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)

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

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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______________________________________________________________________________

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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:

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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