Getting Off to a Good Start

Evertson, Chapter 4

Creating a Positive Climate in Your Class

Speak courteously and calmly

Share information

Use positive statements

Establish feeling of community

Teaching Rules and Procedures

Describe and demonstrate desired behavior

Rehearse desired behavior

Feedback

Planning for a Good Beginning

• Whole group lesson• Take into account students concerns • Watch carefully to detect problems• Greet students:

– Prepare students name tagswatch pins!– As students enter the room greet them warmly

and calling their names– Make temporary seating chart– Introduce yourself– Show where everything is in the class

• Get acquainted activities– Ask students to introduce themselves or reciprocal

introductions– Use name game (adjectives)– Have students write their biographies or complete a

questionnaire– Make a puzzle with student names– Set aside time to discuss what they have learned that

day– Scavenger hunt describing the student and the rest of

the class name who he/she is– Have students bring an item that represents them

• Presentation and discussion of rules– School rules– Classroom rules– Consequences– Copy of the rules and send them to the parents– Review procedures

• Content activities– Use uncomplicated activities and have

• Time fillers• Administrative activities

– Grade book– Ordering materials

Ina+

way

Communicating withParents

Materialsneeded

Times available

Curri-culum

Field tripsevents

Meals

Special and Common ProblemsInterruptions let the person wait, not your class

give students something to doLate arrivalsgreet them as warmly as possible

let the student know what they have missedOne or more children are assigned to your class after the first daysame

as aboveChild forgets lunch money or suppliesuse emergency funds

have extra suppliesLarge amount of paper workdo not use class time or monitor the class

while you work

Keep Track

Occasional Problems

• Child forgets bus number or misses the bus– Rehearse bus procedures– Label the younger students so others can help– Have parents’ phone numbers

• Insufficient number of textbooks– Before classes begin, check the availability of books– Have students share– Teacher prepared materials

• One student has a disability that interferes with understanding or following directions– Seat students close to you and engage students in simple

activities– Refer child, perhaps in resource room– Talk to the parents

• Crying– Find out the cause– Distract the child and engage him in an activity– Assign a friend to accompany him to get water, wash

her face etc.

• Wetting– Very embarrassing – Have paper towels to facilitate clean-up– Call home so they can bring a new change of clothes

• Child becomes sick– Stay calm– Do not leave the child unnattended

Preparing for a Substitute

• Class roll• Seating chart• Copy of classroom rules and consequences• Daily schedule• List of medical alerts and medications• Emergency lesson plans• Names of teachers and students who can provide

assistance• Emergency procedures• Map of the school