THE FIRST TWENTY DAYS OF SCHOOLProject Shalom at SHA

3 Steps of Prep

• Planning Stage

• Foundation Stage

• Maintenance Stage

Planning Stage

Classroom

Management

Students

Classroom Layout

Identified Routines

Setting Up Your Classroom

How many students will you have?

• What subjects will you teach?

• What supplies do you have? • Smartboard? Math manipulatives? Classroom library?

• What is the space of your room? • Windows? Whiteboards? Built-in cabinets?

Draw Your Classroom

• Seating Arrangement• Groups, rows, pairs, large tables

• Large Furniture• Cubbies, shelving units, etc.

• Teaching Areas• Conferencing areas, tech areas, independent work areas

Successful Classroom Design

• Allow for flexible grouping• Centers, small group meetings, one-on-one

• Allow for smooth movement and access• Look for ways to minimize crowding around high use areas

• Allow for easy supervision in all areas

Classroom Routines• Entering and leaving the classroom• Transitioning between subjects• Getting teacher’s attention• What to do when finished with an assignment• Sharpening pencils

• The list goes on and on…

What are the common routines in your classroom?

What should you add?

Behavioral Management• Create an area to post classroom expectations

• Identify main routines and that occur daily and weekly • Transitions, independent work, whole class and small group

instruction, guest teachers, specialists

• Create lessons with explicit directions• What does it look like and sound like when meeting in small

groups?

Foundation Stage

Effective

Learning

Community

Establishing Routines

Teaching

ExpectationsConsistent Feedback

Establishing Routines

First Day of SchoolTeach:

• Two major school wide expectations • Two major routines in the classroom• Two areas in the classroom students will need to be

familiar with right away

• When teaching students classroom and school wide expectations, provide both positive and negative examples of behaviors.

Second Day of School Review:• Before students engage in classroom and school wide

routines previously taught, they need to be reviewed.• Involve students- have them show you what it looks like

and sounds like. Preteaching sets students up for success

Teach:• Two more major school wide expectations • Two more major routines in the classroom• Two additional areas in the classroom students will need

to know in order to be successful.• For example, where to get math supplies or lined paper

Third, Fourth and Fifth Days of School

• Review, review, review

• Preteach already learned expectations and routines

• Continue to add remaining lessons for school wide and classroom expectations

Feedback

Week Two

• Reflect on what subjects, transitions, routines need continued focus. Reteach these each day, for three days.

• Consistently preteach expectations for as many classroom routines as possible.

• Provide consistent, specific and positive feedback to as many students as many times possible, every day.

Maintenance Stage

Dynamic

Learning

Community

Reflective Management

Preteaching for Success

Consistent

Positive Feedback

Reflective Management

Week Three and Beyond

• Consistently review routines, subjects, areas of the classroom/school that may be more difficult to manage

• Reflect on times of day that are going well- what does this look and sound like?

• Reflect on times of day that are not going well- what does this look and sound like?

• Do students know the routines?

Consistently Reviewing Expectations

• Preteaching to the whole class for success

OR

• Explicitly reteaching with select students

Consistent Feedback• Provide specific positive feedback whenever possible.

• What can you say instead of “thank you” and “good job”?

• Say what you mean- just don’t say it mean

• Maintaining a calm tone regardless of situation

• If you find yourself in a moment where it might be tough to do any of the above- make it a teaching moment. For yourself and your students.

Additional Resources• Space and Places: Designing Classroom for Literacy

• By, Debbie Diller

• The First Six Weeks of School• By, Paula Denton and Roxann Kriete

• Champs• By, Randy Sprick

• Talk to me! Talk to Liz! Talk to Kristina!