The expectations in the classroom are as follows:
1. Follow directions quickly and quietly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy!
In the classroom, I like for learners to :
be engaged - stay focused on the task and work hard
be responsible - be honest about what is happening and turn in work on time
be respectful - use kind, helpful words and actions with others in the classroom
In order to help learners with those rules and expectations, I use two methods for keeping track of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. The first is a "Behavior Ladder" I have posted in the room. It consists of seven levels. All learners begin the day with their clothespin/name on "Ready to Learn" at the center of the ladder. When a learner shows they are following classroom procedures and acceptable behaviors, I will ask him or her to move the clip up the ladder one space at a time (there are three spaces above "Ready to Learn"). When a learner reaches "Super Student", the highest level on the ladder, the class celebrates the hard work of that learner with a silent applause. Conversely, if a learner is not demonstrating the rules, I will have him or her move the clip down the ladder.
The first lower level is "Warning." It should remind the student that the behavior is not accepted in the classroom. The second level down is "Teacher's Choice." If a learner reaches this level, I may have him or her sit and complete a "Think About It" sheet with me. A copy of this sheet would be sent home for caretakers to read, discuss, sign, and return the following school day. "Teacher's Choice" could also be a consequence such as having to help clean a mess made deliberately, an apology note written, a period of time working in a new location, or loss of recess to complete work missed due to disruptions.
The lowest level on the ladder is "Parent Contact." If a learner reaches this level of the ladder, I will call home to talk about what may be the circumstances surrounding the behavior and how we can support the child as a learner. I try to reach the parent before the child arrives home on the bus, and will leave a message that I will try again later if I can't get through. Throughout the day the learner has the opportunity to move back up the ladder through demonstrated acceptable behavior.
The second method I use for tracking behavior of learners is an app called "Class Dojo." After building the class groupings on the Dojo website, I can access the lists on my iPad. Throughout the day I can "award" points for acceptable behaviors such as turning in work on time, helping another student, participating in class discussions, and more. I can also "deduct" points for inappropriate behavior such as blurting out in class, being off task, or being disrespectful. The beauty of this app is that parents and caregivers will have an access code so they may see the areas in which their learner is earning points and where he or she may be having troubles. In the past I have tracked the class percentages and awarded Preferred Activity Time (such as a chance to play board games, extra recess, lunch bunch, etc.) for percentages earned.
These two methods have worked for my classes in the past, but I may find it necessary to change things for some learners from time to time. Other 3rd/4th classroom teachers will put a student's name on the board, and add check marks to denote loss of recess time. Last year, I found students preferred this to the behavior ladder, and adopted this method.
1. Follow directions quickly and quietly.
2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
3. Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.
4. Make smart choices.
5. Keep your dear teacher happy!
In the classroom, I like for learners to :
be engaged - stay focused on the task and work hard
be responsible - be honest about what is happening and turn in work on time
be respectful - use kind, helpful words and actions with others in the classroom
In order to help learners with those rules and expectations, I use two methods for keeping track of acceptable and unacceptable behaviors. The first is a "Behavior Ladder" I have posted in the room. It consists of seven levels. All learners begin the day with their clothespin/name on "Ready to Learn" at the center of the ladder. When a learner shows they are following classroom procedures and acceptable behaviors, I will ask him or her to move the clip up the ladder one space at a time (there are three spaces above "Ready to Learn"). When a learner reaches "Super Student", the highest level on the ladder, the class celebrates the hard work of that learner with a silent applause. Conversely, if a learner is not demonstrating the rules, I will have him or her move the clip down the ladder.
The first lower level is "Warning." It should remind the student that the behavior is not accepted in the classroom. The second level down is "Teacher's Choice." If a learner reaches this level, I may have him or her sit and complete a "Think About It" sheet with me. A copy of this sheet would be sent home for caretakers to read, discuss, sign, and return the following school day. "Teacher's Choice" could also be a consequence such as having to help clean a mess made deliberately, an apology note written, a period of time working in a new location, or loss of recess to complete work missed due to disruptions.
The lowest level on the ladder is "Parent Contact." If a learner reaches this level of the ladder, I will call home to talk about what may be the circumstances surrounding the behavior and how we can support the child as a learner. I try to reach the parent before the child arrives home on the bus, and will leave a message that I will try again later if I can't get through. Throughout the day the learner has the opportunity to move back up the ladder through demonstrated acceptable behavior.
The second method I use for tracking behavior of learners is an app called "Class Dojo." After building the class groupings on the Dojo website, I can access the lists on my iPad. Throughout the day I can "award" points for acceptable behaviors such as turning in work on time, helping another student, participating in class discussions, and more. I can also "deduct" points for inappropriate behavior such as blurting out in class, being off task, or being disrespectful. The beauty of this app is that parents and caregivers will have an access code so they may see the areas in which their learner is earning points and where he or she may be having troubles. In the past I have tracked the class percentages and awarded Preferred Activity Time (such as a chance to play board games, extra recess, lunch bunch, etc.) for percentages earned.
These two methods have worked for my classes in the past, but I may find it necessary to change things for some learners from time to time. Other 3rd/4th classroom teachers will put a student's name on the board, and add check marks to denote loss of recess time. Last year, I found students preferred this to the behavior ladder, and adopted this method.