After a few weeks of relaxing and traveling, preparation for the next school year is in full swing. I'm the crazy type of person who likes doing school stuff during the summer because I can do it at my own pace without a million deadlines looming in front of me. I can stop to read blogs, browse pinterest, design a few new posters, or try once again to beat the fun and infuriating game Twenty without feeling guilty.
At the moment, I'm working on overhauling my Algebra 2 course. This course has undergone an overhaul every single summer. This next year's version has me very excited! I think I'm actually starting to get an ordering of topics that I like and that kinda flow together. Of course, this is the last year with this set of state standards, so I'll be overhauling the course again next summer to align to Oklahoma's new standards.
I haven't done any work on Algebra 1 yet. And, I've only started to vaguely think about statistics. I teach a non-AP level stats course which gives me a lot more flexibility with coverage and pacing. A large number of my stats students are taking concurrent college classes two days a week at the same time as my stats class, so I'm looking at a structure where I teach/quiz/do labs on M/W/F and give students time to work on problem sets/reassess standards on T/Th. My concurrent students do have free periods on other days when they should be able to come in and reassess.
Most of my other thinking has been on tweaking my SBG system and classroom decorations.
I've decided to use the 6 P's in lieu of classroom rules this year. And, of course, I had to make a set of posters to hang on the wall. I plan to mount these to the wall as a banner to remind students what my expectations are. Want to join me in using the 6 P's? Download your own set of posters here. And, don't forget, I made a blog page that includes links to all of the posters I have ever created!
Sorry for the poor picture. I'll update this as soon as it's hanging up in my classroom. Though, that won't be until August...
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I want students to be polite, prepared, prompt, productive, positive, and participate! This really covers all the reasons I would be getting on to a student. To enforce these, I'm going to use a three strikes policy. The first two strikes are warnings. The third strike results in lunch detention with yours truly. When I took high school chemistry, my teacher's main pet peeve was gum chewing. If you got caught chewing gum in her classroom, you had to come in for detention which meant cleaning the chemistry lab equipment. I'm thinking that if students are in my room for lunch detention, I will also find them some sort of task to do. It could be wiping down desks, cleaning the dry erase board, picking up trash off the floor, etc. Is this bad of me? I feel that if students are wasting my time, then I am entitled to use some of their services.
I'm going to keep track of the strikes by having names written on the board. Name only is a warning. Name with a check mark is second warning. Name with two check marks means detention.
I'm also thinking of having students write their own names on the board. If a student is tardy, they need to write their name on the board before they ever sit down. If a student doesn't bring a needed supply and must borrow from me, they need to write their name on the board first. If they can find a fellow classmate to borrow from, I guess they get a free pass.
If a student is setting idly during a task, I can prompt them with "I need you to participate. Write your name on the board. When you get back to your seat, I need you to be on-task." If a student doesn't follow my directions immediately or makes a scene, they are not being prompt which means a check mark.
One of the principles I learned from Love and Logic was that if kids feel they can argue with you, they will never come to respect you. If a student feels like there are special circumstances concerning their actions that I need to be made aware of, then they can come see me before school, after school, or at lunch to talk to me. I am not going to engage in arguments with my students. If a student tries to engage me in an argument, I should tell them that I only argue before school, after school, and at lunch.
So, these ramblings are just me trying to figure out this whole classroom management thing. Sorry about that.
At the moment, I'm working on overhauling my Algebra 2 course. This course has undergone an overhaul every single summer. This next year's version has me very excited! I think I'm actually starting to get an ordering of topics that I like and that kinda flow together. Of course, this is the last year with this set of state standards, so I'll be overhauling the course again next summer to align to Oklahoma's new standards.
I haven't done any work on Algebra 1 yet. And, I've only started to vaguely think about statistics. I teach a non-AP level stats course which gives me a lot more flexibility with coverage and pacing. A large number of my stats students are taking concurrent college classes two days a week at the same time as my stats class, so I'm looking at a structure where I teach/quiz/do labs on M/W/F and give students time to work on problem sets/reassess standards on T/Th. My concurrent students do have free periods on other days when they should be able to come in and reassess.
Most of my other thinking has been on tweaking my SBG system and classroom decorations.
I've decided to use the 6 P's in lieu of classroom rules this year. And, of course, I had to make a set of posters to hang on the wall. I plan to mount these to the wall as a banner to remind students what my expectations are. Want to join me in using the 6 P's? Download your own set of posters here. And, don't forget, I made a blog page that includes links to all of the posters I have ever created!
Sorry for the poor picture. I'll update this as soon as it's hanging up in my classroom. Though, that won't be until August...
I want students to be polite, prepared, prompt, productive, positive, and participate! This really covers all the reasons I would be getting on to a student. To enforce these, I'm going to use a three strikes policy. The first two strikes are warnings. The third strike results in lunch detention with yours truly. When I took high school chemistry, my teacher's main pet peeve was gum chewing. If you got caught chewing gum in her classroom, you had to come in for detention which meant cleaning the chemistry lab equipment. I'm thinking that if students are in my room for lunch detention, I will also find them some sort of task to do. It could be wiping down desks, cleaning the dry erase board, picking up trash off the floor, etc. Is this bad of me? I feel that if students are wasting my time, then I am entitled to use some of their services.
I'm going to keep track of the strikes by having names written on the board. Name only is a warning. Name with a check mark is second warning. Name with two check marks means detention.
I'm also thinking of having students write their own names on the board. If a student is tardy, they need to write their name on the board before they ever sit down. If a student doesn't bring a needed supply and must borrow from me, they need to write their name on the board first. If they can find a fellow classmate to borrow from, I guess they get a free pass.
If a student is setting idly during a task, I can prompt them with "I need you to participate. Write your name on the board. When you get back to your seat, I need you to be on-task." If a student doesn't follow my directions immediately or makes a scene, they are not being prompt which means a check mark.
One of the principles I learned from Love and Logic was that if kids feel they can argue with you, they will never come to respect you. If a student feels like there are special circumstances concerning their actions that I need to be made aware of, then they can come see me before school, after school, or at lunch to talk to me. I am not going to engage in arguments with my students. If a student tries to engage me in an argument, I should tell them that I only argue before school, after school, and at lunch.
So, these ramblings are just me trying to figure out this whole classroom management thing. Sorry about that.