5th Grade

Miss Lutes
Management Plan
EDUC 122

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Tableofcontents
PartI
ClassroomSetUp......................................3
TeacherRecordKeeping......................................4
NewStudents......................................4
TurninginHomework......................................5
PassingBackHomework/Paperwork......................................5
Displayingstudentwork......................................5
PartII
Expectations......................................6
Consequences......................................6
Studentdisrespecttoyouortootherteachers......................................6
Studentconflictontheplayground......................................7
Inattentiveness,LackofMotivation,andNotGettingWorkDone......................................7
Tardiness......................................8
Technology......................................8
Bullying......................................8
Cheating......................................9
Parentinvolvement......................................9
Principalinvolvement......................................9
Behaviorasaschoolprofessional......................................9
Loungegossip......................................9
Disagreementwithcolleague......................................9
Disagreementwithleadership......................................10
PartIII
Gainingattention......................................10
Studentsharing......................................10
Roomhelpers......................................10
PAT......................................11
FieldTrips......................................11
Doinghomework......................................12
Activitiesforstudentstodoaftertheirworkisdone......................................12
Leavingroomorseat......................................12
Goingtospecials......................................13
Differentiationpolicy......................................13
Regularcommunicationwithparents......................................13
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Parentconferences......................................13
Purpose:EffectiveClassroomManagementisessentialinordertoensurepositivestudentbehaviorsthat
areconducivetolearningandsocialinteractions.Yourclassroomorganization,disciplinaryprocedures,and
classroomroutinesarecriticalindicatorsofyourmanagementskill.Asanewteacheryouwillneedtothink
aheadabouthowtomanageyourenvironmentaswellasyourstudents.
Task:Congratulations!Youhavejustbeenhiredasanew5thgradeteacher.Yourprincipalhasaskedyou
tosubmitacopyofyourmanagementplanfortheofficeifparentsandsubstituteshavequestions.
PartI:ClassroomOrganization
A. Physical

Theclassroomenvironmentplanisintentionedtoencouragelearninggrowthinmy5thgradestudents.
Thegroupingoffiveclustersoffourstudentsistosupportcollaborativelearning.Allfiveclustersareeasily
accessible,andstudentscanseetheSmartBoard.Thedesksarefacingthefrontwall,sothatitwilllimit
distractionfromlookingoutthedoorwindowandthewindowstooutside.Itisalsoplacedinthemiddleto
beclosetodifferentworksstationsintheclassroom.Itallowsforspaceformetoroamandinteractwith
individualsandgroups.
Mydeskisstationedinviewofthedoor,checkintable,andthedesks(notthatthatwillbemy
primarylocationthroughouttheday).Storageoffilingcabinet,guidedreadingstorage,andextrastorageis
locatedclosely.Thisisalsotocreateaclearboundaryforstudentsastowhichareaoftheroom,theyareto
respectastheteachers.Guidedreadingandgroupworktableislocatednearmydeskfororganizational
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purposes.WhileIworkwithasmallgroup,theyhavethesameviewoftheclassroom.Thestudentswillalso
befacedawayfromtheclassroom,sotheyarenotsidetrackedbywhattheirpeersaredoing.
Asstudentsenterfortheday,theyaretoplacetheircoatsintheclosetontherighthandside.Then
theywillproceedtothecheckintable,wheretheyaretoputintheirlunchorderandpossiblypickupan
activityorassignment.Thiswillhelpwithroutinepurposes.Asstudentsexitfortheday,theycantaketheir
papers/foldersfromtheirmailboxandproceedeasilytograbtheircoatsoutofthecloset.Inaddition,thereis
spacefortheclasstolineupbeforetheygotospecials.
Therearefoursectionedoffareasthelibrary/meetingarea,scienceexplorationarea,thesocial
studiesarea,andthetechnologycenter.Thesearetocreatespecificatmospheresofthevarioussubjects.If
studentshaveparticulartasksinthoseareas,physicallymovingtoanotherlocationwillhelpswitch
mindsets.Thelibraryareaespeciallyisintentionedtofosterareadingenvironmentwithmanybooks,afew
chairs,andacouch.Thisisalsoameetingareathatwillallowformorninggreetandintroduction,and
sharedreading.Thisareaissectionedoffwithabookshelfandcouchtocreateareadingatmosphere.Inthe
sciencearea,therewillbeahermitcrabtoencourageapplicablescienceknowledgeandencourage
responsibilityinstudents.Plantsalsoaremeanttopromotethevalueofnature,learningandresponsibility.
Sciencestorageisalsoclosetotheareatocreateforsimplicitysake.Thesinkislocatedcloselytothe
sciencearea,incaseeasywateraccessisneededforasciencelearningactivity.Thepencilsharpenerand
waterfountainareplacedinthesameareainordertoallowforavailabilitybutlimitdistractionifstudents
needtousethemduringteachingtimeorworktime.Therearemanybulletinboardsthroughoutthe
classroom.Theonesinthelibrary,science,andsocialstudiesareaswillbethemedwiththeunitthatthe
classisworkingon.Otherbulletinboardswillportraycontentandstudentwork.Thewhiteboardsaremeant
forteachersease,fornotes,forhomeworkassignments,aswellasstudentindividualorgroupworkat
appropriatetimes.Thetrashcansaredispersedthroughouttheroomtoencourageneatness.Inaddition,there
isarecyclingbintosupportcareofourenvironment.Myclassroomenvironmentisintentionedtopromote
simplicity,orderliness,asafeenvironment,andlearning.
B.Operational

Teacherrecordkeepingprocedures
Eachsubjectwillhaveabinderthatincludeseachunitsobjectives,unitplans,individuallessonplans,
resources,andworksheetsthatcorrelatewitheachunit.Therewillalsobeabinderwithschoolcontact
information,studentemergencycontactinformation,schoolcalendar,androomforteachermeeting/staff
developmentnotes.Studentfileinformationwillalsoincludetheirpaperwork,IEPs,writingsamples,
runningrecords,andotherassessments,
Iwillalsohaveasubfolderthatincludesadailyschedule,theclassrosterwithphotos,emergency
information,theclassroomjoblist,thelessonplan,notesaboutstudentswhomaytrytokeepthesubstitute
offtask,andactivitiesorcopiesofworksheetsthatthestudentscandoiftheschedulegetsofforthe
substituteneedstofilltime.IwillalsohaveareflectionsheetforthesubstituteformetoreviewwhenIget
back.Thecategoriesinclude:absentstudents,parentnotes/questions,studentswhowerehelpful,students
whoneededreminders,highlights,andchallenges.
Iwillkeepahandwrittengradebooktoinitiallyrecordstudentscores.Subjectwillorganizethis.All
assignmentswillbedated.Oncerecordedinthephysicalgradebook,allscoreswillberecordedintheonline
gradebook(suchasRenWeborPowerSchool).
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Ifthestudentsaredoingpresentations,Iwillhavepremadepaperswhereeachstudenthasaboxtowrite
notesaboutpresentationand/orproduct.Thisway,Iwillhavespecificevidenceofstudentworkand
feedback.
Studentbehaviorwillalsobedocumented(documentingtheoffense,date,studentreaction,andaction
steps).Thiswillbeveryconvenienttoreferbacktoobserveimprovementinbehaviorand/orpatterns.
NewStudents
At the beginning of the school year, I will be prepared that I will
most likely have new students added to my fifth grade classroom.
I will create a bag with papers and items that every other student
has at the begging of the school year. Some of these items will
include: a schedule, name tag, birthday candle for our display,
labels for folders, desk plates, spelling folders, take-home folders,
notebooks, beginning of the year information notes, and a
brochure about our classroom. This will be one way to make the
transition easier for me as a teacher.
There will be a buddy system for new students. The new students desk will be put
desk next to buddy, and the buddy intentionally chosen based on responsibility,
friendliness, and communication skills. The new student will have various check in
times with me to express questions, thoughts, concerns, etc. Depending on how the
student is adjusting, the teacher may ask the student to share with the class
information about themselves such as family, interests, and hobbies (I need to be
sensitive to how the student would handle this).
TurninginWork
Foreachsubjectarea,studentswillturninworkinadifferentslidingbin.Each
drawerwillbelabeled(math,science,spelling,etc.)Thiswillencourage
organizationintheclassroom,toensurethatstudentpapersdonotgetlostonthe
teacherdeskorinthewrongpile.Iftheproduce/assignmentisoflargersize,the
teacherwillcommunicatetheturninareaforthatspecificassignment.Thiswill
increaseeasewhenIgotogradeandanalyzestudentlearningontheir
assignments.
Returningwork/paperwork
Eachstudentwillhaveamailboxwithhisorherstudentnumber.
Thiswillimproveorganizationwhenpassingbackassignments,
sendinghomepamphlets/paperwork,newsletters,announcements,
etc.Mailboxdutywillbeoneoftheclassroomjobs.Thiswillbe
placednearthedoor,toallowforeasyaccesswhenleavingthe
classroom.Studentscouldalsoplacebooksorotherhomeworkin
theirmailboxtoremembertobringhomeattheendoftheday.

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Displayingstudentwork
Displayingstudentworkwillbeapriorityofmineinmyclassroom.Iwant
toshowoffworkthatstudentstookpridein,puteffortinto,showed
creativethinking.Eachstudentwillhaveaclipboardhangingonthewall
(asshownbelow).Studentswillchoosetheworkthattheyareproudofto
display.Thisworkcouldbefromanycontentarea.Thishopefullywill
causeprideinworkandlesscomparisonbecausetheproductsaredifferent.
Usingthepapertowelholder,studentworkwillalsobedisplayedforallto
see.Thiswillmostlikelybethesameassignment(forexample,advertisements
biographies,etc.).Studentworkwillalsobepostedinthehallwaysandonthe
classroomwalls.Thiswillpromotetheclassroomenvironmentthateveryone
hasavoiceandsomethingvaluabletoshare.

or

PartII:DisciplinaryPoliciesandProfessionalEthics
Expectations
Therearefourexpectationsformyclassroom:
1. Workasateam.
2. Respectyourselfandothers.
3. Comepreparedtolearn.
4. Doyourbest,andcelebrateothersefforts.
Theseareexpectationsandenvironmentbuilders.Weareateamthatworkstogethertocreateaclassroom
atmospherethatispositive.Ibelievethatthefifthgradersareindependentandmatureenoughtomakegood
decisionsbasedupontheseclassroomexpectations.Iwillnotimplementrulesunlesssomethingarisesthat
thefifthgradersneedmore
guidanceandstructure.
Theyhavemyrespectand
trustfromthebeginning.
Wewillhaveconversations
aboutwhateachofthese
lookslikepractically.
Misbehaviorssuchas
Name_________
interrupting,bullying,or
Date_________
beingtardyviolatethese
WhydidIgetthisslip?
expectations.These
expectationswillhopefully
impactmystudentsactions
andmyown.
WhatclassexpectationdidInotfollow?
Consequences
Ifastudentbreaksaclass
expectation,Iwillgiveaverbalredirection,suchas

Whataremystepstomodifymybehavior?
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Areyoubeingagoodteammate?Isthatbeingrespectfultoyourself?Areyoucelebratingthesuccess
ofyourclassmate?.Ifthestudentcontinuestobreakthesameexpectation,theywillusethetemplatetothe
right.Iwillquietlyslipthemthissheettohelpthemthinkabouttheiractions.Studentsmayreceivethisslip
iftheyareinterrupting,notraisingtheirhand,rockingtheirchair,disrespectinganotherstudentinclass,and
possiblyothersituations.Iwilldodatacollectionofthissecondwarning.Ifthebehaviorcontinuesand
continuallybecomesmoresevere,thiswillleadtothestudentactionofatalkwiththeteacher.Thestudentis
thentowriteanapologyletterstatingtheaction,whyitwaswrong,andhowtheyaregoingtochangetothe
classmate,teacher,orstafftheydisrespected.Theymustdelivertheletterandapologizeinperson,aswell.
Theconsequenceswilldependuponstudentneedsandbehavior.Theremaybeatimethatastudentsdesk
needstomoveorneedsafewminutestocooldown.Theconsequenceswillbelogicalconsequences.Ifthey
keeprockingintheirchair,theymaypossiblylosetheprivilegeoftheirchairforacertainamountoftime.
Maybe,theyaredisrespectingthepethermitcrab,theymaylosetheprivilegeofbeinginthesciencecenter
fortheday.IwanttoknowmystudentswellsoIcanreadwhattheyneedtochangetheirbehavior.Ifthe
sameactionsareoccurringoveragain,individualstudentcontractsmaybecreatedthatneedtobesignedby
thestudent,theparent,andmyself.Classroommanagementisnotperfectformula;itistheartofknowing
andreadingstudentstoknowtriggersandpromptingthemtomakegooddecisions.
Iwanttopreventstudentactionsthatwillleadtoconsequences;thisiswhyIwillfocusonpositive
reinforcementasmuchpossible.Ifastudentwaitstotalkuntiltheygetcalledononlyoneoutoftentimes,I
willthankthemforwaitingtheirturnthatoneturn.Ifthereisagroupofstudentswhoaretalkingwhenthey
arenotsupposedtoandagroupwhoisbehaving,Iwillgivepositiveencouragementtothegroupisdoingas
theyaresupposedto.Byencouragingthepositiveandactions,Icanhelpcultivatetheenvironmentthat
positivebehaviorisexpectedandisappreciated.Iwanttoputmyattentionandenergytorewardpositive
effortsandmodels,insteadofplayingcatchupbymerelycorrectinginappropriatebehavior.
Studentdisrespecttoyouortootherteachers
Ifstudentsaredisrespectfultome,otherteachers,facultyorotherstudents,theywillwritealetter
identifyingwhattheydidthatwasinappropriate,whytheyshouldhavenotdoneit,anapology,andaction
stepsfornexttimetheymayfeelthatsamewayandhowtheywillbehavedifferently.Otheractionsteps
maybenecessaryifthedisrespectcontinuesandheightens.
Studentconflictontheplayground
Ifthereareconflictsontheplayground,Iwillgiveaverbalredirectiontotakeadeepbreathandremindthe
studentsthatrecessisover.Recessproblemsarenotallowedtoentertotheclassroom.Iftheargumentor
dissensionisstillevident,theteacherwilltellthestudentsthattheyneedtowritedown,whattheissuewas,
whyitwaswrongontheirpart,andabehaviorplanfornexttimeasimilarthingcouldhappen.Therewillbe
aDonewithitbox.Oncetheissuewaswrittendownandreflectedupon,thestudentputsitinthebox.
Theycannottalkaboutitanymoreorbeupset.Itisawaytophysicallyletgooftheissue.Iftheproblems
continuewiththesamepeople,ateachermeetingmayneedtooccur.Followingactionswilldependonthe
studentandsituation.Theremaybeeventualstepstoseparatethestudentatrecent,forbidacertaingame,or
keepastudentinside.
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Inattentiveness,LackofMotivation,andNotGettingWorkDone
Ifstudentsarestrugglingwithinattentiveness,lackofmotivation,ornotgettingworkdone,Imayusethe
followingtwotools.Eachofthesewillbelaminated.Thefirstisacheckinsheet.Thisistohelpself
monitorifthestudentisstayingontaskoriftheyhavequestions.Itwillremaintapedtotheirdesk.Thisisto
helpthemrefocus.IfIseethatastudentisnotontask,Imaywalkbyandsimplypointtothechart.This
mayeitherredirectthembacktotheirworkortheymayrealizethattheyhavetoaskthemselvesthese
questions.Hopefully,studentswillscaffoldoffofthis,butthisisatooltohelpthemlearntoaskquestionsto
themselvesandmakegoals.
Myresponse
MissLutesresponse
HowamIdoing?AmI
stayingontask?
DoIhavequestionsor
concerns?
Whatismygoal?
Thefollowingchartisliterallytomakeminichecklistsforstudents.Thisiswillbeimplementedaftera
conversationwiththestudentandmyself.Thisconversationwillbeabouttheirlearningstyleandneeds.
Thisalsowillbelaminatedandtapedtothedesk.Thisisatooltohelpthestudentseethebig,overarching
goalandthenbreakdownataskintosmallergoals.Studentsthencancheckoffastepafterthey
accomplishedittostayorganizedonwhattheyneedtofocusonnextandseewhattheyhaveaccomplished.
Again,hopefullystudentscanscaffoldoffofthistoolandstartcreatingchecklistsintheirnotebooksorin
theirhead.
Step

Task

Done?

1
2
3
4
Choicewillbeprevalentinmyclassroomtoenhanceasenseofmotivationandindependenceforthe
students.Thischoicemaymanifestitselfinoptionsforliterature,process,and/orproduct.Iwantstudentsto
beabletohavechoicesbasedoninterestsandhobbies.

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Tardiness
Tardinesspolicywilldependonschoolpolicy.Tardinesstoschoolwillnotresultinpunishmentforthe
student.Thisisbecauseitmostlikelyisnottheirfaultthattheyarelatetoschool.Ifitcontinuestobea
problem,parentswillbecontactedtodiscussthetardinessissue.However,thereisaclassroomexpectation
tocomereadytolearn.Thismeansthatstudentswillstrivetobeontime,theywillpreparetheirmindsfor
learning,andtheywillbereadywiththematerialsthattheyneed.Iflackofpreparationcontinuestobean
issue,conversationswilloccurtosetgoalsforthemselvestoimprovetheirpreparationwhetherthe
preparationneedstoimproveinmindsetorreadymaterials.
TechnologyMisuse
Studentsaretorespecttheclassroomtechnologythatwehavebeenblessedwith.Technologyisaprivilege,
andIwanttomakesurethatthestudentsareusingitrespectfullyandappropriately.Ifstudentsareusingthe
technologyforwhattheyarenotsupposedto,studentswilllosetheirprivilegeonthetechnologyforan
appropriateamountoftimeaccordingtotheirbehavior.Asfifthgraders,technologicalethicswillalsobe
apartofconversationandpriority.Citationsandreferenceswillbetaughtinordertoteachtheconceptof
givingcredittowherecreditisdue.Cheatingandplagiarismwillnotbetoleratedafterstudentshavebeen
informedaboutandpracticetechnologicalethics.
Bullying
BullyingwillnotbetoleratedinMissLutesclassroom.MissLutesclasswillstrivetobeateam,andbeing
ateammeansbeingkindandrespectfulofoneanother.Ifstudentsdodecidetobully,seriousconversations
willoccurbetweentheonewhoisbullyingandmyself.Thestudentwhoisbullyingwillwriteanapology
letterandanactionplantothoseclassmatestheybullied.Ifsituationsprogressseverelytoneedmore
intervention,thereisapossibilityofprincipal,counselor,andparentinvolvement.
Cheating
CheatingisnotacceptableinMissLutesclassroom.Itisexpectedthatstudentswillbegenuineandfairin
theirpursuitofacademicsuccessandlearning.Studentsmustfollowteacherdirectionsandprovidecreditto
wherecreditisdoingwhenresearching.Duringtaskssuchastests,ifstudentsarefoundcheating,theywill
haveautomaticzerosonthetest.Aconversationwilloccurbetweenthestudentandmyself.Thestudent
mustcommunicatewiththeirparentsthattheycheated,andfollowupcommunicationwillhappenbetween
theteacherandtheparent..Awriteupoftheincidentwillbekeptonfile.Ifthiscontinues,suspensionmay
beaconsequence.
ParentInvolvement
Iwantparentstobeactivelyinvolvedintheclassroom.Iwantthemtofeelapartofthelearningcommunity.
Thefirstinteractswiththeparentsofmystudentsareintentionedtobepositive,sothatifanissuedoesarise,
itisnotthefirstormostvividmemorytheparenthaswithme.Ifthereisanissuethatconcernsmewitha
studentthatmaybereoccurring,andIthinkitwouldbebeneficialtobringtheissueupwiththeparents,I
wouldthencontacttheminaprofessionalbutsensitivemanner.Forexample,ifthestudenthadtowritetwo
lettersforthesameissue(forexamplemakingrudeanddisrespectfulcommentstoanotherteacher),Iwould
firsthavethestudenttelltheirparentabouttheissue.ThenIwouldfollowupwiththeparentstodiscussthe
situationfurther.Iwouldwantthestudenttobetheonetotelltheirparentsbecausetheyaretobecomemore
independentatthisage,takingresponsibilityfortheiractions.Ifforsomereason,itwouldbecounter
productivetobringtheparentsintoattheissue,Iwouldrefrainfromcontactingthehomeofthestudent.
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PrincipalInvolvement
Principalinvolvementwillbeoneofthelastresortsforstudentbehavior.Studentbehaviorshouldbetaken
careofwithintheclassroomandwithteachers.Iftheprincipaldoesgetinvolved,itisafterothermeasures
havebeentaken.Myprincipalwillneverbeblindsidedbyaproblem,butIwanttokeepthecommunication
transparentandopenifastudentisstruggling,andthereneedstobeprincipalintervention.Itwouldbeafter
manyoffenses,andthenextstepneedstobetaken.
BehaviorasaSchoolProfessional
IwillbeprofessionalintheworkplacetoemulatewhoIamandwhattheschoolstandsfor.Iwillbeearly
andpreparedformyday.Iwillsetexpectationsforstudentsacademicallyandsocially,butIalsowantto
empowerthemwiththefreedomtousetheirvoice.Iwillcommunicatewithandlistentocolleagues,
supervisors,students,andparentsinappropriateandpositiveways.Iwillbedressedappropriatelyand
professionallyinbusinesscasualclothing..Iwillactwithintegrity,keepingconfidentialwhatis
confidential.Mostofall,Iwillbeagoodexampleformyclassroom,myschool,andmycommunity,
understandingthatIamarolemodel
LoungeGossip
Iwillnotpartakeinloungegossipbecausethestudentsarethepriorityadtheirwellbeing.Iwanttobeonly
bringingapositiveforce.Itwillnothelptoaddtothecultureofgossipbyaddinginappropriatecomments.I
willstrivetochangethesubjectifgossipgetsbroughtuporIwillwalkaway.Iwanttoassociatemyself
withteachersthatseethebestinstudentsandworktogetthebestoutofstudents.Iwanttoestablish
professionalrelationshipswithcolleaguestocollaborateandkeepanintuitiveviewofeducation.
DisagreementwithaColleague
IfIdonotgetalongwithacolleague,Iwillnotpartakeinanyunnecessaryinteractionswiththem.Ifthe
negativerelationswiththecolleaguewouldeveraffectstudentsortheschoolenvironment,thiswouldbea
timethatweneedinterventiontoworkthroughproblems.Wedonotneedtobebestfriends,butweneedto
keepinmindourendgoaltoprovidealeaningandqualityexperienceforourstudents.
DisagreementwithLeadership
IfIwouldnotagreewiththeleadershipstrategiesorviewofmyprincipal,Iwouldrespectfullyapproach
themwithanalternateviewonvariousissues.Iwouldalsocollaborateewithcolleaguesthoseiftheyfeel
thesameway.Iunderstandthattheleadershipandprincipalshavereasonsfordoingthingsacertainway,so
Iwouldencourageanopenforumtocommunicateconcernsandreasoningonbothsidesofthepage.
However,Iunderstandthatleadershipandprincipalsdohavethefinalsay.Iwouldnotdeliberatelydisobey
butwouldneverwantmyfrustrationtoaffectmyinteractionwithmyclassandhindertheirlearning.

PartIII:ClassroomRoutines&Procedures
Gainingattention
Inordertogaintheattentionofmyclass,Iwillcountdownfrom543210.OnceIgetdowntozero,all
eyesshouldbeonme,earsshouldbelistening,andtasksshouldbeputdown.Theexpectationwillbeinthe
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firstdaysofschoolthatthisisatimeforstudentstostopwhattheyaredoing,listenandwaitformy
message.Distractionsshouldbeputasidebecausethereisanimportantannouncement,andtheyneedtobe
respectful.54321isgoingtobemyfirststrategy.However,ifthereismuchactionandnoiseinthe
classroom,andthatisfailingtowork,Iwillturnoffthelights.Theexpectationis:Iflightsgooff,allvoices
areoff.Iwillneverflickerthelights.Thisismerelytofocusattentionatthetask,transition,ordirections
ahead.
Studentsharing
Thefirstdayofschool,itwillbeencouragedthatallstudentsharetheirthoughts.Iwanttoencouragethe
pointthateveryonesvoiceandeveryonesexperiencesandopinionsmatter.Ifthereisanissueofstudents
notsharinginclass,foraspecificactivity,IwillgiveeachstudenttwoorthreePopsiclesticks.Foreach
commentorpointorquestiontheysay,theycanhandinastick.Thisistoencouragetheideathateveryone
isanactivememberofthislearningcommunity.Studentsshouldbeproactivetosharetheirwhatisgoingon
intheirmind.Alargepartofmyclassroomatmosphereisgroupworkaswelltoencouragecollaboration.
Studentsareencouragedtobegoodteammemberstocontributetotheirgroup.Ifthereisaproblemwith
participation,roleswillbegintobeassignedroles,sothattheyhavetangiblegoalsforthemselves.
Roomhelpers
Studentswillbesplitintoteamstoencourageteamworkandcooperation.Atthebeginningoftheschool,the
classwilldiscusswaystoworkasateamandshareworkevenlyorfigureoutaschedule.
PaperTeam
o Thisteamwillworktohandbackhomeworkbasedonteacherinstruction.Thepapersmaybe
handedbackstraighttodesks,oritmaybedispersedtomailboxes(dependingoncurrent
need).Inaddition,thispaperteamwillorganizethepaperssubmittedintothedrawersfor
eachsubjectarea.Thestudentwillorganizethepapersbystudentnumberandplacethemin
thesamedirection.
MessengerTeam
o Theteamwillrunerrandstotheoffice(ex.Paperwork).
o Attheendofeachweek,themessengerteamwillrotatejobsfortheteam.
GreenTeam
o Theteamensureslightsarebeingturnedoffwhenclassleavesclassandmonitorsthatwhat
needstoberecycledisbeingrecycled.
LibraryTeam
o Thelibraryteamwillkeepthelibraryareatidy.
o Ifthereisabookthatneedstobeputinthebookhospital,thestudentswillplaceitinthe
bookhospitalandnotifyme.Thelibraryteammayalsoputnewbooksondisplayinour
classroomslibrarydependingontheunitthatwearein.
LunchTeam
o Thelunchteamwillbeinchargeofcountinghowmanyschoollunchoption#1,#2,cold
lunch,andabsentstudentsthereare.
CleanTeam
o Thecleanteamensuresthatallthechairsarepushedinattheendofthedayandlargescraps
shouldbethrownaway.
o Eachweek,eachdeskshouldbesanitized,thefloorshouldbeswept,andanyotheroddjob
Ihavefortheweek.
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SuppliesTeam
o Thesupplyteamdistributesneededsuppliesforactivitiesspecifiedbyme.
o Ifthereareanybrokensupplies,theteamsresponsibilityistonotifyme.
TechnologyTeam
o Thetechnologyteamencouragesappropriateuseofthetechnologyintheclassroomsuchas
iPadsandthecomputers.
o TheteammaybeaskedtoassistinuseoftheElmoorotherclassroomtechnology.
o Eachnightthecomputersshouldbeturnedoff.
ScienceCenterTeam
o Theteamisresponsibletotakecareofanyjobsthatneedtobedoneinthesciencecenter.
o Theteamisresponsibletowatertheplants.
o Theteamisresponsibletofeedthehermitcrab.

PAT
PreferredActivityTime,orPAT,isnotapunishmentbutratherthelessonofteachinghowvaluabletimeis.
Eachweek,theclasswillstartwithfiveminutesofBrainBonanza.Iftheclassisnotbeingefficient
transition,timewillbetakenawayfromPAT.Iwilltrackthistimebyliterallyusingastopwatch,sothatitis
objectiveaspossible.Ifstudentsareespeciallybeingefficientorrespect,timewillbeawardedtoBrain
Bonanza.BrainBonanzatimeisacademicfreetimethatisfocusedandfun.Theseactivitiescouldinclude
boardgames,puzzles,Sudoku,readingtime,Yahtzee,backgammon,Monopoly,20questions,charades,
Buzz,andbeyond.OnFridays,studentswillbeabletotakeadvantageofBrainBonanzatime.Iwillhave
apermanentplacetokeeptrackofPATinthefrontoftheroom.Whentimeisawardedortakenaway,Iwill
notcreateasceneaboutit,butrathersimplyaddorsubtracttimebasedonstudentbehavior.Thiswill
hopefullyaddtotheenvironmentfortheclassbeingateam,toencourageaccountabilityandontaskfocus.
Goingonfieldtrips
Fieldtripswillberelatedtocontentthatwearestudyinginclass.Classdiscussionswilloccurabout
representingourschool,ourclass,andourselvesinourcommunity.Basedonourdestination,theclasswill
collaboratetocreatethreeexpectationsforourselvesasweleaveourclassroomintoanewlearning
environment.Afieldtripisadayawayfromschool,butitisnotadayawayfromlearning.Studentswillbe
brokenintoflexibleteamstomakenewdiscoveriestogetheronthesefieldtrips.Permissionslipsshouldbe
signedandreturnedatleastthreeschooldaysbeforethefieldtrip.Studentswillalsobeaskedtoreflecton
thefieldtripusinginformalassessmentandclassdiscussions.Iwanttomakesurethatallfieldtripsare
valuableforstudentstomakeconnections.
Doinghomework
Studentswillalwayswritetheirnameonthebackandthefrontwiththeirstudentnumber.Homeworkand
independenceisacontinualgrowthinfifthgradetoencouragefocus,hardwork,andcriticalthinking.Time
inclasswillbegiventodohomeworkforthesubjectareas,butthestudentswillbeexpectedtobringwork
hometofinishattimes.Mostofthetime,assignmentswillbeduethenextday.However,ifitisalarger
project,minigoals/checklistswillbeprovidedtokeepthestudentsontaskandinformedofwhatis
happening.Homeworkmustbeturnedinontheduedatetoreceivefullcredit.Eachdaylate,theassignment
willloseanautomatic10%.However,studentsmustturninallhomework.Studentscanalwaysreceive30%
fortheassignmentbecausestudentsneedtorealizethatthereisapurposewithhomework.Idonotmerely
assignhomeworktoassignit,butratherthereisalearninggoalinvolvedwitheverything.Studentsareto
understandthata30%ismuchbetterthana0%fortheirgrade.
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ActivitiesforStudentsAfterTheyhaveFinishedtheirWork
Thefirstpriorityforstudentswhentheyfinishtheirworkistorechecktheirworktoensurethattheydidnot
rushthroughtheirworkandmakesurethattheycompletedtheentirethingwithqualityeffort.Afterthey
havedoublecheckedtheirwork,studentsshouldalwaysworkonotherhomeworkthattheyhave.Thatis
theirfirstpriority.Ifstudentshavefinishedalloftheirotherwork,thentheycanreadabook,doliteracyor
mathcenters,workontheirclassroomchores,orplaycriticalthinkinggamequietlywithpartnerssuchas
BlokusorSudoku.Theyshouldnotsimplybetalkingwiththeirneighbor,sleeping,ordoingnothing.This
isnotthesameasBrainBonanzatime;thistimeisexpectedtobequieter,andtherearefewoptionsfor
activities.
LeavingtheRoomortheirSeat
Studentswillusehandsignalstononverballycommunicatewhat
theywant/needtodo.Onefingerisaskingtosharpentheir
pencil.Twofingersisaskingtogetatissue.Threefingersis
askingtogotothebathroom.Fourfingersisaskingtogotothe
nurseoroffice.Fivefingersisansweroraskingaquestion.
Thumbsupisagreeingwithananswer.Thumbssidewaysmeans
beingunsure.Thumbsdownmeansdisagreementwithan
answer.Thoughnotincludedinthischart,afistisaskingtoget
adrinkofwater.Iamimplementingthistocreatethesmoothest
classroompossible.Usingthis,Icanacknowledgeastudent
needandgrantpermissionornotgrantpermissiontodo
somethingwithoutIinterruptingandcompletelychangethe
topicofourgroupdiscussion.Thisistheexpectationduring
teacherinstruction,classdiscussionorveryfocusedtimes.
Duringworktime,studentsmaysharpenpencil,getadrinkof
water,orgetatissuewithoutasking.However,theexpectation
willbeclear,youdooneofthesethreeactionsefficientlyand
immediatelygetbacktoroom.
Wheneverastudentneedstoleavearoom,theyaretoaskforpermissionandcheckout.Iwant
studentstoknowthattheyhavemytrustwiththisastheyarelearningtobemoreindependent.Theyareto
alwayslogthedate,theirname,theirdestination,thetimetheylefttheclassroomandthetimethatthey
returned.Dependingonhowthestudentshandleit,Imayremovethescaffoldofaskingpermissiontoleave.
Date
Name
Destination
TimeOut
Timein
RRrestroom,Nnurse
Ooffice,denoteotherdestinations

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Thisiswillafullpageandhavemultiplecopiesonaclipboardattheentranceoftheclassroomatthecheck
intable.Iwilltrackifstudentsareabusingthisprivilege.Ifactionisneeded,Ihaveaconversationand
possiblyindividuallycutbackastudentsflexibilityandfreedomtoleavetheroom.
GoingtoSpecials
Studentswillbedismissedbypod.Whenapodisquietandreadyaddesksarecleanforaspecial,theywill
bedismissedtolineup(orgrabtheirsuppliessuchasgymshoesifneeded.Thisencouragesaccountability
amongstudentstoholdtheirpeertoahighstandardofkeepingtheirdeskstidy,andbeingquiet.Students
mayalsobeaskedtogivetheteacheranexitslip,aninformalassessmentofalesson,beforetheyleaveas
well.
DifferentiationPolicy:
Myjobasateacherandamentoristohelpallstudentssucceednomattertheirgiftsortheirchallenges.I
wanttobeaperceptiveteacherthatactivelyknowsmystudents.Iamcommittedtocreatingandteaching
lessonsthathavemanyavenuestolearningtohelpeveryoneinmyclassroom.Iwillstrivetomeetmy
studentintheirproximalzoneofdevelopmenttohelpthemlearnandprosperasastudentandperson.This
maybeprovidingmorescaffolds,supports(suchasvisualaidsorcharts),orminigoalsformystudentsif
theyneedmoresupport.Ifthestudentisaccelerated,Iwillprovidemoreopportunitiesforopenended
questionsandproblemsolving.Extensionwillconsistnotconsistofmerelymoreworkbutdifferentand
deeperthinking.Processesandproductswithinmyclassroomdonotneedtobeidenticalforallstudents;in
fact,Idonotwantthemtobeidentical.Thisisbecauseallstudentshavegifts,andallstudentshavegreat
potential.
RegularCommunicationwithParents
Eachday,thestudentswillwritedowntheirassignmentsintheirassignmentnotebook.Alltheassignments
willbewrittenonourassignmentcalendarboard.Eachnight,thestudentistohavetheirparentorguardian
readtheirassignmentnotebook,checkforcompletedwork,andsigntheappropriatedate.Thisistoserveas
acommunicationtoolfortheparents.Thisscaffoldmayberemoveddependingonstudentsgrowthof
responsibilitythroughouttheschoolyear.Iwillhaveablogforparentstoreadandaccess.Onthisblog,I
willpostnightlyhomework,upcomingschoolactivities,lunchmenus,andanoverviewofwhatishappening
intheclassroom.Theremaybespecialpostsaboutexcitingactivitiesandunitsthatwearedoing.Therewill
alsobeasectionforstudentpostsaboutreflectionsofunitsorengagingactivitiesintheclassroomto
cultivateaclassroomenvironmentwhereeveryonehasavoice.Iwillalsosendoutnotestoparentsand
studentsseparatelybeforetheschoolyearshowingmyanticipationfortheschoolyear.Inadditiontothe
blog(anddependingonparentfeedbackorinvolvementontheblog),Iwillsendhomeclassnotes.If
studentsarehighlyengagedorimprovingorbeingveryrespectful,complimentarynoteswillbesenthome
withthestudentsfortheirparentstoread.
ParentConferences
Eachstudentwillhaveaportfoliowithatleastthreehighlightedpiecesofworkthatarechosenbythe
student.Foreachstudent,Iwillprepareforasandwichforeachstudentacompliment,thenagrowth
area,andthenanothercompliment.Ifissuesaremoreserious,Iwillbepreparedtosharethesewiththe
parents.Studentsarealsohighlyencouragedtocomeparticipateinconferences.Thispromotesadvocacyfor
selftheabilitytocommunicatewhattheyaredoingwellandgoalsthattheymayhave.Thereisa
scheduledtimeforparentconcernsandquestions,aswell.
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Sources:
http://www.pinterest.com/pin/69946600434096203/
http://twothingsincommon.blogspot.com/2011/01/teachertipsonsnowday.html
http://fifthgradeteacherld.blogspot.com/2012/07/thestudentsufficientclassroom.html
http://www.misterlemus.com/p/classroompoliciestardiesandlate.html
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=fifth+grade+&qs=n&form=QBIR&pq=fifth+grade+&sc=812&sp=
1&sk=#view=detail&id=100A4D83EB040ACAF5866A50DB62E4587FC8CA20&selectedIndex=111
SettingLimitsintheClassroombyRobertJ.Mackenzie,Ed.D.andLisaStanzione,M.A.
TheFirstDaysofSchool:HowtobeanEffectiveTeacherbyHarryK.WongandRosemaryT.Wong

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