TEACH

IN THIS ISSUE

SETTING UP THE CLASSROOM 2 Setting the Stage Set up your

classroom to avoid problems 4 By the Book

CLASSROOM ROUTINES

5 Routines Make your classroom run smoothly

A LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

6 Show and Tell Teachers tell what works

7 It’s All Write Navigating the writing process

JUST FOR YOU

8 Strategies That Work

Teach Magazine Edited by Kristin Garrett Based on Classroom Management in Photographs by Maria Chang All material in this handout can be found in Classroom Management in Photographs. 1

Source: Classroom Management in Photographs

Set The Stage

A well planned classroom may stop many behavior problems before they start. Students know where things go, where the resources are and where to get supplies. A collection of design tips from New York City teachers, Classroom Management in Photographs is full of ideas to maximize space and make things easier for teachers and students alike. What does a well organized classroom look like? There is a meeting area, defined seating, a classroom library, easily accessible supplies and classroom displays. You spend a lot of time in your room with your students, so your classroom should be welcoming and comfortable.

3 Easy Steps

1 Establish a meeting area Define the meeting area with a large rug and bookshelves, the white board or a wall. Teacher Orange Z. says “I make sure my meeting area is the coziest and most inviting part of the room”.

“Good Management involves the prevention of problems; a carefully laid-out physical environment is the first step.”

-Jere Brophy & Thomas Good

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2

Have a Seat

Every classroom needs some comfy seating. You can try benches or make your own seat from milk crates. Large floor pillows work too. Everyone want to sit on the fun seats? Take a hint from teacher Jodi G. She has six pillows in her room and a chart that lets students know who gets to sit on the pillows that day. Jodi takes it one step further and posts future seating lists so students know their turn is coming. The Carpet Want to avoid the “Who sits where battle”? Or, manage difficult personalities? Try assigned seating on the carpet. Teacher Chair/Share Chair Teacher Alison D. has a teacher chair and a mini-version just like it to share with students. They can sit in the mini chair to help with a lesson or share a special project or good news.

3 Control the Chaos

Labels “Every shelf and cabinet in my room is basically labeled,” says teacher Barbara R. The kids are more independent and it makes things easier for volunteers and other school specialists. Supplies Caddy Teacher Suk A. puts a caddy on every table and fills them with the necessary supplies-pencils, crayons, scissors etc. Stocking Supplies Jackie S. keeps all her supplies in plain sight on a shelf so students have easy access to everything.

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By the Book Novel ideas for your classroom library

Five Functions of the Classroom Library 1. Support literacy instruction. 2. Help students learn about books. 3. Provide a central location for

classroom resources 4. Provide opportunities for

independent reading and curricular extensions.

5. Serve as a place for students to talk about and interact with books.

-Reutzel& Fawson (2002)

Five ways to Organize the Library 1. Color code books by level of

difficulty. 2. Store in colored baskets. Put a

colored sticker on the book that matches the basket.

3. Put books by the same author on display.

4. A potpourri section to give students freedom to pick a book.

5. Keep a basket by the door for collecting school library books.

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Make your students responsible for their homework. Have them copy the assignments in an agenda or special paper. A plastic folder just for homework keeps kids organized and lasts the entire year. Be sure students know where to get homework and missed assignments from when they are absent.

Isabel B. assigns permanent jobs for the year. Students apply for jobs, explaining why they want to fill a role. The caboose in Edgar M. and Marilu P’s class brings up the back of the line and serves as the peer problem solver.

Miki J. adds an “Elf” to the usual list of classroom jobs. The Elf is the teacher’s helper. For example, the Elf rounds up the kids on the playground when recess is over.

Must do Procedures

Set up a system for turning in completed work. Students need a “pack up” routine. Teach your students to walk nicely in the hall. You may assign an order.

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“Don’t ever ask children to do nothing. When children aren’t sure what they are supposed to doing or they are waiting for you to tell them what to do, they will come up with something to do, and in most cases, this will be something you don’t particularly want them to do.”

-Deborah Diffily and Charlotte Sassman (2004)

Routines

Show

Post It

“During a series of mini lessons, my students and I discuss various reading strategies, such as choosing books that are just right for them…Then I post these charts in our reading center next to the library so students can refer back to them as needed.”

-Jodi G.

Reading Rotation “This is my reading activities chart. I change the activities around depending on what I think the kids need and to keep them interested. I use Velcro to attach the activity cards to the chart. Kids look for their personalized clothespins to see which activity they’re assigned to do.”

-Suk A

Check it Out “I bought a commercial alphabet display…I stuck little library pockets-the kind librarians use in books-behind the letters because I had a hard time searching for words inside a plastic bag…So, all the words that begin with M, for example, are right in the pocket behind the letter M. It’s easy!”

-Chrissy K.

&Tell Teachers share their best tips for creating a classroom that promotes reading.

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Managing the writing process can be challenging, to say the least. There are some things you can to encourage your budding writers.

1 Provide different paper choices and construction paper so students can make their own books.

2 Keep bins available for students to store their writing notebooks.

3 Introduce writing styles by reading aloud texts that demonstrate the style.

Fun with Erasers Erasers, of all things, keep Bari F.’s students on track in the writing process. She put up a corkboard and divided it to show the different stages of writing. Each child selected a fun eraser. Bari added pushpins to the erasers and students move their own pin to show where they are in the writing process.

It’s All Write

The Writing Process

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Color Code It To make activities and lessons stand out in her planning book, Barbara R. color codes it. Special activities are one color, writer’s workshop another. She says it has helped a lot. “I can see at a glance how many times I’m teaching math or when my preps are.”

All in One Place Controlling all the papers is a challenging task for the best of us. Barbara R. keeps it all together with a storage bin. She has a folder for each child and keeps their work there (especially convenient for parent-teacher conferences). She even has the kids file their own papers.

JUST

Strategies to make life easier

Lists, Lists, Lists There are always extra copies of the class list near Barbara R.’s desk. She uses them all the time to check off who has turned in what, from permission forms to published work.

Track Rewards Teacher Jodi G. has her class work together to earn a reward. They get marbles for following class rules or when they receive a compliment from another staff member. When the jar is full, the class earns a special activity, such as a pizza party

FOR YOU

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Teach Magazine is based on: Classroom Management is Photogrpahs By Maria Chang Teach Magazine is produced exclusively for EDU523 By Kristin Garrett April 13, 2014