(2a) Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport
Our classroom rules are around the room to remind students about what our positive classroom community expectations are. During community circle, students know what the expectations are and how to be a scholar student. We practice these rules all day and my students know them well enough to remind one another when necessary.
We have worked hard to develop this classroom community. It takes work every day and friendly reminders in order to stay on track, but it really makes a difference in the learning process as well. My students know that I have high expectations when it comes to our learning, but they also know that I find it just as important to be a good and kind person. I have learned to be much more consistent about behavior and important it is to reinforce the behaviors you want reciprocated. At this age, it is so crucial to instill a positive mindset and to model/recognize good behavior. Around my rules, I have posted pictures of my students making those positive choices. Having a constant visual of what the expectations clearly are, front loads students and sets a great example for them to try and model themselves. I even have hand motions for these rules so that any students who have a hard time remembering what each rule means, can also use the actions to help retain the most important piece of each expectation. My students are to the point where they are really able to notice which rule they need to work on some more and they have really done a great job of positively influencing one another to follow along. I believe that this stems from the fact that I point out the positive behaviors and it encourages my students to adjust as well as point out others who are making the right choice.
(2c) Managing Classroom Procedures
I like to help my students become self-directed learners. We do alot of modeling in my classroom. My students volunteer to be the "actors" and show the class how to do a task the right way. We demonstrate how to do tasks such as partner read, think-pair-share, and other strategies that are necessary to model, in order for activities to run smoothly. I also have my weekly classroom jobs posted. These jobs give students responsibilities and help them handle tasks that give them a sense of pride and accountability. Classroom jobs are beneficial because they keep my students aware of what their duties are and help each other perform certain tasks. Something as simple as arguing over who holds the door, disappears because my line leaders job overlaps with that task as well. Classroom jobs also solve conflict and keep my students eager for when they get to take over a certain role in the class.
(2d) Managing Student Behaviors
I absolutely love Class Dojo! It works great for classroom management and also is a very effective tool for communicating with parents. I am able to incorporate our CHAMPS and Tribes agreements into Class Dojo. Students can earn points for cooperating, being adventurous, showing respect, making connections, and persisting. I also use it for homework points, when students are on-task, and when students are working hard. Students can hear the ding sound and know that someone earned a point for good behavior and almost immediately voices get quieter, students sit up straighter, and everyone strives to do their best. It is a great tool to reinforce positive behavior. On each of my student's desks, I had them each choose their own Dojo monster, which also matches on the screen everyone sees. This taped monster, on their desk, is a constant reminder for them to do their best and to understand what hard work leads to. I also love the toolkit feature with this website as well. It allows you to choose students at random, which works for picking students for random jobs or for calling on students to answer questions. I can play music, make groups, put up a class timer, type directions up for everyone to see, and write up think-pair-share prompts. This website makes my classroom run much more effectively. My students weekly points are added up and at the end of every quarter, we have a class auction, where they can use their points to buy certain amenities (pick from the treasure box, be teacher helper, eat lunch with the teacher, and pick GoNoodle videos, etc.) My students love it almost as much as I do!