Meredith HooperOctober 16, 2012Methods & MGMT Midterm

Part 1: Room Arrangement and Rationale

o Teacher’s desk: I wanted the teacher’s desk to be in a location where all students would be visible. I also thought that the desk wouldn’t get too much use so putting it near a corner would save space for other necessary items.

o File Cabinets: I put the file cabinets right next to the teacher’s desk because I would be the only person using them. I wanted all of the furniture/ items that I would be using in one central location. That way they are easily accessible and I can keep an eye on them.

o Bookcases: There are bookcases in three locations in the room and they are all at centers. Two bookcases are at the reading center. These will be full of different kinds of reading materials for students to choose from. There will also be a few dictionaries and other reference books within the reading center. There is another bookshelf within the listening center. This bookshelf will have audio books for students to choose from.

o Students tables: I placed four tables in the center of the classroom. All students should be able to see the board from where they are sitting as well as the word wall on the opposite side. I left a big space in the middle of all four tables that way we can move our discussions to the floor without having to worry about moving furniture around.

o Small group table: I put the small group table in the back left corner away from everything else in the classroom. I thought that this would give students better opportunities to understand with fewer distractions.

o Dry Erase Board: The dry erase board needed to be on a wall that all students could see with ease. I didn’t want the board to be on the wall that the students entered the classroom, so I thought this wall made the most sense.

o Cabinets: I also put these near the teacher’s desk because they will not be used to student backpacks. These cabinets will have extra supplies that students will not be using on a regular basis.

o Computers: The computers are located on a table on the left hand side of the room. The computers are a center and I wanted all centers to be against the wall and I didn’t want students on computers to be crammed in a corner.

o Bulletin Board for Student Work: I decided to put this on the side of the room where the teacher’s desk was, that way that side of the room wouldn’t turn into something that was entirely for the teacher. It is also located right where students enter the door. They can see their work as they enter the room and it will remind them of all of the hard work that they’ve done.

o Library Center: Located in the corner so multiple bookshelves can fit. I will also have beanbags and blankets for students to curl up and read with. Corners are cozy and I want students to have a comfortable environment while reading.

o Listening Center: Located underneath the word wall. This center will contain audiotapes. I thought the two of these would have a strong connection and the wall didn’t’ have any furniture on yet. Any other location would make the room look cluttered.

o Word Wall: I placed the word wall on the opposite side of the classroom as the dry erase board. I didn’t want the word wall to be near too many centers and I wanted it to be BIG.

The student word wall should be decorative and fun, so I thought that it deserved a big open space.

o Student Materials: I put these under the student work bulletin, that way students are inspired to use the materials that helped them create the work that is posted. The bookshelf that the materials are on will also add dimension to that area of the room.

Organizational/ Storage Tool

Part 2: Classroom Procedures

Rules: On the first day of school my students and I will create a set of rules as a group. I will hand write each of the rules on a large sheet of paper and I will make sure that every student agrees and understands why each rule is important. After the rules have been set, I will have each student write their name on the list. This will be their way of agreeing to follow the rules. At the end of the day, I will be sure that the sheet is laminated and hung in a spot where every student can see them.

Teacher’s signal to gain student attention: I will establish one spot in the room that I will always go to when I want my students’ attention. I will be sure to explain this to them on the first day of school. Once I am in that spot I will say, “May I have your attention” and then count down from five. Establishing one spot in the room allows students to know exactly where to look, which will ultimately cut down time.

Teacher Command: Asking for the students’ attention and counting down from five. Student Response: Students will place all of their attention on me, they will know to put

their pencils down, stop talking to each other, and place their eyes on me. Student’s signal for teacher’s attention/obtaining help: For the most part, I will be

walking around the room to make sure students are following directions and seeing if they need help. Students may raise their hand if they need help sooner than I can get to them and if I am not walking around the room, students may come directly to my desk. I will make sure that no more than two or three students are at my desk at a single time.

Expectations for raising of the hand: Students will raise their hand quietly as they sit at their desk. If students need to use the restroom, they will use a different hand signal.

One other idea of how students can gain teacher’s attention: Students may have a piece of yellow paper that they may place on their desk if they need help while I am walking around the room. The yellow paper is easy to see and will let me know that this student may need help sooner.

When individual work as been completed: Once students have completed an assignment, they will place it in the “Completed Work” box. They will then have the opportunity to work on assignments that they didn’t finish earlier. If all assignments have been completed students may read a book of their choice and wait quietly while their peers finish.

What activities can students do (10 minimum): Work on other assignments, crossword puzzle sheet, Sudoku puzzle, read, help other students, write a review on a book or movie they have recently seen, logic problems, tannagrams, or they may do an art activity.

Small group instruction: Procedure for small group instruction will depend on the activity. However, the students’ expectations will be the same as they are any other time.

Visual cue for attention in a small group: I will stop what I am saying and raise my hand to get the students’ attention.

What should students do if they need assistance: Since the group is small, they are allowed to ask questions without raising their hands. They are expected to ask quietly though, and not get the other students off task.

Expectations of other students: If one student is asking for assistance, the other kids are expected to work quietly by themselves. If they need help, they may wait until I am done with the previous student.

Beginning Of The School Day How will you greet students at the door: I will greet students as they come in through

the door. I will tell them good morning, ask them how they are doing, and tell them to put their things away and sit quietly at their desks.

What will students do as they come into the classroom: They will place their backpacks at their desk on the back of their chair, taking out what they need for their first class, and then sit down quietly. Students store all of their books inside their desks, so they should not need to fiddle with their backpacks multiple times in a day.

What will students do academically once their routine is done: Each morning, there will be an activity for them to do on the board. After ten minutes, we will go over the warm up together as a class.

What are the expectations for walking in the hallways: There will be a class line leader that will lead the class wherever they are going. They will walk with their hands behind their back, will not talk, and not stray from the line. If students are walking by themselves, the same rules will apply.

What are the procedures for the water fountain located inside and outside of the classroom: Students will hold up three fingers to represent a “W” for water. Expectations for the water fountain will be placed on the first day. Students will know not to play with the water and that it’s purpose is for drinking only.

Lunch Count How will students make their lunch choice: After the morning warm up, I will take

attendance and then take students lunch choice. I will tell them the options for the day and then ask them to raise their hand for the option that they want.

How will you document and communicate to the cafeteria how many students are eating each lunch choice: I will send the sheet with the student lunch options with the attendance sheet.

Ending the School Day What are the procedures for the students to pack their items to go home: Students

will be told five minutes before school is over to start gathering their items to go home. They will also clean their desks. I will list all of the homework items on the board so students know for sure what to bring home with them.

How will you say goodbye to your students: I will make sure that I walk my students outside to their designated areas. This will depend on school procedures. However, I will tell all my students good-bye and to have an amazing night. I will also remind them to do their homework and that I can’t wait to see them tomorrow.

Leaving the room as a group How will you line the students up to leave and what are the procedures: I will switch

it up every now and then. Some days I may call the tables one by one, other days I may say random categories such as “if you are wearing red” or “if your favorite animal lives in water” etc.

What are the expectations when returning to the room: Students should still be quietly in their line. Once they arrive back to the classroom, they are to sit back at their desks.

Other Transitions like desk to floor: Same as forming a line, but sometimes we can sing songs while forming the circle.

Walking in line What are the expectations for walking in the hallway: Students are to put their hands

to their sides or behind their back. They will not talk to each other and will walk to their destination in a quick and quiet manner.

Restroom What are the procedures for restrooms located in and outside of the classroom:

Students will raise their hand and form a cursive “R” with their finger for restroom. Once the student has gotten my attention I will either nod or shake my head. If the restroom is

outside of the classroom, they will sign out at the door and take the hall pass. When they come back to the room, they will sign back in.

Water What are the procedures for water fountain located in and outside of the classroom:

Students will hold up three fingers to represent a “W” for water. Expectations for the water fountain will be placed on the first day. Students will know not to play with the water and that it’s purpose is for drinking only.

Sharpening pencils- When can students sharpen their pencils: What should they do if it breaks: Students may get up and sharpen their pencil at any time if there is no one already using the sharpener. There will not be an electric sharpener in my classroom if students abuse this privilege.

Distributing Materials- How will materials be distributed to students: There will be designated jobs for the students every week. One of the jobs will be to give materials to each group/table. This student will be responsible.

Returning Student Work- How will you pass back students graded work without going student by student: Each student will provide me with a folder and at the end of the week, I will give that folder back to them with all of their graded assignments in it. They will show their parents and return it with the date signed.

Students turning in work- Where exactly will they place their completed work or work in progress: Students will turn in their work in a plastic bin in a designated area. Students will hold onto their work in progress, but if they think they might lose it they may put it in another designated box.

Classroom helpers- List the title and description of responsibilities of at least five jobs for the students:

o Supply Chief- keeps classroom materials organized and distributes them as needed.

o Zoo Keeper- feeds the classroom pet (if we decide to have one) every morning.o Messenger- in charge of giving messages to the office/other teachers.o Weather Expert- looks up the weather for the day on the class iPad and reports

to the class what the day will look like.o Bulletin Board Helper- helps decorate the board, asks their classmates for

ideas/important events for the month.

Part 3: First and Second Day Activities

First Day

1.) Time Capsule Activity: Students will fill out a sheet of information all about them. They will list their favorite color, food, who their friends are, what they like to do for fun, what book they have read, etc. They will also be partnered up with a classmate. The partners will measure each other’s height with a yardstick and record that information down as well. They may trace their hands and feet on a piece of another paper as well. All of the information that they collect for the time capsule will be placed in a manila folder and tucked away until the last day of school. The students will do the same activity again and see what has changed and what answers have remained the same.

2.) Teacher Test: I will tell the students that they will be having their first test! After hearing all of the student responses, I will tell the students that it is a test about me. It will have ten or so questions asking about my interests and general facts about me. The students will all guess the answers and then we will go over them as a class. After we go over my quiz, the students will create their own quiz about themselves. I will pair the students up to take each other’s quiz. This way they can learn some new fun facts about a classmate they may not know.

3.) Gremlin Letter: (attached on the last page)4.) Class Names Word Search: The word search will include all of the students names (as

well as mine!). This is a good way for classmates to learn each other’s names and word searches provide good brain activity.

5.) Shades of Summer: Instead of a traditional “what I did over my summer vacation” essay, students will do this fun activity. They will draw a picture of themselves with sunglasses on, but in the sunglasses, they will draw a picture of what they saw over their summer vacation. I will explain that the sunglasses are reflecting what they saw or did over the summer. Students will attach a short paragraph with their picture and share their art with the class.

6.) Classroom Puzzle: I will have a giant puzzle made of poster board before the students arrive on the first day. There will be enough pieces for each of the students and each student will be given one of the puzzles. On the back of the puzzle piece the student will put their name and what they hope to learn that year. After all the students are done, we will work together as a class to put the puzzle together.

Second Day

1.) Me box/bag: This activity will start on the second day of school, but will go on until all students have presented their own. They will bring a box or a bag filled with 5-7 items that represent them or mean something to them. They will discuss with their classmates why these objects are important to them. This is another great way to learn about your students. Classmates may realize they have more things in common with their peers than they think and can develop great friendships through this activity.

2.) Classroom Jeopardy: The rules and procedures were discussed on the first day. Classroom Jeopardy is about those rules as well as other fun facts that the students should know. Students will be put on teams to answer questions. All teams will win, so points are not important.

3.) Student Interviews: Students will interview 2-3 of their classmates. They will ask each of their peers the same questions. They will then make a mini book about the information that they collected.

4.) Learner Style Quiz (attached at the back of this midterm)5.) Partner Clocks: The students each receive a blank clock. They are to find a partner for

each time on their clock. The time must be the same for both students. This is a good tool for students when they are assigned partnered work. I would simply call out “go work with your ten o’clock partner!” and the children would look at their clock and work with the person who was scheduled at that time.

6.) Beach Ball Activity: This activity is done with a small beach ball. The class will all stand in a circle to play this game. The beach ball will have questions taped on it and whoever

catches the ball answers the question that is closest to their right thumb. The questions are just simple this or that questions or questions that don’t take too much thought. Students should answer with the first thing that comes to mind. Of course there are no wrong answers!

First Day Books

1.) First Day Jitters by Julie Danneberg2.) The Important Book by Margaret Wise Brown3.) Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes4.) Hooray for Diffendoofer Day by Dr Seuss & Jack Prelutsky and Lane Smith5.) Nothing Ever Happens on 90th Street by Roni Schotter6.) Butterflies in My Stomach and Other School Hazards by Serge Bloch