Conscious Classroom Management Online Course

MIDTERM PROJECT

Midterm Directions:

Ø Complete each of the three parts of the midterm described below on a separate Microsoft Word document. If you do not have access to Microsoft Word, you may use a different program but you will need to convert the file to a PDF before emailing it to the course instructor.

Ø If you are not currently teaching, base your responses on your past experiences in the classroom.

Ø Email your completed midterm work, along with your completed Lesson 3 & 4 Documents Packets, to katie@consciousteaching.com. Only .pdf and .docx (or .doc) files can be accepted.

Ø Once your work has been received, the course instructor will review it and send you feedback. This

can take up to 8 days.

Ø If your work requires revision, you will be informed and supported through the revision process. The best way to avoid the need for revisions is to review the instructions carefully, including the samples and grading rubric provided.

MIDTERM PART 1: Answer Reflection Questions

1. List 3-4 phrases/directions/reminders that you find yourself repeating more than you want to or 3-4 things that consistently do not go as smoothly as you want them to or 3-4 things your students do that just plain drive you crazy.

2. Choose two of the items on your list above and, for each, identify a procedure based on what you learned in lessons 1-4 that could help. If you already have procedures in place but they aren’t working the way you want, identify revisions to those procedures that might make them more effective or successful.

MIDTERM PART 2: Create Procedural Lesson Plan Choose one procedure from your list above to try with your students. Write out a lesson plan, in any format you choose, that focuses on the specific steps you plan to take to teach, model, and reinforce this new or improved procedure with your students. Before you begin, scroll to the bottom of this document and review both the grading rubric for the midterm and the sample lesson provided. Participants who skip this step almost always end up needing to revise their midterms. And remember: Teaching the procedure itself is the content for this lesson. Make sure to include and label the following in your lesson plan (see sample lesson plan on last pages)

A. your name, grades/subjects taught, school name, date B. how you will introduce and model the procedure for students C. how students will initially practice it and how you will de-brief and give them feedback on what

they did right and what needs to improve. D. how you will assess student understanding of the procedure at the end of lesson E. what consequences will eventually be used with student who are not following the procedure

correctly after several days of implementation/reinforcement, and what incentives, if any, will be used to encourage student cooperation over the first week of implementation

F. how image-based and/or gesture-based visual aids (visuals or gestures that include no or few words and rely on an image or movement to convey meaning) will be incorporated into the teaching and reinforcement of the procedure. See visual samples on next page as reference.

MIDTERM PART 3: Create Visual Reinforcement

Physically create at least one image-based visual that you can use as reinforcement of this procedure in the classroom. This visual should “show” students what to do rather than “tell” them what to do. See visual samples on next page. Using your cell phone, take a photo of the image-based visual you created in context in your classroom. Embed the photo into your lesson plan or email it as a separate file (.jpg or .png) when you submit your lesson plan. If you are not currently teaching, the photo does not need to be in context.

Submission & Implementation

Email all 3 parts of your midterm (Questions, Lesson Plan, and Visual Aid) to katie@consciousteaching.com. Make sure your name and the date appear on all your documents. Make sure you sign your email with the same first and last name you used to register for the course.

Implement your new or improved procedure in your classroom and reinforce it for at least 7 school days with your students. Your Final Project for this course will be a reflection on how the implementation goes. If you are not currently teaching, you may skip the classroom implementation and you will be given an alternate final project to complete at the end of this course

Sample 1: Active Listening Procedure

This is better.

Uses images, not words, to convey meaning.

But it is overly complex and provides no context.

This is bad.

Uses words instead of images to convey meaning.

Don’t do this. Does not fulfill the midterm requirement for

visual reinforcement

Best Image Bad Image Better Image

1.#Eyes#Fron

t#

2.#Mouth#Quiet#

3.#Hands#S8ll#

This is best!

Uses a single image in context to convey meaning.

Labels add clarity, but aren’t necessary to

understand what to do.

Remember: Pictures not Words. Less is More. Clarity and Context.

Sample 2: Readiness for Computers

Sample 3: Cleaning Art Brushes

•  With multi-step routines, multiple images are appropriate and often necessary. •  Always be looking for the simplest way to clearly convey what you want. •  Students should be able to “match the picture(s)” without teacher guidance

2ExemplaryVisualsforReinforcingProcedures

ElementaryIndependentReadingProcedure

HighSchoolGroupWorkProcedure

ConsciousClassroomManagement:ProcedureLessonPlanGradingRubricExcellent Adequate RequiresRevisionPROCEDURE:CHOICELessonplanisexclusivelyaboutteachingaprocedure,ratherthanacademiccontent

Lessonplanisexplicitlyaboutteachingaprocedure,butacademiccontentisalsobeingcovered

Lessonplanisprimarilyaboutacademiccontent.Aprocedureisbeingreinforced,butnotexplicitlytaught.

Procedurechosenismeanttoresolvesomethingthatwasearlierstatedtobehugelyproblematicfortheteacher

Procedurechosenismeanttoresolvesomethingthatisproblematicforteacher,thoughitwasnotpreviouslymentionedorisonlyaminorissue

Procedurechosenaddressessomethingthatisnotparticularlyproblematicforteacher

PARTA:INTRO&MODELLessonplanclearlystatesingreatdetailhowtheprocedurewillbeintroducedtostudents

Lessonplanstatesin1-2sentenceshowtheprocedurewillbeintroducedbutnoextradetail

Lessonplanstatesorimpliesthattheprocedurewillbeintroduced,butdoesnotexplainhow

Lessonplanincludesextensivemodelingofprocedureinanentertainingandinclusiveway

Lessonplanincludescursorymodelingofprocedure

Lessonplanincludesnoexplanationofhowteacherwillmodeltheprocedure

PARTB&C:PRACTICELessonplanincludesdetaileddescriptionofhowandwhenkidswillpracticetheprocedure.Multipleopportunitiesforstudentstopracticearegivenbeforeconsequencesareattached

Lessonplanincludesmentionofhowandwhenkidswillpracticetheprocedureonce,butitiscursoryandconsequencesareaddedimmediatelyfornon-cooperation.

LessonplanimpliesbutdoesnotclearlydescribehowandwhenkidswillpracticetheprocedureORLessonplandoesnotincludepracticeforstudentstoadjusttothenewprocedure.

PARTD:CHECKINGforUNDERSTANDING Lessonplanexplainshowstudentunderstandwillbeassessed,formallyandinformally.Mastercopyofquizorotherstudentassessmentdocument(ifmentionedinlessonplan)wassenttofacilitator

Lessonplanmentionsatleastoneotherwaythatteacherwillassessstudents’understandingoftheproceduralexpectation,beyondsimplyaskingthemiftheyhaveanyquestions.

Lessonplandoesnotmentionhowteacherwillassessstudents’understandingoftheproceduralexpectationbeyondjustaskingthemiftheyhaveanyquestions.

PARTE&F:CONSEQUENCESExcellent Adequate RequiresRevisionAppropriateandleveledconsequencesforindividualswhorefusetocooperateareoutlinedindetail

1consequenceforindividualswhorefusetocooperateisoutlinedORgroupconsequencesaredescribed,butnotindividualones

Noconsequencesforstudentwhorefusetocooperatewiththeprocedurearedescribed

PARTG:VISUALIMAGESExcellent Adequate RequiresRevisionLessonplanexplainsindetailhowthevisualaidwillbeusedtoreinforcetheprocedure

Lessonplanmentionsvisualaidbutisnotexplicitabouthowitwillreinforceprocedure

Lessonplanmentionsvisualaid,butdoesnotexplainhowitisusedORvisualaidisnotmentioned

Visualaidisimagebased,usingnoorveryfewwordstoconveymeaning.Visualaidclearly“shows”ratherthan“tells”whatstudentsaresupposedtodoandhowtheyaretodoit

Visualaidreliesonthewordsjustasmuchastheimagestoconveymeaning(OR)betterorclearerimagescouldhavebeenused

Visualaiddoesnotuseimagesto“show”studentswhattodobutinsteadreliesonwrittenwordsto“tell”studentwhattodo.Imagesareanafterthoughtorarenotpresent

Visualaidislargeenoughtobeseenfromafar(singlepostersizeimageormultipleimagesof8x10orlargereach).Looksprofessionallycreated

Visualaidislargeenoughtobeseen(8x10).Visualaidispleasingenoughtotheeyetoshowsomecarewastakeninthecreation

Visualaidissmallerthanisuseful(lessthan8x10).Visualaidshowslittlecarewastakenincreationi.e.sloppy,badhandwriting,etc

ConsciousClassroomManagementMidtermLessonProject(sample)

Name&Info:CathyE------.WashingtonMiddleSchoolOctober14th,20--7thGradeEnglishLessonTopic:ClassroomEntryProcedureDesiredOutcome:Studentswillbeabletoenterclassandwithin1minuteofthesecondbellringingwillbeseatedattheirtablegroup,theirgroupbinwillbeonthetable,compositionbooksandpencilswillbeout,nametentswillbeupandfacingthefrontoftheroom,andstudentswillbeworkingsilentlyontheprojectedentrytask.Intro&Model:• Studentsenterclass.Teachernoteswhichtablegroupsarecorrectlysituated.• Teachersays:“Onlytablegroupsxandywerefollowingtheentryprocedure,so

itistimeforustorelearnhowwearegoingtoentertheclassroomandgetstartedcorrectlyeachday.”

• Teacherpointstoexemplarposter:Turnandtalktoyourtablegroupaboutwhatthestudentsaredoinginthisposter,compareittoyourtablegroupandthendowhatyouneedtodotobereadytolearn.Youhave2minutes.(Teachersetstimer)

• Whentimergoesoffteacherchecksforcomplianceandsays“GoodJob!Everygrouphasachievedreadytolearnstatus.”Or“Mostofyougotitcorrectbutsomeofyouaremissingsomething.”

• Teacherpointstoexemplarposterandsays,“Let’sreviewthe6expectationsforentrytoclass:

1. Seatedwhenthebellrings2. Binincenterofgroup3. Nametentfacingthefront4. Compositionbookondesk5. Pencilinhand6. Silentlycompletingentryassignment

Intro&Model(continued):• Teacherasksifthereareanyquestions?• Withafewstudentvolunteers,teachermodelshowagroupcancorrectlyenter

andgetstarted.• Withafewvolunteers,teachermodelsincorrectwaytoenterandgetstarted.

Teacherenters,doesn’tgetbin,doesn’tputupnametag,takesoutnotebookandpencil,chatswhilewriting.“Class,turnandtalktoyourelbowpartner,whatdidIdowrong?”

• Studentsshareresponses.Teacheragainreferencesexemplarposter.Thensays,“Nowthatyouareclearabouthowyourshouldenterandgetstarted,itisyourturntopracticeandshowmeyourunderstanding.”

Practice&De-Brief:• Teacherhasstudentsreturneverythingtobinsandteamleaderreturnsthebin

tothecounter.Teacherhaseveryoneexitroomandlineupagainstthewalloutsidetheroom.

• Onceoutsideteachersays,“Iwillsetthetimerfor2minutes,whenthetimerbellgoesoff,thatisthestartofourperiod,youshouldallbeseated,withbinsonthetable,nametagsup,compbooksandpencilsout,andbesilentlycompletingtheentryassignment.

• After90secondsteacherwillcirculatetocheckthatallstudentshavetheirmaterialsandareworkingontheentryassignment.Teacherwillcorrectindividualtablegroupsthatarenotincomplianceyet,andgivethema30secondwarning.

• After5minutestocompleteentryassignment,teacherde-briefstheprocedurewiththeclass.Teachersays“Thankyouforworkingtogettheentryprocedurecorrect.Arethereanyquestionsabouthowwestartclassorwhywestartitthisway?”

Assessment:• Attheendoftheperiodstudentswillbedirectedtocleanupandputtheirbins

away.Studentswillbegivenanexitticketthatasksthattheylistthe6stepsoftheentryprocedure.Theywillberemindedtorefertotheposteriftheycan’tremembersomething.StudentswillbetoldtherewillbeanassessmentonFridayofthe6stepsoftheprocedure.

• Studentswillhandtheexittickettotheteacheronthewayout.Teacherwillcheckforcompletionandunderstanding.

Reinforcement:• Fortwoadditionaldaysstudentswillberemindedtolookattheposterasthey

entertheroomandtonoticethetimertickingdownfrom1minute.Groupsnotincompliancewillberemindedtochecktheposterandidentifywhattheyneedtodotobeincomplianceandthendothosethings.Studentswillbetoldthatthenextdaytherewillbeconsequencesforthosewhoarenotreadyandontaskwhenthetimergoesoff.

Consequences:1. Non-verbalreminder.Teacherdirectsoff-taskstudentorgrouptolookat

andfollowexemplarposterbypointingtoit2. Quiet,whisperedverbalremindertoindividualsorgroupswhoneedit3. Privateconversationafterclasswithindividualsorgroupswhoneedit4. Privateconversationplusphonecallhome5. FirstDetention(lunchforperiods1-4.Afterschoolforperiods5-7).

Individualsorgroupswillserveadetentionlongenoughtopracticetheprocedurecorrectlythreetimeswiththeteacher.Thentheywillbereleased.

6. SecondDetentiontopracticeprocedureagain,plusphonecallhome7. Referraltocounselororbehaviorspecialist8. Referraltooffice

Incentives:

• EverygroupthatsuccessfullycompletestheentryprocedureMonday-Thursdayearns8minutesoffreetimeattheendoftheperiodonFriday(2minutesperdayofbeingreadytogo)

• Individualsthatconsistentlykeeptheirgroupfromgettingpointswillnotgettherewardtherestofhis/hergroupgets.Theywillmovetoa“Reflection”areaandwriteintheircompositionbookseitheralistofthingstheycoulddotosolvetheproblemthatispreventingthemfromsuccessinthisarea,oraletterhometotheirparentsaboutwhytheyarenotfollowingtheentryprocedurecorrectly,oralettertotheteacheraboutwhatadditionalhelptheyneedinordertobesuccessful.