Part II: Classroom Routines and Procedures A.

Student Sharing There will be a stuffed animal bear and a notebook that goes home every weekend with one different student. Their job is to write a page summary in the notebook about what they did that weekend and how they involved the stuffed animal. On Monday, when they return from their weekend, they are going to share with the class what they did. This will be done every Monday morning as soon as all students arrive. This will not only help the students get to know each other better, but it will also help them expand their writing skills and imagination. B. Room Helpers There will be a chart at the front of the room displayed next to the chalkboard with a list of classroom helpers. There will be 11 different helpers each day. They are: line leader- always the first in line and leads the class to our destination; door holder holds open the door for whenever we leave and enter the room throughout the day, also in charge of closing the door after everyone has left; board eraser erases the board when prompted; messenger checks the lunch count and attendance and takes it to the office and runs to the office if anything is needed throughout the day; paper manager passes out papers when I need assistance; zoo keeper feeds the class pet and watering the plants; light manager shuts off/turns on lights when prompted; mail manager helps distribute any papers I need in each students mailbox and makes sure everyone has collected their mail at the end of the day; pencil sharpener sharpens any broken pencils at the end of the day; cleanup crew there are 2 students assigned to this task and they make sure everything is in its correct place at the end of the day. Each job will be written on a clothespin which will be placed at every other students name. These names will be in alphabetical order displayed up next to the chalkboard. Every day, I will move the clothespins down one name so that each student gets a chance to be every job. C. Homework and Paper Collection/Handout We will have a bin on the counter near the sink where students will need to hand in any homework that was due on that day; they will do this at the very beginning of day as soon as they walk in. As stated above, we have a paper manager as one of the

room helpers. This person will be in charge of assisting me if I need to pass out any papers throughout the day. D. Free Time If students finish their assignment before the rest of the class they are to sit at their desk quietly and read a book. Other free time during the day will result in students playing games on the computers or use any games in the classroom. Free time will have to be earned in my classroom and is a privilege to the students. I think students should get free time other than just recess. This gives them an opportunity to bond with just our class and also I can incorporate educational aspects into their free time. E. Bathroom and Drinking Fountain Breaks If a student needs to use the restroom, they are to use the sign language for toilet and I will nod yes or no for them to be excused. To sign for toilet students need to make the letter T (thumb between the index and middle fingers) and turn the wrist from side to side. Students can either do this at their seat with their arm in the air or can come up to my desk and I will nod with my response. This way, they are not disrupting the rest of the class at all. There will be a girl pass and a boy pass hanging on the wall near the door and the students are to take this with them when they leave the classroom to use the restroom, that way other teachers and faculty know where they are supposed to be if they are wandering the hallway. When students need to get a drink of water they may go over to the water fountain at any time since it is in the room. However, I will explain to them that they may not get a drink of water when I am teaching and will have to wait for free time or during small group activities. F. Dismissals/Transitions When transitioning from one activity to the next I will use the clapping technique. I will come up with a rhythm to clap and my students will repeat the rhythm back. If they are not quiet after I repeat the rhythm 3 times, then a coin will be taken away from the smiley face. When going to specials, I will get their attention with the technique shared above and call on quiet tables to line up at the door (line leader in front). We will not go to the special until the students are in a straight line and mouths are shut. At the end of the day, I will determine when the class will be dismissed, not the bell, but we will start to clean up 5 minutes before it is going to ring. If the students have received a coin on the smiley face I will be playing appropriate music for us to listen to while we clean up. If all chairs are up and the

classroom is clean, then I will tell students to line up according to which desk group is quiet and ready to leave. G. Field Trips When a field trip is coming up, a letter and permission slip will be sent home with the students to their parents informing them when, where, and what time the field trip will take place. The students will have the responsibility of getting their parents signature on the slip. In the letter, I will ask the parents if anyone would like to volunteer to accompany us as a chaperone and to contact me as soon as possible if they are available to do so. I will be explaining in the letter that field trips are a privilege and any misbehavior will be unacceptable. H. Differentiation 1. Struggling Students Students who do not understand certain tasks will be given the extra assistance they need; if I do have someone else in the room to help, they will be assisting the struggling students, but I cannot count on that. Once the other students are working, I will call the struggling students over to the small group table where I can further assistance them and explain things in more detail. If they are still having a hard time understanding the concept we are working on I will go over the basics with them and adapt some problems to make it easier for them. 2. Gifted Students These students will tend to get bored because the work we are doing is too easy and they finish there in-class work very quickly. Students who are higher ability will be given work that may stretch their knowledge further or challenge them. When doing group projects, they will be given a task that requires them to think outside of the box. They will not necessarily be given extra work, but I will adjust it to fit their needs.

I. Parent Communication 1. Communicating I will be sending a folder home with each of the students every Friday. Inside each folder will contain a notebook and a newsletter. The notebook is so that

parents can communicate with me any concerns or comments they have about their child or my classroom. In this letter, I will also let parents know that they are more than welcome to email, call, or stop by anytime with any questions or concerns they have. The newsletter will contain important events coming up, as well as what we learned in each subject that week and a brief description of what we will be working on next week. 2. Conferences I will notify the parents when conferences are coming up and tell them to sign up for a time that is best for them. Also, I am going to tell them that their child is welcome at the conference. If the child comes, they can be the one to show their parents the work they have done. Before the parent of the student arrives, I will have their childs work ready for them to look at. I will start the conference with something that the child has done well on and how well they are progressing, then I will tell them if they need any areas of improvement. This needs to be a two-way conversation; I will have to be able to talk about their child, but also be an excellent listener.