In my classroom, desks will be arranged in groups of 4 or 5. This gives the class a more welcoming feel. Often times with rows students feel entrapped and isolated, but with desks in groups they have people around them to share ideas with and work on group assignments or projects.
Students will hand in classwork online. If they have homework that is a physical worksheet, it will be checked the next day, and discussed before continuing on with the lesson plan that day. Other work will be digitally turned in. The form given will be the form it’s turned in.
I try to stay on top of grading and hopefully be able to grade all assignments within 3 days of their due date. If it was a digital entry I will upload the grade onto skyward and let the students know, but if it’s on paper I’ll try to hand them back the day after grading them.
Rules for my classroom would be:
- If you never ask the answer will always be no
- Listen when I talk – if you don’t understand come to me, that’s what I’m here for
- Be kind, respectful, and caring of others
- Work hard
- Be helpful
Rest room breaks should be taken during passing period, but if a student needs to use the bathroom they can go if they ask me. I don’t mind if the student asks every day because sometimes the way their classes are laid out they can’t make it during passing period and they have to go at that time every day. If it gets to the point where they are leaving and not coming back for noticeable amounts of time, then I will stop letting them go.
When a student needs to go to another part of the building, I’ll just send them there. If necessary I will write a pass or call/email the teacher, they will be going to.
Discipling students is really hard for me because I feel bad getting someone in trouble even if they did deserve it. In this case I will give my students 2 chances. After that, they will go to the principle/dean.
I don’t plan on having learning centers unless that’s the days lesson just because I want my students to do a lot of group work. If there are learning centers it will be spread out on a day where I feel the students need to move around and get active. A good day for this would be a day of standardized testing.
Students that have left the room will either sign out before leaving the room or I will keep track of that on a white board or sticky note for the time they leave. If I use a whiteboard, they will write their name and where they are going and when they get back they can erase their name.
End of day will most likely be a study hall period where students can work on homework before going home. I will allow them to go to teachers they need help from with a pass or permission from that teacher first.
I would definitely use email to communicate with parents. Email is the most effective way to communicate with parents. I think I would only email if there was a problem with behavior or turning work in or if they did something spectacular and I think the student deserves recognition for that.
Involving the parent in the student’s education is very important because a lot of the time their work ethic is reflected from how parents view education. Informing the parents of what we’re doing in class and having one on one parent-teacher conferences will help to make them feel more involved.
My goal for students by the end of the year is to ask for help and to view it as a strength rather than a weakness. Know that they can come to me with anything and I will try my best to help them through it. Doing what you love is greater than doing what pays the most. Stop trying so hard to impress others – what’s right for you isn’t right for them – you live with yourself the rest of your life, they are only here for a short time. Everyone is beautiful in their own way – you can admire someone else’s beauty and still appreciate your own – don’t compare a rose to a sunset.
Cadet Teaching Portfolio 