ECC’s Managing the Classroom Workshop

Building Community in the Classroom

Community Building Activities

Hanging out with a Winning Line-Up! (Language Arts, Social Studies)

Early in the school year, take a close-up photo of each student. (Get double prints--you never know when they'll come in handy.) Glue each photo to a piece of tag board (about 9- by 12-inches). Under each photo, write “This is our friend ___________. She/He ___________”. Hold a class meeting to look at the photos. Ask students to help complete each photo poster by giving positive statements about their classmates. For example, "This is our friend Muir. She runs really fast!" Let each student decorate or illustrate his or her poster. Then laminate them and hang them from a clothesline in the hall outside your classroom along with the title “We’re hanging out with a winning line-up”

When you take down the display, collect the posters into a traveling book. Make a cover page and a page for parents to sign their name and comment on the book. Punch two holes near the top of each page and gather the pages in binder rings.

Classroom Stationery (Language Arts)

Help your students take pride in being part of the classroom community by having them create official class stationery. On a sheet of 8 1/2- by 11-inch white paper, pencil off a 1-inch margin on each side of the paper. In the margin, make one block for each student in the class, plus one for yourself. Invite each student to draw a serf-portrait of him or herself in one of the blocks, leaving enough space to write his or her name in the block. These should just be line drawings done with very sharp pencils, not colored in. For younger students, you may want to use the pictures you took from the activity above, rather than having the students draw their own. Make copies of this paper to use as stationery for notes home to parents, notes from you to your students, notes from students to classroom visitors, and so on. At year's end, give your students several sheets so they can write to classmates over the summer!

Ideas above from:Building a classroom community by: Kepler, Lynne, Instructor-Primary, 10495851, Sep98, Vol. 108, Issue 2

Community Building Ideas

Build your classroom community by:

Sending each child a welcoming note before the year starts. Establishing a positive relationship with the parents/guardians of your students. Eating lunch with children on a regular basis. Celebrating successes.

Involving children in setting expectations, planning and problem solving by: Beginning each year with class meetings to discuss "what kind of class we want to be," and setting class

norms and goals accordingly. Using periodic class meetings to make learning decisions.

Using periodic class meetings to take stock, assess progress and identify issues. Organizing occasional "independent learning days" when students undertake projects they have chosen

and planned.

Help children to get to know each other's strengths and interests, and also the teacher's, by: Introducing a "Special Person of the Week," choosing the individual randomly each week. Bringing in meaningful "artifacts" from home for students to describe to a partner, write about or draw.

Downplay competition and public comparisons among children by: Avoiding the use of charts showing things such as completed homework or units completed. Displaying everyone's work on appropriate tasks. Using non-competitive field games as well as competitive ones. Minimizing competition as a way of motivating learning.

Involve all children in helping and taking responsibility by: Involving children in brainstorming classroom chores. Rotating classroom responsibilities among all students.

Ideas above from: Building classroom communities by: Schaps, Eric, Lewis, Catherine, Thrust for Educational Leadership, 10552243, Sep97, Vol. 27, Issue 1

Beginning of the Year Activities

Apple Puzzle Bulletin Board

This is a large puzzle in which students will be able to see that all students are included in one learning community in the classroom. You may want to create your own puzzle of another shape for the theme of your classroom (ex. Pirate ship for a pirate themed classroom).

Bonding Exercises!

Jump In Jump Out Game

Students stand in a circle and clap to a beat while students each take a turn going into the center. The outside circle sings, “jump in, jump out, introduce yourself. I said jump in, jump out, introduce yourself.” The student in the center says, “my name is ___. I love ____, and ______.” The outside circle cheers, then the process repeats. For the last blank, the students may say anything from “and I am tall,” to “and here’s my jump.” This will help the students show their personalities and get to know one another in a fun, positive way.

Well- Oiled Machine

One at a time, students will perform one simple movement and make one simple sound. Students will be expected to, whenever they are ready, add on to one another to create one big, well- oiled machine. This activity could even be done before or after learning about machines parts working together or members of an assembly line working together.

An example of a pretty well- oiled machine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXQAZbalXFA

Keep It Going!

Just Because Notes

Have the students write “just because” notes to one another. These notes can be about anything, but they must be positive! They could be just to say hello, that they like an outfit a certain student is wearing or that they want to get to know someone better. These can be written at designated times once a week, or whenever a student is finished with their work early. The teacher should create a mailbox for these letters, or even just a decorated tissue box. The teacher can keep track of how many notes have been written, encourage students to write notes to peers who may not have many notes, and distribute these notes when most or all of the students will receive one. A good idea is to give them out while the students are at lunch so they aren’t watching who gets how many just because notes.

Encourage different forms of group work!

It sounds simple, but it can help build your classroom community A LOT. You could have students work in groups they may not have picked for themselves (they may even be encouraged to write this new friend a just because note!), have them perform peer tutoring, and let them build a comfortable learning relationship with all of the members in their class. This way, they will be able to go to their peers with questions about class, and become closer to them as a friend!

Bullying and Intensive Behavior Strategies

What is bullying?

Bullying is a repetitive intent to cause physical or emotional harm to an individual. There are four main forms of bullying:

1. Physical: hitting, punching, or any violent physical behavior

2. Social: gossip, rumor spreading, intentionally excluding people

3. Verbal: name calling, taunting, teasing

4. Cyber bullying: using the internet or any other digital technology as a platform for bullying. Cyber bullying has become a big issue today with the ease of access to technology and the anonymity that comes with the internet. Bullies can seemingly hurt individuals without consequence in this manner.

Red Flags to look out for in students

Students who are victims of bullying will:

*Have unexplained injuries *Have trouble eating, sleeping and complain of headaches

*Become withdrawn

*Have fewer friends

*Lose interest in school and other activities

*Appears angry, sad or moody more often than usual

Students who are bullies will:

*Be aggressive

*Not take responsibility for their actions

*Be very competitive

*Have friends who are also bullies

*Appear very confident but may have self esteem issues

How teachers should deal with bullying:

*Teachers should set expectations at the beginning of the year for what is appropriate classroom behavior

*Monitor student behavior, and take note if a student’s behavior seems to have changed drastically which could be a result of bullying.

*Build a good rapport with your students so that they feel comfortable confiding in you about bullying

*Find teachable moments in circumstances of bullying and show children how they can learn from their mistakes.

*Get to know students and be familiar with their backgrounds and home lives. The more a teacher knows about her students the better prepared she is to intervene when necessary.

In the classroom:

*Create a curriculum that promotes kindness, communication, cooperation, and friendship. Teach kids about bullying- what it is, how it can affect someone, how we should not do it.

*Include lessons and activities that touch on empathy, anger management, and conflict resolution.

*Provide clear and specific rules about bullying that your students can help you create. Be sure to clearly define what constitutes bullying when writing the rules. Examples:

1. We will not bully other students.

2. We will try to help students who are bullied.

3. We will include students who might be left out.

*Enforce immediate consequences for bullying and rewards for good behavior (anything from a compliment to a sticker).

*Have students provide ways on how to stop bullying.

*Have constant communication with the parents!

On an individual level:

*Talk with the student to have them explain their reasons for bullying.

*Have students role play non-aggressive behavior with bullies and how to handle bullying situations if they do arise.

*Create a bully-free checklist where the students (bullies or not) can put a check or sticker next to their name or someone else’s name that they see either not bullying or doing something nice for someone else.

On the school level:

*Increase adult supervision in all school areas.

*Increase consequences for bullying.

*Create a bully-free school where the students know that it won’t be tolerated.

*Train staff on how to prevent/stop bullying.

*Make children feel safe and heard when confiding in adults about bullying

Resources:

1. Anti bullying initiative with helpful tips for children and young adults http://www.stopbullying.gov/

2. Promotes internet saftey: http://www.isafe.org/

3. Helpful for explaining bullying to children: http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/friends/bullies/

4. Center for Disease Control and Prevention on bullying: http://parentsadvocatingforsafeschools.webs.com/cdcbullyinginfo.htm

5. Initiative to stop youth violence: http://www.safeyouth.gov/Pages/Home.aspx

6. Children’s Books about bullying: http://suzyred.com/bullying.html

7. Ways to prevent bullying:

http://www.bullyingprevention.org/index.cfm/ID/2/Best-Practices/

http://www.clemson.edu/olweus/

Behavior Management Plans

Your classroom behavior management plan should include your classroom rules, consequences, rewards and how you will keep track of your student behavior. The plan should also include your plans for dealing with severe behaviors.

It is important to remain consistent with your plans, but remember some severe behaviors require different actions.

It is a good idea, to have your classroom rules, consequences, and rewards in an area in the classroom where your students can look at them whenever necessary.

Classroom Rules/Expectations

o A rhyming pattern of the rules will help younger students to remember them. o State the rules in a positive way, rather than in a negative way. o The rules should tell the students what to do instead of what not to do. o Sample Rules

Kindergarten- Second Grade Rules

We raise our hands to speak.We work quietly at our seats.We use voices soft and sweet.We are careful with our hands and feet.We are helpful, friendly, and fair.We take turns and always share.

Third-Five Grade Classroom ExpectationsEnter the classroom with a positive and learning attitude.Listen to directions the first time they are given.Do your best in everything that you do.Be respectful to yourself and others.Complete all assignments neatly and on-time.Raise your hand to speak.Listen quietly while others are speaking.Remain focused and on-task at all times.

Consequences

o Remember to keep your consequences appropriate for the grade that you are teaching. o Consequences could include:

1st- Verbal Warning 2nd- Written Warning 3rd- Lost of Recess And Behavior Lesson 4th-Phone Call/Note Home 5th- Referral

Rewards

o Your rewards can range from intangible to tangible things. o You could also ask your students for the rewards that they would like to see in the classroom. o You can use tickets as a way for students to earn items from the classroom store. o Rewards can include:

o Fifteen minutes of free choice activity. o Lunch with teachero Positive note sent home o Homework passo Positive call home o Recognition o Praise

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Essentials in the Classroom

Classroom Jobs

The Logistics: Everyone needs to have some sort of job for however long you decide to keep the jobs per student (change them once a week, every other week, etc). The jobs need to be distributed fairly - everyone needs to have a turn. Make sure the students understand exactly how to perform their job and what they need to do. Jobs should be assigned randomly as well.

Sample Jobs: Line leader, caboose, door holder, weather person/meteorologist, paper passer, teacher’s helper, materials manager, nurse (buddy to walk to nurse, person who goes around with hand sanitizer), table cleaner, sweeper, board eraser, etc.

Sample Displays:

Centers

The Logistics: For student-led centers, you need to have the parameters to determine what student is in charge already figured to present at your workshop. Have a few different ways to determine which student is in charge, and try to make it so everyone has a chance or a turn to be in charge, and how they risk losing that authority.

Sample Types of Centers: Writing, Mathematics, Phonics, Reading, Science

Sample Center Ideas:

Literacy Center Ideas:http://www.kidscount1234.com/literacy.htmlKindergarten Math/Language Arts Centers: http://mrsbremersk.blogspot.com/2011/08/more-pinterest-inspired-creations.htmlAll About Centers: http://www.mrsmcdowell.com/centers.htm

Classroom Rules

The Logistics: For grades 3rd and higher, they can have more say in helping create classroom rules. For K-2 you know the rules you want and help lead them to those rules, so they think they have helped create them. You definitely want your classroom rules to tie in with the overall school rules as much as possible.

Ideas for Display:

Reward Systems

Daily Reward

Student picks a choice of what they want to do at the end of the day. The student chooses a picture of an activity and Velcro it to their name. If the student’s name is on green at the end of the day then the student gets their choice at the end of the day. Some examples of choices are: doing a puzzle, playing an academic game, having computer time, going to the library, etc. This is great for all students, particularly ESE students because the students make a choice about what they want- thus they are more likely to work towards receiving their reward. If using this with ESE students consider allowing the students to move from yellow up to green. These students are going to make mistakes through out the day and they need the opportunity to improve and still receive their choice.

Behavior Modification

Behavior modification is used a lot with ESE students, but it can also be used with any student whose behavior is not acceptable. With behavior modification students are taught a replacement behavior for the unacceptable behavior they have been doing. The student then rewards the student when they use the replacement behavior instead of the unacceptable behavior. The teacher would first reward the student for every time they use the replacement behavior, and slowly decrease the rewarding. The teacher could reward the student in a variety of ways but a sticker chart would be best for behavior modification, the student has to fill their sticker chart to receive their reward. The most important thing to remember is personalizing the reward to the student.

Whole Class Reward

When the entire class is making a good choice the teacher can reward the entire class. A common way that this is implemented is every time the class makes a good choice the teacher puts a letter on the board, the goal is to spell a

word. For example, if the class reward is a pancake party then the class needs to obtain enough letters to spell the word pancake. Once the word pancake is written on the board then the students would get a pancake party. Whole class reward systems are great because they build classroom community because the entire class is working together to obtain a common goal.

Small Group Reward

If the students are seated in groups in the classroom it is important to build a bond between the members of the group and this can be done through having them work towards a common goal. One way to reward a group is to have each group number/name written on the board, and giving the groups a tally under their number/name when they are on task or making a good choice. The teacher wouldn’t necessarily give the groups a tally every time they make a good choice, but variably- especially if they are making a good choice and the rest of the class is not making a good choice. The teacher can decide what reward they want to give the group with the most tally’s at the end of the week; the group might be able to eat lunch with the teacher if they have the most amount of points or have extra free time at the end of the day.