Hello! My name is Shelby McCann (Miss McCann) and I hope you had a wonderful summer! As your childs 2 nd grade teacher, I have the pleasure of spending the next school year with your son/daughter. I am really excited about the upcoming year and I look forward to meeting you soon! Please read and discuss the following classroom procedures with your child, then sign and send it with him/her tomorrow.
Planners- This year the students will be using planners. I ask that you check and sign your childs planner daily. Students are required to record assignments in the planner. Planners are great ways to keep the children organized. Please expect these to come home at night, this will help you as the parents, and myself the teacher, to communicate. This planner will be used to record your childs at home reading. I am encouraging the students to read 75 minutes weekly. However, some students will find themselves reading more than that. I recommend that the students break this time down to 10-15 minute reading increments. Your child may read out of class material like an independent book or short stories. The goal is to develop a love and excitement for reading, so eventually the reading is done for pleasure or enjoyment. Please keep track of your childs reading, record the number of minutes read and sign it. I will check their planner every Friday.
Homework-Students are given time in class to work on daily assignments, projects or other classroom activities. However these assignments will not always be completed in class, therefore the child will be asked to finish the work at home and returned the next day, unless otherwise noted. Also I encourage my students to make corrections on any homework assignments at home as well.
Binders- In addition to the planners the students will be taking home their binders each night. Please check it daily for unfinished work/homework, school notices, or notes home from me. Each binder has pocket folders that are designated for each of his/her subjects.
Snack time- In the afternoon students will be allowed to have a nutritious snack in the classroom. Please feel free to send a snack with your child, but I ask that the snack is healthy and school appropriate. Also, water bottles are allowed in my classroom so please feel free to send one, with your childs name labeled clearly on it.
Cubbies- Students will be assigned a cubbie alphabetically by their last name. This is where they will keep their backpack, books, and outdoor clothing.
Grading Policy- I will be using a standards based report card this year. I will be implementing the Common Core Standards in all subject areas.
Discipline Policy-My goal, as your childs teacher is to ensure a proper learning atmosphere. Therefore I will be making certain that rules, procedures, consequences and rewards are made clear. I believe that class time should not be wasted on discipline matters.
If a student does not follow the classroom rules:
Step 1 -warning (may be verbal or written) - recorded name in their binder
Step 2 -recorded name and a check mark=ticket
Step 3 -recorded name and two check marks= refocus form and loss of recess **a refocus form holds the student accountable for their choices, and it makes note of poor choices to help students make better choices in the future.
Step 4 -students are sent to the principal for major infractions or repeated disruptions.
Rewards -classroom privilege, positive comments, notes home and phone calls home.
In conclusion, I have grand expectations for my students. It is my goal to push and guide each student toward his/her fullest potential. Parental involvement in a childs education cannot be overemphasized. I will be in contact with you on any questions, concerns, or accomplishments. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns that you may have. My e-mail is shelby.mccann@umt.edu, or my school phone number 406-945-7022 ext 217. Now lets all work together to have a successful learning experience and enjoyable year together!
My Best, Shelby McCann Miss McCann.
Student Signature-
Parent Signature-
Parent email address-
Fiist Bay of School Intiouuctoiy Sciipt.
"uoou moining class, my name is Shelby NcCann anu I am going to be youi teachei foi the iest of the yeai! I woulu like foi you to call me Niss NcCann. I am ieally exciteu to get to know all of you, but fiist I'm going to tell you all a bit about myself. I am 22 yeais olu. I have one uog, a chocolate lab nameu Chailie. Ny favoiite coloi is yellow. Some things to uo is fly-fish, backpack anu take photos when I'm not busy teaching you all! Ny fiist expeiience teaching in a classioom was in Alaska in a small iemote village! Lastly, I want to shaie with you all a sliueshow of photos fiom my past teaching expeiience in Alaska, as well as my summei to give you a bettei iuea about a few auventuies I have been on. Then aftei the sliueshow, I want to heai all about eveiyone else's most iecent auventuies!"
First Day Activities
Go over the days schedule- I will go over how each days routine will go. I will explain jobs, assign tasks, and explain when recess, lunch, snack time is, etc. Make some art for the classroom- We will make some abstract watercolor art to decorate our classroom with, as well as they will make their drawings of their favorite memory from the summer. I will then take the students artwork and begin creating our art wall. Create a buddy system- I will explain the buddy system to the children. I will explain when we use it and why we use it? Finally, we will practice the buddy system as a class. Read an exciting first day book- I will read them an exciting first day book during circle time. Goal Setting- I will broadly explain goals to them and why we should make goals? Lastly, we will set 3 goals for the school year in the classroom. Line up procedure- I will go over the correct way to line up for recess, lunch, library, and fire drills. I will emphasize where they are to line up every day by marking the floor with a piece of tape. I will then show them what a bad line looks like (loud, out of order, disruptive) and then what a good line looks like (facing forward, quiet, straight line). Drink procedure- I will go over the procedure of when it is appropriate to get a drink, how the students are supposed to get a drink, and explain that one child at a time is allowed to get a drink during class, unless instructed otherwise. Classroom layout- I will go over the classroom with the children, explaining what area of the classroom is used for what, reading circle, science station, etc. Go on a school tour- As a class we will go on a tour of the school, and I will show the children important places like, the library, gym, bathrooms, etc. Introduce the students to important people in the building- When Im giving my class the school tour I will make sure to reintroduce them to people they may have met already such as, the principal, the librarian, front desk secretary, etc.
After my first day introduction and the showing of my photo slideshow to my students. I will ask them, What are a few things they remember from my photos and if they have any questions about me? Next, I will explain to them that I love drawing and art. I will then ask them to draw a picture of something either about themselves, or something they did that summer. After the students have drawn a memory from their summer or picture about themselves I will have the students pair up and share their drawings with each other, and then rotate to the next student clockwise after two minutes of sharing with each other to avoid the kickball effect. After everyone has shared with one another I will bring the class back together and collect the artwork. Finally, we will build a mosaic wall of everyones drawings to display each students drawings.
Miss Ms Clasroom Rules desire to inspire
Listen with your whole body. Be polite and respect others Work hard and play fair DREAM BIG!! (find a way to make it happen) Tell the truth (honesty is the best policy) Follow directions and listen carefully Stay clean and organized Raise your hand before you speak Use kind words NEVER EVER GIVE UP
Miss McCann s Philosophy of Classroom Management
I believe learning takes place best in a positive environment filled with love and laughter. In order for this to take place I will fill my classroom with reminders/posters of encouraging positive words, like create inspire dream treat others the way you wanted to be treated, no question is a wrong question this classroom only has room for positive energy and laughter and so on I also will go over with my class at the beginning of the year of my expectations of them as students and as our classroom as a whole. For an example: I will not tolerate bullying, negative attitude, or put-downs. By modeling a positive, encouraging, high-energy classroom and behavior I will represent my mantra and philosophy.
To make the room visually appealing, and feel more home-y than just a classroom with desks and books, I will decorate it with bright materials, educational posters, examples of other students work as well as my own art and photography. I will get to know all of my students names and interests right away so the students know that I care about them and I want them to feel welcome and comfortable in my classroom. Having such a passion of art and photography, I plan on integrating these into any lesson I can and using art projects as extension activities, (Ive found that often art is something children look forward to doing, and one child may take more from a lesson by doing a project then simply doing a basic reading or math problem). Lastly, I want to prevent my students from becoming sidetracked and bored (which was my struggle as kid), therefore I will have activities that will help a lesson keep flowing so there will be little room for free time. My goal is to combine all of these things to create a positive place where students are comfortable to be themselves and look forward to laughing and learning together.
How I will address:
Appropriate Behavior
-What ever the appropriate behavior may be I will strive to be consistent with my responses. I will praise and recognize appropriate behavior through rewards, verbal, and non-verbal cues. I will avoid giving too much attention to negative or inappropriate behavior and rather focus on giving attention to positive behavior or appropriate behavior. This will let the students know that the way that they will receive attention is, by behaving appropriately. When praising students I will make sure that I tell them exactly what they are doing that is the appropriate behavior instead of just saying good job.
Inappropriate Behavior
- Students speaking or interrupting classroom instruction- If Im speaking I will stand closer to the student who is being disruptive in order to get his/her attention. If this doesnt work I will get his/her attention by calling his/her name. If another student is speaking and is being interrupted by another classmate I will ask the student who is being disruptive if he/she can repeat what his/her classmate said. Finally, I will ask the student that interrupted to please apologize to whom ever they interrupted and wait their turn to speak.
A recipe for a successful classroom calls for a teacher who: - gives clear directions - asks authentic questions - keeps students busy - balances activities - 3:1 ratio (one negative statement for every three positive statements made) - tells kids what to do and what not to do - is clear about expectations - is consistent - uses interesting materials - is proactive and teaches the skills students need - catches students being good - keeps wait times to a minimum - has fun!