Part

I: Classroom Organization A. Physical (see Attachment A) Going from left to right, top to bottom (assuming the page is oriented with North to the top of the page): 1. Reading area: This area has at least 3 bookshelves arranged in a U formation, with a rug and a couple of bean bags for the students to sit on and read. I would also bring in a student-sized small rocking chair or comfy chair for this corner, along with a reading lamp. 2. Progressing left to right along the north wall - this is my storage area, with lockable cabinets. All classroom supplies will be kept here. 3. In the upper right (North-East) corner will by my work area, with my desk, computer and chair. I will have daily supplies here within arms length. As part of my setup, I will get supplies from the lockers/closets and put them on my desk as necessary (probably at least weekly) so I minimize getting into the storage cabinets during class time. Directly in front of my desk are two short bookshelves - this will be a reading station. The round thing by my desk is a wastebasket. 4. Progressing southward from my desk, along the east wall is the whiteboard/smart board. In front of this is the large rug for circle time - morning announcements, lunch count, and any whole group activities (such as me reading to the students). There is a large chair here for the teacher (or reader) to use. 5. In the southeast corner is a circular work table with at least 4 chairs. This will be used as a writing center. To the left (west) of the writing table will be another low shelf, on which will be kept the student notebooks and packets. In the packet there will be a notebook for writing, a folder, practice sheets, and a couple of small books for reading practice. This will be where the students can store their unfinished work and projects. 6. Along the south wall are two rectangular tables with at least 5-6 chairs for small group work. These tables will be available for me to do small group reading/writing as well as any of the specials teachers to come in (such as the literacy coach or the special ed teacher) and do work in their small groups. 7. In the southwest corner is the door. Next to the door is the pencil sharpener (not pictured) and a small shelf with cubbies. This will be where I will leave graded papers, notes home, etc. for pickup on the way out of the classroom. 8. Just north of the door, along the west wall will be the computer tables. There will be six computers sitting on 2 rectangular tables. The computers will be a work station and will be loaded with basic literacy and mathematics programs. The 1

computers can also be used as a reward the students can choose on Friday. 9. In the center of the room, the student desks will be arranged in groups of four. The walkways will be wide enough for me to safely walk through (as well as navigate a wheelchair if necessary). This way I can walk up and down and see each individual students work as they are working on it. Walls will be decorated with a word wall, literacy and math posters. I also expect to have some windows along the south wall. On the wall by the door and shelf will be a job chart for the student job assignments. Next to the computers there will be a sign in sheet either on the wall or clipboard for the students to request and log their use. B. Operational 1. Morning routine (includes attendance and lunch count): The morning routine will start immediately after the school morning announcements and pledge. Lunch count will begin as students enter the classroom for the day; they will take their popsicle stick with their name on it and place it in the basket of their choice (Hot Lunch or Cold Lunch). After all students have entered the class and the school announcements are over, students will come to the carpet for the attendance and lunch tallies. The student helper for the day will bring over the baskets for the teacher to count. The first basket I will look in will be the main basket to see if any students did not move their names into a lunch choice basket. I will visually look around the room to see if these students are present and just forgot to move their name; if they are not present at that time then they will be counted as absent. I will turn this into a group math problem using the number line as follows: Say there are 25 students total in my class. I will write 25 on the white board. I will then choose the smaller of the lunch baskets (usually Cold Lunch) and then have the students count the popsicle sticks with me. As the year progresses, this may include counting by 2s, 3s, etc. Once we have figured out how many students have chosen Cold Lunch, I will write that number on the board, and then use the number line to find the difference (total number of students minus the number of Cold Lunch choices) and therefore find out how many students chose Hot Lunch. I will then count the other popsicle sticks to confirm the math. As part of the morning routine, I will have todays date written in the upper corner of the whiteboard (changing the date each morning before class). I will go over the

date with the students, and then go over the daily schedule with the students so that they know what to expect that day. At the end of the morning routine, the students will leave the carpet and go either to their desks or to a work center to start their morning work (this will depend on the day). While the students are doing this, I will report the attendance and lunch totals on the school computer. 2. Center procedures: During each school day, the class will have an established routine so that they know where they should be at all times. Students will be broken into center groups; each group will have 4-6 students in it. I will have a daily calendar that will show which group will be at which station each day. (Sample calendar is attached). For example, group 1 on Monday will be allowed to move between the reading and the computer centers. 3. Record keeping: Depending on the schools policies, each assignment will be recorded by subject, student name, date and actual assignment. I will use first name alphabetical order (which will also be the student line-up order for leaving the classroom). I choose first name order because it will simplify my record keeping: students always put their first name on their papers, so it will be easier for me to enter this in the grade book (which will also be in first name order). For turning papers in, I will have them line up in first name order, and hand me their papers as they exit the classroom. I will also use different methods for keeping records, including a three-line grade book, and the computer program that is being used by the district to record and calculate cumulative scores. Letter or number grades will be based on percentages, and will be assigned by school policy. I will also have a small filing cabinet, with a folder for each student in order to keep samples of student work. This will be each students individual portfolio, which they will have access to throughout the year. I will at a minimum place one work sample from the beginning of the grading period, one from the middle of the grading period and one from the end in order to show student progression through the semester. These folders will be used during the student-lead parent conferences. 4. New students: New students are always welcome, but I will keep in mind the transition and stresses that the new student may be going through. This can be a difficult time for a child. I will ensure that the new student is welcomed by the class and is given a cubby and a desk, and I will send a letter home to the parent/guardian at the end of the first day. If I know that there will be a new student arriving, I will have his/her cubby, work area and letter ready for them before they arrive, otherwise I will do it on their first day. I will also make a positive parent contact by the end of the first week, telling the parent/guardian something positive about their child and how glad I am that they are in my class. I will make every effort to help 3

this new student acculturate to our classroom and learn our rules and routines starting on their first day. I will also make it a point to greet the new student by name the first day, and make it a priority to remember their name and to use it properly and regularly. 5. Displaying student work: There will always be student work displayed in my classroom! I will have one section of a wall bordered off as a bulletin board specifically for this purpose. On the first day of class, I will have them draw something about themselves or their families and I will put that up first. Thereafter, I will display work from each unit that we progress through be it artwork or actual written work. Any holiday or special projects the students complete will be put up outside of the classroom door. 6. Classroom cleaning and order: Again, during the first week of school, the instructions and expectations for how to keep the classroom clean will be given. To help with this, students will be given a variety of jobs which will rotate on a weekly basis; however each student will be required to keep their desk and cubby neat. At the end of every class day, students will quickly visually scan their desk surface and the area around their desk and pick up trash, put away things, etc. Inside of each desk, I will tape a chart showing what their desks should look like, and every Friday afternoon we will take the last few minutes of class and students will clean out their desks and cubbies and take home things that need to be removed. This way the students will learn a sense of responsibility for and pride in their surroundings, as well as learning how to work together. To initiate the cleaning procedure, we will sing the clean up song to let the students know that it is now time to put things away and look around their desks and floor areas. Part II: Disciplinary Policies: A. In the classroom: I believe in a positive approach to discipline and management. I also believe that the students should have some say in the running of the classroom. And I feel that this approach should start from the very first day of school. On the first day, I will sit down with the class and explain my expectations as well as the rules, consequences and rewards. As a class, we will come up with a few basic rules for behavior in the class. I will write these down on a large poster board, and all the members of the class will sign the poster with their name or handprint. This will allow the students to have a voice in the process, and begin to teach them about commitment; when they break a rule, I will be able to show them how they agreed to that rule in the classroom, and then we will discuss how they are going to improve their behavior in the future. The class will have a clip chart to monitor behavior. This chart will allow for students to go both up or down throughout the day. By doing it this way, students who always do well have a chance to go up instead of always having to be in the 4

same spot. Each night before leaving the students or myself will color where they were for the day on their calendar. I will keep these in their folder to go over at conferences. Every student will start on ready to learn no matter where they were the day before. Students who move up will be given a sticker to put on their clip. The areas students can move up to are showing pride, role model, and outstanding. If a student moves down, each area will have a different step to take. The first area is thinking about it and at this step students will have to move away from the group and either sit on the rug or at their desk, depending on where we are, or out on the hall and think about their behavior and what they would like to do to from then on throughout the day. At the next step down, reflection, students will fill out a form explaining what they did, what better choices they could have made, and what they are going to do throughout the rest of the day or the next day that is better than what they were doing (acknowledging that their writing skills at this point may not be strong enough to do this, in that case a verbal reflection will suffice). The last step is parent/guardian contact and at this stage the parents will receive a letter that the student fills out and one that I fill out explaining what happened. Parents/Guardians will have to sign the letter and the student will have to bring it back the next day. Students will agree to the consequences and help come up with other ones as well such as miss recess time, move desk for the week, or apologize to the class. This will all be dealt with on a case-by-case basis, students will only be sent out to someone else if absolutely necessary (such as cases of violence) and all rules and consequences will follow school and district policies. B. On the playground Any conflicts that occur on the playground need to stay on the playground. Students will need to work together to find a way to settle the situation. If they cannot, they both will need to move their clip and tell me explaining what happened and why they cannot solve the conflict. The conflict will not continue into the classroom and trying to solve it will not take class time. C. Disrespect of a Student, Teacher or Myself Disrespect to anyone will not be tolerated in my class. A student who disrespects another person will be required to apologize to the person they offended, and then they will move their clip one place downward. If necessary, a note will also be sent home to the parent/guardian. If disrespecting others continues or becomes a big problem, then the parents/guardian will be contacted and a conference with them may be requested. The school counselor and/or principal will be notified of this conference and will be invited to participate. D. Tardiness 5

Tardiness will be handled according to school policy. It is not always preventable (especially when the students are this young), but it is preferred not to happen. If students are continuously tardy, I will communicate with parent/guardian about the issue. Attendance will be taken every day and tardiness will be marked accordingly. E. Inattention and Lack of Motivation The first thing to consider is the age of the students and to keep in mind what is appropriate for 1st graders. However, on some days students may not come to school in the right mindset to work. This could be due to any number of reasons, including something going on at home, in which case I will be sensitive to the needs of the student. However, if the students are having difficulties concentrating in class, I will have the option to move them somewhere else so that they may see/hear better, or to take them away from possible distractions. If a student seems to have no motivation, I will talk to the child to see if I can figure out what is going on. I may set an extra goal for that student to achieve for that day (such as completing a particular assignment), and offer a reward such as an extra token, or moving their clip up one space. F. Disruptions Disruptions will not be allowed in my classroom. I will use a blurt box on the white board; if a student blurts or disrupts the first time, their name will go in the blurt box as a warning. Continued infractions will result in moving their clip, moving their desk away from the others or other consequences. This includes asking to use the restroom or get a drink of water. There will be a procedure in place for these actions, which will be explained below. In order to prevent disruptions, the blurt box procedures will be explained and taught during the first week of school. G. Cheating Cheating will not be tolerated in my classroom. However, it is important to keep in mind the age, maturity and cognitive level of my 1st grade students. During the first week of school, I will present a lesson on keeping your eyes on your own paper. If I catch a student cheating during the school year, I will keep the student in from recess and talk to them individually about cheating. During this recess, I will give them a chance to re-do the assignment on their own. If it continues to be a problem, I will keep accurate notes/records on the instances of cheating, and will send a note home to the parent/guardian explaining the situation. Part III: Classroom Routines and Procedures 6

A. Classroom Helpers (Student Jobs) There will be different jobs in the classrooms for the students to have. These jobs will help teach the students responsibility as well as help the class run as smoothly as possible. These jobs will rotate weekly, so that everyone gets to perform each job at least once. These jobs include: line leader, messenger, mail manager, librarian, board cleaner, lunch monitor, pencil sharpener and more. Line leader will lead the class wherever we go in the school. In the case of a students birthday, they may be special line leader for the day. Messenger will take messages to/from the office or other classrooms for me. The mail manager will put things in the students cubbies and the librarian will help collect all of the library books for turn-in. Board cleaner will clean the white board at the end of every class day. Lunch monitor will help me with the lunch baskets/popsicle sticks and the lunch count in the morning. The pencil sharpener will be responsible for sharpening pencils in the cup for that day. B. Free Time Students who finish their work early will always know what they can do next: the class will know the daily schedule and which center group they belong in, so they will know what their options are if they finish early. This information will also be posted on the board. Options will always include: reading, finishing another assignment, daily writing journal or working in one of their assigned centers. C. Field Trips Field trip procedures will follow those of the school and district, and will focus on student safety and learning. Students and parents/guardians will be notified of all details at least three weeks in advance, by means of a permission slip that will need to be signed. This permission slip will also have emergency contact information and any emergency medical care information needed. If these are not in by a specific time, I will always send another slip home with a reminder. For those students who cannot go on the trip, they will have other activities that they can work on at the school with another class or in a supervised room. I will make the student as comfortable as possible if they have to stay at school. If needed, I will seek out parent volunteers as early as possible (at least three weeks in advance), and will take volunteers on a first come/first served basis if I get too many people wishing to help. 7

D. Homework Students will have a take-home folder that will go home on each night. This folder will have a leave home side and a bring back side. On Monday, I will have the packet of homework placed in the bring back side of the folder. Graded papers and notes will go in the leave home side of the folder. I will expect the completed homework by Friday. If the student does not return the homework folder, I will contact the parent/guardian about the issue. Usually, the only homework that will be sent home will be the reading log, the weekly spelling words and one or two other pieces of work, such as a math problem sheet. I will send directions for each piece of homework. E. Paper Collecting and Passing Out For collecting papers, I will have two methods: one will be a turn-in bin at the front of the classroom, the other will be at the end of a period when the class is about to move (to a special, to lunch, etc.). In that case, I will have the students line up in line (first-name) order, and hand me their papers as they exit the classroom. When students bring back their homework packet on Friday, they will use the turn-in bin. As for passing out papers, I will use a couple of methods for this: I will use either the mailbox manager classroom helper to put things in the students cubbies or I will hand things back by student group. If something needs to go home, I will ensure it is placed in the take-home folder. F. Lining Up For Travel and Dismissal From the very first day of school, the students will be taught to line up in line order, which will alphabetical by their first name. Students will need to be in line basics which will include being quiet, facing forward, with their hands to themselves before they are ready to travel. There will be a line leader, so there will be no arguing over who goes first. They will wait for a teacher to dismiss them before they line up, they will not automatically run for the line-up place when they hear the bell. G. Bathroom and Drinking Fountain Throughout the day, there will be several breaks scheduled in (usually as the class is travelling to and from the classroom). If a student needs to leave the class to use the rest room, they may write their name on the bathroom break clipboard that I will have hanging next to the classroom door. After they write their name, they will take a hall pass and go to the restroom. If the hall pass is being used, students must wait their turn (emergencies will be handled on a case-by-case basis). Students will not interrupt the teacher to ask if they can go to the restroom or get a drink. 8

 H. Differentiation Policy All students will be given the time and support that they need in the classroom. Students that need extra assistance will be given extra time and help in order for them to succeed. I will always communicate with the Special Ed teacher, school counselor, ELL teacher, SLP and others in order to best support all of my students. I will communicate with and work closely with parents/guardians about what they can do at home, and what I can do in the classroom to help their child succeed. The parent/guardian is the expert on their child, and we are a team when it comes to educating their child. Like students that need extra assistance, advanced students will also be given challenges, time and support to help them succeed. I will not just assign them extra work or to help teach the class. Instead, I will challenge and stimulate them intellectually by having them get creative in their assignments by providing extensions. Again, I will communicate with the experts their parent/guardian and will seek out resources such as the GT teacher. I. Parent/Guardian Communication Before school starts, I will send a letter to each student and their parent/guardian welcoming them to my class and giving them the basic information of what to expect during the year. Most importantly, I will provide contact information and times to the family so that they know they can reach me and get a response. I will ask each parent/guardian to share their preferred method of communication with me and I will honor that. Parents/guardians will be notified of conference dates and times as soon as they are available. To prepare for these conferences, I will have the student portfolios ready to go and have all necessary information printed and available for the student and their families. Conferences will be student-led so that the student may show off their progress and the work they have been doing, as well as take ownership of the process. The student is a vital part of this communication system, and it will never be just me talking to the parents. Its all about them! J. Professional Ethics In order to set a good example for my students, I will also sign the class rules and agree to abide by them. I feel that the best ethic that I can follow is do what is best for the student. To that end, I will carry myself professionally, respect confidences and honor each student as an individual that I am responsible for. I will not participate in gossip, and will treat all others both students, peers and administrators with respect. The needs of the students come first. 9