Terah Minor-Jones 

October 17, 2018 

Artifact for InTASC 3 (Learning Environments) 

General Procedures:  
 
● Students entering/exiting the classroom- Upon arrival, students will be expected to line up 
outside of the classroom until the final morning bell rings. I will welcome my students to go 
inside at that time. They will be expected to go their assigned seats and start on their 
free-write warm-ups in their Daily Journal. Upon leaving the classroom, students will wait 
for me to dismiss them, but we will use the bell as an indicator. Students should then stand 
and push in their chairs before leaving the classroom through the exit door - opposite of the 
entry door.  
 
● Distribution of materials- This will be one of several student jobs that students will be 
assigned to/can apply to. If it is distracting to the students at the time, I may reserve the 
right to distribute materials. However, there will be a student with this job and they will be 
responsible for distributing materials when instructed.  
 
● Storing of students’ personal items- CELL PHONES should be in lockers. If seen, I will 
write a pass for the student to put their phone in their lockers. Generally speaking, students 
will keep their personal items in their lockers for the entire duration of the school day. Bags 
smaller than the size of a sheet of paper (small purse or fanny pack) will be allowed to the 
students to keep very personal items with them, but the contents of the bag should never be 
revealed in class or cause distraction.  
 
● Students going to the restroom/drinking fountain- My class norm will be no restroom or 
water trips for the first and last 15 minutes of class. This is because I do not want students to 
miss the warm-up or the opportunity to get centered. I also do not want my kids missing the 
exit ticket or recap of that days lesson. There will also be no going out during time of 
lecturing or instruction, which could take about 15-25 minutes, depending. A hall pass will 
be required to leave the classroom and only 2 students can be out of my classroom at a time. 
If circumstances present themselves in terms of emergency, then they will be decided in that 
moment. Overall, trips outside of the classroom will happen on the student’s time during 
their independent/group/partner work.  
 
● Classroom interruptions (announcements, intercom calls)- Students will continue to work, 
quietly through any PA interruptions. If the announcement or call is distracting, I will 
reorient my students back to their work when interruption is gone. 
 
● Student tardiness to class- Students will be allowed to come late to class with a five minute 
grace period. If students are late three times in a row to my class, we will have a lunch 
detention conference. Depending on the students grade, if good grades, the tardiness 
situation will be handle in our class between the student and I (Every 3 tardies leads to a 
lunch detention (conference). If the student is often late, with poor grades, I may call home 
of ask for administrative support. 
 

 
Terah Minor-Jones 
October 17, 2018 
● Student dismissal from class- If a student is acting out, I believe they will do well with taking 
a walk and I will have a one-to-one conference, privately instructing them to do so. I may 
ask the student to walk down the hall and grab some water, as a means of calming them or a 
situation down. If the student is being disruptive, then privately, I will write them a pass to 
administration or the resource room. They will be walked to these places by another student 
with the job title of “Classroom Security”. This person ensures that the dismissed student 
gets to where they need to be and reports back to the teacher. 
 
OR 
 
Upon leaving the classroom, students will wait for me to dismiss them, but we will use the 
bell as an indicator. Students should then stand and push in their chairs before leaving the 
classroom through the exit door - opposite of the entry door.  
 
● Food/Drink in the classroom- No food or juices, sodas, etc will be permitted in the 
classroom unless a students askes prior or I provided them to my class.  
 
● Forgotten materials (pen, paper, notebook, etc.)- I will have ‘Ms. MJ Materials” on a desk 
where students can take lined-paper and scrap paper as well as MJ pens, pencils and markers 
that will have flowers taped to them to remind students to return these materials. On that 
same desk will be a box of forgotten and lost pencils and pens where students can take from 
this basket as they please. I will have pens, pencils, notebook paper, and other school 
supplies for sell in my MJ Market where students can use their payments from working their 
classroom jobs (MJ Mula) to purchase items. 
 
● Sharpening Pencils, throwing away trash etc.- Students will not be allowed to get up for such 
activities during my instruction or class discussion. Overall, trips to the trash and pencil 
sharpener will happen on the student’s time during their independent/group/partner work. 
 
Academic Expectations:​​ How will you address the following academic issues? 
 
● Turning in Homework - There will be two processes for turning in homework in my class. 
The first would occur if I am checking the assignment for accuracy. There will be a turn-in 
bin, one for each period, for students to place their homework assignments. The second 
process will be if I want to go over the homework as a class or check for completion. During 
warm-up, I will have students take out their homework and I will go around to check it as 
students work. Homework, in this case, will not be turned into the teacher.  
 
● Late or missed work- I want my students to have the opportunity to turn in any missing or 
late assignment as long as the work was done in the same quarter. So first quarter items can 
only be turned in during first quarter, then so on. After the due date, there will be 10% taken 
away from any assignment turned in up to a week after. After that week, students may turn it 
in any time that quarter for partial credit not to exceed higher than B. All worksheets worked 
on in class can be found in the “extras” folder in the classroom. There students can find any 

 
Terah Minor-Jones 
October 17, 2018 
missed work or assignments from that quarter in that folder. Students will be expected to 
collect their missing work from this folder when they arrive the next day from being absent 
or when they realize the are missing an assignment on Schoology. Missed quizzes and/or 
test can be made up and missed pop-quizzes will be replaced with an extra homework 
assignment. 

● Participation in classroom discussions- I would like to set the classroom norm of students 
being expected to participate in classroom discussions. I will have classroom set of 
classroom color-coated popsicle sticks that will have a number on each stick. The 
color-coated portion will be used for other purposes, but the numbers would be used when I 
need to randomly call on students when participation in class is lacking. Each student will be 
sitting at a numbered desk, if the popsicle that I choose has the same number that a 
student’s desk has, then that student would be expected to participate in class.   

● Extra help- I will be around for 30 minutes before class, the lunch time of the grade I am 
teaching that day, and for an hour after school by appointment. I will also schedule make up 
assignment days where students can work individually on missing or re-doing assignments. 
During this time, students can schedule a 7 minute conference me to discuss anything at all. 

● Lack of student success (low or failing grades)- I will speak to the student privately if they 
are on the edge of failing. During this meeting, I will let the student know of their grade and 
why I am concerned. Then we will try to some up with a technique or solution to use to 
remedy the or part of issue causing the low marks. We will schedule a date in the further 
monitor and track progression, if any at all. I will also give the student all the assignments 
they could re-do and re-submit for a better grade. If the student continues to do poorly then 
I will ask the student if they would feel comfortable talking to another staff member about 
the reasons why their marks are low. Ideally, making a future plan for success with someone 
that doesn't know you could be easier. If the low marks persist, then I will have to call 
guardian, mom(s) and/or dad(s). 

Student Behavior:   

● Minor disruptions (Talking/calling out)- I will set the class norm that when I raise my hand 
in class, everyone else must quiet themselves and raise their hand to follow suite. I will use 
this method to control the talking and calling out. I will explicitly say when it it is okay to 
talk with a partner about an assignment. With teacher proximity, will walking around the 
classroom to encourage students to stay on task. 

● Conflicts with classmates- First, I will always ask students to re-center: take a deep breath, 
take a walk. etc. If this does not work, then students will be separate for the remainder of 
class if they are having a conflict. If this becomes a pattern, student’s desk and assign seating 

 
Terah Minor-Jones 
October 17, 2018 
may change in order to keep them separated. If the problem persist, then a call home will be 
made as well as a call to administration in order for them to support me in this matter.  

● Expectations (rules) for student behavior – list no more than five 

o I WILL - treat others the way I’d want to be treated. 

o I WILL - respect the classroom and treat it like my own home. 

o I WILL - arrive to class ready to work with journal, homework, and a writing utensil. 

o I WILL - put my best foot forward everyday and strive to be the best that I can be. 

● Consequences – The overall skeleton for handling consequences will be: first, ask the 
student to fix themselves and explain why I do not want the certain behavior. I know 
behavior is something that has to be practiced, so I will allow three verbal warning, but if the 
matter continues, then the warnings will become written referral accompanied with a call 
home. Lastly, if necessary, I will have one-to-one conferences during lunch or after school 
detention for those who need time to reflect. If absolutely necessary, I will inform 
administration involved, but only if I do not see any other option.  

Teacher Behavior:   

● What teacher behaviors will you pay attention to in planning and delivering your 
lessons in order to limit student behavior issues? 

I tend to ask questions assuming that others are aware of where my question derives from. 
When planning lessons, I will keep in mind that my middle schoolers may need concepts and ideas 
broken down for them into simplistic forms for understanding. If concepts are too abstract, 
students may get bored and that is where attention and behavioral issues start to arise. I will also try 
to create as many engaging and physically moving lesson plans as possible so that there will be 
planned and purposeful movement and conversation.   

● What actions will you take to build mutual respect and positive relationships? 

I want my classroom to feel like “home-base”. If middle school was a giant, three-year-long 
game of tag, I’d want my students to know that they can come in my classroom and feel safe. In 
order for them to feel that way,we will need to establish a mutual respect for each other early. The 
students and myself will have class contract that everyone must respect, including me. When we 
have enrichment and class discussions while practice active listening and allow peers to speak 
without interruption.  

● How will you avoid escalating student behaviors? 

 
Terah Minor-Jones 
October 17, 2018 
I would like to start fresh with my students, allowing everyday to be a new day for us to put 
our best foot forward. As the adult in the classroom, I know stooping to the student’s level of 
escalation will only worsen the situation. I will simply ask him or her to take a walk and meet me 
outside of the classroom. There, I hope to be as genuine as possible when I express my concern 
with the behavior. Middle school was rough for me; I want to do my part with helping it become a 
smoother process.