Managing Student Work:

When students were done with their work, they would turn it into the red bin located on Mrs. Gunderson’s desk. In the beginning of the year, several
students needed to be reminded of what to do when they were done with their work. By week end of week two students knew the system and knew
where to put their finished work. The work that was being turned in was their writing, and art projects.

Handing back student work was rare, as not a lot was turned in. Their writing was kept for conferences and their art was hung up. Next to the
mailboxes was a bin for handback papers. This is where finishes and corrected work was put if there was any. Also, any updates or announcements
were put in this bin.

When students were gone, all the work that was collected throughout the day was paperclipped together with a cover sheet that says, “We Missed
You!” This would go in the student’s mailbox at the end of the day. Math worksheets, writing, and language arts work would be a part of the missing
work.

Rules and Consequences:

• The first week of school, the entire class created a, No David, rules poster. Together students came
up with rules for the classroom and for each other.
• The class used a behavior chart to monitor their individual behaviors. Along with the behavior
chart is the money system. If a student ends on purple for the day, they get 25 cents. Green=10
cents, yellow= minus 10 cents, red=all money is taken away.
• For individual students, on-task charts were made. These two particular students would earn a,
“Carson head,” or an army guy. In order to earn either, the students would need to be doing their
work, working hard and participating. Once the student reaches five heads or army guys, they will
have met their goal and will get their prize of their choice. Prizes have been extra money, free time,
candy, treasure chest toy, or a break. The on-task charts were created with the teachers and the
student in a meeting. They discussed the reasoning behind the chart
and the expectation that come with the
chart.
Procedures and Routines:
• Lining up: This procedure was taught on the first day. At the end of an activity, Mrs. Gunderson and I would sing this song twice, “Let’s go
let’s go L-E-T-S-G-O, Let’s (clap 4x) Go (clap 4x). By the time the song ended, all students should be lined up. Students eventually were able
to sing along and line up faster than the end of the song.
• Learning row: Students were assigned a spot in the learning row early in the year. The spots were assigned based on Mrs. Gunderson and I’s
observations on who works well together and who doesn’t. We taught students the purpose of the learning
rows and where each student would sit. We had to remind them 2-3 times before each student remembered
where to go.

• Pencil Exchange: Students were to have one pencil at the desk during the day. There was a community
pencil bucket in the back of the room. If a pencil was dull and not sharp, they were to exchange it for a
sharp pencil. The two buckets were labeled with pictures sharp/not sharp.

• Attention chime: On the white board was a wireless, portable door bell. When the doorbell button was
pressed, students were to cross their arms and face the teacher wherever the teacher was standing. When the
teacher was finished giving instructions or directions the code word: Flamingo, would need to be said before
students can continue their work. We practiced this attention chime by holding the doorbell button in different
spots in the room while students were playing math games.
• Calendar: Students were to sit in front of the calendar sitting crisscross-applesauce and on their pockets. The
first 6-8 weeks, the teacher does the calendar procedure. The students are learning the steps of the
process. Eventually, it would be a student’s job to lead calendar.
1. Day of the week
2. Yesterday, today, tomorrow
3. Weather
4. Days in school with place value
5. Money values
6. Sight words
7. Weekly poem
• Morning folders: Right away in the morning, students were to sign in on the smartboard and then begin
their morning folder work. In their morning folder they wrote the day of the week, days in school, built numbers, and wrote spelling words.
Once their work was finished, it was to be checked by a teacher before they could move onto morning tubs. This procedure was taught on day
two of school. We started out my writing answers on the board with students to guide them throughout their work and gradually released
assistance as the days went on.
❖ Students were encouraged to be as independent as possible. It was important that students learn these procedures so that they could
grow independently but also grow as a class
 Pros and Cons of Room Arrangement
Pro’s + Con’s -
• Very well organized • Tight quarters in the calendar area
• Appealing • Learning rows are small
• All materials are accessible to students • Desk arrangements limited with student needs in
• Classroom library is organized and comfortable consideration
• Fun atmosphere
• Math manipulatives are accessible to students
• Organized book boxes
 Learning Rows

Mrs. Gunderson’s
Desk
Writing Center

Reading Corner
Classroom library
Book Boxes

Classroom library

Kidney
Table
Mailboxes

Morning Tubs Listening Center Calendar