WHOOPS! Binder

Every year, I struggle to find ways to handle the students who are not prepared for class and do not complete homework assignments.  I've tried behavior contracts, sticker charts - EVERYTHING.  I don't find them useful.  As much as I love rewarding my students, I have a hard time justifying rewarding students ALL THE TIME for things they should just DO - like turning in assignments. Other teachers in my school send students to the hallway to finish assignments if they are not completed, but I just can't send 10-12 students out of class every day.

I found the "No Homework Binder" idea on pinterest the other day. Loved it - and just tweaked it a little for my purposes.  Basically, you make a copy of the binder page for each student, hole punch, and place in a binder.   When a student comes to class unprepared, he or she flips to their assigned page and marks the Date, Assignment, and REASON for not completing homework.

CLICK HERE to download a copy of the Binder Page. 

I think that this will be a great tool to use to keep records of which students are chronic homework-forgetters. It may not be a huge reward or consequence for homework behaviors, but it certainly would also be useful to have on hand during Parent-Teacher Conferences to show documentation of those students' habits.  I like that the page asks the student to list the REASON for not completing the homework assignment.  This way, you can look for solutions to this problem that are more specific to the reasons that student is failing to complete work. Is Daniel just leaving it at school? Does Susie FINISH her assignment, but leave it at home on the kitchen counter? Maybe Kyle doesn't do his assignment because he was at soccer practice.... If that is listed twenty times in the Binder this term, his parents need to know that extracurriculars are interfering with his schoolwork.

CLICK HERE to download a copy of my WHOOPS! Binder Cover (above) as well.

Sign Language Signals

There is nothing that bugs me more than students getting up out of their seats during the middle of a lesson. Strike that... There is nothing that bugs me more than when I call on a student who is raising his hand during a lesson, thinking maybe he'll ask a great question or offer an answer and he distracts the whole class by asking, "Can I go to the bathroom?"

A few years ago, I taught my class a few simple letters in sign language.  During a lesson, I have my students raise their hands with the specific letter to let me know WHY they are raising their hands. If I'm in he middle of teaching, I can make eye contact with the student, quickly respond with a "YES" or a "NO" in sign language to let them know if it is an appropriate time to go to the restroom, sharpen a pencil, grab a tissue, or get something out of their backpack.


I've created a few signs that I post near the front of my room to remind students of the letters and their meanings.  CLICK HERE to download the signs.  I print them on bright colored card stock, mount them on black, and make sure I reteach and review often!


CLICK HERE for the "Yes" and "No" posters.

PE Rules & Consequences

PE is a time when it's okay for kids to get a little rowdy, but it doesn't mean that there shouldn't be rules and behavior expectations for your time in the gym.  For those of you LUCKY enough to not have PE specialists at your school...(or for those of you who are PE specialists), here are the Rules and Consequences that I've found successful for my sixth graders in the past. I'm sure they'd work just great for any elementary school class.

CLICK HERE to download PE Rules & Consequences Signs.

CLICK HERE to download the Time Out Sign.

I print my signs on card stock and laminate. I also laminate another strip of card stock and staple it across the back so that I can slip my signs onto cones in the gym for quick reminders.


RULES

1. Freeze, Look, & Listen:  The first time I take my class to the gym, I teach them to "freeze". When I blow a whistle, I expect students to turn their feet (and whole body) toward the teacher. Their hands are on their knees and voices are OFF.  If they have a ball, jump rope, etc., they hold their equipment in their in their hands and their ELBOWS are on their knees.  I practice the freeze by having students skip around the gym and blow my whistle.  Be sure to move around the gym yourself and have the kids practice turning to face you. This usually takes about five minutes to perfect - but DON'T stop freezing until you are 100% satisfied with your results! Make them do it over and over and over.
2. Respect Others: This is pretty self-explanatory. I ask the students for suggestions on what this might mean in the gym, and I usually get responses like "playing fair", "following the rules of the game", "being safe", "keeping hands and feet to yourself", "taking good care of the equipment", etc. 
3. Do Your Best: Every student needs to participate in every activity. Even if you have students who are self-conscious, explain that they just need to do their "best"!
4. Have Fun!

CONSEQUENCES

1. Warning/Reminder: Verbal reminder of the rule from the teacher.  These could be our general PE rules or a rule for a specific game or activity.
2. First Time Out: Set up a specific "Time Out Zone".  I usually put a cone in one corner of the gym with one of my TIME OUT SIGNS on it. (CLICK HERE to download Time Out Sign).  Students need to sit and face the corner so they are not distracted by students, and more importantly - not distracting the rest of the class.  For the FIRST Time Out, I allow my students to come back whenever they are ready.  If that means they sit and stand right back up - that's fine, as long as they recommit to following the rules.
3. Second Time Out: When a student breaks a rule and returns to play after their First Time Out, they recommit to following all PE Rules.  However, if the student breaks another rule, he or she must go to Time Out again, and this time - they are stuck there until the end of the period.
4. Student/Teacher Conference: The student is out for the rest of your PE time at the Second Time Out, but if a specific child is getting into Second Time Out EVERY day/week...something else needs to be done.  Talk with your student to find out what is causing behavior problems in the gym and see if you can find another solution!

Teaching Procedures

No matter how many times your undergrad education professors may tell you to "explicitly teach and review simple classroom procedures throughout the entire school year", every teacher ends up learning this lesson the hard way.  I know it may not make a difference, but to any of you NEW teachers out there - here is a great checklist of things you may not think of TEACHING to your students.  But even kids in the upper grades don't remember the simple "how-to"s of going to school sometimes.

It's important that you know the answers to all these questions before kids walk in your door. And EQUALLY important that you go over all of your classroom procedures frequently.  As annoying and time consuming it seems to you as the teacher, I've seen the negative outcomes of letting things fall by the wayside.  Trust me - you'll be glad you spent all of September with these come April...

 

 CLICK HERE for the Procedure Check List (credit to Katie Jones)

CLICK HERE for ANOTHER Procedure Check List to cross reference (credit to Rachel Lynette)

Give Me Five

Attention signals are an important part of any classroom. I also think it's important that you use several attention signals so that one doesn't get overused and "burnt out", resulting in student disengagement.

One of my favorite attention signals is "Give Me Five".  CLICK HERE to download a file that could be used to create a bulletin board or to post signs as student reminders.

Here's how it works: When the teacher requires the attention of the whole class, he or she raises one hand to show the number five and says, "Give Me Five".  Student respond by silently raising one of their hands and mirroring the "Give Me Five" signal so that any students who might have not heard the teacher will recognize that the class is giving attention to the teacher.

Make sure your students sit up and give their attention!

Obviously...

Eyes are on the TEACHER (not a book, or a paper, or a friend).

Materials are put down and one hand is up.

No one is talking except the teacher.

Be sure to explicitly teach your class what "Give Me Five" really means: The following signs represent FIVE behaviors that must be exhibited when their hand is raised to show that they are ready and respectful for further direction.  Remind the students that each of their five fingers is raised to show the teacher that they are following all FIVE of the behavior expectations for this attention signal.

A Visit from the Desk Fairy

Yesterday, I told my class that I heard this rumor...that the DESK FAIRY was going to stop by our classroom this week! Our very mature, sixth grade discussion went something like this:

"Does she work for the tooth fairy?"
"I think it's her cousin."
"Does the Desk Fairy bring presents? Or MONEY?"
"I lost my first tooth in an ice cream cone..."
"Can I throw this away?"
"Can she fly...?"
"Is the present candy? Or sugar related?"
"Do I need to keep my math journal? It's full and testing is over..."
"We all know she's YOU, Miss Melville. Just tell us what you want us to do! Geez!"

I just shrugged my shoulders and my class spent the following ten minutes straightening up. The next morning, I check every desk to find the cleanest, most organized set of sixth grade desks that I've ever seen. I taped a small piece of candy in each desk and left the following note.  (CLICK HERE to download).

Here's the discussion this morning:

"She came!"
"I love the Desk Fairy!"
"When is she coming again?"
"I'm going to keep my desk so clean. I'll be ready whenever she wants to come. She might even love how clean my desk is - she'll leave TWO candies. ...What? It's true."