Mollie Deuel's Teaching Portfolio

Having classroom expectations and routines that are explicitly outlined for students is essential to getting your classroom running like a well-oiled machine. Expectations minimize disruptions and wasted time as well as give everyone in the classroom behavioral guidelines and norms to reference when they are in the classroom.  Not only do I plan on coming up with and teaching a set of expectations and routines, I also intend to give my students a well thought out rationale of why having them is important. I also believe that the students should have some say in establishing the classroom expectations and norms, so I will provide them with a few that I have come up with and allow them to add to my list, as long as there is a consensus agreement.  Along with having my students come up with some expectations for themselves, I also intend to let them come up with a few expectations they have of me as their teacher.  I feel like this will give them a feeling of autonomy and will also allow me to keep myself in check to make sure I am upholding my end of the relationship.  By explicitly setting up expectations and routines in the beginning of the year and enforcing them throughout the year, I will save a lot of time on reprimanding students and be able to maintain a certain level of order in our classroom.

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Expectations & Behavioral Norms:

There will be four expectations outlined below along with scripting pertaining to how I will introduce each expectation to the class.  The expectations that I have come up with include:

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1) Be Respectful

2) Be Responsible

3) Maintain a growth mindset

4) Appropriate and Respectful Use of Technology.  

 

I will explain all of these expectations on the first day of class after doing a few team building exercises to get the students feeling a little more comfortable with each other (see team-building exercises under Entree 2). After I go over the four expectations that I've come up with for the students, I will open the floor to the students to create more expectations, if they wish, for themselves and their peers, as well as up to three expectations per class period that they have of me as a teacher.  I will then combine any overlapping expectations that each period came up with and compile a list of "Student Expectations" and "Teacher Expectations."  I will create a Piktochart infographic of student and teacher expectations once they are finalized, print them out and display them somewhere in the classroom so that everyone can remind themselves of the expectations and use the posters as a reference throughout the year.  For an example of the student infographic created on Piktochart click HERE.  When I am going over the four expectations that I've created I'll have them on a PowerPoint so the whole class can see them while I'm explaining them.  Below are the four expectations that I have come up with and scripting to outline how I will present them to students:

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*Note: Italics means script

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Now that we've broken the ice a little, I'd like to move into setting up expectations and behavioral norms for our classroom that we will abide by for the rest of the year.  I have come up with four expectations that I have for you all and when I'm done explaining those I will let you add any other expectations for yourselves and your peers if you would like or deem necessary; as well as create some expectations that you all have of me.  Before we begin I'd like you all to turn to your elbow partner (they'll be sitting two to a lab bench) and quickly discuss why you think it is important for us to set up behavioral expectations for our class.  I'll give you two minutes starting now.

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After two minutes has passed... Okay, by a show of hands who would like to tell me why setting expectations is important (At this point I will call on students and facilitate a conversation about why having expectations for our class is important.)

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The first expectation I've come up with is:

Be Respectful

I expect you all to be respectful to one another, respectful to me as your teacher, respectful to the classroom environment, and most importantly respectful to yourself in regards to your learning.  This classroom is our little community for the rest of the year and while I'm not saying I need everyone to be best friends, I do expect that we are exhibiting a mutual respect for one another and our environment other so that we all feel safe and comfortable to learn together in here.  

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Who can give me an example of what "being respectful to your peers might look like?" (students will raise their hands and I will call on them to give their answers).  Great, being respectful looks like listening quietly to your peers and not interrupting them.  It also pertains to using appropriate and positive language towards one another.  You will be doing a lot of collaborative assignments and labs in here over the next year, so being able to work with your peers is going to be a very imperative.

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Who can give me an example of what "being respectful to me might look like?" (students will raise their hands and I will call on them to give their answers).  Yes, please don't interrupt me when I am trying to talk and when you see me trying to get your attention quiet down as quickly as you can so I don't have to continually yell over you.  I also expect that you use appropriate language with me, i.e. no swearing or disrespectful language, and if you ever feel like you don't understand something that I've taught or assigned please trust that I want to help you succeed and come to me instead of disregarding an assignment.  

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Who can give me an example of what "being respectful to your classroom environment might look like?" (students will raise their hands and I will call on them to give their answers).  Exactly, please leave the classroom as clean if not cleaner than you found it.  If you have trash, please make sure it finds its way to one of the three trash cans in the room before you leave.  Also, we will be using lots of different lab equipment so please make sure that everything is clean and neatly put away before you leave for the day as well.

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Who can give me an example of what "being respectful to yourself might look like?" (students will raise their hands and I will call on them to give their answers).  Great, take care of yourself inside and outside of school.  Also, put fourth your best effort and again please don't let yourself fall behind or be confused about anything.  I am here to support each and every one of you like I said earlier and I want nothing more than to see you all succeed!

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The second expectation I have of you is:

Be Responsible

This means be responsible for yourself and your own learning.  Please be on time and come prepared to every class with a pen, your binders and your laptops CHARGED.  I also expect you all to have whatever assignments that are due turned in on time, otherwise come talk to me if you think you need an extension or extra help.  If you miss an assignment, I expect you to grab your makeup work from the makeup work folder for your class over there on the wall (teacher will point to makeup work folder for each class).  If you are absent I will paperclip the work you missed with your name on it and put it in that folder for you to pick up whenever you return.  I will also post assignments for each day on blackboard so you can get a head start on them if you'd like before you return to class.  You are all old enough now so that I shouldn't have to remind you a million times to get work that you missed and to turn in any assignments.  I will make general announcements about due dates and have all due dates up on Blackboard, but it is your responsibility to keep track of those dates and hand in assignments accordingly.  It is important that you learn to take responsibility for yourself now while you still have me as a support because it will help you become more organized and responsible in the future when you either get a job or go to college and begin living on your own.   It will also minimize a lot of time wasted in the beginning of classes if you come prepared and ready to learn every day.

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The third expectation I have of you all is:

Maintain a Growth Mindset

Has anyone heard of a growth mindset before or know what I'm referring to when I say "Growth mindset?" (Students attempt to answer) Okay, you're all on the right track.  So a growth mindset means that you believe your ability to do well in anything can be improved with hard work, perseverance and the will to want to do better.  Think of any challenging moments as moments of growth, not moments of defeat.  I want you to feel challenged with the material you will be learning in this class, because then that is a sign of growth and you all have the ability to achieve great things not only in the context of this class, but in every other aspect of your lives.  I want you all to take any feedback that I give you in here as a positive thing and apply it to your future work in here.  

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The last expectation that I have come up with is:

Appropriate and Respectful use of technology

I know that technology use in the classroom now-a-days in inevitable and I intend to utilize it a lot because I do believe that you all benefit from it.   You are all very technology literate and I would like to use that to our advantage from time to time for various activities and assignments. However, I ask that you all use your best judgement about when and what technology use is appropriate. I do not want to see you all on social media, texting or making phone calls in here while we are engaged in learning. When students are engaged in their technology at times when they are supposed to be engaged in learning, they will miss out on important directions and tasks. That can become a huge time sink. I do understand that using cell phones has become engrained in our daily lives and it is hard for most people to go a full 90 minutes without checking their phones at all.  So to this, I will give you all at least one to two cell phone breaks that are about a minute long throughout each class during transitions. This expectation also pertains to the appropriate use of your computers. I do expect you to have your laptops with you every day and charged when you arrive to class. However, I only want to see you on them when I have assigned work online and while you are working online, you should not be browsing the internet for topics other than the assigned task at hand.  As with inappropriate cell phone usage, this can be a huge time sink.  

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Are there any questions about the expectations that I have set up for you all this year? (students will respond and I'll answer their questions).  Okay, now does anyone want to add any expectations to the list I've created for yourself and your peers? (students will either add on expectations or be content with the expectations I've given them).  Now I want you guys to come up with a maximum of three expectations that you all have of me.  I'm going to elicit up to three expectations for me as the teacher from each class period and then combine them into one long list so that I can print off teacher expectations along with student expectations and then hang them up in the front of the class for everyone to see throughout the year. (I will facilitate the students in creating fair and appropriate behavioral expectations and norms of myself).

 

Okay great! Thank you all for helping me with these. If at any time anyone, including myself, seems to be behaving in a way that contradicts the behavioral expectations and norms that we have just set up, either I or any of you should address the misbehavior immediately (see entree 4 for how I will address misbehaviors).  I like to think I am very open to feedback so while I expect you to accept my feedback as a positive thing, I will also welcome your feedback to me pertaining to any of the behavior expectations and norms you have all set for me.

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Routines

I have outlined four routines below that I will teach to students on the first day of class after we go over expectations.  the following topics highlight what each routine covers:

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1) Cell Phones

2) Turning In Completed Assignments and Obtaining Missed Assignments

3) Bathroom Use

4) Getting Student's attention

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Creating and explicitly explaining these routines on the first day of class will hopefully decrease the amount of time lost during class due to unnecessary interruptions. I plan on not only telling the students what each routine is with a rationale for why I've created them, I also intend on modeling each routine for the students and explicitly pointing out different resources while I go over them, so there are no misconceptions. Having routines will create a sense of comfort for students, because they will know what to expect on a daily basis and they will help set the tone for a certain level of predictability when they walk through the door.  These four routines will be the foundational routines I set up in the beginning of the year, but I also intend to create more as the year goes on.  Once I get more in touch with what the students need to operate at their best and to help smooth transitions in class even further then I will create more routines that are tailored to each class.  Below are in depth explanations of the four initial routines.

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1) Cell Phones

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I’d like to have boxes in the middle of every table, where students will put their silenced cell phones when they enter the classroom.  The box will be a simple opaque box (see entree 1 for a photo example) and within the first two minutes of every class I will expect students to have their phones turned to silent and place them in the box.  This way they will be able to keep their phones at their desks, but it will be pretty apparent to me if they’re opening the boxes and taking out their phones in the middle of class. I plan on having at least one to two minute-long cellphone break towards the middle of each class, probably during a transition period, so that the students won’t be tempted to look at their phones during instruction.  I will also create the expectation that if I have to ask them more than once to put their phones away then they will have to place it in the phone box on my desk until the end of class. (See entree 4 for a further description of this response to a misbehavior). I will of course make an exception if someone is waiting on an important call or text, but they will have to let me know at the beginning of class if that is the case.  It is my hope that this routine will lessen the temptation or at least the likelihood of students using their phones at inappropriate times during class and possibly give them the tools they need to self-regulate their need to be on their phones out of the classroom as well. 

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2) Turning In Completed Assignments and Obtaining Missed Assignments

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At the front of the classroom next to the table where some of the work for the day will be displayed (see Entree 1 floor layouts) there will be bins for turning in completed assignments (see image below).  There will be separate "turn in bins" for each class period that I will check at the end of every day. Any assignments done in class that need to be turned in will go into the bins when students have completed them.  I will have all assignments that are done outside of class, be due before class begins.  I will have a bin designated for each class and the rule will be that students have to turn in their assignments as they walk into class.   Utilizing the turn in bins for all assignments will lesson any confusion about where students should place their completed work and won't leave room for excuses that they turned it in somewhere else. Having assignments that were to be done outside of class due at the beginning of the class period will lessen the temptation for students to complete that work during the class period when they have other assignments to be doing at that time.  

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If a student misses any work, there will be folders in a crate, one folder per each class period, that will have student's missed assignments in them.  I will take note of each student that was absent every period of every day and create a packet of assignments they missed with their name and a little note explaining what they missed.  This way we won't waste time when the student returns looking for the past assignments and trying to figure out exactly what they missed.  This will also allow student to take responsibility for their own learning (see expectation 2) and to promote self-efficacy in the students.

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3) Bathroom Policy

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When I first introduce the bathroom policy, I will let the students know that I will always say yes if they need to use the bathroom.  My rule however is that only one student is allowed to go at a time as I will only have one bathroom pass (see image below). I will explain to them that if they can wait until a transition time or a time where I am not giving direct instruction that would be ideal, but if it’s an emergency I will always let them go.  They are adults and I do not believe that they should be deprived of using the bathroom if they really have to go.  They will need to ask me first so I know who is out of the room and can keep track of the one student out at a time policy.  If there is a wait, then I will write down student's names on the board in the order they ask.  Students will also have five minutes maximum to use the bathroom.  If I notice that students are beginning to abuse their bathroom privileges, then I will address it with that student one on one and come up with an arrangement that we both think is fair for their future bathroom use (explained further in entree 4).

 

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4) Getting the Student’s Attention

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I am going to introduce three different tactics for getting the student's attention on the first day. I believe that having established routines for getting students attention will lessen the need for me to yell over students when I am trying to get their attention and will lesson time wasted by not trying to get their attention in an unestablished way every time.  I will demonstrate all three tactics to them and will state that they should keep their eyes and ears open for each of the three cues.

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        i) The first tactic I will use is a Zen Chime.  I will demonstrate what it sounds like for the students so they are familiar with                it.  I like this chime because the sound it makes is very relaxing and very unobtrusive.  I don't want students to think                    that I am angrily trying to get their attention ever so I can continue to promote a positive classroom environment.

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        ii) The second tactic I would like to use is a fun animation that has a tune along with it that I can project on the board and             through the speakers.  Below is an example of one which is a very ridiculous animated baby dancing to the song                        "gangam style", which I think most students will get a kick out of and I plan on using it if I think the students are in need             of a good laugh.  I will likely switch up which animation I show, but still teach students that if they ever see something                 like this start playing up on the board that I would like their undivided attention. This is yet another way I would like to               promote a fun, happy environment and possibly lift some student's spirits.

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         iii) The third tactic I plan on using is turning off the lights when I would like their attention.  I like the idea of turning off                   half of the lights so I don't startle anyone (hopefully we'll also have natural light coming in through some windows)                     and it turning off lights will hopefully have a calming effect on some of the students as well.

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References

• Classroom management & culture: 2010. (2010). United States: Teach for America.

• Classroom Organization: Managing Student Absences. (n.d.). Retrieved May 01, 2017, from http://www.craftyteacherlady.com/2015/03/classroom-organization-managing-student.html

• Create Easy Infographics, Reports, Presentations | Piktochart. (n.d.). Retrieved May 01, 2017, from https://piktochart.com/

• Lemov, D. (2015). Systems and Routines. InTeach like a champion 2.0: 62 techniques that put students on the path to college (349-376). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

• Organization?! (2012, May 01). Retrieved May 01, 2017, from https://tothesquareinch.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/organization/

• Stopera, D. S. (n.d.). 26 Hall Passes That Will Make You Laugh Way Harder Than You Should. Retrieved May 01, 2017, from https://www.buzzfeed.com/daves4/just-take-the-plantain?utm_term=.ia85DlKVE#.vfM52vezo

• T. (2013, February 24). PSY- Gangnam Style Baby Dance Animation in Daz3D. Retrieved April 27, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5BD3wr7joE

• Weinstein, C. S., & Novodvorsky, I. (2015). Establishing Expectations for Behavior. In Middle and secondary classroom management: lessons from research and practice (94-11). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education.

• Woodstock Environments Collection ZENERGY Solo Zenergy Chime. (n.d.). Retrieved April 27, 2017, from http://www.westmusic.com/p/woodstock-enviroments-collection-zenergy-solo-zenergy-chime-200454?origin=product search&utm_source=googlebase&utm_medium=comparsionshopping&aff=5115&gclid=CNfE3qa779ICFUtYDQod2kIN2A