elementary school classroom (management)

Managing the minute to minute flow of student interest, questions, reference points

1. Reference: weekdays in which students go to special teacher outside the classroom (art, music, physical education, library).


2. Selecting one student at random: flat wooden sticks with student name written.


3. Behavior codes: students warned about own behavior (green >yellow >red). Students are meant to record this at end of day in parent communication folders.


4. Day & Date: hand-written at top-right of whiteboard (like orienting one's work papers by recording one's name at top-right).


5. Schedule for day (sequence of activities to aid in transitioning and retrospect).


6. Delegating responsibility/status (day's helper: distribute or collect papers, select order of dismissal).


7. Attendance (self-serve): students move own name magnet to the lunch heading: hot, cold, pizza, milk only.


8. Pencil, please: jar of loaner pencils scavanged (likely also set for "self-serve" will be paper: scrap, drawing, lined)


9. Numbers in daily life: calendar, weather, time (yesterday was..., tomorrow will be...), number of instructional days [or days left in the school year]


10& 11. Discretionary time: wide selection of levels and topics and series for reading (or listening) in 10-30 minute times






Not pictured:


a. Tangible rewards - letter O's given to students to collect (trial month, giving out 10 per day; then 5 per day). Gathered in public view. Traded for prizes.


b. Workflow - student "mailboxes" for accumulated daily work produced that students (self-serve) dutifully carry home at end of day.


c. Timeflow - morning meeting to do routines of calendar, weather, day's schedule; end of day "afternoon meeting" as recap & reminder moment.