I have been meaning to do this for about a month (or two). It is hardly refined, but at least it is written out now. As more reflections come my way, I will try to refine this.
BAD
1. I discussed that "at times, I won't be ready to go right at the bell (which is true for all teachers), thus I define tardy by when I close the classroom door." --The students took that as permission to be out of their seats until I closed the door. My "opener" activities were not enough to prompt students to be working when the bell rings. Only now have I been able to get the students on track with "Tardy is when you are not in your seat working when the bell rings." This process still needs revision. I need to be sure my opener is ready to go right away, so the students are silently working at time start.
2. I did not press how strongly I believe students need to be in their seats until the bell rings at the end of class. I am still figuring out how to get them to remain seated until the end of class. (Any tips would be appreciated)
3. I described my "paper passing procedure" --This was a total waste of time, as I rearranged my desks two weeks after school started.
4. I took too long to assign seats. --On the flip side, the two/three weeks of "student chosen seats" was pretty informative for me.
5. I gave the students a worksheet to fill out... Stuff like favorite food, movie, sports team, etc. I borrowed this from Dan Meyer. --In retrospect, I should wait a little longer in the year before handing this out. The students were still shy and reserved. They couldn't open up to me on a personal level yet, so the information from this worksheet is minimal at best.
GOOD
1. I labeled each desk with a "blue tape" sticker. When I called the student name, they responded with the label. I wrote this down (B2, A7, C4, etc.) next to their name. That night, I made a seating chart from the information they provided. It used no class time (beyond ordinary role call). I then put each students name/picture on a notecard. Next to their name, I put their seating position code (B2, A7, etc.). For the next two weeks, I used the notecards to call on the students. The notecards cued me to where to look in the room. It helped me memorize names faster (and the students did not know that I was still memorizing).
2. I gave a presentation on me, to show who I was as a person to the students. This was a good idea, but was done to early in the year. I will probably do this 6 or 7 days in next year.
My overall reflection. Less "sappy" stuff to start off with. Straight to content and procedures. More modeling activities that happen through out the year. Don't hand out the syllabus on the first day. Don't make/print seating charts until after the first week, but definitely before the third week.
I can go on... and should. But I have papers to grade.
If you want them to stay in their seats until the bell rings, give an exit ticket daily...hand it out 5 minutes before the end of class. Two ways to dismiss with exit tickets: 1. As students finish, they hold it up and you collect it. When it's collected, they're dismissed to stand by the door until the bell rings. Pros: you can purposely keep annoying people in their seat by picking up their tickets last. Cons: about half the class is crowded at the door by the time the bell rings. 2. Station yourself by the door and have students hand you their exit ticket as they exit. Pros: Much calmer for the teacher since you're not running around all crazy. Cons: Have to be really hard core about the exact minute they are allowed to leave their seat (usually one minute or two before the bell rings). Constant offenders (people who get up early) have to wait til everyone leaves to turn in their ticket. Hope this helps! Hope you post more frequently!!
ReplyDeleteCassie, I tried the exit tickets. I used them regularly in my student teaching, and started the year with them. But, in the end, I found I was generating more paperwork than I was capable of handling.
ReplyDeleteI think next year, when I have more of my curriculum organized, I will re-add them. My department tends to require "many many quizzes." Quiz grading on top of exit-tickets would absorb too much time. I have to master speedy grading.
I would like to see some of your exit tickets...And how you grade them. Do you include the grades in the grade book? I know your stance on what should be counted towards the grade. What about people who are absent, are they accountable for the exit ticket?
It *is* a ton of paperwork...and I give a beginning of class quiz 2-3 days a week, too. I put the exit tickets in the grade book, but the grade gets "changed" as soon as they take a quiz on the same topic...and then changed again after the test on the same material.
DeleteI grade them with a letter grade (ABCN). When people are absent, I don't worry about it. Since they'll have (at minimum) three chances to earn a grade for that skill, absences don't make a big difference for me. I don't even make them make up quizzes because they'll get assessed on the same skill again later. I'll email you a unit's worth of exit tickets...I'd love to get your feedback.