Dear Nancy, It has been my experience to start the year off with positive expectations. Don't get too preachy about consequences yet. Have the students work cooperatively to develop rules that they feel are needed in a classroom to support learning. Chart them. There may be a lot so fine tune them throughout the week until you get 5 good rules to live by. I believe when kids are a part of the process you get better results.
Check out Responsive Classroom for some more ideas for beginning the school year. I know it now has a middle school component worth checking out. It is a great resource for developing a caring classroom. Now consequences, another discussion to take place as you notice that kids are not following their own rules. Alice Cortigiano John Martinez Magnet School "Where the Sun Always Shines" -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Nancy Carroll Sent: Friday, August 14, 2009 6:57 PM To: [email protected] Subject: [LIT] Introduction and Questions Hello Everyone, I'm new to the list (although not new to middle school). I'm grateful I found this listserv just in time for back-to-school! Your posts thus far have been awesome. For the last few years I taught students at schools for kiddos with language learning disabilities. This year I'm starting a new job as a 6-8 teacher at a private school. Because the school is so small, I will be teaching all subjects except computers, P.E., art, and social studies. In the past, I've always clearly posted the rules, consequences, and rewards. This summer I taught at a private school and only had the class rules posted. Management was pretty easy (but I had class sizes from 3-9). However, this year, I'm debating as to whether to post the consequences and rewards. When I taught students with learning disabilities, many of them had other issues (i.e. ADD, ADHD, Aspergers) so it was necessary for the rules, consequences, and rewards to be very specific. Or do I start the year with the consequences and rewards posted, and then take it away if I don't need it? My class size will be 18. I would love input. Finally, this will be my seventh year teaching- so I'm wondering maybe as a newer teacher that I needed the consequences posted at that stage in my career. I have great classroom management now, as compared to when I first started teaching! ;> I Would love to hear from sage teachers how you've grown and changed in your management style, teaching of reading, etc. Thank you, Nancy Carroll _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive _______________________________________________ The Literacy Workshop ListServ http://www.literacyworkshop.org To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/lit_literacyworkshop.org. Search the LIT archives at http://snipurl.com/LITArchive
