Hi Everyone, Thanks for the powerful suggestions. 1. Yes, Wong's book is awesome. That's where I got the consequences, rewards, etc. a. Do any of you send home a Rules Acknowledgement form like he has in the book. 2. The kiddos I'm teaching next year do not have any (known ;>) learning disabilities. 3. The theme for the school year is also the 10 Commandments, so that's a great tie-in, too, with classroom expectations, etc. (It's a private Christian school). 4. Lastly, has anyone used Craftplus Daily Writing Lessons?
Thanks so much! -Nancy ________________________________ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Sunday, August 16, 2009 9:00:02 AM Subject: lit Digest, Vol 46, Issue 7 Send lit mailing list submissions to [email protected] To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit http://mail.literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/lit_literacyworkshop.org or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to [email protected] You can reach the person managing the list at [email protected] When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific than "Re: Contents of lit digest..." Today's Topics: 1. posting rules and consequences...the downside (Amy Lesemann) 2. Re: Introduction and Questions (Bill IVEY) ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Message: 1 Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 12:55:20 -0400 From: Amy Lesemann <[email protected]> Subject: [LIT] posting rules and consequences...the downside To: [email protected] Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Dear Nancy - I have taught for about 15 or so years (I've lost track!), and I agree with those who suggest that the students should have input regarding class rules. The teacher that I just helped to interview (thanks for the input, folks!) had a very good idea: start with the kind of classroom that the kids want to have. What is important to THEM, and ask them how we can get that kind of a classroom? So if it's important to them that they feel safe and respected, what does everyone need to do? Perhaps the first right of all students might be: We will all feel that we important here - when we are called on in class, we can talk without being interrupted by other people. OK, I didn't phrase that very well. You can do better! But you see what I mean? The teacher suggested a Bill of Student Rights, making sure that the kids understood that to get there, specific behaviors are necessary. You might want a little cheat sheet in front of you before you start...so you can kind of lead them where you want them to go. With learning disabled kids, you'll want very clear language. It has to be short. I agree that there should NOT be consequences listed right now, because you'll need to fit the consequences to the actions and to the kid. Fair is not always the same to every kid, because every kid is radically different esp. in your new classroom. If you know a kid has ADD, and you suspect junior is off his meds that morning, you'll need to adapt - and if you've written up consequences, you may have a rebellion on your hands. Sometimes a teacher has to be more of a Philosopher King /Benevelont Dictator than we really want to be...I know, I know...we always are in charge anyway! But you really REALLY have to adapt with these kids! Good luck...been there, done that, feel free to write to me at [email protected] Amy -- Amy Lesemann, Director, Independent Learning Center, St. Thomas the Apostle School ------------------------------ Message: 2 Date: Sat, 15 Aug 2009 23:33:32 -0400 From: "Bill IVEY" <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [LIT] Introduction and Questions To: "A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades." <[email protected]> Cc: [email protected] Message-ID: <[email protected]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi! Welcome to the list, Nancy. I look forward to hearing all you have to say. :-) I also teach in a private school (7th grade Humanities, and middle and upper school Rock Bands), and do not in fact post rules at the beginning of the year. The students themselves write them. Their first homework assignment is to make a list about what effective teachers do, and their second assignment is to make a list about what effective students do. We discuss each list, and then I tell them they need to write up a list of rules for the classroom - no more than six. This gives them early practice at collaboration, analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and more. We do the list in a word processor, projected on a screen, so by the end of the class period I have the rules posted in the classroom, signed by all students and by me. It seems to work pretty well. The idea is based loosely on Mark Springer's "Soundings" classroom. Take care, Bill Ivey Stoneleigh-Burnham School ------------------------------ _______________________________________________ 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. End of lit Digest, Vol 46, Issue 7 ********************************** _______________________________________________ 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
