Summer Improvements on Classroom Management

Guidelines

I've begun working on my guidelines and welcome letter for parents.  The content of my parent letter has only changed a little, as I try my best not to promise a reading of _____ novel because what if I change my mind?  It's mostly devoted to policies and classroom management guidelines that parents should know.

This year, though I did make a big change in how I presented it!  In the past, I just typed it all up with bullet points and one graphic to show the important of reading every single night for homework and then slapped it on purple paper and called it a day. (Actually I've spent a lot of time on my guidelines over the past few years to get it to where I am this year--not wanting to change too much.)  This year, though, it LOOKS spectacular--or soon will.  It still needs some tweaks.  I used the newsletter wizard for word and created my guidelines to look more like a newsletter than just lots of writing.  Mostly the same content with a few tweaks here and there.  I'm pretty pleased with how they're turning out.

Like I said, still needs some tweaking and some proof-reading!  I also want to add some graphics in here as well.  I think that will help it stand out.  To me, it's important that my letter be easy to read and easy to spot.  I teach sixth grade and this is the first year that students begin to switch classes.  They jump from having one teacher all day, and therefore one set of class guidelines, to having six different teachers and six different sets of guidelines, plus P.E. and specials.  

I also send home weekly emails just to keep parents up to date.  They're very brief, but contain some small reminders and homework.  I've made a template that is one page for those weekly messages.  I'm not sure about this, though, because it makes it feel a bit elementary when I start sending home weekly letters like this.

Royal Passes

I have also decided to implement something new in my class.  A few other teachers on our team use Freebie Passes (all have a different name depending on what they teach or their name) where students get a new one each grading period (we have 6 grading periods).  If they don't use them, they can turn them in for extra credit points.  I've creating "Mrs. King's Royal Passes."  Check it out:

They'll be printed on colored paper depending on the grading period.  They can use for RR, tardy pass, or forgotten homework (or an extra day if it's a long term project).  They can also earn more Royal Passes throughout the year, but everyone gets one at the beginning of each 6 week period--no matter what.  (A note on RR.  I'm pretty lenient on this.  If they get to my class before the bell rings and ask to use the restroom, I let them go and they aren't marked tardy, unless it gets out of hand and they're late every day.  Also, if they have their agenda, they may use the restroom during any work time.)

Please Leave Me Alone Pass

So I stole this idea, but I'm not sure from whom I stole it.  I saw it sometime recently on a blog, but can't find it again to give credit.  If I stole this from you, well I'm sorry!  Please let me know and I'll credit you.

Students will get a Please Leave Me Alone Pass at the beginning of each semester (more can be earned, but they're pretty hard to earn).  If they come in and are having a bad day and just don't want to be bothered, they can turn this in to me.  I won't call on them, I won't make them work with a group/partner, they can put their head down.  The only stipulations are that they cannot disturb other students--if they do they have to leave and go to our in school room--and they are still responsible for homework.

I'm not sure how this will work with my sixth graders, but they only get one.  If they still have it at the end of the grading period, then they can turn it in for 10 points extra credit.  (I also plan on keeping a chart to mark off when students use these so I can keep an eye out for students who are sharing.  The Royal Passes can be traded if they want, but these are not a share-able item.  

I'll let you know how these work out.

Here's what they look like as of now:

That's what I've got this week.  I'm hoping to get in to my room later on this week for an hour or two in the afternoon to get some organizing completed.  I feel like I just took all my posters and everything down--and I did. Just a month ago.  Soon I'll be putting things back up.