Laura Morgan

MAT 610
November 5, 2019

Classroom Rules and Procedures

My educational philosophy guides me to recognize my role as a facilitator of student learning

and provide students with the tools they need to be thoughtful and engaged citizens, ready to tackle
real-world problems. My focus is on helping students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills
that will prepare them to lead purposeful and productive lives.

Classroom Rules

As far as expectations for behavior in the classroom, I want to include my students in the rule-
making process so that they view our classroom as a community with democratic values. This connects
to my classroom philosophy of preparing students to be engaged citizens. To that end, I will have my
students participate in the activity “What Makes a Good Friend?” and have them organize their values
to create rules for the classroom behavior. I like this activity because it creates positive expectations
rather than a list of dos and don’ts. If there are rules the students don’t come up with that I feel are
really important, I will guide them to include those rules.

Room Areas

I want my students to feel like the classroom is their environment to experiment and learn in. I
will have most of the classroom open for students to explore and interact with the items I have
available. If students want to borrow any items or books and take it out of the classroom, they will need
to fill a sign-out sheet and check back in within a week. They may check the item out again if they need
longer with it (such as with a book).

There will be two areas that are off limits to students: my desk and cabinets that I need to store
dangerous materials in, such as lighters or chemicals. I expect students to respect my privacy and not
mess with anything in or on my desk. Just like I will respect their privacy and not go through their
things, such as their binders or cell phones. No access to dangerous materials is simply to keep my
students safe. They will have the opportunity to work with such materials, but it needs to be under
supervision. These expectations align with my philosophy to teach my students the social skills
associated with respect for each other.

Organization

Students will be able to access assignments and projects through Canvas to know when things
are due. At the beginning of each class, I will remind students of upcoming assignments and have their
due dates written on the board. For larger projects, I will create rubrics that will detail when it is due. I
want to have as many different ways for students to access assignments and when they are due so there
is no confusion and no excuses. This connects with my philosophy of providing multiple means of
accessibility for my diverse students while also providing clear, explicit expectations.

Students will keep science binders and save all of their work throughout the year. They will be
expected to have their binders in class every day. All materials from me will be three-hole punched to
help them keep organized. I want them to keep their materials so they can use them to study for the
SAGE test, as well as to ensure that I have correctly entered their grades. I want students to learn to be
responsible for their learning and take ownership of it. I also think keeping assignments helps students
visualize their effort and growth throughout the year.

Students will need to make sure their area is clean before leaving class. This means they have
gathered all of their materials, there is nothing left on their table or the floor, and their chair is tucked
in. On lab days, I will make sure to give students adequate time to put materials back where they found
them and will assign lab leaders to check off areas. Again, I want students to of our community.

Every teacher at every observation I have done has expressed to me the importance of a seating
chart, and having been in the classroom for two months straight, I would have to agree. I will have a
seating chart in my class. For the first week or two, I will have the seating chart simply be based on the
role sheet so I can learn student names quickly. I will also take this time to learn student behaviors. I
think it is important to learn as much as possible about each student so that I can begin to build
relationships with my students.

After two weeks, I will assign students a seating chart based on their behavior and academic
performance. Students that work well with others will sit next to students that may need extra help.
Disruptive students will be seated away from each other and near students that can model good
behavior for them. I will change the seating chart every term so that students will have the opportunity
to work with new partners. On special occasions with low-stake assignments, students will be able to
pick partners and work together. I want students to have choice in as many areas as possible, but this is
one where I feel I need to limit their choices to balance their need for social interactions with their need
to develop academic discipline.

Outside the Classroom

I am not a dictator; I will not make my students stay in my classroom. That said, I want students
to learn that there are consequences for their choices and I want them to make smart choices. If a
student needs to leave the classroom, they will need to leave their cell phone with me and take the hall
pass. This will help to ensure that students are leaving the classroom for legitimate reasons, like going
to the bathroom, and not to check social media. If a student is gone for too long, I will send a
trustworthy student to check on them. Only one student will be allowed to leave the classroom at a
time.

When students are in the hallways, I will expect them to be courteous and respectful to students
in other classes by being quiet and to each other by keeping hands to themselves. I want students to
realize we are part of a larger school community and that we need to follow these rules so that
everyone can enjoy productive class time.

Whole-Class Activities/Seatwork

Each day, I will have students write the day’s agenda in their science journals along with the
date. This will help students keep track of their work and what they are learning, as well as prepare
them for each day’s lesson. I will also include a starter question to engage students with the topic of the
lesson or to serve as a review of the previous lesson. I will take role at this time.

Students that are late will bring me their tardy slip (if they have one) and quietly sit down and
take out their materials. If they arrive while I am in the middle of giving the class directions, they will
need to wait until I am done to ask me for instructions. Absent and late students will be able to find
each day’s materials in a dated folder I will keep in the back of the classroom. I understand students are
late for a plethora of reasons, but I want to make clear that missing instructions or the starter does not
excuse them to disrupt the other students’ learning time.

For students that come to class unprepared, I will have pencils, paper, and whatever else they
may need that day. I understand that it can sometimes be difficult to keep track of everything needed
for seven different classes and students lose things. For students that come to class chronically
unprepared, I will ask to talk with them after class or school to try to figure out where the issue lies in
coming to class prepared. Rather than assume the student is purposefully sabotaging their education, I
will assume there is a skills gap and I will brainstorm strategies for helping the student to be prepared
for class each day. It may also be the case that the student

During big group activities, students will need to raise their hands and wait to be called on
before talking. If other students are talking while the student that was called on is talking, I will ask that
student to wait for the rest of the class to quiet down and then repeat what they were saying. I want
students to show respect to others and myself by paying attention to whoever is addressing the class. I
will impress upon students that it is polite to quietly listen to others when they are speaking, and also it
is a good opportunity to learn what their classmates know or what they might be struggling with. Often
students have the same questions, so listening to each and my response increases the likelihood that I
will answer their question as well.

Sometimes no student wants to participate in big group discussions, so at the beginning of the
year I will let students know that if no one raises their hand I will randomly pick students to give me an
answer. I will let them know that it is not to single anyone out or make them uncomfortable, and that
they don’t ever have to worry about whether they have the “right” answer – I simply want to know what
students are thinking so I can direct the lesson to be more effective.

I am struggling with finding an effective way to get students’ attention. One idea I have is using
a small gong or chime to let students know they need to stop what they are doing and focus on me. I
think this would be effective for me as I do not have a loud and projecting voice and therefore cannot
always be heard over student discussions. Once I have students’ attention, I would like to come up with
a phrase or signal that lets students know when they can resume working. Students can talk during
small group or partner activities, but I will advise them to use their time wisely and make sure they are
discussing the assignment while working together.

Students will turn in work to an inbox with their period labeled on it. Students will be expected
to turn work in on time or face losing 10% each day it is late. Students will have the opportunity to
retake any test once or redo a large assignment after they have received feedback and demonstrated
that they have taken the necessary steps to achieving a higher grade, such as studying for the test or
doing further research on a project. I want students to be proud of their work and feel they have
worked to the best of their ability.

I will try to enter grades and provide student feedback on their work within a week. Graded
assignments will be put in an outbox labeled with their class period. During student work time, I may
pass back assignments or I will have students that are ahead pass assignments back for me.

When a student misses a class, they will check the appropriate file folder labeled with the
date(s) they were gone to pick up missing assignments. They will also be able to check Canvas for
missing assignments, notes, videos, or PowerPoints they may have missed. Students will be expected to
turn in any missing assignments the next day, unless I have given more time for a particular assignment.
Students can meet with me after class or after school if they have questions regarding missing
assignments. I don’t want students asking me about missing assignments during class because I want to
teach them to be respectful of their peers’ learning time.

Students can be out of their seats during small group work and labs. If a student has a specific
issue, such as ADHD or anxiety or they are simply having a bad day, they may quietly ask me if they may
have a moment to sit somewhere else or stand in the back of the class. Students will need to wait to
speak to me during a break in the lesson. If it is an emergency, students may quietly get up and move to
the back of the room so they do not disturb their classmates. I want to students to feel comfortable and
safe in my class, but I need them to also be aware of how their behavior might disrupt the learning of
other students and be respectful of their time.

For students that finish early, I may ask them to help me pass out papers or set up labs. If I do
not have a task for them, I would ask students to check their grades and work on any missing
assignments. If they are all caught up, I will provide books, magazines, or links related to the lesson
topic so students can go in-depth with the lesson.

I personally find the Pledge of Allegiance a strange tradition, but I want to respect students that
take the pledge seriously. I would remind students that the First Amendment protects their right to
freedom of speech and expression. Students that do not wish to participate in the pledge will respectful
sit and wait for students that do want to participate. I will discuss how we can disagree on things but
still show each other respect and that that is essential for maintaining a healthy and inclusive
community.

Small Group Activities

 In small group activities, each student will be expected to participate in some way that draws on
their strengths. For larger or more involved assignments, I will assign students a role to ensure each
student is contributing to the group work. For low-stakes assignments, students can divide the work
how they see fit. In both scenarios, I will assess group work by walking around the class and checking in
with the progress of each group. Students should be engaged with the topic with minimal distractions.

Other Procedures/Expectations

As mentioned, I will assign students jobs such as lab leader or to help me pass back work.
Students will typically be chosen based on their level of engagement with the assignment that day or
their academic and citizenship standing in the class. I may occasionally choose students to help me if it
seems they need a break. Every student will have the job of being a good classmate and helping
students that are struggling. Every student has a strength they bring to the class and there will be times
when their expertise is needed.

Students will be marked down 10% each day an assignment is late. I want them to learn to be
responsible for their assignments and treat their work in school how they would treat their work at a
job. To reciprocate their efforts, I will have assignments graded and returned within a week.

To welcome new students, I will take time at the beginning of class to introduce the student and
have the class welcome the new student. I will ask the student to tell us one interesting thing about
themselves and then assign one student to be their buddy for the week to make sure the new student is
integrated into the classroom community.

Finally, I will have a list of safety procedures for when we have labs that are beyond the
classroom rules. Safety procedures will include things like waiting for all instructions before proceeding
with the lab and establishing a safety word in the event of a lab accident, so students know to
immediately stop what they are doing and wait for further instructions. I will also have to review
schoolwide policy concerning safety drills, behavioral expectations, and technology use.

Each of these rules and procedures are created with the intention of making the classroom a
safe and predictable environment to help students focus on doing their best and feeling like they are a
part of a community in which they are active, contributing members.