Justin Keen
T O P I C :
Preparedness
Justin Poses the Question. . . .
September 14, 2007
What can I do to help my kids learn to come to class prepared? I am in a sixth grade pod, two of the classes are inclusion, and we have a high percentage of ELL students. All the kids are great but even among the high achievers every day it seems I have at least two students in most every class who do not have their supplies out of their locker. We write what they need on a board outside in the hall, and they get disciplined for not being prepared. I dont mind allowing for their transition out of elementary and their having to learn more responsibility, but my class periods are short and I need all the time I can get with the kids, not with them in the hall at their lockers.
Megan Murry answers. . . .
September 19, 2007
This might not be a possibility in your school, but have you thought of some type of reward system? I definitely wouldn't reward students EVERY time they come prepared, but I think, especially for a transitional grade, that coming prepared consecutively for a week or two should not go unnoticed.
Get creative with the rewards. I could see something like a free homework pass being a good incentive to come prepared. Ideally, this would reward those who are already complying with the rules and motivate those who just "forget" to try a little bit harder to remember.
Jessica Fay answers. . . .
September 21, 2007
Since they are transitioning from elementary school, they still have a level of immaturity that will need to develop more over time. To stop the students from having to go to their lockers and into the halls when they forget their supplies, maybe it would be a good idea to supply them temporarily. What I mean by this is that you could have a stack of papers in the back of the room, a box of crayons, and a box of pens/pencils. So they don't leave the class when they forget these things, you can let them borrow the supplies from the box in the back. They have to return the pens, pencils, and crayons (or whatever) when class finishes. For the paper, have them repay you the next day with a piece of their own paper. If they forget their book/workbook, have them share with a partner.
You still have consequences for them forforgetting their supplies. Follow whatever punishment you have been using. Now though, they won't have to leave the class to get their supplies since they are just using the ones in the back of the class. Hope this helps! It's just an idea.
Sabrina Schaefer answers....
September 24, 2007
Justin,
We have been having the same type of problems in our 7th grade pods. Since the first day of class we have told them what we expect them to bring to class everyday, and still half the class does not do it. One thing we do in our class is reward those for setting up their desks and coming to class prepared. They get a stamp in their agendas. Parents will see this and other classmates will see this. For some of the students, they want that attention and want to be rewarded, especially in front of the whole class. If they forget something in their locker, they have to use one of their passes to go and get it. They only get so many passes in a semester, and most don't want to use those up just to go and get a book out of their locker.
Planet Gnosis is directed by Dr. Freddie A. Bowles,
Assistant Professor of Foreign Language Education in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. Planet Gnosis is dedicated to the exploration of education and teaching. It is a cybersite of CornDancer.com, a developmental website for the Mind and Spirit. Submissions are invited. |
|