Classroom Economy

I am very excited about this new product I've made and about using it in my class this year. I've never used a class economy system before, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it pans out with my Primary 4/5's (Grade 3/4).

I haven't figured out all the nitty-gritty quite yet, but I think I'm going to assign jobs to them at first, then introduce job applications once they have a feel for what each job entails. They'll know what jobs are most desirable or least, and perhaps have a better idea of what the responsibilities are. I'm hoping the application process will be painless, but we'll see!

I've also made up some Class Job cards to use on our class jobs display. I'll rotate the jobs accordingly. Some jobs require more than one person. I've also made up a jobs chart that has a wee reminder of what the job entails, because we all know little minds can forget.

To keep track of deposits and withdrawals, the kids are going to use a check book recording sheet. I love that it provides additional practice for adding and subtracting, as well as having real world connections with money management. Bonus!

Have any of you used a classroom economy in your classrooms? How did it work out?

A Teacher's Professional Portfolio

*update* after using this Professional Portfolio in my interview last week, I got the job! And a permanent one at that!
*another update* My new Head Teacher gave me some feedback from my interview. I thought this may be helpful to some of you as the end of the school year approaches and some of you may be interviewing for new jobs. Here are some of the positive points from the interview when I used this portfolio:

1. Referring to items in the portfolio during the interview showed that I was organised and prepared for my interview. This indicated that I am an organised teacher as well.
2. My Head Teacher liked that I had photos of things I'd done in other classrooms so she could see what I was talking about.
3. By including things I'd made (like my behaviour management clip chart), I showed that I was creative and ICT savvy.
4. My depute self-proclaims to suffer from OCD and she loved all the tabs, charts, and tables in my folder. :)

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Does anyone actually use one of these in interviews? I'm under the impression that these are a must in America, but here in Scotland, teaching portfolios aren't really something the majority of teachers take with them to an interview. That being said, it's not going to stop me from putting together a folder of "look how great I am" to my interview next week. For the interview I did for the job I'm in now, I took with me some resources and photos of things I've done in my classes, but not much else. It impressed and it got me the job. This time around, inspired by all the teaching portfolios I've seen on Pinterest, I've decided to take that extra step and put together a folder of goodies to take with me. From my experience the last time around, it really helped to focus my thoughts when I had something to refer to. So without further ado, here is my portfolio:



Right at the front, I made sure to put a title page with my name. The next page is a Table of Contents to state what each section of the folder holds, and of course, I have dividers to make it easy to flip through the folder as I'm speaking in my interview.

The first section is my Philosophy of Education, which was in my application when I applied for the job. Next, I included a section for Relevant Work History and References. Again, this stuff was in my application, but I just thought I'd pop it in there anyway. Most likely, I won't be referring to this stuff during the interview.

Next, I have a section for Planning and Assessment. In this section, I included forms for planning and assessment I've used for different stages of Primary. I want to be able to make myself look like a versatile teacher who can succeed in any Primary stage, so I have examples throughout the portfolio from Nursery to Primary 5 (Pre-School to Grade 4 for you North American folks).



I've included a copy of a topic plan I created for Early stages last year in Health and Wellbeing. I also have an example of a mind map I did with the children in my current Nursery class. I did this to show that I plan using the Curriculum, but also using the children's knowledge and influence. I've also included a daily plan example from Primary 4, as well as a Topic Plan for tasks children can do when they complete classwork.



To show my knowledge and experience with Assessment, I've included a resource I created on Assessment is for Learning strategies (AifL), an example of Learning Intentions and Success Criteria being used in assignments, and an assessment format that I would like to use in future for larger projects or units of study. I'm very interested in assessment strategies and methods at the moment because the Scottish Curriculum can be a bit vague when it comes to National Assessment.

Next, I have a section for Curriculum Development. I'm fairly early on in my career, so I don't have much experience with Curriculum Development, however I have had the benefit of teaching the Heath and Wellbeing Curriculum to Primary 1-5 last year, which brought the responsibility of developing the Health Education Plan. I've included a copy of the plan in this section.



Following that, I've included a short section on classroom displays, and I popped in some photographs for interest. The reason I did this is to show that I have an understanding of how display can be used in the class to benefit the learner, and not just to show how creative I can be.



Next, there's a section I've titled Active Learning. This is a hot topic at the moment, which is why I've included this in my portfolio. It also allows me to show some of the fun learning opportunities and experiences my pupils have had. I made sure to include photographs of children of varying ages to show my versatility. The photos will also be a great talking point and give my memory a wee kick when I'm trying to come up with examples of active learning.



After that, I have a section for Behaviour and Classroom Management. I've actually printed off one of my blog posts and popped it in here because its all about behaviour management strategies that I've used or heard of. I've also put in a behaviour scheme that I created. I think this section will highlight my knowledge of behaviour strategies as well as my ICT savvy! Personally, I think Behaviour and Classroom Management goes hand in hand. If you have good Classroom Management routines and expectations, then behaviour should be in check. Of course behaviour strategies are still necessary. That being said, I've also included some group task cards that I created as an example of good classroom management, as well as reading task cards that I use during reading groups. Along this topic, I would also be talking about the way I set up my class (grouped desks vs rows) for different types of learners.



The next section is on Inclusion, where I've included photos of a visual timetable, a poster I made with different languages, and examples of visual, auditory, and kinaesthetic learners. During my time speaking about Inclusion, I'd also be mentioning other professionals involved with different types of learners, provision the school provides, and ensuring that I have a clear and deep knowledge and understanding of pupil needs.



Next is Parent Communication, where I have photos of ways in which I've made parent communication much easier. I've popped in a copy of a recent newsletter I put out, as well as a calendar I use to keep parents informed about upcoming events. Here, I would also speak about parent inclusion and partnership and how they are vital to their child's learning journey.



Lastly (finally!), I have a section on Professional Development, where I've included the titles and dates of courses I've attended.



Each section has a title page the same as the one at the front, and all papers are neatly tucked into page protectors. Sounds a bit OCD, but it looks pretty, so it's worth it.

Hope this helps any of you for upcoming interviews. Is there anything you would include in your portfolio that I missed out?

"The Rules"

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Ah the dreaded First Week of School when you need to start right back at the beginning. You forget how much work it is to get back into a routine, settle the children into school, and establish "The Rules." My school actually has established Golden Rules that are to be followed by the whole school, but I still think it's important to discuss your own class rules so everyone knows what the expectations are for the classroom. So how do you go about doing that?

I've seen this done in different ways. Of course, there's the list of "don'ts" that clearly state your aversion to gum chewing and interruptions. Naturally, you want children to know what they aren't allowed to do in class, but in my experience, kids already know the don'ts, and they don't like hearing the word "no." Children respond to positive language. Don't you?

Be Positive.

Keep your "rules" positive. Instead of saying "Don't hit others," simply change that to "Be kind to others." That simple statement covers a multitude of sins (hitting, name-calling, exclusion, etc.), that way you don't need to list every little offense that a child might commit. One teacher I know only has two rules in the class. They are 1. Show respect (to yourself, to others, to property) and 2. Do your best (best teamwork, best work, best thinking). I love that the kids only have two things to remember, and the rules are broad enough to cover almost everything.

Include the Children.

This may be old news to most of you, but I still think it's worth talking about. Establishing the rules of the room should be led by the children, not you the teacher. Kids know to put up their hand to talk. They know not to hurt people. They know they need to try their best. They know not to eat the glue (for the most part). They will give you EVERYTHING you want to hear. And if you give them the responsibility to remind YOU and EACH OTHER of what those rules are, they will take that responsibility VERY seriously. What they come up with may need a little narrowing down, and that's where you come in. I don't think it's necessary to put "no picking your nose" on the final copy (or maybe it is?).

Rules.

To be honest, I'm not really a fan of the word "rules." I'd much prefer to go about this task in a more positive manner, telling the children that we are creating a Class Promise or Full Value Contract or Code of Conduct (depending on the age of your class). Despite the age, I think it's important to get the children to "sign" the Promise, even if they are still at the pre-writing stage.

Consequences

I'm a firm believer in natural consequences. I hate the idea of time out (I do believe in taking a break, but I will get to that in a minute). If a child is doing something where they could potentially get hurt (like balancing on blocks), and they eventually fall and get hurt, that is a natural consequence. I wouldn't take them away from the blocks; they would have learned already that balancing on blocks can be dangerous and to be more careful next time. Let children learn from their mistakes. Side-note: As as adult, I would obviously not let a child take a risk that I felt was dangerous.

Obviously, if a child is hurting someone else, I would take them away from the situation, but not to a time out. In my experience time outs aren't very effective. They are a temporary solution where the adult rarely puts any input into the solving of the problem. Even for 3 year olds, it's important to talk about what happened, remind them of the Class Promise, and relocate them to something or someone different, NOT to a specified "time out". Sometimes kids just need a break from each other. I have a "Breath Box" in my class, if necessary. It's full of things like playdough, stress balls, photographs depicting different emotions, sensory bottles, paper/crayons, bubbles, etc. Sometimes, a child just needs a few minutes to themselves to regroup, breath, and exert some of that emotion on some playdough.

With older children, I would even have a go at having them come up with some consequences. Sometimes, they can be a little more harsh that I would ever be! If they decide on the consequences, they may be even more likely to behave according to the class's Code of Conduct (or Promise, or Full Value Contract...).

Rewards.

I don't want to dwell too much on consequences because I think it's even more important to focus on, and reward those who are doing exactly what they should be. I'm not talking about a Treasure Chest of Poundland rubbish, but about natural or non-tangible rewards. Sounds exciting, right? It can be! A simple, "my you're sitting smartly!" can sometimes be all it takes to motivate a child to continue doing what they're doing (and encourage those around them to as well). Sometimes it can be easy to forget about those children who are always following the "rules" because they aren't being disruptive. Don't forget to see those kids and recognise that they are fulfilling the Class Promise.

See Behaviour 101 for some other ideas on how to manage behaviour in your class.

How do you establish "The Rules" in your class?

Behaviour Management 101

Teaching is far more complex and involved than just teaching a child how to read or write or add numbers together. In this generation, teachers are psychologists, nurses, mums, dads, counselors, crowd control, entertainers, nutritionists... you name it, we do it. When I was in Primary School, I don't remember teaching being so centered around managing children or catering to their well-being in addition to their academic progress. In my teaching day, I spend just as much time, if not more, caring for children's additional needs (helping solve problems, ensuring they have jackets/shoes/lunch/etc., comforting them) and managing behaviour as I do actually teaching. That being said, behaviour management is necessary and vital to creating a sustainable and productive learning environment.

Teachers have many different strategies to managing behaviour, from simple praise to stickers to elaborate whole class systems. This post will include strategies that I have tried in my own classroom, plus other ideas that I'm hoping to try in the future that I've discovered through internet travels and professional development courses.

1. Bribery. There's nothing wrong with a little incentive to do a good job or behave appropriately. I'm a firm believer in the power of stickers. I would never say, "if you sit still, I will give you a sticker." I would, however praise by proximity - meaning, if someone is doing as they should, I would praise them, pop a sticker on their jumper, and hopefully the undesired behaviour of those near them will stop. Kids naturally want to please you (and get stickers), so this works most of the time.

This image is from Primary Teaching. You can purchase stickers, stampers, and certificates, and you also have the option to personalize them! I've ordered them before and they are great quality.

This is a sticker I've ordered before from here. You get 96 30mm personalized stickers for £2.40 with FREE delivery. Brilliant! The easy-to-use tool allows you to choose background colour, clipart, message, and font.

2. Whole Class Behaviour Chart. A lot of classes use this strategy to manage behaviour. I've used it and seen it implemented in different ways. In the past, I have created a behaviour chart based on a topic theme. For example, a topic we did last year was called, "Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds, Healthy Me" and each pupil designed a runner with their name on it and placed it in the middle of a race track. Each section of the race track was a loss of time in increments of 5 minutes. Pupils would move their runner onto a specified place on the track as poor behaviours continued. The last 30 minutes of a Friday afternoon is called "Golden Time," where pupils can do a choice activity. If, throughout the week, they have lost minutes, they are made to do some sort of task before they can start Golden Time. Something I didn't like about this system was that it didn't leave room to improve because all pupils started the week with 30 minutes of Golden Time, which is why I designed this system:

The Bird Themed Behaviour Chart is designed with 7 different stages on the behaviour chart and pupils start each day or week in the middle stage, and can move up and down the chart as behaviours change. It's up to the teacher what rewards and sanctions occur at each stage. It could be loss of Golden Time if that's something you use in your class, it could be a phone call or note home, and rewards could be extra Golden Time, a choice activity, or a note home. The pack that I created comes with the images for each stage, a letter home to parents explaining how the system works so they can discuss it with their child, and a chart that can go home each day to show where on the chart the pupil finished their day, in an effort to keep lines of communication open between parent and teacher. Let's be honest, children aren't always going to tell their parents that they got into trouble!

Here are other ways that I've seen the Behaviour Chart used in classes:

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3. Secret Student or Mystery Person. I've seen this floating around the blogosphere a few times being used in different ways. Basically, you secretly choose a pupil at random and the class doesn't know who it is until the end of the day. If that person behaved in line, did as they were asked the first time, didn't interrupt, etc., then they gain some kind of reward (name & photo on a wall of fame wall, extra choice activity time, or it could be a whole class reward to help pupils work hard not only for their own benefit, but for their classmates' benefit as well). You can write pupil names on lolly sticks to help you choose randomly, and you can reveal the name at the end of the day IF they behaved throughout the day. If they don't deserve to gain the reward, don't reveal the name. Also, you can choose to focus on a specific behaviour that your pupils need to improve, e.g. standing in a straight line, raising hands to speak, tidying tables, etc.

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4. Puzzle. When I was on a teaching placement, my mentor teacher used a puzzle to encourage the children to walk through the school hallways quietly and in line. She attached velcro to the back of puzzle pieces and stuck a piece of card with the velcro bits on the wall. Every time the class got a compliment in the hallway from another adult on the way they were lined up and walking, they got to add a piece to the puzzle. When they completed the puzzle, there was some kind of whole class reward. You could use this strategy to encourage any behaviours that need improvement.

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Similar to the puzzle, I've also seen Mr. Potato Head being used! How cute is that?

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5. The Big Green Monster. If you're in lower primary, you may just have a few tattletales on your hands.

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Children take a piece off if they decide their tattle is worth telling you. For every piece of the monster that's left by the end of the week, you put marbles in your jar (or whatever your class management scheme is).

6. Happy Rocks. These are made with vase stones and drawn on with paint pens or sharpies. You can use them as whole class incentive or group incentive where children earn a happy rock for desired behaviour. Fill the jar, earn a reward.

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7. Table Points. Last year, my pupils sat in table groups. Throughout the day, they earned table points for desired behaviour (keeping tidy, raising hands, etc.). Table points were rewarded as maths counters.

Each table earned a different colour of counter (so no stealing from other tables) and kept the counters in containers at the tables. The table with the most points at the end of the week earned extra time for choice activities (Golden Time, we call it). With this particular class, I was having problems with them consistently asking to go to the toilet or get a drink from the fountain (aka wasting time). To curb incessant "can I go to the toilet? Can I go to the toilet?" children had to "pay" a table point in order to go. Pupils had to think twice about whether they really had to go, and they didn't want to lose the chance to earn extra choice activity time. Because it was a table groups incentive, there was added peer pressure.


What are some strategies that you've used in your class?