Can I go to the bathroom?

Ah, the timeless question. Especially in the middle of my lesson. 

It never fails that my 8th graders have somewhere to be (or so they think). The 2012-2013 school year will bring about changes in the standards and changes in my schedule. The new Superintendent has taken us back to old-school 55-minute periods, which I love. My students, however, will have to transition into quicker class changes, as they are a block-scheduling generation. We are also participating under the PBIS model, so I'm trying to find crafty ways to reinforce positive behaviors. Here's what I came up with for the "leaving class" issue.

 

Yes, it's a simple hall pass. Think bigger picture.

At the start of each quarter, I will provide each student with a sheet of 8 of these passes. ("But Parker, there are 9 weeks in a quarter!" Already thought about that, kids; just assume that I'll usually let you slide by with one.) The pass covers anywhere that could possibly need to be visited on an emergency basis - bathroom, library, office, coach (PE), art room, or a specific classroom. The student fills out the name/date/time info and I initial the destination info. Once the passes are gone, that's it. No refills during the quarter. This teaches the students to be frugal and to use the passes for true emergencies.

At the end of each quarter, students who have leftover passes could be rewarded. I plan to offer different incentives each quarter. Raffles are always popular; sometimes I get $5 Bojangles or McDonald's cards, sometimes I do coupon books of homework passes. I was thinking about offering "a point per pass" at the end of a quarter, so students could redeem the passes for extra credit on a test score or notebook assignment. 

The possibilities are endless. We'll see how this influences traffic...in August!

The First of Many Posts about Interactive Notebooks

I have sifted through SO MUCH information about setting up INs, organizing INs, assessing INs -- it's safe to say I am a learned scholar in this subject. This is one of the most "student-friendly" introductions to the IN that I found. Of course, I downloaded it in a firestorm of collecting materials, and I can't find the name of the original author. That being said, this resource was not made by me, so give me a shout if it looks familiar (I would love to see some of your other stuff!). While you're at it, check out the TCI blog that's listed below. This site is phenomenal in guiding the set-up and incorporation of an IN. 

One-Page Wonders

If you're not familiar with 1-pagers, you're getting ready to bless my name! I was first introduced to this assignment through the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program. It is a highly engaging way to monitor students' comprehension of a text.

Here is the basic principle: the student reads a text (independently or within a group) and responds by reflecting on the author's words and producing a visual representation. Provide the student with a clean white sheet of typing paper. Requirements for the assignment include: title, author, 2 quotes from the text that convey special meaning, and a central visual (illustration or design). Sometimes, I have my students include a brief reflection statement, as well.

This formative assessment caters to multiples intelligences; linguistic, spatial, and intrapersonal skills lend themselves to completing a 1-pager. I have used 1-pagers when we covered an important theme in a novel and to have students reflect on favorite short stories. Check out a few from this past year's analysis of The Giver!

 T. Carpenter-Battle

 B. Chavez

 D. Pettaway

 D. Rasberry

Class gallery

HELP! Books needed!

As a side note, I am also desperate for highly-engaging narrative nonfiction novels. Please click on the link below to check out my DonorsChoose page for more information on how you can help my students read quality literature.

Donors Choose site

There's a first time for everything!

In doing ENDLESS amounts of research on the fast-approaching Common Core standards, I have observed so many great resources made by other teachers. I want to devote this blog to sharing what I find, as well as sharing how I incorporate the activities into my classes. Look for my gradual progression towards blogging excellence, as well as photos and videos of what's going on in my classroom. I am most excited about helping my students create Interactive Notebooks, so you may have to wallow through the explosion of information on that topic!