Our Classroom System
Our Classroom Behavior SystemWelcome back to a bright new school year! I’m so excited to have all of you as part of my “family”! One of the most important things we can teach our children is how to be positive role models and good citizens. To help with this critical piece of your child’s education, I have a Class Dojo point system in place along with lots of positive behavior supports. The behavior plan is set up to encourage children to make good choices that, in turn, will make them great role models for their classmates.
Students will clearly mark their planners for how they did throughout the day. This will allow you to see how your child is doing on a daily basis. Each school day is a new beginning for every child. Each day, every child will start fresh, which means they are doing just fine. Students will always have the opportunity to earn positive points which means they are showing pride in their work and are ready to learn. When students make exceptional choices, they earn points and receive lots of positive behavior acknowledgment and incentives. At the same time, students who make poor choices may lose points and have consequences for those choices. At the end of the day, each child’s planner will be marked by them with the points they ended on for that particular day. This is a great tool we can share to monitor and reinforce your child’s behavior.
As a reward for positive behavior, there will be many celebrations and incentives in place for those students. These celebrations may include, but are not limited to, extra recess time, a special treat, a read-a-thon, prize from the prize box, sit next to a friend, or time on the iPad. Please help me in encouraging positive behavior to help build a strong classroom community based on responsibility, respect, and learning.
Students will clearly mark their planners for how they did throughout the day. This will allow you to see how your child is doing on a daily basis. Each school day is a new beginning for every child. Each day, every child will start fresh, which means they are doing just fine. Students will always have the opportunity to earn positive points which means they are showing pride in their work and are ready to learn. When students make exceptional choices, they earn points and receive lots of positive behavior acknowledgment and incentives. At the same time, students who make poor choices may lose points and have consequences for those choices. At the end of the day, each child’s planner will be marked by them with the points they ended on for that particular day. This is a great tool we can share to monitor and reinforce your child’s behavior.
As a reward for positive behavior, there will be many celebrations and incentives in place for those students. These celebrations may include, but are not limited to, extra recess time, a special treat, a read-a-thon, prize from the prize box, sit next to a friend, or time on the iPad. Please help me in encouraging positive behavior to help build a strong classroom community based on responsibility, respect, and learning.
Expectations/Consequences
We believe that all students can and will behave appropriately when at school. We will treat our classroom as our home away from home and the people in our classroom as our “school family”. We will establish a true culture of learning. We will support and encourage each other in all that we do, and we will expect the best from one another. We will not allow any student to stop us from teaching and/or any student from learning. In order to guarantee your child, and all children in our classrooms, the productive learning environment they deserve, we will be utilizing the following plan specifically in our classrooms.
Classroom Expectations
Be Respectful
Be Safe
Be Responsible
LEARN
Consequences
If a student chooses to NOT follow an expectation, he/she will lose a point on Class Dojo. Before any points are taken, the teacher will give a verbal warning/reminder as we all make mistakes. These points will help all of us monitor our behavior throughout the day. Each day we all start without any points and get a fresh start. After a warning, or redirect is given, if a student makes a poor choice, i.e. does not follow the classroom rules, or is not doing his or her work, he or she will lose their first point. At the end of the day, all students will record the points they have in their planners. Here are what the points mean.
+ Points – Exceptional! You had a rock-star kind of day. The choices you made, kindness you demonstrated, or overall leadership skills you portrayed made this day a great one. It truly shows what you are capable of! Two bucket-filler tickets are earned for you to spend as you wish.
No Points –Keep doing what you’re doing. You are having a smooth-sailing kind of day!
-1 Point – Uh-oh! You made a mistake and received a warning. That's okay as we all make mistakes. Just make sure you adjust your choices moving forward to prevent further consequences.
-2 Points – Rethink. You need to be careful and watch your behavior. Slow down and think about what you are doing. A “Think Sheet” MAY be filled out to reflect on what is causing these poor choices to happen and a plan/discussion will be established to help the student to be successful.
-3 Points – Stop. Behavior MUST change. An individual conference will take place and a parent will be contacted via email or phone either by the teacher or the student. A "Think Sheet" WILL be filled out and signed by a parent. A major or minor can be given depending on the nature of the infraction(s). Time will be spent making a plan to improve behavior and choices through a potential parent conference, but definitely with the teacher and student.
-4 Points – Behaviors have gone too far. The principal will be immediately notified. Parents will be contacted. Recess will be missed and a conference will take place to get the student back on track. A major/minor will be immediately given.
*A serious behavior infraction could result in the immediate handing of a major/minor referral and a possible visit to the office for further discipline action and redirect to allow the learning for others in the room to continue. Some infractions will immediately bypass a warning and require a parent notification.
Incentives
On the other hand, this system allows for many opportunities for students to be recognized for positive behavior. Primarily, students can also earn positive points in recognition of their exceptional behavior and choices. Positive points earned become bucket filler tickets, treats, and other rewards at the end of the day, or later in the week. However, students are also rewarded in many other ways. In these classrooms, they will earn bucket filler cards, positive compliments, treasures, extra recess and so on. Positive behavior support will be in effect in regards to the whole group, small groups, and for individuals on a daily basis. Bucket filler cards will be used to purchase small prizes on a weekly or biweekly basis. All of these things are earned through demonstrating exceptional behavior or improvement. Ideally, we do not want our students to do things for a reward, but because they are the right thing to do. This will be taught and modeled all year as their young minds begin the eventual transformation to young adults.
How can I find out about my child’s behavior in class?
Ø Ask them
Ø Ask me in person, via phone or email
Ø Check your email/phone in case I have contacted you
Ø Check their daily planner for possible notes and to see their points
As a 5th grade group, we review the expectations consistently throughout the year and have them posted in our rooms. Together, we role-play conflict resolution situations to help us learn how to handle situations correctly and with respect for others. Your child will quickly become very aware of what is expected of them concerning their behavior at school and in these classrooms. Please explain to your child, as we have, that we are fair and consistent with all students no matter their history or circumstances. If they choose not to do what is expected of them, they are choosing the negative consequences, not the teacher. We want them to learn that if they make a poor choice there will be a consequence and that they will be held accountable for their choices. However, they can reflect and learn from them as they will do as adults in the future. On the other hand, we love rewarding and praising positive behavior and actions and if they choose to follow the expectations, it will be noticed and they will be rewarded on occasion. Thank you for your support.
Classroom Expectations
Be Respectful
Be Safe
Be Responsible
LEARN
Consequences
If a student chooses to NOT follow an expectation, he/she will lose a point on Class Dojo. Before any points are taken, the teacher will give a verbal warning/reminder as we all make mistakes. These points will help all of us monitor our behavior throughout the day. Each day we all start without any points and get a fresh start. After a warning, or redirect is given, if a student makes a poor choice, i.e. does not follow the classroom rules, or is not doing his or her work, he or she will lose their first point. At the end of the day, all students will record the points they have in their planners. Here are what the points mean.
+ Points – Exceptional! You had a rock-star kind of day. The choices you made, kindness you demonstrated, or overall leadership skills you portrayed made this day a great one. It truly shows what you are capable of! Two bucket-filler tickets are earned for you to spend as you wish.
No Points –Keep doing what you’re doing. You are having a smooth-sailing kind of day!
-1 Point – Uh-oh! You made a mistake and received a warning. That's okay as we all make mistakes. Just make sure you adjust your choices moving forward to prevent further consequences.
-2 Points – Rethink. You need to be careful and watch your behavior. Slow down and think about what you are doing. A “Think Sheet” MAY be filled out to reflect on what is causing these poor choices to happen and a plan/discussion will be established to help the student to be successful.
-3 Points – Stop. Behavior MUST change. An individual conference will take place and a parent will be contacted via email or phone either by the teacher or the student. A "Think Sheet" WILL be filled out and signed by a parent. A major or minor can be given depending on the nature of the infraction(s). Time will be spent making a plan to improve behavior and choices through a potential parent conference, but definitely with the teacher and student.
-4 Points – Behaviors have gone too far. The principal will be immediately notified. Parents will be contacted. Recess will be missed and a conference will take place to get the student back on track. A major/minor will be immediately given.
*A serious behavior infraction could result in the immediate handing of a major/minor referral and a possible visit to the office for further discipline action and redirect to allow the learning for others in the room to continue. Some infractions will immediately bypass a warning and require a parent notification.
Incentives
On the other hand, this system allows for many opportunities for students to be recognized for positive behavior. Primarily, students can also earn positive points in recognition of their exceptional behavior and choices. Positive points earned become bucket filler tickets, treats, and other rewards at the end of the day, or later in the week. However, students are also rewarded in many other ways. In these classrooms, they will earn bucket filler cards, positive compliments, treasures, extra recess and so on. Positive behavior support will be in effect in regards to the whole group, small groups, and for individuals on a daily basis. Bucket filler cards will be used to purchase small prizes on a weekly or biweekly basis. All of these things are earned through demonstrating exceptional behavior or improvement. Ideally, we do not want our students to do things for a reward, but because they are the right thing to do. This will be taught and modeled all year as their young minds begin the eventual transformation to young adults.
How can I find out about my child’s behavior in class?
Ø Ask them
Ø Ask me in person, via phone or email
Ø Check your email/phone in case I have contacted you
Ø Check their daily planner for possible notes and to see their points
As a 5th grade group, we review the expectations consistently throughout the year and have them posted in our rooms. Together, we role-play conflict resolution situations to help us learn how to handle situations correctly and with respect for others. Your child will quickly become very aware of what is expected of them concerning their behavior at school and in these classrooms. Please explain to your child, as we have, that we are fair and consistent with all students no matter their history or circumstances. If they choose not to do what is expected of them, they are choosing the negative consequences, not the teacher. We want them to learn that if they make a poor choice there will be a consequence and that they will be held accountable for their choices. However, they can reflect and learn from them as they will do as adults in the future. On the other hand, we love rewarding and praising positive behavior and actions and if they choose to follow the expectations, it will be noticed and they will be rewarded on occasion. Thank you for your support.
Student Manager
Each week (most weeks) we will be choosing a new manager to represent and assist in our classrooms. If your child is chosen, they will be allowed to use the comfortable chairs (and choose a friend) and have other perks throughout the week. It is a simple way to honor your student for their hard work while giving the classroom teacher a helping hand.