Procedure
After the Bell
Once the bell has rung to indicate the end of passing period, I will uphold the expectation that my students already be in their seats and prepared for the class. If students are still getting settled, I wouldn’t mind waiting a few extra minutes, but I would at least anticipate that students have started to collect their things and get ready for class. If students are not prepared, I will have extra materials to lend to students, and I will allow collaboration with nearby peers to stay informed and on-track during class. I will start each class by taking attendance of students. The school may have an electronic system of reporting attendance for each class, but I will also record that day’s attendance on a laminated roster for each class. All rosters will be together with a ring and kept in a shelf near the door in case of fire drills or other emergencies. I will mark absent students with a wet-erase marker in order to know who to account for when we must leave the room as a group, or in case of any emergencies.
On the front board, I will have listed the agenda for the day. I will ask that students write in their notes the date, the items on the agenda, and any homework that may be assigned. I would also have my students write their homework in their agendas or other appropriate areas where they record such information. Something that will be optional for students to copy in their notes, but will be discussed explicitly at the beginning of instruction is the objectives for the day’s class. I want to make sure I am very clear in the purpose of the day’s activities and let students know what they should be aiming for in terms of mastery (either in whole or in part) by the end of the day. A meaningful quote from Rick Wormeli in his book Fair Isn’t Always Equal is when he states “Students achieve more when they have a clear picture of the expectations…by identifying for or with students the intended outcomes…” (Wormeli 21) I strongly agree with this statement and hope to be as clear in my intentions with my students as possible.
Another regular occurrence in my future classroom that needs to be addressed is that of turning in assignments. When starting each assignment or any other works that will be turned in, I think having a pre-designed header would be helpful in organization of student work. I will ask that all students turn their assignments in with their name, the date, and the class period in the top right corner of their papers. In order to stay focused on our intent of learning Spanish, I will ask students to have their dates written out in Spanish, as this would provide more practice with days of the week, months, and numbers. When students come in, I will ask that they turn in any homework that is due that day in a basket on the corner of my desk before they take their seats.
Before Next Class
At the end of each class, I will have instructed new material or reviewed past concepts. I will work throughout the class to evaluate where my students stand in their comprehension of the material. I may have exit slips be a daily routine in order to ask students privately what they may not fully understand instead of calling them out or discussing it in front of peers. I will ask students if they were sure to copy their assignment for the next class, and I will introduce the next class’s focus. As my students are dismissed, I will wish them a good day and remind them that I am happily available outside of class for any inquiries they may have.