Academic Success in the classroom DAY 5

TOPIC: USE OF CLASSROOM SPACE When students start moving around the room, they need to know teacher expectations for using different areas of the classroom, including their own desks and yours.

• Using Materials on Bookshelves or in Cabinets Students take and return their own materialsRemind helpers to be polite (i.e. don’t ‘snatch’ books).

• Taking Care of Desks, Tables, and Chairs    At the end of the period, students clear all materials, etc. from the desks and immediate areas around them and put all items where they belong. Once every three weeks, one period will clean the desk surfaces. Students are not to draw or write on desks or tables.

TOPIC: MORE PROCEDURES FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE DAY OR PERIODStudents should be ready by this point to learn the rest of the procedures for thebeginning of the day or period.

• Making up Missed Work Due to Absence When a student is absent, his or her work that can be made up is placed in their binder.  When the student returns, student picks up their binder and completes the work on their own time or during any free time in class.

TOPIC: WORKING IN COOPERATIVE GROUPS

• Working in Groups Working in groups is an important life skill that is learned in school.  

When working in groups, students will: → Work only on the assignment    → Stay seated    → Talk only about the assignments and in a normal indoor volume.

All students make different contributions to the final product.

1. Introduce the lesson “We do many types of activities in our class.  One of them is working in groups. Why do you think that is important?”

2.  Teach behavior For students to be successful while working in groups, it is important to: → Work only on the assignment    → Stay seated    → Talk only about the assignments and in a normal indoor volume.

3.  Model the behavior “Let’s see how well some of you can act out what you’ve learned about being successful while working in groups.”  

3.  Model the behavior We are going to be working in groups of three. You will be deciding as a group how to solve the following problem: “How can students use cell phone technology in the classroom in such a way that teachers that teachers will find acceptable?”

“How can students use cell phone technology in the classroom in such a way that teachers that teachers will find acceptable?” Working in your groups, come up with 3 – 5 ways that students can use technology in such a way that teachers will be ok with it.

4.  Check for understandingSomeone in the group needs to ask his teammates: “What are we supposed to do?”

“How can students use cell phone technology in the classroom in such a way that teachers that teachers will find acceptable?” Record your answers in your journal. Be prepared to share your answers with the class.