Creating Essential Agreements & a Question Parking Lot Liberty MS – MYP Professional Development

What do we agree upon in order to create an effective and efficient environment when we meet?

Establishing the Ground Rules – Collaboratively and Through Consensus A way to focus, express intentions, and make commitments Will empower your students by making them a part of the law-making All students should be encouraged to collaborate They should be established by consensus Agreements are only changed, added, and deleted by consensus

How Should They Be Written Few in number Concisely written Refer to how something is done Collaboratively composed Binding on all participants There is no one way to to get these done

One Way to Focus the Creation Process is by creating school wide rules Be Safe Be Respectful Be Responsible

But its not the beginning of the year Do it when you come back from the holidays Review them anytime you feel students need a reminder of what they agreed upon Review them briefly when there is a new student

Question Parking Lot/ Burning Questions Place it somewhere where students can easily place their questions Place it somewhere where students can easily place their questions You can ask students to write their questions on post it notes and place them on the lot Take time to review the lot and then answer those questions during class

Learner Profile Again this is an opportunity to discuss some very important concepts that are probably not being mentioned anywhere else in their lives They are the traits of a life-long learner…and this is not limited to just students The more they are discussed, understood, and practiced the more they will manifest on campus

What needs to be displayed in your classroom? Illustrated learner profile – student generated is best. Have them consider the subject you teach and what each of those traits would look like in that field (have them do it during advisory) Your language objective Your content objective Your Area of Interaction Your Unit Question Essential Agreements Question Parking Lot