1. Warm up:
Think back to 5th grade…answer the four questions on your paper:
What did you like best?
What did you like least?
What was your greatest success?
What was your greatest struggle?
When you are finished, DO NOT turn your paper over! 

2. Today’s Meeting: If you could be any animal what would you be and why?
Class Meeting:
Today’s Meeting: If you could be any animal what would you be and why?
Meeting procedures:
Raise your hand if you would like to speak, I will throw you the fish
Sit quietly
Look at the person who is talking
Put your hand on your head if you have a thoughtful question or comment.

3. Today’s Agenda: Procedures reminder Hopes and goals for this year
Create classroom rules
Teambuilding: HUMAN KNOT!
Begin personal timeline

4. Signal for Quiet
There will be times in class when I need everyone’s attention. I will hit the chime when I need your attention. When you hear the chime I expect you to be:
Quiet
Sitting still
Looking at me

5. Break Spot
There may be times during class when I ask you to take a break.
The break spot is for someone who has made a mistake, broken a rule, or simply needs a few minutes to collet his/herself. It is NOT a punishment!
If you are sent to the break spot, you will have time to think about:
Why am I here?
What should I do differently when I return?
Once you have gathered your thoughts you will be welcomed back into the group.

6. Best times to go to the bathroom: Worst time to go to the bathroom:
Bathroom Procedure:
It is important for you to be in class the entire time.
If you must leave to go to the bathroom, give me the bathroom signal. I will either ask you to wait or tell you to go.
Best times to go to the bathroom:
Group work time
Individual work time
Worst time to go to the bathroom:
Whole group instruction

7. Best times to sharpen your pencil: Worst times to sharpen your pencil:
Pencils:
You are expected to bring a pencil to class.
Best times to sharpen your pencil:
Warm Ups
Individual work time
Group work time
Worst times to sharpen your pencil:
During a lesson/whole group activities
When the teacher is talking
When a student is talking to the class

8. Cell Phones:
Leave your cell phones in your lockers—if we use technology I will let you know ahead of time!

9. You may not have gum in class!

10. When the teacher or a student is talking:
When the teacher or a student is talking to the entire group you are expected to be listening respectfully. This means you are:
Seated
Quiet
Looking at the speaker
Raising your hand if you have a question

11. Warm up: Think back to 5th grade!
What did you like best?
What did you like least?
What was your greatest success?
What was your greatest struggle?

12. Brainstorm: What are some goals we could set to help us be successful in 6th grade?

13. Ms. Cruickshank’s Goal:
This year I hope our classroom will be a safe place to learn, where students share ideas, respect each other’s opinions, and do their best work.

14. What are your hopes and goals?
Write at least two, no more than four hopes or goals that will help you be successful in 6th grade.

15. After we finish we will each share 1 goal!
Turn and Talk:
Partner “A” will have 30 seconds - 1 minute to share. If they finish early, partner “B” may ask questions. When you hear the chime, time is up.
Partner “B will have 30 seconds – 1 minute to share. If they finish early, partner “A” may ask questions. When you hear the chime, time is up.
After we finish we will each share 1 goal!

16. If these are our hopes and goals, what rules will we need to help us make them come true?

17. Final Rules:

18. What do these rules mean?
With your table group:
What does this rule mean?
What does it look like in our classroom?
Write down at least 5 words or phrases to explain this rule to the class!

19. If the rules are broken:
If you make a mistake and break a rule, I will ask you to take a break.
If you are consistently breaking a rule, there will be consequences:
I will talk to you
I will talk to your parents
I will send you to the dean

20. Human Knot: GET UNTANGLED! Stand in circles of 12 or 13, HOLD HANDS.
Let go of hands, reach into the circle with your right hand.
Take the right hand of another person.
DO NOT take the hand of the person next to you.
If there are an odd number of people, the person left over will take someone’s LEFT hand.
Reach into the circle with your left hand.
Take the left hand of another person.
DO NOT take the hand of the person you are already holding.
GET UNTANGLED!

21. Timelines: Turn and Talk!
What is a timeline?
What do timelines help us do?

22. Timelines help us see:
Events in chronological order (what happened first, second, third)
Change over time
How much time passed between events
Cause and effect (did one event cause another?)

23. Timelines:

24. Personal Timeline:
One of your first assignments will be to create a personal timeline of your life. Before we begin, think of 5 important events that happened in your life. Then, write 1-2 sentences explaining why each event is important.

25. Ms. Cruickshank’s 5 events:
April 7, 1989: I was born.
December 1999: I got my first guitar.
2001: My grandfather died.
January 2012: I studied abroad.
August 2013: I started my first year of teaching.

26. Packing up procedure:
Clean out inside of desk (no trash, pencils, materials)
Clean underneath tables
Gather materials and stack neatly on desk

27. Personal Timeline:
Using your 5 events, create an illustrated timeline of your life. Be sure to include at least one picture and one key phrase to explain each event.

28. Create a timeline of your life:
Place your ruler on the black line
Every 2 centimeters, make a mark with your pencil
Each line will represent one year