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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Middle School Teachers: Behavior Expectations
I am starting my second year as a teacher, my first in a middle school classroom. I will be teaching special ed in a kind of drop-in class setting. I am trying to make a draft of expectations for the students when they are in my room. So far, I have that they should remain in their seats and raise their hands if they need help and also that they are to come with work. I know I need to make a rule about the level of noise in the classroom - low. What else do I need? And how should I state the noise level policy?
Thanks!
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Re: Middle School Teachers: Behavior Expectations
No offense, but these are pretty elementary and kids may balk.
I may be in the minority, but I don't much care about staying in seats or raising hands in most situations (I make this clear at the beginning of activities..."the expectation is that everyone participates so no calling out" or "everyone should be in a seat for the next 15 minutes"). Middle school kids, esp ones with attention disorders, can be squirrely, and it's torture to some of them to sit down for a class period, so i let them pace in the back as long as they're actively participating and not bugging anyone.
Also, I usually let each class spend 15-20 minutes on the first day in a class meeting coming up with the expectations for the class. They run it. They decide on 5 "rules" and we write the down and post them. This becomes their participation grade every day (they check the list and earn one point for each thing they did). When they make the rules and are accountable to them, it tends to run smoother for me.
Good luck! I love middle school kids and I hope you enjoy them this year
Thanks for the ideas.
I would love to have my students create their own expectations. The problem is that I will have all three grades in and out of my classroom at various times of the day. I am not even certain that I will get a class period at the beginning of the year to meet with each grade level. Basically, there is no set schedule in my room - if a teacher decides they want a student on an IEP to have me help with a project, they send the kid to my room to work.
I have volunteered with this particular population and am a little nervous that if I don't have the expectation of them staying their seats, they will climb into my cupboards just for the fun of it. I have thought that in lieu of hand-raising, I might have a sign up sheet on the board where students can write their name to ask for my help. Does that seem like a better idea?
I also am very flexible, like erbear. I provide very clear expectations before each activity that is specific to that activity.
I have two hard and fast behavior expectations that always apply.
a) no put downs
b) do not touch my things (or classmates' things) without asking.
I teach 9th grade so it's not really middle school but close enough. I also teach an inclosed special ed social studies class with the help of an aid.
I agree with the pp who said staying in their seats isn't really necessary. Most of the students need to get up and move so I like to do 10-15 minutes of instruction, 5 minute break, back to instruction.I also don't care if they raise their hand (see below).
My rules are normally:
1. No rude comments towards me or others
2. Hands to themselves
3. All school rules apply- no phones, no ipods, no texting, hats etc
4. Bathroom only at the start and end of the class
5. Must have a pass to leave the room
6. No heads on the desks- that's a huge one.
7. One person speaks at a time... if you wish to speak you must have the "speaking stick"... it's a decorated ruler and they must ask the previous holder for it. One comment at a time and then pass it on.
8. Positive points given for bringing their books, pens, supplies to class. Negative points given if those things are not brought. I keep track on a massive piece of oak tag posted in the room. So many negative points may bring down their average/will get an email/call home.
Not middle school, but I've used the CHAMPS system very successfully in upper elementary. It's extremely structured and has posted expectations for each daily activity. Once you've taught the system, students can even come up with their own expecations for activity levels. This is probably the best classroom management system/book I've ever read, especially for special-ed kids, who generally need much more structure.
http://www.amazon.com/Champs-Proactive-Positive-Classroom-Management/dp/157035166X
I will definitely find a way to stress the respect for others and others' things.
I guess I don't mean so much that they can't leave their seats ever. I just know that they tend to kind of wander the room and switch seats, which leads to very little work actually getting done.
I was going to suggest this same thing...Sprick's CHAMPS/ACHIEVE stuff is pretty good stuff. We had a district training on it for a year and while I didn't enjoy the actual trainer, I think the information is really good. I redid all of my syllabi this year based on this book and have been using a lot of it successfully. I suggest giving it a try!
The students have to be involved someway so there is some buy-in and they feel part of the rule making. Even if it's just a discussion on what kind of class we want and how do we need to act to make it that way.
I think the best idea is to keep it simple, no more than 5 essential agreements. I teach 2nd and these are the ones the class decided on last year. They also sign to say they agree and I can reference them when needed. It could be something you can on the door and they need to remember to abide by before they enter.
1. We are good communicators (listening, raising hands, asking for help)
2. We are responsible (bring materials, do homework)
3. We're nice to each other (name calling, being nice)
4. We listen to the rules (lol, they needed that one for some reason)
GL!
I just have two rules.
1) Be respectful (of each other, of me, of everyone's belongings, etc)
2) Be responsible (for your own things, for your own behavior, etc)
I don't post the parentheses part. I post Be Respectful/Responsible, we have a discussion about what those words mean to everybody, and then I deal with things as they come up.
Kids are talking while I'm giving directions - are you showing respect? Kid makes lots of excuses - are you responsible? And what should you be doing/should you have done? Pretty much everything fits into these two categories (ex: tardy kids are not showing respect for our class time/are not being responsible with their own time management)