Classroom Culture Plan Name of Teacher: Date: / /

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1 room Culture Plan Name of Teacher: Date: / / Routine / Expectation Entering the Starting the Day: How will students enter the class at the very start of the day?,, Grade What does it look like? Why do we do it? How will we know? room Expectations Jackets, Bookbages: Where will students put their jackets and bookbags? Entering the : How will students enter the classroom (not at the start of the day)? Student Noise Expectations: What should it sound like in your classroom? Are there different times for different noise levels? If so, how will students know? Noise Meter: Will you use a noise meter? If so, what are the settings, and exactly what do each mean? How will you let students know when the setting changes? "SSLANT": What are the student expectations for paying attention to the speaker? The acronym for students showing that they are focused and ready to learn is SLANT (Sit Up, Ask and Answer Questions, Nod, and Track the Speaker); some teachers will add another S at the start for Smile. 1) It shows respect to teachers and classmates to sit and listen in a way that shows that you are engaged and payign attention, 2) When students sit in SLANT form We can say "SLANT"... and all students will immediately go to great SLANT position (silently); we will also see students SLANTing as we walk around the school Non-verbal for SLANT: What is the class nonverbal signal for SLANTing? Smile and Sit Up, Lean Forward: How should students sit to show they are paying attention? Ask / Answer Questions: What is the appropriate way to ask and answer questions? When should students be asking and answering? Nod to Understand: When someone is speaking, how will you show that you are following along and "getting" it? When the teacher folds his/her arms, that is the signal for students to SLANT; immediately, all students should SLANT upon seeing the singal when appropriate followed by teacher acknowledgement: "I see all my fabulous scholars are SLANTING." 1) We need a way to ask for SLANTing that doesn't distract from the lesson or speaker. 2) There are times that a teacher needs to ask for SLANTing while another student or teacher is speaking, and the non-verbal signal is necessary We can use the non-verbal signal for SLANT... and all students will immediately go to great SLANT position (silently) Track the Speaker: How will we show the speaker we are listening?

2 Criss Cross / Applesauce: How should students sit on the rug? Desk Sitting: How should students sit at their desks? Standing: What does appropriate standing look like? Exchanging Papers: How will students exchange papers with another student? Visitors to the room: How are visitors to the classroom welcomed? Who does the welcoming? (Family Handbook) Students will not turn to visitors (including the principal, dean, or other teachers) during class. Students should track the speaker and ignore the presence of the visitor. It is not okay for students to say, "Hi, Mr. Johnson" or something similar. If a visitor asks a student a question, the student may politely respond. The teacher may decide to ask a student to explain to the visitor what the class is doing or to greet the visitor with a cheer. This is the teacher's decision whether or not to do this, and students should remain focused and working unless the teacher directs otherwise 1) We have a lot of visitors, so if we got distracted by every visitor, we wouldn't get nearly enough work done. 2) Visitors are here to see you WORK HARD, so it is not rude or disrespectful to simply keep doing your work. 3) There is a time and place to greet visitors more thoroughly (at lunch, during transitions if the teacher allows, etc.); during class isn't one of them. We should be able to ask all our visitors how students responded, and they should tell us that all students remained totally focused. Disruptions are a natural part of the day. If we stopped and reacted to all of them, we'd lose precious class time. We want to practice room Disruptions: How should students react to unforeseen disruptions (bell Students should ignore all classroom disruptions. It is not okay to use classroom disruptions as an excuse to system, loud noise outside, etc.)? make noises, talk, or otherwise get off track. staying focus despite what is going on around us. We will see focused students even when there are disruptions. If we "cause" a disruption, we will see students not reacting. Calling Out: When may students talk without raising their hands? Students should raise their hands to speak at all times. On occasion, the teacher will let students know that they are brainstorming answers and will allow call outs. In this case, students should say their answers in a normal voice and make sure that they don't dominate the discussion. Calling out is distracting to other students and the teacher, and it slows down the learning. Moreover, it is disrespectul because the student calling out is not waiting his/her turn and is dominating the air time in the class. When we observe any class in the school, we will see students raising their hands to speak. Raising Hands: What does appropriate hand-raising look like? Excited Hands: How will a student show that he/she really has a good point to make / wants to be called on? (special for class) Students should raise their hands whenever they know the answer to a question the teacher is asking. Students should simply put their hands in the air without any sounds (no "oooh oooh" or similar). To show excitement/enthusiam, students make "twinkle" their fingers (as long as the arm doesn't wave) to let the teacher know that he/she really has a good answer or wants to participate. Without 100% participation, all students will not learn. Teachers are working very, very hard, and one way that students can demonstrate that they are working hard too is to answer all questions. It is not respectful to the learning of others to call attention to yourself through "ooh oohs" or other forms of calling out. It is also disruptive and distracting to the learning of others. We will see students raising their hands, and we will never hear "ooh oohs" or similar distracting sounds. We want to have a way to show this without being disruptive. Since this is a non-verbal and We will see students showing "excited hands" non-distracting signal, it works. We also want often in all classrooms. to encourage student enthusiasm, and this is a productive way to do it.

3 Hands down while others are speaking: How will a student focus when others are speaking? When another student is speaking / answering a question, hands should go down, and students should track the speaker. When students have their hands up while others are speaking, it signals that students are more interested in "making their point" than listening to others. Since good listeners track speakers and try to really understand what is said, one way to show this is to keep your hand down until the speaker is done. When we are speaking or another student is speaking, we will see all hands down and all students tracking the speaker. Reacting when not called on: How will a student react when he/she is called on? No Opt Outs: What will happen when a student doesn't know the answer or doesn't give an answer? Chorale Responses: What should chorale responses sound like? If a student is not called on, there should be no reaction. The student should simply continue. If a student is frustrated about not being called on, he or she can politely let the teacher know this by writing the teacher a note (after class) or talking to the teacher after class. If a student does not know the answer to a question or doesn't give an answer, the student must then listen to the answers of others for the teacher will cycle back to the student and ask the same question of the student again. When a teacher asks students to read, talk, or chant in unison, it should sound like a normal, energetic reading voice (not "droning") for reading and total enthusiasm (without yelling) for chants. It is impossible for the teacher to call on every student every time. Teachers will make good faith efforts to call on all students, but it is distracting to others and disruptive to the learning process of others to react to not being called on. All students are responsible for learning, and it violates the learning community for an individual student to decide that he or she does not want to participate. If a student needs more time, he or she can listen to the responses of other student to help him/her be ready to answer. Enthusiasm helps make a class. Droning reading or lackluster chants zap the class of enthusiasm. All class members are responsible for keeping the enthusiasm high. We will not see negative reactions to not being called on, and we will hear of and see students politely and respectfully talking to their teachers after class about wanting to be called on more. We will see teachers cycling back to students who did not have an answer or were not willing to answer. We will see these students giving a strong answer. (If not, we will see teachers following up with the student after class.) We will never hear Charlie-Brown-style droning from our students. We will hear enthusiastic chorale reading and joyful, nonyelling chants and cheers. Stay Seated: When are students allowed to get out of their seats? How should they ask? Throwing away trash: How should a student deposit trash in the classroom? Recycling: Where should students put recycling? What items go in the recycling bin? Please, Thank You, You re Welcome: What are the expectations for politeness? Co-signing: How can a student indicate that he/she agrees with the answer of another student? When is this appropriate to do? Grading other students work: How should students mark wrong answers? Should students correct wrong answers? How should student tally the total score? How student students interact when grading another's paper? How should a student react if he/she believes there is a mistake? Pencil Exchange: What should a student do if his/her pencil breaks?

4 Writing Homework Down: Where is homework posted? Where should students write down the homework? In what form? Homework Folder Left Pocket, Right Pocket: What goes in the left pocket of the homework folder? What goes in the right pocket? Homework Folder Neatness: What should the homework folder look like? What should go in a homework folder? room Binder: How should students keep their classroom materials organized? Where should the binders be kept? Each Student Desk: How should each student organize his/her desk? What can and can't go in the desk? Desk Arrangement: How should the desks be arranged in "normal" position? Teacher Desk Area: Are students allowed near / at the teacher desk? If so, under what circumstances? Desks of Other Students: Are students allowed to be at/near the desks of other students? If so, in what circumstances? Teacher Computer: Are students allowed on the teacher computer? The Nurse: When may students go to the nurse? What are the nurses hours? Counselor and Social Worker: When may a student see the social worker talk to another teacher? Does the social worker/teacher need to come to pick up the student? Jobs: What are the class jobs? How are the chosen? For how long each? What does each job do? When does each job get done? Mr. or Ms.: How should students address every adult in the building? (Family Handbook) Students should call all adults in the building (teachers, interns, office staff, after-school teachers, school custodians, etc.) by their last names at all times. 1) It is a sign of respect in American culture to call people older than you by titles (Mr., Ms.), 2) It signals to your teachers that you understand they they have special responsibility and that you commit to respecting them, 3) When you later interview for jobs or meet people for the first time, the expectation will be that you call them Mr,, Ms., Mrs., or Dr. We will always hear students call teachers by Mr. or Ms., and we will hear all staff immediately correct students who don't. When students greet visitors or people they meet on field lessons, we will hear how they greet them.

5 Header on Papers: What does the header on all papers look like? What are the neatness expecations? Grade Top Quality Work: What does complete, top-quality work look like? What are nonexamples? What happens when a student turns in less than top-quality work? Grade Blue or Black Pen: What color pens are students allowed to use? Pencil when pencil, pen when pen: What classes/activities require pencils? What classes/activities require pens? When can students choose? Full Sentence Answers: How should students answer questions in class? Correct Grammar: How will incorrect grammar be corrected? Who will do the correcting? What will the student need to do after being corrected? Board = Paper: When are students expected to copy down EXACTLY what is written on the board? Help to hear a student who isnt t: What can students say when they can't hear another student? How many students should say this? What tone should be used? Fire Drill: What happens when the fire alarm goes off? Calling a Teacher at Home: When should students call teachers? What should students say when the teacher picks up the phone? What does an effective call sound like? ing a Teacher: When should students teachers? What does an effective look like? Teacher Number and What is the teacher's phone number and ? Where should the students mark that down? Bathroom Times: When are the appropriate times for students to go to the bathroom? Grade

6 Bathroom Signal: What is the nonverbal signal for going to the bathroom? What should a student do if the teacher denies the request? What if the student really has to go? Bathroom Emergencies : How many "emergencies" is a student allowed per trimester? How will the teacher track this? What will happen if the student goes over the maximum emergency number? The Clap: What is the clap teachers will do to get the attention of the class? How should students clap in response? What will students do after this initial clapping? eyes on me, 1-2 : When a teacher says, "1-2-3, eyes on me " what will students say and do? No Cutting: What are the expectations for "cutting" on other students? Does the teacher believe this is a natural part of life, being a kid? What will happen if students "cut" on each other? Shut up / Insults: How will students treat each other? What are some words that should never be uttered in the class? 100% of students: When a teacher asks a question, who should have their hands in the air? If a teacher asks students to do something they have the abiltity to do, who should do it? Independent Work: What should independent work look like? Sound like? Paired Work: How will students get into and out of pairs? What should paired work look like? Test / Quiz: What is the seating arrangement for tests and quizzes? How do students get to this arrangement? What should students do during a test? What should students do if they finish early? Tissue: What should students do if they need a tissue? How and where should they blow their nose? What should they do with the used tissue?

7 Graded Work Returned: How will teachers return graded work? Where should students put the work? How should students react if the score is high, low? When should student talk to the teacher if they have a question about a grade? Name / College Name: How should students refer to their class? Make up Work: How will students get assignments for days that they miss? When are these assignments due?