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Chapter 7 • Preparation and Launch

Pull It All Together for the First Day

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Chapter 7, Task 1: Finalize Your Classroom Management Plan and Prepare to

Communicate That Plan to Your Students

I reviewed and completed the essential tasks from Chapters 1 through 6. That is, I have…

1. Developed and posted Guidelines for Success (Ch. 1, Task 5)

2. Created positive expectations for all students (Ch. 1, Task 3)

3. Reviewed the basic principles of behavior management (Ch. 1, Task 1)

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Chapter 7, Task 1: Finalize Your Classroom Management Plan (Continued)

4. Determined the level of structure for my class (Ch. 1, Task 6

5. Outlined the activities students will engage in during a typical week (Ch. 4, Task 1)

6. Decided on what basis I will give grades (Ch. 2, Tasks 2-4)

7. Developed classroom procedures (Ch. 3, Tasks 3-5)

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Chapter 7, Task 1: Finalize Your Classroom Management Plan (Continued)

8. Developed a regular daily schedule (Ch. 3, Task 1)

9. Arranged the physical space in the classroom (Ch. 3, Task 2)

10. Identified an attention signal (Ch. 3, Task 3)

11.Developed beginning and ending routines (Ch. 3, Task 4)

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Chapter 7, Task 1: Finalize Your Classroom Management Plan (Continued)

12. Identified and posted classroom rules (Ch. 5, Task 1)

13.Defined and prepared lessons on behavioral expectations (Ch. 4, Tasks 1-3)

I have decided how I will communicate my classroom plan to my students (for example, comprehensive syllabus).

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Chapter 7, Task 2: Final Preparations for the First Day

I understand that having my first day planned will help me spend more time with my students and put them at ease, and help me feel confident, organized and prepared to motivate my students toward responsible behavior. Toward this end, I have:

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Chapter 7, Task 2: Final Preparations for the First Day (Continued)

• developed a modified class schedule for the first day of school;

• made a sign that identifies my classroom;

• prepared an initial activity for students to work on when they enter the room; and

• prepared an orientation handout for parents and guardians.

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Chapter 7, Task 3: Implementing Your Plan

for the First Day of School

I understand that effective implementation of my plan for the first day of school will make my students feel welcome and help them learn to behave responsibly from the beginning. The following strategies will help me do that:

• Greeting students individually as they enter the room

• Getting students’ attention as soon as the bell rings

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Chapter 7, Task 3: Implementing Your Plan for the First Day of School (Continued)

• Communicating essential classroom information in the first ten minutes of the day (class)

• Teaching my attention signal

• Orienting students to the posted First Day Schedule and using the three-step process for communicating my expectations

• Concluding the class period by orienting students to my end-of-class procedures

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Three-Step Process for Communicating Expectations

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Preparation and Launch:Peer Study Worksheet

With one or more of your colleagues, work through the following discussion topics and activities related to the tasks in Chapter 7. If necessary, refer back to the text to get additional ideas or for clarification. (See the Chapter 1 Peer Study Worksheet for suggestions on structuring effective discussion sessions.)

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Peer Study Worksheet, Task 1: Finalize Your Classroom Management Plan and Prepare to

Communicate That Plan to Your Students

A. Have each group member bring in a completed syllabus. Discuss what parts of the syllabus template each group member included in his or her syllabus, which sections were omitted and which sections were added that did not appear in the template. Discuss the rationale for those decisions.

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Peer Study Worksheet, Task 1: Finalize Your Classroom Management Plan (Continued)

B.Have each group member identify if there are any parts of the syllabus or their classroom procedures with which he or she is dissatisfied. If so, find out if other group members have suggestions. For example, if one member is not satisfied with her procedures for dealing with late work, other members could share their procedures and their summary of these procedures in their syllabi.

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Peer Study Worksheet, Task 2: Complete Your Preparations for the

First Day

A. ONLY IF YOU HAVE TIME, have group members share what they have done in terms of final preparations for the first day of school. Specifically, individual members may want to share ideas for an initial activity that students can work on when they arrive and how they might deal with it if a student refused to work on the task.

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Peer Study Worksheet, Task 3: Implement Your Plan for the First Day of

School

A. ONLY IF YOU HAVE TIME, have group members share their ideas and plans for displaying their Day One Schedule, greeting students as they arrive, getting students’ attention when the bell rings, communicating essential information in the first 10 minutes, and teaching their attention signal.

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Peer Study Worksheet, Task 3: Implement your Plan for the First Day of School (Continued)

B. Have group members discuss how they will begin to use the three-step process (of teaching, monitoring behavior, and giving feedback) to communicate behavioral expectations.