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Table of Contents

Classroom Organization……………………………………………………………... 3 Operations………………………………………………………………………………..4 Record Keeping………………………………………………………………………………………………………..4 Student Information………………………………………………………………………………………………….4 Teacher Information………………………………………………………………………………………………….5 New Students……………………………………………………………………………………………………………5 Desk Cleanliness and Organization………………………………………………………………………………6 Student work…………………………………………………………………………………………………………….6

Disciplinary Policies and Professional ethics……………………………………..6 Classroom Rules………………………………………………………………………………………………………..6 Rule Infractions…………………………………………………………………………………………………………8

Positive reinforcement………………………………………………………………………………………………..9 Office Referral……………………………………………………………………………………………………………9 Bullying……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9 Playground and Specials Behavior……………………………………………………………………………….10 Respect…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10 Tardiness………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….10 Work Time/Late Work………………………………………………………………………………………………..11 Cheating……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………11 Interruption……………………………………………………………………………………………………………….11 Personal Ethics/Professionalism…………………………………………………………………………………..12

Classroom Routines and Procedures……………………………………………….12 Classroom introduction and tour………………………………………………………………………………….12 Student Sharing………………………………………………………………………………………………………….13 Student Jobs……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..13 Class Pet……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………14 Field Trips………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….15 Free Time………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….15 Turning in Work…………………………………………………………………………………………………………15 Student Mailboxes………………………………………………………………………………………………………16 Announcements…………………………………………………………………………………………………………16

Bathroom/Drink Breaks………………………………………………………………………………………………16 Dismissals………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….17 Moring Routines…………………………………………………………………………………………………………17

Differentiation……………………………………………………………………………17 High Ability students…………………………………………………………………………………………………..17 Struggling Students…………………………………………………………………………………………………….18

Parent Communication…………………………………………………………………..18 Weekly Newsletter……………………………………………………………………………………………………..18 Daily Communication………………………………………………………………………………………………….18 Parent Teacher Conferences……………………………………………………………………………………….19

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Welcome to Mrs. Harmon’s 4th Grade classroom! I have put together a functional

and fun environment for my students to learn in. To start when the students come in to

the room they are going to be greeting with a warm tropical theme. This theme will be

integrated throughout the classroom as well as some of the policies and procedures.

I want students to be prepared for the day to come right as they walk in the

room so I have created a bulletin board with a calendar/schedule and list of student

jobs for the week. There is a “check in” table inside the door in the front of the room.

This is where they will pull their lunch card from the holder in the wall and place it in a

bin for either hot or cold lunch. This will have all the cards ready to go for lunch as well

as a way to help with attendance, if there are still cards on the wall the student is

probably absent. There a pencil sharpener; Kleenex, hand sanitizer and trash can by the

door as well.

At the front of the room is the white/smart board where the students will be

facing. I will have an extra teacher work area like a second desk set up by the Elmo

along with my desk in the back of the class room. My desk in the back is at an angle so

I can have a full view of the entire room. It will also discourage students from trying to

go behind my desk where there will be more private storage and student records.

At the front of the room by the window is an independent reading area with a

bulletin board and book case. In that area is a large rug and bean bag seating to

encourage students to get comfortable with reading. There is also a guided

learning/reading area in the back of the room. This is where students will go as a group

for guided reading. It is in the opposite corner of the independent reading area of the

classroom to distinguish the different purpose of the areas. There is also a book case in

this area and another bulletin board to showcase student work.

There are also various student centers set up around the room. There is a

computer and technology center with Ipads and Nooks. It is close to my desk because

the equipment will be more expensive and I would like to be able to have close

proximity to them. Next to the technology center is the social studies center with

activities and supplies. There is a science and math center in the back of the room with

supplies. There is also a writing center near the student coat hangers. It separates the

student desks from the coat rack and cubbies to discourage students from going to

their bags throughout the day as they are expect to have taken everything they need

for the day out of their bag before instructional time begins.

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The student desks are set up in paired rows. They are like this so I can easily

walk up and down the rows and I can pair students up to encourage the maximum

amount of work from them. Also they can easily group their desk into groups of four

from this position for small group work. There are also plants placed around the room

just to bring a bit of extra life to the classroom and also to add the responsibility of

watering them to the students. I hope this classroom layout will help facilitate a good

learning environment for the students and can always be adapted to more specific

needs.

Record Keeping

Record keeping is an essential part of keeping and organized and well managed

classroom. It will be my duty to follow all record keeping procedures that my school

requires I follow. I plan to enter grades into the computer immediately after they have

been graded. I will make sure all grades have been entered into the proper program

such as infinite campus in a timely fashion to ensure parents and administration has the

most up to date information about a student’s progress.

I also plan to keep a paper record as well. I will keep binders for each subject

area with each of the student’s information recorded for all assignments and

assessments. This way in case there is ever a discrepancy or a computer error I always

a have a backup to reference. Students will also receive assignments and assessments

back in a timely fashion so they are able to quickly receive feedback on their work.

Student Information

It is important to me to maintain all of my student’s information in an accessible

yet private manner. Each student will have their own binder with their personal

information. This information will include any IEP, behavioral or 504 plans, emergency

contact information, student and family demographics, student transportation

information to and from school, and medical information. This information is located

behind my desk and can be locked into a file cabinet to maintain privacy.

I will also have binders for student’s academic progress. These binders will

include assessment data, samples of students work from each subject, running records,

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and any notes about the student’s academic progress. This binder will be used during

parent teacher conferences.

Teacher Information

Just like I keep information for my students I need to keep information for

myself as well. I plan to keep a binder to keep myself organized for each day. My

binder will include daily lesson plans, daily weekly and monthly schedule, personal

planner, curriculum information, continuing educational material, as well as school

policy and procedures.

I will also have a separate binder for substitute teachers. This binder will include

information about classroom layout and where to find everything, detailed lesson plans,

classroom rules procedures and expectations, extra activities, and helpful notes about

students. I want a sub to come into my room feeling as comfortable as possible and

want the children to be able to get the most out of their day while I am absent.

New Students

Being a new student in a classroom can be an emotional experience. I

understand that it is challenging for students to come into a new classroom after the

school year has already started and it is my job to make the new student and their

family feel as comfortable as possible with the transition. First I would like to try and

schedule a time before the student starts to meet with them and their family outside of

school hours. During this meeting I can go over the classroom rules and expectations,

daily schedule and let them know what we are working on in all the different subjects. I

can give them a tour of the classroom and allow them to get their desk ready to go for

when they start. If necessary I can also give them a tour of the school and introduce

them to any other staff they have not got to meet yet. I think this will take some of the

pressure off of their first day of the classroom and relive some anxieties the student

may have.

I will inform my class that a new student will be starting and explain my

expectations to the class and make sure everyone is warm, welcoming and

accommodating when the new student starts. It is important to be helpful and

understanding to the student as I plan on it taking a bit for them to adjust.

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Desk Cleanliness and Organization

It is an expectation in the classroom that students keep their desk organized and

help keep the classroom clean and organized. Students will have a checklist of supplies

that are to be placed in their desk on back to school night. All of the other supplies will

be in the supply cabinet. This will help keep their desk orderly. Students will also be

responsible for cleaning surfaces around the room, monitoring recycling and trash, and

maintaining organization of all center areas, book cases, and games.

Student Work

I want my students to be proud of the work they have done and I will proud as a

teacher to display it. Student work will be displayed throughout the classroom. There

are two bulletin boards in the classroom that are dedicated to student work. There is

one by the independent reading center and one in the back of the room by the guided

reading center. Student work will also be displayed on the walls. I will also display

samples of my students work on the wall outside of the classroom and on the

classroom door. Any request for a student or parent that their work not be displayed

will be handled on a case by case basis.

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Classroom Rules

Students will be expected to follow the classroom rules. I have set in place a

short set of classroom rules I think will be easy for my students to understand as well

as follow. I have chosen a short set of classroom rules that can incorporate many

things into them. I think it is important to have a short list of rules so the students do

not feel overwhelmed. I have created five classroom rules that go along with my

tropical them of the classroom. They are the BEACH rules. I think making the rules into

an acronym will help the students remember them better and I can refer to them be

the letter if necessary.

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Be respectful to your classmates and teachers

Every direction needs to be followed

Ask to leave your seat

Clean up your messes, be responsible and prepared

Hands, feet, and objects stay to yourself

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Rule Infractions

Each student will have their own “tiki”. Each student will

start the day with their tiki in the green hut. Students

can move to different colored huts based on their

behavior. Students can move to a yellow, orange, or red

hut for poor behavior, but they can also move to blue

purple or rainbow hut for good behavior.

Students will receive one warning or reminder for a rule

infraction without being required to move their tiki. After

the first warning students will be required to move their tiki to the next color for each

infraction. I want to emphasize making good choices to my students. I will offer limited

choices to my class when an infraction happens and always ask my students to please

make a better choice. When a student’s tiki is in the yellow hut they lose five minutes of

recess. When tiki is in the orange hut they will need to take a 10 minutes cool down

time away from the class. If the behavior continues to occur and a child needs to move

to the red hut they will be sent to the buddy classroom to complete their time away. A

note/e-mail/phone call home will be require when a student reaches the red tiki.

When a student displays positive behavior throughout the day they will have the

opportunity to move to the blue purple and rainbow huts. To reach the rainbow hut the

student will have to have had an exceptional day with no infractions. When a child

reaches the rainbow hut I will also be sending a note/e-mail/phone call home to inform

parents of the student’s exceptional behavior. I think this is important to parents to

hear from me when their child is doing well as when they had a rough day.

Children will be able to move up and down the huts during the day. If they have

moved to the blue, purple or rainbow hut but then begin to exhibit poor behavior they

will be moved down the appropriate color. Likewise if they have moved to yellow or

orange and have turned it around and are showing positive behavior they will be given

the opportunity to move up the latter. Children cannot move back up if they have

moved into the red hut or had an office referral.

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Positive Reinforcement

Besides being able to move tikis up to the positive colors I want to have a

reward system in place in my classroom. I believe that positive reinforcement is a

valuable tool to manage classroom behavior and students deserved to be rewarding for

their good behavior. I will have a “Beach Bucks” system in place for my students. When

students exhibit positive behavior they can be rewarded with a beach buck. Students

will be responsible to save their beach bucks and will have the opportunity to spend

their rewards in the class store. Every other Friday afternoon I will have a “store” for

the kids to spend their earned beach bucks. It can be anything from a pencil for a few

bucks to a larger reward such as a pajama day or lunch with the teacher. Students can

also purchase rewards for the entire class such as a pizza party. I feel giving my

students something to look forward to for being good will be a big help in overall

management.

Office referral

While office referrals are something I hope to avoid in my classroom I think it is

important to have a procedure in place. Students who have moved their tiki to the red

hut and continue to exhibit poor behavior and break rules will result in an office

referral. Some infractions will result in immediate office referrals and include but are not

limited to, physical violence, possession of weapons, exhibiting threatening behavior,

sexual harassment, and use or explicit profanity.

Bullying

I will have a zero tolerance policy for bullying in my classroom. I feel bullying is

overtaking society and I will not tolerate it. Any instances of bullying reported to me will

be immediately investigated. Any problems with bullying with result in a conference

with all parties involved as well as a phone call home to parents to set up a meeting

with their child about bullying. Bullying will also be reported to the office and referred to

the office if necessary.

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Playground and Specials Behavior

Students are required to follow the school and classroom rules in all settings.

When a student is in a specials setting they will be required to follow my rules as well

as those of the specials teacher. Any infractions in a specials setting will result in

moving a tiki in the classroom as well as the appropriate consequences.

The same goes for the playground. My students are expected to follow classroom

rules and well as the school rules for the playground. Students must follow any rules

implemented by the teacher on duty. Playground infracts will also result in movement of

their tiki in the classroom with the appropriate consequences.

Respect

One of the classroom rules is being respectful. This is to all staff and all students.

Students who are disrespectful to staff or students in my classroom will result in the

movement of their tiki. If disrespectful behavior continues in my classroom I will first

have a meeting with the student to sort out the underlying reason. If that is

unsuccessful I will need to involve parents and/or the office and determine the cause

and formulate a plan for the solution. This will also be the procedure for any respect

issues outside of my classroom.

Tardiness

Student’s tardiness will be monitored in the classroom. It is important to me for

students to be on time and prepared for instruction to begin. Students who are tardy

can cause interruption to instruction and be a distraction to other students. Student’s

tardiness will be recorded during attendance and sent in via the computer to the office.

Students with continued tardiness will be sent home a note to their parents as well as a

phone call home. I would like to discuss the reason for the student’s tardiness as well

as emphasize the importance of a student being on time for instructional activities to

begin. While I understand most of the time an elementary student’s tardiness is beyond

their control still feel it needs to be addressed. If my attempts are unsuccessful I will

refer the issue to the office.

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Work time/Late work

Students in my classroom will be expected to complete work and turn it in on

time. I will expect my students to be using their time wisely. Students who turn in

incomplete work will be required to complete the work during student work time or

recess. Students who are not turning in their work will be required to stay in during

recess to work. If a student is consistently not turning in work or late with work it will

be my job to try and find out an underlying problem in case the student needs an

accommodation. Students who a choosing not to do their work will result in a note/e-

mail/phone call home. I will do my best to create a plan to help get the students work

done. If the problem consists and I am not getting support from parents I will refer to

the office for guidance.

Cheating

I have a no tolerance for cheating in my classroom. During assessments in my

classroom I will require the students to place dividers on the desk to discourage

academic dishonesty. I will also review plagiarism with students for any work they

complete that may require research. Students caught cheating will be receive a zero for

the test or assignment turned it. However, they will be required to retake/redo the

assessment or assignment for credit with a 10% deduction off their overall score.

Parents will be informed of any cheating infraction.

Interruption

Disruption in my classroom is breaking one of the BEACH rules of being

respectful. Students who disrupt class will be handled using the tiki and corresponding

consequences. As stated in my rule infractions repeated disruption of my classroom will

result in contacting parents and possible office referral. I will take classroom disruption

very seriously has it can have a largely negative effect on the other students who are

trying to learn.

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Personal Ethics/Professionalism

It will be my responsibility as a professional teacher to maintain a positive and

comfortable working environment. I will come to work prepared for the day and be

dressed in a professional manner. While at work it will be my duty to show respect and

kindness to my fellow coworkers and administrators. I will not engage in any break

room gossip or rumor spreading. If I am having difficulties with a colleague of mine it

will be my duty to try and personally resolve the problem in a calm and professional

manner. If I am unsuccessful in my attempts and feel I am still being treated poorly it

will be my responsibility to report the behavior and the proper administrator to try and

resolve the issue.

It is important to me for everyone to feel comfortable in their work place. I do

not want to feel as if I am in a hostile working environment and I don’t want anyone

else to feel that way either.

Classroom Introduction and Tour

On the student’s first day of school, students will be introduced to the classroom

and get a chance to feel comfortable in their environment. We will do a classroom tour

where I show students where everything is located. I will let them know what areas are

appropriate for them to be in a when and what areas of the classroom are off limits,

such as my desk and certain storage areas. I will make sure students know where to

find things such as the schedule, Kleenex, trash/recycling, calendar, job board, extra

supplies, etc.

This will also be the time to get the children familiar with rules and classroom

procedures as I want everything to be made clear from day one. I will have the

students practice rules and procedures to make sure they have them down and

understand how everything works from the very beginning. I feel this will really help

with classroom management throughout the school year.

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Student Sharing

Students will have brought in to the classroom all of the required school supplies

on back pack night. It is during that time where I will have had students organize their

desk with a limited number of supplies. The remainder of the supplies will be kept in

the storage closet. Any supplies that will remain for the use of each student personally

will be labeled with their name. Other supplies that will be shared supplies such as extra

pens, pencils, sanitizer, white board markers, erasers, etc. will be placed throughout the

room or in storage. Students will be familiarized with where to find each object on the

first day. Students will be free to use these extra supplies but will be required to ask

before taking them. This way I can monitor the supply use by each student.

Students will be reminded that they are sharing these supplies with other

students and they need to be respectful of the property and only use what they need. I

will remind them to use all shared materials and supplies appropriately and stay

sanitary (do not chew on pens, or put them in your mouth)

Student Jobs

Students will be required to

help out in the classroom

through student jobs. Each

week a small group of students

will be assigned to one job each

for the week. I will keep track

in my job log as to which jobs

each student has had

throughout the year to keep it

fair. I want to make the

students jobs fun for the kids

and also functional for keeping

the flow of the classroom. I think this is a fun way to get kids involved in the care of the

classroom and give them some extra responsibility. I think most students get excited

about having a job to do in the class room.

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Messenger- The messenger will be responsible for running errands. They

will run notes or messages to other classroom teachers or pick up notes or

papers from the office.

Line Leader- This student will get to be the head of the line for the week.

They will also be allowed to choose another student to join them at the front of

the line. The line leader will be responsible to show proper line basics and model

good behavior in the hallway.

Paper Passer- This student will be responsible to help pass papers out to

the other students during the week. This student will not be allowed to pass out

papers that have been graded or with personal student information

Lights and Doors- This student will be responsible for turning lights on

and off when leaving and returning to the classroom. They will also make sure

the door is closed after leaving the classroom.

Fish Feeder/Plants- This student will be responsible for feeding the

class pet every morning, a beta fish. They will also water class plants.

Trash/Recycling- This student will be in charge of emptying the

recycling bin each week and will make sure students take care of their trash.

Organizer- This student will be responsible to keep centers and supply

areas clean and organized.

Greeter- This student will great all guest to the room, and give a short

explanation of what the students are working on.

Substitute- This student will fill in for a job if the student assigned to the

job is absent.

Class Pet

My classroom will have a class mascot. To go

along with the tropical theme of the room we will have

a Betta fish for our mascot. A Betta is easy to care for,

has a descent life span and does not pose any dangers

to the students. There would be no worries with

allergies with the betta as well. The students will have

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the opportunity to help name the fish as the beginning of the year and will be

responsible to help with the care of the fish. During long breaks away from the

classroom I will be responsible to take the fish with me and care for him.

Field Trips

I believe field trips are an important part of student education. I want my field

trips to be a tool to add to the student’s educational experience. All fieldtrips will go

along with a unit or lesson that is being taught in the classroom and will be planed

following all rules and regulations of the school. Parents will be informed of the field trip

in advance and given the opportunity to join us as a chaperone. Students will be

expected to follow all school policies as well as standard classroom rules on fieldtrips.

Students will also be expected to follow and rules of the field trip destination. Students

will be expected to represent our class in a positive light.

Free Time

In my classroom I never want and student to be sitting around doing nothing.

There is a limited amount of time each school day and I want every second to count.

Students who have completed and assignment or assessment before the allotted time

period will always be asked first and foremost of double check their work. If they still

have time they will be asked to work on any homework or assignments in other

subjects. If they complete all homework or don’t have any students will be asked to

read from the free choice reading book. There may be special occasions where I ask a

student to complete a special task for me. I will also have activities as options for

students to complete during certain lessons.

Turning In Work

Students will be responsible for turning in their own work. All student work will

need to have the student’s full name, date, subject, and assignment title. I will have

trays or “in boxes” near my desk labeled for each subject for the students to turn in.

Students who turn in work without all required labeling will have their work returned

and will need to resubmit. Students will be expected to not look at any other student’s

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work that has already been handing in while turning their assignment. I will empty trays

at least at the end of every school day and periodically during the day.

Student Mail Boxes

Students will have their work returned to them by their own personal student

mail box. Each student will have them own labeled mail box. Students will be

responsible to check their mail box at the beginning of every school day as well as the

end. If I have personal information to be passed to a student I will give it to them

personally. All students will be expected to only check their own mailbox and will not be

allowed to look at any other student’s mail. I feel this is a something fun for the

students as well as giving them some responsibility for their own work.

Announcements

I would like to keep class announcements to the beginning of end of the school

day. I feel this will not create unnecessary interruptions during the school day and I will

be able to have the student’s full attention at this time. If necessary announcements

will be made during the school day at an appropriate time.

Bathroom/Drink Breaks

I will be giving my students periodic bathroom and

drink breaks during the day. I feel it is important to

give students the opportunity to get up a move

throughout the day and have breaks from

instruction. I think have designated break times

scheduled during the day will reduce the number of

students asking to use the restroom or get a drink

during instructional time. However, I do understand student may need to use the

restroom at other times. Students will be required to ask permission before leaving the

room. If permission is granted they will need to take a bathroom pass with them which

is be located at the front of the room near the door. Passes with be large clothes pins

children can clip to their shirt. This way students won’t have to worry about losing their

pass and helps with cleanliness.

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Dismissal for Lunch/Recess/Specials/Home

As students are preparing to leave the room for any reason I will expect them to

have the desk and work area cleaned and organized. I will give children time to change

into tennis shoes if necessary before leaving for PE. When we are getting ready to leave

the room I will call students who are ready to go to line up first. I will have a line taped

to the floor with dots for spacing so the students do not crowed each other. When

students are quiet and are showing me what it looks like to be ready to walk through

the hallway we will leave.

Any time a bell is dismissing the children they are to understand that the bell

does not dismiss them, I dismiss them. Children will be given adequate time each day

to get prepared to leave but I still will have the final say when it is ok to walk out the

door.

Students will be expected to take home and homework for the night, their

planner, take home folder and study materials. Take home folders should be emptied

by a parent or guardian each night and planners need to be initialized by a parent or

guardian nightly. Folders, planners and all work needs to return to school the next day.

Morning Preparations

Each morning when the students arrive from school they are expecting to hang

their coat and bag up at their assigned space. They are to take out everything from

their back pack that they will need for the day and take it to their desk. Students will

have time each morning to get organized for the school day and make sure they are

prepared.

High ability students

It is my duty as a teacher to make sure that every student is getting what they

need to learn best. Students will high ability sometimes need different instruction than

other students. Each assignment will be different in terms of differentiation and not

every student is gifted is every area.

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Students who are reading at a higher level will be assigned appropriate level text

to challenge them. Students who are above grade level in math will be given work

appropriate for their learning needs. Gifted may be assigned to be group leaders or

managers and have options to complete special tasks.

I will make sure that gifted students in my classroom and not just given extra

work, I want them to be doing work that is appropriate for their learning needs.

Struggling students

Just like my gifted students I will make sure all other students are getting the

instructional tools they need. It will be my duty to make sure students have the

accommodations they require and to follow any 504, IEP, and behavioral plans.

I will make sure students who need extra time on assignments are given that

time and I assist all struggling students. I want to make sure every child in my

classroom is successful and I will to by best to give my students what they need.

Weekly Newsletter

Every copy I will e-mail home a newsletter to all parents containing information

about what the students did that week in each subject and what events are coming up

such as field trips, music concert, PTA meetings, etc. Parents are asked to reply to my

e-mail just to confirm that they have received it as a “signature”. I will be happy to

send hard copies home for anyone who is not able to receive e-mail.

Daily Communication

I will ask each of my families to fill out a contact information sheet and assign

preferences to the best way to get ahold of them. Parents will all be provided with my

e-mail address as well as the school phone number. I will ask that my preferred mode

of communication be e-mail. I will be happy to answer any parent questions and want

them to have an open communication with me about any concerns they are having.

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Parent Teacher Conferences

I will have all of my student’s information prepared and ready to go along with

samples of their work in their student binders for parent teacher conferences. I will

send out reminder notes to parents that conferences are coming up and remind each

family of their assigned time. I will take conferences very seriously and expect families

to be on time and prepared with any questions or concerns they may have. I will be

happy to address questions and concerns during conferences. Any family who wishes to

have additional conferences time can schedule a second conference with me if

necessary. I want parent teacher conferences to be a positive and construction

experience for my families.

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References

Kenzie, R. J., & Stanzione, L. (2010). Setting limits in the classroom: a complete guide to effective classroom management with a school-wide discipline plan (3rd ed.). New York: Three Rivers Press. Wong, Harry K., and Rosemary T. Wong. The First Days of School: How to Be an

Effective Teacher. Mountain View, CA: Harry K. Wong Publications, 2009. Print.

Bettafishproject.com

Vector-magz.com

Mycutegraphics.com

Canstockphoto.com

Surfingthoughsecond.com

Dr. Beisser’s Handouts