Andrea Buckvold

Expectations – Co-creating community

• At the beginning of the year, students will co-create the classroom expectations with Teacher input.

• Students will also have input into how students will be reminded of and responsible for maintaining the expectations, deadline flexibility and associated consequences.

• Likely inclusion:

  • Respect for materials.

  • Considerate of classmates.

  • Respect for personal projects/space.

  • Community behavior standards – such as, use of manners, constructive responses to student work, community appropriate language.

• Project expectations and deadlines will be clearly posted.

• Curriculum objectives will be clearly posted.

Environment – Promoting Student Engagement

• Students will engage in a variety of classroom community activities, like minute meditations, laughter yoga, group welcome chant, etc.

• The equipment layout of the classroom will be ordered with a focus toward equity (following UDL suggestions), teacher accessibility, and student responsibility.

• At the beginning of the year, students will co-create the visual environment of the classroom – choosing the inspirational works displayed, creating material rule signage.

• Students will help guide curriculum choices by having brainstorming discussions about project development.

• Students will create self-directed Skill Goalchart with estimated time and steps necessary.

• Inclusion of flexible seating, self-reflective ‘chilllax’ reading area (where students can choose to disengage with their projects/classmates for short periods of time), collection of small manipulatives for student use, a ‘maker cart’ area for testing ideas, and a collaborative 

• weaving station for quiet work time.

 

Positive Reinforcement Procedure – Rewarding community behaviors

Positive Student behavior will be result in leadership positions (such as)

• Table manager – in charge of organizing supplies, dispensing materials.

• Guest curator – in charge of visual display changes.

• Creating “free draw”  or “early finisher” assignments.

• Clean-up inspector.

Community Supports:

• Shout-out wall – accessible to students and teacher.

• Thought Box –Student notes to teacher for private conversations (UDL consideration: Students with low reading levels can submit pre-made name cards to indicate teacher need.) 

 

Disruption Procedure – Holding students accountable

Students who create “Irresponsible Harm”(Exp. Material misuse).

1. Must acknowledge the behavior.

2. Undo harm, if possible.

3. Make amends to all parties necessary (i.e. apologies.)

4. ‘Give back’ to the community by completing a community-benefitting behavior – like organizing materials, additional clean-up, etc.

Students who create “Intentional Harm”(Exp. Materially destructive behavior)

1. Must acknowledge the behavior.

2. Make amends to all parties necessary.

3. Conference with teacher about mediation of behavior source. 

4. Co-create an intervention plan to avoid future intentional harm.

5. ‘Give back’ to the community by completing a community-benefitting behavior – like organizing materials, additional clean-up, etc.

 

Hierarchy of Interventions (To be aligned with district policy):

Data collection & Teacher Reflection at all stages

1. Signaling to student about inappropriate behavior.

2. Use of proximity to deter.

3. Verbal redirection.

4. Private discussion 

5. Out of class– confer with student about positive student profile.

6. Co-create an intervention plan with collaboratively designed expectations and alternative projects/assessments, if necessary.

7. Contact parent for resource and technique supports.

8. Contact other staff for resource and technique supports.

9. Contact building referrals/support team, if necessary.

10. Administrative support.

11. Whole class discussion and reflection on community needs and expectations.

 

*Students who exhibit tendencies for physical harm to self/teacher/classmates will skip to step 4 or higher, depending on situation needs.