I will be creating norms with my students by forming a classroom contract. This classroom contract will be called the "Classroom Promise" (Wheeler, 2011). The students will be helping me formulate this promise in order to let them take responsibility for their actions and to let their voices be heard.
Classroom Promise:
On the first day of school the teacher and the students will be formulating different ways that they can work together to make a safe, fun, and inviting classroom together. The teacher will prompt the students with the following questions:
- What makes you feel safe?
- If you wanted to share your writing what would you want your classmates to do?
- Would it be nice to be loud or quiet while Miss Gascho or another classmate is speaking?
- How do you feel when other people touch or take your things? What should we do to make sure this doesn't happen in our classroom?
- What things do people do to you that make you feel like they are nice people?
- Why do we come to school?
- What would you like me to do for you during your time in the classroom?
- What do we need in our classroom to make you smile?
Consequences:
If a student breaks one of our classroom promises, the consequences will differ from if they broke one of Miss Gascho's rules.
If a student breaks a classroom promise, they must write or say an apology to the class as a whole. Since we have decided on these promises together as things that will make us a safe, fun, and discovery environment, the student must decide on why they have broken the promise and why that has hurt their classmates.
If a student breaks a classroom promise, they must write or say an apology to the class as a whole. Since we have decided on these promises together as things that will make us a safe, fun, and discovery environment, the student must decide on why they have broken the promise and why that has hurt their classmates.
Rewards:
Rewards will be given for the class as a whole if they show that they can keep the promise goals they have set.
As Harry and Rosemary Wong say in their book "The First Days of School", rewards are to be seen as a job well done. (Wong & Wong, 2009,p. 156).
There will be a warm and fuzzy jar sitting on the teacher's desk. Next to the jar is a bag of colored cotton or craft balls. The teacher is in charge of this warm and fuzzy jar and will give permission to students to place warm and fuzzies inside when she observes students following the Classroom Promise.
If the students can fill the warm and fuzzy jar, they will receive one of the following rewards of their choice: (Wong & Wong, 2009, p.156)
Warm and fuzzy jars are checked on Thursday each week. See on my Routines page.
As Harry and Rosemary Wong say in their book "The First Days of School", rewards are to be seen as a job well done. (Wong & Wong, 2009,p. 156).
There will be a warm and fuzzy jar sitting on the teacher's desk. Next to the jar is a bag of colored cotton or craft balls. The teacher is in charge of this warm and fuzzy jar and will give permission to students to place warm and fuzzies inside when she observes students following the Classroom Promise.
If the students can fill the warm and fuzzy jar, they will receive one of the following rewards of their choice: (Wong & Wong, 2009, p.156)
- VIP (Very Important People) lunch with teacher
- Half an hour of free time on Friday
Warm and fuzzy jars are checked on Thursday each week. See on my Routines page.