When you are an itinerant teacher the things you can make students responsible for change. Mine might be bringing the book you are reading and having the assigned reading done. For my older students, replying to my email and bring items I request. Be there and be prepared is the main thing. Most of them are responsible, a few are getting better. Organizational skills improve greatly when students get in JH as they are they ones in charge, and changing classes makes them grow up a little.
I have been trying to have my time with students be more student-driven. It's been a process to move towards that. I have one student who knows what he wants to work on, so I’ve started telling him, “If you get to the room before me, start on this program on your own.”
For the older students, we always talk about what is on their checklists before their annual meetings, and they have input towards what goes on the checklist. We also talk about times that we meet. They can tell me if they think it’s too often or not enough.
With high school students, I always e-mail to make sure they are able to meet. I expect them to be responsible to check the e-mail and reply back.
With my schedule I am not always in my room at the start of each class period. So I often tell my students, the day before, that as soon as they get to class the next day to get their materials out and start working, do not wait for me to get there and start the class. This works but I do have to remind them, they still do not have the initative to do this on their own on a regular basis.
I like that you hold your students accountable for their services. Some of mine really need to use there voices more about what services they are getting and a few of them did not even know that the para in a class was for them!
I often get stopped in the hall on the way to my room or get called out while I am working with students. I always give my kids direction of what I want them to do while I am gone or until I get to my room. Often times it is as simple as getting all their materials ready so we can start as soon as I get there. Because I loop my students, I find that my 6th grade students do not follow through well, but my 8th graders are much better. Some of this is maturity of course, but I think some is also the students learning my expectations and living up to them. I find my 8th graders waste very little time and if I am gone longer than expected, they move on from my directions and work on whatever their task is until I arrive.
I too have a similar experience as Carol. I have had times where I get back late from talking to a teacher or dealing with another student. But my kids know what they are supposed to be doing. I definitely had to talk with them about what to do, but for example, when I come in and I only have two students who are both ESL and LD, they are both already signed into their computers and working on rosetta stone. This is where routine is important I think, even if it isn't a spicy ritual.
How can you turn more responsibility over to your students? It is so easy for me to just do it myself......I try to work on this. As class begins each week we chart our grades. By having the kids get on Powerschool, look up their grades, write them down and compare them to the week before they are really taking responsibility for their own work ethic and grades. I start the year by printing their grades for them, I slowly pull this back until they are doing it on their own. I have been trying to come up with some more collaborative responsibilities for my student to share. During our daily planner time I have been letting students take turns going over the planner. One writes on it and one talks to the students about work that needs to be done. I act like a student and ask questions if I think they have missed something or not covered it enough. Each child has a school email and that is something else I try to encourage them to look at daily and check for important information. I will send them short reply back assignments and give them a few extra points if they reply back within a certain time frame.
I really like the idea of you comparing their grades and work effort to the week before. I don't know why but it never crossed my mind to compare work effort before. Thanks for a good idea!
Our reg ed teachers are good about having all the kids check their grades on PowerSchool often. My kids usually know how they are doing in their classes and why. The kids who care about their school performance usually come to me asking for help on whatever they did poorly on, they have a plan and know what they need to do. The kids who are not interested need me to sit down with them and come up with a plan.
I agree with your comment about it seeming easier to just do things yourself. I'm right there with you; And not just with work related stuff, but with a lot of things. I know if I could get past it, it'd probably save me time, some stress, etc. etc. in the long run, but... Easier said than done sometimes, right??? ;-)
I really like your habit of making the students responsible for their own grades. I'm thinking I should incorporate that and have our students print out a copy of their grade report once a week, or maybe twice a month and keep it in a notebook. Thanks
I think thats a great idea. I remember in college a professor did this- we had to write up what grade we thought we deserved and why and he would respond with his grade and why and we would collaborate. I think this would work at a young age as well.
Since I teach high school, I expect my students to be at least 90% responsible for their own assignments, email correspondence, homework and its completion by the end of their second year. Now this may sound impossible but I promise it is not. I have students for their first two years at high school before the other SPED teacher in my building finishes the last two years with them. I expect my students to check their own grades and talk to me about them every Monday, email me if I emailed them in a timely fashion, and most importantly they need to check google classroom. I try to make it so that my students have everything they need to complete any work they need to with my minimal assistance by the end of the second year. This way they are holding themselves accountable and can be working on assignments and projects without me having to tell them to get started.
I can see why responsibility would be a very important skill at the high school. At the middle school level I work on responsibility in as far as getting them ready for high school, especially with my 8th graders!
One of the things we try and do in Kindergarten is teach the students to start to be responsible. Some days this is more difficult than others, but we start to teach this to them from day one so that as 1st graders they don't drown. We do things like assigning them jobs in a routine style, put up your name tag to show the teacher who is here for attendance, put your bee folder in the red basket so teacher can check it for notes, make your milk choice, then sit down. In our Kindergarten we sit at round tables so each day a student is assigned to be the captain at that table and during work time they are responsible for things like passing out the paper to others at their table, getting the math manipulatives for the math lesson, and so on. These are all things to help teach them to be independent and responsible for things.
I need to be better at this. My students are eager for the responsibility. They want to be the ones to change the date, erase the board, pass out the white boards, help me do this and that.. I don't have a job list (I definitely wrote one up at the beginning of the year and even made little posters, but haven't utilized it) Some things became extremely less important and many other reasons. But I like that the kids know what needs to be done when they come in the class and before they leave for lunch. They write in their agendas, my desks have to be nice and neat, floor cleaned up, and they stand with their things in their hands or yell "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again!" and they know they are dismissed. This is probably one of my favorite things they know to do each day- and I never have to ask them to say it. They know if they didn't do their homework they owe me a dollar- I rarely have to ask for a dollar- the students automatically do this if they know they didn't complete it. This has been a cool change too :)
That's crazy about your homework/dollar routine, haha! I would not expect students to have so much automatic follow through on something like that. Have you had many habitual slackers, or did it seem to correct the problem pretty well???
I always think I am good at this until I really evaluate exactly the ways I give my stduents more responsibility. I think I do this in little ways like encouraging my students to talk to their teachers themselves about any concerns or issues and not to rely on my to solve their problems. This is probably the main way I teach my students responsibility. If they can approach a teacher and talk to them about their concerns that is a big step in self-advocacy! I encourage them to look up their grades and go to the teacher about questions about missing work or possible redos. Also if I know that I may be late to class I remind them what I expect as far as coming to class and getting started. I have each weeks schedule posted in my room and it still irritates me when students come in to my room and seem clueless as to what we are doing and how to get started! When they ask questions like what day is it, what's for lunch, or what are we doing today? I always refer them to the board. This is not difficult, they just don't want to do these simple tasks! UGH!!!
One thing I have done is make them responsible for getting their own materials and getting to their desk to work (we move around). I also don't remind them about homework. If they forget to bring it it's on them! They are also responsible for changing the calendar and knowing the date to write on their papers. They enjoy it and they will always correct me if I'm wrong! They are quick!
Often times, teachers’ concerns that I hear (For JH-ish/HS kids) are that the students aren’t organized, don’t come to class with needed materials, and/or lose/don’t turn in assignments. I feel like all of these tasks are pretty basic, so to hand over even more responsibility than what you’d generally expect from a kiddo… I think that could be pretty difficult if I were in those teachers’ shoes. Not saying that it couldn’t ever be done, but I think it’d definitely involve a lot of baby steps.
This was a tough question--one of the hardest in this book study. I try very hard to have the least amount of involvement in my students education as I can and them still be successful. I feel the things my students get from me they need--that all of the responsibilities they can handle I have them doing for themselves already. My students who do not have para support in their reg ed classes are expected to arrange for an adult to be available when they have a test or quiz that needs to be read aloud. I think that is a skill all of my kids could use, not just some. That is a responsibility I feel I could expect of my students, even when they have a para in that classroom. They could be expected to talk to the teacher about leaving the classroom as well as talking to me to make sure an adult will be in my room when their test starts. It would be a little redundant because the para is obviously aware already of the test and will likely be the person reading the test anyway, but having them have to communicate to the adults involved would be consistent with a skill they will need if they choose to go on to higher education after high school.
This is a hard one for me to answer since I don't have a classroom. I think in consultation, I could encourage rituals, Give me Fives, quality boosters, and Passion time.
When you are an itinerant teacher the things you can make students responsible for change. Mine might be bringing the book you are reading and having the assigned reading done. For my older students, replying to my email and bring items I request. Be there and be prepared is the main thing. Most of them are responsible, a few are getting better. Organizational skills improve greatly when students get in JH as they are they ones in charge, and changing classes makes them grow up a little.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to have my time with students be more student-driven. It's been a process to move towards that. I have one student who knows what he wants to work on, so I’ve started telling him, “If you get to the room before me, start on this program on your own.”
ReplyDeleteFor the older students, we always talk about what is on their checklists before their annual meetings, and they have input towards what goes on the checklist. We also talk about times that we meet. They can tell me if they think it’s too often or not enough.
With high school students, I always e-mail to make sure they are able to meet. I expect them to be responsible to check the e-mail and reply back.
With my schedule I am not always in my room at the start of each class period. So I often tell my students, the day before, that as soon as they get to class the next day to get their materials out and start working, do not wait for me to get there and start the class. This works but I do have to remind them, they still do not have the initative to do this on their own on a regular basis.
DeleteI like that you hold your students accountable for their services. Some of mine really need to use there voices more about what services they are getting and a few of them did not even know that the para in a class was for them!
DeleteI often get stopped in the hall on the way to my room or get called out while I am working with students. I always give my kids direction of what I want them to do while I am gone or until I get to my room. Often times it is as simple as getting all their materials ready so we can start as soon as I get there. Because I loop my students, I find that my 6th grade students do not follow through well, but my 8th graders are much better. Some of this is maturity of course, but I think some is also the students learning my expectations and living up to them. I find my 8th graders waste very little time and if I am gone longer than expected, they move on from my directions and work on whatever their task is until I arrive.
DeleteI too have a similar experience as Carol. I have had times where I get back late from talking to a teacher or dealing with another student. But my kids know what they are supposed to be doing. I definitely had to talk with them about what to do, but for example, when I come in and I only have two students who are both ESL and LD, they are both already signed into their computers and working on rosetta stone. This is where routine is important I think, even if it isn't a spicy ritual.
DeleteHow can you turn more responsibility over to your students?
ReplyDeleteIt is so easy for me to just do it myself......I try to work on this. As class begins each week we chart our grades. By having the kids get on Powerschool, look up their grades, write them down and compare them to the week before they are really taking responsibility for their own work ethic and grades. I start the year by printing their grades for them, I slowly pull this back until they are doing it on their own.
I have been trying to come up with some more collaborative responsibilities for my student to share. During our daily planner time I have been letting students take turns going over the planner. One writes on it and one talks to the students about work that needs to be done. I act like a student and ask questions if I think they have missed something or not covered it enough.
Each child has a school email and that is something else I try to encourage them to look at daily and check for important information. I will send them short reply back assignments and give them a few extra points if they reply back within a certain time frame.
I really like the idea of you comparing their grades and work effort to the week before. I don't know why but it never crossed my mind to compare work effort before. Thanks for a good idea!
DeleteOur reg ed teachers are good about having all the kids check their grades on PowerSchool often. My kids usually know how they are doing in their classes and why. The kids who care about their school performance usually come to me asking for help on whatever they did poorly on, they have a plan and know what they need to do. The kids who are not interested need me to sit down with them and come up with a plan.
Deletejporter-
DeleteI agree with your comment about it seeming easier to just do things yourself. I'm right there with you; And not just with work related stuff, but with a lot of things. I know if I could get past it, it'd probably save me time, some stress, etc. etc. in the long run, but... Easier said than done sometimes, right??? ;-)
I really like your habit of making the students responsible for their own grades. I'm thinking I should incorporate that and have our students print out a copy of their grade report once a week, or maybe twice a month and keep it in a notebook. Thanks
ReplyDeleteI think thats a great idea. I remember in college a professor did this- we had to write up what grade we thought we deserved and why and he would respond with his grade and why and we would collaborate. I think this would work at a young age as well.
DeleteSince I teach high school, I expect my students to be at least 90% responsible for their own assignments, email correspondence, homework and its completion by the end of their second year. Now this may sound impossible but I promise it is not. I have students for their first two years at high school before the other SPED teacher in my building finishes the last two years with them. I expect my students to check their own grades and talk to me about them every Monday, email me if I emailed them in a timely fashion, and most importantly they need to check google classroom. I try to make it so that my students have everything they need to complete any work they need to with my minimal assistance by the end of the second year. This way they are holding themselves accountable and can be working on assignments and projects without me having to tell them to get started.
ReplyDeleteI can see why responsibility would be a very important skill at the high school. At the middle school level I work on responsibility in as far as getting them ready for high school, especially with my 8th graders!
DeleteOne of the things we try and do in Kindergarten is teach the students to start to be responsible. Some days this is more difficult than others, but we start to teach this to them from day one so that as 1st graders they don't drown. We do things like assigning them jobs in a routine style, put up your name tag to show the teacher who is here for attendance, put your bee folder in the red basket so teacher can check it for notes, make your milk choice, then sit down. In our Kindergarten we sit at round tables so each day a student is assigned to be the captain at that table and during work time they are responsible for things like passing out the paper to others at their table, getting the math manipulatives for the math lesson, and so on. These are all things to help teach them to be independent and responsible for things.
ReplyDeleteI like the idea of Captains/leaders at each table. What a neat way to teach independence and responsibility.
DeleteI need to be better at this. My students are eager for the responsibility. They want to be the ones to change the date, erase the board, pass out the white boards, help me do this and that..
ReplyDeleteI don't have a job list (I definitely wrote one up at the beginning of the year and even made little posters, but haven't utilized it) Some things became extremely less important and many other reasons. But I like that the kids know what needs to be done when they come in the class and before they leave for lunch.
They write in their agendas, my desks have to be nice and neat, floor cleaned up, and they stand with their things in their hands or yell "if at first you don't succeed, try, try again!" and they know they are dismissed.
This is probably one of my favorite things they know to do each day- and I never have to ask them to say it.
They know if they didn't do their homework they owe me a dollar- I rarely have to ask for a dollar- the students automatically do this if they know they didn't complete it. This has been a cool change too :)
I like your classroom motto: "if at first you don't succeed, try, try, again!". What a positive reinforce for them to experience every day !
DeleteHow did you set up the homework and lack of having it done, they owe you a dollar?
DeleteAnnieB-
DeleteThat's crazy about your homework/dollar routine, haha! I would not expect students to have so much automatic follow through on something like that. Have you had many habitual slackers, or did it seem to correct the problem pretty well???
I always think I am good at this until I really evaluate exactly the ways I give my stduents more responsibility. I think I do this in little ways like encouraging my students to talk to their teachers themselves about any concerns or issues and not to rely on my to solve their problems. This is probably the main way I teach my students responsibility. If they can approach a teacher and talk to them about their concerns that is a big step in self-advocacy! I encourage them to look up their grades and go to the teacher about questions about missing work or possible redos.
ReplyDeleteAlso if I know that I may be late to class I remind them what I expect as far as coming to class and getting started. I have each weeks schedule posted in my room and it still irritates me when students come in to my room and seem clueless as to what we are doing and how to get started! When they ask questions like what day is it, what's for lunch, or what are we doing today? I always refer them to the board. This is not difficult, they just don't want to do these simple tasks! UGH!!!
One thing I have done is make them responsible for getting their own materials and getting to their desk to work (we move around). I also don't remind them about homework. If they forget to bring it it's on them! They are also responsible for changing the calendar and knowing the date to write on their papers. They enjoy it and they will always correct me if I'm wrong! They are quick!
ReplyDeleteOften times, teachers’ concerns that I hear (For JH-ish/HS kids) are that the students aren’t organized, don’t come to class with needed materials, and/or lose/don’t turn in assignments. I feel like all of these tasks are pretty basic, so to hand over even more responsibility than what you’d generally expect from a kiddo… I think that could be pretty difficult if I were in those teachers’ shoes. Not saying that it couldn’t ever be done, but I think it’d definitely involve a lot of baby steps.
ReplyDeleteThis was a tough question--one of the hardest in this book study. I try very hard to have the least amount of involvement in my students education as I can and them still be successful. I feel the things my students get from me they need--that all of the responsibilities they can handle I have them doing for themselves already. My students who do not have para support in their reg ed classes are expected to arrange for an adult to be available when they have a test or quiz that needs to be read aloud. I think that is a skill all of my kids could use, not just some. That is a responsibility I feel I could expect of my students, even when they have a para in that classroom. They could be expected to talk to the teacher about leaving the classroom as well as talking to me to make sure an adult will be in my room when their test starts. It would be a little redundant because the para is obviously aware already of the test and will likely be the person reading the test anyway, but having them have to communicate to the adults involved would be consistent with a skill they will need if they choose to go on to higher education after high school.
ReplyDeleteThe amount of responsibility you give your students is evident and appreciated when they transition to the next teacher.
ReplyDeleteThis is a hard one for me to answer since I don't have a classroom. I think in consultation, I could encourage rituals, Give me Fives, quality boosters, and Passion time.
ReplyDelete