Mona Cammarata
Standards of Behavior
• Only one person speaks at a time. (Lower grades may want to use a talking stick.)
• Students have the option to pass.
• Everyone listens.
• Students raise hands if they have a question.
Monday mornings - Students can share about their weekend. They can answer up to three questions from their classmates.
Friday afternoons - Students share about events from the week; apologies, thank yous and agenda items.
During the week - Keep a clipboard or notepad available for agenda items. These are student generated and can include class issues such as problems, questions, and suggestions. During the class meetings the students who wrote the agenda item should share it with the class to open it up for discussion. Model for students how to bring up issues without being accusatory. This process is especially helpful in reducing tattling and it encourages students to find their own solutions to problems.
What I Have Experienced Using Classroom Meetings
Classroom meetings help facilitate a cohesive classroom environment. At first students may be hesitant or unsure about the effectiveness of the meetings, but with teacher modeling and encouragement, the students look forward to that time for sharing and problem solving. I would introduce the Monday morning style of class meetings the first or second week of school and wait a month or so, until the students have gotten used to the routine and each other, before introducing Friday meetings.
The Advantages of Rubrics:
José Montaño
Summarized from Teachervision.com http://www.teachervision.fen.com/page/4522.html?detoured=1
What is a rubric?
- A rubric is a scoring guide that seeks to
evaluate a student's performance based on the sum of a full range of
criteria rather than a single numerical score.
-
A rubric is a working
guide for students and teachers, usually handed out before the assignment
begins in order to get students to think about the criteria on which their work
will be judged.
- A rubric enhances the quality of direct instruction.
- Rubrics can be created for any content area including math, science, history, writing, foreign languages, drama, art, music, and even cooking! Once developed, they can be modified easily for various grade levels.
Many experts believe that rubrics improve students' end products and therefore increase learning. When teachers evaluate papers or projects, they know implicitly what makes a good final product and why. When students receive rubrics beforehand, they understand how they will be evaluated and can prepare accordingly. Developing a grid and making it available as a tool for students' use will provide the scaffolding necessary to improve the quality of their work and increase their knowledge.
- Prepare rubrics as guides students can use to build on current knowledge.
- Consider rubrics as part of your planning time, not as an additional time commitment to your preparation.
There are many advantages to using rubrics:
- Teachers can increase the quality of their direct instruction by providing focus, emphasis, and attention to particular details as a model for students.
- Students have
explicit guidelines regarding teacher expectations.
- Students can use rubrics as a tool to develop their abilities.
- Teachers can reuse rubrics for various activities.
Useful links:
- RubiStar
- S.C.O.R.E.
