First Days of Class

1. First Days of Class Peter Jacob Grade 9 Science class

2. Behaviour • Students must let others finish their response before adding something. They must raise their hand if they have a question during a lesson. • To go to the washroom, students will take a slip (one of two) by the door. This allows only two students at a time to be gone from class and prevents students from disrupting the lesson.

3. Behaviour • I will have extra pencils, erasers and calculators at the back of class in case students didn’t bring them. • I will not allow students to use cell phones in class. This causes distraction(s) for the students and teacher. In certain cases, they will be permitted, for voting and research.

4. Routines – Attendance • I would prefer not to spend the first ten to fifteen minutes of class calling out student names. As a good teacher, I will have student names memorised asap. This will allow me to take attendance as students walk into class. • Another strategy I could use is to have students sign in their names on a sheet when they walk in class.

5. Routines – Seating • Four tables and chairs will be set up facing each other. This allows the teacher to circulate in order to monitor class progress. Also it makes it easier for pair work and small group work in class. • Wherever possible, two guys and two girls will be seated in the small group.

6. Routines – Class start/end • I will start the class by greeting students and going over the learning goals and agenda for the period. I will have these on the board before the students walk in. • I will not allow students to line up at the door towards the end of class. A strategy I can use to combat this is Exit Slips.

7. Activities – Ice breakers • I will not go over the course syllabus in the first few days. Instead, I will do certain activities to get to know the students more. One example, is to give them a brief questionnaire to fill out. The questions could be fun such as “If you were an animal what would you be?” and “If you could have a dream vacation where would it be? Outer space or Las Vegas?”

8. Activities – Ice Breakers Contd. • Another activity to know the students better is to ask them to write three statements – two truths and a lie to share with the rest of class. • This activity is more fun for students than going around one by one and introducing themselves.

9. Routines – Transition times/Attention • Students will place their work in a drop box at the back of class towards the end of the period. • Students can be asked to stand up and stretch for five minutes. This gives students a much needed break and prepare them for the next task.

10. Cognitive Practices – Debates • Encourage debate in Science class on controversial issues and allow students to voice their opinions in a respectful manner. • Allow opportunities for pair work and small group work so that students can reflect on and form their point(s) of view.

11. Cognitive Practices – Scientific Inquiry Model • Student involvement is key to successful learning in a Science classroom. • Clear Success Criteria and instructions will be provided to serve as a guide for students to obtain their goals.