Karen Burton, Art City Elementary School, Springville, Utah 801-489-2820 karenmburton@gmail.com
Transitional Kindergarten (self-contained), 12 students, 1 teacher, 2 technicians
Statement of Purpose
In our kindergarten class we treat each other with respect and kindness. We know we can work hard and do our best to learn.dodo our best to learn.
Rules and Relationships (Preliminary LRBI Strategies Used)
As stated in the LRBI document, classroom expectations are limited to 4, are positively stated, and are posted for the students to see. Also, the rules will be explicitly taught to the class by repeating them regularly and by putting them to music so they can be sung with the class. Also, as listed in the LRBI document, there is a high rate of reinforcement for appropriate behavior, along with eye contact and descriptive praise, so that students understand the desired behavior which is being reinforced.
RULES
Eyes on Teacher
Raise Your Hand
Walk in the Room
Stay in Your Square
STRATEGY FOR TEACHING RULES
Put pictures up next to each rule to help students to understand them.
Teach and reteach the rules a few times a day during the first three weeks of school, when students are gathered together on the carpet in the front of class.
Teach the rules using a song.
Use role plays to teach rules.
DESCRIBE STRATEGY FOR RETEACHING/ BOOSTER SESSIONS
Sing the song everyday during calendar time to reteach rules.
Ask students to say rules while I point to the pictures near each one.
DESCRIBE A METHOD FOR INFORMING PARENTS ABOUT PLAN
At pre-kindergarten testing during the week before school starts, show parents the posted rules and explain the positive and negative consequences associated with the rules.
In addition, send home a paper with the rules and consequences so that parents can be reminded of classroom expectations for their children.
DESCRIBE SPECIFIC STRATEGIES FOR BUILDING AND MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS WITH a) STUDENTS AND b) PARENTS
a) At the end of the school day each student comes up front to the teacher to check his/her name card, where checks (points) have been given during the school day as a positive consequence for following the rules. This time allows the teacher to have a quick wrapping up of the day with the each student. Positive feedback is given and daily rewards given (see CONSEQUENCES below).
"Checks" given also allow for immediate positive interaction between teacher and student.
b) Phone calls made to parents every two weeks to touch base and report on academic and behavioral progress and/or deficits.
Meet with parents at end of each grading term in an effort to assess progress.
Keep open communication, inviting parents to call during school hours whenever they feel they need to.
Consequences
(also taught with song)
POSITIVE
Praise tied to appropriate behavior (free and frequent)
Receive a check on name card (intermittent)
A sticker at the end of the day if card is full (strong and long-term, since we focus on daily rewards)
A small treat for each of the 5 filled rows (strong and long-term, since we focus on daily rewards)
NEGATIVE
Receive a warning
Give up your name card (during the next activity)
Put your head down at table in classroom
AVERSIVES
The aversives are demonstrated in the negative consequences listed above. Because the positive consequences are so motivating for the children, the loss of a name card serves well as an aversive.
DATA COLLECTION METHOD
Name cards act as data collection method for the day.
Inappropriate behavior beyond two days calls for a phone conversation with parents, also will be written in IEP file's anecdotal log.
METHODS FOR STUDENTS TO MONITOR
Students check progress throughout the day by checking their own cards for "checks". Reward system listed above under POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES. Students have had the check mark system explained to them multiple times at the beginning of the school year.
REINFORCERS
Stickers given out for a full card at the end of the day, along with a small food item, like banana chips (as explained above under POSITIVE CONSEQUENCES).
Procedures
A schedule board is used which has removable items that are held on by velcro. Items include things like: bus, snack, groups, math. This board is changed daily according to the schedule for that day, the specialists that will be coming in, etc. This board is reviewed with the class as part of the daily opening exercises, and then is posted where the students can refer to it.
A bell is used to signal a change to the next rotation when working in small groups. The bell is also used to signal the need for students to return to the carpet at the front of the room, where general instruction is given, when other activities are over.
Students are organized in small groups (three groups of four) and participate in activities within their groups whenever the whole class is not working together. These groups are determined by color of name card. These groups rotate, when bell is rung, to the next activity in the rotation.
If the negative consequences mentioned above prove ineffective, the student is removed from the classroom and accompanied to a chair in the hallway where the technician stands and attends to student until student determines he is ready to re-enter the classroom and follow the class rules. As stated above, disruptive behavior that occurs over more than two days is reported to parents through a phone call.
Physical Layout
The room has three kidney-shaped tables used during small group activities, with four small chairs and one teacher chair at each table. There is a play area with toys, dress-up boxes, etc. At the front of the room there is a carpet for the children to gather on. This carpet faces the front of the room where there is a white board, a calendar, a CD player for music, pictures of the children posted, and other teaching materials. The teacher's desk and other administrative materials are in the front corner off to the side, so as to not be distracting to the students. In the back of the room there is a place for the children to hang their belongings and cubbies as a place to collect daily work.
Rationale for layout
The three kidney tables at the back of the room work well for our small group activities. The teachers are able to reach the students easier, and a student requiring extra help can slide around the end so as to be in closer proximity to the teacher. With the tables in back of the room, they are less distracting when the students are up front on the carpet for whole-group activities.
The play area with toys is off to the side corner and behind the easel and other displays. This helps to keep it sectioned off from the work areas of the classroom. With the carpet facing the front white board and calendar, the teacher is more able to do group instruction while the students are seated in their assigned squares on the carpet. The focus is on the teacher as the students sit on the carpet. We work on the calendar, weather chart, writing and math instruction while in this area.
Finally, the teacher's desk and the students' area for hanging coats and backpacks are all off to the sides of the work areas. The students do not need to go to their coats or backpacks during the school day, so this area is appropriately exclusive from the rest of the room. The students' cubbies are accessible, located right behind the kidney tables, so that when work is finished at the tables they can go put their work into their own cubbies.
