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Effective Teacher I would like to be educating the age group known as EC-4. I would really like to educate fourth grade. The way I would get to know my students is by doing three unique activities. The first one is What's In a Name?" It is a fun and easy way for students to learn each other's names and a little bit about each other. Just give each student a "What's In a Name?" form at the beginning of the year. The form is simple - just a few questions for them to answer or ask their parents/guardians to help them answer. Without fail, parents enjoy this beginning-of-the-year task. They often write lengthy responses about how special their child's name is to them. I've found it is a great way to get to know the parents as well! Here are the questions for "What's In a Name? : What's your full name? Were you named after someone? What does your name mean? What names did your parents consider before deciding on the one you have? Why did they choose your name? What is your name's country of origin? (ex. "Ivan" has Russian origins) What is your nick-name? How did you get that nick-name? If you could change your name, what would you name yourself? Now.... on the bottom of this paper, please write your name in a creative way. Can you use color? Fancy writing? Swirls? Block letters? A pattern? Design something as special as YOU are! If possible, please attach a small picture of yourself to this form. (Photo will be returned.) The students bring back their forms, and everyone gets to share about their name in a Community Circle. I have the student chosen tell us their name and then they can choose up to two other pieces of information from their form to share with the class. If a child is shy or nervous, I always allow them to simply share their name without the pressure of sharing the additional information. For some students, it is stressful enough just to speak their name in front of a new class. The second activity would be a classroom web. At the beginning of the year, I focus on the idea of everyone being unique. On the first day of school, we get in a circle on the reading carpet. I begin by saying that I am going to say something about myself that is unique or something that is special and no one else in the room shares that quality with me (I tell them that it is ok if some people have the same ideas, but that we want to try to find ideas that make us different). I tell them that unique is another word for different. I ask them, what do you think about when you hear the word different? Often, they name things with a negative connotation. I tell them that I like the word unique, because it means the same thing, but that negative connotation hasn't ruined the word. (Teacher) I grab a ball of yarn and I tell them one thing I think is unique about me. I will say, "I competed in a tennis tournament this summer and won the whole tournament!" I will then hold my end of the ball and throw the ball to someone else in the circle. That person will say something unique, hold a part of the string and throw the ball to another person. By the time the ball of yarn has made its way around the circle, everyone will be holding a part and it will look like a web. When we finish, I will ask the kids, "What did we make?" They will of course say that we made a web. I will then ask them to tell me about the web. Through discussion, I will eventually have them discover that, even though we are all unique and special, we are all connected to each other like a web, because we are a class. The kids end up loving the

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activity once they see the connection and ask me several times throughout the year if we can do it again to see how they have changed. It ends up being a powerful first day getting to know you activity! The third activity is where each student will have a bucket. The bucket can be an actual bucket with their name on it or a paper bucket made from colored construction paper. What you try to accomplish with the bucket is to fill each students bucket with something nice to say. Also the students must try hard not to spill their friends bucket by saying negative things. You have a list of students names handy and you call one up at a time, and give them a person to write to and help fill their friends bucket. When wanting to build a teacher to student trust there are several ways to go about it. One way to do so is you can collaborate with your students to create expectations for the classroom. Ask students for suggestions of classroom rules, and create and post a list that includes both their ideas and yours. Not only does this show students that you value their input, but it engages them in setting and maintaining the tone for the classroom which gives them greater incentive and reward for behaving appropriately. Another way is to create routines. Kids, adults and even animals thrive on routines. When your students know what's coming, they're less likely to be caught off guard and more likely to be prepared for the next step. For younger students, structure your day around patterns of behavior, such as language and art skills in the morning and math and science in the afternoon. For older students who change classrooms throughout the day, start and end each class the same way and organize your week around specific activities, such as teacher instruction on Mondays and Wednesdays, group work on Tuesdays and Thursdays and quizzes on Fridays. Also make sure you follow through with promises. If you say there will be no homework over the weekend, don't assign homework. If you indicate there will be a pop quiz in the next week, you'd better give them one! If you consistently do what you say you will, you earn your students' trust and show them they can depend on you. To establish student to student trust first the student must understand the nature of their interdependence (Canter 171). As a teacher you must try to explain the importances of every students ideas and opinions. Create a policy consisting of only constructive, never derogatory, remarks about another students ideas or opinion (Canter 171). As I said above you can also have a routine or a song that will create a positive atmosphere in the classroom. When then mood gets tense have the students recite the song to shift the mood back to positive (Canter 171). These are just two ways to create a student to student trust according to Canter. To encourage shared values in the classroom I would use the Community Circle Discussions Starters worksheet to help get the conversation rolling (Canter 172). What the students will do is get in a circle around or on the carpet. Then I will get a prop like a ball or an object that cannot hurt my students. Then I will use the sheet to ask the person with the ball a question/ phrase. For example I (the teacher) toss the ball to Leidy. I ask her or tell her to choose a topic from the list on the worksheet I handed to every student. She chose the I got really angry when: and starts to tell her story. She will speak for about two minutes. Then she will pass the ball on and continue the same pattern. This helps unite the classroom showing that everyone goes through something similar. Also another great activity to unite the classroom around the core classroom values is the activity Identifying Core Values worksheet (Canter 174). First the teacher would need to focus on the discussion question What qualities do we need to build a strong classroom community (Canter 174). Make a list of the response either on the whiteboard or ask the class to write down

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the list in a journal they have (while the teacher is making one as well). Then divide the class into four groups, assign the four groups the qualities the teacher has chosen. Use the worksheet Qualities of a Good Classroom Community. Walk around and spend time with each group as groups brainstorm what they would hear, see, and feel. If the Community values courtesy they should here each other saying please and thank you. Then ask each group to write a statement summarizing the important aspects. After let the groups read there statement to the class. Every major holiday in my class will be celebrated in some form or fashion. Birthdays, for example, will be put on the class calendar for everyone to see when that month is present. Also, I will create a birthday list. As for Thanksgiving, New Years, Christmas, etc., those will be celebrated but not just in the Christian faith, but the Jews, Hindu, Muslim, and any other religion celebrated in my class so no student is left out or feels left out. Also, you can celebrate the completion of a class project such as a completion project over the Renaissance time period. Then maybe to celebrate the class has a Renaissance day where they dress up and play games from that time period. There are many ways to celebrate in the classroom. Seating arrangements are important classroom setting events because they have the potential to help prevent problem behaviors that decrease student attention and diminish available instructional time. The activity should determine the seating arrangement (Wannarka 1). Also, know how the student learns and if they are a slow test taker and seat them with students that have a different learning skill or test taking skills. While heterogeneous grouping can be effective for students to learn, grouping by skill level, skill acquisition and learning style are also productive. By using these types of groups, students get specific instruction in areas of need in a small group setting. Allowing students some choice also garners buy-in and increases students feelings of responsibility and accomplishment. (Lesson Plans) Lesson plan: TEKS: Writing: C) Write a brief story on literacy text.

Learning Objectives: 1. Create a story using metaphors or smilies. 2. Describe and go into detail about the setting. 3. Use more than one reference. List of materials: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Scratch paper Pencils Example book Pens Construction paper Markers/ Crayons Stapler

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Transition: Hook: Read the example book that uses metaphors and similes while going deep into detail about the setting. Students will work individually at the time of this lesson.

Procedure: 1. Once the book has been read ask the students to quietly go back to their seats and wait for instructions. 2. Once they are quiet and at their seats explain the directions of the assignment. Hand out the rubric and go over it. Explain to the student what you are expecting of them. Also, the children will have forty-five minutes to an hour to work on this assignment each day for a week to reach perfection. The story should be no longer than two pages front and back, skipping every other line. 3. The students will be working individually on the story they are producing. It can be fiction or non- fiction the choice is theres. 4. On the scratch paper they will write their ideas down first. Then after they have come up with their setting and theme of their story, on the other side of the scratch paper they can begin to write their story using metaphors and similes. 5. Once it has been edited once by a student peer for misspelled words and grammar. Rewrite your story completely after each edit. 6. The teacher will be your last editor for your paper. 7. Once the student has gone back and fix the mistakes and the paper has gone through all the writing stages the student may the go pick out two pieces of construction paper. 8. Put the pieces of paper together and fold hamburger style. Then go to the teacher and ask her to staple the pages together for it to look like a book. 9. The student must write in a black pen! 10. Once the words have been put in the book and the title is in the write spot and author name is as well then the student may start on the art/ pictures for his or her book. 11. Explain that if they have any questions to please raise their hands and that you will come assist them. Closure: After the week is over have the student that would like to share their story do so. After the student has finished reading the story let the children guess if it was non-fiction or fiction. Once everyone has shared and the papers have been turned in ask the student if they can in their own words define what a metaphor is and a simile. Then go further by asking what the difference is and what the similarities between the vocabulary words are.

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Rubric for Narrative Writing Aspects of Performance Shows Potential Parts of the setting are mentioned but no described. Mastery Levels

A Good Read

A Best-Seller

A Classic

Imagery

Description of setting was given, but lets the reader visualize the rest.

Description of setting was given in enough detail to truly help visualize the place.

Description of the setting evoked the reader with the 5 senses.

The passage has no use of metaphors or similes. Metaphor and Simile

The passage uses metaphors or similes, but the examples given were force or used wrong.

The passage uses metaphors or similes effectively with makes objects, feelings or ideas real.

The Passage uses both metaphors and similes effectively to make objects, feeling or ideas real.

Research Basics for Setting

The passage includes one of the following references to landscape, architecture, clothing, customs or people of that time period.

This passage includes at least 2 of these references to landscape, architecture, clothing, customs or people of that time period.

This Passage shows in-depth understanding of one of the references to landscape, architecture, clothing, customs or people of that time period.

The passages shows an indepth understanding of all the references to Landscape, architecture, clothing, customs or people of that time period.

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TEST #1: 1. Divide. 108 by 6 2. 741, 409-23,611 A. B. C. D. 717,798 718,798 722,898 727,898

3. 45X12= 4. Henry ate of 3/9 the chocolate bar pictured. What fraction of the chocolate bar is left? REDUCE IF POSSIBLE.

A. B. C. D.

6/6 6/9 3/6 3/9

5. 267,412-81,523=? A. B. C. D. 348,935 226,111 216,479 185,889

6. 0.62+0.69=? A. B. C. D. 0.121 0.131 1.21 1.31

7. Alyssa watched 3.5 hours of television last week. This week, she watched 4.7 hours of television. How many more hours did Alyssa watch television this week than last week? A. B. C. D. 8.2 hours 14.3 hours 4.7 hours 1.2 hours

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8. A city has a population of 7,380,916. What is 7,380,916 rounded to the nearest hundred thousand? A. B. C. D. 7,381,000 7,400,000 7,390,000 8,000,000

9. Which number has a 7 in the ten thousands place? A. B. C. D. 9,879,000 100,987 9,789,234 10,987,908

10. What is 13.73 rounded to the nearest tenth? A. B. C. D. 13.7 14 13.8 13.6

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Works Cited Canter, First Class Teacher. 1st edt. Santa Monica: Canter and Associate, 1998. 146-147, 170183. Print. Lesson Plans Inc. (2007-2012 ). Classroom seating. Retrieved from http://www.lessonplansinc.com/classroom_management_seating_chart.php Tecahers. (2012). 358 icebreakers. Retrieved from http://busyteacher.org/teaching_ideas_and_techniques/warmers Wannarka, Rachel. "Seating Arrangements That Promote Positive Academic and Behavioural Outcomes: a Review of Empirical Research." Seating Arrangements That Promote Positive Academic and Behavioural Outcomes: a Review of Empirical Research. (2008): 1. Web. 18 Oct. 2012. <http://www.academia.edu/706890/Seating_Arrange