Classroom Artifacts
Sample Lesson Plans
Independent Unit Plan
This is a unit that was taught independently. This unit focused on teaching students how to understand other perspectives in order to help them evaluate the world. In this Unit, students read and compared the different perspectives in selections to analyze point of view. As students read different texts, they learned to recognize the author’s point of view. Through literature, students then learned to not judge anybody until they see the other person’s perspective. Students learned that they should always try to understand other people’s feelings and experiences. As an Interbaccularete School, throughout this Unit, students at Burnett Middle School will learn to better see different points of view in order to become more global.
This is a unit that was taught independently. This unit focused on teaching students how to understand other perspectives in order to help them evaluate the world. In this Unit, students read and compared the different perspectives in selections to analyze point of view. As students read different texts, they learned to recognize the author’s point of view. Through literature, students then learned to not judge anybody until they see the other person’s perspective. Students learned that they should always try to understand other people’s feelings and experiences. As an Interbaccularete School, throughout this Unit, students at Burnett Middle School will learn to better see different points of view in order to become more global.
Co-taught Lesson Plan
This is a lesson plan that was co-taught with a fellow math colleague. We integrated my SpEd students into the general education setting and delivered the lesson. The unit objective was to solve one-step algebraic equations. The lesson objectives were to:
● Write an algebraic equation for each situation.
● Solve using inverse operations.
● Answer the question using a complete sentence.
Sample
Daily
Schedule
Sample
Daily
Schedule
Our schedule varies slightly from day to day, but here is an example of our daily life!
Burnett Middle School is on a block schedule. I teach three classes per day. My first two periods are math. I teach a reading intervention class during third period. During my prep, I review, grade and prep for our next lessons. In addition, I make it a point to push in to my student's elective classes to ensure that their IEPs are being implemented with fidelity and ensure that the students are comfortable and feel successful in their general education classes.
Daily Do Now (7:50 am- 8:00 am, 9:35 am- 9:45 am)
This is the time to get organized and ready for the day. First, say "Good Morning" to everyone and put your bag and/or coat away. Homework folders need to be placed in my inbox. Second, take out your Bell Work Notebook and a pencil. Bell Work will be written on the front board for you to complete. If you complete your work before time is up, you can quietly read a book. Announcements are also made during this time, so please listen up!
Emotional Regulation (8:00 am- 8:10 am, 9:45 am- 9:55 am)
During this time, students grab their emotion regulation cards, turn it to the color (red, yellow, green) they are feeling, and place the cards on their desk so that I can get a sense of how the students are feeling for the day thus far. Students are given the opportunity to share aloud how they feel. Once a week, students participate in a restorative circle.
Math Lecture (8:10 am- 8:30 am, 9:55 am- 10:15 am)
Math lessons will be taught covering the concepts that the students are learning.
Math Independent Practice (8:30 am- 9:10 am, 10:15 am- 10:55 am)
Students will work on an assignment at their desk then move to different Math Centers to reinforce the concepts through hands-on activities. Each center will have a reporting sheet that the students will complete showing their work. During this time, I will work with individual students that may be having trouble understanding a concept.
Break (9:10 am- 9:30 am, 10:55- 11:10 am)
During this time, students take a break and eat their breakfast.
Reading (11:15 am- 12:35 pm)
At this time, I will work with the different reading groups. Reading groups will be required to bring their Reading Notebook and pencil with them to the reading table. While I am working with small groups, the other children will be in Literacy Arts Centers. Each center will have multiple activities for the children to work on. Work will be shown in their Literacy Arts Notebooks for my review. This is also a place where students can leave me a note if they are having trouble understanding a concept. Notebooks will be reviewed during my planning time and in the evening, so I can get back to the student by the next day.
Lunch Break (12:35 pm- 1:10 pm)
During this time, students take a break and eat their lunch.
Prep Time (1:10 pm- 2:35pm)
During this time, I go over student work, grade and prep for the next day. I also push- in to my student's elective classes to check up on them during this time.
Classroom Behavior Management
I am a Special Education teacher at a PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Support) school. This means that we focus on specific behaviors school-wide on the primary, secondary and tertiary levels. I strongly believe that all students know expectations, however, they need to be taught the lagging skills that they lack, therefore I have students reflect on their behaviors. The four behaviors that are focused on are responsibility, open-mindedness, always caring and reflectiveness. As the Special Education teacher, I add a few behaviors that students are working on based on their IEP (Individualized Education Plan) goals. An example is "smooth transitions" - a number of my students are focusing on improving their ability to smoothly transition between tasks. The general education teachers and myself are able to document if students are improving their transitions, giving us concrete data to better inform our discussions and accommodation decisions at IEP meetings. Conversations with students are so much more meaningful with real-time data. Students are beginning to become intrinsically motivated to achieve their best... it's absolutely amazing to witness. My classroom consists of reflective consequences as well as rewards. All reflective consequences are scaffolded and given to each student based on their academic abilities.
There are seven behavior levels:
1. Outstanding
2. Great Job
3. Good Day
4. Ready to Learn - Every child starts here and will move up or down depending on their behavior.
5. Think About It- first reflection
6. Think About It- second reflection
7. Parent Contact
Rules:
1. Be Responsible
2. Be Open-minded
3. Be Always caring
4. Be reflective
* Specifics of what each rule means is listed on the "Bear Strong" Poster.
Expectations:
1. Be prepared.
2. Participate in class.
3. Never give up!
Rewards:
During the first weeks of school, we will work on a lesson encouraging students to fill the buckets of others. It is based on the books Have You Filled a Bucket Today by Carol McCloud and David Messing, How Full is Your Bucket by Tom Rath, Mary Reckmeyer, and Maurie J Manning, and Fill a Bucket by Carol McCloud, Katherine Martin, and David Messing. When students do something good for someone else, that person will put a note into the bucket of the person that did the good deed. I will also put a marble in the class bucket when the class is doing great as a whole. Once the class bucket is filled, we will have a class party. This could be a popcorn, cookie, cupcake, slime party, art party or sundae party.
A student will be given a sticker on their Star Student card for good behavior or helping another student. As soon as they have ten stickers, the card will be placed in the Star Student drawer and they will pick up a new card. At the end of the week, a certificate with their star card attached will be sent home to their parents.
Consequences:
1st Offense - Eye contact and physical proximity will be used first if a minor action has taken place. I want my students to learn from their mistakes. This warning will let the student know that the next time a rule is broken, a real consequence will occur.
2nd Offense - A conference will be held with the student in a quiet area of the room to try and create a solution to the problem. The teacher and student will discuss what they will do to improve the situation. There will be a discipline book where the teacher and student will write the date, what they did, ways to prevent that from happening again, and sign off on the conference.
3rd Offense - A reflection report will be filled out by the student (the reflection the student fills out is based upon student's academic ability) and sent home to the parents that has a place for the name, date, and parent signature on the paper stating that they went over the rules with their child and the rule that the child broke. The classroom rules are on the paper and there is a box at the top where I can explain in more detail how the rule was broken.
4th Offense - A second reflection report will be filled out by the student (the reflection the student fills out is based upon student's academic ability) and sent home to the parents that has a place for the name, date, and parent signature on the paper stating that they went over the rules with their child and the rule that the child broke. The classroom rules are on the paper and there is a box at the top where I can explain in more detail how the rule was broken.
5th Offense: A request will be made to have a conference with the parents of the student to discuss what we can work on both in the classroom and at home to help the child with this behavior.
Reflection Form 1
Reflection Form 2
Reflection Form 3
