Life with Oakland Unifed SD

Teaching Prep was a difficult, and demanding Job, but a truly rewarding experience.

What is prep?
Prep is short for Preparation Period. That is the time the teachers are given to plan, photocopy, call and meet with parents. It is a 50 minute period during the workday where they are not responsible for the students. You may remember this time in your childhood where you went to Art, Music or PE. Each school is different and chooses their own prep program. In my school/s I taught Science. I was the only prep teacher at Burbank and I saw the students 2 times a week. My classes held 20-30 students. And I saw 5-6 classes a day. My work load was 300 1st-5th grade students a week.
Program Layout.

What a class looks like:

The daily schedule:

Starting Directions, Appreciations
Come in quietly and sit down
Greet the teacher
Review Jobs
Review Rules
Fold hands and quietly wait for the teacher.
Review
Days lesson overview
Directions
Materials distribution and classwork
Clean-up materials
Review lesion
Apprecialtions
Specifics of the class, rules and procedures:

Greet the teacher:
 In the beginning talk about what a "greeting" is and why it is important. In the class students must give me one of the 4 h's (taken from Rick Smith's Lecture) - Hi-five, handshake, hug, or hello (salute which includes 3 seconds of looking into my eyes). These little windows of the soul give me more imput on the students current emotional states. I can tell frustration, anger, sadness as well as joy, love, and excitement , peace. Students who are unwilling to do this, need a band-aid or joke about it, or need some TLC are asked to stand to the side so they can be comforted, talked to or helped. It is also the time for students to check in with me. Some times I hear: "Today is my mothers birthday, tomorrow is my brothers birthday, I'm going to ******"

GROUPS, and Jobs

Each student has a responsibility in the group. (Groups of four tend to work best)
Jobs:
TIMER-keeps students on task, uses a stopwatch, keeps group quiet.
STARTER-passes out and collects all materials. This student is in charge of all materials at the table and must always give materials to other classmates first.
GETTER-is only student allowed out of their seat. Student "gets" all materials and puts them away.
READER/REPORTER-reads instructions and reports the findings to the class.

Some Group rules:

· If you don't know the answer, always ask your teammates first. If NO ONE in the group knows the answer, then ask the teacher.
· Stay on task.

MATERIAL MANAGEMENT

· Have a table designated for getters to pick up materials.
· Organize groups- I find that materials are easiest handled if tables have colors. Color coding is good for visual learners, ELL, and LD students. It also allows you to check materials in a quick glance.
· Keep all papers in a Journal for Science

Rules

· Stay in your seat
· Follow directions
· Keep you hands and feet to yourself
· Treat others as you would like to be treated.
· Use a quiet or whispered voice.

Goals

Be safe- The most important goal. While this is important anywhere, it is especially important in the inner city. I have a no tolerance policy for unsafe practices. I tell students that I want them safe three ways. In their body, their head and their heart. Safe in their body means their outside physical being doesn't get hurt, safe in their head, means they think good, positive thoughts about themselves, and in their heart means they feel good about themselves. Occasionally I do question answer or visualizations about the three. For head I have them repeat the things I say ex: "I am smart, I am amazing, I am a good friend…". For hear tI have them think of being held by someone who loves them or any other "warm fuzzy" moments.
Learn I tell them this is the second most important goal in the class, but the more they learn the farther they will go in life.
Have fun

More procedures:


Pencil Sharpening
 Sharpened Pencils are in a clear Plastic Container. Getters may trade their dull pencils for a sharpened pencil. Student helpers at recess/lunch may sharpen pencils. Occasionally I will let getters sharpen their groups pencils

Table Colors
 Each student is assigned a table color to sit at. They may sit in any arrangement at that table. They should not be out of their seats unless directed by the teacher. Each time a table is behaved or follows directions a star may be placed next to the corresponding color on the board. Tables with the most stars may leave first for recess/to go home.

Getting Attention
 Students will respond to a count down of 5 or 3-2-1-0. At zero groups with folded hands and who are not talking get a star (on the board)
Clean up
 Give the directions and then count down from a designated number. Example: "I'll start counting at 15. All pencils, and crayons, away and papers stacked on your desks. Your hands should be folded and you are ready to go by zero. Students are to push chairs in when they leave.


Stickers and Stars
 · Stickers may be given at end of class to all students
· Stars are given on the charts. One of my major classroom management techniques is students can earn stars on a chart (far end of the room). At 10 stars the students get a reward/prize. Any students who needs to be warned more than once will get a ˝ starand their name written on the board. Students who continue to be disruptive get a check next to their name and no star. Everyone else will get a star for participating that day.