Wednesday, Sept. 14th, 2018
Reading Retreat!
The class has had a wonderful start to the year. I have been very pleased at how well they have been behaving as a class. In order to recognize good choices in the class, I use a “Gotcha Ticket” system. I remind them that the reward for good behaviour is built into life already. For example, if a student is finished their work and then decide to take a book out and read or add a bit more to their Writer’s Notebook, that would have its own rewards (relaxing, enjoy their book, peaceful classroom, advance their writing, others get to finish without distractions etc.). That is better than the alternative of them getting up and moving around the classroom or talking to their neighbour. Recognizing that students are still learning how rewarding these things are, I hand out Gotcha tickets when I want to bring attention to such occasions. On Fridays, we do a draw for some prizes that include things like using the teacher’s chair for a day, use the class tent, or other extra privileges.
The other thing I do is give out ‘Class Gotchas’ when the class as a whole has been working really well together. I then draw a Gotcha Ticket on the board and talk about the rewarding effect such actions have on our classroom. When there are 5 Class Gotchas on the board, we then celebrate as a class with some bonus activity that we decide on together.
The class has already received 5:
So we decided to have a Reading Retreat this Friday.
Reading Retreat
A reading retreat is a day dedicated to reading. Students are asked to bring a few of their favourite books from home. They also may dress up in pyjamas and bring in a stuffy, blanket, and pillow if they like. There will still be work throughout the day but the theme will be definitely connected to what they are reading.
Sincerely,
Mr. Casey
Andrew Casey
Reading Retreat!
The class has had a wonderful start to the year. I have been very pleased at how well they have been behaving as a class. In order to recognize good choices in the class, I use a “Gotcha Ticket” system. I remind them that the reward for good behaviour is built into life already. For example, if a student is finished their work and then decide to take a book out and read or add a bit more to their Writer’s Notebook, that would have its own rewards (relaxing, enjoy their book, peaceful classroom, advance their writing, others get to finish without distractions etc.). That is better than the alternative of them getting up and moving around the classroom or talking to their neighbour. Recognizing that students are still learning how rewarding these things are, I hand out Gotcha tickets when I want to bring attention to such occasions. On Fridays, we do a draw for some prizes that include things like using the teacher’s chair for a day, use the class tent, or other extra privileges.
The other thing I do is give out ‘Class Gotchas’ when the class as a whole has been working really well together. I then draw a Gotcha Ticket on the board and talk about the rewarding effect such actions have on our classroom. When there are 5 Class Gotchas on the board, we then celebrate as a class with some bonus activity that we decide on together.
The class has already received 5:
- Great start to the year with wonderful participation as a class
- Wonderful report back from the music teacher
- A strong attention to following rules about backpacks and lunch bags
- Good end of the day desk clean-up and clearing of hallway hooks
- Wonderful art lesson with full focus and willingness to tackle a difficult task (click here to see our cool collage)
So we decided to have a Reading Retreat this Friday.
Reading Retreat
A reading retreat is a day dedicated to reading. Students are asked to bring a few of their favourite books from home. They also may dress up in pyjamas and bring in a stuffy, blanket, and pillow if they like. There will still be work throughout the day but the theme will be definitely connected to what they are reading.
Sincerely,
Mr. Casey
Andrew Casey