1.10 Classroom Culture: Routines & Procedures

Each week I create a "Home Page" in our LMS, Canvas, that has the plan for the week. Because of this, I am able to engage students in Bell Ringer activities they minute they sit down in my room.  As you can see, the page includes directions and links for the Bell Ringer activity as well as the plan and links for the class activities and homework. This page is also useful to my JH English students, as our school is 1:1 with iPads and take the devices home at night.  My curriculum is online, so students rarely need to take a book home, unless they choose to. Because students know exactly where to go, I hold students accountable for on-time, high-quality work. This allows students who are absent to have access to class work and homework immediately.  The use of an LMS in my classroom has placed the accountability on the students.

Weekly "Home Page"

Bell Ringer Work

One of our morning buses tends to run late.  Instead of the entire class waiting on a handful of students to arrive, students who are in the classroom can begin the bell work.  Students who arrive later on the bus, usually have time at the end of the class period to finish the work. For my other classes, it is expected that they come in the classroom, sit down, and open Canvas to find the Bell Ringer for the day.  Having this work ready and available to students immediately has cut down on behavior issues during transition times.