Disclosure StatementDear Parents, I want to welcome you and your child to Whittier Elementary, and to my fifth grade classroom! This year is going to be filled with exciting things! Fifth graders learn so much this year that is absolutely vital to their lifetime success. I am so excited to be your child’s teacher, and to be the guidance for your child this year. I have very high expectations for all of my students. I believe that high expectations yield high results. I want to aim high with my students, and bring them to a level of success they dream of! In order to establish good habits as students, I will need your help. Parent involvement in a child’s education is very important. It intrinsically motivates children to do better in school. I cannot do my job without the support of you! With this being said please discuss the following rules, habits, and expectations with your child. School Rules: Falcons S.O.A.R. • Stay safe • On time/ on task • Always follow directions • Respectful Cooper’s Class Rules: • Listen (The First Time) • Treat others the way you want to be treated. • Be Respectful • Pay Attention Consequences: I follow a management chart by using clothes pins. Students can move up or down with their clothes pins. Negative movement results in consequences, and positive movement results in rewards. I have a treat bin that exceptionally behaved students will be able to check out! Each extreme behavior situation is entirely unique and I will deal with these accordingly. Planners: Planners go a long way! We are fortunate enough to be given planners for each student, and I use them thoroughly. Planners will be my main form of communication to you. We will list homework assignments, reminders, and any other necessary information. Please go through your child’s planner with them on a daily basis. If your child is reading, please log the reading minutes. Expect the planner home everyday! I expect it returned, signed, on a daily basis. Homework: Every Monday a spelling list will go home with words for your child to study. Tests will be given on Fridays. There is usually spelling homework on a daily basis as well as some type of math sheet. Look in the planner, and make sure the student completes all homework. I DO NOT ACCEPT LATE HOMEWORK! If it is late, the student will only be given one point; after a week it turns into a zero. This goes back to holding your student accountable. If I accept late homework, what is the point of giving a due date? If your child is sick, or you contact me for an emergency, I will make exceptions. Please hold your student accountable to this as this starts great habits at a young age. I track homework and have a missing assignment log. Students are to fill this out everyday they do not bring their homework. If a student does not finish an assignment in class, and I give them permission to bring it home and complete it, it must be turned in the next day. As far as long-term absences, these are all unique situations and will be dealt with in an appropriate manner. Grading: • 90-100- A • 80-89- B • 70-79- C • 69 and below-N. “N” stands for insufficient or incomplete work/scores. Donated Materials: I sent you a suggested class donation list at the beginning of the year. We will need those items throughout the year. Please send the listed items whenever you can. If you want to donate anything not on the list that you feel be beneficial, please do so! We will randomly need other items for other tasks. I will send notes home when these items are needed. I appreciate your willingness to familiarize yourself with some of our class rules and policies. If there ever be a major issue with your student, I will contact you. If you ever need to contact me my email is: [email protected]. If you are worried about anything, please feel free to contact me! My main goals this year are to establish great habits that are necessary at the sixth grade+ level and to become successful in all of the necessary learning that takes place in the fifth grade! I look forward to meeting you all and going into more details at “Back to School” night! Thanks, Miss Cooper Student Signature: Parent Signature: Date: |
Philosophy of Teaching An effective teacher must love children and have an understanding of the powerful influence they have on future generations. Teachers have an important role in a learning environment. To begin, teachers must have a love of learning themselves in order to inspire upcoming lifelong learners. Teachers must be creative in generating ways to meet the numerous needs of students from diverse cultural backgrounds with a wide range of abilities. As a teacher, my primary role in the classroom will be of a facilitator, student mentor, and advocate for lifelong learners.
All children are capable of learning. They need to discover and develop their own personal learning styles. Students must be involved in tasks relevant to their daily lives and the world around them. In addition, learning communication and social skills are an integral part of achieving one’s fullest potential, and should be a part of daily instruction. A teacher’s behavior expectations need to be clear, fair, and consistent from the first day of school. When students are taught classroom procedures early, and practice them often, superior conduct and self-monitoring are established. Children respond well to structure, equitable rules, and attainable behavior goals. Effective classroom management lies in prevention rather than punishment. If a child’s mind is engaged in meaningful and relevant tasks, behavior problems lessen. In addition, the teacher should take every opportunity to praise and reward the whole class or specific individuals for exemplary behavior and or demonstration of life skills. |