Students in Mrs. Smith's 1st grade classroom are expected to 'Be Safe,
Be Responsible, and Be Respectful'. We use the 'Above the Line and Below
the Line' strategy for daily behavior accountability, which is a visual model
in the classroom. Students are either living above, or below, the
line. Each student starts the day above the line, with their name
displayed on a star. If any class rules are broken, and the student has
been warned, their star may be moved below the line. This is a visual cue
for the student to change their behavior.
Mrs. Smith’s students also have the opportunity to earn tickets when
they are following the rules of 'Be Safe, Be Responsible, and Be Respectful'.
When their star falls below the line, they must give a ticket back.
Depending on the individual behavior, consequences follow, such as losing time
from recess or Learning Centers, and phone calls/notes home to parents as
needed. The greatest part about earning tickets is going shopping; a
wonderful experience on Fridays, where students may purchase prizes using the
tickets that they have earned!
This classroom procedure can be found through studying Quantum Learning,
and an interesting read on 'Where on you living?' can be found here:
http://www.freepsychologyarticles.com/quantum-learning-are-you-living-above-or-below-the-line.html
~Mrs. Smith
Welcome to Mrs. Smith’s ‘First
Grade Wonders’ website! I am very excited to share with students, their
families and friends the 'comings and goings' of our first grade classroom.
Feel free to browse the site, and continue to check back regularly for updates.
I am a 2008 graduate of the University of Nebraska at Kearney, and
earned my Bachelor's Degree in Elementary Education K-6 with an endorsement in
English as a Second Language K-12. Currently, I am taking Master's classes
through UNK in Reading PK-12. I love to learn and enjoy teaching and sharing
with students the importance of being lifelong learners. I hope you find our
classroom site useful, and are able to explore and discover!
~Mrs. Smith
"Once children learn how to learn, nothing is going to narrow their
mind. The essence of teaching is to make learning contagious, to have one idea
spark another." -- Marva Collins
