Our Class
Participation is one of the most important parts of a successful learning experience. Our class relies heavily on team work, whether it's for book club, math groups, a class reward party, or yoga/meditation time. Everyone that is a part of Room 25 is expected to join in the fun by listening during instruction, adding to discussions and conversations, and sharing their brilliant ideas during problem solving and brainstorming activities.
Canvas is a large part of our daily learning, and while I love technology in the classroom, we all know that it sometimes doesn't work the way we want it to. If students experience technical difficulties with any of our online resources, they are responsible for coming up with a plan to solve the issue. Please know that there are many solutions to a problem, but giving up is NOT one of them! Try a few different options such as asking a friend, using Google or davis12.ut.us to search for answers, or making a brainstorming list.
Please let me know if you need help - I am always here for you!
Students are responsible for gathering and completing their work.
Because most lessons and resources are online, students have access to everything that is covered in class at all times. If a lesson is missed, students can turn to previous Canvas days to review material. If students need help coming up with a plan to complete work, please let me know. Communication is key! I love coming up with individualized plans that help each student reach success. I am serious! I am here to help!
Students are responsible for contacting me if extensions are needed.
If extensions on assignment deadlines are needed, students need to let me know as soon as possible. If you are stressed out over an assignment or project, please talk to me about it. I promise that I have experienced the same thing and I am willing to chat about a solution to help you have a calm and enjoyable experience. We are all human, and support from each other is the key to growing and learning.
Students will be expected to: Be Respectful, Be Responsible, and Be Safe.
Class expectations will be discussed in great detail and revisited throughout each day. Students that practice these values will be rewarded by receiving points on Class DoJo, which can be viewed online or a mobile device - keep an eye out for an email invitation. Once students have earned 25 points, they will get to spin the prize wheel which offers a variety of fun and exciting rewards such as an opportunity to choose from the prize bucket, skip an assignment, wear a hat to school, pick a Go Noodle, etc.
As students work as a whole group to enact class values, they will earn tokens that will be redeemed for a whole class reward. After earning 20 points, they get to vote on a class party.
If students do not behave as expected, they will receive a verbal warning. Three verbal warnings will result in them filling out a “Think Again” behavior reflection. Once the reflection is filled out by the student, we will have a student-teacher chat to discuss the behavior and an agreement to resolve said behavior. The "Think Again" is exactly what is says - it's a time to think again about what happened and to think of a new way to react to a situation. We have many resources in our school to help with resolutions including our counsellor Mr. Morgan, a school psychologist, and myself. Please reach out if you feel like you need to use any of these resources.
This year, students in my class will study growth mindsets. Having a growth mindset, rather than a fixed mindset, allows students to develop skills that improve the level and frequency of their academic and personal success.
“In a growth mindset, people believe that their most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work — brains and talent are just the starting point. This view creates a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.” (Dweck, 2015)
Each day in class, students will participate in activities that showcase the impact of a growth mindset. Students will learn that they can develop skills through effort and persistence. Students will practice using phrases such as “I am not good at this subject yet.” and “There’s room to improve with the right approach.”
How can you help continue this development at home? You can focus on praising your child for working hard - the right language sends a message that effort leads to success. For example, you can say “I can see you worked hard on this,” instead of saying “You’re so smart!” You can also say “It seems like it’s time to try a new strategy,” instead of saying “You’re just not cut out for this.” These few examples can be used to help students develop their skills by persevering when there is a challenge, thinking creatively when solving a problem, and seeing mistakes as learning opportunities rather than failures. With your help, I know we can prepare students for any challenge that they encounter!
If you would like to learn more about the power of a growth mindset, you can watch the following videos:
Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck.mp4 Download Developing a Growth Mindset with Carol Dweck.mp4
Developing A Growth Mindset.mp4 Download Developing A Growth Mindset.mp4
The Growth Mindset.mp4 Download The Growth Mindset.mp4
Each student will be assigned their own computer. They are responsible for the care and charging of this device. Because of this, it is very important that are the only person to use their computer - siblings and other students should not use this device. Insurance can be purchased on myDSD for $25 to cover **damage of the device. It cannot be purchased after damage has occurred. **Read this document Download document to learn more about what damage is covered.
Students are to use their computer for school purposes ONLY. This includes programs such as Canvas, Office 365, Clever, or FlipGrid......no Roblox, please!
Computers will stay at school. In case of a prolonged absence, students can work with me to set up a plan to take their computer home.
Students will be connected to a Microsoft Teams account that will give them access to their class. We will use this in class for activities, discussions, and question asking. If students are able to access their Teams account at home, Teams cannot not be used after 5:00 on weekdays. Teams calling is not allowed UNLESS permission has been given by parents and students. Students must message each other using kind, and polite language - bullying of any kind is not tolerated. Misuse of Teams will result in the student's removal from the class Teams.