Sam Houston High School 2012-2013
The Hurricane Classroom
The Hurricane Classroom
Classroom Decor
Post large, visually stimulating, text-rich posters in your classroom so that you and your students can refer to them constantly. Your classroom should be a safe and inviting learning environment where students feel welcome. Examples of décor: Readiness and Supporting Standards, calculator poster, exemplars of TAKS writing, TEKS, charts, graphic organizers, etc.
Whiteboard Expectations
“I Can Statements”-The Statement is based on TEKS and Curriculum Guides, not copied word for word.
Ask yourself two questions when writing “I Can Statements”:
1.) Can I teach this “I Can Statement” in one class period?
2.) Is this “I Can Statement” clear and can the students demonstrate they understand the statement?
(Reading, Writing, or Discussion)
Agenda—a list of concrete tasks that students will perform from the first bell until the end of the class period. A new agenda should be posted daily on your board.
Homework--a brief assignment that allows students to practice material already presented in class so as to reinforce learning and facilitate mastery of specific skills. Students should routinely be assigned homework in between their class meeting times, especially on a block schedule. Homework should be an opportunity for students to “practice” skills that have been covered. Homework should not be burdensome or overly time consuming for students and should be reviewed daily.
Ask yourself two questions when writing “I Can Statements”:
1.) Can I teach this “I Can Statement” in one class period?
2.) Is this “I Can Statement” clear and can the students demonstrate they understand the statement?
(Reading, Writing, or Discussion)
Agenda—a list of concrete tasks that students will perform from the first bell until the end of the class period. A new agenda should be posted daily on your board.
Homework--a brief assignment that allows students to practice material already presented in class so as to reinforce learning and facilitate mastery of specific skills. Students should routinely be assigned homework in between their class meeting times, especially on a block schedule. Homework should be an opportunity for students to “practice” skills that have been covered. Homework should not be burdensome or overly time consuming for students and should be reviewed daily.
Warm Ups
A warm up should be a brief, engaging exercise that should not take longer than 10 minutes to complete. The warm-up may also serve as EOC/TAKS practice or scaffolding previous learned TEKS.
Word Walls
Word walls should be on-going, INTERACTIVE, and referred to throughout the lesson, unit, and nine weeks. Word walls should be frequently updated as new vocabulary is taught, vocabulary should be connected with TEKS, Content, or SAT.
Ex. 1st Nine Weeks:
TEKS Content SAT
Understand domain rational
Represent range real
Interpret discrete scale
Ex. 1st Nine Weeks:
TEKS Content SAT
Understand domain rational
Represent range real
Interpret discrete scale
Skills Problem of the Day
The Skills Problem of the Day is a daily writing prompt that is completed by students during the advisory period. The Skills Problem of the Day will cover several content areas and utilize the campus Structured Expository Response format to have students construct a paragraph in response to the prompt.
To access the Skills Problem of the Day, click the link here.
Select the month and date of the problem to access the dail prompt.
To access the Skills Problem of the Day, click the link here.
Select the month and date of the problem to access the dail prompt.
Posted Student Work
Student work should be posted in the classroom and in the hallway. Posted work must reflect current TEKS and units. Student permission may be necessary for some graded assignments.
Teacher Exemplars
When teaching concepts, model and provide an example of how to accomplish the task. This should include answers to written response questions.
Textbooks
Textbooks will be issued from the textbook clerk as classroom sets. Classroom sets of textbooks should be covered and properly labeled. Textbooks are only assigned to students after parents or guardians check the books out from the textbook clerk. Do not issue textbooks to students.
Calculators
Calculators should be clearly labeled and assigned to students. You should establish a procedure for the distribution of calculators and the verification of calculators after every period. Classrooms in which calculators are integral to the students' instruction or completion of work will be issued a sufficient class set only ONCE at the beginning of the year.
Dictionaries & Thesauruses
Dictionaries and thesauruses should be readily available and used regularly.
Math and Science Formula Charts
All students should have access to formula charts in the Math and Science classrooms; they should be available at EVERY desk and used regularly.
Materials and Supplies
Supplies must be requested through your department chair. Be sure to make your requests in advance. Each department should establish a unified list of materials that are essential for the successful delivery of instruction and active student engagement. Students should be encouraged to bring AVID Binder supplies.
Technology Equipment/Media Carts
All technology and materials assigned are the responsibility of the receiving teacher. If there is a malfunction or your equipment is no longer operational, please contact the Mr. Luna or Ms. Thornton and submit a written request. Do not loan, share, or exchange equipment! It is imperative that all equipment is secured in your classroom. You must lock up your equipment everyday. Substitutes will not be allowed to use your technology equipment.
Electronic Devices
Students may not use cell phones, i-pods, handheld games, and other electronic devices in the classroom. Any electronic devices requiring special provisions must be included in lesson plans and approved by the principal.
Videos
All video clips must be pre-approved by your department chair and administrator. All teachers making video request must explain how the video content correlates with district curriculum and student expectations. Any video-clips linked on the SAISD district curriculum are pre-approved. However, no videos will be shown in their entirety.
Passing Periods and Hallways
All teachers are expected to stand in the middle of hallways during passing periods to help usher students to class. At your conference period, please use the first five minutes of your 95 minute block to escort truant students to an administrator posted in designated locations to issue tardy consequences and passes.
Hall Passes
Hall passes are not allowed, except between the times of 1:00 pm and 1:45 pm daily. During that time only, hall passes will be kept in the students Hurricane binder. Teachers are responsible for completing all information on pass. Each teacher is responsible for keeping an in/out log.
Common Course Syllabus
All students will receive the course syllabus at the beginning of the school year. It should adequately inform parents of your course objectives, materials, and student expectations. A template for the course syllabus is available here. In addition, an electronic version will be available at the appropriate link on the school website. Students should receive a new syllabus at the beginning of each semester.
Attendance
Teachers will complete Tx Gradebook Attendance at 10:00am for 1st and 2nd periods. Teachers will complete Tx Gradebook Attendance at the beginning of the class for all other periods. Please submit your attendance verification weekly to the office.
TxGradebook
Teachers will record NO LESS THAN 15 different grades per grading period per subject area. The 15 grades will be distributed throughout the nine-week grading period with NO FEWER THAN 1-2 grades per week per subject area recorded, entered, and posted in the electronic grade book. In order to provide timely information to parents and other colleagues (UIL eligibility), the appropriate number of numerical grades shall be recorded in the electronic grade book per week as required in the previous 3 sentences, so that by the end of each three week period for the progress report deadline 3-6 grades have been entered per subject area.
Teacher Data Notebook
You may choose to organize your Data Notebook either by Class Period or by topic. The following should be included in your data binder:
1. Class period rosters
Behind the class roster, include IEP and 504 informations for applicable students per class period
Also consult the SLR, when available
2. Updated seating charts
You may use one of the examples linked above, or create your own that reflects your classroom arrangement. On the
seating chart, include notations of students' required accomodations, per their IEP or 504 information. Also,
consult and annotate information per the SLR, when available.
3. Tutoring Sign-In Sheets
4. Madeline Hunter Lesson Plan Template, Hurricane Project Based Learning Panning Form and associated lesson resources.
5. Evidence of student intervention (behavior logs, student contracts, discipline logs, etc), Consider organizing by class period
6. Parent communication log
7. Formative and summative assessment data by class period (from Edusoft, TxGradebook, and iData Portal)
1. Class period rosters
Behind the class roster, include IEP and 504 informations for applicable students per class period
Also consult the SLR, when available
2. Updated seating charts
You may use one of the examples linked above, or create your own that reflects your classroom arrangement. On the
seating chart, include notations of students' required accomodations, per their IEP or 504 information. Also,
consult and annotate information per the SLR, when available.
3. Tutoring Sign-In Sheets
4. Madeline Hunter Lesson Plan Template, Hurricane Project Based Learning Panning Form and associated lesson resources.
5. Evidence of student intervention (behavior logs, student contracts, discipline logs, etc), Consider organizing by class period
6. Parent communication log
7. Formative and summative assessment data by class period (from Edusoft, TxGradebook, and iData Portal)
Data Analysis
An effective instructional program must involve data analysis. You can look at your student data in the iData portal system. Formative mini-assessments will be analyzed with EDUSOFT and iData Portal. You must be familiar with both systems to effectively serve the needs of your students. Training on both systems will be provided.
Formative Mini Assessments
Formative assessments will be assigned by the district. The assessments will be EOC/TAKS formatted and available online through the Curriculum Management System. Teachers will need use their SAISD email to access assessments.
Students must record all result on the Student Profile Sheets immediately following the assessment. This is a critical step in the monitoring of student progress.
Students must record all result on the Student Profile Sheets immediately following the assessment. This is a critical step in the monitoring of student progress.
Student Profile Sheets
These items are essential for effectively monitoring the needs of your students. For each given district and campus assessment, students should track their progress on their profile sheets and keep profile sheets in their Hurricane binder. There will be ongoing monitoring of student profile sheets at department meetings.
Collaboration and Planning
It is imperative that departments meet regularly. Meetings will have an agenda and minutes that include curriculum, instruction and analysis of student data as standard items. All Collaboration and Department meetings will be documented with your administrator and/or Department Chair. A copy of the core department instructional collaboration plan is located in the faculty handbook, or linked here.
Learning Walks
Learning walks will be conducted frequently throughout the school year. We are committed to maintaining the “Fidelity to Program” by:
** Following SAISD Curriculum Guides
** Ensuring that all students receive bell to bell instruction
** Clearly stating learning objectives ( “I Can” statements, agenda, etc.)
** Utilizing a variety of instructional strategies that promote student engagement
** Teaching instruction using the Instructional Collaboration Calendar Design
** Utilizing the “PBIS: CHAMPS” behavior model
** Following SAISD Curriculum Guides
** Ensuring that all students receive bell to bell instruction
** Clearly stating learning objectives ( “I Can” statements, agenda, etc.)
** Utilizing a variety of instructional strategies that promote student engagement
** Teaching instruction using the Instructional Collaboration Calendar Design
** Utilizing the “PBIS: CHAMPS” behavior model
SAISD Curriculum Management System
Teachers can access Curriculum Guides, Formative mini-assessments, parent connections, strategy cards, and other various instructional activities. It is important that teachers become familiar with this system to ensure that quality instruction is taking place in the classroom.
Literacy Across the Curriculum
Reading, Authentic Writing, and Discussion
-Plan and pose a driving question
-Teach Vocabulary (provide background text)
-Model critical reading/ underlining/ annotating (annotate 1-3 paragraphs a period)
-Draw inferences and conclusions
-Analyze conflicting source documents
-Solve complex problems with no obvious answer and multiple routes to a solution
-Support arguments with evidence
-Check for understanding 15-20 times per class
-Time all classroom activities and lessons
-Students will write “I Can Statements” in their Sam Houston binder
-Students will document understanding of “I Can Statements” during check for understanding activities during class
-Students will write reflection paragraph on the “I Can Statement” at the end of each class period
-Have all students write one 2-3 page essay per nine weeks
-Have all students write reflection of their performance on common assessments and write a goal for upcoming assessments
-Teach Vocabulary (provide background text)
-Model critical reading/ underlining/ annotating (annotate 1-3 paragraphs a period)
-Draw inferences and conclusions
-Analyze conflicting source documents
-Solve complex problems with no obvious answer and multiple routes to a solution
-Support arguments with evidence
-Check for understanding 15-20 times per class
-Time all classroom activities and lessons
-Students will write “I Can Statements” in their Sam Houston binder
-Students will document understanding of “I Can Statements” during check for understanding activities during class
-Students will write reflection paragraph on the “I Can Statement” at the end of each class period
-Have all students write one 2-3 page essay per nine weeks
-Have all students write reflection of their performance on common assessments and write a goal for upcoming assessments
Teacher Absences and Emergency Lesson Plans
Please use the Subfinder System every time you are absent from work. If you are planning to be absent, please extend a professional courtesy email to your Department chair and administrator. Include a brief description of the activities your students will complete in your absence. Videos may not be shown by substitutes.
You must also submit an emergency lesson plan to your department chair or Coordinator by Friday, September 7, 2012. There should be no less than one week’s worth of activities for student engagement. These activities should be “sub friendly”. Consider TAKS/EOC practice activities. Emergency lesson plans should be evaluated by teachers every grading period to ensure that they are current.
You must also submit an emergency lesson plan to your department chair or Coordinator by Friday, September 7, 2012. There should be no less than one week’s worth of activities for student engagement. These activities should be “sub friendly”. Consider TAKS/EOC practice activities. Emergency lesson plans should be evaluated by teachers every grading period to ensure that they are current.
Workroom Etiquette
It is important that we respect the facilities that are provided for our instructional preparation. Materials (i.e. staplers, scissors, hole punchers, etc.) are available for all to use and should be returned to their appropriate location. If you are in need of specific supplies for your classroom, please see your department chair. Please help in keeping the work area neat and clean.