I FINALLY changed seats for my precalculus regulars class and my calculus class. ... I usually change their seats every 6 weeks, but for some reason for these 2 classes I kept putting it off and putting it off.
Results? The first couple of days in calculus, a member of one of the previously chatty/back-of-the-room groups who is now in a front group with productive people, spontaneously says to me (while they're working on some concepts together), "wow, I'm getting so much done now". ... In precalculus, ... they were mostly always working anyway, and the ones that weren't opted to transfer out, so .... it's just a nice change of pace. The funny thing is, though, that this one boy who was in a group with 2 other girls was basically always by himself: both girls had serious trouble making it to class on time, and we have a lock out policy. So I thought I was doing him a favor by seating him near another guy who works really well. Well. This other guy has not shown up for the last 2 days, so my poor little kiddie is STILL sitting by himself. ... We chuckled over that.
Lock-out policy:
ReplyDeleteAt five after classtime, the doors are locked? I understand that the student misses the day's class, but where do they go? Do they march themselves to study hall?
I love this, now that we have it up and running ... and it works if everyone buys into it. Our school has a warning bell, and then one minute later the tardy bell rings, and you're supposed to be in class. Inside the door. At that bell, teachers are to shut the locked doors, and all late students make their way to (basically) a holding pen (cafeteria), to sit silently, all facing the same direction, no talking, no homework (so they don't skip class to do late assignments or to study for a test they're skipping).
ReplyDeleteTeachers on prep period are supposed to "sweep" all late students out of the halls and into the cafeteria.
It has drastically reduced/eliminated interruptions to class and *most* hall wanderers.
Ms. Cookie