Introductory Week

Week one: Plan # 2 of 3; [90 mins.]

Plan type: Summary
Specific lesson objectives (lettered) being taught in this lesson:
Cognitive (know/understand):
1. Students will understand the importance of building classroom community and what it
means to be a team player.
2. Students will understand that they need to self-regulate their tasks and take ownership in
their work.
3. Students will know how the workshop process will run and the expectations behind it.
Affective (feel/value) and/or Non-Cognitive:
4. Students will feel a responsibility to make the classroom a safe and respectful place.
Performance (do):
5. Students will build classroom community by getting to know their peers.
6. Students will practice reflection in order to develop their self-awareness
7. Student will practice the workshop routine.

SOLs: [List with numbers portrayed in the SOL document]

6.1 The student will participate in and contribute to small-group activities.
a) Communicate as leader and contributor.
b) Evaluate own contributions to discussions.
CCSs: [List with numbers portrayed in the CCS document]
[Link].6.1

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups,

and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building
on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
[Link].6.1.C

Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making
comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.
Methods of Assessment:

Diagnostic:

SSR Selection- Observation about which SSR books students are selecting should be
done in order to give the teacher an idea of student interest and readiness level. This
should help to inform where students are for reading, and help the teacher when making
recommendations of books for students in the future.
Formative:
Cold-Call Check about Partners - This will hold students accountable for building
relationships with their peers and taking the time to remember the specific aspects of
them that they share.
KUD 5. SOL 6.1a. [Link].6.1
Workshop Practice - Students will get a short practice of the workshop format that will
be used throughout the semester. This will give an indication of how students handle this
format of class and what needs to be made more clear in the future.
KUD 3, 7
Exit Card- This exit card will ask students to reflect on what it means to be a team
player in the classroom community and how they plan on being one, asking them to
look at themselves and reflect on how they will contribute to a positive classroom
community.
KUD 1, 4, 6. SOL 6.1b. [Link].6.1.C
Summative:
Binder Check Tomorrow (Objective 4) - After setting up binders in class today and being
asked to put their Appointment Clock paper in their binder, tomorrow students will be
held accountable for whether or not they followed through on this assignment, enforcing
the need to take ownership of their assignments.
KUD 2

Procedures/Instructional Strategies
[Note: Any words that represent what I would say directly to students appear in italics.]
Beginning Room Arrangement:
The class will be arranged into tables of desks, with four desks pushed together to create a
table group. These will be five different desk groupings/tables in the classroom.
1. Bridge/Hook/Opening to lesson ( 1 mins.):
I will greet each of my students at the door, asking them to again find their seats by looking for
their nametag on the desk. I will also remind students where to find the do-now assignment to
start the day, and that they should look there each day when they come into the room.
2. Do-now: How do they feel? (5 mins):
Students will pick up a do-now asking them how they are feeling about middle school after being
there for 3 days. It will give them a chance to express any general concerns about middle
school and any ideas for support that I can give to them specifically. They could also write about
any rumors theyve heard about middle school that they would like me to address. I will collect
these to give feedback.
3.

SSR (10 mins.):

I will explain to students that like mentioned yesterday, they should read SSR books when they
are finished with the do-now. For today, students should either read a book they have with them
or choose one from the classroom library. Students will be told that in the future they will take
class trips to the library so they will be able to check out more books there if they do not find one
they are looking for in the classroom. Once students pick their books and begin reading, I will
observe the choices that the students made. Getting an idea about individual student interests
and their perceived readiness/challenge level will help inform me when recommending books to
students in the future.
3. Name That Class Routine (5 mins.):
I will tell students that they just did a great job performing one of the routines we discussed
yesterday, and now I want to review some other ones we talked about just to make sure they
are all clear. I will pull up the Name That Class Routine PowerPoint, designed to look like a
game show. Students will be cold-called to answer the different questions/prompts that come up
during the PowerPoint; all of the questions will be geared towards reviewing classroom routines
and procedures that we went over in class the day before. This is a quickfire activity, so students
will be timed, and only have thirty seconds to answer before the buzzer goes off and the answer
is revealed. This quick review activity is in place to hold students accountable to remembering
the classroom routines so as to establish efficiency within the classroom.

4. Appointment Clock Set-up, Partners 1-6 (15 mins.):

I will tell students that there is another routine we will be using that will help them have some fun
with their peers. Students will be introduced to the class structure of an Appointment Clock.
Each student will be given a worksheet with a large clock drawn on it and blank lines next to
each number.
Students will be told that we will be using the appointment clock throughout the year as a way of
engaging with different peers in the classroom. They will match with these partners for activities
such as peer review, quick discussions, collaborative worksheets, and more. They will need to
match with a different person for all of the numbers, and whoever they match will should write
their name for the same number. An example will be given by picking a volunteer and modeling
the process for the students, projecting the appointment clock on the board.
Students will be told that we will only be matching the first 6 pairs today. They will have two
minutes to find a partner, introduce themselves and tell each other a quick or interesting fact
about themselves. They will then write each others names on a designated number and the
interesting fact. Once this is done, they will wait for me to call another number, and proceed to
find someone else whom they have not already chosen as a partner. I will encourage students
to pick someone of whom they are not already familiar. Once this is completed, students will
return to their assigned seats.

For this activity, I would work closely with Andrew to try to find good pairs for him. He will need
students who are patient and do not mind working to help him understand, so I will try to get a
feel from my students as to who the best peers would be to match him with.
5. Quick Check Cold-Call (3 mins.):
Using Popsicle sticks, I will call on four different students and ask them to share with the class a
fact that they learned about one of their partners. This will help to build class community and
begin the process of students building relationships with one another.
6. Binder Organization in class (10 mins.):
I will tell students that we are going to go back to something we discussed briefly yesterday in
order to find a place for our apartment clock sheets. Students will be given binders to set up as
a class, a concept that was introduced the previous day. Once each student has a binder and
dividers, a quick discussion recapping the main ideas about why having an organized binder is
important will be had by calling on student volunteers.
I will then model for students how I wants the binders to be set up. Using a projector, I will set up
my binder with students watching and following my actions. Students will create specific
sections in a specific order which I will display to them. I will circulate the room when possible to
ensure that students are setting up binders properly.
Once all sections are made correctly, students will be able to place their first handout, the
Appointment Clock worksheet, into the Classroom Materials section of their binder. A binder
check will be done tomorrow to make sure all students have done this.
7. Home Court Discussion (15 mins.):
I will tell students that we just began building our class community by getting to know each other
a little better, but that I want to continue this throughout the year. A discussion with the class
about how teams benefit when they are at home versus when they are away will be done.
Hopefully students will respond that the teams play better because there is a crowd cheering
them on and supporting them. If they do not reach this conclusion, I will guide them to it. During
the discussion, I will pay attention to how students are working the the large-group discussion
setting. Observation of how students listen to each other (or if they listen at all) should be done.
After the students have shared their thoughts, I will explain that this classroom is the class
home court. Everyone there is to support one another and cheer each other on. When
something regarding the class community needs to be addressed, the students or teachers can
use the phrase home court and everyone will know that it is especially important to listen.
Then the appointment clock will be used and students will discuss in pairs how they think this
could work and any problems they see coming from it. I will walk around and observe student
discussion, paying attention to how students are communicating with each other. After ample
time, share as a class and find solutions to address potential issues.
8.

Workshop explanation and practice (8 mins):

I will tell students that another way our team will work together will be by using our class time
well. I will explain to students that throughout the year we will be working often in a format that
we will call Workshop. During this time, students will usually be working on either a reading or
writing assignment individually. I will tell students that we will use this format so that we can get
a lot of work done in class and they will have less to do at home, as long as everyone does it
correctly. It will also be a time where I can check in on them and answer any questions they
have. I will explain that sometimes they will be given a focus for the workshop, and other times
they will be expected to just work on whatever they need to for the assignment. My role will also
change during the workshop as sometimes I will work individually with students and other times
I will work with a small group.
I will take a minute to model what a one-on-one conference would look like with a student
volunteer. If Andrea volunteers, I would choose her so that she can participate in a setting where
she does not have to worry about getting it wrong. I would have the student pretend they were
reading their favorite book and go through some sorts of questions I may ask during the
workshop time. I would explain again that during this time, the rest of the class would be
working on their own. No matter what, it is expected that all students are working during this
time whether I am with them or not.
Also, I will explain to students the See Me tactic we will be using. If students have a question
or need help during their workshop time and I am working with another student, they can write
their name on the board at the front of the room under a list I will call See Me. I will then go in
order to students who have asked for help. Again, even if that student has asked for help they
are expected to keep working where they can until I am able to get to them. I will write the list on
the board so that students can see where it would be.
9. Letter to Teacher brainstorming continued from Day 1 (13 mins.):
I will tell students that we are going to practice the workshop for the first time today. Students
will work on their own by continuing to brainstorm what they want to include in their Letter to
Teacher which was introduced yesterday. I will return the surveys they took, and they can use
those to help with ideas of what to include. I will also tell them at somewhere in their letter they
should include what they expect from me, and how I can help them the best as their teacher this
year.
While students are brainstorming, I will circulate the room and answer any questions student
have about what should be included in the letter. I will also choose a few students to conference
with about their brainstorm so they can see what a conference will look like. I will particularly
watch for and conference with students who seem stuck or off-task, and specifically help those
students with their brainstorming.
At some point I will make sure I make my way over to Will. Knowing that he is very bright and
will do well with a lot of the tasks this year, I will encourage him to include in his letter ideas
about things he wants to explore more. I will take that and try to incorporate it into future lessons

so I can keep him engaged, even when the material may be simpler for him than the rest of the
class.
10. Closing: Team Player Exit Card (5 mins.):
Students will complete an exit card activity where they answer How do you plan to be a team
player? They will reflect on how they specifically plan to participate in this classroom
environment. I will collect them and look for patterns among answers to share with the class the
next day.
I will remind students to try to get a notebook for next week. I will thank them for participating
today and tell them I look forward to seeing them Friday.

Materials Needed:
Binders and dividers for the class
Online timer
Sample binder to model
Appointment Clock worksheet
PowerPoint with Appointment Clock prompts
Name That Routine PowerPoint
Classroom library books
Surveys to hand back to students
Exit cards