September Monday Made It (LONG Post)

Here's what I've been creating!

This is a free download {here}.

I made these supply labels for the outside of my door. Hopefully as students are in the halls during the day, or at least right before they come into class, they will take a peek to see what they actually need to have for class. They're still trying to get used to this middle school thing, and living out of their lockers is foreign. I made circles with the different supplies that they might have, then used Velcro squares to swap them as needed. You can click {here} for the freebie.

Sometimes you just have that kid that can't figure out what's expected in class. Or maybe you need to collect some data to get a kid some additional help with behavior. I have used point sheets for the last fourteen years to help those kids either get on track or get the data I need to take it to the next level.

They look like this and they are totally tailored to the kid. The top one is the blank template, and the bottom is a sample of how one might look.

The first thing that you do to set it up and decide on up to five goals for the student. State the goals in a positive way. Speaks at appropriate times is better than Don't blurt out. Here are some examples of goals that I have used over the years.

Shows a positive attitude
On task
Respectful to others
Follows instructions
Speaks at appropriate times
Keeps hands and feet to self
Uses kind words
Uses extra time wisely
Works quietly
Be respectful to teacher
Be respectful to classmates
Uses appropriate language
Controls humming and other noises
Honest
Accepts decisions
Brings materials to class

These are just some of the more common ones that I've used, but it really depends on the student.

Students can earn up to two points per goal per class. So the example above has 100 possible points. I always start the goal at 80%. If they are meeting that consistently, I bump it up. Usually 90% is as high as I will go. After all, no one is expected to be perfect.

The classes get filled in in chronological order across the top. Each class will have an adult that will need to fill out the sheet and initial it. The student gets two points for meeting the goal, one point for having a few issues, and no points for having several problems with that goal.

At the end of the day, write the actual number of points earned after the word Actual. Usually I have some sort of reward or consequence set up ahead of time for either meeting or not meeting the total goal.

If you would like a free copy to try out, click {here}.

New freebie! Yesterday I created these reference posters to remind my students of the difference of a hot dog fold and a hamburger fold. If you don't use that terminology, a hot dog fold means that you fold it so that your longest sides meet up, ie. making the paper long and skinny. A hamburger fold means that you fold it so that your shortest sides meet up, ie. making the paper fat and short like a greeting card. Click {here} for the freebie.

This is actually my MIL's made it, but I picked out the fabric :) Isn't it cute?! These curtains let in natural light while blocking out those kids who have recess during our class time.

I was left with these scraps and the feeling that I didn't want to throw them away.

So I bought these things at a ridiculous Labor Day sale at Joann's.

I cut the fabric into 1x6" strips.

Then I started tying...

While I liked how full it looked, it was going to take four times the fabric that I had. And since I had to go to five (!) different Joann's to find enough fabric to make the curtains, I needed to scale back. (OK, so I didn't go to all five. I went to two. And my MIL checked her local store, and then she checked one during her weekend trip to Omaha, and then she called every Joann's between Omaha and her home to see if they had any. She stopped at one in Ames to get the rest.) So I untied all of those. Very. Sore. Thumbs.

So then I did this with a coat hanger.

And it turned out like this.

And here it is on my door :)