IDEAL Classroom

Physical set-up of my room:
The sweet corner windows are mine for the taking, and my desk is back there. However, the student part is sort of set up as stadium seating, in clumps of 4 all facing toward the frontsih area of the room that has a projector's screen on it. The tone of the room can be described as completely slawesome. I have a Chewie poster, a life-size R2-D2 cooler, and de-motivational posters, which helps the high schoolers feel humourous and grand.

·         Communication between you and students and/or parents before (or when) school begins

I plan on using Schoology's calender function extensively to communicate the learning targets, assignments, due dates, and other such things with both students and parents. If students subscribe to the Schoology calendar and have it push to their ipads, then it shows up in ical with their other classes on one shared calendar - and it's awesome!

·         Community building activities for the first days and weeks of school

 I plan on using the "use your noodle," "Bippity-Bippity-Bop," "snowball personality fights," and writing exercises of various persuasions to help build community and help students get to know one another.

·         Plan for use of community building activities throughout the first semester (or trimester)

I will continue to intersperse them throughout. I am going to use a lot of self- and peer-review with regard to students' writing and revision of it, so that is going to require a certain level of trust and commitment that the environment will help to establish.

·         Rituals/Traditions you plan to use

Hipster Wednesday: wherein students dress like hipsters (vintage sweatshirts, ironic t-shirts, pie hats, fedoras, fake glasses, scarves, pocketwatches - pretty much anything so ugly that it has to be pretentious enough fora  common art-house goon), read poetry, and drink coffee and tea that we brew in my classroom. 

Question of the day- students must answer in either an honest or creative manner the question of the day used to take attendance and get to know one anothers names, preferences, and personalities.