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 * Teacher Tool Kit **

WHAT?
A kit is a set of articles or equipment needed for a specific purpose. Kits often include equipment, tools, implements, instruments, gadgets, utensils, appliances, tools of the trade, gear, tackle, hardware, and paraphernalia.

WHY?
As a classroom teacher you are going to need a big "kit" or "bag of tricks" when it comes to creating and maintaining a positive learning environment in which all of your students can succeed. Every situation will be unique and how you handle it will be unique as well; but the more strategies, tools, gadgets, and techniques you are familiar with and have thought about, the better off you will be when those situations arise. Even knowing what not to do is an important item to have in your kit.

There are two basic types of classroom management: proactive and reactive. Proactive means controlling a situation or avoiding a difficulty by acting in advance. Reactive is what you do when your proactive measures fail and a situation arises that needs to be dealt with. The more proactive you are, the less reactive you'll have to be, but no matter how great you are at being proactive, unexpected situations will always arise in your classroom that you are going to have to deal with.

WHEN?
The purpose of your creating this kit is to get you thinking now about situations you may have to deal with in your future classroom--what proactive and reactive approaches do you think you'd like to take. This is an ongoing project for the semester and will hopefully be something useful that you will add to and reference throughout your teaching career. Feel free to add more to your kit than just the required components for this class. Make this kit your own.

HOW?
Select a digital tool (wiki, blog, website, e-journal,...) that suits your style for capturing your thoughts but that will also be a good tool for you to use as a reference in the classroom. It needs to be "sharable" with your practicum colleagues and Dr. Theresa. If you have not made your own wiki at wikispaces.com, make that your digital tool. If you have, explore something new. Use this as an opportunity to explore the medium as well as gather your classroom management ideas.*

Below is a list of topics that will be included in your kit--instructions on which ones you'll get to choose from will happen in class. For each one, you need to research and explore the topic and different ways that you could manage that in your future classroom. Resources are provided on each of the pages--some will be required, others optional. After digging into at least three of the resources, think about what aspect of the topic you would like to know more about. Come up with a research question and then do some research to start finding good answers to your own question(s) about the topic. Your research can be on the Web, in the library, or through interviews with teachers or students. Then, in your kit, create a page or "section" where you can record what you learned (reflection) and at least one proactive strategy and one reactive strategy you'd like to adopt. You will also need to embed, or make a list of, resources that you want to use as a reference when you have your own class and are ready to manage it. A sample scenario for you to react to is provided in each area that can be the catalyst for your reactive strategy, however you have the option to create your own scenario. In the reactive section, make sure it's obvious to the reader (who may be yourself in a few years and you may not remember) what the scenario is that you are reacting to.

You do not have to use the same headers (research, reflect, resolve--reactive, resolve--proactive) that I used, but you do need to demonstrate
 * you did the research (be sure to include references or hyperlinks to the sources you used so that you can refer back to them later) and reflected on it
 * you have a proactive plan that you might actually use related to the given topic
 * you have at least thought about how you might be reactive in a situation related to this topic.

More topics might be assigned when you and your classmates create and present the classroom management textbook chapters. Some will be enhanced by the textbook presentations.

Topics

 * Logistics
 * The first day
 * Arranging the room--the furniture not the people
 * Learning Student Names...under construction
 * Policies and Procedures
 * Emergencies (fire, bomb threat, lockdown,...)
 * Student privacy: FERPA and dealing with students who think they know what's going on with other students and call you unfair
 * Plagiarism (after Mission Possible)
 * Relationships
 * Humor in the classroom (after class activity & discussion)
 * Cyberbullying (after Mission Possible)
 * Cooperative Learning...under construction
 * Humanity in the Classroom (under construction)
 * Resiliency...under construction
 * Maslow's Heirarchy...under construction
 * [|The 2x10 Strategy]

Assessment
Each "section" (topic) will be evaluated on the following criteria: •Reflection section demonstrates thoughtful reading and thinking about the research. It is obvious which 4 resources you used. •Proactive resolution section demonstrates that you've really thought about and applied this information to what you plan to do in your classroom in the future. •Reactive resolution section demonstrates a realistic and appropriate reaction to a situation where being proactive didn't work.

Standards
Maine Common Core Teaching Standards 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 11.1.d, 11.3.b, 11.3.d, and 11.5.d

This image is an uncredited meme found on a friend's Facebook timeline. I do not know to whom to give credit.