Here are some pictures of Room 245 to give you an idea of what our environment looks like and what makes our class culture so amazing!
This is the CHISPA board. Each day, as students enter the room, Latin music plays in the background as they take their seats and do their daily Chispa. In Spanish, "chispa" means "spark." We use the Chispa to spark off our learning each and every day. Before we go over the Chispa, we share Buenas Cosas (Good Things). Two or three students volunteer simple stories or information about something good that happened to them recently or something that they appreciate!
This is the view of the front of the classroom!
This board reads: Miss Gleeson Promises.....We created this board together. Each student wrote down 1 thing that he/she wanted me to promise to them for the school year. After sharing what they wrote to the class, each student came up and posted their promise on the board! Many of the promises include giving extra help, being supportive, creating fun activities, and giving advice when needed. This really help us start the year off strong!
These posters represent the contracts that each class made. These contracts are created entirely my the students and are based off of how students want to treat one another, how they want to treat me, and how they want to be treated by me. This allowed us to have some great conversations about what types of behaviors and mindsets we want to have in our classroom environment!
¿Necesitas ayuda? If a student needs extra help, needs to make up work, or just needs to meet, he/she can sign up on this board! It helps hold students accountable for showing up to review sessions, etc. and helps me to stay more organized so I can be there when the students need me!
This is the most exclusive club- Club Ochenta. If a student achieves an 80% or better on a Unit Exam, he or she is awarded with a membership to Club Ochenta. What are the perks you ask? Well, each member gets his/her name posted on the Club Wall along with a homework pass and of course bragging rights!
This is our Datos board. Each class is competing against one another to achieve the highest class average on Unit Exams. If a class achieves an 80% or higher- we have a fiesta to celebrate!
This phrase "Hay más que la vida." hangs at the front of the room. This is how we exit class each day. I say "Hay más" and the students finish the statement with "que la vida!." This is a really powerful way to end our class each day and recognize that life is what we make it.
