Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Beginning of the year - binders

School is starting in less than two weeks. When I began teaching third grade two years ago, I envisioned backpacks stuffed with crumbled up paper and homework never done. I found a third grade teacher who explained how to use a binder to teach organization and help students gain independence during homework. It has worked for the last two years, and I am excited to use the system again.

Here is a write up I did the other year.

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Goals:
1. Students will gain organizational skills
2. Students will be empowered to complete homework independently
3. Students will complete homework independently

Materials needed:
1. Binder
2. Sheet Protectors
3. Dividers - The teacher should provide these with the appropriate labels already filled out. Every student's red divider is chumash, yellow is dinim, so you can teach the students how to add to their binder and use it with minimal instruction
4. Yoman

Instructions:
Have each student bring a 1 1/2 inch binder and dividers. Put in the yoman, sheet protectors, dividers and folder  at the beginning of the school year. Teach the students how to add papers to the proper section. Send papers home to the parents in the folder in the binder.  Leave 5 -10 minutes each day to add assignments to the binder

Helpful Tips:
1. During class, have the students use their reference guides to answer their questions rather than asking another student or a teacher. Example:Student "What does שמע mean" Teacher: "where can you look that up?" This will help them do their homework without needing parents help.

2. I have a store and a token economy for an incentive - I give $1 for the binder being organized at the end of the day and the homework recorded legibly and in the proper place and $1 the next day for the homework being handed in in the right place, yoman signed and the folder emptied.

Letter to parents


Homework Binders
The Homework Binder is a three ring binder that students will use every day to develop their organizational skills. It contains dividers, folders, and sheet protectors. Hopefully this binder will eliminate lost homework and disorganized backpacks.
Inside the Homework Binder you will find:
Pencil Case:          This pencil case will be used to hold flash cards for current units. It should not be used for regular school supplies.
Sheet Protectors:   These are used to help protect important classroom/school information & homework helpers such as  שרשים list, prefix suffix list, בנינים charts, etc.
Yoman - homework book - with all assignments written
Judaic Homework sheet – The nightly homework assignment
חומש section: Linear translation for the current פרק  as well as any other handouts that may be necessary to complete the homework and study for quizzes.
עברית section – current vocabulary words and grammar rules
General Studies sections  - for general studies homework and all materials necessary to complete the homework.
Folder: Safely transports all paperwork to and from school including graded work, newsletters, etc. Please empty on a regular basis
The binder must be brought home every night and returned to school every day.

Homework

There will be homework most nights of the year. Homework is important as it helps to practice and reinforce what is taught in class. It helps prepare students for success.

·               The homework will be written in the Yoman planner.
·               Some homework will be assigned at the beginning of the week and due on Friday.
·               Any homework sheets will be found in the Homework Binders.
·               Students should be able to do most assignments on their own using the reference guides in the binder. If your child is not able to regularly finish an assignment, please send a note or comment on the Yoman.

Sheet Protectors
The 2012-2013 sheet protectors have been prepared and contain
  1. Daily School Schedule
  2. Classmate List 
  3. One page School Calendar 
  4. A page with the whole hebrew alphabet including the block, script, and rashi fonts
  5. The cantillation marks (trop) that are used to divide pesukim http://www.scribd.com/doc/103654342
  6. A one page color-coded chart to conjugate hebrew verbs http://www.scribd.com/doc/103654348
  7. Reference page with all hebrew prefixes and suffixes 
  8. vocabulary list of all verbs found in parshas Chayei Sarah
  9. A vocabulary list of all nouns found in Chayei  Sarah.
This system works beautifully and can be shared by both the secular and Judaic faculty. 


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