Avoiding Procrastination #flipclass

Because I teach third grade, I must communicate all work expectations with the parents of my students. I must be very organized when creating and assigning long-term and short-term projects because the students are just learning to take full responsibility for their own learning in third grade. I create detail assignment descriptions, outlines, due date calenders, and rubrics. The long-term projects completed in third grade involve cooperative learning/problem-based learning. To teach students to pace themselves with a long-term project, work time is allotted during class. I am able to reminds students about due dates and give individualized feedback when the projects are partially completed during class.

I find myself struggling with flipping my lessons because younger students do not seem to realize they are held accountable for the work. I hear many excuses such as "I had gymnastics." or "We were just too busy at home this weekend to do it." I actually feel parents do not realize that their children are fully responsible for their work in third grade because they often make excuses for their children as well. I did not start the year with communicating my flipped lesson expectations because I just began flipping about five weeks ago. I believe that next year will be better in terms of pacing, expectations, and transferring responsibility to the students, Elementary school is much different than middle school and high school. It feels as if I am actually making the outlines, due date schedule, and rubrics for the parents who seem to need all of the details up front more.

Late Assignment Policy - #flipclass

I teach third grade and I am detail-oriented when it comes to late work. I accept late and made-up missed work from all of my students. Whenever students have late work, I write the assignment date and name under their name on a weekly log. When students turn in their work, I highlight  the assignment showing that they turned it in. Students do stay inside for recess to make up the missing/late work. At the end of the week, students write down how many late and missing assignments they have in their agendas in their goal portion. Students who have several late and missing assignments per week are asked to write an assignment goal. They also create actions steps to help them be proactive about turning in their work.

Third grade is a vital year for helping students develop student responsibility. In this grade, students still want to blame their parents for late and missing assignments. The transfer of responsibility can be difficult, but I feel responsible for making these newly intermediate students responsible for their work.