When I moved into 5th grade, I wanted to create a unique
experience for our students who are the oldest in the school while preparing
them for middle school. I developed the
Alexander 5th grade academy and collaborated with the other 5th
grade teachers to create an exceptional program for our students. We hold our students to the highest of
standards, promote professionalism and uplift each other. 
The Alexander Essential 55 are our academy’s rules and guidelines for
behavior (modeled after Ron Clark’s Essential 55). The students are held accountable for these
rules from every adult that they work with in school. This consistency is the key to our
success. Not only are students held to
high academic expectations, but many of the rules focus on respect. When there are clear guidelines for respect,
we are able to practice them regularly and help students to carry over these
manners to their lives outside of the classroom.
In
order to be successful in their future educational and career endeavors,
students must be able to present themselves in a mature and professional
manner. We use Adam Dovico’s SPECIAL
acronym to practice the art of conversation.
S – Shake Hands, P – Posture, E – Eye Contact, C – Charm, I – Introduce Yourself,
A – Ask a Question, L – Lean In and Listen. Students are given multiple
opportunities to interact with adults from a variety of backgrounds to practice
their professional speaking skills.
Before guests come into our classroom, we research as much information
as we can about the person. The students
learn about the guest and develop questions that they might be able to ask in
conversation that relate to the person’s background, accomplishments, or
hobbies. We have had many guests in our
classroom including a professional artist, pre-teachers from Niagara County
Community College, the Alexander Board of Education, news anchors from channel 2 and 4, the 6th grade
teachers, and the superintendent of the district.
Our class is a family and we celebrate each other like one. In my classroom, students are expected to
care for one another and celebrate each other’s successes and accomplishments,
rather than harbor jealousy. If you
walk into my classroom, it won’t be long before you hear loud cheering for a
student who persisted through a word problem until it was solved correctly, a
student who just gave a great speech or a student who conquered a fear.
At our weekly 5th grade family meetings, we celebrate these
successes each and every week. Star
Students are chosen each month from every science, social studies and writing
class. Extracurricular accomplishments,
academic successes and instances of personal growth are widely applauded, and
we uplift those whose hard work has paid off.
We encourage parents to email the teachers to notify us of accomplishments
outside of school that we can recognize.
The Alexander 5th Grade Academy T-Shirt is the highest honor
that any 5th grader can earn.
When a student earns the shirt, it means that he is working to his
highest potential in the areas of academics, behavior and character. In order to earn a shirt, the student must
receive a unanimous vote of “yes” from all adults that work with the student
including special area teachers, sports coaches and club advisors. This prestigious award is only given out to
those who truly deserve it. When a
t-shirt is earned, we hold a t-shirt ceremony during our family meetings to
recognize this extraordinary feat.
What is the secret to a
successful classroom? Strong
relationships between the students and teacher.
When a teacher takes the time to build a real relationship with her
students, she can connect with them on another level and design instruction
around their interests, hobbies and passions.
When students feel loved and cared for, they are more likely to want to
learn from the teacher. To build
relationships, I strategically create opportunities to connect with students on
a personal level. Whether it be hosting a BBQ with my students’ families,
taking my chess club members to the movies, cheering on my students at their
championship football game, having a Saturday morning study session, or hosting
an overnight girls sleepover at the school, I love spending time with them.
