My thought was that I didn’t want to bore the non-teachers with the nitty-gritty of the absence plan, but I have gotten enough response that I am just going to post it. Anybody not interested, skip this post.

So, every day I have always posted my agenda on the board—my schools have required it and many of your probably do, too. It looks something like this:

Agenda:

1. Appetizer (Remember to copy notes when you return)

2. Focus Lesson (Remember to copy notes when you return)

3. Read, as a class, "Flowers for Algernon" until page 60—the end of Part I.

4. Students will draw a double bubble map to show how Charlie has changed since the operation.

5. Newspaper summaries
Homework due: Vocabulary paragraph

So instead of just writing it on the board, I also make a word document with the same information, which looks like this:

10/01/04

Focus: Elements of a Story

Essential Question: How do I identify characteristics in a story?

Agenda:

6. Appetizer (Remember to copy notes when you return)

7. Focus Lesson (Remember to copy notes when you return)

8. Read, as a class, until page 60—the end of Part I.

9. Students will draw a double bubble map to show how Charlie has changed since the operation.

10. Newspaper summares

Turn in vocabulary paragraph!!


Then, I save that document in a file called "Daily Lessons" under its date. I then make several hard copies of this daily plan. For every child that is in "In school suspension (or whatever your school calls it)", I send a copy of this along with any worksheets they may need. This takes care of those kids. You can then hold them responsible for the exact same things the other kids are responsible for. It also takes care of my need to document my daily lessons.

I have also hired a student to take all the daily notes and put them into a class folder. This holds all kids responsible for the notes.

The absence part of the plan is this:

I have two manilla folders hanging on the bulletin board. One has a sign that says "Missed Work Request Form". Inside it has blank forms that look like this:

Name___________________
Date ____________________
Date Absent _______________
Teacher Comments______________

The other folder has a sign that says "Completed Missed Work Request Forms". My students know that it is their responsibility to fill out a missed work request form for any day that they are absent. If they forget to do it, they are still responsible for the work. Most forget, but then they can’t come crying to me about it later.

If they do fill it out, I am under no obligation to look at it at any specific time. So when a student comes to me and says "What did I miss?" I just point to the folders and move on. When they say, "When are you getting me my work?" I can say, "When I have time. Sit down." I take the forms when I do have time and see the date they need work for.

Then, I just go to my "Daily Lesson" file and print out the date(s) they need. I don’t have to rack my brain trying to remember what we did—the agenda is just right there. Then I staple those sheets to their missed work request form, give that work a due date, and give it to the student.

Of course, many students don’t fill out the form. Many don’t do the work even if they do fill out the form. But now, when a parent calls and says "Why is Lamont failing? He missed a week of school!" I can say "I gave Lamont all of his assignments and a week to do them and he didn’t". I can even give the parent another copy of exactly what I gave him.

I also make a copy of the missed work request form in their own handwriting and put it in their file, but I am paranoid. This system has been working really well for me. I hope any part of it helps. Let me know if any of it is unclear.
  ¶ 11:48 AM

  Excuse me, readers, for I have sinned. It has been one week since my last entry.

I just have to start off with saying that America's Top Model is the funniest show on television. I still love the blind girl-- mainly because she is hardly even on the show, which means she isn't doing anything too kooky... plus she is a really hot mom, which is...well, really hot.

Aside from her, Tyra Banks is what I mostly watch for. I love the way she fumbles through faux getto speech. I adore the way she has pictures of herself up on every available surface. I get chills from how she is always popping out from behind screens and curtains and doorways like an evil presence. But what I love the most is how every time she appears anywhere, all of the models screech as though they are being stabbed to death with beauty. That kicks ass.

I also love the way every time they do anything or go anywhere, someone has a breakdown. That rules.

Enough of that from me. In school land, I feel like I have hit some sort of organizational high. I have conquered the ever-annoying problem of absence work/ suspension work/ in-school suspension work. I have a system that holds my students accountable for all-- yes, all!-- missing work, while making it easy on me. I am the envy of my team. If you want to know specifics, feel free to email me.

I also created a system with my team where we can go to the computer and write down our students behaviors in a file. Then, the next period when the next teacher goes to write something down, they can see that the student was acting up in the last class. For instance, I write down 1st period that I had to tell Pedro to stop acting up four times during 1st period. During 2nd period, the next teacher has had to disclipline him three times. She opens up the Pedro file and sees that he was misbehaving 1st block. Bingo, he is outta there. I feel giddy with pride and potential suspensions.

Gay Pride is this weekend. I went out on a date with a boy on Monday. These two events are unrelated and yet linked in my mind.  ¶ 7:26 AM