Positive School Culture intends:

• To create an environment where teaching and learning can prosper
• To promote character development to enable students to make meaningful contributions to the community
• To provide an alternative to suspension and expulsion
• To involve families and the community in creating safe and effective learning environments
• To address the needs of students with behavior problems

An essential part of the education is recognizing students for their hard work, both for academics and behavior. In addition to report cards, notes to parents and newsletters highlighting student work, Taylor has a variety of ways students can stand out and be recognized in front of their peers.

Classroom attendance is recorded daily, with each classroom that has 100 percent attendance hanging notice on their door. They are also celebrated during morning announcements the following day. Classrooms with perfect attendance for the month are eligible for a party of a variety of types.

Perfect attendance is recognized by the individual student and by classroom. Each quarter there is a school wide challenge to see which class can achieve the best attendance. The winner gets a pizza party! Classrooms don't only get points for perfect attendance but also for the least tardies.

Classroom attendance is recorded daily. Coming to school every day on time is vital to a student's education. At Taylor, we reward the students and parents for their attendance efforts.

School-based adults carry CDTRT slips and pass them out to students throughout the day when they catch a student "doing the right thing." Each student puts his or her slips into a bag and recognition prizes are drawn monthly.

Classroom strategies, integrated throughout the school day, are based upon the following themes:

Prevention

Classroom discipline problems are prevented before they begin. Teachers use strategies such as recognizing students for doing the right thing, providing pencils for students who come to class without them, and using the conflict resolution process to solve student-to-student issues. Teachers also motivate good behavior through the use of coupons and positive praise.

Organization

The learning environment is organized to prevent off-task behavior and to encourage students’ management of their own behavior. This includes organizing space, time, materials and supplies, and routines, and the posting of daily learning expectations. Students can often apply and interview for classroom management positions. Routines are established for absent students to self-manage completion of missed assignments and for student managers to assist substitute teachers.

Caring

The classroom climate reflects a caring learning environment. Taking time to connect with students is the first step in classroom management. Strategies include having students select examples of their best work for display throughout the room and hallways and providing a communication method, such as a mail box, for students to share celebratory events as well as problems. Teachers use active questioning strategies to ensure that all students are engaged and have an equal opportunity to respond. Teachers routinely use reflection time and exit tickets to allow students to internalize learning, connect to prior learning, and report what they have learned.

Cooperation

School staff, teachers, and students work together to achieve an orderly environment in which to work and actively learn. School staff and students use nonverbal signals to gain attention and “zero noise” from their audience. Teachers use cooperative learning strategies to foster team participation and responsibility for each student’s success.

Classroom and Community Communication

A school-wide system for positive communication with parents forms a mutually responsible relationship between home and school. An active constituency of parents and community members is involved in school governance. A communication system documents phone calls, parent conferences, and the systematic distribution of notes that provide positive messages for parents.

Resources

Resources for helping students succeed:

• Pyramid of Interventions

Each month, homeroom teachers choose the Student of the Month for that room based on academic performance and behavior.

These students are recognized during Friday morning announcements at the beginning of the next month. All of the Students of the Month has their pictures posted up for everyone to see. They also get lunch with the Principal and other special prizes.