TEL 311

SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT
Molly Sosa

Table of Contents
Self-Introduction ... 02
Room Arrangement . ...03-04
Classroom Arrangement Rationale . 05-08
Classroom Procedures
Beginning of Class ....09
Ending of Class .... 09
Transition between Activities ... 09
Managing Student Work ..09-10
Student Absences ......10
Late Work..........10
Grading and Recording Student Work.. 10
Communicating with Parents............10-11
Consideration of Diverse Learners ...................................................................11
Rules and Consequences .......................................................................................12
Conclusion ........ 12

Introduction

My name is Molly Sosa and I am currently a junior at the Mary Lou Fulton School of
Education at Arizona State University. I graduated from Glendale Community College in May of
2015 with my Associates Degree. I am a secondary education major with an emphasis on history
and I am currently in my first block of student interning. I also have experience working with
high school kids by volunteering at the high school that I graduated from. I mentor students with
learning public speaking and I have been volunteering there for four years.
One of the reasons why I wanted to become a teacher was because I wanted to experience
something new every day. High school kids are so diverse, interesting, and always have
something new to bring to the table. I know that there will never be a boring day in the classroom
as long as I have my students in there. I also have a deep love for history and everything it has to
offer. I believe that history needs to be taught so the future leaders of the world will learn from
the mistakes made by past leaders. I want to help them ask deeper questions and guide them in
the direction to look for the answers themselves and I believe that I can do that within my history
class. I am passionate about history and education and being a teacher will allow me to share that
passion with others.
Based off the research by Madeline Hunter, Dr. Fred Jones, and Dr. Harry Wong, my
belief that engaging the students in the learning process is key to effective teaching. All students
learn differently however they want to be engaged in their learning. As a teacher, it is up to me to
make sure that students are learning the required content but walk out of the class feeling they
had an active role in their learning process. I believe that every student, no matter what their
accommodations are or what their learning abilities consist of, should walk into the class
knowing that they are going to be engaged in what they are learning. Every student has the right
to learn and to be active in the learning process.

Classroom Layout

Front of Room

Legend:
Teacher Desks
Material Cabinets

Computer
Station
Television

Bookshelves

SmartBoard

Homework Station

Trash Cans

Mounted Projector

Extra Table

Teachers locked
cabinet
Filing Cabinets

Door
Bulletin Board

4
White Boards
Student Desks

Classroom Layout Rationale

Teacher Desks
The teacher desks are located in the back right corner so I can keep an eye out on the
students when they are taking tests to make sure they are not cheating or using their
cellphones. I also have a good view of who comes in my classroom whenever I am at my
desk.
Material Cabinets
The material cabinets are located next to the bulletin board on the left hand side of the
room. I did not want it so close to my desk because it would feel too cluttered. It is in a
location which students can come into the room and walk straight over to the cabinet and
grab the materials they will need for the class period. If the students needed to post
anything on the bulletin board, the supplies to do so will be right there in their reach.
Bookshelves
The bookshelf that will have the class textbooks will be located at the front right part of
the classroom. One student from each table will be able to go up and get the textbooks if
needed for their class period.
Homework Station
The homework station is located on the left hand side of the classroom next to the
bulletin board. There will be a basket on the station counter where students will walk in,
turn in their homework, and sit down at their assigned seat. If a student was absent and
did not receive their homework, or if the student lost their homework, there will be
special folders for each class period where extra homework sheets will be located at.
Mounted Projector
The mounted projector will be located at the top directly in front of the Smartboard so
any videos/announcements will be projected on to it.

Teachers Locked Cabinet

The teachers locked cabinet will be located behind the teacher so that the only one who
can access the contents in it will be only myself. It will be out of the students way but
easy for me to access.
Filing Cabinets
Filing cabinets will be close by the teachers desk. If I needed to pull out lesson plans,
portfolios, or any other information, I can easily access it right by my desk.
Whiteboards
Whiteboards will be located at the front of the classroom and on the right hand side of the
classroom. The whiteboards at the front of the classroom will be used for notes during
lectures. The whiteboards on the right hand side will be used for extra space for lecture
notes and the objective for the day. I will also be writing a This Day in History on the
whiteboard on the right side of the room next to the objective so the students can see
what they will be doing that day and also seeing what happened that day in history.
Student Desks
Student desks will be facing forward towards the front of the classroom so the students
can see me when I lecture and see the Smartboard when announcements and videos are
placed. Instead of students having individual desks, students will be seated at a table for
two so they can easily work with their shoulder partner without having to move desks
around. There is space for the teacher, myself, to walk around and make sure that students
are on task with their work and not doing something they should not be doing. There will
be plenty of space behind the back desks so any student in a wheelchair will have extra
space to maneuver around comfortably. Going from the ways of Fred Jones, there is
enough room for myself and the students to walk around without bumping into each
other. Students will also have their backpacks underneath the tables so while I am
working the room, I will not trip over their backpacks.
Computer Station

The computer station will be located by my desk so if a student is using the computer, I
can be close by to assist the student with any questions. I can also keep an eye on the
student to make sure they are on task.
Television
The television will be mounted on the wall at the front of the classroom between the
whiteboards and the bookshelf. The television will have a DVD and VHS with it because
sometimes the documentaries or any other video I want to show the kids will not be
online or on DVD. It will be useful to have in case there is there is technical difficulties
with the Smartboard.
Smartboard
The Smartboard is located at the front of the classroom in between the whiteboards. This
will be useful for when I do PowerPoint lectures, show videos, school announcements are
made, or when I want the students to interact with the Smartboard.
Trashcans
Trashcans are located in three different areas of the classroom. Theres a trashcan close to
the teachers desk so I can throw things away. There will be a trashcan near the materials,
bulletin board, and homework station so students can throw away used tissues or throw
away any scraps they do not use during in class activities. There will be a trashcan
located by the door so students can spit out any gum before entering the classroom or
throw away any other trash they may have.
Extra Table
The extra table in the back will be used for any student who needs to makeup a test or
needs to catch up on work. This will also be used for students who need a quiet place to
work to avoid being distracted. The extra table will also accommodate special needs
students when necessary.
Door

The door is located at the front left of the classroom. The students can enter from there
and walk over to the homework station to turn in homework or walk straight to their
tables.
Bulletin Board
The bulletin board is located on the left hand side of the room between the homework
station and the materials cabinet. As students are coming in to turn in their homework,
they can quickly glance at any school events or important dates that will be posted on the
bulletin board. It is in an area where students can easily access information on there
without it being too distracting.

Procedures

Beginning of Class
Students will walk into class and go to the counter to collect any handouts or items for
class that day. If any homework is due, they will then turn it in the Homework Basket.
The students will go to their assign seats and work on the bell work that is on the board.
There will be a list of things that is needed on the students desk that the students will
take out of their backpacks and only have those items on their desk.
End of Class
Students will leave the class when I dismiss them, not when the bell rings. Before class
ends, students will have an exit ticket that they will have to do and will turn it in to me at
the end of the class period when they are dismissed.
Transitions between activities
When transitioning between activities, students will send one person from the table to
gather supplies or text books. This will ensure that transitions will move quickly. I will
also have two different types of signals: an auditory and a visual signal. The auditory
signal will be an I clap, you clap signal. My visual signal will be me raising my hand
with the students raising their hands and being quiet.
Managing student work: collecting homework; handing back work; handing out materials
for the lesson
Students will turn in their homework when they walk into class in the homework basket.
Graded homework and any other assignment will be handed back the next day while the
students are doing their bell work so as to not take away from my teaching. If there are
worksheets that students need to have for the class period, they will be located on a
counter or table for the students to pick up before they sit in their assigned seats. If the
students need to pick up items (such as text books), one student from each table will go

10

up to the bookcase and get their items for their table. It will be more organized to do it
this way than all students going up at the same time.

Student Absences
If a student is absent, the student will be responsible to retrieve their missing work. Each
class period will have file folders with extra papers and their missing assignments with
their name on it. The student will have to retrieve their missing work and turn it in the
next class period to be able to receive full credit. If the student has been absent for a
substantial amount of days, the student will have extra time to do the work depending on
the circumstance.
Late Work
I understand that students have other classes with course work that needs to be done and
that students have after school activities that they participate in. Because of that, late
work will be accepted however with percentage deduction. Students will have until three
days after the assignment is due to turn in late work. One day late will be 10% off their
grade, two days late will be 20% off their grade, and three days late will be 30% off their
grade. Late work will not be accepted after three days past the due date. I will have a
special chart to help me keep track of those who turn in work that is late.
Grading and Recording Student Work
Grading will be done in a timely manner. Homework and tests will be graded and passed
back by the next day. There will be four papers that the students will be doing throughout
the school year that will be due at the end of the quarter. During the break (which is about
a week long), I will be grading the essays and it will be passed back to the students on the
first day back from the break. I will be posting the grades in the grade book as I grade
each assignment so students and their parents can keep track of their grades.
Communicating with Parents

11

I will keep communication with parents by phone calls instead of emails because emails
are impersonal and can be taken out of context. I will be calling parents to report on
student achievements and success so the parents know that their student is doing well in
class. If there is any issues with the student (constant missing work or disciplinary
issues), parents will also receive a phone call. If the student is constantly absent, and if
there is no explanation or doctors note, I will also call in to check in on the student to
make sure everything is alright and communicate with the parent to come up with a plan
to help the student catch up with missing work.
Consideration of Diverse Learners
I will read up on the IEPs and 504 plans to see what accommodations the students will
need. If extra time is needed for the student to complete homework assignments or tests,
accommodations will be given to them. For the students are gifted, they will have more
challenging work to do to fit their needs. Procedures will be taught and re-taught when
needed.

These procedures are put into place to enhance classroom management. Based on the research of
Dr. Harry Wong, these procedures will promote classroom productivity and management and will
make me an effective teacher.

12

Rules and Consequences

The rules and consequences are based on the research of Dr. Richard Lavoie. My rules
are phrased in a positive way because students respond better with positivity. My rules will be
taught, posted for all to see, and retaught when needed. The rules that will be implemented in my
classroom are:
1. All work has to be your original work with your original thoughts.
2. Cell phones will remain in backpacks for the entire class period.
3. Only appropriate language will be tolerated in the classroom.
4. All students will be courteous towards those around them.
5. Students will be in class on time and prepared to learn.

If students have trouble following the rules, certain consequences will be taken into effect
such as:
First Offense: A warning/conference with just myself and the student
Second Offense: A phone call home to the students parents
Third Offense: Before or after school detention
Fourth Offense: Administrative referral
Teacher reserves the right to skip steps based upon the severity of the violation.

Conclusion

13

Every student has the right to learn no matter what their circumstance is. As a teacher, I
will make sure that students will have an organized classroom to come to every time. Classroom
management is key to effective teaching and an effective learning environment. Positive
reinforcement will be given to students often to boost their self-esteem and promote the students
integrity. These are studies from Dr. Harry Wong, Dr. Fred Jones, and Dr. Richard Lavoie.