A Quality Elementary School Classroom Defined

• class size is small
• it is a student centered classroom
• the classroom is magical
• the homework is challenging
• there is a spiraling curriculum with mastery learning
• new material is taught each day
• there are excellent text books and practice materials
• the students are given two math, science, and social studies text books so they can keep one at home
• the students and parents have each other's email addresses and phone numbers
• the students are taught organizational skills
• the students are taught to work
• grading is fair
• the students are taught cursive and typing skills
• the students are assigned power point presentations
• expectations are high
• the students are taught vocabulary and grammar
• the students are allowed to work at their math level
• it is a self-contained classroom
• students are NOT allowed to transfer out of the class
• disruptions are kept to a minimum
• student work is on display
• the classroom has its own library of at least 2000 books of fiction and nonfiction
• the class reads silently each day
• the teacher reads to the students
• the class has at least thirty sets of novels to read
• the students are assigned meaningful projects
• the students are help accountable for their behavior
• the teacher is not afraid to tell the parents the truth
• the teacher discourages enabling; enabling is defined as the parent doing the student's work, making excuses for their missing work or poor behavior, or the parent blaming the teacher or someone else for their child's poor performance
• there is an Improvement Table
• the students are allowed to chose their seating
• the teacher is rarely or never absent
• photos of students are on display
• the class has a student and a teacher blog
• math is a priority and adequate practice is assigned; the teacher goes beyond state standards

An educationa field trip to Kitt Peak Observatory