Campus Culture

​THRESHOLD

​Campus Culture Effective Practices

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Threshold takes place at the beginning of the day when a teacher greets each student by standing in the threshold of the classroom. This practice allows a teacher to reinforce classroom expectations daily while personally checking in with each student before learning begins.

​STRUCTURED PEER CONVERSATIONS

​Campus Culture Effective Practices

Structured Peer Conversation is a process for grouping students in order to allow for academic conversation, social interaction, and peer thinking. In a structured peer conversation, the teacher leads the group thrAough a set of prescribed steps or protocols. The process is guided by criteria for speaking and listening and includes a focused question, time limits, and a description of how the academic conversation will be shared with others in the class.  Structured peer conversations are essential in developing the skills and culture necessary for collaborative work. They increase learning and build trust by accomplishing respectful and substantive tasks as the students work together.​​

​TIGHT TRANSITIONS

​Campus Culture Effective Practices

​Tight Transitions is a quick and effective practice that students perform without extensive guidance from the teacher. Transitions are the points during a lesson when students end one activity and begin another or physically move from one place to another.  “Messy transitions are an invitation to disruptions and conflicts,” (Lemov, 2010), but teachers can easily implement smooth and crisp transitions in order to maximize learning time.

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​WORKSTATIONS

​Campus Culture

Effective Practices

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​Workstations are designated areas in the classroom where students work alone or with a partner/group using instructional materials to explore, practice, and expand their learning.  Workstations can provide an opportunity to assess students’ mastery of different components within the same objective and establish a routine of differentiation for students with various instructional levels, interests, or learning styles. When workstations are managed effectively, students are aware of behavioral expectations and academic responsibilities.