Standard

2 CSTP: Creating and Maintaining Effective Environments for Student

Learning

CSTP 2.1 - Promoting social Development and responsibility within a caring

community where each student is treated fairly and respectfully
Level of Development: Emerging Date: 9/25/21
Level of Development: Applying Date: 5/6/22
Level of Development: Integrating Date: 10/22/22

Evidence:
• Drawing names with sticks ensures fairness for all
• I give every student a chance to speak who would like to
• I promote the understanding that we don’t all have to agree, but we do have to respect
all ideas and opinions
• Morning Meeting has us starting our day together as a group
• Students and I talk often of treating others with kindness and using positive language
toward ourselves and others
• We discuss Life Skills of the month and let the whole class know when teacher
observes students displaying that life skill
• Cultural awareness in the classroom is often reflected through the use of art, stories,
and whole class discussions
• We regularly hold classroom discussions regarding environmental awareness and what
it means to be a good citizen in a community
• Student jobs are posted on a classroom wall. We rotate jobs once per month to ensure
fairness
• Hanging up the completed art of every student
• My school has speci.ic Life Skills that we teach in the classroom each month. I talk
about behavior expectations during Morning Meetings.
• I have an hour in the morning, and all recesses in which I am required to look
after students in my class and so I .ind I am always involved in resolving con.lict
and teaching students how to be respectful to each other.
• This year instead of supplying the rules, students came up with our rules together. We
all cut out a tracing of our hand, colored it, signed it, and then attached it to our social
contract in the classroom.
• I have a very well established routine in my classroom. Students know to look at the
daily schedule to see what comes next in the day. I often call out the people who I see
getting ready and praise them in front of the class to encourage others to have the same
responsibility
• Students must take responsibility when they break a classroom rule. I have gotten much
more comfortable this year holding students accountable for how they behave in the
classroom. I’ve also gotten better about rewarding those who deserve it as well.
• My school uses think sheets and I did not use them as much as I should have last year.
This year I’m using the sheets to help solve problems between students as well as for
addressing individual behaviors.
• I use equity sticks when picking names for groups or to answer a problem. They know
it is random and so do not get upset if their name is called. I’ve found it quite effective
for picking partners because it ensures that students always work with a different
person other than their friends.

CSTP 2.2 - Creating physical or virtual learning environments that promote

student learning, reAlect diversity, and encourage constructive and productive
interactions among students
Level of Development: Emerging Date: 9/25/21
Level of Development: Exploring Date: 5/6/22
Level of Development: Integrating Date: 10/22/22
Evidence:
• Move desks once per month to promote new connections and productive interactions
Observation of Items posted on classroom walls
• Visual resources are posted around the room to support student learning (word of the
day wall, cursive letters, parts of speech posters, etc.)
• Partner work (using name sticks) at least once per day
• Classroom materials are easy to access by all students
• Encourage positive language within the classroom and help students talk out problems
that arise as they work with each other
• Students have been learning about the solar system and I’ve been reserving the
(new) computer lab to add a virtual learning element to the subject matter.
• Fairness and respect is something that I strive to achieve in my classroom. I always
make a point to tell students that I want things to be fair for everyone and that that is
why I do things the way that I do.
• Students are encouraged to build on each other’s ideas during group discussions
• I put up reminders of what Life Skill we are working on for the month. I remind them
periodically whether within a lesson or at morning meeting. Sometimes I will call out
students when I see them displaying that Life Skill.
• I try to promote diversity throughout the year. One way I do this is through our art
projects that celebrate Black or Hispanic History Month for example.
• Students know the rules for working with partners and small groups.
• I move desks once per month and try different arrangements and groupings. In this way
I’m able to provide various opportunities for students to interact with different students
both at their new desk arrangement and in small group work
• I try to incorporate lessons that celebrate our differences

CSTP 2.3 - Establishing and maintaining learning environments that are

physically, intellectually, and emotionally safe

Level of Development: Exploring Date: 9/25/21

Level of Development: Applying Date: 5/6/22
Level of Development: Integrating Date: 10/22/22
Evidence:
• Every student is encouraged and allowed to participate
• Encourage a classroom environment where students feel safe to share
• Zero tolerance policy for ridicule of other student’s ideas
• Established rules about safely moving about the classroom
• My student in a wheelchair was given the desk closest to the front door
• Ensures adequate space around the classroom for wheelchair access
• I give students an opportunity to share and answer questions.
• We have built a good classroom community and students have become more brave
to share because they know they will be supported in the classroom even if they
give the wrong answer.
• Clear expectations are set about how to be an active listener
• I ensure that every student gets to participate. Equity sticks help me to get to everyone.
• I model how to speak to others with respect even if I disagree with them
• In my classroom students feel safe to ask and answer questions. I always encourage
them to be brave and share their answer even if it not exactly right because then we get
an opportunity to fix the error and learn from it
• Proper manners are expected inside and outside the classroom and I hold students
accountable for their behavior

CSTP 2.4 - Creating a rigorous learning environment with high expectations

and appropriate support for all students
Level of Development: Emerging Date: 9/25/21
Level of Development: Exploring Date: 5/6/22
Level of Development: Integrating Date: 10/22/22
Evidence:
• Each student has a Work in Progress folder containing any unfinished work. Students
must complete all work in the WIP folder
• Finish Up Friday is when students are required to clean out the WIP folder and make
sure all work has been completed
• Provide accommodations for those students who need it such as more time to complete
an assignment or test and being required to complete half of a worksheet instead of a
whole page
• Expectations are made clear every morning at Morning Meeting as we go over the plan
for the day
• I use rotations in my classroom and one of the rotations is always with me.
• Whether it is Math or ELA, working with every student allows me to get a more in
depth idea of who needs what kind of help.
• This year I have students keep their WIP folders in their desk instead of using the crate
file in the corner. This has improved transitions tremendously as now students don’t
have to walk across the room and wait in line to put their papers away.
• I have high behavioral expectations for students. I address issues as soon as they come
up and I’m confident that most of my students understand the consequences and behave
accordingly
• I have high expectations for students when it comes to their academic achievement. I
take students who are struggling and work with them in small groups so that they know
I am here for them. I let them know I am here to help them achieve their goals.

CSTP 2.5 - Developing, communicating, and maintaining

high standards for individual and group behavior
Level of Development: Emerging Date: 9/25/21
Level of Development: Exploring Date: 5/6/22
Level of Development: Integrating Date: 10/22/22
Evidence:
• Students were included in creating the classroom rules on the first day of school
• Monitors classroom group work by walking around and interacting
• Corrects behavioral disruptions as they come up
• Positive behavior incentives for both individual students and whole classroom
• I constantly talk about student expectations.
• Whether it is during Morning Meeting or a discussion about the current month’s
Life Skills, students are made constantly aware of standards of behavior.
• We work in groups 2-3 times per week. I am able to work on small group behavioral
issues and I talk about expectations while we are at the table. I redirect them back to the
task if they get distracted.
• I always go over expectations before lessons or activities. I have students model the
expectation and then we talk about it as a group. This has really helped to solidify
expectations and cut down on confusion and future problems.
• I talk about grading rubrics so that they are able to see exactly what is expected of them
on longer projects.
• I use a job chart and keep it displayed in the classroom so that every student knows
what their job is. The jobs have evolved based on what the students like to do so we
talk about that together before the job switch at the end of the month. They get excited
about doing a new job that they created.

CSTP 2.6 - Employing classroom routines, procedures, norms, and supports

for positive behavior to ensure a climate in which all students can learn
Level of Development: Exploring Date: 9/25/21
Level of Development: Applying Date: 5/6/22
Level of Development: Integrating Date: 10/22/22
Evidence:
• Warm Fuzzies is a whole class reward for when everyone is working well together and
following the rules of the classroom
• Classroom rules were created by all of us on the first day of school and posted on the
wall Procedures are clear and students know what to do if they need to go to the
bathroom, sharpen a pencil, get a tissue, etc.
• Auditory signal is used to get everyone’s attention
• Class schedule is clearly posted every morning so that students know what to expect
throughout the day
• I have really worked on being consistent with my classroom management
expectations. This is an interesting area of teaching because it is ever changing.
• I work hard to ensure that I stay .lexible to change it up if needed. I have gotten
better at how to handle those students who tend to disrupt the class.
• I’ve found that positive incentives and reinforcement are still the best strategies
for classroom management.
• I regularly redirect students who go off course of the conversation and bring up
irrelevant topics
• This year instead of Warm Fuzzies I pass out gems to the class. Each student gets three
gems from our gem distributors at the beginning of the day. I take a gem if I had to
redirect them or remind them to get back to the task. All the gems at the end of the day
go into a jar. When the jar is full they get a party.
• I was really sick earlier this year and students were able to give the substitute
information about our routines because they are so well established.
• This year I’ve focused on providing extension activities for early finishers.
CSTP 2.7 - Using instructional time to optimize learning

Level of Development: Emerging Date: 9/25/21

Level of Development: Applying Date: 5/6/22
Level of Development: Integrating Date: 10/22/22
Evidence:

• Teacher follows a lesson plan that ensures there is enough time to complete the lesson
Teacher is flexible and able to pivot a different way as needed during a lesson
• Smooth transitions help ensure less wasted time between lessons
• Off topic conversation is quickly minimized by jumping back to topic and calling on a
different student
• I’ve gotten much better at identifying how long all the elements within a lesson
should take.
• I am .lexible during lessons and can add more time if needed and vice versa.
• I usually have an additional back up activity to add to the lesson for early .inishers.
• Using a timer and keeping a student in charge of setting it has really helped to get rid of
the “how much time left?” questions. I use it constantly throughout the day to keep
students accountable for their work time.
• I’ve tried to optimize learning by cutting down on transition times. I’ve tried different
strategies and feel that having students keep their WIP folder in their own desk instead
of a crate across the room has saved about ten minutes throughout the day
• I call students by rows so that they don’t all go rushing at once. It’s a great way to get
them to settle down too because they always want their row called first
• I quickly squash any off topic discussions and interruptions
• I always make sure that students will have enough to time to complete a lesson. I don’t
like them feeling rushed because so many of them work at different paces.
• For early finishers, I’ve started offering additional extension work for them to do
• We just started a Native American project and I have gone over the time line from
beginning to end so that they know that in four weeks their project will be due. I tell
them exactly how many class sessions we will have to work on it.