Another improvement! We've tweaked the first rule and poster to the more correct "Je suis les instructions rapidement". Here's the new poster:

Les règlements

My grade 2 colleague, Anne-Marie Gouin-Wolbert, has incorporated the Whole Brain Teaching rules into her French Immersion classroom. Here they are:

1. Je parle toujours en français.
2. Je suis les instructions rapidement.
3. Je lève la main pour parler.
4. Je fais des bons choix.
5. Je rends mon enseignante fière de moi.

The first rule is, of course, really important in grade 2 FI. We both liked her wording of rule #5 as we prefer that the children are tasked with making us proud of them, as opposed to the more ethereal "making us happy".

I think she did a great job! 

As our little grade ones have not had any previous French experience at all, I'll drop her rule #1 until later in the year. My 5 year-old littlies are generally bussed in from other areas and need lots of time getting to know each other and feeling at ease and confident in a new school and in a French class. They need to be able to whisper and speak to each other in English for the first few months. This is not how I approached my AIM core French classes but then I only had the grade ones for 30 minutes a day.

Happy to hear any other approaches!

Classroom Management

Have finally created a blog to help me improve and expand my teaching practice. 

Am currently fretting about what the règlements would work best for my grade one French Immersion class. I want to operate under three constraints as outlined below. I'd love to have input from others!

Class Rules - Considerations:

A. AIM Language use of the 3^rd person single voice – “tout le monde”... Then have all rules and instructions in the 2^nd person singular?

B.  TRIBES school: Translated and used the 4 Tribes’ agreements last year as follows:

1. Écouter attentivement
2. Respecter: toi même, les autres, les objets
3. Apprécier / Pas de commentaires négatifs
4. Partager / Passer ton tour.

C. Whole Brain Rules: Am wondering about rule #3: Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat.  If I am in the middle of a lesson, my students do hold up three fingers for permission to go to the washroom, I just nod. They do, however, silently get up and fetch Kleenex and sharp pencils without raising their hands and disturbing or interrupting the class.

D.  Want a limited number of  rules that are easily understood and for which grade one students can be held responsible.

Discussion Draft: 

Les règlements de ma classe

1. Écoute attentivement.

2. Suis les instructions tout de suite.

3. Respecte toi même, tes camarades, et les objets de la classe. 

I’d want to explain / subset: 1) garde tes mains et tes pieds pour toi)

                                           2) pas de commentaires négatifs

4. Lève ta main pour parler.

5. Rends ta chère enseignante heureuse. :-)