The document outlines a first week lesson plan for an upper elementary classroom based on Rudolf Dreikurs' and Vicki Stolz's theory of collaborative thinking. The plan includes establishing classroom expectations of thinking before acting, respecting others, being one's best self, and collaborative problem solving. Activities include discussing safety and respect, role playing collaborative thinking scenarios, identifying and solving problems, and reflecting on showing respect through cleaning the school yard. Assessments evaluate understanding of collaboration and respect. The lesson plan aims to create a safe environment where students feel respected and value each other's ideas.

1. Madeleine Piburn
Education 382
3 April, 2016
First Week Plan
Philosophy Summary
I am looking forward to using Rudolf Dreikurs’ and Vicki Stolz’s theory on collaborative
thinking in my upper grade elementary classroom. I think that children often misbehave not
because they are bad kids, but because they are trying to figure out their place in the world. I do
not plan on using standard punishments in my classroom like having to sit in the hallway or
losing recess because I do not think that students will learn from their mistakes. Instead, I
believe that natural and logical consequences help children to develop self control. Logical
consequences say that the behavior is the problem, not the child. I will encourage all students to
think their actions through before they happen. I also want to come up with the consequence
with the student. That way they feel like they have some control over the situation.
Overview
My vision for the first week is for every student to feel like my classroom is a safe place
where everybody gives and receives respect. Because I am teaching in an elementary
classroom, I need to teach this in a simple way. The entire class will sit in a circle and we will
come up with ways to give and receive respect and how to make the classroom feel safe.

2. Class Expectations Your expectations, in the language and format you will
provide to students.
I will have me class expectations written out on a poster that students will see right when
they enter the room. All of my expectations are simple yet broad because I want the students to
really think about what the expectations mean to them. I will have my expectations written out in
a bullet point format. Here are my expectations;
• We all think before we act or talk
• We respect each other, the classroom and ourselves
• We try to be our best self
• We value collaborative answer solving
Expectations Rationale (100-150 words) In one or more paragraphs, explain how
your expectations align with you philosophy.
I believe that my expectations go along with my philosophy. I want children to be free to
think for themselves. But at the same time I want children to feel respected. That is why one of
the expectations is for children to think before they act. My philosophy also includes having
students work with me, the teacher, to come up with consequences for their actions. So one of
my classroom expectations is that we value collaborative answer solving. That way the students
know that I value their thoughts. I want my students to try to be their best self. I don’t believe
that there are bad children, just children who make some bad decisions.

3. Learning Outcomes with Assessments In a bullet list, describe your learning
outcomes and assessments.
Learning Outcome #1: By the end of the first week, students will understand how to be
collaborative problem solvers.
• Assessment #1 - Students will work in their small desk groups to come up with a poster that
represents everybody in their group.
• Assessment #2 - Students will individually write a paragraph about how they would solve a
tough problem that they have with someone else.
Learning Outcome #2: By the end of the first week, students will know how to show respect to
the classroom, others and themselves.
• Assessment #3 - Students will take an open ended quiz at the end of the week with
questions pertaining to respect.
Week at a Glance
Since a lot of schools start the day after labor day, I will be using a four day week as my
example.
TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Activity #1 Floor
time to discuss
safety and respect
Activity #2
Collaborative
Thinking Plays
Activity #3 Causing
and Solving
Problems
Activity #4 Showing
Respect
Assessment #1
Small group poster
Assessment #2
Paragraph writing
about solving a
problem
Assessment #3
Respect Quiz

4. Activities For each activity in Week at a Glance, describe the activity.
Activity #1 - Floor Time to discuss safety and respect
• This activity will take place within the first hour of the school day. For this activity I will have
all the student sit on the floor in a circle. I will be sitting in a chair but still be included in the
circle. A technique I learned from working at a summer camp is to be involved with children
but to still show that you are their superior. A way to do this is to be elevated above them. I
will ask students what it means to respect each other, our classroom and ourselves. I want
the students to know that their ideas are valid. So after each student says their thought, I will
thank them for sharing. We will also discuss what they think it means to be safe. This is a
good time to introduce some safety tips like not running with scissors.
Activity #2 - Collaborative Thinking Plays
• I think that role playing is a great way for students to learn. Because this is an upper
elementary school classroom I will have students read plays out loud that show collaborative
thinking. Students will be decided up into groups of four. They will practice reading their play
out loud with each other then each group will go up in front of the class and present. After
each groups go I will lead a discussion on how they showed collaborative thinking. By the
end of the activity, students will learn many ways to think collaboratively.
Activity #3 - Causing and Solving Problems
• Students will work independently for the first part of this activity. I will write “What can cause
a problem?”. On one side of the paper, students will respond to the prompt by both writing a
sentence and drawing a picture describing the problem. Students will then swap their papers
with another student in their small desk group. On the other side of the paper the second
student will write a sentence that would solve the problem. Then they will draw a picture that
shows the problem being solved. Students will show their papers to the other students in
their small desk group.

5. Activity #4 - Showing Respect
• I want to do an activity about respect that goes beyond saying please and thank you. I want
to show the students what it means to respect the school. For this activity, we will do a
school yard clean up. We will all stay together as a class and pick up safe items in the
school yard (no needles or glass). After we have cleaned up for a while I will ask students to
reflect on paper about how keeping the school clean is showing respect. Students will turn
this paper into me.

6. Works Cited
New World Encyclopedia. "Rudolf Dreikurs." - New World Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 03
May 2016.
"Punishment vs. Logical Consequences | Responsive Classroom." Responsive Classroom
Punishment vs Logical Consequences Comments. N.p., 02 Sept. 2011. Web. 03 May
2016.