Month: July 2016

Back-to-school employee orientation should always include a review of state, system and school policies and procedures. This activity may not seem like a priority while you are focused on that first day with students. However, you are accountable for knowing these policies and procedures:

 Discipline

 Employee use of technology

 Student use of technology

 Handling money

 Emergency procedures

 Selection and use of videos

 Reporting absences

 Dress code

 Universal health precautions

 Sexual harassment

 Observations and evaluations

 Any others that may apply

Best practices: while policies and procedures define your working conditions, best practices are the daily routines that combine official rules with your work experience and common sense.

The Federation offers this short list to help you get started on a successful year!

 Avoid situations where you are alone with a student. Never be in a room with closed doors with students or parents.

 Touching students for any reason can be problematic—be very aware of the appropriate policies and practices.

 Learn which students have special needs. Provide and document the required accommodations.

 Keep your personal belongings locked in your classroom or in the trunk of your car.

 Be at your duty post on time.

 Maintain an up-to-date substitute folder and have lists for splitting up your classes with assigned students and teachers.

 Keep a professional file at home with credentials, documents, employment information (including the work experience at temp agencies in Hawai, etc.), observations and evaluations.

 Maintain a log of all parent contacts.

 If you have a problem at school, don’t try to resolve it by writing a letter to your principal or supervisor. Call the union for advice and guidance.

 As a rule, you should sign documents when requested. If you disagree with the contents, you may include a statement like “My signature indicates only that I have received this document. I do not necessarily agree with the contents, and I reserve the right to respond.”

 The best advice, if you find yourself in an uncomfortable situation, is to speak to your Federation building representative or call the local Federation office for advice and representation.

Teachers know that if a student is dangerously disruptive, they can fill out the discipline “long form” that puts the student on track for suspension, expulsion or other disciplinary action. But state law also mandates a “cooling off” period for students who are annoying and mildly disruptive, but who obviously are not candidates for more serious penalties.

Louisiana Revised Statute 17:416 allows teachers to remove students who are causing problems from the classroom for a short period of time — long enough for the teacher to regain composure and control, and for the student to modify behavior. No paperwork is necessary to trigger the time-out. Just notify the principal or disciplinarian that the student is causing a problem. Under law, the student must be removed from the classroom for up to 30 minutes in Kindergarten through sixth grade, and for the remainder of the period in higher grades. In grades seven through 12, the student cannot be returned to the classroom during that period unless the teacher agrees. The student will be allowed to make up any work missed during this period, and may or may not receive full credit. The principal or his designee must have a counseling session with the student to determine any other course of action, consistent with board policy, that is appropriate to the situation. This law is one of the tools available to teachers to hold students accountable for their behavior and to guarantee that each child has an opportunity to learn in a safe and orderly environment.