Mr. Mike’s Classroom Edit display name

About my class

I teach 6-9th grade students who have been expelled or not able to function in a traditional classroom. Many have tough backgrounds and family life that keeps school from being a primary focus. All of my students need extra love and attention to help make school engaging and enjoyable. My students put a great amount of effort into decorating the notebook they will use. They love to show off their unique and creative sides. My students take pride in their independence and creativity. They respond to creative and open-ended problems. Having their own unique notebook increases their agency. I have tried different ideas to create "buy-in" with my students. I have found that when given a sterile spiral notebook it is rarely used and often lost. I tried buying nicer notebooks for the students. It helped at first but lost its luster. When students decorated their own cover they took pride in the work that went inside as well. Most of my students enjoy art. They take pride in their creations. Why do I want to create notebooks? A student of mine suggested they make their own spiral notebooks. This idea came about because of a few students that did not like to do art. They begged to choose from notebooks I bought from a craft fair. They are made from album covers. My students love them. An idea from one of my students germinated the seed for students to create their own notebooks from albums or artwork.