Collaborative ActionCollaborative ActionResearch Project:Research Project:Empathetic SignsEmpathetic Signs

Spring Ridge Middle School

Katie McDermott, Laura Swann, Brent Tomchik,

Lindsay Myers, Joanne Buchbinder

Justification We have found that preparation is a constant

difficulty for many of the students. Underprepared students forget to bring important supplies to class and disrupt other students when they leave to gather supplies.

Being prepared for class is essential in order to fulfill all SIP standards.

They constantly forget necessary items such as: Sharpened pencils Pens Books Completed assignments

Problem and PopulationStudents are constantly underprepared for

class which creates constant disruptions for all students. We hope to increase the number of students who are prepared for class by using empathetic signs to remind students to bring supplies to class.

We hope to serve all students with this intervention. The under-prepared students, and those who are distracted by students who are leaving to get supplies from their locker.

Empathetic SignsMany students have plenty of time in between classes to

gather their supplies, but need a reminder.We propose to use empathetic signs, which will be posted on

the doors of our classrooms.These will remind the students (in gentle yet humorous ways)

to return to their locker and collect appropriate supplies prior to the beginning of class.

Hopefully this will improve student’s preparation and decrease interruptions and distractions during class.

Many of our signs will include pop-culture references to shows such as Jersey Shore. Interest surveys collected at the beginning of the year suggest that that more than half of students watch this show.

This strategy is relatively easy to put into place and the humor will connect to the students’ lives.

Research Questions

Did students bring their supplies to class?

For what reasons are students usually unprepared?

Do they notice the posters?

Data Collection Plan  Pre-post Parent calls/

Reported Instances

Observations/Disruptions

Did students bring their supplies to class?

 Yes Yes Yes

For what reasons are students usually unprepared?

Yes Not applicable Yes

Do they notice the posters?

ORDo you feel more prepared?

 Yes  Not applicable Yes

Pre/Post Assessment Items

2. Circle the main reason why you do not bring materials to class:

(A) I accidentally leave my materials at home.(B) I accidentally leave my materials in my locker.(C) I am not concerned about being prepared for class.(D) I know I can borrow from someone or share with my friends.

(E) I do not own the materials.(F) Other: ______________________

3. How do you feel when you are unprepared for class?

(A) I feel embarrassed.(B) I feel like I let the teacher down.(C) I feel happy with myself.(D) I do not feel concerned.(E) I am always prepared.

Observation GuidelinesInterns will observe, initially, how many

students notice the signs and stop to read the message on their way into the classroom

Interns will observe the number of students unprepared, especially those who cause a disruption (leaving class to go to lockers or being unable to complete assignments) as a result of being unprepared

Interns will keep a small journal with field notes based on what they observe, taking note of both numbers of unprepared students and which specific students are consistent cases

Lack of supplies leads to disruptions

In the classrooms, students who lack supplies must return to their locker to retrieve them.

Many teachers will not send students back to their lockers to retrieve the necessary supplies.

This causes the student to disengage from class material

This also creates disruptions: For the students, who miss class material For their classmates For students in other classes that they must walk

through in order to get to their lockers

Detailed Description Intervention

Interns will place humorous, empathetic posters to the outside of classroom doors as reminders for students to come prepared. They will be placed at eye level so students can view them easily. Some posters include pop culture references from shows which many students have admitted to watching to connect to student interest. Ideally, students will read the sign because they can relate to the message or characters and return to their lockers if they don’t have all required materials.

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TimelineFirst Tuesday: Pretest to each classSecond Tuesday: Implement first round of

signsThird Tuesday: Switch to different signFourth Tuesday: Switch to 3rd signLast Day: Administer Post-test