Pickup and return of kids

** very important, please read in details

updated: 2017/5/11

Before class each week

• Short-T: always check absent/ change list and share with the team.
• A: always inform K3 / Panda / Kuma teacher before 1st pick up. Remember which M teacher you have talked to.

 

pickup of Students (K3/panada/kuma)

• never let kids come up to English room themselves. If they do, ask them to go back and remind them to wait for teacher’s pick up.
• pick up kids early enough for the class to start on time. Short class: T to pick up. Long class: A to pick up.
• make sure the classroom is ready before you pick up the kids. Any dangerous items (scissors, small items) keep them high out of kid’s reach, in case any kid (even not our students) go in the room when T is not there.
• always put a tick on the name list when picking up kid. Do the check at the pick-up room, do not wait until when you are at EN room.
• Scenario: S is not on absent list, but not at pick-up room
  • do not trust other kids even if they say that kid is absent today, went home or whatever. Always confirm with a teacher.
  • if M teacher says S is going to be absent > mark S name and send back to KEYS office, so office can contact parents to make sure they input in “absent” list
  • if S should not be absent but is not in the room > communicate with M teacher, have M teacher find the kid (if the kid is enrolled in Kuma or Panda it is M teacher’s responsibility to have them in the room). Take all other kids up to EN room, tell M teacher to bring the kid up (tell M teacher which room) when they find the kid. Take note of time, if S still didn’t show up for some time, ask A to go down and check again

General guideline:

• when there is problem with 1 S, take the other kids up to EN classroom first, hand over to T, and then go back to get the S
• always write down S name, M teacher name, and always report back to KEYS office so we can communicate with parents.

 

return of students (panada/kuma)

• count the number of S to return and check against name list before leaving EN room (have S count themselves, it is a good EN practice)
• note down any S that is usually Panda / Kuma but parent pick up today
• take S directly inside panda/kuma room. S will carry all their bags inside the room.M teacher will take care of everything else.
• give S to M teachers, fill in the count sheet, and any changes. Remember which teacher did you hand the kids to.

 

at the stairs

• always gather S together and walk together. Do not let S go ahead.
• no running or getting on the slides allowed.
• A/T to name which S to walk in front, give S responsibility to keep all the S together.
• A/T to always walk at the back and have all S in sight. Ask S to slow down if needed.
• Do not allow any other activities (including going to washroom, parent picking up at the corridor, going to the school nurse etc) . The goal is to transfer S from EN room until the hands of M teachers, nothing in between.
• be strict on safety, use Japanese to tell S what to do. It is ok to be harsh on S if they do not obey. Note down kids’ name and report to KEYS office. Praise the kids for good behavior.
• if any S got hurt, refuse to walk, etc, carry him/her to panda/kuma room. Do not let one kid create a problem for the whole group.

 

S come / pick up by parents

• if S come late, do not blame S. If S is late for multiple times, confirm that parent knows the correct class time.
• when parent pick-up:
  • all parents will have to say S full name as a security measure. Even if T knows the parent’s face well, this step is not to be skipped.
  • all parents should have a M parent card (that they usually put around their neck). Do ask for it (politely but have to ask) if it is a parent (or grandparent) that you are not familiar with.
• if parent is late for pick up:
  • keep S in EN classroom if there is a T in the classroom. If not T in classroom, bring the S together with you to pick up/ return the other kids and then return with kid to EN classroom
  • remind parent class time, and that there will be 1 lesson fee charge if parents are late for 10 mins when the next class starts. Tell parents to come pick up 5min before end of class.
  • report back to KEYS office

 

Person in charge

• pick up of K3 kids (at their classroom): Short T, Long A
• pick up and return of kids in between: Long A
• pick up of Rocket kids at 4:30: Long A
  • stay at school entrance and let the kids in
  • do not let them use the door bell
  • once they are in, do not let the kids leave school (even if they forgot something at home next door, etc)
  • ask kids to go up directly to EN room, SIT outside the back door to wait.
• At 4:40, Long A go back to Short room and return K1 kids together with Short T
• pick up and return of K1 kids: Short T AND Long A together
• After returning of K1 kids, Long A stay at entrance to receive Rainbow kids. Short T return to classroom to prepare for class.
• All elementary classes, T must send confirmation message to parents through class Dojo: 入室しました（にゅうしつ: entered room), 退室しました (たいしつ: left room)

Timelog

General

• you will receive an email invite to your timelog on Google Drive
• this file is private between you and finance, no other co-workers will be able to view it

How to

• input every time after your class / meeting / admin
• always wait for the file to finish loading completely, or the formulas will not work
• Beginning of month (every 21st)
• start a new tab. eg from Jan 21st you should use the Feb tab
• input the month on top
• teaching
• If you are T, only input at T and leave A blank.
• input length of the class at T or A. Every 1hr10m -1hr20m class you will be paid for 1.5 hrs, every 40-50min class you will be paid for 1hr
• admin
• input in minutes
• must state details of the task
• can have multiple entries a day, eg “name badge making for 10m, flashcard writing for 10m”
• transportation
• input actual cost, round-trip for a day from home to classroom, or from classroom to classroom
• max 1000yen a day
• reason: class, meeting, etc
• meeting / training
• CT = company training = training on topics specific to working at KEYS. All are paid, plus transportation.
• ST = skills training = general teaching skill training. Paid for experienced teachers, unpaid for new teachers, please check your contract.
• Patty cash
• all the money that you have spent for the company this month, eg items from 100yen shop. Always ask before buying.
• sponsorship on outside training (approval needed). eg if the training is 2000yen and you are pre-approved for sponsorship of half of the fee, add 1000yen to your patty cash
• put all invoices in an envelop with your name and the month, pass it or post it to Doris at the end of the month

Tips

• always input it online, if you download it and input, nothing will be recorded in the system
• you can download the file for record after cut-off day
• do not type on the 0 areas, where the formulas are at
• to continue the formulas on the next cell: click the last cell with the formula > click on the small square on the bottom right of the cell > drag it down to as far as you like

KEYS Philosophy

• Our classes do no end with pure entertainment. Lessons are fun but not just fun. All games and activities are planned for specific target learning outcomes.
• Our classes are super intensive. Not one minute of the class is being wasted. Tasks that can be done at home (eg CD listening, book reading, video watching) are being sent home as homework instead of using up precious interactive time with teachers in class.
• We see English as a global language, more as a tool to communicate with the world. Therefore we embrace the different accents of the English language.
• We focus on communication rather than grammatical correctness. We achieve this by offering an open atmosphere where we encourage students to make mistakes.
• Teachers are close to the jp culture and we make use of the jp language making sure that students understand safety instructions and rules. Shy kids will also have a lower hurdle to participate.
• We put effort in not only knowing each kid’s level of English but also knowing each kid’s learning style and make use of different approaches
• We offer many different classes for every age, level and need.
• Kids are put together by their level not by their age using the Montessori method where stronger or older kids can help the weaker ones which will lead to build up their confidence and the weaker ones are more likely to ask their peers instead of the teacher. All in all we provide them a more natural atmosphere. Teachers know their kids well adjust their language / standards to individual kids.
• We offer outdoor classes where we try to use English in an everyday situation. Phrases and vocabulary will be more memorable by connecting those with the special situation they have experienced.
• We put a lot of effort in curriculum planning. We have shift most our textbooks into independent publishers, where we establish direct communication with the authors/ publishers, gaining insight into valuable advices and trainings. 
• As an independent school we can easily change our curriculum according to our students’ need and are  flexible in pace and depth
• We offer small classes where teachers can be close to each of our students. Class size is normally 1:8 (except Megumi, make-up  kids not included).
• We believe in kids’ abilities. We encourage them to try and take up new challenges. Kids often surprise grown-ups of what they are able to do.

Proven results: compared to other schools, our students are on a higher level.

Megumi manual

1. Before lesson 

• Check for absent kids on Megumi Absence Response Sheet
• Check lesson material. Go through the flashcards and worksheets etc.
• Prep room. (get chairs, tables and lesson materials out of the storage room)

2. Picking up & returning of students

please read this post carefully

 

3. After ELE class

• Clean up room (have kids return chairs before end of class)
• Remind kids to go home directly and not play around in the school

Scenarios:

What to do when there is a trial kid

Assistant:

• Short greeting when picking up the kid. (今日初めてだね。私は…先生です. etc）
  Show S where to put bag
• Ask, where S wants to sit
• If kid is very shy stay a little closer to this kid

Teacher (after lesson):

• If kid came alone: T will go to kid and say that S has done a good job.
• If kid came with parent: go to parent and tell how S has done. Tell them that if they are interested in joining they would get an entry form next time or a PDF as mail attachment. Tell them if they have questions later they can always contact us/school via our homepage (mail or call)

Kid who join as 1st lesson

• T: Hand out the entry form (best: at the beginning of the lesson)
• During lesson: Watch S a little closer. Praise S for every little effort. Help S to join the lesson.

• If kid is very hesitant A can stay a little closer to the kid and help him/her to follow the lesson.

Kid who get a fever or sick in class

Hand over to class teacher. (usually the class teacher will hold kid back or let them pick up by parent)

Kid wet his pants in class

A: Take all of S belongings and hand S over to class teacher. (teacher has a set of second clothes downstairs). Don’t make S come back to lesson. (too much time has already passed that S will find it difficult to catch up.)

Open class for moms to view

• T: Do class as usual. (Give a short info about the flow. Like that changing activities are done in the 2nd half of the lesson time…)
• A: If there is a mom with baby offer her a seat. Otherwise no seats are offered as it will be very crowded and worse moms will start to chat and disturb the class. Make sure the room to the storage room is locked. (some moms will start to serve themselves)

kid got injured that we have to tell insurance

• Go to class teacher if possible with kid.
• Write down every detail about the incident. (exact time, where, how) and report to KEYS Office after class.

 

General

Lesson bag

A: Check if there are Ss who always forget/don’t bring their lesson bag despite having them reminded about it. Write down their names and inform KEYS Office

Keys Systems

Please check the systems below and familiarize yourself with them.

1. KEYS Homepage

• www.keys-english.com  (our old URL is www.keysecole.com, our civic center site is http://www.eigotankentai.com) 
• read through if you can, find out what kind of school we are

2. Student Area (SA)

• from our homepage, find the “student area” button. The password is “Jingle”

3. Class Link (CL) – for Megumi AM class

• [To read] Inside SA on top there are names of classes, when you click them it leads you to “Class Link”, which is the class blog we write to parents
• [To write] Go to wordpress.com and log in, click new post, ALWAYS click the category (your class) and uncheck “uncategorized”. New teachers are required to only save as draft and email Doris for checking, until getting approval you can directly post.
• to let them know (1) what happened in class (2) homework and revisions (3) recommended videos (4) other announcements  e.g. what to bring next class
• Teachers are required to write the blog within the day, or the day after the class.
• Japanese grammar mistakes are OK. We have informed parents that teachers are trying hard to write. If in doubt, write BOTH Japanese and English.
• English mistakes and typos are NOT OK as you are an English educator. Always double check and use spell check.

4. Class Dojo – for all PM classes

• You should have received an email invite.
• If you are substituting a class, please ask KEYS office to grant you permission to class dojo for that particular class
• [Attendance] Record attendance every class. Parents cannot see this.
• [Message] For elementary kids who come by themselves to class and if they are going to be late, parents are asked to directly send an inbox message to teacher so teacher will know the whereabouts of the kid. If kid didn’t show up after some time and you didn’t get any message from parents, message the parents, if no reply, call admin for help and make sure you get hold of parents to inform that the kid is not seen yet.
• [Message]Parents are asked to email KEYS office for questions, and teachers are forbidden to contact with parents even through Class Dojo to avoid unnecessary troubles. If parents ask admin questions on Class Dojo, copy the message to office.
• Class management points can be given to students. They don’t get a prize but parents can see the points and reasons. This function is optional, manly for classes with behavioral problems.
• [Class story] After-class report: write as CL above. You can also upload photos and videos to let parents know what you did in class.
• Trick: adding a student with your email address as parent so you can send yourself messages and notes to check next class. Using the name as A A makes it the 1st student on the list.

5. Absent/ make up system

Megumi : Response Sheet  (bookmark it in your browser please, no login required) > no make-up system
Others: Response Sheet (bookmark it in your browser please, no login required)
Exceptions: classes with no make-up system, simply send message on Class Dojo if absent (Toyosu: Candy | Tsukishima: Dolphin | Myoden: all classes]

• whenever students will be absent they will have to fill out the form inside Student Area.
• before every lesson teachers are required to check the form as to prepare your lesson materials (eg if you have one extra make-up student you may need one more copy of the worksheet), and to delete old entries
• keep homework / worksheets for absent students in their files and give them to mom with verbal instructions in his next class

6. Dropbox

• [teacher share] contains all lesson-related materials. Only download those are related to your class. Teachers are strictly forbidden to use these materials outside KEYS class, else a school franchising fee will occur. Use this link to download the files.
• [teacher & admin share] contains all administrative info that will be share between admin staff and teachers
• be VERY careful NOT to delete or overwrite any files.
• Always close the files on your computer when you are done using it. If you are modifying the file and someone else are doing so to, not all the finals will be saved.

7. Teacher Roster

• in dropbox > teachers and admin share
• T = teacher, A = Assistant teacher, Mtg = Meeting, SB = standby, O= observation / non-paid training, Sub = urgent substitute, Admin = administrative tasks
• New changes are marked in red. Important items are marked with a yellow background.
• Always email to confirm roster. Special roster requests are open, the earlier you make the request the more possible it will be.

8. KEYS Facebook Page

• https://www.facebook.com/keysenglishschool
• News and photos about English education, as well as our school and small announcements are being uploaded
• be very careful with your personal facebook account setting, because if you like our school page parents can find your personal facebook. If your posts are set as public parents will be able to all your private life, and this is forbidden as per school rules. (Teachers are forbidden to communicate directly with parents outside class time)

9. Classroom Entrance / Exit system for elementary kids

• For all elementary kids classes, notification is sent to parents when the kids enter our classroom, or leave the classroom by themselves.
• At Class Dojo > Class > Message > select the kid who are in, simply type “arrived” and send to parents.
• If kid left alone: type “left classroom”

10. Workplace

• https://workplace.fb.com/
• Facebook-like SNS for internal use. Your personal facebook information will not be shared.
• Must install the Work Chat app on your phone. Urgent messages will be sent on Workplace (eg this kid will have to leave early today, collect cash from this kid, etc)
• Click “like” on posts to show you have read the post. Feel free to comment, post and communicate with each other.

11. Youtube Channels

• KEYS English Official Channel
• KEYS Internal Channel: videos strictly for internal use. All staff are authorized upload rights as a “communication manager” of the Channel.
• See [Idea Bank] post for uploading details

12. Trello

• for keeping track of tasks (mainly admin tasks) : who does what, are the tasks completed, discussions about the tasks
• please keep all the discussions inside the same card so it can be easily followed (not some parts on email and some parts on Trello)
• all cards will be deleted upon completion together with their attachments. Do save necessary files in your computer.
• when tasks are completed, always delete them (you have to first click achieve, and delete)
• if you want more admin work / less admin work, please add a card on your pile.