So far I have noticed a HUGE difference between my eighth grade physical science class and my high school chemistry class - as well as the classroom management style of my cooperating teachers. Mr. W had a military style classroom which was very necessary at times, but boring at others; however, I do sort of miss it.
Dr. G is a phenomena teacher. He is extremely smart and creative with his lessons; however, I have not noticed much classroom management. Now, he has a great rep with the students and they never act out, but they are also left with down-time all the time! It is a little frustrating to watch so much precious time get wasted each day. At first I thought it was just his Friday routine - similar to how he lets his AP Chemistry students have coffee and donuts the first 15 minutes of the block. But it has not gotten much better. The students come into class without any direction or anything to do until after Dr. G calls roll. Most of the days I have been there the students have performed a lab, but a lot of them finish with 30 minutes left in the block and just sit and talk. This has given me the opportunity to get to know them, but they are going to be in for a real shock when I take over and they will start the bell with 'Do Now' problems and work up until the end of the block as much as possible.
As I mentioned, the students are not disrespectful or running around wild, but they have missed so many days of school I would have assumed Dr. G would take advantage of every minute. Maybe he will surprise me this week!
-Lauren
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Classroom Management
In my opinion, middle school students are much more enthusiastic about learning and being in school than high school students. High school students don’t show that much interest in the presence of student teacher. When I went to the middle school last semester, most students came up to me and asked me what school I go to and stuff, but high school students are more interested in what’s happening in their lives. It definitely took little longer to get to know the high school students than the middle school students.
My cooperating teacher shows a lot of respect and expectation toward the students. She says “ladies and gentlemen” when calling out the class as whole. I think that alone shows a lot of respect to the students. My teacher doesn’t put up the agenda on the board; so many students ask the same question repetitively. When I have my own classroom, I would like to leave the agenda on the board, so I wouldn’t have to answer the same question over and over again. As students are going into the third quarter, my teacher doesn’t accept late work anymore for full credit. She still collects the work, but a letter grade is reduced everyday that the work is late. My teacher starts the class out by doing mini-quizzes.
Out of five periods that my teacher teaches, four classes are co-op classes. It’s just another name for inclusion classes. Most of the students in the co-op classes have learning disabilities. However, there aren’t any huge accommodations needed. Some students need the test read and some need the word banks when others don’t get them. I’ve read the IEPs for all the students who have disabilities. This will be something I should work with my cooperating teacher as well as the students when I start teaching.
The class starts out by 5 question mini-quiz. Most of the time, questions are multiple choice questions on PowerPoint slides. Due to some students with IEPs, my teacher reads the questions as well as the answer choices out loud. The mini-quiz starts students going in the beginning of the class. This is something that I want to implement when I start teaching.
There are about 26 students in each class and most students are 10th grade. It’s somewhat more challenging to keep the students on task and get them motivated in learning Biology. However, I think this will be a great experience for me in the process of preparing myself for the real teaching job.
KD's Classroom Management
My first thought for this semester is that there is such a difference between middle school and high school students. I had 7th graders last semester and I have 10th and 11th graders this semester and the difference in their attitudes and behaviors is striking. The high school students seem a little less motivated to learn, but they are much more mature and less needy. Overall, both of the teachers I work with seem tuned in to what their students need and I feel as though I am gaining a lot by watching them.
Neither of my teachers have assigned seating, and while the students are definitely sitting next to people they are likely to talk to, it doesn't become an issue too often. In my biology class, there is a couple that sit next to each other! I don't think I would be able to handle that in my own classroom, but my teacher allows it and it really doesn't cause too much trouble. Both of my biology classes are pretty small, which allows for casual, open discussion. Students tend to call out and joke, but it does not disrupt instruction. My teacher in this class has definitely set a tone of openness which makes students more willing to share. I think this works for a high school classroom where it is a little harder to get students to participate.
The two chemistry classes I am in are honors classes. There is such a difference in these students. They are not necessarily behavior-problem free, but they are pretty self motivated. Being that this is a chemistry class, there is a lot of time where students are trying practice problems on their own. I have literally been shocked by their ability to stay on task even with a lot of downtime. When they are having discussions, most of the time it is about the chemistry problem. And when they ask for help, they are not the type of student that just wants the answer, they want me to probe them for their own knowledge and lead them to doing the problem themselves. My teacher in the chemistry classes is also very casual and laid back, and the class seems more like a college class than a high school class. The students are treated as equals, and they respond very well to that.
Overall, I am very happy with my classes and am very happy to be getting to know these students. I start teaching this week!
Neither of my teachers have assigned seating, and while the students are definitely sitting next to people they are likely to talk to, it doesn't become an issue too often. In my biology class, there is a couple that sit next to each other! I don't think I would be able to handle that in my own classroom, but my teacher allows it and it really doesn't cause too much trouble. Both of my biology classes are pretty small, which allows for casual, open discussion. Students tend to call out and joke, but it does not disrupt instruction. My teacher in this class has definitely set a tone of openness which makes students more willing to share. I think this works for a high school classroom where it is a little harder to get students to participate.
The two chemistry classes I am in are honors classes. There is such a difference in these students. They are not necessarily behavior-problem free, but they are pretty self motivated. Being that this is a chemistry class, there is a lot of time where students are trying practice problems on their own. I have literally been shocked by their ability to stay on task even with a lot of downtime. When they are having discussions, most of the time it is about the chemistry problem. And when they ask for help, they are not the type of student that just wants the answer, they want me to probe them for their own knowledge and lead them to doing the problem themselves. My teacher in the chemistry classes is also very casual and laid back, and the class seems more like a college class than a high school class. The students are treated as equals, and they respond very well to that.
Overall, I am very happy with my classes and am very happy to be getting to know these students. I start teaching this week!
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Class Management
Well now that I have a few days under my belt I feel like I can properly address this topic. I am currently in Co-Taught Biology classes which means there are a large proportion of special ed students in each class and there is another teacher in the class as well as my cooperating teacher. In a way this makes it quite easy to manage the classroom because the students are always in close proximity to a teacher. I think that the way in which my teacher manages the class is effective. She hasn't yet made a seating chart but has threatened to if students get out of hand. Just the idea of not getting to sit next to friends has been enough for the kids to settle down and not force the issue. I think that the school has an effective way of managing behavior as well. If a student gets to be to much trouble during any class period they can be set outside in the pod where there is always another teacher that can enforce more discipline. No student has had to be put outside yet but that is always an option.
The class sizes are also quite small which helps to keep the students from getting to out of hand. Students sit in groups at tables where they can interact and complete the labs that seem to be given on a regular basis. I think that one short fall may be that the students get a little loud at the beginning of the period and it seems difficult to get them on task. I think that this could be fixed with the entry question on the board or something like that, so students come in and automatically know that they have something to work on without being told. However, it might just be how the school is set up because it seems that no teacher has any kind of policy like that. I think that as I take over I may incorporate that and place SOL type questions so they can practice with that. All in all I think that the classes I have will be quite easy to keep on task and manage.
The class sizes are also quite small which helps to keep the students from getting to out of hand. Students sit in groups at tables where they can interact and complete the labs that seem to be given on a regular basis. I think that one short fall may be that the students get a little loud at the beginning of the period and it seems difficult to get them on task. I think that this could be fixed with the entry question on the board or something like that, so students come in and automatically know that they have something to work on without being told. However, it might just be how the school is set up because it seems that no teacher has any kind of policy like that. I think that as I take over I may incorporate that and place SOL type questions so they can practice with that. All in all I think that the classes I have will be quite easy to keep on task and manage.
Classroom Management
Working with students in the 7th grade this semester is different than working with high school students. The basic principles of classroom management are still present but there are some small changes that are needed to properly manage the classroom.
My cooperative teacher from the first day was very clear that I would need to be strict and take control of the classroom right from the start to prevent losing control of the students. After observing him for the first day it became clear how he managed this. Students are expected to not talk when the instructor is talking. If the students are talking and off task the instructor simply holds his hand up and the students know to stop talking, pay attention, and listen to the instructor. This seems to be an effective method that prevents the instructor from always having to speak over the students. Students that continue to talk and have to be spoken to are either moved to another seat away from the other students or given silent lunch. The only time students are written up and/or sent to the office is if they disobey the instructor or curse at the instructor. The students have assigned seats that change weekly which allows the instructor to keep certain students away from each other that cause disruptions. Time management is important to my cooperative teacher’s management of the class. The instructor always makes sure there is more planned than what the students can accomplish in a days time. Transitions between activities are quick to prevent students from getting off task. From my observations and experiences thus far, my cooperative teacher’s classroom management works.
My cooperative teacher from the first day was very clear that I would need to be strict and take control of the classroom right from the start to prevent losing control of the students. After observing him for the first day it became clear how he managed this. Students are expected to not talk when the instructor is talking. If the students are talking and off task the instructor simply holds his hand up and the students know to stop talking, pay attention, and listen to the instructor. This seems to be an effective method that prevents the instructor from always having to speak over the students. Students that continue to talk and have to be spoken to are either moved to another seat away from the other students or given silent lunch. The only time students are written up and/or sent to the office is if they disobey the instructor or curse at the instructor. The students have assigned seats that change weekly which allows the instructor to keep certain students away from each other that cause disruptions. Time management is important to my cooperative teacher’s management of the class. The instructor always makes sure there is more planned than what the students can accomplish in a days time. Transitions between activities are quick to prevent students from getting off task. From my observations and experiences thus far, my cooperative teacher’s classroom management works.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
J's Classroom Management
My classroom is organized to be used effectively for both labs and lectures. The tables are arranged at the front of the classroom, leaving space to work on labs and activities at the counter in the back. The students have assigned seats, which change from time to time, but they are usually allowed to choose their own lab partners and lab stations. The seating arrangements keep the students on task and help to handle some of the behaviour issues in our classes during lectures. In contrast, keeping students working and on task during labs is up to the vigilance of the instructor. My cooperating teacher does an excellent job of actively moving around the classroom and monitoring the lab groups and their progress throughout the course of every activity.
As an observer, I realized that my cooperating teacher doesn't demand attention in the classroom the way that I would have expected. She speaks clearly and in a normal tone and expects the students to listen to her instruction. Sometimes they talk during her instructions, but they generally listen and stay on task and they appreciate that she trusts them to be responsible and accountable. I was pretty concerned about this because I associate good listening with a respectful learning environment. Now that I am co-teaching the class and participating more I have found that the students respond well to me asking them to be quiet and listen. They are attentive and understand that I am asking them to be quieter than my cooperating teacher sometimes does, but they respect that and are willing to do so. (We'll see how long this continues... haha).
My cooperating teacher also pushes really hard to use every possible moment of the class that she can. She has a "Do Now" activity on the board at the beginning of every class and she works to ensure that her activities take up the entire period. She can use the time the students are working on the "Do Now" problem to take attendance and take care of anything she needs to get in order before the class begins. If we ever end early, she expects students to work on practice problems that she has ready for each subject we're covering. She also tries to use any time that is remaining in classes to go over any off-topic questions the student had during the course of the activity/lecture. An example of this was discussing black holes at the end of a period during which we had been talking about our solar system and the milky way.
I am excited to begin teaching my own unit and seeing how the class responds, but I am also really happy to be working with my cooperating teacher because I feel like I have a lot to learn from her about how to successfully manage a classroom. Her style is very different from my own, but she manages to run her classes very successfully and the student seem to be engaged in their learning. This term will be a very interesting learning experience for me.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Classroom Management
One of the many strategies that my teacher uses to manage her classroom is through a seating chart. She makes sure that she places certain students next to others that can help facilitate learning. This is probably the most common way to avoid behavioral issues. This seems to work well for her class, and I can tell you that from a first hand experience. Today was my first day teaching at the school. It was the first time the new schedule was implemented since the situation at their old high school. My teacher had to leave during 4th period because of a previous engagement. Therefore, I took over today. I was really excited but I didn't really think about the seating situation. The new classroom doesn't have the same set up as their old room. When the students walked in, they sat down where they wanted to, next to their friends. I had a feeling this was going to be a bad idea, but I wanted to give the students a chance to prove themselves. There are 24 students in that class, with probably 15 having IEPs or 504s. I learned the hard way today, that having a seating chart is sometimes the only way for certain classes. Though I gave them an ultimatum, and told them that I would give the teacher a good report if they proved themselves, the students could not handle it. It was rough.
One of the best things my teacher does is to keep the students busy. She tries really hard to have the lecture be more of a discussion, bouncing ideas and cooperating. This way she can make sure that the students are engaged, and on topic. As for consequences, she is very lax. But there is a sort of unspoken agreement with the students and the teacher. They know that their privileges will be taken away if they act out. She gives the students the benefit of the doubt and the students know that this is a gift.
I know for me, the biggest deal is to lay down the law from the beginning. I need to be firm and demand respect and attention. It's so hard for me though. But today, I think i did a good job in class. I told them exactly what I expected and wanted from them. They seemed to listen, but I guess we'll see on Thursday when I have to teach that class alone again...
One of the best things my teacher does is to keep the students busy. She tries really hard to have the lecture be more of a discussion, bouncing ideas and cooperating. This way she can make sure that the students are engaged, and on topic. As for consequences, she is very lax. But there is a sort of unspoken agreement with the students and the teacher. They know that their privileges will be taken away if they act out. She gives the students the benefit of the doubt and the students know that this is a gift.
I know for me, the biggest deal is to lay down the law from the beginning. I need to be firm and demand respect and attention. It's so hard for me though. But today, I think i did a good job in class. I told them exactly what I expected and wanted from them. They seemed to listen, but I guess we'll see on Thursday when I have to teach that class alone again...
Lynn's Classroom Management
I thought I would take a moment to share with you about my teachers classroom management strategies. My teacher firmly believes in "purposeful" seating. She does new seating charts every six weeks. It is nice because the students expect this when the walk in the door. Every day my teacher takes the first 5 minutes to do attendance. As a result, the class is not using the full 45 minutes. The students know they can be tardy because the material does not start until the middle part of class. I feel if my teacher would make an adjustment here she could get through more of the "material" that she is stressing about. In addition, she does not use the last five minutes of class. She allows students to talk quietly at their desks during this time. Again 10 minutes here, 10 minutes there really add up to a lot of time.
My teacher does have a good homework system. The homework is due at the beginning of the period, no exceptions. Students know this and follow this rule to the best of their capabilities.
Something I might want to adjust from my teacher is her free range of the hall pass. Anyone during the class period can leave to use the restroom, go to their locker, see the nurse, etc. This can become very distracting for other learners and the teacher. At my school a hall pass must be signed my the teacher. Therefore the teachers stops what she or he is doing to sign the pass. I believe implementing a "not during instruction" disclaimer would be good. Many of the students show up 2 minutes before the tardy bell and ask to use the hall pass. This does not make sense to me, but maybe it is because I am a newbie.
My teacher has the students siting in a single file rows. This does help with classroom management. However, the number of students sleeping during class is quite high.
Overall, I am looking forward to implementing these strategies in my own classroom next year. I am sure I will gain a lot of experience from this semester to help me in my next endeavor.
My teacher does have a good homework system. The homework is due at the beginning of the period, no exceptions. Students know this and follow this rule to the best of their capabilities.
Something I might want to adjust from my teacher is her free range of the hall pass. Anyone during the class period can leave to use the restroom, go to their locker, see the nurse, etc. This can become very distracting for other learners and the teacher. At my school a hall pass must be signed my the teacher. Therefore the teachers stops what she or he is doing to sign the pass. I believe implementing a "not during instruction" disclaimer would be good. Many of the students show up 2 minutes before the tardy bell and ask to use the hall pass. This does not make sense to me, but maybe it is because I am a newbie.
My teacher has the students siting in a single file rows. This does help with classroom management. However, the number of students sleeping during class is quite high.
Overall, I am looking forward to implementing these strategies in my own classroom next year. I am sure I will gain a lot of experience from this semester to help me in my next endeavor.
Classroom Management
In all honesty, I have experienced a sort of "culture shock" at my cooperating school due to how different the classes are from what I experienced in high school. My first teacher, Mr. Magnetism, does not have to work hard at managing his class. There are only 15 students in the class, all of whom are attentive and motivated to work on their own. He keeps his door open (as does everyone at the end of the hall), so it is normal to have to listen to biology and chemistry lectures all during class. The class lessons are centered around the textbook, and though a few students are participating and answering questions, there has yet to be a day when at least one student isn't sleeping on his desk. Students in the back either don't pay attention or do homework for another class, and Mr. Magnetism does nothing to encourage them to participate. Although I've highlighted the negatives, the class is very enjoyable. The students are incredibly mature and Mr. Magnetism is able to make jokes with them and not get side tracked.
There is a HUGE difference in classroom management between my first block and second/third blocks. The main reason for this is because of the difference in student type in the classes. While my first block comprises of 15 college-bound upperclassmen, my Earth Science classes are quite a different story. Many of the students are on track to receive an IEP diploma, and more than one of my students are in the class for a third or fourth time. Overall, the maturity of the ES students trails significantly behind the maturity of my P students. My other teacher, Ms. Mesosphere, has a lot to work with. Though she has assigned seats, students still sit wherever they want. Students are often out of their seats doing things around the classroom, and I once saw a student yo-yoing instead of note-taking. I have to constantly be reminding students to do work and not get side-tracked, and boys are constantly tapping on the table or stomping their feet. Ms. Mesosphere does not have any problems with students listening to blaring music from their ipods while working on assignments, or playing on their ipods instead of working. I have talked with my teacher, and I think that after years of reporting bad behavior to administration with no results, she has given up. Again, I have highlighted the bad because my teacher does very little to manage her class, but I enjoy the students. The best way I have found to keep the students on track is to constantly be walking around the classroom and talking to individual students. The students, particularly in 3rd block, seem to need a lot of attention. By walking around the room, I've been able to meet all of the students and learn about them. It's hard to say what I would do because I feel that the class already knows what they can get away with. I have found that if I'm strict though, they will stop goofing off and do work.
Today while talking to a class, I inadvertently set myself up for a "that's what she said" joke. Ms. Mesosphere sent the student out into the hall who said it aloud, and I couldn't suppress my laughter, and naturally the class called me out for that. I'm learning that that is an aspect of classroom management that I had never put thought into, but that is something I'm going to have to keep an eye out for while teaching. It'll take practice.
There is a HUGE difference in classroom management between my first block and second/third blocks. The main reason for this is because of the difference in student type in the classes. While my first block comprises of 15 college-bound upperclassmen, my Earth Science classes are quite a different story. Many of the students are on track to receive an IEP diploma, and more than one of my students are in the class for a third or fourth time. Overall, the maturity of the ES students trails significantly behind the maturity of my P students. My other teacher, Ms. Mesosphere, has a lot to work with. Though she has assigned seats, students still sit wherever they want. Students are often out of their seats doing things around the classroom, and I once saw a student yo-yoing instead of note-taking. I have to constantly be reminding students to do work and not get side-tracked, and boys are constantly tapping on the table or stomping their feet. Ms. Mesosphere does not have any problems with students listening to blaring music from their ipods while working on assignments, or playing on their ipods instead of working. I have talked with my teacher, and I think that after years of reporting bad behavior to administration with no results, she has given up. Again, I have highlighted the bad because my teacher does very little to manage her class, but I enjoy the students. The best way I have found to keep the students on track is to constantly be walking around the classroom and talking to individual students. The students, particularly in 3rd block, seem to need a lot of attention. By walking around the room, I've been able to meet all of the students and learn about them. It's hard to say what I would do because I feel that the class already knows what they can get away with. I have found that if I'm strict though, they will stop goofing off and do work.
Today while talking to a class, I inadvertently set myself up for a "that's what she said" joke. Ms. Mesosphere sent the student out into the hall who said it aloud, and I couldn't suppress my laughter, and naturally the class called me out for that. I'm learning that that is an aspect of classroom management that I had never put thought into, but that is something I'm going to have to keep an eye out for while teaching. It'll take practice.
Classroom Management
Hello all! I’ve noticed some major differences between the high school students and the middle school students. Besides the obvious age and size differences, the middle school students have WAY more energy. It’s probably a good thing that they have seven 45 minute periods a day rather than block scheduling. I think it would be difficult to keep the middle school students’ attention in a 90 minute block. On the flip side, I really love the energy these students have. They are constantly asking questions and seem eager to learn! Many of the high school students last semester were very quiet and not very excited to be in class.
My teacher has several classroom management techniques that I like, as well as some techniques that I think could be improved. I like that my teacher does not talk over the students. If the students are talking when he is trying to talk, my teacher gives a verbal warning or stands silently at the front of the room. Both of these methods seem to be effective, although the silent method usually requires a little more time waiting for the class to quiet down. My teacher also does not dismiss the students until they are all in their seats and quiet. The students know this and self monitor each other so they can get out of class on time. This rule eliminates the issue of students packing up and standing by the door before class ends. Unfortunately, my teacher doesn’t have any rules or procedures in place for the beginning of class, so students can get a little rowdy waiting for class to start. I think there could be less commotion from the students if there was an activity or assignment on the board at the beginning of class. Also, if a student is misbehaving, my teacher sits the student out in the hallway. Personally, I think this does more harm than good. I think kids lose valuable learning time if they have to sit out in the hallway during class. (Plus, many of the kids seem to run around in the hallway once they are placed out there). I think other methods such as verbal warnings or an individual student conference could be used in replace of sitting the student in the hallway. That way the student isn’t wandering the hallway during class.
I haven’t seen my teacher conduct a lab or activity yet. The students have a classification activity on Thursday. I am interested to see how it goes. I think the kids will be easy to manage as long as the lesson plans are engaging and hands on. The kids like to move around a lot, so I hope to put their energy to good use!
My teacher has several classroom management techniques that I like, as well as some techniques that I think could be improved. I like that my teacher does not talk over the students. If the students are talking when he is trying to talk, my teacher gives a verbal warning or stands silently at the front of the room. Both of these methods seem to be effective, although the silent method usually requires a little more time waiting for the class to quiet down. My teacher also does not dismiss the students until they are all in their seats and quiet. The students know this and self monitor each other so they can get out of class on time. This rule eliminates the issue of students packing up and standing by the door before class ends. Unfortunately, my teacher doesn’t have any rules or procedures in place for the beginning of class, so students can get a little rowdy waiting for class to start. I think there could be less commotion from the students if there was an activity or assignment on the board at the beginning of class. Also, if a student is misbehaving, my teacher sits the student out in the hallway. Personally, I think this does more harm than good. I think kids lose valuable learning time if they have to sit out in the hallway during class. (Plus, many of the kids seem to run around in the hallway once they are placed out there). I think other methods such as verbal warnings or an individual student conference could be used in replace of sitting the student in the hallway. That way the student isn’t wandering the hallway during class.
I haven’t seen my teacher conduct a lab or activity yet. The students have a classification activity on Thursday. I am interested to see how it goes. I think the kids will be easy to manage as long as the lesson plans are engaging and hands on. The kids like to move around a lot, so I hope to put their energy to good use!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Hey team. Im sure that everyone is happy to finally be in the schools full time. I have quickly realized the difference in my school from last semester to this semester. Even though my teacher has different methods for classroom management it isnt anything better or worse than I could have expected. In order to get the day started smoothly my teacher has a "Do Now" activity. This is just a simple question or topic for the students to write something down on in the beginning of class. This is a great classroom management plan to get the students thinking about science as soon as they walk in the door. This also gives my teacher time to do her housekeeping. The kids are talkative and my teacher doesnt do a lot to quiet them down. She occasionally will do the hand raising technique and when the rest of the students see her hand up they are supposed to raise their hands to show they are now paying attention. This works to get the students back on track. I have witnessed my teacher put a student in the hallway for misbehavior as well as hand out a few detentions. I havent witnessed any major disciplinary actions by my teacher or at the school. We have not done a lab yet while I am there so I hope to learn some new techniques once we get to that point. My teacher uses lots of powerpoint for notes, quizes, etc to keep the students focused forward as she walks around the class to discuss and watch over the students. I will use some of the same methods during my teaching and hope to come up with something else that my students can respond to. Good luck this semester!!!!
Class Management
Hi! I hope everyone enjoyed their first day of full time student teaching! This getting up early thing may take some getting used to! :)
My teacher has both positive aspects of classroom management and some areas I think could be slightly improved. There is always a daily agenda posted on the blackboard so that the students know the daily activities and can anticipate hw assignments. This keeps the students from asking over and over what the day has in store. He also has a website and moodle page that allows students to constantly have access to resources, materials, assignments, practice problems, etc. The students always know they can access these sites at home or after school. He also gets the students started very quickly. There is usually notes or something on the board that students can get started on before he quickly takes attendance. He is also very good about calling in absentees in the first few periods of the day. I think this really helps the office/administration stay on top of where students are at all times. My teacher takes the school rules very seriously which I think translates well to the students. He also has a great sense of humor and knows when to be silly with the kids, I think this is a necessity as a school teacher and plays an important role in managing certain attitudes in the classroom.
The one area I see that could be improved is when students have free time. There is always deliberate free time at the end of each period in which students can work on a variety of assignments for science class. I can see how this time would be beneficial for students to catch up on assignments and ask questions, but I do not think it is being used correctly by the students. They tend to just talk and do other things in that free time. I think maybe that privilege needs to be taken away if it is not used correctly, or students should only be allow to have science assignments out at that time. It seems like a difficult concept for my teacher as well because he wants to help them and give them time to do hw/assignments, but I think he thinks they abuse it as well. It is difficult to force students to do anything they have already decided they are not going to do. Any suggestions??
PS...Random tid bit...I saw a mouse in a school today, carrying a dorito.
My teacher has both positive aspects of classroom management and some areas I think could be slightly improved. There is always a daily agenda posted on the blackboard so that the students know the daily activities and can anticipate hw assignments. This keeps the students from asking over and over what the day has in store. He also has a website and moodle page that allows students to constantly have access to resources, materials, assignments, practice problems, etc. The students always know they can access these sites at home or after school. He also gets the students started very quickly. There is usually notes or something on the board that students can get started on before he quickly takes attendance. He is also very good about calling in absentees in the first few periods of the day. I think this really helps the office/administration stay on top of where students are at all times. My teacher takes the school rules very seriously which I think translates well to the students. He also has a great sense of humor and knows when to be silly with the kids, I think this is a necessity as a school teacher and plays an important role in managing certain attitudes in the classroom.
The one area I see that could be improved is when students have free time. There is always deliberate free time at the end of each period in which students can work on a variety of assignments for science class. I can see how this time would be beneficial for students to catch up on assignments and ask questions, but I do not think it is being used correctly by the students. They tend to just talk and do other things in that free time. I think maybe that privilege needs to be taken away if it is not used correctly, or students should only be allow to have science assignments out at that time. It seems like a difficult concept for my teacher as well because he wants to help them and give them time to do hw/assignments, but I think he thinks they abuse it as well. It is difficult to force students to do anything they have already decided they are not going to do. Any suggestions??
PS...Random tid bit...I saw a mouse in a school today, carrying a dorito.
Class Management
Hey Folks! After observing my teacher, I've noticed both positive and negative ways to handle classroom management. One strategy that my teacher uses is posting class rules. There are only a few rules, which helps keep things simple. The only problem is that they are not posted in a place that is easily seen. The middle school kids love to talk and be silly, but my teacher really likes a quiet orderly classroom. I like that he does not talk over anyone and demands attention when giving directions, but I think having more group activities and outlets for energy would help a lot in this classroom. Another suggestion I have would be to write directions on the board. A lot of time seems wasted at the beginning of class going over the day's activities, and I think the kids lose focus after a minute or two and forget what to do. My teacher is definitely "with it." The kids have a good understanding of appropriate behavior (whether or not the choose to practice it!) My only concern is that too much classtime is spent calling kids out or correcting behavior. I think it would make things more efficient if clear consquences were outlined for disrupting class. Overall, I don't forsee any major issues with classroom management during my student teaching. I am really trying early on to get to know the kids. They are already showing me they are beginning to trust me by asking for help! I think mutual respect and trust is one of the best thing you can do for managing a class, so hopefully things continue to go well.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Classroom Management
For the next two weeks, I would like you to post and respond to topics regarding classroom management. To begin, share some strategies in which your supervising teacher manages his/her classroom. Specifically, address methods used to avoid behavioral issues as well as consequences). Post your observations as a "New Post" and then respond/comment on others postings. You may submit approaches that are not working - and comment on how you might approach things differently as well.
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