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comforting atmosphere. I would place various green plants, student pictures, and student
work around the classroom. I want students to feel like they belong in the classroom and
by posting student work, students can see that their work has value and feel an attachment
to their classroom.
As a constructivist and sociolinguistic educator, I would organize my classroom in
a way that effectively allows students to work cooperatively. My seating arrangement
consists of students working together in clusters. Students sit at round tables that allow
them to communicate with their group members easily and work together effectively.
This supports my teaching and learning statement because I believe clustering supports
cooperative learning and allows students to learn from each other. Clustering students
helps increase engagement. Students needs will be considered. I will accommodate the
seating arrangement for students who have special needs and create positive
reinforcements for students who act out when reprimanded. I will have different places in
the classroom where students can move around in the classroom to take tests, read, or
work on activities. As a constructivist educator, I believe that students learn from being in
control of what they are learning and their behavior. Students can keep track of their work
and behavior in folders and their planners. Students would know how well they are doing
in each content area and the colored-card system would be used to track behavior.
Elements of the Plan
To have an effective community of learners, it is important to review what is
expected of students on the first days of school. Students should know the rules of the
classroom and the various stations they can visit in the classroom. The daily routine
should be explained and practiced. Organization should be stressed and modeled.
Students need to know how to organize their belongings and I would model how to
organize various notes and worksheets. I would ask students to respect each other and
share ideas as a group. Students would be seated in groups so that it is easier for them to
work together on various activities. We would establish learning goals with students and I
would give students a survey to learn about their interests. I would use strategies like
Think-Pair-Share to engage students and teach them how to work with partners.
There are various rules that I will explain to students and model. Students should
follow these four main rules:
Be respectful
Be responsible
Raise your hand before speaking
Keep hands and feet to yourself
I will demonstrate the right way to behave and introduce the behavior card chart. There
are five colored cards: green (Good), yellow (Warning), orange (lose 5 good job tickets
and 5 minutes of recess), red (lose 10 tickets and of recess), and blue (lose all tickets,
all of recess, and a phone call home). All students will begin the day on the color green.
Students who follow the rules and directions will remain on green. Students who
misbehave or break the rules will flip their card accordingly. Students who remain on
green get a good job ticket at the end of the day. At the end of the week, students can cash
in their tickets to buy items from the teachers store (pencils, books, toys, candy, etc).
I will provide various accommodations for my students. Students who need
positive reinforcement I will provide positive feedback and give various warnings before
I ask them to flip their card. Students with a visual impairment will be seated near the
front. If a behavior issues occurs, I will change seating accordingly. Students who
misbehave will be seated towards the front of the classroom and near my desk. If a
student continues to disrupt the classroom, they will sit alone at an individual desk.
Classroom procedure would follow this order in a typical third grade classroom (time
may vary depending on student understanding of material):
language.
9:00-10:30am: Math-Students listen to me as I model a specific concept. Students
then work with partners or in groups to complete various activities and
concepts.
2:30-3:15pm: Daily 5-Students read to self, work on writing, or read to a peer.
3:15-3:35: Students write homework in their planners, and get ready to go home.
Transitions between each subject can vary. I would ask students to give me five
(which means hands free, eyes on me). I would give students directions on what to do
to get ready for the next lesson in the day. In between math and science, I would give
students time to eat their snacks, which could help be a transition between the two
subjects. I would also use music and little exercise breaks to transition between various
subjects and lessons.
The above image is how I envision my future classroom. The round tables support
my constructivist teaching philosophy. Students sit together in clusters where they can
easily work together and communicate ideas with each other. Students have various spots
around the classroom where they can sit and read independently as well. I would work
with various reading groups at the kidney shaped table. I would also do shared reading
activities with students at the square rug. The computer is at the front of the class where
students can use it to read books online or work on interactive websites. The round table
near the teachers desk is for students who are misbehaving and need to be closer to the
teacher.
My plan supports many of the InTASC teaching standards. I identify learning
differences (standard 2) and accommodate seating and behavior management to better fit
my students needs. I also organize my classroom to enhance the learning environment
(standard 3) and create a calm, nurturing atmosphere. The plan takes into account learner
development (standard 1). It looks at how students learn and how to manage the
classroom to provide a better learning experience. These are the standards covered in my
plan.
Roles
It is important to consider the role of the teacher and student. The teachers role is
to guide students and facilitate learning. The students role is to learn, participate, follow
the rules, and try their best. Students should be active and engaged in their learning, while
the teacher helps to model and guide students towards creating new learning experiences.
As an educator, I will be a role model for my students. I will model appropriate behavior
tardy, they must first check into the office before coming to class. If a student is tardy or
absent too many times, a truancy officer visits the home.
3. How are students assigned to seats/centers? Describe conditions under which
students are allowed to leave their seats?
Usually students are grouped together by ability level. This year, there are many boys in
the class and it has caused a few behavior issues, so they are assigned to their seats
according to their behavior. If a student is misbehaving or distracting his peers, their desk
is moved closer to the front. For math workshop and reading groups, students are grouped
by ability level. Students are allowed to leave their seats during daily five and before they
take a test. Each student has their own test spot. Students also sit on the front and back
carpets for whole group lessons. For math workshop, students have designated stations
around the room that they visit.
4. How are books, supplies, materials stored, collected, and distributed? When and
how do students sharpen pencils?
Each student has his/her own notebook for each subject area. They each have a math
workbook and science textbook. For social studies, they do not have enough books for
each child, so they are given supplemental material (worksheets, definition cards). There
materials are stored in their own personal desks. Pencils were supplied by the teacher at
the beginning of the year. They have a classroom sharpener that they can use at the
beginning of the day but when a lesson begins, they must use their silent sharpeners
(small personal sharpeners). If a student does not have a pencil to use, they can borrow a
pencil from the teacher by putting their name on the board. They may erase their name
from the board once they have returned the teachers pencil. Each week, a student is
selected to be paper passer and paper collector. A test is distributed and collected by the
teacher.
5. How are students recognized to participate in class discussion?
Sometimes the teacher calls on them and other times she picks out a stick from a cup
(each student has a stick with their name on it). If the student gets the answer correctly or
participates in class discussion, they get verbal positive feedback or they get an orange
cone. An orange cone is equal to a piece of candy at the end of the day. Students must
raise their hands to answer questions and are reminded not to shout out answers.
6. Describe procedures for changing activities or classes.
Students are asked to put their stuff away and take out the materials needed for the next
activity. In the morning, students may have a snack when transitioning from one subject
to another. Ms. Shalhout also uses mental energizers, like a funny video clip or a song
that relates to what they are learning (as a brain break between activities). When they go
to other classes, they are asked to put their materials away and students line up when their
table number is called. Students line up according to number order. They are reminded of
hallway etiquette before leaving the classroom.
7. How much do students move around and during what periods of time? What
procedures exist for students who must leave the room?
Students move around a lot throughout the day. Students are sitting at either the front or
back carpet during whole group lessons. They also move around during daily five and
writers workshop. They each have a test spot that they move to during a test. For math
workshop, students move through the stations every 10-15 minutes (depending on the
time). Students who leave the room must take a hall pass with them. They are given a
time limit (with exception to students who are called down to the office or the computer
lab for testing).
8. How is use of the bathroom handled? In groups? With a pass?
The bathroom is located in the classroom. Both boys and girls may use the bathroom.
Students go in one at a time and have to ask for permission before going. There is a sign
that they use to indicate they want permission to use the bathroom. Students wave a
thumbs-up signal when they want to use the bathroom and hold up their index finger
when they want to drink water.
9. How much decoration is there in the room? Does it relate to studies? Is it student
made? How is student work displayed?
There are decorations everywhere. There are posters hanging on a clothesline across the
back of the room and from the front of the room to the back. There are fall decorations
along the window and childrens work displayed throughout. There are also words that
pertain to what they are learning displayed in various ways around the classroom. First,
they are displayed on the word wall. They are also displayed in categories on the
cabinets. Interesting words are displayed along the back wall. Everything in the
classroom relates to what the students are learning. There are a few motivational posters
as well. Student work is displayed in the classroom and in the hallway. Right now,
students have their time booklets and their core value drawings displayed outside in the
hallway.
10. What are the posted rules in governing behavior in the classroom? How does the
teacher deal with inappropriate talking?
How does the teacher handle
disturbances? Daydreaming? Talking? Other off task behavior?
The rules are posted by the door when they walk in. It begins by saying Give Me Five.
When students hear that, students are supposed to raise their hands, look at the teacher,
and stop talking. If students continue to talk or are misbehaving, they have to flip their
card. Students all begin the day on green. The next color is yellow and that is equal to a
warning. The next three colors are orange, red, and blue. Orange is equal to less time in
recess. Red is equal to taking 10 good job tickets and no recess, and blue is equal to
losing all your good job tickets and a phone call home. Good job tickets are cashed in at
the end of the month for various prizes. Inappropriate talking leads to a card flip. The
same goes with disturbances. If the child continues to disturb the class, they are asked to
either sit in the back of the classroom alone or outside in the hallway. If a child is
daydreaming, they are asked to focus (which is a warning) and if they continue, it is a
card flip.
orange cones for answer questions. Ive noticed behavior issues have decreased as the
months go by. Students are remembering to stay on task and there are less side
conversations. Students who misbehave are reminded of the rules by flipping their card.
Ive seen how well it works in the classroom and I would like to implement it in my own
future classroom.
16. Name, position, grades taught, school name of each interviewee.
The interviewee is Ms. Lisa Shalhout. She has taught first grade, fourth grade, and now
third grade at Geer Park Elementary.
Classroom Management Article Summaries and Analysis:
Article 1: The Key to Classroom Management by Robert and Jana Marzano
Summary:
The article goes over key points that teachers should do in the classroom to help
create a positive learning environment. These two authors looked at research done on
classroom management and combined the important points they found. They talk about
how important it is to establish a classroom management plan from the first day of school
and what the teacher should do to maintain this plan. According to the article, the keys to
a successful classroom are: establishing appropriate control over the classroom, having
clear expectations and consequences, having clear goals, and being assertive. Also, being
aware of students with high needs is important to having a smooth running classroom.
The article also talks about showing interest in a childs life and learning more about their
diverse backgrounds. Students are more engaged if they feel like the teacher really cares
about what they think and who they are as individuals. The authors believe that by
following these key points, teachers will be able to manage the classroom in an effective
way.
Reaction to Article:
I really liked this article. It was easy to read and it was created for teachers at an
educational conference. I agree with all of the points mentioned in the article. I have seen
my cooperating teacher implement many of the points mentioned in the article. I think it
is important for educators to establish control, create clear goals and rules, have rewards
and consequences, and be assertive. It helps to create a safe environment for students to
learn and share their ideas. It also helps the class run smoothly without too many
interruptions. Students know what is expected of them and know what the routine is for
the rest of the year. I really like the examples they gave for addressing various students
with high needs (aggressive and passive students, students who are socially inept). It
gave excellent examples of how to make students feel like their voices matter and how to
get to know their diverse backgrounds. As an ESL minor, I always read about how
important it is to understand our students diverse backgrounds and how to tailor to their
needs. Im glad that this article mentions the importance of knowing our students
needs/skills and gives a few suggestions on how to do so. Overall, this was a great article
on classroom management.
Website: http://www.ascd.org/publications/educationalleadership/sept03/vol61/num01/The-Key-to-Classroom-Management.aspx
Article 2: 6 Classroom Management Tips Every Teacher Can Use by Dave Foley
Summary:
This article gives six important tips for managing the classroom. It was created by
a teacher and submitted to the national education association (NEA). The article gives
various pointers for each tip. The six tips are: taking control of the classroom, focusing on
disruptive students, letting students pick their own seats, giving rewards/incentives for
assignments, always keep your eye on students, and establish consequences for
misbehaving. The article talks about always having your body face the students and
making sure that you are able to see the entire class at all times. It also stresses the
importance of following through with consequences for students who are misbehaving.
These are the important points of this article.
Reaction to Article:
There were some points I agreed with and some I disagreed with in this article. I
agree with giving students rewards for following rules and completing assignments. I also
agree with taking control of the classroom and focusing students attention in order to
have a smooth running classroom. I disagree with letting students pick their own seats,
especially students in the lower grades (P-3). From what I have seen in my classroom
(third graders), students would not get anything done if they are sitting next to their
friends. They would be off task and my cooperating teacher has had to move a few
students because of this. Im also not sure about focusing on disruptive students. I think
the more attention you bring to a student who is disruptive, the more attention they want,
and the more the behavior persists. It also creates to many disruptions in the classroom.
Other students begin to focus on that unwanted behavior instead of the teacher. My
cooperating teacher ignores students who continually disrupt the classroom (even after
being punished by flipping their cards) and it works. Students learn to ignore that student
and the student eventually stops the disruptive behavior. Overall, this article had
important points to consider when developing a classroom management plan.
Website: http://www.nea.org/tools/51721.htm