Classroom Management

Most educators would say this is not an easy task to teach a fourth and fifth grade combination class. However, I had to treat this class like any other class. Especially, when it comes to classroom management.

My objective is to make sure my students are active learners; love to learn; to take advantage of opportunities to learn by asking questions, and reflect on their own learning styles.  My classroom is set-up in groups, in a v- shape format. Thus, maneuvering around the tables is conducive for my students and I. I believe my class model includes several of the models discussed in week 1, especially the Hybrid model.

At the beginning of school, teacher expectations are addressed, through discussion, community building activities, lifestyle goals and discussing student’s expectations of the classroom, which are revisited every quarter as a check-in mechanism. The word respect is the theme of my classroom all year long. I let students know when you respect yourself, you understand about respecting others around you.

Under the umbrella of respect, we visit and discuss what cooperation, working as a team looks like and varies other life skill topics. These lifestyles posters are place on the walls. So, we can revisit and see if we are abiding by our classroom norms. (Bell & Newman, 2013) states, “… setting goals can create a process that ensures success for your students, as it helps focus their long-term vision and motivation.” That’s why I feel that you should set-up expectations at the beginning of the year.  Not setting up teacher’s expectation at the beginning will cause your classroom to come unglued. On the other hand, if problems do arise students will know the correct ways to approach a situation. For example, after lunch, students have been trained to resolve their own problems through conflict management and to use skills learned from Soul Shoppe, which is an organization that comes into the schools to help students handle their emotions. I feel…. My bubble is full when someone….  These types of phrases are used.

My agenda is placed on the whiteboard daily. Thus, this year I have generated agendas for my students and have handed it out to my class to read while they are in line before they enter the classroom environment. I have found that this helps students to get into a positive learning mind-set when they know what routines are expected of them and activities that will be introduced throughout the day. As I hand out the schedule, I start by greeting my students. Good Morning! I address my students by their first names.  

By greeting my students in the morning, it allows me to detect if one of my students is having a difficult morning and the issue at hand can be addressed immediately. As (Bell & Newman, 2013) states, “students come to our classroom filled to the brim with different life experiences, thoughts and ideas, dreams and desires. They also come to us with differing responses to motivational strategies.” I personally keep this in mind at all times.

My agenda incorporate times so students can stay on schedule. Newman (2013) stated, “While managing a classroom involves making many decisions and requires exceptional organizational skills, it is a skill that is developed over time (p. 86).”

Students walk into the room, put their backpacks on back of their chairs. Sit down, we go over the schedule; answering any questions they may have. Students’ pull out their journals and start with their quick-write activity. While the students are writing and reflecting on the question of the day, I am taking role and lunch count. Student check off what they have done on the schedule and I check to see if students are finish in the allotted amount of time or if they need more time to finish in the morning.

As the class continues, objectives are clearly communicated and outcomes. There is a lot of teacher modeling takes place before each topic, making connections to previous topics. Do now; which is basically a warm-up are no more than 5 minutes long and given before each topic.  Do now activities are mainly given before grammar and mathematics or other topics as needed before releasing responsibility to the student.

Built into each lesson is a CCD, which is cognitive content dictionary, a GLAD strategy used for classroom management and to introduce new words daily. These word (s) are use to transition from one activity to the next. Plus, other cultural relevant strategies are used for classroom management such as equality sticks, talking sticks, number heads, turn and talk etc. All this strategies keep students engaged and focused in my class and a sense of humor never hurts. Students have an opportunity to communicate with their peers throughout the day. They restate information, make observations, analyze and problem solve, make connections to world, to other text and to their own life throughout the classroom experience. Also, in my lesson plan is a lot of reading, such as, Individual reading, read aloud, reading for academic purpose etc.

In the article (Bronzo & Flynt, 2008) states “Teachers who plan content area instruction with evidence-based principles of reading engagement in mind will seek ways of making learning interesting and worthwhile (p. 172)”.

I always check-in with students to make sure they understand the concepts. Students actively participate in the class. They come up to the Elmo or the board and demonstrate their talents. They get very excited.  I become the student/coach and they become the instructor explaining every intimate detail of the problem, the sentence etc.

The hierarchy of need (Maslow & Newman, 2013) states that, “if you address the internal esteem needs students will attaining self-respect and achievement. ‘In return, students external esteem needs will be meet in staining a high social status, positive recognition, and attention.”  Again, these needs can be meet through the classroom experience by students to achieve their goals, recognizing successes throughout the school year… Then, students can turn their attention toward the highest level of need: self-actualization.”

This is why I check-in with my class once a week to see how they feel they are doing in the class both academically and socially. Newman (2013) stated, “Motivation can also increase if a student can improve his or her self beliefs of success in an activity” (p.1). I want to know how students are personally feeling about the classroom environment itself to make needed adjustments.  It also aids me in reflecting on my own teaching practices. Thus, technology is a large part of the classroom experience.

 In the article, “Advancing Digital Age Teaching” (2008), The National Education Teacher Standards states, it is important for teachers to use their knowledge of subject matter when it comes to teaching, learning, and technology in order to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments (p1).

The smart board is used frequently in my class. This technological mechanism allows me as a teacher to display interactive lessons. Students have the opportunity to come up and physically move items from one place to another. This technological tool promote students in solve problems using digital tools.

Students go to the computer lab twice a week to do research on current events and use word software to type their reports, which address item. Thus, students work on computer programs to get more practice in math and language arts. Some of these programs are IXL, Ten Marks and Learning Farm. This software programs give the students an opportunity to work on basic skills on the computer at their grade-level. These programs assess student’s needs, offers tutorials, generate homework for each student’s needs and assess individual strengths and area of concern.

The program allows me to both generate class reports or individual reports. I can monitor his or her growth from home as well from work. Thus, I can send e-mail to each student when necessary. Each week, the company sends a report to my e-mail to let me know how my students are doing in relations to common core standards.

School loop is another digital tool, which is used to display assignments, post notes and grades so parents can see. Each student has their own individual passwords assign to access their own grades. As a class we analyze test scores and set goals for improvement.

My role in the classroom is simple. I am there as a coach to guide them through instructions, making sure the classroom environment is continuously safe; model instructions, make sure students are following classroom norms and assessing their knowledge, and re-teaching when needed.

Students are expected to make wise choices, problem-solve, actively engage in lessons and respect themselves and everyone around them.  After all, (Newman, 2013) states “teachers help shape the characteristics and individuality that students embody and help them find meaning in the content they are studying.’ Thus, the full extent of our role as teachers, and the way we influence, engage, and motivate our students, is often indescribable (p.2)."

Students are our future. It is our jobs as a teacher to make sure students goals are continuously achieved.

Reference

Advancing Digital Age Teaching (2008) Retrieve from http://www.iste.org/docs/pdfs/nets-t-standards. International Society for Technology in Education (P1).

Newman, R.  (2013).  Teaching and learning in the 21st century: Connecting the dots. San Diego, CA: Bridgepoint Education, Inc.

Bronzo, W., G., Sutton, E., F., (2008). Motivating Students to Read in the Content

Classroom: Six Evidence-Based, (P172).

Brozo, W. & Flynt, E. S.  (2008).  Motivating students to read in the content classroom: Six evidence-based principles. The Reading Teacher, 62(2), 172-174.  Retrieved from the EBSCOhost database.