Week 2

This week I feel was better than the last. Many of the students that I have are beginning to call be by name, rather than student teacher, and starting to say hi to me in the halls as I pass. The classes I have are still rambunctious, but I noticed that they are beginning to recognize that I expect good behavior, which I thank them for when they are in class.

This week I mostly observed, helped with arrival and dismissal, watched over the lunch rooms, and helped students one on one or in groups for basketball skills. My cooperating teacher wanted to continue teaching but he did ask me to open and end a few of the activities for the lower grade students. I have not yet taught a full lesson, but I had asked to begin to teach a full lesson beginning next week, but he said that I can introduce the activities and teach yoga to the pre-k students on Friday.  I have learned a lot about the school, teachers, and students by observation and aiding, and I feel that by next week I can propose to my cooperating teacher to teach a lesson earlier in the week.  

The students in pre-k and kindergarten have played different forms of tag and elimination games, the 1^st through 4^th grade focused on scooters and the 5^th through eight graders focused on basketball skills. I noticed this week that students have been sitting down and waiting better in their attendance lines. I have noticed more this week that teachers are assigning leaders for the day in class. This was a great concept that was being used. I was able to remind the “leaders” throughout the course of the 40 minutes that they have to show the other students what a good leader looks like. The students that were practicing being leaders made the environment change in a way that the students were not horse playing as much. I also noticed that the other students in class were behaving better because they wanted to be recognized by their teacher to be the next assigned leader of the day. The idea of the leader of the day took me back to what I have learned in classes at Trinity. When a student is recognized, many times he or she will be motivated to act a certain way because it is “expected.” It was nice to see that many teachers were using a system that rewarded the student by just using a title for the day. This is a situation that I witnessed that I would like to incorporate into my class as well.

For this week, as far as my teaching insight, which also refers back to what I learned is a part of indirect behavior management.  Last week I found myself approaching students when I saw them misbehaving. After reflecting on what I could have done differently I thought I should go back and try managing the behavior so I wouldn’t be as direct. When I saw a student causing a problem in the attendance line or waiting for a turn, I waited. Nine out of ten times the student knows they should not be acting out as they are, so they look around to see if anyone is watching. In a case where the behavior is not severe I look at the student and wait for them to stop. At this point once they have made eye contact with me, all I do is shake my head no, and they stop. I understand it’s something we have been taught over and over but once you try it and students are noticing that you are always watching them the environment begins to become a little more settled and easy going.

This week has been better, but I am still challenged with the way students are dressing and how the equipment is stored. Since it is an issue that goes against what has been taught and I know what is wright, I have asked the teacher if I could try a few things to help this challenge. I asked my cooperating teacher if I could organize some of his equipment, but he didn’t give me an answer so I think I will try asking again in a different way, because I know it’s important for the safety of the students.

One thing that I had discovered this week was when I was working with the pre-k students. I work with them each day of the week and I found myself expecting the same from them as the other students. I felt that it was more of a challenge to control the pre-k students and I couldn’t understand why they weren’t listing to me. Then it hit me. There three! They don’t want to listen to rules they want to play, laugh, have fun, and be silly. Being in the setting really challenged me to realize that they don’t follow the same rules, because it’s just not possible at their age. One of the things I learned this week came from my pre-k students to remind me that it’s okay to run around and play without so many rules and limitations.

Since my discovery teaching the pre-k students, I realized that it’s okay to laugh and have fun while teaching and I don’t always have to be firm in order for students to listen to me.  My beliefs have shifted a bit that students are and can still learn even when there are not many rules in pre-k. In school I have been taught to nip a problem before it escalates and now that I have begun to interact with the younger students, I believe I can be a little easier going and see that the class might be more fun for me too if I am not always searching for a behavior problem. Next week I will make the change and see what happens, I do know it’s all about trial and error to learn what works best. Between this week and last week I have seen improvement with classroom management in the students and myself.