Week 4

This past week, I have begun to move in a new direction and it feels great. I have made some more changes in gym to keep students more organized. I also implemented a plan for student behaviors, both good and bad behaviors. This week I had the opportunity to teach more lessons and I have learned a lot more about my students and myself.

This week we finished up the unit on basketball and scooters for the lower grades. On Monday, I began speaking to other teachers to see what they use in their classes for behavior management. One of the teachers I spoke with mentioned a book titled “1-2-3 Magic.” She said that after reading this book she has seen huge behavior changes in her classes and said that it has worked with her students up to the eighth grade. After hearing all of the great outcomes of this idea I incorporate the plan almost immediately. This plan was very easy to use and very simple for my kindergarten students to grasp. For this plan, I have use my attendance sheet also as a check list that I post on the wall. Once the students misbehave, I simply say “John” that’s check one and continue teaching. Rather than stopping the entire class to fix the behavior, I make a simple statement and continue. If the student reaches three checks they must take time out. At the end of each class I decided to choose two “P.E leaders” from each class to thank the students for staying on task. The students are rewarded with a golden award that they wear for the remainder of the day to show that they worked so well in in P.E that day. If the students can go a full month (which is 8 P.E days) the students will be rewarded with a certificate of participation. After the 8 days a new check system begins, each of the students are given a new chance each day they come in to P.E to be the next P.E leader. At first I thought it was a great idea, but I had no idea it was going to work as well as it did. Next to my attendance checklist I displayed the two golden awards. If students were beginning to get off task I simple reminded the class as a whole that I was still looking for my two leaders. It was like magic. All of my students straitened up like soldiers and I did not here a peep. When I gave the two awards it was huge. The students were so excited to receive the awards. I took about three extra minutes before dismissal to have my to leaders come to the front of the class to receive their awards. Once they received their rewards the rest of the class lines up behind the leaders to leave class. This award is a yellow piece of paper that I cut into the shape of an award, and yet to the students it was like they were receiving a real gold metal. Since the new system I have noticed a change in the students that I have a hard time with. Before they seemed to keep their distance from me, but now the hug me and will approach me in the hall to say hello. It almost seems as if they gained a new respect for me and want to behave in class, because as soon as I ask to perform a task they responded very well because they want to be recognized as the leader. I learned that making a small change really does make a huge difference in the student’s performance.

The book the classroom teacher suggested for classroom behavior. 

Once I choose the two leaders I add in their names on the awards.   

I have learned in the past to use positive reinforcements to help keep the class manageable as well as a way to create an environment for reoccurring positive behaviors. I would recommend this idea to anyone and it is simple to adjust rewards as you see fit for your students level and behaviors. My new perspective on student learning is that I need to give my students more roles of leadership and responsibility. Rather than me doing all of the work, I learned that it is important for students to have the opportunity to be in charge of things like equipment and become more active in class. Having more responsibility the students will be able to do more of what they like in class, which may make the environment more interactive and fun for students when they see that they have a role when they come into P.E.  

Another small change I made was to use more visuals to avoid confusion. I posted a sign above a bin for students to put their belongings in to store rather than then students storing everything on the desk in the office. It was a change that some students did not like but I am able to begin and end class quicker when I am not waiting for students to go in and out of the office. As thee students arrive they put everything in, and as they leave they take their things out. I also tapped evenly measured lines on the floor where students can sit with space between them as well as eliminate students sitting against the back wall for attendance. I have learned a lot from my last week in making minor changes that make a big difference in my class. It has not only been easier on me, but on the students as well. All I have to say is sit on your lines, and the students move without saying “I don’t have a line or this is my seat at the end of the line against the wall.” Also I hung large numbers on the wall 1-3. I displayed the numbers as a place for the students to sit out. I pick a number and the student (s) move to that number. In the past I would point to a spot and the student would tend to wonder elsewhere. I have learned to make small modifications for my students to stay more organized without disturbing the learning of other students.  

I have yet to teach the 7^th and 8^th grades for a full lesson, but I am looking forward to teaching them next week. On Wednesday I went to the schools chess meet. I decided to go because there is a wide range of students on the team (mostly students that I have not taught yet). I though it would be a good start to attend one on their chess tournament to show school spirit and an interest in students outside of the school setting. Once I arrived I noticed that I was one of the only teachers from my placement at the chess meet (besides the coach and a mom that teaches at the school). When I first arrived the students seem surprised that I came. The coach thanked me for coming out to see the students. I am truly happy that I went to the tournament. After the tournament the coach and I began talking, long story short he informed me that he coaches the track team. I asked if he needed an extra set of eyes or hands and he accepted my offer. Starting March, I will be the assistant coaching for the boys and girls track team!

Next week, I would really like to make alternate assignments for the students that sit out that are hurt or choose not to participate. I plan to put something together closely related to a SIM project. I want to have something for students to learn from and mot the typical crossword puzzle or out dated sports article. I want something that the students can learn from as well as follow the unit we are working on in class. From my past experience, the SIM would be a great tool to show evidence of what the students learned from a pre-test, assessment, and post test. Like the SIM it will be fun and encouraging for student learning.