Classroom Management
I enjoyed reading about the classroom management techniques that other teachers offered in this chapter. I also enjoyed our discussion today on-line and wrote down some things you had said that I would like to try in my classroom. For example, I liked Diana’s “positive discipline” method. I also liked how Camden had the students take ownership in writing down classroom issues for discussion in daily meetings. I had not heard about Love and Logic, but will be visiting the website to learn more about it. I was taken by Amy Lee’s method of classroom discipline with a particular student named Hector. I loved how she not only told Hectorthat she would not give up on him, but showed Hector that she was NOT going to give up on him. At first, Hector did not believe her and this is because believing in him was not something he was used to teachers doing for him. But Amy Lee was different and in time he saw that and eventually started to change. Amazing…however there are so many teachers who would rather give up than fight the good fight for some of their students. In the section, “Teachers Who Make Lessons Interesting,” it said “a good rule of thumb is that good teaching cannot be based on knowledge or teaching methods that the teacher herself finds boring.” (p.263) This is so true! I find this the case everyday when I have to do calendar!!! So, to make it a little more interesting, we add funny voices to songs we sing, we speed songs and rhymes up or we slow them down. Sometimes, at least once or twice a week, I pick one of the students to deliver calendar to the other students. They love this! I have also added a money test to learn the coins and values and they earn treats. This makes it a little more interesting. I also find that if I don’t want to do something with the students, chances are they don’t want to do it either. Always remember, attitude is everything…if you are excited, the students will be too. It is important to begin the year with building a safe classroom community where students are allowed to express themselves and talk about differences and how we can appreciate those differences. I must say that I get better as the years go by, but I’m always looking for new ideas to improve the way I manage my classroom. I do use treats, candy, and a treasure box. I don’t see anything wrong with those things. But, I also encourage the students in positive way and try to make them feel good about themselves and the work that they do. I love my students and they know that because I make a habit of telling them each week. They take me seriously, but they also think I’m funny and we can play together in the classroom. I think I have a good balance, but am always looking for ways to improve. There is always room for improvement and am looking forward to learning more by reading your blogs. :0)
