Before this program, I had experience working with children but not in a classroom setting. Most of my experience has been through coaching figure skating and working in school aged childcare. In both scenarios I was rarely by myself, so managing students without a partner is a whole new situation for me.
A time when I've seen classroom management go well was when I worked at the YMCA, attention getting and management strategies were key to a smooth day. There was one staff in particular that had been working with the Y for a number of years and all the children loved and respected her. She worked in the same room (with often the same kids year to year) and had the same rules and expectations that the kids knew and understood. One attention getting strategy that was consistent throughout the entire Y was when the staff said “1, 2, 3 eyes on me” the kids paused what they were doing, turned their attention to the leader, and responded “1, 2, eyes on you.” In my first couple days, I was amazed at how that small phrase had so much power and I thought to myself “wow, I don’t know if I could ever get the attention of a room that efficiently.” To my surprise, the first time I tried it the kids immediately responded and turned their attention to me. At first I was amazed at my new found power, but then realized that it wasn’t me, it was the routine that these kids have been doing forever. It was then that I realized the importance of consistency. With that particular phrase, the kids at the Y knew what the expectation was of them when they heard it because in many cases, it was their routine for multiple months (if not years). I think by establishing your expectations at the beginning of the year and sticking to them, it makes it easier for the students to follow throughout the year and it gives your classroom a sort of rhythm and the students a reflex that everyone understands and knows. A time where I have seen classroom management not go so well is from when I was in high school and some of my teachers did not have control of the class. As a student, if I didn’t respect a teacher, good luck getting me to listen to them; if my friends felt the same, no learning was happening anytime soon. The thing that was lacking for me I think was a relationship. In the two cases I am thinking of, the teacher either didn’t let us get to know them well enough to form a relationship of trust or respect or he tried to build relationships with us but it came across as not genuine and inauthentic. I think this experience, especially having had it from the perspective of a student, just emphasizes how important relationship is and how drastically it can improve or decrease the environment and day-to-day of your classroom. Once your students feel like they trust and respect you, everything else follows suite. How can you expect them to follow your instructions or do what you're asking when they don't know if they can take those learning risks with you or open themselves up to learning. There's a visual that I think of when I think of learning, it's a 3 zone circle comprised of a comfort zone, a learning zone, and a panic zone. Without establishing the comfort zone, students won't be able to get into the learning zone. Ensuring that the comfort zone is there and secure is crucial in getting anything productive done in the classroom and relationship is key to establishing it. In my 5/6 practicum classroom, my sponsor teacher always sets out expectations before anything else and always gives explanations for why he wants things done in a certain way. He also set expectations at the beginning of the year for his expectations for basic things like lining up, the morning routine, end of day routine, walking down the hallways. By setting these expectations early and enforcing them (if the line up to go to gym is taking too long, he just says “we’re not leaving until you show me you’re ready” and the students promptly get in order, face forward, and stop talking) he has set a standard in his classroom and I have yet to see it broken. Whenever he sets expectations, he always gives the rationale behind it. For noise levels, he has red, yellow, and green “zones” and indicates which is in effect on the board with a traffic light. One classroom management strategy that was shared by one of the other student teachers (their practicum teacher uses it) is called “Secret Student.” The way it works is one student is picked by random popsicle stick draw at the start of the day, that student is the “secret student” and no one but the teacher and other staff in the room that day know who it is. Throughout the day, the teacher watches that student’s behaviour and if it is a good day, the class gets a star. The catch is, the students don’t know which one of them is being watched, so it forces them all to be accountable for their behaviour and peer-police each other. At the end of the day, if the student had a good day, the teacher will let the class know who it was. If the student did not have a good day (therefore the class does not get a star) the teacher simply says something along the lines of “wasn’t a great day today” or “we’ll have to do better tomorrow.” Out of the entire month, the class needs to get a certain amount of stars and then gets a “prize.” For example, for the month of October, if the target is reached, the class gets to watch a halloween movie on the 31st. I like this strategy because it encourages the all of the students to be accountable for their own actions, it doesn’t single any one student out for “bad” behaviour, and nothing is taken away if the goal is not reached. They get a treat if they achieve the goal, but there is no “punishment” if they don’t, it’s just business as usual. I think this type of positive enforcement is good and I like the anonymity of it. Students are given recognition for good behaviour, but no one is singled out for bad behaviour. I recently did a webinar on Classroom Organization and Management and I think having an organized classroom is key to classroom management. Having materials accessible and organized makes transitioning between activities smoother and gives the students less down time. By keeping the ball rolling and not wasting time trying to get yourself and your lesson organized, you keep your students engaged and you don’t lose them to distractions as easily. Another thing I liked in the webinar was how involved this teacher had her students in the organization and the day-to-day tasks that kept her classroom running smoothly. All of the students knew the protocols and systems and had jobs within them to keep everything in the class efficient and organized and I got some great ideas for when I get my very own class one day. I think one thing I’ve noticed overall when it comes to classroom management is that it varies so much from teacher to teacher and is really dependent on your personality, your students personalities, and the type of relationship you have with your class. I think that as I gain more classroom experience and more teaching experience, I’ll be able to better navigate what my own teaching and management style is, while understanding that year-to-year I will have to adjust and make changes that work for the personalities and the learners coming through my doors.
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