Every now and then I like to take a look at articles which cover potential questions a teacher may encounter during a job interview. It gives me an opportunity to think about where I am at right now and how I might begin to formulate the answers to certain common questions as I move along in my education.
One of the questions that often show up in the articles is variations of the question “What is your behavior management plan?” I’ve mentioned, probably several times, that I often think about, stress, and otherwise try to prepare myself for managing a classroom full of children. I’ve picked up lots of good ideas as I’ve read more and more about this topic but I have also learned that there is no one size fits all approach to managing the classroom and child behavior.
This combined with my impending child and educational psychology classes has had me thinking about how to create a strong classroom community. I have decided that at this point, I am starting to build a foundation for my teaching philosophy which also happens to be the base layer for how I plan on managing my classroom someday. This most basic level is building an accepting, functional, tight knit classroom community. I really want my classroom to be a place where students enjoy coming to. I want it to be a place where each person feels that they contribute something valuable and that they feel respected and valued. I have been a member of a classroom community where I did not feel safe and comfortable before and it has stuck with me for many years. I never want any one of my students to feel out of place or afraid. I don’t have an complete behavior management plan yet, as it is much too early, but I know for sure that the first step in avoiding problems that require behavior intervention is to achieve an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable.
That being said, I have been reading about the psychological effect of our words and how the way in which we phrase something can have a strong impact psychologically. This is something I have learned about before but it is also one of those things that I often don’t think about on a daily basis. At some point we fall into habits which are hard to break.
As part of preparing myself for the responsibility of working with impressionable children, and also as a bit of a New Years resolution for myself, I have decided to really make a habit of thinking about how I phrase things. Some important points I need to remember are:
1. Stating the positive side, rather than the negative of a statement. Instead of saying “I don’t want…” I would state what I do want. Instead of saying what I don’t like, I should say what I do like. My hope is that it will turn into a habit to always state the positive angle of my point. As a teacher I think it will help to make my guidance appear as a new way of doing something or a different approach rather than a critique of what a student has done or a statement of wrong doing.
2. Spend more time complimenting good qualities rather than pointing out undesirable ones. I don’t know what it is exactly, but it’s a lot easier to voice one’s opinion about something that upsets us than to randomly compliment something we like about another person. It’s really not a good way to go through life, but another one of those habits we pick up. I think that as a teacher, this is a good behavior to model so that students will learn the positive effects of boosting another’s self esteem by focusing on their best qualities.
Showing posts with label Classroom Management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Classroom Management. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Paper Work is Easy, Kids are...Complex
My next few semesters consist of some child psychology and education philosophy courses. I’m really looking forward to the child psychology, I think I need to spend some time focusing on behavioral cues of children and how to warrant their respect and attention.
I have probably mentioned before that I really don’t get to spend a lot of time around children. This is a large source of anxiety to me considering that every day is going to be spent managing a large group of children, by myself, in less than two years!
The holidays are a time when I get to practice on my all of my cousins’ kids. I observe, try to engage them in conversation about what they are learning and think of creative ways to get involved in their activities. But who am I kidding really- they probably think I am a major dork. They are on vacation and there are presents and cookies involved so the last thing they want to do is talk to some “old woman” about school stuff. I’m afraid I just don’t have one of those “everything comes natural” personalities around kids. Is this something that will develop with experience? I’m kinda hoping so.
Teaching, I realize, involves quick wits and thinking on your feet. I think that it's in large part important to dealing with the unpredictable nature of children as much as it is a part of the profession in general. It’s strange that the top complaints of most teachers are the administration and the loads of paperwork- but that doesn’t scare me (probably because I have spent the last 12 years in the corporate world- politics and paperwork are, unfortunately, part of my daily life.) What scares me is the thought of a bunch of little people discovering my weakness and then walking all over me. Please, someone, validate this as normal pre-teacher anxiety!
Since I am a very cerebral type of person, I hope that studying child psychology will inevitable help me gain some confidence in this area, although I think my senior year of immersion in the field will be my best chance at developing a sense of comfort with this.
Does anyone have any great tips to share on how to earn the respect and attentiveness of a class? Some of the good pieces of advice people have already offered me are:
1. When trying to get a child to follow your lead- offer two options so that the child will feel like he/she has control over a situation, yet still the comfort of structure.
2. Show respect by not embarrassing a child in front of his/her peers
3. Allow children to talk about their emotions and explain their reasons before determining an appropriate punishment.
4. Show humility- admit that you make mistakes and be willing to laugh about them.
I have held these pieces of insight in the back of my mind because I think they make a lot of sense and will be valuable things to use when I am faced with challenging situations in the classroom.
What do you do when you have a child that just refuses to listen? I have a friend whose daughter is like that. She is completely strong willed and I sometimes wonder if she ignores adults because she is testing them or if she just completely tunes us out and is in her own zone. There have been some occasions where I was able to get her attention by casually saying that we wouldn’t be doing something she was looking forward to that day if she didn’t listen now. I really don’t like using this technique because to me it feels like blackmail, but psychologists and other experts say that the system of reward/ punishment is not blackmail and is a completely appropriate technique to use with children. During my observation hours I witnessed the use of this technique a lot and I often hear or read about teachers using this. I have to say, with my friend’s daughter it worked. It seems to me that if you begin to rely too much on something like this, the rewards/ punishments will have more control over the classroom than the teacher does. There has to be a more empowering way than the fear of losing or the hope of gain that works just as well. I hope to find answers to these questions in my class…
I have probably mentioned before that I really don’t get to spend a lot of time around children. This is a large source of anxiety to me considering that every day is going to be spent managing a large group of children, by myself, in less than two years!
The holidays are a time when I get to practice on my all of my cousins’ kids. I observe, try to engage them in conversation about what they are learning and think of creative ways to get involved in their activities. But who am I kidding really- they probably think I am a major dork. They are on vacation and there are presents and cookies involved so the last thing they want to do is talk to some “old woman” about school stuff. I’m afraid I just don’t have one of those “everything comes natural” personalities around kids. Is this something that will develop with experience? I’m kinda hoping so.
Teaching, I realize, involves quick wits and thinking on your feet. I think that it's in large part important to dealing with the unpredictable nature of children as much as it is a part of the profession in general. It’s strange that the top complaints of most teachers are the administration and the loads of paperwork- but that doesn’t scare me (probably because I have spent the last 12 years in the corporate world- politics and paperwork are, unfortunately, part of my daily life.) What scares me is the thought of a bunch of little people discovering my weakness and then walking all over me. Please, someone, validate this as normal pre-teacher anxiety!
Since I am a very cerebral type of person, I hope that studying child psychology will inevitable help me gain some confidence in this area, although I think my senior year of immersion in the field will be my best chance at developing a sense of comfort with this.
Does anyone have any great tips to share on how to earn the respect and attentiveness of a class? Some of the good pieces of advice people have already offered me are:
1. When trying to get a child to follow your lead- offer two options so that the child will feel like he/she has control over a situation, yet still the comfort of structure.
2. Show respect by not embarrassing a child in front of his/her peers
3. Allow children to talk about their emotions and explain their reasons before determining an appropriate punishment.
4. Show humility- admit that you make mistakes and be willing to laugh about them.
I have held these pieces of insight in the back of my mind because I think they make a lot of sense and will be valuable things to use when I am faced with challenging situations in the classroom.
What do you do when you have a child that just refuses to listen? I have a friend whose daughter is like that. She is completely strong willed and I sometimes wonder if she ignores adults because she is testing them or if she just completely tunes us out and is in her own zone. There have been some occasions where I was able to get her attention by casually saying that we wouldn’t be doing something she was looking forward to that day if she didn’t listen now. I really don’t like using this technique because to me it feels like blackmail, but psychologists and other experts say that the system of reward/ punishment is not blackmail and is a completely appropriate technique to use with children. During my observation hours I witnessed the use of this technique a lot and I often hear or read about teachers using this. I have to say, with my friend’s daughter it worked. It seems to me that if you begin to rely too much on something like this, the rewards/ punishments will have more control over the classroom than the teacher does. There has to be a more empowering way than the fear of losing or the hope of gain that works just as well. I hope to find answers to these questions in my class…
Friday, September 18, 2009
A Place in the Tribe
I am currently in a literature course which is a study of various pieces of literature by or about Native Americans. I have always had a deep curiosity in the cultures of Native American people, and I think that most elementary age children also find learning about those cultures interesting.
While reading some of the material for the class, I started to really focus on the traditional/ historical descriptions of the tribe community. I think there is a lot that can be learned from it, such as the idea of having a purpose, or responsibility within the community. An example is evident in the following quote from Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions by John Lame Deer and Richard Erdoes
In historical accounts of Native American tribe cultures, a job was dictated by your natural talents and skills, not your level of education. Respect was always given for your contribution to the community, regardless of job. Status was not about what position you held or what you owned, it came from sharing your wisdom.
Imagine if our own society treated people in this manner, if everyone had an opportunity to contribute based on their abilities and be respected for their contribution. Imagine how uplifting it would be to be honored and respected for the wisdom you could offer, even if that wisdom came from street smarts rather than an Ivy League education, or higher education.
We may not be able to change the way the world operates, but at least teachers have the opportunity to create a more welcoming community within their own classroom. This reminds me that every child has something to contribute to the classroom community and I think it’s important to find the good aspects of behavior and build its strength, rather than focusing on the negative end and treating it as a problem- this could be an approach to behavior management. For instance, if there is a child who is constantly disrupting class by talking or passing notes, this child could be recognized as a natural communicator (something that may be a disruption at times in school, but is actually a great attribute in the "real world") and given the job of reading class announcements, writing things on the board, delivering messages, or other things that utilize the skill of communication. There might be other students who would shy away from some of those classroom jobs because their talents lie elsewhere.
Since I don’t have any practical experience to apply this to yet, this is just an example off the top of my head. But I would like to remember what I learned from Native American tribe communities- to seek to find a role for everyone based on their strengths and to honor and respect all strengths (even when they appear at first as negative qualities) and help to guide them in a positive direction within the community.
While reading some of the material for the class, I started to really focus on the traditional/ historical descriptions of the tribe community. I think there is a lot that can be learned from it, such as the idea of having a purpose, or responsibility within the community. An example is evident in the following quote from Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions by John Lame Deer and Richard Erdoes
“Crazy Heart was a shirt-wearer, which was a great honor. He wore a yellow-and-blue shirt fringed with locks of human hair. He was listened to in our councils and the people sought his advice on all matters of importance. Good Fox, too, was respected for his wisdom.”In our own society, respect is dictated by things such as wealth, status and power. In modern day, these forms of respect beget each other. Think about teachers, for instance, who work tirelessly to support children in the learning process so that they may grow up and have opportunity in the world; yet do this for little pay, and little respect within the society in general. I don’t know how many times I have heard people refer to teaching as "easy work", and complain that teachers make "too much money for what they do." Yet someone who is nearly criminal in their business life will make multiple millions of dollars and have unwavering respect.
In historical accounts of Native American tribe cultures, a job was dictated by your natural talents and skills, not your level of education. Respect was always given for your contribution to the community, regardless of job. Status was not about what position you held or what you owned, it came from sharing your wisdom.
Imagine if our own society treated people in this manner, if everyone had an opportunity to contribute based on their abilities and be respected for their contribution. Imagine how uplifting it would be to be honored and respected for the wisdom you could offer, even if that wisdom came from street smarts rather than an Ivy League education, or higher education.
We may not be able to change the way the world operates, but at least teachers have the opportunity to create a more welcoming community within their own classroom. This reminds me that every child has something to contribute to the classroom community and I think it’s important to find the good aspects of behavior and build its strength, rather than focusing on the negative end and treating it as a problem- this could be an approach to behavior management. For instance, if there is a child who is constantly disrupting class by talking or passing notes, this child could be recognized as a natural communicator (something that may be a disruption at times in school, but is actually a great attribute in the "real world") and given the job of reading class announcements, writing things on the board, delivering messages, or other things that utilize the skill of communication. There might be other students who would shy away from some of those classroom jobs because their talents lie elsewhere.
Since I don’t have any practical experience to apply this to yet, this is just an example off the top of my head. But I would like to remember what I learned from Native American tribe communities- to seek to find a role for everyone based on their strengths and to honor and respect all strengths (even when they appear at first as negative qualities) and help to guide them in a positive direction within the community.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
First Day Fun Idea
I was reading the Sneaker Teacher’s blog, where she wrote about a German tradition where children receive a large cone full of goodies on their first day of school. I never heard of this before, but what a great tradition! I really love the underlying idea that the start of a school year can be made extra special and exciting through something as simple as this.
I thought this might be a great tradition to start when I start teaching, to help kick the year off to a good start and make a connection with each student. A good Americanized version of the German “Schultüte” that she spoke of would be a special package full of school related goodies.
The key, in my opinion, is to make each package as individual as I can. This may take a little time and effort, but I think that it sets a nice tone for the start of the year if each child feels like they have been personally acknowledged by their new teacher.
I can start with medium sized paper bags, markers, stickers, glitter, glue and puffy paints to decorate each bag a little different from the others, starting with their name written in puffy paint. I might get some ideas on what I can draw or make reference to on each child’s bag by reviewing the child’s file to see if any of their interests are evident (this might also help to familiarize me with the students.) The idea is that each one is different so that when they receive them and compare with their friends, they can identify that theirs is unique.
Next, I can fill each bag school items- a notebook, some pens and pencils, erasers, crayons, ect.- (I can go to the dollar store or shop sales to try to find fun designed supplies for cheap.) I can shop at resale stores to find books for cheap and get a different book for each student (which can then be used for an assignment that first week.) I can also put other items that will be part of their daily life- such as their homework folder- in there as well, rather than passing them out separate.
The one concern I did have about this was, especially when I am a new teacher, losing control of the room when the kids are excitedly going through their goody bags. To combat this, I was thinking I could integrate it with the explaining of certain classroom rules and procedures.
I was thinking that I could come up something, using a poem or riddle format, that explains what the contents of the bags are going to be used for throughout the school year. We can open the bags together as a class, and I can read off each item, have the kids take that item out of the bag and we can go through the procedures regarding that item, for instance pencils- I might have a riddle like:
I can type up a motivational letter which talks about what a wonderful school year ahead of us and highlights some of the fun moments of the year to put in their homework folders and read with their parents. I might also have a short, personal handwritten message as well- maybe inside their notebook saying how much I am looking forward to reading their journal writing, or a nice message inside the cover of the book I give to each student. Then after we open their bags, I can give them a little time to decorate their own homework folder.
I think that this would initiate a fun and exciting start of the school year for the kids and be a unique way to hand out materials and discuss procedures.
I thought this might be a great tradition to start when I start teaching, to help kick the year off to a good start and make a connection with each student. A good Americanized version of the German “Schultüte” that she spoke of would be a special package full of school related goodies.
The key, in my opinion, is to make each package as individual as I can. This may take a little time and effort, but I think that it sets a nice tone for the start of the year if each child feels like they have been personally acknowledged by their new teacher.
I can start with medium sized paper bags, markers, stickers, glitter, glue and puffy paints to decorate each bag a little different from the others, starting with their name written in puffy paint. I might get some ideas on what I can draw or make reference to on each child’s bag by reviewing the child’s file to see if any of their interests are evident (this might also help to familiarize me with the students.) The idea is that each one is different so that when they receive them and compare with their friends, they can identify that theirs is unique.
Next, I can fill each bag school items- a notebook, some pens and pencils, erasers, crayons, ect.- (I can go to the dollar store or shop sales to try to find fun designed supplies for cheap.) I can shop at resale stores to find books for cheap and get a different book for each student (which can then be used for an assignment that first week.) I can also put other items that will be part of their daily life- such as their homework folder- in there as well, rather than passing them out separate.
The one concern I did have about this was, especially when I am a new teacher, losing control of the room when the kids are excitedly going through their goody bags. To combat this, I was thinking I could integrate it with the explaining of certain classroom rules and procedures.
I was thinking that I could come up something, using a poem or riddle format, that explains what the contents of the bags are going to be used for throughout the school year. We can open the bags together as a class, and I can read off each item, have the kids take that item out of the bag and we can go through the procedures regarding that item, for instance pencils- I might have a riddle like:
These special sticks have all been blessedThe kids can have a little fun guessing what, in their bag, solves the riddle, then we can go through the procedures regarding sharpening pencils, if they forget their pencil or lose it- procedures about borrowing, ect. This will give the kids a chance to ask any questions about procedures as well.
To help you do well on your test.
Just in case you change your mind
They can help you hit rewind.
But if you study hard you’ll find
You never need their other side.
What are they?
I can type up a motivational letter which talks about what a wonderful school year ahead of us and highlights some of the fun moments of the year to put in their homework folders and read with their parents. I might also have a short, personal handwritten message as well- maybe inside their notebook saying how much I am looking forward to reading their journal writing, or a nice message inside the cover of the book I give to each student. Then after we open their bags, I can give them a little time to decorate their own homework folder.
I think that this would initiate a fun and exciting start of the school year for the kids and be a unique way to hand out materials and discuss procedures.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Holistic Element 4: The Art of Mood Manipulation Through Sound
I have been thinking a lot about sounds in the classroom because I have been exposed to mixed views about it. In several books I’ve read, and some blogs, teachers talk about how they play classical music, or relaxation music, in the background of certain classroom activities. Others use active and uplifting music to wake up an under stimulated group. Both these ideas appealed to me.
I remembered how, back in my therapist days, I would very carefully choose the music I would use depending on what type of therapy I was conducting, and/ or the specific client I was seeing. The rhythm and sounds of certain music had a profound effect on the outcome of the session. Some people needed certain music to achieve a level of comfort and relaxation, such as a soft acoustic guitar, Native American flutes or a harpsichord. Sometimes I needed a certain flow or sequence to carry out a specific therapy and would chose music with appropriate movement and fluctuation to mimic the movements and timing of the technique I was using. Sometimes either my self or the client felt anxious or stressed, and required the steady, rhythmic percussion of tribal drums to center oneself. Choosing the right sound became an art that enhanced the outcome of the therapy.
Now, as I attempt to pull experiences from my former career to see how they might apply in my new one, I wonder if sound can be used in a similar fashion to enhance the learning experience. I myself would probably have a tendency to use the same genre of music that I used during my therapy career since I have studied and experienced how the various sounds and vibrations of the music are supposed to effect the listener. I imagine that understanding this could be a useful tool to have in the ‘teacher’s toolbox” for certain days when you just don’t know what else to do to help calm children and get them to focus; or alternatively, how to get them to wake up and participate!
All relaxation music is made with a specific purpose in mind. For instance, percussion sounds are earthy and grounding. In therapy, they are used to bring the mind and the body back into harmony, as we have a tendency to become too much in our head. Soft percussion in the background might help with daydreaming students who can’t seem to focus on the lesson, or might also be good for activities during logic based subjects such as math and science.
Native American flutes and string instruments have a lulling effect. In therapy they are used to induce reflectivity, and disconnection from problems associated with the physical realm, the idea being to connect the person with the bigger picture of life. On days when kids are wired and wild, this type of music playing softly in the background might help calm them down and stimulate intellectual thinking. Also, it might be good music to have playing at the very beginning of the day as children enter the classroom, get situated and start working on their beginning activities- as a method of helping them release any problems that they could be bringing with them from home that morning.
There are also many complex scores of music in this genre that consist of many different instruments and sounds, and fluctuate in intensity but maintain a constant flow from song to song. In therapy, this type of music is used to create a sense of unity and cohesion throughout the entire session. It marks a distinct feel of coming full circle, a beginning, middle, and end. In the classroom, this could be useful during a specific activity that can help fuel creativity and provide a constant sensory indicator to help keep the children on task from beginning to end.
Are any of you already using music or sound to enhance learning? If so, I would love to hear how you use it!
I remembered how, back in my therapist days, I would very carefully choose the music I would use depending on what type of therapy I was conducting, and/ or the specific client I was seeing. The rhythm and sounds of certain music had a profound effect on the outcome of the session. Some people needed certain music to achieve a level of comfort and relaxation, such as a soft acoustic guitar, Native American flutes or a harpsichord. Sometimes I needed a certain flow or sequence to carry out a specific therapy and would chose music with appropriate movement and fluctuation to mimic the movements and timing of the technique I was using. Sometimes either my self or the client felt anxious or stressed, and required the steady, rhythmic percussion of tribal drums to center oneself. Choosing the right sound became an art that enhanced the outcome of the therapy.
Now, as I attempt to pull experiences from my former career to see how they might apply in my new one, I wonder if sound can be used in a similar fashion to enhance the learning experience. I myself would probably have a tendency to use the same genre of music that I used during my therapy career since I have studied and experienced how the various sounds and vibrations of the music are supposed to effect the listener. I imagine that understanding this could be a useful tool to have in the ‘teacher’s toolbox” for certain days when you just don’t know what else to do to help calm children and get them to focus; or alternatively, how to get them to wake up and participate!
All relaxation music is made with a specific purpose in mind. For instance, percussion sounds are earthy and grounding. In therapy, they are used to bring the mind and the body back into harmony, as we have a tendency to become too much in our head. Soft percussion in the background might help with daydreaming students who can’t seem to focus on the lesson, or might also be good for activities during logic based subjects such as math and science.
Native American flutes and string instruments have a lulling effect. In therapy they are used to induce reflectivity, and disconnection from problems associated with the physical realm, the idea being to connect the person with the bigger picture of life. On days when kids are wired and wild, this type of music playing softly in the background might help calm them down and stimulate intellectual thinking. Also, it might be good music to have playing at the very beginning of the day as children enter the classroom, get situated and start working on their beginning activities- as a method of helping them release any problems that they could be bringing with them from home that morning.
There are also many complex scores of music in this genre that consist of many different instruments and sounds, and fluctuate in intensity but maintain a constant flow from song to song. In therapy, this type of music is used to create a sense of unity and cohesion throughout the entire session. It marks a distinct feel of coming full circle, a beginning, middle, and end. In the classroom, this could be useful during a specific activity that can help fuel creativity and provide a constant sensory indicator to help keep the children on task from beginning to end.
Are any of you already using music or sound to enhance learning? If so, I would love to hear how you use it!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Holistic Element 3- Classroom Color Therapy
In my opinion, color & light are so prominent that I think I could probably write and entire book about all the ways they could be applied to the educational field alone! I never understood, although I can fathom it has something to do with cost and efficiency, why schools always seem to have that horrible overhead fluorescent lighting which is known to cause stress and anxiety. I also will never understand why they don’t build all classrooms with windows. But again, it probably comes down to money and some would probably say that the people who design the buildings don’t really know anything about creating an ideal environment for learning, which is why teachers have to work so hard to create one :)
There are multiple theories about colors, but when I worked in the holistic health field, I was predominantly interested in color as it relates to the stages of development and life force. For the new age familiar, the foundation for this was the chakra system. In this system, color was tied to specific states of beings which people naturally pass through and revisit at certain points in their life and in ideal circumstances, all these elements would be functioning simultaneously and completely in balance- but we don’t live in these ideal circumstances. Behind this theory is the idea that with a trained eye (and maybe a certain intuitive sense) that one could find where the imbalance is and certain various techniques can help bring balance back to that aspect. One of the methods of bringing balance back involves the use of the color associated with that state of being. Here is a brief explanation of what each color relates to and an example of how I think it could apply to the classroom:
- Red- relates to our basic, primal instincts related to survival. Depending on the stage in ones life, these instincts have a tendency to change- something to be considered when using this color in the classroom. The younger the child, the more dependent they are on adults to fulfill basic needs, so this color, for young children, could represent a fulfillment of those needs and provide them with a sense of security and comfort where with older kids, say middle- high school, this color could evoke more aggressive behavior.
- Orange- relates to the primary social group- family. The color orange can create a real sense of belonging, but again, age is a factor- too much orange with high school kids, because of their maturity level, could induce a natural instinct to procreate.
- Yellow- relates to expanding out into secondary social groups, the confidence to become more independent. This is something positive that I would want to bring into a classroom environment, but too much yellow could make the environment too socially oriented. This is where color usage can get specific. For instance, during a group discussion, having a solid yellow screen saver projecting behind you or using yellow paper for a group activity can help set the mood for class participation and sharing of ideas.
- Green- relates to qualities associated with the heart- the capacity to care deeply and feel love and compassion. Green is a good color to use if you have a special area of the classroom designated for children to go and settle disputes. If you have a “time-out” desk, it might be helpful to have a painting or picture taped to the desk that has a lot of greens (and blues which I explain next) for the child to look at while they are taking the time out as these colors calm emotions and encourage healthy communication.
- Blue- relates to communication. Blue is a good color to have regardless of the group age since communication is so vital to just about anything.
- Indigo (basically a deep purplish blue)- relates to understanding and encourages those “aahaa!” moments where you really “get” the meaning. This color would make a good background for educational bulletin boards, construction paper cutouts to use for math to demonstrate concepts, carpet, or pillow colors for a reading area- to name some ideas I have had.
- Violet- relates to wisdom and the acquisition of knowledge. Every classroom should have a generous amount of violet throughout (in my belief).
The possibilities using this system of belief are really only limited by ones own imagination. There are so many ways to apply this, even the color the teacher chooses to wear that day could have a profound effect and the way a certain child reacts on that particular day, or on the group’s ability to concentrate and how well they absorb the lessons. It would be interesting to experiment with this!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Holistic Element 2: Smells That Stimulate Learning
Aromatherapy is a branch of holistic health that studies and practices the effect of smells on our physical and emotional health. This for some reason has been a controversial subject in the healthcare field. I happen to believe that smell does affect mood & functioning for a couple of very practical reasons. 1) Senses tend to trump one another. For example, when I try to read a book and someone has the t.v. abnormally loud, I have a hard time focusing on the visual input of the words from my book because my audio input has taken over control and is dominating all my senses; it makes me very frustrated and irritable. This really can apply to any of the senses- if one is being stimulated at an abnormal level, all of our energy seems focused on that stimulation and it takes conscious effort to neutralize this and direct our focus someplace else. 2) Have you ever eaten something you loved when you were sick, then later, when you are healthy, the smell of that same food makes you feel horribly ill? This is evidence (in my opinion) that smell triggers a memory. For some people, certain smells may be linked psychologically to a traumatic experience, something I experienced with clients as a massage therapist.
With respects to the classroom environment there are a couple applications that I might consider: 1) avoiding scents that may cause distraction or trigger negative response and 2) using subtle smells to trigger a desired response.
Something about smells though that tend to be overlooked is their origin. Most commonly encountered is “fragrance” which is full of man made chemicals. I suppose I would say that I have a tendency to believe that these chemicals are far more harmful that we think. With Autism, ADD and ADHD and learning disabilities on the rise, my thought is that these “fragrances” would fall under the first group of scents mentions, those that may have a negative response or become distracting. This would mean that commercial, scented products should be eliminated from the classroom as much as possible. Imagine the heavy chemicals that are already used to wash the school surfaces! Those we can’t do anything about but we can eliminate any other synthetic scents and even avoid wearing perfumed body products as well.
True Aromatherapy, on the other hand, might be a useful tool for establishing mood. Pure essential aromatherapy oils which are created from a very specific distillation process of plant oils, are subtle (almost undetectible even) and can stimulate certain parts of the brain that increase academic functioning, increase concentration, or calm hyperactivity. For instance lavender can be both calming and refreshing, sandalwood helps with focus, ylang ylang can ease tension and anger and both rosemary and peppermint bring concentration and mental clarity. What I am not sure of is school policies however aromatherapy is quite subtle and
there are very safe means of utilizing it, such as a diffuser fan.
The oil is dropped onto an absorbent pad and a small fan gently blows the aroma out. Unconventional, but it could help to set the mood in the room for learning.
With respects to the classroom environment there are a couple applications that I might consider: 1) avoiding scents that may cause distraction or trigger negative response and 2) using subtle smells to trigger a desired response.
Something about smells though that tend to be overlooked is their origin. Most commonly encountered is “fragrance” which is full of man made chemicals. I suppose I would say that I have a tendency to believe that these chemicals are far more harmful that we think. With Autism, ADD and ADHD and learning disabilities on the rise, my thought is that these “fragrances” would fall under the first group of scents mentions, those that may have a negative response or become distracting. This would mean that commercial, scented products should be eliminated from the classroom as much as possible. Imagine the heavy chemicals that are already used to wash the school surfaces! Those we can’t do anything about but we can eliminate any other synthetic scents and even avoid wearing perfumed body products as well.
True Aromatherapy, on the other hand, might be a useful tool for establishing mood. Pure essential aromatherapy oils which are created from a very specific distillation process of plant oils, are subtle (almost undetectible even) and can stimulate certain parts of the brain that increase academic functioning, increase concentration, or calm hyperactivity. For instance lavender can be both calming and refreshing, sandalwood helps with focus, ylang ylang can ease tension and anger and both rosemary and peppermint bring concentration and mental clarity. What I am not sure of is school policies however aromatherapy is quite subtle and
there are very safe means of utilizing it, such as a diffuser fan.The oil is dropped onto an absorbent pad and a small fan gently blows the aroma out. Unconventional, but it could help to set the mood in the room for learning.
Holistic Element 1: How's the Classroom Chi?
When considering the elements of the environment one should think about the placement of objects and movement of the room and how that effects concentration for a child. Teachers already struggle with using their space in the most effective manner, but applying some of the concepts of Feng Shui could help by maximizing the effects that special arrangement has on the demeanor of its occupants. Traditional Feng Shui could be practiced if you’re a purist, but there are ways to pull some of the main concepts without knowing very much about the traditional practice. There is as much value in the idea as the practice. The idea I am focused on has to do with appealing to the senses and creating ease of movement within a room. One of the first thing a student, parent, administrator or another teacher experiences upon entering your classroom is likely to be visual. I like to imagine standing at the threshold of a classroom and seeing it as a whole, much like viewing a painting, we first look at the collectiveness and then allow the eye to be drawn to certain specific elements. In designing a room, we should consider what it looks like as a whole and where the eye is naturally drawn. Is it a pleasing experience, or does it feel forced or disturbing in some way? Do I sense obstacles, imbalance or obstruction or does my eye flow naturally from one location to the next with ease? This is a small detail that can have a giant impact.
It is well acknowledged by most that a clean and orderly space allows for mental clarity as well. I personally can not think clearly or function smoothly when my own home is in shambles, but when it is clean and organized I am able to carry out other tasks with ease. Cleaning and organizing can be somewhat of a spiritual experience. Students also need a clean and organized environment in order to focus on the task at hand.
Creating a compositionally balanced space, it helps to think in terms of that space, regardless of shape, as a circle; because that is how you want the visual elements and the energy of the room to move. Take it a step further and you could arrange your activities of the day to follow that same circular pattern, giving students a sense of “coming full circle” by the end of the day. As with all circular patterns, the circle has a center point off which everything else is based. What would you want the center point of your classroom community to be? In my own classroom (someday) I would want the center point (inner circle) of my community to be its people- myself and the students, the medial ring to be our individual work areas, arranged according to when and how they will be used, and the outer ring being the culmination of all our work (bulletin boards and decorations). I would probably organize my displays so that the work displayed behind a work area is representative of what was accomplished in that area, and the most important general community information located in the front, behind the central point. My hypothetical room might be arranged something like this:
Depending on how much time and interest you have in creating an energetically appropriate space, you could include some of the traditional elements, including having certain relics in the room, placed strategically, having certain areas face in specific directions, hanging mirrors to create openness. A book on this topic might be good summer break reading! The point is, by setting up the environment with these unseen forces in mind, whether you believe in them or not, could help set a calm and peaceful atmosphere in the classroom that has an unexplainable effect on the students. It’s worth trying!
It is well acknowledged by most that a clean and orderly space allows for mental clarity as well. I personally can not think clearly or function smoothly when my own home is in shambles, but when it is clean and organized I am able to carry out other tasks with ease. Cleaning and organizing can be somewhat of a spiritual experience. Students also need a clean and organized environment in order to focus on the task at hand.
Creating a compositionally balanced space, it helps to think in terms of that space, regardless of shape, as a circle; because that is how you want the visual elements and the energy of the room to move. Take it a step further and you could arrange your activities of the day to follow that same circular pattern, giving students a sense of “coming full circle” by the end of the day. As with all circular patterns, the circle has a center point off which everything else is based. What would you want the center point of your classroom community to be? In my own classroom (someday) I would want the center point (inner circle) of my community to be its people- myself and the students, the medial ring to be our individual work areas, arranged according to when and how they will be used, and the outer ring being the culmination of all our work (bulletin boards and decorations). I would probably organize my displays so that the work displayed behind a work area is representative of what was accomplished in that area, and the most important general community information located in the front, behind the central point. My hypothetical room might be arranged something like this:
Depending on how much time and interest you have in creating an energetically appropriate space, you could include some of the traditional elements, including having certain relics in the room, placed strategically, having certain areas face in specific directions, hanging mirrors to create openness. A book on this topic might be good summer break reading! The point is, by setting up the environment with these unseen forces in mind, whether you believe in them or not, could help set a calm and peaceful atmosphere in the classroom that has an unexplainable effect on the students. It’s worth trying!
A Holistic Approach to Teaching
So much emphasis is placed on method and classroom management that it didn’t occur to me to view teaching from a holistic perspective. What triggered this train of though was something I read in The New Teacher Toolbox : Proven Tips and Strategies for a Great First Year by Scott M. Mandel (which incidentally is an excellent book- well organized, with simple tips and strategies that can easily be integrated into your own personal style of teaching.) It was a section about grading papers using red ink pens and the negative association we have, as a society, for certain colors and symbols. Also, the cultural considerations regarding colors and symbols, which need to be considered as classrooms become more culturally diverse. This information added an entirely new layer of considerations to be made when creating a classroom community.
From a previous career of mine in massage therapy, I have a tendency to consider the many unobvious forces which have an effect on people. Put aside for the moment those we can not alter too much such as the constant bombardment of invisible electrical stimulation from our wireless world, or the toxic fumes that have permeated the air we breath (those things have to have some effect on our physiological functioning, and concentration!) There are those that we can control in the classroom environment though. After a bit of contemplation, I realize that the same considerations I made when manufacturing an environment conducive to physical and emotional healing with massage and bodywork can also be the foundation for creating an environment conducive to learning- the five elements of a holistic classroom:
1. Arrangement of elements in the environment (Feng Shui)
2. Smells (Aromatherapy)
3. Light & Color (Aura)
4. Sound (Vibration)
5. Tone (Emotional Atmosphere)
I think the ultimate goal of most teachers each year is to have a classroom full of engaged students, who are happy to be a part of the community and eager to participate and learn. I hear teachers constantly looking within themselves wondering if they have done all they can to create this environment- “Are the lessons interesting and engaging?, Do I have the necessary materials?, Do I have the appropriate knowledge? Have I planned carefully? Do I model the behaviors I expect? Do the students respect me?” But sometimes there are other elements that are not obvious and not considered that effect the way a person feels. I want to explore this topic a bit more. I already know from previous experience that the application of these elements is more extensive than you would think, so I have decided to write a separate in-depth post about each element- a holistic classroom series.
From a previous career of mine in massage therapy, I have a tendency to consider the many unobvious forces which have an effect on people. Put aside for the moment those we can not alter too much such as the constant bombardment of invisible electrical stimulation from our wireless world, or the toxic fumes that have permeated the air we breath (those things have to have some effect on our physiological functioning, and concentration!) There are those that we can control in the classroom environment though. After a bit of contemplation, I realize that the same considerations I made when manufacturing an environment conducive to physical and emotional healing with massage and bodywork can also be the foundation for creating an environment conducive to learning- the five elements of a holistic classroom:
1. Arrangement of elements in the environment (Feng Shui)
2. Smells (Aromatherapy)
3. Light & Color (Aura)
4. Sound (Vibration)
5. Tone (Emotional Atmosphere)
I think the ultimate goal of most teachers each year is to have a classroom full of engaged students, who are happy to be a part of the community and eager to participate and learn. I hear teachers constantly looking within themselves wondering if they have done all they can to create this environment- “Are the lessons interesting and engaging?, Do I have the necessary materials?, Do I have the appropriate knowledge? Have I planned carefully? Do I model the behaviors I expect? Do the students respect me?” But sometimes there are other elements that are not obvious and not considered that effect the way a person feels. I want to explore this topic a bit more. I already know from previous experience that the application of these elements is more extensive than you would think, so I have decided to write a separate in-depth post about each element- a holistic classroom series.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Virtual Observation
Last night I had a bit of insomnia so I went online to watch some education videos. I love watching anything that puts me right inside the classroom during a lesson plan so that I can observe how the lesson plays out, how the teacher approaches it and what the response is from the students. From these videos, I get some great ideas of lessons that I would like to implement someday.
Since English is my concentration and I look forward to working with young writers, I loved this lesson on “Lifting a Line” using student journals. I am a big proponent of journaling. Maybe that is why I love blogging! A journal is a great way to sort through thoughts, order priorities, track goals and deal with the complexities of life. With respects to writing, it keeps a constant creative flow that can help young writers find meaningful topics from every day experiences. I definitely plan to use journaling a lot during my teaching career. A video posted here shows how to clearly explain the concept of “Lifting a Line” to students. I also like how the teacher pulls something from her own journal which is a bit personal because I think it shows kids that their journal can be a safe outlet for their feelings and that writing can be a therapeutic process as well as a creative process.
Another video I watched last night demonstrated a collaboration of a group combined with the delivery in a game show format. I was impressed with how excited the kids were, literally on the edge of their seat! I also vaguely remember a game like this when I was in elementary school and could relate to the sense of anticipation and excitement that the students are clearly feeling during this lesson. This would be a great game for review prior to a test or to leave for a sub if you know that you will be absent.
I also love seeing the different teachers, how their personalities translate to the classroom, what their techniques and styles look like and how the children respond to them. This teacher (video- "Managing Literacy") has a great style to learn from. I love the rhyming instructions she uses that appeal to children, and the animation in her voice. I also notice that she repeats what she says then asks one of the children to repeat the instructions, but she does this all in a way where they feel like they are helping her rather than being told to do something. She has a very kid friendly character she uses in the classroom and the children are completely fixated on her every word.
The videos really put me in a comfortable frame of mind, where I can see what day to day operations in the classroom are like and how real children react. Not that I don’t learn a lot from all the reading I do, but this gives me a concrete experience to relate to.
Since English is my concentration and I look forward to working with young writers, I loved this lesson on “Lifting a Line” using student journals. I am a big proponent of journaling. Maybe that is why I love blogging! A journal is a great way to sort through thoughts, order priorities, track goals and deal with the complexities of life. With respects to writing, it keeps a constant creative flow that can help young writers find meaningful topics from every day experiences. I definitely plan to use journaling a lot during my teaching career. A video posted here shows how to clearly explain the concept of “Lifting a Line” to students. I also like how the teacher pulls something from her own journal which is a bit personal because I think it shows kids that their journal can be a safe outlet for their feelings and that writing can be a therapeutic process as well as a creative process.
Another video I watched last night demonstrated a collaboration of a group combined with the delivery in a game show format. I was impressed with how excited the kids were, literally on the edge of their seat! I also vaguely remember a game like this when I was in elementary school and could relate to the sense of anticipation and excitement that the students are clearly feeling during this lesson. This would be a great game for review prior to a test or to leave for a sub if you know that you will be absent.
I also love seeing the different teachers, how their personalities translate to the classroom, what their techniques and styles look like and how the children respond to them. This teacher (video- "Managing Literacy") has a great style to learn from. I love the rhyming instructions she uses that appeal to children, and the animation in her voice. I also notice that she repeats what she says then asks one of the children to repeat the instructions, but she does this all in a way where they feel like they are helping her rather than being told to do something. She has a very kid friendly character she uses in the classroom and the children are completely fixated on her every word.
The videos really put me in a comfortable frame of mind, where I can see what day to day operations in the classroom are like and how real children react. Not that I don’t learn a lot from all the reading I do, but this gives me a concrete experience to relate to.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Getting a Grip
I’ve been thinking a lot about the little ones I worked with for my observation hours. I really miss the time in the classroom. What is sticking with me at the moment, however, are some particular moments with specific children. I guess the reason is because I have been catching up with some reading and one of the blogs I read has some very enlightening stories about a new teacher’s first year on the job. I love it because it really paints a picture of what that first year is like, without sugar coating and without over dramatizing. Plus, the writer offers several lessons learned which are good to take note of.
Since discipline, structure and respect have been on my mind a lot, I keep thinking about a particular incidence that occurred when I was doing my observation. This was between me and one of the children with a behavioral disability. This particular child was set to be moving into a LRE for fall. On the surface he seemed like a great kid, and he is extremely bright, but when something triggered him he was out of control with anger. We had a particular problem with him on the playground, where he would often start fights (particularly with smaller and more vulnerable children), he would run away, throw things, and act out in several different dramatic ways. We managed the playground by each taking a post on one side so that we could keep count of the children in our class, know where each was and keep an eye on what they were up to. This child happened to have a meltdown in my area and I had to deal with the situation.
As a student early in my career, and not trained in dealing with ED, I felt very uncomfortable with the task of confronting this child, but in the moment, I had no choice. Even more uncomfortable was the fact that there were other teachers standing nearby watching my interaction. Talk about pressure to do the right thing! At first the child would not listen to me. I felt as if I was telling a brick wall what to do. Then it finally hit me that asking politely doesn’t work the same way with children as it does with adults, and definitely not with children who have a dysfunction in their processing of emotions. So I told him he has a choice to make, he can either do what I asked him or go inside and not be able to watch the Magic School Bus (which was that day’s reward for positive behavior.) Then I stepped back and said the choice is yours, I hope you make a good choice. He proceeded to do what I ask, but not before he screamed “I hate you” and then ran off in a mad fury, pushing down a small child on his way, at which point I yelled for the TA to catch him when he ran by. I felt like I took one step forward, then two giant steps back. His behavior problems escalated that day, and the days surrounding that one were just as bad. He had been showing up to school in a certain form and getting worse as the day went on. We finally figured that something must be going on at home that triggered him before he even got to school. None the less, I felt like a failure. I didn't know how to handle the situation myself.
Lately though, I wonder how much of this problem is the ED, or how much of it is typical problems that I will encounter with kids. It’s easy to think that this boy was different, but maybe he isn’t as different as I think. Just because he had the ED label placed upon him doesn’t mean there aren’t other kids just like that who don’t have that label but do have the problems addressing their emotional needs the same way he does. Plus, when I consider that this child was being moved into an inclusive classroom, I realize that he has now become part of the mainstream and those problems will not be dealt with by someone with specialized training in behavioral disorders, but are now the responsibility of the general education teacher.
The big question hangs in my mind, how does one prepare themselves for dealing with difficult children? I don’t think positive re-enforcement is enough for this child. I’m not sure what will be most effective. I kind of wish I could observe him for a while longer and see how he reacts to his new environment. I wonder if it will be better for him or if it will be a trigger? There are so many questions floating in my head as I think about his journey into the second grade. I really wish I could be there to learn some more from him. I can’t even express the lasting impression all those children have had on me.
Since discipline, structure and respect have been on my mind a lot, I keep thinking about a particular incidence that occurred when I was doing my observation. This was between me and one of the children with a behavioral disability. This particular child was set to be moving into a LRE for fall. On the surface he seemed like a great kid, and he is extremely bright, but when something triggered him he was out of control with anger. We had a particular problem with him on the playground, where he would often start fights (particularly with smaller and more vulnerable children), he would run away, throw things, and act out in several different dramatic ways. We managed the playground by each taking a post on one side so that we could keep count of the children in our class, know where each was and keep an eye on what they were up to. This child happened to have a meltdown in my area and I had to deal with the situation.
As a student early in my career, and not trained in dealing with ED, I felt very uncomfortable with the task of confronting this child, but in the moment, I had no choice. Even more uncomfortable was the fact that there were other teachers standing nearby watching my interaction. Talk about pressure to do the right thing! At first the child would not listen to me. I felt as if I was telling a brick wall what to do. Then it finally hit me that asking politely doesn’t work the same way with children as it does with adults, and definitely not with children who have a dysfunction in their processing of emotions. So I told him he has a choice to make, he can either do what I asked him or go inside and not be able to watch the Magic School Bus (which was that day’s reward for positive behavior.) Then I stepped back and said the choice is yours, I hope you make a good choice. He proceeded to do what I ask, but not before he screamed “I hate you” and then ran off in a mad fury, pushing down a small child on his way, at which point I yelled for the TA to catch him when he ran by. I felt like I took one step forward, then two giant steps back. His behavior problems escalated that day, and the days surrounding that one were just as bad. He had been showing up to school in a certain form and getting worse as the day went on. We finally figured that something must be going on at home that triggered him before he even got to school. None the less, I felt like a failure. I didn't know how to handle the situation myself.
Lately though, I wonder how much of this problem is the ED, or how much of it is typical problems that I will encounter with kids. It’s easy to think that this boy was different, but maybe he isn’t as different as I think. Just because he had the ED label placed upon him doesn’t mean there aren’t other kids just like that who don’t have that label but do have the problems addressing their emotional needs the same way he does. Plus, when I consider that this child was being moved into an inclusive classroom, I realize that he has now become part of the mainstream and those problems will not be dealt with by someone with specialized training in behavioral disorders, but are now the responsibility of the general education teacher.
The big question hangs in my mind, how does one prepare themselves for dealing with difficult children? I don’t think positive re-enforcement is enough for this child. I’m not sure what will be most effective. I kind of wish I could observe him for a while longer and see how he reacts to his new environment. I wonder if it will be better for him or if it will be a trigger? There are so many questions floating in my head as I think about his journey into the second grade. I really wish I could be there to learn some more from him. I can’t even express the lasting impression all those children have had on me.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Day Four (and the last day for this week- phew!)
Today was a pretty good day in the multi-needs room. It left me a little time to reflect on what important things I am learning by being there (besides triage!) I feel like I should really be absorbing the lessons I am learning about behavior management and engaging students.
Behavioral management is something that I have had much anxiety over and it is something that is of great focus in job interviews (as I am told) and that it is one of the reasons that many teachers quit the profession in their first couple years. All this makes the obvious point that behavior management is a large factor in successful teaching so with that in mind, I think this experience could hold great value.
I would have to say that the behavior management that is being used at my clinical site is working, but is not efficient or consistent enough. During group work, treats are used to lead involvement and deter distractions. Bad language or inappropriate actions are not directly addressed (we are supposed to ignore first) unless it escalates to the point where is becomes dangerous for other students and then behavior specialists are called to take over the situation. I don’t really know what that consists of too much since the child is removed from the room, but what I have seen is that the child is separated from other students until he/she is able to calm down and address their feelings appropriately. If hitting doesn’t stop, the behavior specialist holds the child in a way that mimics a straight jacket so that they can not hit or throw objects. They BS works with a partner, one restraines while the other talks to the child. I imagine that they have some particular techniques they use to calm the child but I have not been able to see. This is obviously only in extreme cases, something I may not ever encounter or if I do, it will likely be rare.
In class, things like “no thank you,” “use your nice words” and the old stand by of taking away something fun, like recess, or choice time is used. Most of the time, with the ED kids, these things escalate the child, but with the others, it works just fine.
I have been trying to decide if a classroom full of children who are all developmentally delayed and behave badly several times a day as a manifestation of their disability, or a classroom full of non-disabled students with maybe one or two children who misbehave, but have the capacity to plot and scheme their actions, is worse. It’s a tough call, but I think that it’s been difficult trying to discipline kids who are motivated by a factor (their disability) beyond their control. Discipline is a huge part of keeping the multi-needs room safe and under control. Today we managed to do that pretty well. I think that today was successful due in part to a couple of factors (and also maybe some beyond our control too). Today we used a healthy balance of compassion and dominance. Rather than smile or show vulnerability to something incredibly adorable, yet slightly mischievous the child may do, we used ignoring, and the disapproving glare. That might be something that if I was a parent, or had spent more time around kids, I would have known to do right away. However, I have learned over the last four days that just because I think it’s adorable, doesn’t mean I want it to keep repeating over and over and over again, so its best to keep it to myself. After 17 times in a day, that same adorable behavior becomes particularly irritating and wastes a lot of time that learning could be taking place.
“Winging it” with behavioral management just does not work. This is something else I’ve learned. The most important thing I can do as a new teacher is have a strong and clear plan, and to also have a strong and clear plan B, and plan C because I can’t expect that plan A will always work with a particular group, and what if plan B doesn’t work. I have to have several options in place and ready to be enforced. I also need to have emergency plans for special situations, and those must be consistent as well. Also, these plans can not be based necessarily on my own personal philosophies, since I don’t have enough experience to rely on my philosophies. These plans must be based solely on what works.
This weekend, I will be doing some thinking about how I am going to approach the class next week. Now might be a great opportunity to test my own mettle when it comes to behavior management.
Behavioral management is something that I have had much anxiety over and it is something that is of great focus in job interviews (as I am told) and that it is one of the reasons that many teachers quit the profession in their first couple years. All this makes the obvious point that behavior management is a large factor in successful teaching so with that in mind, I think this experience could hold great value.
I would have to say that the behavior management that is being used at my clinical site is working, but is not efficient or consistent enough. During group work, treats are used to lead involvement and deter distractions. Bad language or inappropriate actions are not directly addressed (we are supposed to ignore first) unless it escalates to the point where is becomes dangerous for other students and then behavior specialists are called to take over the situation. I don’t really know what that consists of too much since the child is removed from the room, but what I have seen is that the child is separated from other students until he/she is able to calm down and address their feelings appropriately. If hitting doesn’t stop, the behavior specialist holds the child in a way that mimics a straight jacket so that they can not hit or throw objects. They BS works with a partner, one restraines while the other talks to the child. I imagine that they have some particular techniques they use to calm the child but I have not been able to see. This is obviously only in extreme cases, something I may not ever encounter or if I do, it will likely be rare.
In class, things like “no thank you,” “use your nice words” and the old stand by of taking away something fun, like recess, or choice time is used. Most of the time, with the ED kids, these things escalate the child, but with the others, it works just fine.
I have been trying to decide if a classroom full of children who are all developmentally delayed and behave badly several times a day as a manifestation of their disability, or a classroom full of non-disabled students with maybe one or two children who misbehave, but have the capacity to plot and scheme their actions, is worse. It’s a tough call, but I think that it’s been difficult trying to discipline kids who are motivated by a factor (their disability) beyond their control. Discipline is a huge part of keeping the multi-needs room safe and under control. Today we managed to do that pretty well. I think that today was successful due in part to a couple of factors (and also maybe some beyond our control too). Today we used a healthy balance of compassion and dominance. Rather than smile or show vulnerability to something incredibly adorable, yet slightly mischievous the child may do, we used ignoring, and the disapproving glare. That might be something that if I was a parent, or had spent more time around kids, I would have known to do right away. However, I have learned over the last four days that just because I think it’s adorable, doesn’t mean I want it to keep repeating over and over and over again, so its best to keep it to myself. After 17 times in a day, that same adorable behavior becomes particularly irritating and wastes a lot of time that learning could be taking place.
“Winging it” with behavioral management just does not work. This is something else I’ve learned. The most important thing I can do as a new teacher is have a strong and clear plan, and to also have a strong and clear plan B, and plan C because I can’t expect that plan A will always work with a particular group, and what if plan B doesn’t work. I have to have several options in place and ready to be enforced. I also need to have emergency plans for special situations, and those must be consistent as well. Also, these plans can not be based necessarily on my own personal philosophies, since I don’t have enough experience to rely on my philosophies. These plans must be based solely on what works.
This weekend, I will be doing some thinking about how I am going to approach the class next week. Now might be a great opportunity to test my own mettle when it comes to behavior management.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
An "Ahhaa!" Moment
I just started reading Donna Walker Tileston’s book on classroom management. The foundation of her method is that behavioral problems can be avoided if children are adequately engaged with the learning process, nothing new that I haven’t heard before. When she started elaborating on the neurological process of learning, I knew this book was right up my alley!
For the first time, I feel like I am reading something that is speaking my language, something I can actually put into practice effectively. While I understand that “in theory” and “in practice” are two totally different things, I feel immensely inspired by her method. While reading, my thoughts went beyond just concerns over classroom management, I actually could visualize myself implementing the methods in a lesson plan and it felt natural and comfortable to me.
Some points that thus far I am taking from the text that I want to remember for the future:
1. Engage students immediately by beginning the lesson with an activity that appeals to one of their senses. For instance, I could start a history lesson with a visualization exercise, helping to place them in a period of history using guided visualization and period music. This can help personalize the learning experience (“intrinsic motivation”.) Another sensory exercise that can be used to learn examples of geometrical shapes in the real world is to put common place objects that, for example, are cones into a pillow case or bag . Students could work in groups to feel the objects through the bag to identify what the objects are. Or, using that same tecnique, put several different geometrical shaped objects in the bag and have students use their knowledge of shape properties to identify what the shape is.
2. Have students teach each other. For example, to help build vocabulary, each week, students can be assigned to pick a word from the dictionary that they don’t know and present it to the class. The presentation would consist of teaching the class the definition, spelling, type and how to use it in a sentence. Students would be allowed to present the concepts in any creative way they choose. Each student will keep a vocab list of the words their peers teach and an writing assignment involving the use of the words would be due each weak. The writing assignments could built upon one another so that by the end of the year, all the words learned would have to appear in the story, helping memorization of new words and building of vocabulary. Guidelines can also be put in place like 5 letter words, words that start with “s” or adjectives only or use the words to write a story about a particular topic; to challenge and provide variety.
3. Connecting the material to something children can relate to. Giving lessons a proper introduction that tells students, before you get into the subject matter, how they can apply it to their lives, immediately, develops a purpose for the student to become involved in the lesson and listen/ participate (“self-system”.)
For the first time, I feel like I am reading something that is speaking my language, something I can actually put into practice effectively. While I understand that “in theory” and “in practice” are two totally different things, I feel immensely inspired by her method. While reading, my thoughts went beyond just concerns over classroom management, I actually could visualize myself implementing the methods in a lesson plan and it felt natural and comfortable to me.
Some points that thus far I am taking from the text that I want to remember for the future:
1. Engage students immediately by beginning the lesson with an activity that appeals to one of their senses. For instance, I could start a history lesson with a visualization exercise, helping to place them in a period of history using guided visualization and period music. This can help personalize the learning experience (“intrinsic motivation”.) Another sensory exercise that can be used to learn examples of geometrical shapes in the real world is to put common place objects that, for example, are cones into a pillow case or bag . Students could work in groups to feel the objects through the bag to identify what the objects are. Or, using that same tecnique, put several different geometrical shaped objects in the bag and have students use their knowledge of shape properties to identify what the shape is.
2. Have students teach each other. For example, to help build vocabulary, each week, students can be assigned to pick a word from the dictionary that they don’t know and present it to the class. The presentation would consist of teaching the class the definition, spelling, type and how to use it in a sentence. Students would be allowed to present the concepts in any creative way they choose. Each student will keep a vocab list of the words their peers teach and an writing assignment involving the use of the words would be due each weak. The writing assignments could built upon one another so that by the end of the year, all the words learned would have to appear in the story, helping memorization of new words and building of vocabulary. Guidelines can also be put in place like 5 letter words, words that start with “s” or adjectives only or use the words to write a story about a particular topic; to challenge and provide variety.
3. Connecting the material to something children can relate to. Giving lessons a proper introduction that tells students, before you get into the subject matter, how they can apply it to their lives, immediately, develops a purpose for the student to become involved in the lesson and listen/ participate (“self-system”.)
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Keep it Simple
I read a post by a student teacher in which he discussed how he is handling the old chair tipping problem in his class. I admire the simplicity of his technique- tip your chair once, get a warning, tip your chair again, and lose your chair for the day. His post made it sound like this was his most basic and natural reaction to this problem. It reminded me that when faced with behavioral problems, sometimes simplicity is key.
In my pre-mature anxiety about classroom management I tend to think in terms of what kind of fancy reward systems and classroom policies I can implement that will prevent bad behavior from ever happening. But truth be told, kids will be kids, even the best of them, and from my own experiences with children, I do understand that behavioral problems usually are well developed outside of the classroom and there is not much I can do to stop it from entering my classroom completely. What I can do is respond with simple logic. I like that approach!
In my pre-mature anxiety about classroom management I tend to think in terms of what kind of fancy reward systems and classroom policies I can implement that will prevent bad behavior from ever happening. But truth be told, kids will be kids, even the best of them, and from my own experiences with children, I do understand that behavioral problems usually are well developed outside of the classroom and there is not much I can do to stop it from entering my classroom completely. What I can do is respond with simple logic. I like that approach!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Identifying Myself as an Authority Figure
Classroom management is probably the area of elementary ed that I feel the most anxiety about at this point. I know it’s a topic that will be thoroughly addressed as I get further along in my coursework, however I research online extensively to prepare myself. Maybe my anxiety comes from the fact that I don’t have children of my own yet, so I wonder how I will manage a large group of children effectively.
Thoughts about this topic make me reminisce about my own school days. I remember distinctively the teachers that I loved; in fact I remember that I liked these teachers so much that I wanted to show them respect.
All the teachers I loved the most shared a similar quality: They were very kind and positive people. I think children rely on their senses and impressions far more than adults. If we want a positive response from children, we have to radiate a positive energy that they will be drawn to. This is something I really want to keep in mind as I am trying to establish myself as an authority figure when I do start teaching. I think a challenge will be to find a healthy balance. I have no desire to be considered “scary” but I also don’t want to be viewed as weak or passive either.
I have read about some great proactive techniques for classroom management via the reward system. I really like the idea of the community based reward system because I think that it encourages kids set an example for their classmates and work as a team. Another idea I really like that I have locked away in my mental storage vault is one that I read on a website, which I can’t remember (reason why I needed to make this blog!) that had several tips from veteran teachers for new teachers. This particular teacher used a class VIP method. Each day a student would be named VIP based on the previous day’s accomplishments and for the day they would get special benefits basically amounting to getting to be teacher’s pet for the day. I can remember how honored I felt as a child if the teacher chose me to run an errand or let me stand at the front of the lunch line. Little things can be huge rewards for a child and make them feel special.
I can really see myself using something like that in my own classroom.
Thoughts about this topic make me reminisce about my own school days. I remember distinctively the teachers that I loved; in fact I remember that I liked these teachers so much that I wanted to show them respect.
All the teachers I loved the most shared a similar quality: They were very kind and positive people. I think children rely on their senses and impressions far more than adults. If we want a positive response from children, we have to radiate a positive energy that they will be drawn to. This is something I really want to keep in mind as I am trying to establish myself as an authority figure when I do start teaching. I think a challenge will be to find a healthy balance. I have no desire to be considered “scary” but I also don’t want to be viewed as weak or passive either.
I have read about some great proactive techniques for classroom management via the reward system. I really like the idea of the community based reward system because I think that it encourages kids set an example for their classmates and work as a team. Another idea I really like that I have locked away in my mental storage vault is one that I read on a website, which I can’t remember (reason why I needed to make this blog!) that had several tips from veteran teachers for new teachers. This particular teacher used a class VIP method. Each day a student would be named VIP based on the previous day’s accomplishments and for the day they would get special benefits basically amounting to getting to be teacher’s pet for the day. I can remember how honored I felt as a child if the teacher chose me to run an errand or let me stand at the front of the lunch line. Little things can be huge rewards for a child and make them feel special.
I can really see myself using something like that in my own classroom.
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