Applying the Rules

I’ve already experienced the first week of school and so far it has been repeatedly going over the rules and the standards for the class (five periods worth of repeating). I think that I could do a better job at praising the students who are doing a good job but I’m also balancing a fine line of not immediately punishing the rule breakers (hey, it’s the first week), while reminding everyone that it’s not okay what their peer is doing.

I like the idea of sending praising emails home. In fact, I took a few student’s names down because I plan to send a couple emails out this weekend. During the Open House on Thursday I made sure that I praised students in front of their parents. For the students that have some undesirable behaviors I mentioned their “over contribution” and insisted that (while making eye contact with the student) it was an issue that I was sure they could handle and contain themselves. The school I work at also has Phat Cat cards which are little prizes and treats for the students and enters them into a drawing for a bigger prize.

When a student has a behavior that I don’t want to continue, or that breaks a rule, I address it immediately. If I see a cellphone, I don’t call the student’s name but I loudly say, “Put it on silent and into your bag, I don’t allow cellphones in my class.” Because it is the first week I am just reinforcing the rule. Starting next week I will take away ethics points (affects their grade), assign detentions, and finally contact the parents. For talking during class, I have already moved a few seats (to remove their temptation), I also announce loudly, “It is inappropriate to talk when I/peers are talking, we need to be respectful and listen.” I also have told them that if they waste my time I will collect the wasted time after the bell or have them come back during lunch time. Persistent behavior will get detention and contact with the parents.

Overall, I think staying consistent with applying the rules and being consistent about how I enforce the rules, whether that’s praising or disciplining, will be my most effective tool in the classroom. The students will know what to expect whether they are good or bad.

High Performance and Learning Environments

While watching the videos Roller Coaster Physics, Chinese Math, and Whole Brain Teaching, the classes were being taught in very different ways. I’ll start with the first video of Roller Coaster Physics and my opinion of it.

The teacher had high academic expectations of her students. She was letting them create their own roller coasters using physic concepts they had just learned. She let them make their own hypotheses and then test for failure or success. She encouraged the children to collaborate in a a respectful way of sharing their ideas and then using their peers to improve their ideas by explaining what problems they were having. This behavior is critical in real world application when you can recognize flaws, seek constructive criticism, and know how to give feedback. The procedures in her classroom allow each student to feel comfortable to share their ideas knowing that they are valued members and have valuable contribution.

The second video is a class learning math in Chinese. The academic expectations are high because the students are not Chinese, so they are learning new concepts in a foreign language. She is using a method like corral response but has to test individual mastery by calling on individuals to answer parts of a single problem. To get the children’s attention she says something and they respond with words and actions, then she knows they are paying attention and ready to listen.

The last video using Whole Brain Teaching was interesting to watch. The teacher had hand signals to use while teaching content. She could see the students mimicking her motions which meant they were actively listening. She had a call and response when she wanted their attention for something else. I liked the hand motions because when the students were engaged in group work she could visually see who was participating and who was not instead of hearing students talk and assuming that they are focused on the topic given. This method is a good blend of audio, visual, and kinetic learning.

In my ninth grade English class I don’t see using many of the “whole brain” ideas. I would like to find ways to get my students stimulated visually, audibly, and kinetically but not to the degree of the video. I believe that the corral method, used in the math video, works in English because of poetry and literature. Those topics are meant to be read aloud and with feeling and rhythm. From the science video I took away the emphasis on the language. She wanted the students to use the proper terms for what they had just learned. When a student can express their ideas accurately with the proper vocabulary, there is less chance for them to be misunderstood by their peers. That is the whole goal of my class this year is to allow my students to find value in their thoughts and opinions and be able to voice that with proper vocabulary so that they are understood.

 

Classroom of Respect and Care

Majority of people just want to feel included and respected. This same opinion applies to children and students. Regardless of the age, a student wants to feel respected. It is the responsibility of the teacher to create an atmosphere that is conducive to learning but also creates an open environment for students to be themselves.

I am a firm believer in leading by example. I am open to ideas and beliefs. The culturally open classroom seems like a given to me because I am a minority and female. If I want to be treated with respect then I have to treat others with respect. I think that  sharing our cultures and keeping open minds about other’s cultures helps us to learn and learn empathy.

I am enthusiastic about English and I love that I can bring to the classroom all different types of reading material to help students navigate the world. There are all types of literature to introduce topics of racial or cultural segregation and integration. This point in time for a student is tumultuous due to changes emotionally and physically. There are so many examples in literature that help them cope with these feelings, while letting them know that they aren’t alone. I plan to use English to give them examples of characters that made bad choices and their consequences and encourage them to face their problems but using safe and logical means.

I want the students to feel like I am a safe option to share their problems, ideas, or feelings. I plan for them to have a daily journal or creative writing assignments that lets them explore thoughts or feelings and commit them to paper. If they can share with me and I can give them non-judgmental feedback then I think it will open that sense of security and mutual respect. I also want them to be able to choose examples of literature or authors that they feel best express their thoughts or their cultural backgrounds so that they all contribute to our learning.