I always loved the beginning of a new school year. Just think about it: How many jobs out there, can you basically start brand new/fresh after a 2 month vacation? Not many.
After my first year teaching, I decided that my second year would be at least ten times better. And the reason why it actually was? Because I was prepared.
I don't think that teachers can be completely prepared for every single thing out there---life is way too crazy for that. Students are unique and there will be different students that expected. I remember my second year group of students, they were, what I like to say "quirky". They were definitely different. My third year group of students, were, if anything, better behaved, smarter, sassier and MORE quirky. They were so weird (I actually think that goes for middle school students in general).
Again, preparation is the key. If you don't prepare, you're setting yourself up to fail. Whoops. I don't like that "F" word, but honestly, that is what happens. I believe there are three different areas that you need to prepare for. Honestly, as much fun as the summer is, that was the time that I actually had to work on making my classroom a safe, learning environment. I didn't have time to make changes during the school year---that was way too hard for me. Plus teachers and students get in habits, and it will be too hard to switch things up. So here are the three areas to focus on when you're preparing for your school year.
1) Management-Procedures and Routines. Consequences. How are you going to teach your routines and procedures? How much time do you dedicate to teaching these routines and procedures? What about consequences? It is so much easier to figure this stuff out BEFORE the kids get into the classroom than after.
Also, figure out what you're going to have to type up and print out for your students to take home. Some things that should be included are: Student Expectations, Procedures, Homework Policy, Consequences, Tardy Policy, Book List, Homework Expectations, Testing Expectations, Grading Policy, and a Curriculum Preview (what we'll be learning this year). Sometimes teachers will lump all of these things into a disclosure statement or class syllabus. Do what is best for you and your students.
2) Instruction- Make a curriculum map, print and highlight your standards, get yourself a practice state exam, and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE look at your textbook before the first day of school! Make sure that you have a plan for teaching, whether it's an annual type of plan (curriculum map) or just a monthly guide of what you'll be teaching. But, please try to make an outline of what you'll be teaching throughout the year.
I would go through each unit, write down the theme, important vocabulary, root words and the stories that we were planning on reading (with page numbers---helps a lot guys!). I would divide the units by the literary terms that the students were learning, and we would go from there. In all the instructional planning you do, please always remember to refer to your state/district standards and curriculum.
If you're a teacher, please read all of the novels/ short stories that you're planning on using in class to teach vocabulary, reading strategies or literary elements. The students will know if you've read them before. And it's always good to be one step ahead when you're planning.
3) Rapport- I have to tell you, as important as management and instruction are, I think rapport is extremely important as well. In order to effectively teach students, you need to have a good relationship with them. I think the first week of school is an excellent time for lots of team building and class building activities.
The students need to get to know you as well, so I would suggest having an introduction activity for yourself on the first day of school. Either a PowerPoint, letting kids answer your questions or, find the fiction.
One year I had students answer a bunch of questions about themselves on an index card (name, parent's name, phone number, favorite subject, favorite book, birthday, etc---for future reference). I then asked them to write down a question that they had for me on the index card, any question at all that they may want to ask. I only told them though, that after the first day, I would not answer any personal questions for the entire school year--this was there only chance.
The students enjoyed it and they asked me several things, including: "Are you pregnant?" (I was about 7 months along at the time); "What's your favorite animal?" (cheetahs); "What's your favorite color?" (red); "How old are you?" (24--at the time); "Are you married?" (yes); "Are you mean?" (yes, but only if you get in trouble/don't follow directions).
Of course, being the literature teacher that I was in a low-income, high ELL population school, I answered all the questions in complete sentences.
Look on the internet, look in books, there are tons of ideas. This was my favorite book in college, and I thorougly enjoyed it! Good luck on your first days of school!
Showing posts with label Management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Management. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Teacher Collaboration
Collaboration is a wonderful idea for teachers. When teachers work together to set up procedures/routines/rules/curriculum maps/projects, there are one of two ways you can go. First, your team can be a subject based team. For example, this is most likely what you'll see in a high school or junior high setting.
The first school I taught at, Landmark, I was a part of the Social Studies Department (or team). At my second school, Mountain View, we were a Kindergarten-8th grade school, so things were set up a little differently. We had only one teacher for each subject (with Resource teachers for math, language arts and reading, and an ELD specific reading/writing class called Read 180). So the team I was on at Mountain View was the 7th grade team, and we would often collaborate/share ideas with our 8th grade team as well.
Each type of department and team has it's benefits. If you're team is grade level oriented, you can set up more common procedures, routines and rules. This allows, in my opinion, more organized and well managed classrooms across the board (for the most part). We did have teachers that did not follow these procedures, and while the Sevvies were great (behavior wise) in my class and a couple of my close friend's classes, they were like animals in the other classes. Basically, they knew what they knew what classes they could get away with stuff in.
If your team is subject oriented, then you can set up more subject oriented events. For example, with my classroom neighbor, George (also my mentor my first year teaching), helped me SO MUCH with setting up lessons and curriculum. I really believe the only reason why I was still able to somewhat teach that year was because he was pulling me through by sharing what he was doing with his 7th grade history class as well. On a subject oriented team, you can have common assessments, common curriculum maps, and common projects (we had a Social Studies fair at our Junior High).
Both of these types of teams have their benefits, but I think it depends on the person. More seasoned veterans are probably fine on either team. They are okay with being a mentor for new teachers in regards to management (on a grade level team) or by helping with their wonderful curriculum ideas or projects (on a subject level team).
My personal opinion on the matter: Do what you have to. Most of the teams are already set up in a specific way---when you go to a school, the type of team you're on isn't going to change. But, you will need to learn and adapt. Make the best of whatever type of team you're on and go with the flow. If you're on a subject based team, but you're struggling with management (see MYSELF my first year teaching), then seek out the help of another teacher that is an excellent classroom manager. Unfortunately my first year, I was too stubborn to ask for help before it was too late. I had plenty of teachers that gave me advice that I have taken to heart from that first year teaching. That advice helped me tremendously my next two years.
The one thing I loved about the smaller, grade level team was that we all had the same students, and we could discuss their needs better. And besides, on that smaller, grade level team, we had so many more meetings (at least once a week). We really became close friends.
I thought I'd finish this post by writing a list of ideas for making the best out of your team and future teacher collaboration:
1) Have a good attitude---it can be so hard sometimes when it seems like you have heard the same thing OVER and OVER and OVER again! If you need to do something to keep yourself from murmuring to your neighbor, then just zone out. It's better to keep your opinions to yourself than to sow mutiny and discord amongst your fellow team.
2) Go to your meetings and be active---This is so important. You need to know what's going on. And, if you have any say, suggest having the meetings as often as possible. Okay, you might make enemies with different teachers, but becoming involved in the school and team is as important as staying in the classroom and teaching. Take the intiative, take notes at meetings, and make suggestions. If you don't participate in the conversation, then you have NO RIGHT TO COMPLAIN when things don't go your way.
3) Help your fellow teammates---Offer to help. Be positive, not negative. Be responsible and respectful to your teammates and be willing to work with people. If you have the opportunity, arrange for a sub (professional development) and go see other classrooms of your subject area or grade level and watch them teach. Each teacher has their own, unique way of doing things and can share something helpful and informative with someone else.
The first school I taught at, Landmark, I was a part of the Social Studies Department (or team). At my second school, Mountain View, we were a Kindergarten-8th grade school, so things were set up a little differently. We had only one teacher for each subject (with Resource teachers for math, language arts and reading, and an ELD specific reading/writing class called Read 180). So the team I was on at Mountain View was the 7th grade team, and we would often collaborate/share ideas with our 8th grade team as well.
Each type of department and team has it's benefits. If you're team is grade level oriented, you can set up more common procedures, routines and rules. This allows, in my opinion, more organized and well managed classrooms across the board (for the most part). We did have teachers that did not follow these procedures, and while the Sevvies were great (behavior wise) in my class and a couple of my close friend's classes, they were like animals in the other classes. Basically, they knew what they knew what classes they could get away with stuff in.
If your team is subject oriented, then you can set up more subject oriented events. For example, with my classroom neighbor, George (also my mentor my first year teaching), helped me SO MUCH with setting up lessons and curriculum. I really believe the only reason why I was still able to somewhat teach that year was because he was pulling me through by sharing what he was doing with his 7th grade history class as well. On a subject oriented team, you can have common assessments, common curriculum maps, and common projects (we had a Social Studies fair at our Junior High).
Both of these types of teams have their benefits, but I think it depends on the person. More seasoned veterans are probably fine on either team. They are okay with being a mentor for new teachers in regards to management (on a grade level team) or by helping with their wonderful curriculum ideas or projects (on a subject level team).
My personal opinion on the matter: Do what you have to. Most of the teams are already set up in a specific way---when you go to a school, the type of team you're on isn't going to change. But, you will need to learn and adapt. Make the best of whatever type of team you're on and go with the flow. If you're on a subject based team, but you're struggling with management (see MYSELF my first year teaching), then seek out the help of another teacher that is an excellent classroom manager. Unfortunately my first year, I was too stubborn to ask for help before it was too late. I had plenty of teachers that gave me advice that I have taken to heart from that first year teaching. That advice helped me tremendously my next two years.
The one thing I loved about the smaller, grade level team was that we all had the same students, and we could discuss their needs better. And besides, on that smaller, grade level team, we had so many more meetings (at least once a week). We really became close friends.
I thought I'd finish this post by writing a list of ideas for making the best out of your team and future teacher collaboration:
1) Have a good attitude---it can be so hard sometimes when it seems like you have heard the same thing OVER and OVER and OVER again! If you need to do something to keep yourself from murmuring to your neighbor, then just zone out. It's better to keep your opinions to yourself than to sow mutiny and discord amongst your fellow team.
2) Go to your meetings and be active---This is so important. You need to know what's going on. And, if you have any say, suggest having the meetings as often as possible. Okay, you might make enemies with different teachers, but becoming involved in the school and team is as important as staying in the classroom and teaching. Take the intiative, take notes at meetings, and make suggestions. If you don't participate in the conversation, then you have NO RIGHT TO COMPLAIN when things don't go your way.
3) Help your fellow teammates---Offer to help. Be positive, not negative. Be responsible and respectful to your teammates and be willing to work with people. If you have the opportunity, arrange for a sub (professional development) and go see other classrooms of your subject area or grade level and watch them teach. Each teacher has their own, unique way of doing things and can share something helpful and informative with someone else.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Using Assigned Detentions to Your Advantage
Detention. Nobody likes to stay after school, especially teachers. However, if you want your kids to be managed and discipline, you staying after to school to babysit manage and help your students is a necessity.
Most teachers have heard of the disciplinary practice. Just to clarify, detention is not a management skill, but a consequence.
So many things to say about detentions...
Why are detentions given? Usually for misbehavior in the classroom of a sort. Sometimes for missing school work and homework. Sometimes for unexcused tardies.
Is it possible for detention to get too excessive? And what about your veteran detainees? Those kids who are ALWAYS in detention and they don't mind?
I am going to write a few ideas for detentions. I haven't been a HUGE fan with detentions myself. My second year teaching, we could get up 30 7th graders in detention. That's a huge number. And about half of that number were some of our veterans. So, while detention is a tool to use in enforcing rules, expectations and management, it is NOT the answer for everything.
1) What types of behavior do you assign detentions for?
Personally, I believe that you need to sit yourself down and maybe some of same grade level teachers as yourself, and go ahead and set some parameters for giving detentions. Some teachers, because of being what I like to say "frazzled" at times, will look for the easiest consequence possible for students, and will start assigning detentions for the tiniest infractions (chewing gum, not raising hand when answering questions, getting out of seat without permission). Your students are going to resent you if you start doing that. When your students start resenting you, they will disrespect you even more.
Some reasons why you may assign detentions:
-After a certain number of tardies (I'd say 3 or 5)
-Excessive amount of homework or school work missing (start early with the missing assignments, 2-3)
-Repeat infractions---you'd have to keep a log of some sort for this. But this is for students, that no matter how many times you tell them and ask them to stop, and they don't, then detentions are the next step. Now, I said above that gum chewing, and shouting out in class, and getting out of their seat without permission were not detention worthy--- but that's when it's a one time offense. You're not going to tell your student, "Hey, you're chewing gum. Here's a detention slip." Instead, you'd say "Hey, this is the 5th time I've caught you chewing gum in my class. What happens next? (Insert hand holding detention slip with students name in big letters with hearts surrounding it)"
-Minor disrespect and defiance-- I am not talking about full blown defiance OR talking (yelling back). Those are offenses that require a more immediate disciplinary action (referral and parent conference) I'm talking about the quiet murmuring a student might have. And when I meant disrespect, I mean disrespect toward you (teacher) and classmates.
Scenario: A student gets an assignment that they don't like. They proceed to whisper to their partner "This is so stupid. I'm not doing it". This type of talk will sow mutiny, and you, the teacher happen to hear it. You head over to the student that started the murmuring. The entire class is watching you, and wants to see how you respond. If you ignore the student, the rest of the class will think it's OKAY not to do their assignment (except for the cute little over achievers that will do it anyway). You say to the student, "I'm so sad you don't like the assignment. But you still have to do it. If I come back and you haven't finished (said amount that you decide based on assignment ), then I'm afraid you'll have to do it for me after school (detention)."
2) Assigning the Detentions- How do you assign them?
First thing---parents need to be informed of where their children are after school. It's a good idea to call parents when you assign detentions anyway. Parents need to understand that detention is NOT a good thing. And a lot of times with middle school aged kids, the detention slips that you may give them, surprisingly, find their way into the trash instead of the parent's hands.
Second---inform the office of the students that are in your classroom after school for detention. This shouldn't be considered just a courtesy, but essential so that the office staff will know where those students are in case their parents come and look for them.
Third---When you assign the detention, tell the parents AND the students that if the behavior escalates, there will have to be a next step (I like the idea of a parent/teacher conference).
Fourth---Also tell your students and parents that there will be a consequence if the student is truant from (skips) detention. In our school and grade level, if students missed one detention, they were assigned two more---1 for the day they missed and another for skipping that day. This doesn't work with all students--- you need to figure out what will work best for you. Have a detention cap (after 3-5 missed detentions) that will decide the next consequence, whether it's a referral or a parent conference.
Fifth--- Don't sound resigned and unsurprised when you assign a student detention. I think all teachers need to remember that we need to hold our students to high standards, and we should show genuine care, concern and disappointment when they don't fulfill those expectations. After all, the first key to a well managed class is a good rapport with your students.
3) What should detention be like?
So many people will argue with me on this one. But, it's important that you decide what you want your students to be doing in detention. I'd like to think of detention as something you can do as a logical consequence. Whatever you do, you DON'T WANT YOUR STUDENTS TO ENJOY IT! Seriously, I'd have students ASK me if they could come to detention (who does that?).
If youbabysit watch only students that you assigned detentions to, then you know why they're there. So, try to make detention a LOGICAL CONSEQUENCE. So, say you have all students that are there because of missing work, make it a logical consequence and tell them they have to do make up work while they're in detention. If the all students present are your excessive gum chewers, make them clean up the room or even scrape gum. For those students that are the excessive standers or hand raisers, make them do SOMETHING BESIDES STARE AT THE WALL. Maybe clean up the room, maybe do homework. Just make them do something. Most students are totally okay with sitting and zoning out---they do it in school anyway.
I personally hate the idea of detention just being a place where students just sit and stare at walls. It doesn't benefit them in anyway at all. If you can't think of a logical consequence, or there are too many different reasons for detention students there, have them all do work (independently) or clean. Don't just let them sit and laugh quietly with their friends.
If students are hard to control, or are refusing to work or do what you've asked them to, don't let them get away with it. That is a way for detention to become a "cool hang out spot" and an ineffective consequence. You need to come up with a time frame anyway to keep your kids, so point to the clock and start writing names when students start acting up. Tell them, "If I write your name down, you have a few more minutes of fun time with me today. You're so lucky". (No lie, I would totally say it like that too. Totally creeped the Sevvies out. *evil laugh*)
Call parents if you plan on doing that so they'll know that you're planning on and they'll be able to adjust their pick up time accordingly.
4) Do Not Assign Detentions for these Behaviors
Defiance--absolutely refusing to do something after you ask nicely. Give them a warning, and if they are still defying you, then call somebody at the office to collect your prodigal student. You don't have the time to deal with it, and you shouldn't have to.
Disrespect--when disrespect escalates to verbal or physical abuse. (A student cusses you out or tries hurting you). If a student starts throwing things or gets violent toward you or anybody else, get the rest of your class our of the classroom and you need to call the office to come and get the student as soon as possible.
Fighting---Students fighting, even play fighting, is not something that should be tolerated in the least, especially with only a detention.
Ditching class---Doesn't matter to me whether the students ditch one class or all classes, and even at school when they're ditching, that should be something that the office deals with, not you.
I didn't forget anything, did I?
***Remember that these are my personal opinions and they are here to help you. You will need to adjust and adapt. We teachers are excellent at that. Do what will work best for you and more importantly, your students.
Most teachers have heard of the disciplinary practice. Just to clarify, detention is not a management skill, but a consequence.
So many things to say about detentions...
Why are detentions given? Usually for misbehavior in the classroom of a sort. Sometimes for missing school work and homework. Sometimes for unexcused tardies.
Is it possible for detention to get too excessive? And what about your veteran detainees? Those kids who are ALWAYS in detention and they don't mind?
I am going to write a few ideas for detentions. I haven't been a HUGE fan with detentions myself. My second year teaching, we could get up 30 7th graders in detention. That's a huge number. And about half of that number were some of our veterans. So, while detention is a tool to use in enforcing rules, expectations and management, it is NOT the answer for everything.
1) What types of behavior do you assign detentions for?
Personally, I believe that you need to sit yourself down and maybe some of same grade level teachers as yourself, and go ahead and set some parameters for giving detentions. Some teachers, because of being what I like to say "frazzled" at times, will look for the easiest consequence possible for students, and will start assigning detentions for the tiniest infractions (chewing gum, not raising hand when answering questions, getting out of seat without permission). Your students are going to resent you if you start doing that. When your students start resenting you, they will disrespect you even more.
Some reasons why you may assign detentions:
-After a certain number of tardies (I'd say 3 or 5)
-Excessive amount of homework or school work missing (start early with the missing assignments, 2-3)
-Repeat infractions---you'd have to keep a log of some sort for this. But this is for students, that no matter how many times you tell them and ask them to stop, and they don't, then detentions are the next step. Now, I said above that gum chewing, and shouting out in class, and getting out of their seat without permission were not detention worthy--- but that's when it's a one time offense. You're not going to tell your student, "Hey, you're chewing gum. Here's a detention slip." Instead, you'd say "Hey, this is the 5th time I've caught you chewing gum in my class. What happens next? (Insert hand holding detention slip with students name in big letters with hearts surrounding it)"
-Minor disrespect and defiance-- I am not talking about full blown defiance OR talking (yelling back). Those are offenses that require a more immediate disciplinary action (referral and parent conference) I'm talking about the quiet murmuring a student might have. And when I meant disrespect, I mean disrespect toward you (teacher) and classmates.
Scenario: A student gets an assignment that they don't like. They proceed to whisper to their partner "This is so stupid. I'm not doing it". This type of talk will sow mutiny, and you, the teacher happen to hear it. You head over to the student that started the murmuring. The entire class is watching you, and wants to see how you respond. If you ignore the student, the rest of the class will think it's OKAY not to do their assignment (except for the cute little over achievers that will do it anyway). You say to the student, "I'm so sad you don't like the assignment. But you still have to do it. If I come back and you haven't finished (said amount that you decide based on assignment ), then I'm afraid you'll have to do it for me after school (detention)."
2) Assigning the Detentions- How do you assign them?
First thing---parents need to be informed of where their children are after school. It's a good idea to call parents when you assign detentions anyway. Parents need to understand that detention is NOT a good thing. And a lot of times with middle school aged kids, the detention slips that you may give them, surprisingly, find their way into the trash instead of the parent's hands.
Second---inform the office of the students that are in your classroom after school for detention. This shouldn't be considered just a courtesy, but essential so that the office staff will know where those students are in case their parents come and look for them.
Third---When you assign the detention, tell the parents AND the students that if the behavior escalates, there will have to be a next step (I like the idea of a parent/teacher conference).
Fourth---Also tell your students and parents that there will be a consequence if the student is truant from (skips) detention. In our school and grade level, if students missed one detention, they were assigned two more---1 for the day they missed and another for skipping that day. This doesn't work with all students--- you need to figure out what will work best for you. Have a detention cap (after 3-5 missed detentions) that will decide the next consequence, whether it's a referral or a parent conference.
Fifth--- Don't sound resigned and unsurprised when you assign a student detention. I think all teachers need to remember that we need to hold our students to high standards, and we should show genuine care, concern and disappointment when they don't fulfill those expectations. After all, the first key to a well managed class is a good rapport with your students.
3) What should detention be like?
So many people will argue with me on this one. But, it's important that you decide what you want your students to be doing in detention. I'd like to think of detention as something you can do as a logical consequence. Whatever you do, you DON'T WANT YOUR STUDENTS TO ENJOY IT! Seriously, I'd have students ASK me if they could come to detention (who does that?).
If you
I personally hate the idea of detention just being a place where students just sit and stare at walls. It doesn't benefit them in anyway at all. If you can't think of a logical consequence, or there are too many different reasons for detention students there, have them all do work (independently) or clean. Don't just let them sit and laugh quietly with their friends.
If students are hard to control, or are refusing to work or do what you've asked them to, don't let them get away with it. That is a way for detention to become a "cool hang out spot" and an ineffective consequence. You need to come up with a time frame anyway to keep your kids, so point to the clock and start writing names when students start acting up. Tell them, "If I write your name down, you have a few more minutes of fun time with me today. You're so lucky". (No lie, I would totally say it like that too. Totally creeped the Sevvies out. *evil laugh*)
Call parents if you plan on doing that so they'll know that you're planning on and they'll be able to adjust their pick up time accordingly.
4) Do Not Assign Detentions for these Behaviors
Defiance--absolutely refusing to do something after you ask nicely. Give them a warning, and if they are still defying you, then call somebody at the office to collect your prodigal student. You don't have the time to deal with it, and you shouldn't have to.
Disrespect--when disrespect escalates to verbal or physical abuse. (A student cusses you out or tries hurting you). If a student starts throwing things or gets violent toward you or anybody else, get the rest of your class our of the classroom and you need to call the office to come and get the student as soon as possible.
Fighting---Students fighting, even play fighting, is not something that should be tolerated in the least, especially with only a detention.
Ditching class---Doesn't matter to me whether the students ditch one class or all classes, and even at school when they're ditching, that should be something that the office deals with, not you.
I didn't forget anything, did I?
***Remember that these are my personal opinions and they are here to help you. You will need to adjust and adapt. We teachers are excellent at that. Do what will work best for you and more importantly, your students.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
What I was never taught in college...
How to be organized. I don't mean my classroom and school supplies. I mean my teacher desk!
I was so disorganized my first year of teaching, I'm afraid I lost quite a few pieces of paperwork. Or I thought I lost them and found them months later.
One thing that I lacked in my college education was the knowledge that teachers deal with A LOT of paperwork. I never had a specific organization system my first year teaching because I didn't realize how much paper would be literally swimming on my desk! I would put aside paperwork from the office, and tell myself, "I just have to remember that the paper is here". About 2 months later, I found it again. It was BAD!
So, second year of teaching, I decided to try to make my desk a little bit more organized. What did I do?
1) Sticky notes- I used these so much. Usually when I had to remember to do something, especially paperwork, I would write it on my post-it note and put it on my computer monitor. Since I was on the computer checking emails and taking attendance for a large part of the day, I would always see the reminder and I would do it before I left my classroom that day.
2) Folders- If I had more than one paper, I would put them in a folder and label the folder. I had book ends that I put on my desk for some of my books, and I would put my folders in there. I usually tried to color code the folders as well.
3) Cups- Use cups, tins or cup like containers for paper clips, pens, pencils, and other little office supplies that you keep around on your desk. It's better to have a designated spot than to have them all over the place. I would keep rubber bands in your desk. Kids have a tendency to use rubber bands as weapons (sling shots), and it would be best to have them in a place that a student wouldn't go to usually.
The most important thing you can do, is clean up after yourself and organize your papers everyday. It's better to do it a little at a time, than wait for it to become a huge mountain of paperwork. Designate a time each day that you can go through your paperwork and clean up your area. It helps a ton!
I am NO professional when it comes to keeping my room super-clean and organized, BUT, I think that your teacher desk can say a lot about you. By keeping your desk more organized, you're more likely to have a better relationship with the office staff because you can get stuff that they need, and you won't be as frustrated when you try to find what you need.
If you have a better idea for organizing your desk, feel free to let me know! I am willing to take suggestions!
I was so disorganized my first year of teaching, I'm afraid I lost quite a few pieces of paperwork. Or I thought I lost them and found them months later.
One thing that I lacked in my college education was the knowledge that teachers deal with A LOT of paperwork. I never had a specific organization system my first year teaching because I didn't realize how much paper would be literally swimming on my desk! I would put aside paperwork from the office, and tell myself, "I just have to remember that the paper is here". About 2 months later, I found it again. It was BAD!
So, second year of teaching, I decided to try to make my desk a little bit more organized. What did I do?
1) Sticky notes- I used these so much. Usually when I had to remember to do something, especially paperwork, I would write it on my post-it note and put it on my computer monitor. Since I was on the computer checking emails and taking attendance for a large part of the day, I would always see the reminder and I would do it before I left my classroom that day.
2) Folders- If I had more than one paper, I would put them in a folder and label the folder. I had book ends that I put on my desk for some of my books, and I would put my folders in there. I usually tried to color code the folders as well.
3) Cups- Use cups, tins or cup like containers for paper clips, pens, pencils, and other little office supplies that you keep around on your desk. It's better to have a designated spot than to have them all over the place. I would keep rubber bands in your desk. Kids have a tendency to use rubber bands as weapons (sling shots), and it would be best to have them in a place that a student wouldn't go to usually.
The most important thing you can do, is clean up after yourself and organize your papers everyday. It's better to do it a little at a time, than wait for it to become a huge mountain of paperwork. Designate a time each day that you can go through your paperwork and clean up your area. It helps a ton!
I am NO professional when it comes to keeping my room super-clean and organized, BUT, I think that your teacher desk can say a lot about you. By keeping your desk more organized, you're more likely to have a better relationship with the office staff because you can get stuff that they need, and you won't be as frustrated when you try to find what you need.
If you have a better idea for organizing your desk, feel free to let me know! I am willing to take suggestions!
Monday, June 20, 2011
Procedures and Routines to Consider--The Basics
A few ideas for procedures/routines in your classroom.
Entering the Classroom---Do you want them to come in the room in a line? Do they go straight to their desks or do they get their supplies first? My students were supposed to wait in a line until I told them they could come in. When they entered the room, they would come in quietly, go to their seats, take out their supplies and start their bell work. If students came in too loudly, we practiced again and again and again and again until they got it right.
Starting Class (bell work)---Most teachers and teaching experts agree that having a bell work assignment is best in getting your class settled and on task to learn. My bell work was usually a review of the work from the day before. Students should be able to finish their bell work within 5 minutes. You don't want bell work to go on forever. It's happened to me where we've discussed the students' bell work assignment and I look at the clock and cringe because the rest of my lesson will be rushed. This should not be the most important part of your lesson!
Getting textbooks--My students were in teams, pairs or rows. I excused parts of the classroom (1 row, 1 group or 4 pairs) at a time to get their text books. When they were done, I excused another part of the class until everyone had their books.
Turning in homework--Homework was always tricky for me. I usually assigned homework, always due on Friday. On Friday, during bell work, I would have students take out their homework and putting it on the left hand corner of their desk. I would walk around, and while monitoring students, would stamp their work. This way I knew that these students turned in their homework on time. I then excused the students one row or team at a time to turn in their homework. For the homework, I had in-trays for each class period. Sometimes the students would get lazy, and put their work in a different period's tray. If this happened, I would reteach the procedure and, if one student specifically was bad about it, I would take them aside and talk to them about it. I usually didn't have too many problems though.
Getting supplies--Supplies were usually in a specific spot. I had a table at the front of the classroom where I put all the supplies I needed for the day. I then told the students, one row or team at a time, to go and get the supplies they needed to bring back to their group. When students worked independently, I was more relaxed about them getting their supplies as long as they did it quickly and were on task! Sometimes that was a huge struggle though!
Passing out papers--If it seems that I didn't do anything in the classroom, it's not true. I did teach. BUT, I let the students work also. I kept papers in a pile at the table in the front of the room. I told the students "One person from each row, get enough papers for your row." The students took turns getting the papers from the front of the room and passing them out to everyone else.
Passing back work--I kept student's graded work in a crate. Each class period had a hanging file folder, and I just put their work when it was graded. I then had students that finished their work early (usually toward the end of the class period), pass out the papers to everyone else in class. If there was a student that wasn't there that day, the students just put their paper back in the correct folder.
Sharpening Pencils--When do you let them sharpen their pencils? I was never strict about students sharpening their pencils, as long as it wasn't when I was teaching or other students were talking. I told them to sharpen their pencils at the beginning of class. Some students use it as an excuse to dawdle and talk to their friends. So, I also told the students that there was only one person allowed to be at the pencil sharpener at a time. I also told the students that they needed to raise their hand in order to sharpen their pencils.
Going to the restroom--The good old restroom. So many students like to use the restroom as an excuse to leave the room and avoid class. And sometimes to meet up with buddies or girlfriends or boyfriends. So, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, have a sign out sheet. Teach the students that they need to ask to go the bathroom, sign the sheet with their name and the time that they left. They should also have a pass. If possible, try to give students an allotment each semester for "free" bathroom passes. Maybe 5 a semester is a good number? It all depends on you.
Second of all, make sure that your students know the appropriate time to use the restroom. I always told my students that the appropriate time to go to the restroom was when I was NOT teaching. A lot of times, unless the students have a health issue, they are fine with "holding it" until the end of the class period. I often told students, "When you finish working on this, then you can go." Most of the time, the students forgot they even asked me. If the students finished their work and remembered to ask me again, then I let them go. There are, of course, times with real emergencies. I always thought it would be hard to distinguish between a kid faking it and a kid that really needs to go. Honestly, you'll know the difference.
Classroom discussion/Answering questions--- Students need to raise their hands when answering questions in a whole class discussion. This is extremely important, otherwise students will believe that it's okay to shout out. Choral answers and reading are completely okay as long as students are taught how to do it properly.
Working in Groups--- This routine will differ with each teacher depending on their personality. But the important thing is this: If you want your students to work successfully in teams, they NEED to be taught how to work in teams. Tell them your expectations before they start working. I always told students that every student had to have their own paper, the noise level couldn't get too loud and if they were goofing off they got one warning from me to go back on task. I tell students beforehand what the consequence: I call it team or partner probation. I will break up the groups and partners and they can't work together for the rest of the assignment. And sometimes, if the kids are super naughty, they can't work with that certain friend of theirs that makes them want to act naughty.
Working in Pairs--Same as above!
Working independently-- Solo time or independent time means students are to be working by themselves. I didn't do this a lot, because I think 7th graders work best in a social settings by teaching and helping each other. I also want to add that I did play music in the background when students were working. I told my students that as long as I could hear the music, the noise level was okay.
Cleaning up the classroom and Class Dismissal--- Cleaning up the classroom is important. I got in trouble from the custodian my first year of teaching for having a dirty classroom. I was too exhausted at the end of the school day to make my students clean up. After I got a scary notice from the custodians, I made my students clean up for me. I wouldn't let anyone leave until the classroom floor was spotless. Sometimes I told students to each pick up 5 pieces of trash before they left. Making your students clean up after themselves after each class period will really help you keep your room tidy.
On another note, just putting supplies away can take a long time for students. They like to dawdle and talk. I always waited until there were just a few minutes of class left to have my students clean up. Just make sure that you watch the time. There have been COUNTLESS times that I have lost track of time and we are chaotically scrambling to clean up.
I also liked to make students sit in their seats until I told them they could leave. I was kind of bratty, but at the beginning of the year I would tell my students: "I dismiss you, not the bell." Sometimes students would be a little eager to leave. I would just gently remind them to sit back down and I usually made them wait until everyone else had left, to prove a point to them.
Remember, the key to any successful procedure is practice, practice and more practice!
If you have any other procedures/ comments please tell me so I can add them in! Also, I will be getting two new awesome contributors to this blog to give another point of view, so you're not just hearing from me!
Entering the Classroom---Do you want them to come in the room in a line? Do they go straight to their desks or do they get their supplies first? My students were supposed to wait in a line until I told them they could come in. When they entered the room, they would come in quietly, go to their seats, take out their supplies and start their bell work. If students came in too loudly, we practiced again and again and again and again until they got it right.
Starting Class (bell work)---Most teachers and teaching experts agree that having a bell work assignment is best in getting your class settled and on task to learn. My bell work was usually a review of the work from the day before. Students should be able to finish their bell work within 5 minutes. You don't want bell work to go on forever. It's happened to me where we've discussed the students' bell work assignment and I look at the clock and cringe because the rest of my lesson will be rushed. This should not be the most important part of your lesson!
Getting textbooks--My students were in teams, pairs or rows. I excused parts of the classroom (1 row, 1 group or 4 pairs) at a time to get their text books. When they were done, I excused another part of the class until everyone had their books.
Turning in homework--Homework was always tricky for me. I usually assigned homework, always due on Friday. On Friday, during bell work, I would have students take out their homework and putting it on the left hand corner of their desk. I would walk around, and while monitoring students, would stamp their work. This way I knew that these students turned in their homework on time. I then excused the students one row or team at a time to turn in their homework. For the homework, I had in-trays for each class period. Sometimes the students would get lazy, and put their work in a different period's tray. If this happened, I would reteach the procedure and, if one student specifically was bad about it, I would take them aside and talk to them about it. I usually didn't have too many problems though.
Getting supplies--Supplies were usually in a specific spot. I had a table at the front of the classroom where I put all the supplies I needed for the day. I then told the students, one row or team at a time, to go and get the supplies they needed to bring back to their group. When students worked independently, I was more relaxed about them getting their supplies as long as they did it quickly and were on task! Sometimes that was a huge struggle though!
Passing out papers--If it seems that I didn't do anything in the classroom, it's not true. I did teach. BUT, I let the students work also. I kept papers in a pile at the table in the front of the room. I told the students "One person from each row, get enough papers for your row." The students took turns getting the papers from the front of the room and passing them out to everyone else.
Passing back work--I kept student's graded work in a crate. Each class period had a hanging file folder, and I just put their work when it was graded. I then had students that finished their work early (usually toward the end of the class period), pass out the papers to everyone else in class. If there was a student that wasn't there that day, the students just put their paper back in the correct folder.
Sharpening Pencils--When do you let them sharpen their pencils? I was never strict about students sharpening their pencils, as long as it wasn't when I was teaching or other students were talking. I told them to sharpen their pencils at the beginning of class. Some students use it as an excuse to dawdle and talk to their friends. So, I also told the students that there was only one person allowed to be at the pencil sharpener at a time. I also told the students that they needed to raise their hand in order to sharpen their pencils.
Going to the restroom--The good old restroom. So many students like to use the restroom as an excuse to leave the room and avoid class. And sometimes to meet up with buddies or girlfriends or boyfriends. So, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, have a sign out sheet. Teach the students that they need to ask to go the bathroom, sign the sheet with their name and the time that they left. They should also have a pass. If possible, try to give students an allotment each semester for "free" bathroom passes. Maybe 5 a semester is a good number? It all depends on you.
Second of all, make sure that your students know the appropriate time to use the restroom. I always told my students that the appropriate time to go to the restroom was when I was NOT teaching. A lot of times, unless the students have a health issue, they are fine with "holding it" until the end of the class period. I often told students, "When you finish working on this, then you can go." Most of the time, the students forgot they even asked me. If the students finished their work and remembered to ask me again, then I let them go. There are, of course, times with real emergencies. I always thought it would be hard to distinguish between a kid faking it and a kid that really needs to go. Honestly, you'll know the difference.
Classroom discussion/Answering questions--- Students need to raise their hands when answering questions in a whole class discussion. This is extremely important, otherwise students will believe that it's okay to shout out. Choral answers and reading are completely okay as long as students are taught how to do it properly.
Working in Groups--- This routine will differ with each teacher depending on their personality. But the important thing is this: If you want your students to work successfully in teams, they NEED to be taught how to work in teams. Tell them your expectations before they start working. I always told students that every student had to have their own paper, the noise level couldn't get too loud and if they were goofing off they got one warning from me to go back on task. I tell students beforehand what the consequence: I call it team or partner probation. I will break up the groups and partners and they can't work together for the rest of the assignment. And sometimes, if the kids are super naughty, they can't work with that certain friend of theirs that makes them want to act naughty.
Working in Pairs--Same as above!
Working independently-- Solo time or independent time means students are to be working by themselves. I didn't do this a lot, because I think 7th graders work best in a social settings by teaching and helping each other. I also want to add that I did play music in the background when students were working. I told my students that as long as I could hear the music, the noise level was okay.
Cleaning up the classroom and Class Dismissal--- Cleaning up the classroom is important. I got in trouble from the custodian my first year of teaching for having a dirty classroom. I was too exhausted at the end of the school day to make my students clean up. After I got a scary notice from the custodians, I made my students clean up for me. I wouldn't let anyone leave until the classroom floor was spotless. Sometimes I told students to each pick up 5 pieces of trash before they left. Making your students clean up after themselves after each class period will really help you keep your room tidy.
On another note, just putting supplies away can take a long time for students. They like to dawdle and talk. I always waited until there were just a few minutes of class left to have my students clean up. Just make sure that you watch the time. There have been COUNTLESS times that I have lost track of time and we are chaotically scrambling to clean up.
I also liked to make students sit in their seats until I told them they could leave. I was kind of bratty, but at the beginning of the year I would tell my students: "I dismiss you, not the bell." Sometimes students would be a little eager to leave. I would just gently remind them to sit back down and I usually made them wait until everyone else had left, to prove a point to them.
Remember, the key to any successful procedure is practice, practice and more practice!
If you have any other procedures/ comments please tell me so I can add them in! Also, I will be getting two new awesome contributors to this blog to give another point of view, so you're not just hearing from me!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Organizing the Classroom: Routines and Procedures
Organization... Organization... Organization...
Do you have to be super organized to be a master teacher? Probably not.
Will it help you stay sane, get your school year on the right track and make your life a whole lot easier? Yes. Most definitely.
I've always been a fairly organized person. But it takes a completely different level of preparedness and organization to efficiently teach middle school students.
You literally have to plan out how everything will be run in your classroom, from how students will get papers (do you have one student hand them out? Do you hand them out?) and sharpening pencils (when are they allowed to sharpen pencils? Do they raise their hand or just get up?) to lining up for fire drills (no, it's not okay to run, screaming from the room) and dismissal from your classroom. If you're lucky, you'll have a team that you work with, and there's a good chance that you will have some common procedures.
And the best part about figuring out all of this stuff, is you have to effectively teach, and have your students practice these procedures. After enough practice, they will become routines.
And you have to keep teaching those routines and procedures. Just learning them once at the beginning of the year is not enough. They probably weren't listening the first time anyway!
In preparation for the beginning of new school year, here is a check list of things to do. I will post specifically about successful and not-so successful routines and procedures that I practiced in my classrooms.
1) Figure out your classroom set up.
Groups, rows or pairs? Seriously, this is important. The first step to getting your routines and procedures set up is knowing the physical layout of your classroom. And this can be tricky. Make sure that you have enough room in between desks. Make sure that you have an area for students that have a harder time staying on task. And make sure that you have an area for you to pull students for individual conferences. Individual and detailed feedback is extremely important for student success. Draw out your classroom map on a piece of paper in pencil. Ideally, you should draw a new map every time you move desks or your room around.
2) Give yourself a budget and make a list.
Make yourself a list of any supplies that you need for the school year. If you're lucky, and the school pays for you or provides you with all your supplies, then you don't have to worry too much about a budget. Some of the things to keep in mind for helping you and your students stay organized are folders. The folders that were found in my classroom were: file folders, hanging file folders, portfolio folders (with the pocket on the inside), and binders. Also, pencil boxes, baskets and/or boxes are wonderful to have for organizing supplies, such as scissors, coloring pencils, crayons, glue sticks and index cards. Crates and boxes are wonderful for holding folders containing student work, class folders, absent or make up work and graded work.
Most stores have AWESOME back to school sales in the summer. Keep an eye out especially for Staples ads. They used to have Penny Sales when I was teaching. Other good places to shop for organization supplies are: Target, Wal Mart, and Dollar Tree.
3) Start writing your procedures and routines.
Honestly, write them out. Don't just say "I'll just remember to teach the kids that they need to come in quietly." Write it down as a note for yourself so you won't forget. On the first day of school, most teachers are as nervous as their students. You're bound to forget it if you don't write it down. When you start writing down your routines and procedures, start thinking of how you're going to teach it to your students and ways to enforce the routine. I would also consider prioritizing your list. Which procedures will take longer to teach? Which ones are the more important routines? Which routines can students wait to learn about?
4) Ask other teachers for help.
Teachers are really good at copying each other. And most teachers part willingly with the things that work for them. But what may work for one teacher, won't necessarily work for another. We all have different personalities, and I know that there are some things that I see people do really well, that would have been a complete disaster in my own classroom.
The key is consistency. We should be constantly improving ourselves. Be consistent in your routines and procedures. If something is not working for you, don't be afraid to ask for help. A lot of teachers don't suggest ways to help struggling teachers because they're afraid that they'll offend said teacher.
Don't be too proud. When it all comes down to it, it's really about the students, not you. And if you're not teaching what you're supposed to because the students haven't learned the procedures or you haven't enforced them enough, you are at fault. I've been there, and it's tough. But keep going and remember the better prepared you are before the first day of school, the easier your school year will be.
Tomorrow I will be posting a list of the procedures and routines that I used in my classroom. Enjoy!
Do you have to be super organized to be a master teacher? Probably not.
Will it help you stay sane, get your school year on the right track and make your life a whole lot easier? Yes. Most definitely.
I've always been a fairly organized person. But it takes a completely different level of preparedness and organization to efficiently teach middle school students.
You literally have to plan out how everything will be run in your classroom, from how students will get papers (do you have one student hand them out? Do you hand them out?) and sharpening pencils (when are they allowed to sharpen pencils? Do they raise their hand or just get up?) to lining up for fire drills (no, it's not okay to run, screaming from the room) and dismissal from your classroom. If you're lucky, you'll have a team that you work with, and there's a good chance that you will have some common procedures.
And the best part about figuring out all of this stuff, is you have to effectively teach, and have your students practice these procedures. After enough practice, they will become routines.
And you have to keep teaching those routines and procedures. Just learning them once at the beginning of the year is not enough. They probably weren't listening the first time anyway!
In preparation for the beginning of new school year, here is a check list of things to do. I will post specifically about successful and not-so successful routines and procedures that I practiced in my classrooms.
1) Figure out your classroom set up.
Groups, rows or pairs? Seriously, this is important. The first step to getting your routines and procedures set up is knowing the physical layout of your classroom. And this can be tricky. Make sure that you have enough room in between desks. Make sure that you have an area for students that have a harder time staying on task. And make sure that you have an area for you to pull students for individual conferences. Individual and detailed feedback is extremely important for student success. Draw out your classroom map on a piece of paper in pencil. Ideally, you should draw a new map every time you move desks or your room around.
2) Give yourself a budget and make a list.
Make yourself a list of any supplies that you need for the school year. If you're lucky, and the school pays for you or provides you with all your supplies, then you don't have to worry too much about a budget. Some of the things to keep in mind for helping you and your students stay organized are folders. The folders that were found in my classroom were: file folders, hanging file folders, portfolio folders (with the pocket on the inside), and binders. Also, pencil boxes, baskets and/or boxes are wonderful to have for organizing supplies, such as scissors, coloring pencils, crayons, glue sticks and index cards. Crates and boxes are wonderful for holding folders containing student work, class folders, absent or make up work and graded work.
Most stores have AWESOME back to school sales in the summer. Keep an eye out especially for Staples ads. They used to have Penny Sales when I was teaching. Other good places to shop for organization supplies are: Target, Wal Mart, and Dollar Tree.
3) Start writing your procedures and routines.
Honestly, write them out. Don't just say "I'll just remember to teach the kids that they need to come in quietly." Write it down as a note for yourself so you won't forget. On the first day of school, most teachers are as nervous as their students. You're bound to forget it if you don't write it down. When you start writing down your routines and procedures, start thinking of how you're going to teach it to your students and ways to enforce the routine. I would also consider prioritizing your list. Which procedures will take longer to teach? Which ones are the more important routines? Which routines can students wait to learn about?
4) Ask other teachers for help.
Teachers are really good at copying each other. And most teachers part willingly with the things that work for them. But what may work for one teacher, won't necessarily work for another. We all have different personalities, and I know that there are some things that I see people do really well, that would have been a complete disaster in my own classroom.
The key is consistency. We should be constantly improving ourselves. Be consistent in your routines and procedures. If something is not working for you, don't be afraid to ask for help. A lot of teachers don't suggest ways to help struggling teachers because they're afraid that they'll offend said teacher.
Don't be too proud. When it all comes down to it, it's really about the students, not you. And if you're not teaching what you're supposed to because the students haven't learned the procedures or you haven't enforced them enough, you are at fault. I've been there, and it's tough. But keep going and remember the better prepared you are before the first day of school, the easier your school year will be.
Tomorrow I will be posting a list of the procedures and routines that I used in my classroom. Enjoy!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
A Little Bit about My First Year
Rewind back 3-4 years ago for me. I graduated from college, landed my first teaching job in a low income, high crime, diverse area. In late July I moved to Glendale, Arizona to get settled in my apartment and my first classroom. My room was beautiful. I had everything organized. I had my procedures and class rules. I had my first whole week planned! I was so optimistic and incredibly naive! It was wonderful the first few weeks, and then, I realized that the kids were just messing with me.
There were so many times that I tried to discipline students and they would sweet talk me. There were so many times that I could have done something, but I didn't know what to do! For example, what behavior warrants an automatic referral to the office? What behaviors constitute detentions? What behaviors earn a "timeout" to a different classroom?
I understood the concept and psychology behind teaching and student behavior. But it is so much easier to say that you'll be a fantastic classroom manager than actually doing it. I understood the idea behind "logical consequences" to actions. But nothing seemed logical to me. Everything seemed to harsh or it didn't seem to help the students at all. I was constantly changing consequences for students. I felt like I was drowning. If one student wasn't acting up, then another was.
Several teachers tried to help me. But they all had DIFFERENT opinions on discipline and management. Some were too strict, in my opinion. Others, were too casual and relaxed.
I left the school district after that first year because I felt like it was the right choice for me. It was a really sad, depressing first year of teaching. I know that first years of teaching aren't the best for everyone. But honestly, I was so tired, sick and exhausted by the end, I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay a teacher anymore. I even gained 15 lbs that first year because of the stress!
BUT instead of getting upset and quitting, I switched districts and landed a new job as a 7th grade Reading teacher. I was absolutely, positively determined that my second year of teaching would be at least 100 times better than my first year of teaching.
And making the choice to keep teaching was the best choice that I could possibly make. The difference between my first and second year were incredible. Instead of drowning in water, I was walking on it. I was helping students. They were succeeding, and I was so much happier and energetic.
As difficult, draining and upsetting that first year was, I took the experiences from it and I became a much better teacher and person. I know this sounds cheesy, but NEVER GIVE UP! There is always something to be learned in any situation, and by sticking it out and learning, you'll become a stronger and more effective teacher.
Because of my experiences at Landmark Middle School, I was able to be the best teacher possible at Mountain View School.
 |
| A picture of myself in front of my first school. What a learning experience. |
I understood the concept and psychology behind teaching and student behavior. But it is so much easier to say that you'll be a fantastic classroom manager than actually doing it. I understood the idea behind "logical consequences" to actions. But nothing seemed logical to me. Everything seemed to harsh or it didn't seem to help the students at all. I was constantly changing consequences for students. I felt like I was drowning. If one student wasn't acting up, then another was.
Several teachers tried to help me. But they all had DIFFERENT opinions on discipline and management. Some were too strict, in my opinion. Others, were too casual and relaxed.
I left the school district after that first year because I felt like it was the right choice for me. It was a really sad, depressing first year of teaching. I know that first years of teaching aren't the best for everyone. But honestly, I was so tired, sick and exhausted by the end, I wasn't sure if I wanted to stay a teacher anymore. I even gained 15 lbs that first year because of the stress!
BUT instead of getting upset and quitting, I switched districts and landed a new job as a 7th grade Reading teacher. I was absolutely, positively determined that my second year of teaching would be at least 100 times better than my first year of teaching.
And making the choice to keep teaching was the best choice that I could possibly make. The difference between my first and second year were incredible. Instead of drowning in water, I was walking on it. I was helping students. They were succeeding, and I was so much happier and energetic.
As difficult, draining and upsetting that first year was, I took the experiences from it and I became a much better teacher and person. I know this sounds cheesy, but NEVER GIVE UP! There is always something to be learned in any situation, and by sticking it out and learning, you'll become a stronger and more effective teacher.
Because of my experiences at Landmark Middle School, I was able to be the best teacher possible at Mountain View School.
Monday, June 13, 2011
9 months of Hades
This title isn't referring to my 9 months of pregnancy in Phoenix, Arizona. It is actually referring to the 9 months that was my first year of teaching. From August 2007 until May 2008, I jumped into the world of teaching 7th grade Social Studies and Language Arts. My middle school was completely different from any place I had ever been before, and I had no idea how to reach, teach, inspire or even manage the students in my classes. And they knew it! I was drowning, barely holding on to the little control I had over my classes. And it was the worst feeling in the world.
Thankfully, the principals and other teachers didn't think it was as bad as I did so I wasn't fired midway through the year, and I took the experience as an opportunity to learn and grow. In fact, I was so determined, that I told myself, that the next year I would be a lot better and I would not let those 7th graders decide my happiness and success in teaching.
Teaching, like so much in life, is all about attitude. And attitude is what made the difference those next two year of teaching for me. I'm not saying that it's important to be happy go lucky when the kids are screwing around and being disrespectful, but how you approach the management of the students has as much to do with your manner as it does with the disciplining. Yelling and screaming at those kids won't help them. But proper management, with a positive attitude makes the difference in a classroom.
I firmly believe the key to earning a student's respect is by handling student concerns, problems, and suggestions with firmness and a respect. Like how I told so many of my students when I was teaching, "It's not what you're saying, but how you're saying it!"
It's not easy, and I've definitely made mistakes. But your students will forgive you as long as they know you respect and care for them. Much more on routines, procedures, management and discipline to come!
Thankfully, the principals and other teachers didn't think it was as bad as I did so I wasn't fired midway through the year, and I took the experience as an opportunity to learn and grow. In fact, I was so determined, that I told myself, that the next year I would be a lot better and I would not let those 7th graders decide my happiness and success in teaching.
Teaching, like so much in life, is all about attitude. And attitude is what made the difference those next two year of teaching for me. I'm not saying that it's important to be happy go lucky when the kids are screwing around and being disrespectful, but how you approach the management of the students has as much to do with your manner as it does with the disciplining. Yelling and screaming at those kids won't help them. But proper management, with a positive attitude makes the difference in a classroom.
I firmly believe the key to earning a student's respect is by handling student concerns, problems, and suggestions with firmness and a respect. Like how I told so many of my students when I was teaching, "It's not what you're saying, but how you're saying it!"
It's not easy, and I've definitely made mistakes. But your students will forgive you as long as they know you respect and care for them. Much more on routines, procedures, management and discipline to come!
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