Classroom Management

Classroom Management will always be a main issue teachers need to address. There are many ways to manage a classroom good and bad. The main important part of teaching is to make sure you are engaging with your students. This might mean you are up and moving around keeping your students interest with movement (CLT.) You can help keep students on task by standing near students or groups that are socializing (BLT). Anther important point is that you establish class expectations with your students early on so they will know what is and is not expected of them. Along with this, establish discipline if students do not choose to follow expectations (BLT). Routine activities and leading questions will keep students on task more than using strict discipline. If students get in bad habits and start making it a routine to come to class late or misbehave in class there should be an action plan designed to make the expectations clear and establish punishment if their bad actions continue. The key to running a successful classroom is consistency and mutual respect. If a teacher is acting unfairly students will loose respect and they will be less willing to be effort into the class.

 Time management is also very important. Teachers should be efficient work through concepts with students and manage discipline appropriately. Also teachers should make long term goals and have a basic plan of major concepts they need to discuss. Classroom climate is important as well; teachers should have an environment that is appropriate to what subject they are teaching. The look and feel of the room should match what the teacher is teaching. An art room should be decorated with art and filled with resources that the students can use to find inspiration. An art room should also have functional areas, like a blank wall for critiquing artwork and a place to clean art supplies.  An inspiring climate can be made with something as simple as music, this way students feel welcome when they walk in the classroom.

Reaching all the students is important part of classroom management. Each classroom is a room full of individuals and each are at their own development level (DLT). The teacher has to make sure they are using a variety of teaching styles and techniques to encourage everyone to use their strengths. The more variety of approaches a teacher uses the more opportunities different students have to shine. An easy way to reach all students is learn everyone’s name. This is a simple way to show that you care, which will hopefully help build a relationship with your students. The main thing teacher need is awareness. Have watchful eyes for any students struggling to follow expectations and make sure to be creative with lesson plans. A great way to check students level of understanding is by using different forms of assessments. Go over complex concept again if students are still struggling. Check to make sure your assessments are valid. Get input from other teacher and students. Make improvements to your teaching approach. Student must have active mental engagement in order to learn. It is the teacher responsibility to create an environment that fosters active participation and understanding (CLT).  

In addition, teachers need to be accommodating for diverse learners. Whether you are accommodating diverse learners or students with physical disabilities, teachers need to have several variations to their lesson plans. If a student is struggling, make sure it isn’t because you are testing them incorrectly. The student might understand the concepts you are teaching but they can’t verbalize it or the language/wording in the question is too complex (SLT, DLT). Solve the underlining issue don’t make excusses for the student. Everyone can learn. Teachers also need to allow time for students to process ideas. Take discussion breaks or talk concepts over in groups (SLT, MKP). A scaffolding approach to introducing these new ideas of learning will work best. Teachers have to slowly break them of them pre-consumed knowledge of how to learn (CLT and DLT). This introduction to learning for understanding can lead them to have new opinions of self-efficacy. Confidence builds in a person as knowledge builds. Our job as educators is to channel that and to feed correct knowledge so our student can grow into great human beings.

Constructivist Learning Theory

Behaviorism

"Learning is defined as nothing  more than the acquisition of new behavior." -Yu Ching Chen

I currently work for Kids West, which is a child care provider for elementary age students in the West Des Moines school district. In the school year I am in charge of before/after school care for kindergarten through six graders. During the summer months we act as a day camp and this year I am in charge of 4th graders. In a before/afterschool setting there are certain desired behaviors and also some behaviors we try and avoid. It is always difficult working toward a system of awarding and correcting when you are working with a large group of kids with a variety of ages. As a teacher it is a challenging to always be following everyone and be at the right place/time for desired correction to occur. I think that consistency plays a huge part in bahaviorism. When you are in a classroom setting with 20 some kids and you have to be consistent and on the look out. Correcting/rewarding each child it is near impossible. Behaviorism would work with a very small group of kids and with a very strict and consistant teacher. But even in an ideal situation, kids are not going to walk into your classroom with a "blank slate" wanting to work really hard to learn.

I do find many connections to behaviorism with my current teaching style. I do use a reward system and I attempt to correct whenever I see a child sharing a poor behavior choice. when I do correct I am always very clear with my desired expectations of correct behavior as well and a reason why we have that certain rule or why he or she needs to act that particular way. I don't understand why behaviorism doesn't want to be concerned with the how or why knowledge is obtained? kids always want to know why. I would find it very hard not to get concerned with that. What would a behaviorism focused teacher say when a kid asked a why question?

Overall I agreed with some parts of behaviorism and I do see how it could be successful but in my eyes it is still vary flawed theory. It seems very strict  and basic in educational process and the way knowledge is obtained. Behaviorism focuses on classroom management, and memorization. I don't see how this theory could foster a good learning environment and a deep desire for creative life long learning.

When I was reading the articles I found myself struggling to get over the concept of punishment.

I would picture the movie Matilda and the principal Mrs.Trunchbull whenever the article mentioned punishment and Mrs. Honey whenever they mentioned positive reinforcement. If done in a very subtle way this idea could work but if the punishment or reinforcement is overdone it would lead to serious emotional scaring for some of the students. You have to be very careful when you are correcting kids if over done kids might feel defeated and not want to come to school or learn.

I like Lists (you are welcome to add to my list!).....

Keys for effective classroom teaching that I pulled from the articles and class:

Active mental Engagement- in order to properly process the new information coming in, students need to put effort into learning/listening/understanding/making connections.

Don't focus on individual learning styles of students- . match task with content instead of with learner.

Transfer/Scaffolding- all students need to learn with concrete representations first and then they can link/connect abstract ideas. build onto what they already know.

Break down existing schemas! -experiences are important part of transfer and cognitive dissonance but kids don't always experience things/concepts correctly. Also kids can't reach cog. diss. without realizing their is something wrong with their original idea. After they see their idea fail they will reach cog. diss.

Evolved vs. Engaged- make sure kids are mentally engaged not just participating. ask questions about their opinions/schema. force them to question ideas- develop critcal problem solving skills- make connections/links- understand vs. memorize. No jumping through hoops or just going through the motions.

Understanding students' mental processes, how kids learn.

The Secrets of Learning Styles.

I was familiar with learning styles and, until our class meeting last tuesday, I was convinced I was a visual learner. Silly how easily we can be persuaded into believing somethings just because it is widely accepted. I was always a little unsure how a person could solely be a visual learner but instead of researching for myself this theory and developing my own opinion I continued to live visually. I focused on developing visual ways to study during my undergraduate career. I would make rolling diagrams, draw pictures, and rewrite vocab, I was convinced that it was working. Blind by my results I focus on seeing. Silly me, the whole time I thought I was assimilating information through my eyes but instead it was just active mental engagement that i was able to understand concepts. My background in art had led me to succeed with ease in a visual learning tasks because I have experience seeing. But that doesn't mean that visual is the only way I can or should learn. Everyone can learn visually and can benefit from seeing. Everyone is also auditory and kinesthetic learners. Everyone including me.