Week Nine

 

03.12.12

Monday went well. There were a lot of sleepy kids and some frustration. Thank goodness CRT is almost over and spring break is in sight. Mondays are a little scattered; Mary and I usually follow a general guideline or the day, figure out where we stand,  and then work out the rest of the weekly schedule. She tends to lead Mondays more than I do. But whatever is best for the kids. I’ll be taking over tomorrow afternoon when Mary goes to the dentist. Should be exciting. We are wrapping up the Iditarod with a writing project. Also this week I am administering small group CRT’s. It’s been good experience but draining. I never knew how hard it would be to let kids get answers wrong or be confused with a question. It works you mentally. Well, here’s to tomorrow. Wish me luck.

03.13.12

Skipping out on reflecting tonight. Dan and I are going out to dinner.

03.14.12

More of the same today. Small group testing in the morning and Iditarod in the afternoon. I am ready for this to be over. Next week I’ll do more take over, which I am excited for. Hopefully I can kick this cold or it could be a long week.

03.15.12

□ Write a description of how you might use ideas/concepts/strategies learned to address a situation you are currently facing.

□ Compare and contrast how the information presented is similar to or different from the classroom management approaches used in your current classroom.

My classroom management philosophy was confirmed from the readings, especially the Best Practices article. Good management starts with your relationship with the students and the climate of the group. After being in the classroom for about two months now I finally feel confident with my management strategies and uses. I had an ‘ah ha’ moment about a week ago; things were just clicking between the kids and I. We had connected and they were buying into me and what I had to offer. Things that have helped build my strength have been trust and friendship or the classroom climate. From the first day I met my cooperating teacher our philosophies about teaching have meshed. We both believe that a strong classroom community from the get go is what sets the tone for the rest of the year. Everton and Neal in there Best Practices article say, “Building community begins on day one and continues throughout the year.”

However, I am still in turmoil with some aspects of classroom management. When reflecting after a frustrating day I long to have my own classroom and to have established my own procedures and rules. Again, I was just able to identify this frustration a week or so ago but then I realized that it was because I feel ready for my own class and that was a fantastic realization. There are some things that I strongly feel a classroom should have in terms of procedures. There is nothing wrong with the procedures that we have and I will take plenty of good ones with me. However, the way I envision the beginning of the day starting is not the procedure that our students use. It was hard coming in at the midpoint of the school year when all of the management was in place and has been rehearsed. Like the Wong article we rehearse and practice the procedures in our classroom throughout the year and students have the responsibility to remember and follow the class rules. 

Strategies that I plan to use in my class include more group centered and lead activities. Right now we have a lot of individual work and worksheets where the students can discuss the learning at a shallow level. With small, student lead lessons there is a deeper connection being made to the information; prior knowledge is activated, connections are made, and students learn how to work in a social setting at a higher level. “If students mostly work alone, they do not develop socially. Classrooms organized as learning communities take advantage of the social context to give students experience in working collaboratively and developing a sense of responsibility,” (Evertson, Neal). They also have more pride in the work and their learning because there is a greater sense of ownership in the process.

03.16.12

I have today off. My boyfriend and I are going skiing together. Happy Friday!