Classroom Management

January 7, 2013January 7, 2013 Carmen.Oliveira Anti-bullying, Learning in a Real Life Context, Social Justice, Use of Technology, Wellness

Building Skyscrapers

This year my Grade 6 students have demonstrated a deep interest in looking at a few social justice issues that they feel have a direct impact on their lives. The most important issue has been bullying (at school, the home, and in society as a whole). I have described how we have focused on exploring this issue in a previous blog where I explained how we, as a class, brought to light aspects of bullying including: what it is, why people do it, who it affects, how it affects them, and ways to deal with it in our classrooms, schools, and communities.

It came as no surprise to me that a group of my students (and a few Me to We Club members) decided to create an anti-bullying club in our school. As the club members came together to discuss their purpose, the plan, and how each student would be involved, I sat back in awe at how big their hearts were and how creative their minds became as they began to put together an anti-bullying awareness video to both educate the students at the school and reassure them that the club was there to support them. The whole process came to demonstrate what can be possible when a topic or issue is dissected through inquiry-based learning and students are given the opportunity to dive, head first, into an ocean of experiences that allow them to question, research, share ideas and opinions, look at different perspectives, decide where they stand on an issue, and how they plan to become involved.

After an intense few weeks, the group decided that they would like to first raise awareness through a video they would create. They then decided that students needed to know who they were in order to seek them out for support outside at recess if they needed someone to talk to or play with. They also realized that in most cases, the students involved in bullying behaviour (whether it be the bully, the victim, or the bystander) needed to become educated and so they would spend time with those students reading, talking, role-playing, etc. to help them learn about how their actions (or lack thereof) were impacting those involved.

The project is on-going and I couldn’t be more proud of what the students have accomplished so far. They decided to name the anti-bulling club “We Build Skyscrapers” (the title comes from the Demi Lovato song “Skyscraper”). The reasoning was that although skyscrapers can seem fragile and many are made of glass, they always stand tall and are built to withstand extreme conditions. The analogy is that the Skyscrapers Club is there to help build up students to stand tall and proud of who they are by not being afraid and learning to overcome negative situations. I thought it was brilliant and the school and parent community completely agreed.

If you’d like to see the “Skyscrapers” video, which I strongly recommend you do, follow the link below.

http://schoolweb.tdsb.on.ca/burrowshall/Students/MetoWeClub/WeBuildSkyscrapers.aspx

December 14, 2012December 17, 2012 Roz.Geridis Classroom Management, Learning About Your Students

Connecting with Students as a Prep Teacher

It has been an interesting start to the school year. I have a change in my teaching assignment and for the first time I have ½ day of prep coverage. Getting to know all the names and developing relationships with over 100 students I see 80 minutes a week has been a challenge. Especially since most of my teaching position has me in the gym (no desks and regular seating plans).

To help me get to know the student names – I have the students change into gym clothes. At the beginning of the year, I had the students sit on the floor or bench in the gym and went through the class list calling out the student names and putting a face to the names. As the year has progressed, I have moved to having the students come up to me and showing me their clothes. I have them share their last name which still gave me time to get to know their names. To move things even faster, the students who have brought in their gym clothes regularly go a change right away and say hi to me as they come into the gym.

The student teacher relationship has taken some time to develop. I try to find a way to connect with each student. Some students, I ask about their extra-curricular activities (sports, dance, etc). Once I know what the student participates in, I try to ask the student about their extra-curricular once a month. For my ELL or students who do not have extra-curricular, I ask about their weekend or break plans. Sometimes, the kids go to the movies and I ask about the movie s/he saw.

Developing the relationships have really helped with the classroom management during the prep periods. The students have appreciated my effort to get to know them a little better and are making a larger effort to listen and to do their best during class time. It is great to have the kids walk up to you in the halls asking when we have your class again. I know some of that is because it is gym but also I have some classroom prep which kids are also inquiring about. Making the connection with students is something that helps to make a difference in student education.

December 7, 2012 Erin.Grewar Anti-bullying, Building Inclusion, Classroom Management, General

A Response to “Talking and Listening Chairs” – Les tête-à-tête sont une nécessité

Having read Sangeeta’s blog about how ongoing conflicts can sometimes hijack your teaching agenda, I was struck with her concept of the “Talking and Listening Chairs”. From my own experience, I know that students seem to run into MANY misunderstandings and oftentimes lack both the forum and the verbal skills necessary to successfully solve their conflicts. Quite frankly, I think her idea is brilliant and the guidelines surrounding their use are thoughtfully considered. She has clearly established boundaries and parameters that would ensure success. With obviously less disruptions for the teacher, the real beneficiaries are the students themselves. Actually having a chance to air their grievances can help diffuse and prevent an emotional conflict from escalating into something more serious and simultaneously allows students to take ownership for solving their own problems. Finally, the end result would be to forge a stronger, deeper rapport between the children and a positive classroom atmosphere. Wow, all that from two chairs! Personally, I’m going to have to think a little more how I could implement this idea as a rotary teacher with older students and a cart (no permanent classroom)…

December 5, 2012December 5, 2012 Alison.Board Building Inclusion, Classroom Management, Diverse Learning Needs, Learning About Your Students, Planning

Making Adjustments

As I read the previous additions by fellow bloggers, I look for connections to my own classroom, and what I see is the constant of change. We are all working with different age groups, but consider similar topics, such as adjustments to integrate technology, outdoor education, or making learning meaningful. Like others, I am continuously reflecting on my practice and making adjustments. As I am teaching in a new Full-Day Kindergarten classroom, there are many changes that the ECE and I have made in the last 8 weeks.

In September, our days were focused on establishing routines and building a community with our 27 children. The biggest routines were entry and dismissals, learning centres, and independent reading/quiet time. Then, as the children settled into these routines, we constantly re-assessed our schedule. We found that our children are so social, that independent reading is more like a book club with sharing and discussions. So, we now lead meditation and quiet breathing and stretching exercises after our reading block. Some of the children struggle with stilling their minds, while others have embraced it and look forward to this part of our day.

Adjustments to the classroom are also a constant in FDK. As interests in certain areas increase or wain, I change the spaces to accommodate the children’s interests and needs. I also change the materials. The basics in each learning centre remain the same, such as the blocks in the building centre, however, I may add recycled materials, clipboards and paper, or figures to encourage new relationships with the materials.

The planning has become one of the most challenging aspects of the FDK program, as there is no time for the ECE and I to sit down and exchange ideas. I continue to plan weekly with my Kindergarten teacher partners, then I convey ideas to my ECE while we are in the classroom together. I started off the year with my weekly plans in a binder on my desk (as I always previously used them). Then, I realized that it was more beneficial to enlarge them on an 11 x 17 inch page and hang them in the centre of the room where the ECE, and the Special Education Assistant can access the daily plans with ease. We are also using a web diagram to document the big ideas that are emerging in the classroom and the connections to the curriculum, which is visible to all.

Every day at our gathering circle, I start by asking the children, “How do you feel today?” As the children share their responses, I get a better understanding of what adjustments I can make to ensure it is a successful day for all of us. Making adjustments is just another way of being a reflective and responsive teacher.

November 2, 2012 Erin.Grewar Classroom Management

Classroom Management Core French Style Part 3 – Running With It

Allow the Class to Be Part of the Solution

When confronted with issues of classroom management, you need to make allies of your students who are obviously an integral part of the solution. Don’t worry, your students will be all too eager to share their perspective and insight. While a class meeting is sometimes an appropriate forum, having them provide some feedback in writing is even better. To elicit more interesting and helpful input, give them questions to answer (What is the reason why people are misbehaving? Am I contributing to the problem? How does it feel to be a student in this class? How can the situation be improved?) and ensure they are specific with comments, criticisms and suggestions. Writing anonymously allows them to be more honest and upfront. Finally, when you have read through all of their statements, make sure to address the situation the following class. Sometimes reading out a few comments aloud can have a more profound impact (they care more what their peers think of them). It’s important to reiterate what you, the teacher have understood from the message they have relayed and check with them to make sure you are all on the same page. End off with what you are going to change about the way you teach and handle situations. This may not be the end of your problems but your goodwill and sincerity will not go unappreciated.

Hone In On the Real Troublemakers

While it may seem to be a larger issue, sometimes it actually comes down to reigning in just a few students. You may realize how the dynamic changes one day when one or two of them are absent (try not to look too excited in front of the rest of the class). After careful consideration so as not to overlook anyone, I’ve resorted to rounding up the selected individuals at the end of the day. After a particularly frank and open conversation devoid of animosity, they are made aware of how their actions are bothering myself and the rest of the class and the next steps I intend to take if the situation is not resolved. Make sure to have a well-defined plan in place and be prepared to follow through. Again, this may not solve the problem in one shot, but it does allow you to come to some sort of mutual understanding.

Stay Positive

This is really the part about putting it all in perspective. First of all, be thankful that you are a rotary teacher and you only have to make it through 40 min intervals – they will soon be on their way! Also, focus on those students who want to be there to learn (even if you sometimes feel you are addressing 2 people). The more out of control you feel, the easier it is to resort to screaming, sarcasm and a host of other unpleasant behaviours on your part. Just imagine what it would be like to be a student in such a negative toxic atmosphere. Sometimes that is the key to turning it around – make your class a place where kids feel comfortable to enjoy themselves and feel good about being there.

Summary

Classroom management is the key to being an effective teacher. That being said, there are many different approaches and it is vital that whichever one(s) you decide to take, it’s a reflection of who you are as a person. When you are comfortable in your own skin, your confidence will grow will be projected to your students who can only respect you all the more for it.

November 2, 2012 Erin.Grewar Classroom Management

Classroom Management Core French Style Part 2 – Not Losing It

Blow Them Away with Your Creativity

In my experience, this has always been my most offensive defence. Although your class might follow a predictable format, you can nonetheless incorporate a wide variety of activities and assignments. Consider the difference between using the passé composé to complete worksheets vs describing a week in the life of Kim Kardashian. When students are engaged, they will not misbehave. This means knowing what they’re interested in (music/athletes/actors) and also allowing them the freedom to be equally creative in return.

Explicitly State Your Expectations and Let Them Get to It

Students need to know exactly what you expect them to do. Make sure to always model writing and speaking to give them a clear idea of how to proceed. Saying “Okay, everyone turn to your partner and talk about …” is much different than firstly brainstorming some useful vocabulary/expressions then having a volunteer come up to model a conversation with you. Doing so allows you to reinforce the concept you were teaching or to work in a little bit of extra review. Clearly communicated expectations avoid the dreaded scenario of the hundred and one questions and ensuing mayhem.

Have an Inoffensive Signal to Bring Them Back

Instead of using a blaring whistle, shouting until you’re hoarse or flicking the lights off (which inevitably results in shrieking), come up with something noticeable that also reflects your personality (chimes for the Zen masters, catchy hand claps or simple countdown). Whatever you choose to do, the most important thing to do is wait for silence and their full attention before proceeding. If someone starts talking, immediately stop (in mid-syllable even) and wait again. Silence is more effective sometimes than lectures or endless complaints.

Become the BFFs with the Homeroom Teacher

Having a support system in place is crucial. Homeroom teachers tend to have a lot of leverage with their students (usually more than the Core French teacher anyway) and are potentially your number one ally. Not only can they provide you with much needed insight and information about your students, you can also use what works for them and apply it in your own classroom. If by chance (and the probability is high) that you are both struggling with the same student, you can coordinate your efforts (join in on any parent meetings) to gain more credibility.

November 2, 2012 Erin.Grewar Classroom Management

Classroom Management Core French Style Part 1 – Owning It

For those of you who are fellow Core French teachers (especially those of you in middle school), classroom management is without a doubt the greatest challenge for a whole set of unique reasons. No more needs to be said about why this is so, it is just the reality of the situation. Having been approached recently by two new Core French teachers who were doubtful as to their very survival (“I hope I can make it through, I really do”), it seems to be an ongoing issue that deserves to be addressed in depth. The following “series” (in three parts) is the culmination of many years of experience, trial, error and hindsight. New teachers take heart (sort of)! It will always be more of an issue for you than your colleagues but classroom management becomes easier once you accept this and work with it instead of bemoaning your fate. Consider the following a roadmap not only to survival but also to emerging as a stronger individual.

Strategize – Never Underestimate the Value of a Well-Crafted Seating Plan

By now, the calm and complacent behaviour of the first week of school is but a distant memory. On the plus side, you should have a much better idea of who your students really are in terms of their ability, their peer relationships and any other outstanding issues. Use this knowledge to your advantage to come up with a classroom setup and pairings of students. I usually illicit some feedback from students by getting them to give me the names of two to three other students they feel would be effective partners. Some of their input may be surprising. When it comes time to the “reveal”, you might be surprised at the amount of excitement a new seating plan generates. It’s a sure fire way to shake things up (as I am fond of saying) and keep it fresh.

Plan Meticulously

I found when faced with management issues, knowing exactly what you wanted to accomplish and how to go about doing so was an effective way of keeping your lesson and your students on track. This means having a clear overall vision of where you’re headed but also includes accounting for every minute of the period. Being unprepared opens up the floodgates to potential problems. The amount of work this requires is daunting and relentless but it really does pay off in spades and will allow you to be more spontaneous later on.

Break Down the Period Predictably into Chunks

Example of a 40 min period.

Warm up – 5 min

Conversation – 5 min

*Mini Lesson – 10 min

Work Time – 10 min

Review Activity – 5 min

Clean Up/Exit – 5 min

The most important time frame is the 10 minute mini lesson. When struggling with classroom control, DO NOT EXCEED THIS LIMIT. Short but sweet should be your motto. Your goal here is to be able to clearly communicate a concept without being sidetracked. No matter how tempting, do not get involved in long winded explanations about why they have to take French or why chair is a feminine word but blackboard is not. Also don’t worry if not everyone gets what you’re trying to teach. Stop after the 10 minutes and instead work with students one on one or in small groups.

October 10, 2012October 11, 2012 Katie Pryde Classroom Management, Occasional Teaching

Classroom Management Tools

As a supply teacher, I was constantly in and out of different classrooms on a daily basis. I found so many great ideas that I knew I would use (or modify) when I got my own classroom. I believe that classroom management is key! It not only helps students feel that they are in a welcoming classroom, but it also diminishes the behavioural problems that could occur in any of our classes today. I created a monitoring device in my classroom to help with my classroom management. I have placed each students’ name on a piece of paper, that has been laminated with a magnet on the back. Students are responsible for moving their own name on the chart throughout the day. On my whiteboard, I have made a small area that has 4 boxes, which are labelled: I’m Here and Ready to Learn, We Missed You, Washroom/Drink Break, and On a Mission.

Each morning, students will move their name from We Missed You (those names that stay here are because the students are absent from school) to I’m Here and Ready to Learn. By using this, it makes it very easy to quickly look at the board while completing the attendance and knowing immediately who is and who is not at school. Whenever students need to go to the bathroom or get a drink, they move their name to Washroom/Drink Break, and when they return, they put their name back to I’m Here and Ready to Learn. This is a great tool to use when other students ask to leave the classroom, you can take a quick look at the board and see whether any other students are out of the room (as we have a rule that only 2 students from each class are allowed to leave the room at a time). Likewise, if students are out of the room “On a Mission” such as dropping off the attendance, getting something from another classroom, etc. then they will move their name to On a Mission. Upon returning to the classroom, they move their name back to I’m Here and Ready to Learn.

My students really seem to enjoy using this chart as well. Students can work on their self-regulation by moving their own name to whatever box they need to. I have had a lot of teachers in and out of my classroom as coverage, and they all enjoy using this chart as a monitoring system. Many other teachers have also adopted using this in their own classrooms and I hope you do too.

I also created an anchor chart to remind my students what they need to do every morning. It is October, and my students are FINALLY getting into the routine, however, it did take quite some time. After the first week of school, I got the idea to create a Morning Routine anchor chart that helped students remember what they need to do in the morning upon entry.

October 1, 2012October 1, 2012 Tina.Ginglo Classroom Layouts, Classroom Management

What a Difference A Year Makes

This time last year I had just returned from a seven-year absence from the classroom. During the seven years I was working in various centrally assigned positions, I had many opportunities to visit K-12 classrooms across the Greater Toronto Area. You could imagine my excitement! I observed many effective lessons and teaching strategies, classroom set-ups and routines. I couldn’t wait to adopt some of them for my own program. As well, I felt my literacy and numeracy program in my last school and teaching assignment was effective and I planned on resurrecting many of those strategies and routines with my new group of students in my new school.

September 2011, I was teaching a new grade (grade 3) in a new school community. I expected my classroom management to be a tad rusty and it was, but there were many initial problems that I could have avoided had I not taken some things for granted.

Prior to leaving the classroom for central positions I taught grades 4 and 5 for more than half my teaching career. I provided prep coverage to grade 3 students over the years, but I never had a third grade teaching assignment. I expected grade threes to be similar to my grade fours in terms of social emotional development and their ability to work independently. After all, it’s only a year difference…what a difference a year makes! The students were so “little” compared to my grade 4s at the beginning of the year. I started the year with the mind-set of a junior teacher. I didn’t expect that I would have to model routines such as using the pencil sharpener! This year, I began the year thinking like a primary teacher. I take time to model the simplest routines, over and over and over again. My expectations are more realistic.

I believe in collaborative knowledge building. My classroom set up has always reflected my beliefs about teaching and learning. In my last school, I didn’t have desks in my classroom. I had 6-8 tables and I never seemed to have a problem getting students to work both collaboratively and independently in this setting. Naturally, when I was setting up my classroom last summer I immediately placed the individual student desks into groups of 4. The fact that most, if not all, of the grade 2-7 teachers in the school arranged their desks in pairs didn’t register. Sometimes I need to be hit with a brick to get a message. My students were not ready to work in groups. By the end of week two, my classroom looked like all the other classrooms in the school, with students sitting in pairs in long rows. I hated it, but the students were more settled and were better able to focus. I managed to finally get them into groups of four when we returned from March Break.

On the first day of school, I did my usual spiel about making smart choices. I told the students that they could sit wherever they wished as long as they were responsible in the choice they made. I warned students that if I felt their choice was interfering with our learning I would move students. This always worked for me in the past. Of course I had to move students around, but it never was a disaster.

This year, I started the year with the students sitting in rows of two per group. I purchased three sets of calendar numbers and taped them to student desks, coat hooks and cubbies. When we entered the classroom on the first day of school, I invited all students to stand at the front of the classroom. I quickly reviewed odd and even numbers with the students. I then invited the boys to hang their bags on an odd numbered hook, pick up their name card, and sit at the desk with the same number as their coat hook. Next, I invited the girls to find an even numbered hook, pick up their name card and sit at the desk with the same number as their coat hook. There were no problems at all. I have groups of two, boy-girl groups. I have shuffled a few students around, but it really made the first day, first week, first-month of school more structured and settled. I think it is a bit of a compromise on my part. I want to keep to my belief that students should have choice and control in the classroom, but at the same time, taking the pressure off of the students who are not ready to make those types of choices right now. What a difference a year makes!

This number system really makes planning for supply teachers and lining up so much easier as well. Instead of having a floor plan prepared for supply teachers. All I need to do is leave a list, 1-22 with each student’s name beside a desk number. I can move the furniture around and not have to worry about updating my floor plan, just as long as I update my class list with desk assignments. Students also know they must line up in their numbered order. All their teachers have a copy of our class list with their desk assignments. It has made transitions so much easier on teachers and students. What a difference a year makes!

In the years I was out of the classroom, I guess I took for granted all the structure, the little details, that did exist in my past classrooms and the classrooms I visited that would go unnoticed by visitors. Structure doesn’t necessarily mean that we are taking choice and control away from the students.

October 1, 2012 Alison.Board Classroom Layouts, Classroom Management, Planning, Resources

Creating the Environment for FDK

As I mentioned in my last post, our Full-Day Kindergarten room was formerly a Special Education classroom, so it is evolving each week as I acquire furnishings and materials. With a limited budget I have been busy searching for some small scale furniture items and resources that will provide an inviting and engaging learning environment. One of the first centres that I focused on was a Reading Centre. Although I had a carpet and cushions to define a reading area, the children were not frequenting the space as expected. Last weekend I was able to source a small set of outdoor furniture from a friend that only required some sanding and painting. I then went to IKEA to buy a canopy leaf that would define the space (hanging a curtain or fabric as a canopy is also effective). Baskets were used for organizing the books, and I also added a container of magnetic letters to use on the front of my desk which frames the reading centre space. The Reading Centre is now an inviting area that is enticing all the students to settle alone or with a friend to look at a book.

In the photo you will notice a covered chalk board above. I found that the black chalk boards surrounding the areas were not useful, so I covered them with brown craft paper. This provides a neutral background to display the children’s work. In this area as seen in the photo, I glued a piece of black construction paper for each student (26 total) and used paperclips to hang their current “Self-Portrait” representation. As noted on page 85 of The Heart and Art of Teaching and Learning, the self-portraits provide a gallery of the children’s work, as well as a source for assessment. Each month the children complete a new self-portrait and it is added on top of the previous month. Over time, one can see the development of fine motor skills, pictorial development, and writing abilities.

The other centres that are popular at this time are the blocks/building centre, drama centre (we just received a fridge and sink), and the play dough table. I do not have a specific number of students for each centre, however we limit according to what makes sense. If 5 or 6 children want to play in the dramatic centre, the children can accommodate to make it work. However, if 10 children ask to go to the drama centre, we say, “There isn’t enough space today,” and the child selects an alternative. We are still adjusting our centres to meet the students needs and interests. This week I will be working on the art studio, writing centre and math centre. In the next blog, I will provide updates on this progress.