EDUC 517 Reading Response
April 14, 2010 at 3:40 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 CommentsAfter reading the article “Intervention in School and Clinic” I feel that I have a larger perspective on what rules work and what rules may not work as well in a classroom. I think that all classroom teachers need to establish classroom rules in order to have an effective learning-based classroom. I would do this the very first day of school by allowing the students to actually create some of their own rules. I think that it is very important to include verbal and nonverbal praise to students because a balance must be present. I believe that students need to have established rules that are predictable and fair for everyone, or else it will not work. Rules also need to be appropriate for the grade-level one is teaching otherwise they will not be able to follow them fairly. If teachers do not fairly enforce rules then they should not be in place as a policy for the students to follow. As long as the teachers are able to enforce their created classroom management things should be effective. There are several examples of classroom praise that are proven to be more effective than other examples. An example I use in my classroom is, “thank you So-and-so” this seems to be very effective and when the students hear the teacher calling out their name for something positive they are going to try and follow the rules because they want to be praised. There are several instances in my EC cluster where I chose to ignore students on purpose. This happens when a student who has an intervention is acting up during class and we chose to prevent a meltdown. In the end I will choose to have a minimal number of rules because it will be easier to keep track of and easier to enforce once I start teaching. I think if children are aware, know, and understand the classroom rules they will hopefully have a better chance of following the rules. I am just excited to get my own classroom and start making rules because the ones that my classroom uses now seem to really work well! I plan to enforce many of the same rules in mys own classroom.
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The most important feature of rules, I believe, is the consistency with which they can be enforced. When the classroom teacher must have her attention on 25 students all at once, she wants to have rules that she can hold students to fairly. Although this is ideal, I understand how difficult it can be (especially with students with IEPs).
I’m extremely excited to decide on my rules, routines, and procedures for my classroom and to allow my students a chance for their input. I agree with you 100%, the predictability that fair, grade-appropriate rules bring to a classroom really set the tone for the school year.
Comment by Alex Earl— April 18, 2010 #
I have truly enjoyed reading your blog. Collaboration with colleagues is such an essential component for effective and reflective teaching, and reading your work has allowed me the opportunity to reflect more on my teaching strategies and learn even more from you. It is amazing how different all of our experiences have been this year. I can honestly say that I have learned so much from your classrooms experiences. I feel that I have so much more knowledge to take into my own classroom just by hearing about the many scenarios presented in your room. It is refreshing to know that you are taking the effort to reflect on your experience and use it to share your gained knowledge with others. Making time for teacher collaboration is a critical component for professional development. Having this opportunity to come together and share innovative ideas to revolutionize the educational system. Being immersed in your blog and your experiences has given me a good gauge for the many types of students I could possibly encounter in my own classroom. I feel that you have been a great resource for our various discussion topics, and it’s nice to know that there are colleagues that are open enough to share their experiences and even ask for suggestions for dealing with students. I have been able to make so many connections with your experience, allowing me to better evaluate my own time at my placement. Seeing that you take your work seriously and that you are dedicated to learning and sharing new strategies for teaching students is truly inspiring. Such intensive, ongoing, and collaborative professional development is exactly what research shows to be most effective for improving both teachers’ practice and student learning. Not enough teachers, it seems, are offered a back porch to congregate and the time to take advantage of each others’ wisdom. Teachers need to share ideas, particularly as they involve students. They need to collaborate when they share students, but collaboration across grades and subjects also fosters respect for one another and encourages collegiality, something that is crucial yet lacking in many schools. Additionally, teacher collaboration fosters the use and spread of innovative, pedagogically-sound ideas to help improve education as a whole. As a first year teacher, I believe that collaboration is key to having a successful, less stressful year. As a new teacher, there are many obstacles to overcome and little time to think of ways to create a more positive outcome. Being able to collaborate with other teachers, especially grade level teachers, is so important. The knowledge you take away from the discussion is priceless. It is an opportunity to gain ideas, share successes and failures, and to reflect on teaching, lessons, and any issues that may have risen. Having a “back porch” for teachers is a unique opportunity for teachers to gather in a comfortable, positive environment. I support that teacher collaboration and networking is essential in this 21st century, for improvements in both teachers’ and students’ work. A collaborative forum provides teachers with avenues for discussion on daily issues faced by them. It further assists teachers in a better choice of teaching approaches. Reading your blog has created an experience that I am sure will last through my career as an educator.
Comment by zairehill— April 22, 2010 #