Before even diving into the reading, chapter 13 stood out to me right away-Creative Learning Environment. The first section I thought was very useful for us was tips to create a positive learning environment. I never want to have a negative classroom where students are afraid to learn. Teachers can prevent discipline problems whenever they make an effort to motivate students. When a student is engaged in learning, they tend to not have an issue with the teacher or other students at the same time. According to the book, all plans for motivating students are steps towards preventing problems in your classroom.
There was a study done to determine what made some teachers effective and others not. The results were very interesting and made a lot of sense to me. Routines and rules are required to be an effective teacher in your classroom. It is suggested that teachers establish routines to cover the following areas: administrative routines (taking attendance), student movement (entering and leaving), housekeeping ( watering plants, taking care of pets), lesson-running routines ( collecting assignments), interaction between teacher and student (getting teacher's attention), and talk among students (giving help or socializing).
Rules that can be written down and posted for your students will establish the classroom environment you wish to created for your students. The section most valuable to me was the rules for elementary school. 1. Respect and be polite to all people. 2. Be prompt ad prepared. 3. Listen quietly while others are speaking. 4. Obey all school rules. I never really thought much about writing out rules and making them visible for students. This is a great way to make a reference available year round in case they forget or have a hard time with something. I love these four as a started and maybe I would get my students involved with making some rules as to how they wish to be treated by me and their fellow students.
I think writing down the rules is a great idea, because when I was younger and saw the rules I knew what to expect from the teacher and knew how to act. This prevented any issues from me personally because I knew I didn't want to let my teacher down especially if I knew what was right an wrong.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! I agree! I have seen students and teachers work together to create their classroom rules and "norms" that they will commit to together in the beginning of the year. Then we decorate it and follow it when it comes to rewards and consequences. It's a great way to get them involved in what they are committed to for the year. :)
ReplyDeleteAbby, I never really thought much about writing out rules and making them visible either!! Great post! My teacher interview includes my teacher including students when making their classroom rules! I loved the concept, think you would like it too!
ReplyDelete