Shannon's Blog

Project Reflection 4-17-10

shannonolivia — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 23:07:45 +0000

My case study project is coming along nicely. I feel like I’ve learned so much about my student in the past weeks and it has been great to put interventions into place and see how they work.

One thing that I’ve tried with my case study student creating an unpacking chart for her to use when putting her things away in the morning. This chart consists of the pocket out of a folder with a line of velcro across one side. In the pocket are little cards labeled with the different things she needs to do at the start of the day (put backpack in closet, choose a new book to take home, eat breakfast, etc). Each card has a piece of velcro on the back so when she arrives as school my case study student places all of the cards on the outside of the folder. As she accomplishes a task she removes the card and places it back in the pocket. This intervention prevents her from wondering aimlessly around the classroom in the mornings. I still have to remind her to get out her chart some mornings but overall it has been successful

Rules, Praise, Ignoring, and Reprimands

shannonolivia — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 22:58:36 +0000

I chose to read this article because classroom management has been one of my biggest struggles as a student teacher. It has taken me a while to finally come to a place where I feel comfortable with my management skills. This article reinforced a lot of what I’ve learned about incorporating different aspects of behavior management.

The first strategy discussed in this article was setting up classroom rules. It recommends creating a short list of rules which are broad and can apply to many situations in the classroom. This is something that I’ve seen in my placement and it seems to work well. I’ve realized through my student teaching that setting expectations and rules for the students is incredibly important. If you don’t let them know what you want them to do then how are they going to do it?? It is important to remain aware of these rules and to enforce them through consequences when necessary.

The article also addressed using praise as a behavior management tool. This is something that I use very frequently and that’s because it works! Kids love to be recognized for doing something right and will strive to do their best when they know that they will get praised for it. When I call my kids to the carpet I always praise the first few students who are in their spot, sitting correctly, and have their eyes on me. By simply thanking these students for being ready to learn others quickly move into the proper positions. It’s amazing how much of a difference praise can make.

Another strategy from the article is ignoring student misbehavior. This, of course, only applies to instances when the student is not harming others or themselves. The article suggests using this strategy when dealing with students who call out during lessons. By not acknowledging their comment you are silently telling them that they need to make their response in the proper way. I have trouble not addressing this sort of thing and need to work on my own skills in this area. Ignoring student behavior doesn’t always work to correct student behavior but I think that it is worth trying with students.

Reprimands are the last strategy listed in the article. This refers to any situations when the teacher addresses student misbehavior by calling them out. I think that this is a strategy that can be either effective or ineffective all depending on how it is used by the teacher. When used in moderation or in extreme circumstances I think this is a very effective strategy for correcting a student’s behavior while at the same time letting other students know that what was happening is not okay. The article does highlight that you do not want to be constantly calling students out for doing something wrong and that moderations is key. I’ve had to put on my “teacher voice” a couple of times during my student teaching but I usually rely on other forms of behavior management.

I would say that to have effective behavior management in your classroom you must use a combination of these four strategies. Rules, praise, ignoring, and reprimands all have a place in the classroom but it is up to us as teachers to figure out when each is appropriate. I know that I’m still learning but I feel that I am on the right track for implementing these strategies in my own behavior management system.

March Reading

shannonolivia — Sat, 17 Apr 2010 22:22:24 +0000

Sorry to everyone who has been checking my blog for posts! I’ve gotten very behind but I’m back in the swing of things now

The article on Specific Behavior Challenges was very interesting to read. In my initial scan of this chapter I was caught by the section about disruptive behavior. When I went back to read that section more thoroughly I realized that this is exactly the sort of thing that I experience with my case study student. She is constantly trying to get up during lessons despite the fact that I’ve told her that she is not allowed to leave the carpet. My case study student also seems to exhibit a lack of social skills which results in disjointed participation on the carpet. She often raises her hand but rather than contributing a question or comment she simply repeats something that either I or another student has already said. The article addresses the role that social skills play in disruptive behavior but only says that the behavior issues will stop when the student has learned social skills. I wish that the article gave more suggestions pertaining to how this could be accomplished.

Overall, I felt that this article was very informative. There were other parts, besides the disruptive behavior section, that caught my attention and/or reminded me of other students in my class. I plan to go back and read these sections to see what kind of new information I can learn and put to use when working with these types of behavior issues.

Project Reflection 2-21-10

shannonolivia — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 20:53:12 +0000

Right now I still haven’t recorded as much observational data on my student as I would like. It has been hard for me to incorporate this into my daily routine in the classroom but I am going to continue to try to get it all done before I begin teaching full time. Despite this, I have learned a great deal about the student on whom I am doing my project. I have been able to talk and work one-on-one with her. I was also able to sit in on the SAP meeting that my CT had with the student’s mother. We were able to discuss behaviors that we noticed in class and get her mother’s opinion on these things. It was interesting to learn which behaviors occurred at home as well. We shared interventions that had been put into place and encouraged her mother to put some of them into use at home.

One experience that I had with the student this past week occurred during guided reading time. There are two students reading at this level and I called them both over to my table at the same time. The student that I am doing my project on got to the table last and the other student had already taken the seat next to me. My case study student became very upset over this, put her head down, and started weeping. I was very shocked by this reaction. I informed her that she could not sit next to me but that she needed to calm down so she could still participate in our lesson. She continued to cry so I had her move to an unoccupied table. I told her to sit their until she was calm enough to rejoin us. I returned to the other student and began the guided reading lesson. After a while my case study student returned and I was able to catch her up on the lesson. I’m still not sure whether her tears were genuine or if she was trying to manipulate me into moving the other student to let her sit next to me.

Salend Ch 7

shannonolivia — Sun, 07 Feb 2010 22:01:39 +0000

As soon as I began this chapter my thought were captured by the idea of a school-wide positive behavior system and the impact that it can have on students. I am lucky to witness this kind of cooperation within my placement school. We have a school-wide disciplinary system which is used by every teacher. Part of this system involves the students earning a “purple” for demonstrating good behavior. When a student gets three “purples” they move to “blue”. It is amazing to see the students’ drive to earn these colors. They are so proud of themselves when they do and this serves as an incentive for their classmates to do the same. When a student receives a “blue” they get their picture taken and placed in the hallway outside of the classroom. Also, they are invited to a special breakfast before school to which they can bring one family member.

I think the a major factors in this system’s success are the teachers and administrators that make it all possible. Not only do all of the teachers participate in the implementation of this behavioral system, they also promote it with their students by drawing attention to their students who are displaying good behavior. From what I’ve witnessed, these special breakfasts are no simple thing to put on and the teachers do it solely for their students. It’s incredible to see their excitement and the automatic change in behavior when this positive reenforcement is put into play.

CT’s Classroom Management

shannonolivia — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 16:50:03 +0000

Although I’ve been working in this classroom all year, I have been able to gain a greater understanding of my CT’s classroom management now this semester. Being in the classroom everyday helps me to see continuity and patterns in the students’ behaviors and the teacher’s responses. For my CT the biggest part of classroom management is making sure that students know what is expected of them. Within the classroom, the students do a great job of following directions and remembering the rules. I’ve learned a lot by the way that my CT interacts with her students and their reactions to her.

One area of management that needs work is when the students are transitioning in the hallway. I know this isn’t technically part of the classroom but I feel that the students should maintain the control that they demonstrate within the classroom. I think that part of this lapse is because my CT is not typically present at this time. Usually, it is the teacher’s assistant or myself who transition the students. I need to work more on expressing my expectations for hallway behavior with the students. I want them to respect me and my authority in the same way that they do my CT.

Classroom Management in Inclusive Settings

shannonolivia — Sat, 23 Jan 2010 22:23:05 +0000

This article prompted me to reflect on my own experiences in the classroom. Currently, my CT and I have had issues dealing with a couple of students in our class whom we suspect of having Asperger’s. We have been working to implement interventions for these students that will benefit their experience in the classroom. One such accommodation is providing one of the students with a “break card” which he can use when he is feeling upset or overwhelmed. All he has to do is hold up his card and he will be aloud to go to a quiet spot where he can relax. I find that it has been difficult for my CT to handle the ups and downs of these children and the effect that their behavior sometimes has on the rest of the class.

This leads into my major question… how much more difficult would things be if we had a student with more severe disabilities?? This article talks about how to include these students in the class and how to support them through positive reinforcement but I can only imagine how hard it would be to be the lead teacher in such a classroom. I noticed that the teacher in the story at the beginning of the article had support from an special educator who spent time in the classroom but I worry what it would be like in a situation where such help was not provided. I am reminded of the video we watched last semester (Educating Peter) and how that teacher handled an inclusive classroom on her own.

It’s possible that my worry is based on a lack of experience. It would probably be easier to imagine including children with special needs into my classroom if I had more confidence in my role as a teacher… maybe it will all come with time.

Literacy Response Flint Ch 12

shannonolivia — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:34:43 +0000

Part of this chapter discussed instructional practices that would benefit struggling readers. As I was reading this section I found myself comparing the strategies in the text to what I see in my placement. Read alouds are a daily part of the class routine and I have always seen the benefit of them. I had never thought, however, about the way that they can extend comprehension by preparing students for more difficult texts that they may encounter in the future. Comprehension is a very important aspect of literacy so it is beneficial for the students to gain experience in this area even if they still struggle with actually reading the text. I also see a lot of independent reading time in my classroom where the students choose a book from the classroom library that is on their designated reading level. Flint also mentions scheduling time for the students to read books below their reading level to build confidence which is a teaching strategy that I have never seen in action. I am intrigued by this idea and interested to see how the students would react to this kind of activity. Would they be excited or complain that the books are too easy?? I may have to experiment with this strategy in my placement if I get the chance.

Literacy Response Flint Ch 10

shannonolivia — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 17:14:22 +0000

At one point in the text Flint discusses the way that readers bring their sociocultural backgrounds into their reading. This is obvious not only from observations I’ve made of students reading but also my own experiences with reading. When I am reading, whether is for class or for fun, I am constantly making connections to my prior experiences and/or other stories that I have read. I think that this goes a long way in creating interest in reading. People enjoy books the most when they are able to transact with the text. It is important to take all of this into account when providing books for students to read. If you are familiar with your students then you will be able to make recommendations to them that you know they will make connections to. I am a big believer in book discussions as well and will definitely provide opportunities for my students to share what they are reading with their peers. It is so beneficial for students to be able to express their thoughts and feelings about text. I find that this blog is a great way for me to express mine

Literacy Response Flint Ch 11

shannonolivia — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:14:16 +0000

One big point of this chapter was the importance of inquiry based curriculum. We have discussed this in our literacy class as well as in our other methods classes. I feel like we especially stress the importance when planning in our science methods course. It is important to pose meaningful questions to the students and encourage them in creating their own questions. This leads to greater engagement in the lesson and allows the students to obtain ownership over their learning. Something that has been stressed to us is to stay away from yes/no questions. We must remember to begin conversations with and among the students rather than simple question/answer interactions.

Flint also discusses the importance of nonfiction texts in this chapter. I think that sometimes teachers forget that nonfiction texts can be used for read alouds in the classroom. Nonfiction is very informative and can be just as engaging as fictional texts. I am going to strive to use more nonfiction texts when I am teaching and encourage my students to choose nonfiction for their individual reading.