September Ideas/Techniques

I thought that this blog would be more of a reflection blog. I was expecting that I would write on here every week or multiple times a week with good ideas and things I have done, but I already have to write a reflection for my Field Instructor every week, so i figured this blog would be a great way to write down ideas, stuff my teacher does or things i see in my classroom that I want to remember for the future. I do want to say thought that I love my MT. I honestly think I have the best MT in the MSU program. She values my opinion, really lets me get involved in the classroom and sees this year as a partnership, instead of her teaching and me off to the side doing little random things.
So here are my ideas and things I have seen thus far,

Buddy Venn's- Venn diagram, but you do with two students. Find out about each other and your similarities and differences.
Model! Model! Model!- model everything that you do. Even things as simple as giving the teacher a folder, putting a book in their mailbox and sitting at your seat. Do problems together first before having students do them on their own. Play a new game in front of the class first before having students do it themselves. Model everything.
Positive Reinforcement-it's better to point out those students that are doing what they are supposed to be doing, instead of yelling at those that are not doing what they are not supposed to be doing. Stay positive. Don't focus on the negatives.
Comfy spots- Let the students find spaces around the room where they can read. Not everyone likes to sit in a chair and read. Some people like to lay on their stomachs or lean against something. Having pillows, blankets, rugs and beanbags for students to sit on and use to make them more comfortable. If students are comfortable, they will most likely do more reading.
Make lots and lots of anchor charts- make charts and lists for everything you talk about. Not only is it a way for students who learn by reading or seeing, because not all students learn through listening, it also can be referred back to at any time.
Behavior chart- Green, Blue, Yellow, Red. Blue is a warning, yellow is a 10 minute timeout, Red is lunch detention and a call or note home to parents. Students have the ability to move back a color at the end of the day if they change their behavior. Make sure parents know what color they end up on every day, so they know what their behavior is like in the classroom.
Sending home positive notes- Parents love to hear about good things that are happening with their students. It will make it easier to tell them about the bad things going on in class, and the students themselves know if they have this note in their folders that they had a great day. They feel proud that they had a good day and this is something they want to show their parents.
Sending work home on Fridays- This way you get all your grading done and you have nothing to take home on the weekend and students leave their work at home instead of cluttering up the classroom.
Hands-on Science lessons!- When students are doing hands on things they are getting involved in the lesson and they are more engaged. I also learned that they learn the concepts and remember them better. When students get involved and work with manipulatives they do more learning.

Alright, this is what I have seen so far, but there is definatly going to be more things, especially in the up coming weeks.

First Full Day

Yesterday was our first full day of school and I thought it was a great day! The students are slowly starting to get used to the routines and expectations for the school and the classroom. One thing my CT emphasized was practice. If students were not following the correct procedures, like how we should act in the hallway while walking to a special or to lunch then they need to take a seat on one of the benches in the hallway or stay against the wall and then they will practice again so they know how they should act in these certain situations. This way students are reminded how they need to act as well as they are learning the consequences that if they cannot act the correct way then they will miss out on some gym time or will be the last ones in line to get a lunch. I really liked this technique that my CT uses because you are not constantly yelling at the students and it is looking at a problem in a more positive way. I also saw how CHAMPs (conversation, help, activity, movement, participation) is used in the classroom today and can really see how it can be beneficially in the classroom. Once again if students are not following directions then instead of yelling at the students you can refer them to the champs board and remind them what it says and what they should be doing. I really like how my CT tries to stay positive and not yell at the students or say 'Stop doing this", "No talking" or other negative comments. We also started Readers Workshop and are beginning to introduce to the students what they should be doing during this time and getting them used to reading for a long period of time, which we will slowly increase every day. We also did a small math assessment as well as another spelling assessment to see where the students are at in those areas. The only problem I have seen with the students are sitting at tables is that they can easily cheat off each other, and not just to the person sitting next to them, but anyone at their table. My CT noticed when she did a math and spelling assessment on Thursday that she suspected students of cheating because their papers were really inconsistent. I cannot wait to get back into the classroom and to start doing some teaching and leading because my only worry is that the students are not seeing me as an authoritative figure and more of a helper/friend. I want to be friendly towards the students, but I want them to still listen to me and follow directions/rules.

First Day of Second Grade!

Yesterday was the first day of my student teaching and I don't think I have ever been so nervous. I am usually so outgoing and bubbly, but I felt so nervous being in a school on the first day again. It was a half day so I had a general idea of how things work in the classroom and I learned all the student's names. Oh yea, we have 32 students :-p We had 31 out of the 32 there the first day while a lot of the other classrooms had 4-5 students missing. I am not sure what happened today, if that other student showed up, but it is defiantly going to be tough having so many bodies in the classroom. I can already tell days are going to be pretty exhausting, but never dull, which is good. It was nice to see what happened on the first day of school and where the students line up every morning and little things like that. My CT told me that she sees this year as a partnership or two teachers in a classroom and not one teacher and a helper. She really made me feel like this on the first day when she let me practice with the kids the countdown or the 'if you can hear me clap once' techniques to quiet the students. She said she wants the students to get used to hearing my voice as well, to respect me as a teacher and listen to me just as they do the same for her. We talked a lot about respect and what types of things second graders should be doing. Webster really emphasizes behavior expectations on the playground (which we talked about that first day) in the hallway and in the lunchroom, specifically they talk about being respectful. My CT showed the students how to sit properly on the rug and what they should be doing when someone is talking (look at them and no talking). To look at someone while they are talking and to not talk when someone is talking is showing respect. I think I heard the word respect easily 10 times that day, which I find really important. I wish that Reo did something like this at the beginning of the school year, which maybe they did, but if they did you could not tell. After every marking period the students will hear about the expectations in the classroom, lunchroom, playground and hallway again so there is constant reinforcement of the rules and expectations of the students. With so many students in our classroom it will be really important that the students understand the expectations and follow the rules, so my CT said we need to take things a little slower and to make things simple. We want the students to really learn the procedures and rules first before we dive into new content. I am really excited about this school year and cannot wait to experience my first full day in the classroom!!