Classroom Management
My cooperating teacher (CT) has a lot of routines in place that that help her manage the classroom. that were established at the beginning of the year. I think this is the most important thing in managing a classroom. If the kids do not know what to expect of if you are inconsistent the kids are not going to know what to do, and things are going to more difficult on the teacher. One of these routines is that the students get their notebooks out everyday so that they can work. Because they are doing this is sets an idea in the room that when they walk in they are also ready to work and we don't have to waist time at the beginning of class. We can get started almost right away. Then another thing at the end of class the students do not just get to leave they have to put their stuff away and go back to their seats and everyone has to be quiet before they are allowed to go. I don't think that this helps with productivity too much but what it does is causes the students to be discipline and follow the rules of the classroom. If they are doing this from the first day following other rules gets easier and easier.
The whole school uses BIST to deal with unfavorable behavior from students. My CT says that because the students have been using the BIST safe seat system of classroom management since 6th grade and the whole school uses it so it wasn't difficult to establish. Because the kids are so used to it you have to be consistent with behavior that is worthy of going to the safe seat. The kids will call you out right away if you are not consistent with this. This is a good form of management and with out anything in place it would be chaos and learning would not be able to take place. my CT also emphasized that BIST does not replace the classroom management specific to each room it is just a good compliment. My CT also addresses certain issues within the classroom with different approaches. For example when the kids were starting to be very rude and also just taking things off of her desk without asking she hung up signs. These are kind of a joke but also kind of not. They gives the kids examples of things to say when they need something. A lot of times my CT uses humor to correct behavior in the classroom. I think this is something that I might be able to do in the classroom to help manage everything on top of using whatever the school uses that the kids are used to.
The whole school uses BIST to deal with unfavorable behavior from students. My CT says that because the students have been using the BIST safe seat system of classroom management since 6th grade and the whole school uses it so it wasn't difficult to establish. Because the kids are so used to it you have to be consistent with behavior that is worthy of going to the safe seat. The kids will call you out right away if you are not consistent with this. This is a good form of management and with out anything in place it would be chaos and learning would not be able to take place. my CT also emphasized that BIST does not replace the classroom management specific to each room it is just a good compliment. My CT also addresses certain issues within the classroom with different approaches. For example when the kids were starting to be very rude and also just taking things off of her desk without asking she hung up signs. These are kind of a joke but also kind of not. They gives the kids examples of things to say when they need something. A lot of times my CT uses humor to correct behavior in the classroom. I think this is something that I might be able to do in the classroom to help manage everything on top of using whatever the school uses that the kids are used to.
I really like how your CT has the behaviors that she would like to see prominently posted with examples of how to do so. That is a fantastic idea. It's hard when a rule is trying to be enforced to keep the rule consistent unless the rule is prominently displayed and explicit. My CT does not do this and at times it causes confusion. For example, our students are supposed to retrieve their notebook at the beginning of class so that we can work. Oftentimes, some students will not retrieve their notebook and it causes a distraction just as other students are beginning to work. Having these rules posted would help, I believe, and your CT has a great way of doing this.
ReplyDeleteHi Matt! Thanks for such a thoughtful post. I thought it was interesting to see that your school uses the BIST system with the accompanying safe seat. I am curious to see how your safe seat compares to the Break seat concept we use in our class room. How do you think the safe seat is working with your students? Is it pretty effective?
ReplyDeleteI also really liked hearing that your CT uses humor to kind of balance establishing rules and building relationships with the kids. I think that is something I want to do in my class as well. With the right poster especially, what do the kids think of it? Do they think it is funny, or do they tend to make fun of it? (they're middle schoolers so I know how easy that is for them) I hope that this helped you figure out how you want to manage your classroom in the future!
Thank you for your comments on this topic, Matt.
ReplyDeleteI am glad I have been in your classroom, because I can picture just how your CT uses humor, I think it's one of her strengths in relationship building. Students seem to respond to it really well.
The signs with the mix of humor and actual direction seem like a great idea. Is it one you'd like to use in your own classroom?
As one of your classmates mentioned, the signs also seem like a good idea. Students do forget procedures...they have up to 8 classes a day and procedures vary. The signs let the routines/procedures be communicated without taking away teacher attention each day.
I agree with your comment that dismissal may not influence mathematics learning, but I think it influences the tone of the class. One thing I notice about your CT's classroom management is that is it getting students in the habit of attentiveness at the beginning and end of the class. As a teacher it doesn't feel like a good ending to the learning if there is a mad rush for the door. Having students pay attention and be dismissed by the teacher lets them leave calmly and if there is anything last thing that needs to be said to the whole group, it's easy for the teacher to do so.