ClassroomManagement


 * ﻿Classroom Management Resources **

This link to the Harry Wong website directs you to a teacher quiz on classroom effectiveness: []

After taking the quiz, allow yourself to reflect on the questions and your answers.

Post reflection on your Classroom Management by 10/29/10 here:

Taylor Kami It is interesting how classroom management is profoundly simple: set clear behavior expectations for the students and the teacher, and execute those expectations. Honest communication. The challenge, then, is not deploying a particular mode of management, but raising the gumption to do what we say. Who truly does what he or she says, all the time? Not I.

Randy Phillips I look forward to the time when I have experience enough in the teaching field to write a book and have someone care about what I think. I have been in the corporate world for twenty years so I am hoping that I can learn everyday and be a good student as well as a great teacher. I come from project managment and I find that was much easier because there was less variable. You can't treat everyday like a project or each six weeks like a project because you don't have a lot of control. It seems that there is always something new are unexpected or this interuption or that. I am learning to be very flexible. This is all of the stuff that inspired us to go into teaching in the first place isn't it? It's all about that aha moment or that one quirky kid that touches your heart and you know that you have helped in some way. The business side of education is not that different from any other job. However, learning all of those acronyms is enough to drive anyone crazy. Lets just speak english shall we? I think the chapter is very good. It gives me additional ideas to use in my classes. I think our demographic lends itself to some further reading on the subject. I would love to find some resources from someone dealing with or who has dealt with kids who are experiencing some of the same problems and issues that the majority of our kids face.
 * Introduction **
 * Its Magic... **
 * The Business... **
 * Chapter 4 Class Management **

My classroom management:
=== I have my room set up in groups of four, but there are a couple that can not handle being in a group and sit by themselves. I do give the students who sit alone a fresh start every week, but if they can not handle it they are back to sitting alone. Through out the day I give points out to groups following directions and at the end of the week the top two groups with the most points get a snack on Friday. Also, at the end of the day the students get a stamp in their folders if they had great day. If they were not good I write in their folders the thing(s) they did to not receive a stamp. Once they get twenty-five stamps they are able to pick something out of the treasure box. If I have to continually get on to a student, give many verbal warnings, they have to sign my discipline book. If their behavior continues they have to fill out a form explaining to their parents what they did, why they did it, and what they could have done to have corrected the behavior. The form must be signed by parents and retuned to school the next day. If the behavior does not get better I will call their parents after school about the situation. As a last resort I will write a referral to the office if nothing else is working. So far, I have only called parents a few times. Usually having the students fill out the form really helps to correct their behavior. ===

Classroom Management:
=== I try to keep my classroom very organized and structured. I feel that organization is key. If I am organized, and I model organization, my students are more likely to do the same. I have a no yelling or arguing policy in my room. The students know that I won't argue or yell at them, and they have become very good at following that rule. My desks are set up in a square style " U" shape with 2 rows of 3 in the middle. On my board I have the class Points Chart. Everyday we start with 10 points. If it takes too long for the students to stop talking or get back on track, then a point is deducted for each time. They must have 45 points at the end of the week to receive their class reward. I use "give me 5" to get the students quite, or I will stop what I am doing and just look at them. That one usually works fast. All of the 4th grade teachers have a blue discipline book that is used to track behavioral problems throughout the day. Once a student has filled up both sides of their chart, it is sent home and a call to the parent is made. ===

Micah Bland:
===In order to manage my classroom, I actually use exactly what our previous reading assignment suggested. Upon my student's first misbehavior they have their name written on the dry erase board as a warning, and continues from there. I like this approach because it let's the student know exactly where they stand. They know that once they get to four checks, they go straight to the office.=== ===**In order for my students to enter class correctly, they line up in the hallway before I let them enter. Being out in a seperate building causes a disruption in my student's thinking. Once they leave the main building and go outside it becomes "recess". I started having them line up about 6 weeks into the school year. It has been a great help so far.**=== ===**To reward my students I use two methods. I have an individual "singer of the day" for each class. Once they have 3 of these they recieve a reward. I also have a group effort award. If I have a minimal amount of names on the board they move their note up the scale (it's a music thing). Once they reach the top of the scale the entire class recieves a reward.**===
 * Chelsea Muse: **** For classroom management, I really like to use non-verbal cues and reminding my students of my expectations when disruption occurs. If I am doing an activity that involves a great deal of interaction, I always state my expectations before we start and use questioning to verify that my students understand my expectations and the consequences should they choose to not follow them. Nonverbal cues seem to work for me as well as gentle reminders of what the appropriate behavior is. When I am in other classrooms during my inclusion time, I do walk around the room and tap desks, or whisper quietly to the students if they are off task. The 'look' is also a great tool I use for classroom management. It is amazing how one look can get a student back on track. Usually if you simply acknowledge that you see the inappropriate behavior, they understand that their behavior has been noted, and will get back on task. My classroom management really boils down to confidence and understanding that when expectations are not met, consequences must be follwed. **

Jake Savell: The chapter made me think a lot about the things I've been doing wrong. The biggest thing, I think, was about making the rules clear and sticking to them. I realized that my rules and consequences are completely different than were on my syllabus.

Michele Mlinar: Classroom management is vital to a successful day. One thing I know for sure, don't make a threat you can't carry through with. Make sure the consequence is enforcable. also, respect goes both ways, and always try to de-escalate the situation. Winning at all costs is not our job. Give students choice, and make both choices relevant to learning. Response from Kourtney S: I completely agree with you about making sure to follow through with what you say you are going to do. Students can tell when you are really going to do what you say, and they base their future behavior on that. When I taught 8th grade last year, I knew going in that it would be a challenge. I think my first year was successful because I made sure to do what I said I was going to do. I had very few serious problems with my students because I did this. Also, on page 62, Cunningham discusses the purpose of starting fresh each day. I love that this is pointed out. It is so easy to stay aggitated with a student when they upset you, but it is so much better for the student and the environment of the class to forgive and "somewhat" forget. I had a student tell me the other day when I was getting onto him that "tomorrow will be a new day!" I was so happy that he had learned that and taken that into perspective. Vonda McFarlin: I like that a few of you have thought through how to handle the discipline in your classroom. Making it concrete and consistent is essential for a well-organized classroom. Students tend to thrive in classrooms where expectations are evident.