Positive Reinforcement Goes a Long Way!

During my fieldwork hours, I chose to observe two different teachers in different grades.  The most important thing that I've learned from this experience is that positive reinforcement is most beneficial to smoothly running a classroom.  Students that are given more positive reinforcement are more likely to continue exhibiting appropriate behaviors.  In one class, when the whole class has been behaving or quietly working when needed, the teacher would add pom-poms to a jar (this also was done in the reverse).  When the jar was full, the class was rewarded.

In the other class that I observed, the teacher was very good at pointing out and rewarding individuals who were showing appropriate behaviors.  If a student was quietly working or getting out necessary materials for the lesson, for example, the student would be given a piece of paper to write his/her name on and that would be put in a bucket.  At the end of each day, a name was drawn from the bucket and that student received a little treat.  Focusing on appropriate behaviors took attention away from those students who were exhibiting inappropriate behaviors.  Students would help each other stay on task, as well.

Positive reinforcement shows the teacher cares and respects his/her class.  It also gives the students something to look forward to for doing what they should be doing.  Everyone likes to be rewarded or recognized from time to time for things they've done well. 

How to Run a Classroom Smoothly

I'm only with a first grade teacher for an hour during the morning each day I observe.  However, during that hour I've watched as she checks for reading sign-offs from the day before.  Each student is required to spend at least 20 minutes reading each night.  If the students' parents sign off on their reading log, the students get one skittle from the teacher.  It doesn't seem like much, but those first graders just love it!  It gives non-readers more of an incentive to read.

The teacher also does or says various things to either refocus students or get their attention.  One that works really well with this class is saying, "One, two, three, eyes on me" to which the students reply, "One! Two! Eyes on you!" and get settled down.  She also is very observant and when the class is getting restless, she'll move them to a different part of the room.  It allows them to get up and move a bit and gives them a change of scenery.  Then she goes on with the lesson from that spot.

For a student who is just having one of those days and continues to distract his/her classmates, a desk is set up at the back of the classroom.  The student is asked to sit in that desk and continue with his/her work.  I think part of the reason it works is that the student is able to move around and get some energy out while walking to the desk and also there aren't as many distractions since the student only takes his/her work to the desk.

I'm sure there are many more procedures that the teacher uses to smoothly run her classroom.  These are just a few examples that I've noticed so far.

Actively Engaged

The 1st grade teacher I am currently observing has little songs that she has taught the children related to different subjects.  The kids love it and have so much fun singing those songs.  The songs get stuck in their heads, therefore they learn what was being taught.

The 3rd grade teacher I observed has the class do math problems on a mini white board at their desk.  She gives them a set amount of time to do the problem(s) and then has them show their answers.  Then she writes down all the answers she sees (both correct and incorrect) on the board and has the class as a group tell her which one(s) are the right answers and which are incorrect.  I like this strategy because all the students participate and are able to learn from each other.  The teacher is also good at pointing out what was done right in the problem, even if the answer was wrong.

Another way this teacher tries to engage students is by drawing a numbered stick from a cup when a question is posed.  Each student has an assigned number.  The numbers go into the cup face down and when she wants to randomly select a student, she'll pick one.  I don't think it is as effective as it could be since she replaces the stick when the answer is given.  Maybe leaving the sticks out of the cup until every student has answered a question would be better?

Giver of Knowledge: the Important Role of a Teacher

I think one of the most important roles a teacher plays is knowledge giver.  Teachers are able to mold the minds of their students, not only in academics, but in pyschosocial ways as well.  Teachers help young students learn how to make and develop friendships with peers and how to become more independent.

Through role playing scenarios, teachers can show students, especially young students, how to effectively communicate with each other.  Learning good communication skills early on is so important to ones' ability to function in various situations in the future.  Good communication skills are necessary for healthy friendships and for becoming independent.  Teachers also share how to eat healthy and take care of oneself (proper hygiene), especially in kindergarten and first grade.  This knowledge increases a child's independence.

Sharing knowledge with others is vital to the development of the world we live in today.  Teachers have that wonderful responsibility of sharing what they have learned with the next generation.

Grading 3rd Grade Work: Harder Than I Imagined

This past week I have been assisting in grading students' assignments.  I thought it would be simple and kind of fun, but it turned out to be another learning experience!  I forgot what 3rd grade handwriting looked like.  Some students have good penmanship, while others haven't quite figure out how to properly space the characters.  Sometimes it feels like I'm trying to read and comprehend a foreign language, but then I think about whether or not their penmanship correlates to how well they are completing and comprehending the assignments.

Sometimes poor penmanship (ex: not spacing characters correctly) equates to poor scores on the assignments.  This is especially true for math homework.  I can tell that many students are getting the concept right, however, their inability to line up numbers to do three addends addition, for example, affects their homework scores.  Homework is a good formative assessment.  I got a fair picture in regards to which students understood the various concepts and which ones needed more work.  The teacher I observe uses the homework scores to create study groups.  She'll meet with students who had low scores and go over the concepts they aren't understanding.  It's a smart thing to do and allows for more one-on-one time with the students who are struggling.

Exceptional Students

The kids that I observe in the 3rd grade class are pretty great!  However, they have so much energy that they are hardly quiet.  Some students seem like the instigators - the ones that begin conversation or talk out of turn when everyone else has quieted down.  Children are naturally full of energy, so it's hard for me to determine if some have ADHD or other qualities that make them exceptional.

I have noticed a couple of ways the teacher has tried to accommodate students' needs.  During tests, the students use shields to cover their work area.  This prevents them from peeking at someone else's work and allows for better concentration.  She has also moved the desks around.  At the start of my observation, the desks were set up into three pods.  Now the desks form a pattern that looks like the letter "E" and the number "3".  She keeps students that tend to get distracted by others up front, near the white board.  She also reads questions to a student who has a kindergarten or first grade reading level.  I'm impressed by this teacher because she allows students to wiggle at their desks and play with a couple of items as long as they are quiet and listening.

One-on-One

I have been working a lot with one student.  It is the student I briefly mentioned in my last post.  The teacher asks me to sit with him while she goes over the day's Math lesson with the class.  Socially he is still at a first grade level, but hopefully he will catch up as he gets more comfortable in the classroom.  This student is smart.  He is at the same level as many of his classmates.  However, he still has a hard time reading and writing.  His handwriting looks like a kindergarten student's.  He writes some letters and numbers backwards.  I feel that he should be getting some extra help in reading and writing, but he isn't.  It makes me think of the Lau v. Nichols case that we learned about.

The case dealt with non-English speakers such as Chinese-Americans and the automatic disadvantage they had in school because they weren't being taught how to speak English.  However, I think about this boy who was never really taught how to read and write before coming to school and wonder if this also applies to him.  He needs to be given the opportunity to develop his English reading and writing skills in order to catch up to his same-age peers.

Whenever I sit with this student, I try to encourage him.  I remind him he's smart when he says he cannot do something.  I remind him how to write those numbers and letters when he writes them backwards, but I try to do that in a way that won't make him feel bad.  He's very insecure and needs someone to help boost his confidence.  When I help him with his homework, he finishes it before half the class does.  He knows how to do the math problems, he just needs to be allowed to receive more practice with reading and writing.

One Child's Development, Auditory Learner?

11 September 2012
My first day in the classroom, working with 3rd graders, was spent helping the students with math problems as a review for an upcoming test.  I quickly learned that explaining how to solve a problem without giving away an answer is hard to do.  The students are at various levels of comprehension on the subject.  Some students could be talked through the problems if I pointed out key terms to focus on.  For visual learners, I would draw examples on the board.  One way of explaining something wouldn't help every student.  My experience on that first day reminded me that everyone has a different learning style and to be a good teacher, I will have to learn how to incorporate aspects from the three styles in my lessons.  I also will want to keep in mind the theory of multiple intelligences to reach out to those students who may be more gifted in the arts, for example, than they are in academics (math, reading, science, etc.).

My second day in the class was test day.  The teacher was very glad I could sit and read the math test to one of her students.  This year is the student's first year in school.  Mother of said student was supposedly home schooling him, however, that was not the case.  He has a lot of catching up to do and developmentally seems to be at a first grade level.  We will see as time goes on how well he adjusts.  I think he is an auditory learner.  He can comprehend what is read aloud, even though he can't read well enough on his own yet.  I am concerned with his ability to connect with his peers.  As I continue to observe this class, I want to mentally monitor his progress and try to do what I can to assist him in his learning.