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.
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