Classroom Management

My collaborating teacher has many classroom management techniques she uses throughout each class and throughout the day. It all depends on the situation in the class, the grade level and which techniques have already been used in that particular class that a new technique is necessary.

As I am transitioning into teaching the classes, I am using these as well as building on other techniques I have learned during my other teaching experiences.

Here is a list of a few…

-Ring the wind chime, signals students to listen.

-One set of lights off, gets students attention. Must know that no student in the room is prone to seizures.

- A song…

            Take our your hand, shake it up, wake it up

            Do what I do and Say what I say

            I said stop (Kids repeat stop and hold hand out in stop position)

            Look (Kids repeat and point to eyes)

            Listen (Kids repeat and point to ears

            To Learn (Kids repeat and hold sign language letter L)

-Music.. when the song goes on it is clean up time, when it goes off its time to be back at your seat, quite, with heads down

-Clap a rhythm and students repeat clapping rhythm back

I know some of this might seem a bit boring, but I am also trying to use this blog as way for me to remember the little things I am learning while student teaching and also give you all a glimpse into my experience. Thanks for readings!

Introductory to Art Days

Hey all, thanks for checking out my blog after my first post. I know it’s been a while since the first posting, I have just been so busy teaching, planning, getting to know the students names and getting in the routine of getting up at 6am, but home before 5!

So, I’m getting into the swing of things but here is some information and notes about the past week or so.

My second day at KES my collaborating teacher and I had breakfast duty. We do this from 7:15-7:45 Tuesdays, Thursdays and every other Friday. It’s a pretty good side duty if you ask me or any of the other teachers, we already have to been at school and we do not have to brave the weather… hot, cold, rain… who knows if we will see any snow this year. After breakfast duty we had two classes and then the ENTIRE school met in the cafeteria for an assembly. Have I mentioned there are about 920 students!!! The assembly was the kickoff for coupon book sales, the PTA introduced the fundraiser, acted silly on stage to get the students attention and talked about all the prizes they could win by selling a certain number of books. Prizes- key chains, stuff animals, blow up chair, time in the game truck- it apparently has Xbox, wii, kinect and every game imaginable, one student will be entered into a drawing for an ipod! Wow!

Back to our regular schedule, 4^th and 5^th grade worked on making sketchbooks for the year and practicing bubble letters once they made their sketchbooks. Then kindergarten and 1^st sat in big group… This is what my teacher calls time spent by the smart board, her rocking chair, the kids sit criss-cross on the floor during this time. Anyways Mrs. R read them the poem “The Crayon Box that Talked” and then after that she did some quick drawing from the rocking chair and reminded/introduced the students to basic lines and shapes. Then the students each had a handout with the basic shapes and lines on them and we played music “Celebrate” and they walked around the room finding the shapes and lines and marking them off with a crayon when they found them. They really enjoyed this activity!!

One last thing Mrs. R does on the introductory days to art, which is the first 6 days of school because the students come to art on a 6 day rotation. She takes a class photo and the students hold a name tag below their chins. She then keeps this in her binder to remember names more easily and help while taking role.

Well I’ll leave you with that for now, I have some other notes about my first full week jotted down but I’ll add those later tonight or tomorrow.

Thanks for stopping in and seeing how my student teaching is going! I’m having a blast!

The Crayon Box That Talked

While walking into a toy store the day before today
I overheard a crayon box with many things to say

"I don't like Red!" said Yellow and Green said "Nor do I"
"And no one here likes Orange but no one knows just why"

"We are a box of crayons that doesn't get along
Said Blue to all the others "Something here is wrong"

Well, I bought that box of crayons and took it home with me
And laid out all the colors so the crayons all could see

They watched me as I colored with Red and Blue and Green
And Black and White and Orange and every color in between

They watched as Green became the grass and Blue became the sky
The Yellow sun was shining bright on White clouds drifting by

Colors changing as they touched becoming something new
They watched me as I colored - they watched me till I was through

And when I finally finished I began to walk away
And as I did the crayon box had something more to say

"I do like Red!" said Yellow and Green said, "so do I"
And Blue you were terrific! So high up in the sky

"We are a box of crayons each one of us unique
But when we get together the picture is more complete"

Author: Shane DeRolf

Illustrator: Michael Letzig