Recent Survivor of Student Teaching Submitted by novicephoenix
Good luck on your student teaching! Here are some things that I found to be really useful:
1) Try to predict disruptive behavior and have preplanned reactions for it. The number one reason teachers leave the profession is because they have difficulty with classroom management. As a new teacher it’s difficult to know how to react when you’re “on the spot” teaching. So, for example pre-plan reactions to common occurrences like:
Students passing notes, 2 students whispering to one another, the whole class chatting and not paying attention, someone excessively planning to go to the bathroom, cursing, refusing to do what they teacher says.
Example:
Problem: John doesn’t have his materials out for class——-> (preplanned reaction) Say “Good, I see a lot of people taking out their stuff. Clarissa, John, Tanda are ready to go.”
John still doesn’t have his materials out——> pass by his desk and tap on the desk “John take your folders, notebook and sheet out from last class.
John stares down at his desk and gruffly says “No”——> Talk to me after class. Here is an extra worksheet.
Some ways to react is planned ignorance, standing nearby the student, tapping on the student’s desk, perhaps warning the student with sayings like “It’s good thing that I like you” or “We don’t do that in this class”, calling parents, after school detention, personalized behavior plans and even a personal responsibility grade.
Also, if a student is disruptive once that’s fine, but what will you do if a student is disruptive every day? Say, John forgets his materials every, single day, what can you do to help him? Obviously warnings are ineffective, so now it’s time to take action. What would you do? Talk to him? See what the problem is? Have some materials for him in class? Call home? Give him detention? Take off from a personal responsibility grade? Have a personalized behavior plan? The great thing is that there are options. You just have to find the one that fits your teaching style.
Also, the most important thing is to set down consequences and appropriate reactions. Students will know immediately if you just give out endless, empty warnings or if you stick to your consequences. Don’t feel bad dishing out your consequences (as long as they’re reasonable) if you feel kinda bad doing then you’re probably doing the right thing.
Also, something that I thought was great to incorporate into lessons was a “Personal Responsibility Grade.” This basically means that 15% or 20% of their grade is based on good behavior. Each week you give them a slip of paper that has the number of tardies they have, absences, Respectful to others?( 2 lines to write your comments), Working from bell to bell?(1 line for your comment). It’s out of 25 points and if they did not perform in all of those ways then they get points off. There is also a section where they get to write their feelings to you with questions like “Do you agree or disagree with this grade?” and “How can you improve?” This allows them to ask themselves how they can improve, and to also vent some anger or explain something to you rather than disrupting your class.
Students tend to take advantage of someone that is overly nice. I’m not saying be a dicator, but do what works for you as a teacher, I try to give off the firm but fair vibe.
It’s important to be fun and engaging but it’s more important to have a purpose for each lesson. Writing in this education template has really helped me! It’s called backward design and basically you start backwards with what you would like students to learn dripping down to what activities you’ll use. It’s a great way to have meaningful instruction.
http://www.ihcschools.org/webpages/lwinkler/files/Blank_UbD_Planning_Template.doc
Other than that good luck! This is your time to experiment and to see what works and what doesn’t! Be proud of yourself on the days that you succeed, and forgive yourself on the days you don’t. You learn the most from failures. Experience gives the test first and then the lesson after. Remember, to write down what works, what doesn’t and be reflective! Have fun and please remember to sleep :) You’ll be great!
Thanks again novicephoenix for the tips!
