Many first year teachers struggle with student discipline. By answering the following questions, recognize the behavior strategies used by your cooperating teacher that work or do not work in the classroom.
How are expectations for behavior, routines, and learning explained? What are the guidelines for classroom behavior? How is appropriate behavior encouraged? How does the teacher react to inappropriate behavior? What techniques both verbal and nonverbal are used to cue appropriate behavior? What strategies does the teacher use to prevent problems?
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Behavior in this class is treated very hevily. If the students are not obeying the rules the teacher has noproblem sening them to the office. This teacher does not really use any verbal behavior towards his studnts. He simply just sends them to the office when he eels there is a problem so they can sort it out with the principal.
ReplyDeleteThe expectations are high for good behavior and they keep the same routines everyday such as switching classes. The guidelines of behavior are pretty strict if they do not follow the rules. Behavior is encouraged from compliments, prizes, and extra recesses. The strategy that she uses to maintain good behavior is where the kids get one warning, after the first warning, next is time out, the third is phone call home, and the last is a referal to the office.
ReplyDeleteI also agree about behavior being treated heavily. The teacher is the one in charge and wants the children to respect that.
ReplyDeleteIn the preschool setting I am observing, students are definitely expected to behave and do the right thing. If the student do not behave, they get certain priveleges taken away or they have to sit at a table alone until they have decided to do the right thing and be good. It is very difficult for some children to understand exactly what behavior is good behavior, but I think that if a teacher handles a situation without humiliating the child, then the child will learn how to behave correctly.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Lauren, especially if the bad behavior is consistent, the behavior should definitely be recognized and treated heavily, but that also goes for good behavior. Children who behave well should have that behavior recognized and acknowledged so that they keep behaving that way and set a good example for those who do not behave well.
ReplyDeleteIn the class I am observing the teacher has daily behavior problems with 3 boys in the class. They all seem to feed off of eachother and disrupt the class. So far I have seen her use "card" system and a "3 strike" system. It works day to day but the behavior never seems to stop. I am learning alot from her techniques and it is different to see how she reacts everyday. I have not seen a referral to the office or anything too extreme. I have also seen the boys be rewarded for having good days.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't started observing but I have been in many classooms in my lifetime and some teachers control situations better than others. You always have the one student that tries to say every little thing to the teacher or the one who tries to be the class clown. It is interesting to see how the teacher handles them-some take it very well and others loose control
ReplyDeleteI agree with Anna- students, especially the boys feed off of each other and disrupt the class. I have seen the "card" pulling done in many elementary school settings and that always seems to be the best way. And rewarding them is always a good thing! Even when youre older :)
ReplyDeleteMy host teacher has not had many problems with behavior at all. Her classes are composed of junior and seniors and most of them know what is expected of them in a high school environment. She also is very open during free time talking to students about pop culture and sports (mainly basketball) which has created connections between herself and her students. These bonds have increased the respect and trust between the two parties leading to little or no trouble. The only time the instructor is faced with contraversy is when a student is trying to push back a homework assignment or get extra time. If the teacher is not ok with it, she keeps a stern face and a solid tone to let the student know she is being serious. By being unfront and letting students know what she expects out of them, the instructor obtains the best behavior out of each of her students.
ReplyDeleteI still have not started my observation, but should be shortly, however i know when i was growing up in school behavior was always taken pretty seriously. Then in high school when kids began getting cell phones if the teacher would see them they would take it and give it to the principal for the rest of the school day and you would have to go get it after your classes. i also know that sending to the pricipals office and sitting in the hall for talking was always a popular punishment for most of my teachers.
ReplyDeleteI think that the 3 strike method like anna said earlier is a good method. but you should have a reasonable punishment that comes along with the 3rd strike. and it seems like in every class you will go in there will always be people kind of feeding off of bad behavior and disrupting class unless the teacher puts a stop to it quickly.
ReplyDeleteTo Brett and Lauren,
ReplyDeleteI see that both teachers send students to the office. One immediately and the other after a few warnings. It doesn't sit easy with me when teachers would rather have the office deal with their problems than confronting the problems themselves. On the flipside though, one teacher being secondary and the other elementary, its difficult to determine how much time to spend on a student who is continually being diruptive when also trying to fit in lesson plans. It's sad to see that students are disruptive and do not realize the education they are missing out on.
i haven't started my observation yet but from experience in classrooms most of my teachers just sent kids in the hallway or to the office if they were misbehaving.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was observing I went in to a math class that had no discipline what so ever and this teacher had been teaching for 20 years. I went in to a class where a teacher had been teaching for 4 years and the the teacher who had been teaching for 4 years was way better at discipline. I really enjoyed going to this teachers class. As for the math teacher her class was so bad it was hard to even understand what type of problem she was trying to teach. I think the behavior in her class was horrible and she never took action to try to calm her class down. I would rather teach like the 4 year experience teacher did
ReplyDeleteI agree with Kari Kroeger with that routine would be good but it would not work for kids who are in middle school. I think sending them to the principles office would be better. Also maybe having them sit in the classroom for lunch.
ReplyDeletein anna's post i find it interesting that the boys are not punished for the disruptions they make but still seem to be awarded for the good things they do. this seems to unfair for the other students and the boys themselves.
ReplyDeletein my gradeschool PE class the attitude and maturity between different ages is very obvious. The older students on average behave better. But, at the same time they also will take advantage of every opportunity given to them. Some of the older classes seemed to get a little rowdy when they are not around the teacher. so i believe the older they get the more discepline that should be applied.
ReplyDeleteIn my eigth grade class, the teacher tends to be pretty flexible up until and certain point. she lets the conversations sway a little from the point in order to keep the students interested, but at a certain point where the students take it over the top, she cuts it off quickly and moves on. I think this is a good way to deal with behavior in the classroom because I have never seen any of the students outright misbehave. It is truely unreal. The student respect her, and when she says it is time to do something it gets done.
ReplyDeleteFunny side not- Yesterday a student came up to me and said "Mr. Belaska, I bet your a player." I didnt know how to respond to this because I once said the same thing to one of my teachers in high school.
On Stephanie Bergman's post, I agree that I would not want to have a class that is completely out of control. But to me it raises the question how is it that the less experienced teacher could control the behavior of the class better than the older one. I am thinking it is one of two things. Possibly the younger teacher is more approachable and therefore the students can place more of their trust and respect in her or it is possible that the younger teacher is more captivating so the students are paying attention easier.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with brett's host teacher just sending kids to the office.. going to the office can just be a feild trip down the halls and a way to get out of class for some students. now i know its nessasary some of the time but using this method every time is one that I will not follow as a teacher myself..
ReplyDeleteI am observing 7th and 8th grade art. Ive been pretty lucky to be in a free flow class. I havent had to see much displine being used yet. I have noticed when kids start chating to much, my host teacher will simply walk over and stand next to them. she doesnt have to say a word to displine them. they tend to go right back to what they are supost to be doing..
ReplyDeleteI am observing a 6th grade math teacher. She keeps her classroom well disciplined. Certain hours are more chatty than others, but she knows how to handle each class in their own way. But in every class, if the students are talking too much, she sits quietly until they decide to be quiet and make others around them be quiet too. The students know better than to keep her waiting too long. I like this strategy because the teacher does not freak out of yell.
ReplyDeleteA teacher has to set boundaries for students from the very beginning. It is very difficult to start out as an easy teacher and then half way through the year you want to be strict and change things. The students are used to being able to get away with things in your classroom. You must set rules and follow them at the beginning, and later on once you know the students then you can be more fun loving with them.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brooke, in the way that the teacher has to disipline the students right off the get go. If you start off stirct, the students are going to adapt to that and you would less likey expet them to slack off. And also they would know yorexpectations and follow the rules you have made. Show them that yuare the boss and the one incharge and impy the rules right off the get go so that everyone knows how you handle them when something has gone wrong.
ReplyDeleteI a have been observing 1st grade but have also been in and out of some sped classes. The 1st grade class is wonderful! they are very good about listening to the teacher and very eager to figure out problems. There are kiddos who come in and out of her classroom because she has a lower functioning class of readers and some are on IEP's but they do as much of the same stuff and the others students would when they act up. She claps her hands three times to make sure that they are listening or if they act up they have to put their clip on the red stop light on the board. (they do NOT LIKE THAT) children in this grade can be easily distracted but during her lessons if there is a child who is messing around she just keeps talking and slowly goes over without saying anything and takes whatever they shouldn't have away and keeps on with the lesson! I really like that.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Brooke, it is very important to start off with business in the beginning. STudent like and need structure in their beginning school years. If the teacher makes an example of setting goals and disipline the students normally follow.
ReplyDeleteumm where is this weeks blog??
ReplyDeleteDiscipline is very important in the class i am observing especially being the children are 2nd graders. Because i am coming at the end of the year many of the students know the boundaries they can and cannot push. Ms. G uses a star system which is a system of rewards where a student reaches a certain number of starts there is a prize involved. If they get in trouble a star is taken away.
ReplyDeleteThe teacher I am observing does a couple different things to half behavior. As most teachers do, she does the move your man if you miss behave to missing 5 minutes or recess, if you do it again its 10 minutes and if you do it a third time you move your mad to miss all of recess. She also has magnents that spell out Q_U_I_E_T on the board for the whole class. Everytime everyone is loud as a class then a letter gets removed. As far as positive reinforcement goes, she is a first grade teacher and they learn about money in first grade, she has a "piggy bank" and adds money to it. when they reach 25 cents they get a reward.
ReplyDeleteSarah and Brooke,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, students, especially little kids, need structure. when they respect your classroom, they respect you as a teacher,and then they respect their education.