Comments on: 4 Similarities Between Strep Throat And Classroom Management http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/134/ Providing HOPE for educators since 2007 Wed, 13 Apr 2011 17:59:29 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Joeyhttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/134/#comment-7382 Joey Tue, 16 Nov 2010 23:10:57 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/2007/07/27/134/#comment-7382 I am an elementary school teacher who just finished teaching high school for over a decade. I thought I had management figured out for HS kids, kept trying new ideas and trying to improve my skills, but Elementary is a totally different world! Asking questions and observing teachers who do it well, and some who struggle are both EXTREMELY valuable. The only problem is getting out of the observed classroom without feeling the "boy do I suck" attitude. I haven't met a teacher who got annoyed with my questions or with my sitting in on their class yet, and I ask A LOT. In response to Ramona's post, I see 680 students some twice a week, some once every other week each as a class (30-35 students.) I found the best thing to do is to have generalized rules and consequences posted up and always refer to the posters. If I notice the class is coming in wild I start by reviewing them. I have what we should do posted up, and in my time out spot, I have the consequences. I found most if the time, my pacing dictates a lot of the behavior. I try to make sure everyone understands the concept and then try to move on, but am finding out that I have to just give information in snippets of 5 minutes and then move on to another activity quick. For example, I teach music. We took 4 class sessions to learn the names of notes on the treble clef. 4 hours of class to achieve my goal of having kids remember the spaces spell the word FACE, and the lines can be remembered by Every Good Bear Deserves Fish (girls objected to every good boy does fine . . . grr!) I will probably take 2 more class sessions reviewing and reinforcing something that my HS teacher brain is screaming at me thinking it should only take one class. I spend 5-10 minutes on the review, then we sing a song, or do a dance, or play recorders to reinforce the concept. I would go back and forth between concept/Activity/Concept/Activity, etc so that I have a bunch of short snippets. I don't have it down yet, but its coming. My first suggestion is observing others, then recording yourself. (very painful process!) I am an elementary school teacher who just finished teaching high school for over a decade. I thought I had management figured out for HS kids, kept trying new ideas and trying to improve my skills, but Elementary is a totally different world! Asking questions and observing teachers who do it well, and some who struggle are both EXTREMELY valuable. The only problem is getting out of the observed classroom without feeling the "boy do I suck" attitude. I haven’t met a teacher who got annoyed with my questions or with my sitting in on their class yet, and I ask A LOT.

In response to Ramona’s post, I see 680 students some twice a week, some once every other week each as a class (30-35 students.) I found the best thing to do is to have generalized rules and consequences posted up and always refer to the posters. If I notice the class is coming in wild I start by reviewing them. I have what we should do posted up, and in my time out spot, I have the consequences. I found most if the time, my pacing dictates a lot of the behavior. I try to make sure everyone understands the concept and then try to move on, but am finding out that I have to just give information in snippets of 5 minutes and then move on to another activity quick. For example, I teach music. We took 4 class sessions to learn the names of notes on the treble clef. 4 hours of class to achieve my goal of having kids remember the spaces spell the word FACE, and the lines can be remembered by Every Good Bear Deserves Fish (girls objected to every good boy does fine . . . grr!) I will probably take 2 more class sessions reviewing and reinforcing something that my HS teacher brain is screaming at me thinking it should only take one class. I spend 5-10 minutes on the review, then we sing a song, or do a dance, or play recorders to reinforce the concept. I would go back and forth between concept/Activity/Concept/Activity, etc so that I have a bunch of short snippets.
I don’t have it down yet, but its coming.

My first suggestion is observing others, then recording yourself. (very painful process!)

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]]> By: Ramonahttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/134/#comment-7368 Ramona Thu, 04 Nov 2010 15:52:35 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/2007/07/27/134/#comment-7368 I am a first year teacher struggling with classroom management at the elementary school level. I have some logistical challenges because I don't have my own classroom and travel between classes and schools with a cart. I also have almost 300 different students I see every week. But mostly my problem is that I don't like to humiliate children and make them feel bad, which seems to be what most classroom management looks like. Of course a child feels embarrassed if you administer some kind of punishment to him or her in front of the whole class. But it seems like if I don't do that, the kids will walk all over me and I will quit (sooner rather than later) out of frustration and exhaustion. But is my own survival in the profession more important than kids' feelings? This is the kind of thing I am struggling with. Any thoughts? I am a first year teacher struggling with classroom management at the elementary school level. I have some logistical challenges because I don’t have my own classroom and travel between classes and schools with a cart. I also have almost 300 different students I see every week. But mostly my problem is that I don’t like to humiliate children and make them feel bad, which seems to be what most classroom management looks like. Of course a child feels embarrassed if you administer some kind of punishment to him or her in front of the whole class. But it seems like if I don’t do that, the kids will walk all over me and I will quit (sooner rather than later) out of frustration and exhaustion. But is my own survival in the profession more important than kids’ feelings? This is the kind of thing I am struggling with.

Any thoughts?

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]]> By: Tom Anselmhttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/134/#comment-5816 Tom Anselm Tue, 09 Jun 2009 01:12:26 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/2007/07/27/134/#comment-5816 Hey Carolyn, maybe I can shed some light. I have been in this for over 25 years and still ask questions. It's the only way to find out. I ask other teachers, counselors, principals, my boss, her boss,... anyone who I think may have a better idea or a different slant on an issue. Things change so much in this business that only a truly "dumb" person wouldn't ask. I try to make sure that 1. people have the time to take the question. If not, I come back when they do, or ask them to see me when they have a minute.2. I ask in a way that makes them feel that they have the answer. We are all flattered when someone considers us to have knowledge. 3. I ask people who will know. That takes some getting to know others, and their skills. 4. I make sure they know how much I appreciate their time and their talent. 5. I make sure that I can use the answer and then be the sharer if someone asks me something. Hope this helps some. Tom Anselm Hey Carolyn, maybe I can shed some light. I have been in this for over 25 years and still ask questions. It’s the only way to find out. I ask other teachers, counselors, principals, my boss, her boss,… anyone who I think may have a better idea or a different slant on an issue. Things change so much in this business that only a truly “dumb” person wouldn’t ask. I try to make sure that 1. people have the time to take the question. If not, I come back when they do, or ask them to see me when they have a minute.2. I ask in a way that makes them feel that they have the answer. We are all flattered when someone considers us to have knowledge. 3. I ask people who will know. That takes some getting to know others, and their skills. 4. I make sure they know how much I appreciate their time and their talent. 5. I make sure that I can use the answer and then be the sharer if someone asks me something.
Hope this helps some.
Tom Anselm

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]]> By: Carolynhttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/134/#comment-5812 Carolyn Sun, 07 Jun 2009 00:06:54 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/2007/07/27/134/#comment-5812 So how did you get over the feeling that you were imposing all the time on other teachers when you kept asking them questions? I'm afraid 1) they'll be sick and tired of my questions "uh oh, here she comes again with another question when I have so many other things to do" and 2) "doesn't she know that? she must be so dumb." So how did you get over the feeling that you were imposing all the time on other teachers when you kept asking them questions? I’m afraid 1) they’ll be sick and tired of my questions “uh oh, here she comes again with another question when I have so many other things to do” and 2) “doesn’t she know that? she must be so dumb.”

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]]> By: r wellshttp://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/134/#comment-2115 r wells Wed, 14 May 2008 00:38:27 +0000 http://www.soyouwanttoteach.com/2007/07/27/134/#comment-2115 Very very funny Very very funny

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