2a: Creating an Environment of Respect and Report
I aim to have a space for my students where they feel safe, and respected by their peers, as well as myself. I make it clear to them that, even as an adult and a teacher, I am still learning, especially from them just as they learn from me. One of the ways I do this is at the beginning of the year, and the beginning of the semester in my new placement, we had a talk about respect and treating others the way they would want to be treated. A common phrase in my room is, "If a peer is speaking, you are listening." I hold myself to the same standard and if a student is speaking I do not talk over them and I pay attention to what they are saying. Although they should be very aware of these social cues and comfortable with them, middle school is a great time to solidify this idea of showing respect and courtesy to others, as well as working well with others despite any disagreements they may have.
I am sharing a few pictures that show the students, in their groups, creating Valentine's Day cards for Veterans.
I am sharing a few pictures that show the students, in their groups, creating Valentine's Day cards for Veterans.
2c: Managing Classroom Procedures
In middle school, a major life lesson teachers try to teach their students is responsibility. In my first semester of placement, this lesson was achieved by making the students responsible for their own work when, whether they were present or absent that day. One the left there is a slideshow of our "Work we did while you were away" basket, each of these baskets has any worksheets or readings we completed while the student was absent. This allows for an organized system that puts the responsibility of keeping up with the work that was done while they were gone.
On the right are the baskets where they can put their late work if it did not get turned in on time, and where they can find their missing work in the event they did not put their name on it. Part of the appeal of this set up is that it gives the student a place where they can continue to grow in their ownership of their work, but it doesn't leave them floating along aimlessly without any guidance as to how to keep and maintain that ownership.
On the right are the baskets where they can put their late work if it did not get turned in on time, and where they can find their missing work in the event they did not put their name on it. Part of the appeal of this set up is that it gives the student a place where they can continue to grow in their ownership of their work, but it doesn't leave them floating along aimlessly without any guidance as to how to keep and maintain that ownership.
2d: Managing Student Behavior
This is the social contract my students and I came up with during my most recent placement during my Student Teaching year. We took a day and we determined what was most important to us as a group and then we created a social contract that included all of the things. Once that was finished we put them together and everyone in my classes, as well as myself, signed our social contract in order to make it official. This contract serves as a remind when students are struggling to treat each other well that although they may be having a rough day that does not mean they should take out their feelings on everyone around them. The placement, in a visible spot on our wall, also allows me to stand near it as a subtle hint if I do not think someone is acting as our contract agrees they should or to easily reference it if the hint needs to be less than subtle.
|