Blog Five: Classroom Management

How will you address classroom management in the final weeks of school?  Will you change

anything? What kind of positive incentive plan will you implement in your classroom?  How

will you communicate it to students and parents?

With the semester coming to an end I have noticed that I am having more behavior issues in my classroom.  Students are anticipating the winter break and are having a harder time staying focused.  I have reminded each of my classes what the expectations are for their behavior, and that these expectations will remain up until the very last bell of the semester.  I do find that I need to be a bit more diligent about giving students consequences and redirecting distracted students.  I need to make sure that I am maintaining the same expectations that I have reminded students about.  Since we are giving finals on the computer I have to give them a few days before the original allotted time for finals.  Therefore, I told students that if they are well-behaved these last few weeks that we will celebrate on the last day when they would normally be taking the final.

Blog 4: Engagement Strategies

How do you plan to implement active engagement strategies in your classroom?  How will this impact your instruction?

I would like to try to implement more engagement strategies that get students out of their seats.  With 90 minute classes it is easy to lose students to boredom.  I have used different strategies in the past and would like to bring some of these back.  For example, I have done four corners where students have to move to the corner with the response they most agree with.  I have also found in the past that around the world activities are pretty successful and engaging.  As opposed to just sitting and doing a worksheet students move around and work on problems that are posted throughout the room.  However, it is also important to have students engaged when they are sitting and taking notes as well.  I try to do quick think-pair-shares as well as have students respond to me with thumbs up or thumbs down for certain questions.  I want to make sure that I am implementing some sort of active engagement strategy every day in class because this provides me with good feedback on my students' mastery of the material and also keeps them from zoning out and getting bored. 

Blog 3: STEM

Think about a project or alternative assessment that your students can do this semester where they are using the content and explain your planning process.

In my Algebra Extensions class this semester I planned a Project Based Learning lesson.  We did a unit on perimeter and area, so their project was to make a blueprint of their dream home.  On graph paper students first drew out the blueprint and labeled all of the rooms of their dream home.  Next students were required to calculate the perimeter and area of each room in their home.  Finally, students calculated the total area and total perimeter.  Students also presented their homes to the class.  My students really enjoyed this project and it gave them a lot of practice with area and perimeter, as well as basic operations which is something many of them still struggle with.

Blog 2: School Counselors

Have you had to go to your school counselor to assist in a situation? What was your experience in working with the counselor? Were you able to get the student or parent the resources they needed?

There have been several instances in which I sought the help of a counselor after a student told me something concerning.  I often have my students write me letters in which I ask them to reflect on the class and how they are doing in general.  This allows me to get to know my students a little better.  However, there was one time when a student admitted to me in the letter that they were self-harming.  There was another instance where a student came to my class very upset and started to tell me about some of the issues that she was experiencing at home.  In both cases I talked with the students' assigned counselor and made sure that the student went in to talk to them.  The counselors I have worked with were very helpful and were quick in getting the students in to see them.  I know that both students continued to see the counselor so it appeared to me that they were able to get the help that they needed.

Blog 1: Common Core

What are your concerns about the Common Core Standards? What ah-ha did you have about CCS? What will you continue to do or do differently to ensure that you are teaching to the CCS?

I think my biggest concern with the common core standards is the readiness of my students to engage with these more rigorous expectations. My district is using the common core aligned Eureka Math curriculum, and a lot of it assumes prior knowledge that was taught in previous Eureka Math courses.  I worry that my students will not be ready for the challenges that they might face with these sudden changes.  One thing that I have been doing and will continue to do is scaffolding certain lessons and reviewing what is considered previous knowledge for each lesson.  I do not want to take the rigor out of the curriculum, nor do I want to skip any standards, but at the same time I need to make sure that my students have the basic skills that they were expected to have learned in previous years.  Therefore, I do alter some of the common core aligned lessons and add things in to make sure I am reviewing while also introducing the new material. I add in some basic skills work to scaffold them up to the more challenging and critical thinking questions.

Professionalism

"Am I a professional? What are my personal actions that demonstrate this? What sets me apart from the peers at my school? Do I hold myself to a higher standard? We can always improve, What can I do to improve my professionalism?"

I believe that I am professional. I demonstrate this by always doing was is expected and required of me by my administration.  Within the classroom setting I also make sure to act like a professional.  I am young so sometimes my students will try to act like my friend, but I make sure to remind them that I am not their friend, I am their teacher. This doesn't mean that I can't form good relationships with my students, it is just important that they know the difference.  
While most of my peers are professional, there are certainly some that are act unprofessional at times.  For example, there are certain teachers who will complain about the administration a lot and will not always attend professional development sessions because they outwardly voice their negative opinions about them.  From time to time certain teachers will also make comments in PD sessions that seem to have an unprofessional and attacking undertone to them.  
I do hold myself to a high standard, but there is certainly room for improvement.  I believe my biggest issue comes in when students try to argue with me about something, and I often engage them instead of ignoring or handling it in a more professional manner.  Sometimes I find myself arguing with them, but then I remind myself that I am the adult and need to figure out a different way to resolve the issue.  I have definitely gotten better at this throughout the semester. 

Bullying

"Did you experience bullying as a child either as a victim, witness or as a bully? How did you survive that experience and what did you learn from it that is helping you now as a Teacher?"

I was fortunate as a child and was not bullied.  However, I did see other students who were bullied, especially in middle school.  The form of bullying I saw the most was name-calling.  I also see this form of bullying in my classroom from time to time.  This has prompted me to have a discussion with my classes on the different forms of bullying.  I think many students do not realize the effect their words may have on another.  I have discussed with my students how they may think what they are saying is just a joke, but they never know how the other person will interpret it.  I do not tolerate bullying in my classroom, and make sure to address it whenever I hear it.  Many students will respond with "well they know I'm just joking!"  I emphasize to them that they cannot know that, and even if they are joking it is not appropriate to tease others.  What they might think is a joke may be very hurtful to others, even if they do not say anything or show on the outside that they are offended.

Semester 2: Blog #1

"What are your goals for Spring 2014? What are 3 things that you want to improve or initiate within your classroom this semester? How can your Cadre Leader support you with these goals?"

There are many things that I would like to improve this semester, but one of my main goals is to have better classroom management.  I need to be more consistent with giving out consequences and need to make sure that I always have clear expectations.  Another goal I have is to create better relationships with all of my students.  Last semester I knew a decent amount of my students well, but I want to try to build those relationships with all of my students.  I would like to do an activity that I started at the end of last semester: Letter to the Teacher Fridays.  I had students write me letters about whatever they wanted during the first 10 minutes of Friday lessons.  I learned a lot about my students this way and got good feedback about the class.  Finally, I am going to give more exit tickets in all my classes in order to gauge whether or not students are mastering the material.  Last semester I did not give many quizzes and would mostly find out from tests if students understood the material.  Quizzes/exit tickets will be a good way for both students and myself to see the level of mastery.