Chapters 12, 14, and 15 of Woolfolk this week are important and essential in every classroom. The chapters focused on the needs of our students and how to effectively teach with our students at the forefront. It in the day and age of standardized teaching it is good to be reminded of the purpose of teaching and remembering to see our students as individuals.
In chapter 12 Woolfolk addresses Maslow's hierarchy of needs (pg. 381) and looking at the whole student. I believe that his theory holds a lot of truth because in order for a student to perform to their full potential then all of their needs must be met first. For example a student coming to school hungry everyday is not going to be able to concentrate in school which may result in behavioral problems or isolation. Knowing Maslow's hierarchy of needs allows for teachers to be more attentive to their students and addressing their needs first. I believe that the reason some schools might have more behavioral issues then other schools revolves around whether or not the students needs are being met; in a more affluent neighborhood the students might be better behaved compared to a lower income neighborhood due to whether or not the students needs are being met. Often time kids don't know how to express themselves and are ashamed and embarrassed to ask for help therefore they take out their emotions in unhealthy ways which generally negatively effects others.
My teacher told me about the home background of one of my students and it explained a lot to me about how she is in the classroom. I'm learning to be patient with her and encourage her when she is doing her work but also reminding her that she needs to respect authority. The concept of learned helplessness is one that is difficult to understand and as a teacher can be frustrating at times. I was at a 3rd grade placement about one year ago and one of the students became so frustrated whenever it was time for math. She didn't attempt a math problem and instead she would lay her head down and cry. This was difficult for me to watch because I knew that she could do it but she had to try first. I would help her and encourage her but then the next step is for to grab the reigns and believe in her abilities.
As Woolfolk says in chapter 14 it is very important to teach every student. Know the needs of each of ones students as well as knowing their academic needs. One of my teachers made mention of this last week about the importance of knowing her students and changing the lessons each year because her students are different and have different needs. This was great to hear because it let me know that my teacher is attentive and cares for her students; she doesn't just reuse lessons year after year but she reflects on her students and their needs. We learn a lot at Trinity about differentiation which is so essential to the classroom. I saw differentiation a lot last year in my 5th grade placement; I think it really shows an attentiveness to one's students.
In terms of classroom assessment differentiation plays a large role in this because teachers must differentiate how they assess their students. We want to see the gifts and talents of each student shine as well as make learning enjoyable.
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Sunday, June 14, 2015
Module 4
I found this weeks readings to be somewhat difficult to apply to my own field experience placement but it was still helpful. Some of the information in chapters 9 and 10 I found difficult to apply to my Kindergarten placement.
In chapter 8, Woolfolk addresses the creativity of students; my cooperating teachers are always allowing opportunities for the students to express their creativity. Everyday students are asked to draw visual representations since they can't write. One of the things that I notice one of my cooperating teachers doing is telling the students, "Do we have purple trees? Are their green people? etc." I'm not sure how I feel about those questions because I feel as though it stifles children's imagination. Woolfolk says, "Teachers are in an excellent position to encourage or discourage creativity through their acceptance or rejection of the unusual and imaginative (pg. 290)." Another point that Woolfolk makes is that teachers should also defer judgement. I love to see my students use their imagination and create; it allows me to see so much of each of their individual personalities. One of my students loves to tie in all of his drawings with Ninja Turtles. My students don't really experience transfer; right now they are at a period where teachers are trying to find out what each student already knows.
I definitely am a supporter of parts of Vgotsky's social constructivism mentioned in chapter 9. Students are very much shaped by their social interaction, cultural tools, and activity. Knowledge is both individually constructed and socially mediated. I believe that collaboration to understand different viewpoints is very important and something we need to teach our students. Our students need to know how to appropriately respond with one another. I recently had a conversation with one of my Kindergarten teachers and she said that she likes to encourage a lot of social interaction between her students. I went to a conference in May and one of the workshops aligned with Vgotsky's view of student centered learning. I believe that this is somewhat difficult in a Kindergarten classroom because these students are just beginning school so they need more guidance. But, my teachers do allow some ownership with the students. Now that most schools are equipped with technology my cooperating teachers allow the students to use the Smartboard; they put on an ABC game and are trying to teach the students how to head the game without the help of a teacher but with the help of one another.
In chapter 8, Woolfolk addresses the creativity of students; my cooperating teachers are always allowing opportunities for the students to express their creativity. Everyday students are asked to draw visual representations since they can't write. One of the things that I notice one of my cooperating teachers doing is telling the students, "Do we have purple trees? Are their green people? etc." I'm not sure how I feel about those questions because I feel as though it stifles children's imagination. Woolfolk says, "Teachers are in an excellent position to encourage or discourage creativity through their acceptance or rejection of the unusual and imaginative (pg. 290)." Another point that Woolfolk makes is that teachers should also defer judgement. I love to see my students use their imagination and create; it allows me to see so much of each of their individual personalities. One of my students loves to tie in all of his drawings with Ninja Turtles. My students don't really experience transfer; right now they are at a period where teachers are trying to find out what each student already knows.
I definitely am a supporter of parts of Vgotsky's social constructivism mentioned in chapter 9. Students are very much shaped by their social interaction, cultural tools, and activity. Knowledge is both individually constructed and socially mediated. I believe that collaboration to understand different viewpoints is very important and something we need to teach our students. Our students need to know how to appropriately respond with one another. I recently had a conversation with one of my Kindergarten teachers and she said that she likes to encourage a lot of social interaction between her students. I went to a conference in May and one of the workshops aligned with Vgotsky's view of student centered learning. I believe that this is somewhat difficult in a Kindergarten classroom because these students are just beginning school so they need more guidance. But, my teachers do allow some ownership with the students. Now that most schools are equipped with technology my cooperating teachers allow the students to use the Smartboard; they put on an ABC game and are trying to teach the students how to head the game without the help of a teacher but with the help of one another.
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Module 3
Since the school year wrapped up here in my hometown I am now at a different placement for summer school. I am working with Kindergartners/1st graders; Woolfolk chapter 7 and 13 are both very applicable to my placement as students are still learning about good classroom behavior and teachers are working on creating a positive learning environment for students.
My school uses positive behavior supports for classroom management. According to Woolfolk when schools use positive behavior supports the disciplinary referrals decreases for all students (pg. 219). The students are given hoot tickets when they are caught following directions. The students respond well with the tickets every Friday they are able to redeem their tickets for goodies. What I like about the goodie cart is that their are many prizes to choose from with various prize values so a student with one hoot ticket can still receive a prize but the bigger prizes are worth more tickets. Therefore the tickets serve as a motivating factor, if they want a prize that is more expensive then they have to work harder to earn the tickets. I am curious to know if the tickets are a motivating factor for the 5th graders. I have not seen group consequences used with my class, behavior is usually on the basis of the individual.
One of the teachers that I work with teaches students entering Kindergarten in the fall. Many of these students are unfamiliar with classroom rules and procedures. The teacher continuously reminds the students of the rules in order for them to stick them to memory. I am also reminding the students of correct classroom behavior; many of them like to get up from their seat and show me their work but I remind them the correct procedure for when they want my attention. Woolfolk talks about the importance of having the rules written down and posted (pg.422) since my students are unable to read, we verbally reinforce the rules. Since my school uses the PBS model rules are written around the school accompanied by pictures.
The section that Woolfolk writes about on encouraging encouragement should be plastered in every classroom around the world. Encouragement is key for any class to be successful. I am always encouraging the students in my class and genuinely offering them praise for their work. Many teachers lack encouragement and in reality genuine encouragement can make all the difference for students.
My school uses positive behavior supports for classroom management. According to Woolfolk when schools use positive behavior supports the disciplinary referrals decreases for all students (pg. 219). The students are given hoot tickets when they are caught following directions. The students respond well with the tickets every Friday they are able to redeem their tickets for goodies. What I like about the goodie cart is that their are many prizes to choose from with various prize values so a student with one hoot ticket can still receive a prize but the bigger prizes are worth more tickets. Therefore the tickets serve as a motivating factor, if they want a prize that is more expensive then they have to work harder to earn the tickets. I am curious to know if the tickets are a motivating factor for the 5th graders. I have not seen group consequences used with my class, behavior is usually on the basis of the individual.
One of the teachers that I work with teaches students entering Kindergarten in the fall. Many of these students are unfamiliar with classroom rules and procedures. The teacher continuously reminds the students of the rules in order for them to stick them to memory. I am also reminding the students of correct classroom behavior; many of them like to get up from their seat and show me their work but I remind them the correct procedure for when they want my attention. Woolfolk talks about the importance of having the rules written down and posted (pg.422) since my students are unable to read, we verbally reinforce the rules. Since my school uses the PBS model rules are written around the school accompanied by pictures.
The section that Woolfolk writes about on encouraging encouragement should be plastered in every classroom around the world. Encouragement is key for any class to be successful. I am always encouraging the students in my class and genuinely offering them praise for their work. Many teachers lack encouragement and in reality genuine encouragement can make all the difference for students.
Saturday, June 6, 2015
Classroom Management Scenarios- GoAnimate
I made two classroom management videos with the program GoAnimate. The first video is an example of poor classroom management; the second video shows a better way that the teacher could have handled the situation. Since I do not have a subscription to GoAnimate I could not upload the videos to Youtube or Vimeo so I have linked the url for the videos below:
1. Classroom Management-Negative
2. Classroom Management-Positive
The first video shows an example of poor classroom management. The teacher called out Mike in front of the whole class and insulted him. In his insults he compares Mike to his brother as well as insinuates that he does not expect much from Mike because he behaves poorly on a daily basis.According to Woolfolk their are some convergences (principles that apply to all people) of learning (pg. 227, 11th edition). One of those convergences is that teachers respond to inappropriate behavior in a way that reinforces attention to the situation. Mr. Scott directed negative attention towards the behavior of Mike. Instead of negatively pointing out Mike's behavior maybe have a behavioral chart that only Mr. Scott and Mike know about rewarding Mike with points/gold ticket when he has a day where he demonstrates positive behavior. It is also never ok to compare a student to another student although Mr.Scott might feel that Mike's brother Tim was a better behaved student he should never let Mike know.
The second video shows an example of positive classroom management. The teacher did not singularly call out Mike for his inappropriate behavior but simply gave attention to the positive behavior of students. In this video I wanted to demonstrate the teacher using positive behavior supports. According to Woolfolk when schools use positive behavior supports the disciplinary referrals decreases for all students (pg. 219). Mr.Scott reinforced the positive behavior of students by telling them what they were doing right as well as giving them a reward for their positive behavior. In response Mike immediately changed his behavior to match his classmates in order to show Mr.Scott that he was ready to learn and earn a gold ticket. The gold tickets are an incentive for positive behavior and when they are redeemed students receive a prize. Woolfolk also says that research on PBS has largely been good.
1. Classroom Management-Negative
2. Classroom Management-Positive
The first video shows an example of poor classroom management. The teacher called out Mike in front of the whole class and insulted him. In his insults he compares Mike to his brother as well as insinuates that he does not expect much from Mike because he behaves poorly on a daily basis.According to Woolfolk their are some convergences (principles that apply to all people) of learning (pg. 227, 11th edition). One of those convergences is that teachers respond to inappropriate behavior in a way that reinforces attention to the situation. Mr. Scott directed negative attention towards the behavior of Mike. Instead of negatively pointing out Mike's behavior maybe have a behavioral chart that only Mr. Scott and Mike know about rewarding Mike with points/gold ticket when he has a day where he demonstrates positive behavior. It is also never ok to compare a student to another student although Mr.Scott might feel that Mike's brother Tim was a better behaved student he should never let Mike know.
The second video shows an example of positive classroom management. The teacher did not singularly call out Mike for his inappropriate behavior but simply gave attention to the positive behavior of students. In this video I wanted to demonstrate the teacher using positive behavior supports. According to Woolfolk when schools use positive behavior supports the disciplinary referrals decreases for all students (pg. 219). Mr.Scott reinforced the positive behavior of students by telling them what they were doing right as well as giving them a reward for their positive behavior. In response Mike immediately changed his behavior to match his classmates in order to show Mr.Scott that he was ready to learn and earn a gold ticket. The gold tickets are an incentive for positive behavior and when they are redeemed students receive a prize. Woolfolk also says that research on PBS has largely been good.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)