Reflection on Case Study Project

Well, this blog is a little late, because I have already completed and posted my Case Study, but I will post this short reflection on where I was about a month ago.
So in my classroom, there are hardly any major behavior issues, so it was hard to pick a student to develop a BIP for. I ended up deciding that I would observe and develop a plan for a student that was having trouble making friends in the class. This student was the only African American student in my class, and one of only 3 in her grade level. In addition, her parents are both immigrants, and she was raised in a completely different style from other students in our class. Needless to say, she was having a little trouble finding ways to connect to many of the students in the class, and this was causing her to start bullying. I felt like I could really help her find ways to interact with her peers that were more positive, and get my assignment done at the same time! So I started making notes and observing her behavior and coming up with ideas for a BIP. About a month ago, however, a student in my class' parent came to me, because my CT had told her that I had an assignment to develop a BIP for a student in the class, and that parent really wanted me to work with her child. Her daughter was having a lot of trouble getting started on assignments and focusing during whole group instruction. It was starting to worry both her parents and myself, because we did not want this habit to affect her learning. Although it would've been really easy for me to explain to the parent that I had really already started my project, I felt like this was a situation that I could change plans and help both the parent and her daughter. But what to do with the student I had picked originally? I ended up just sharing my thoughts with our TA, and she worked on a plan for that student. Everything worked out, and both girls got the individualized plan that they needed, just not like I had originally planned! From that experience I think that I was reminded that a successful teacher is always FLEXIBLE, and reaches out to other adults in the school when her plate gets too full!

Response to CT Classroom Management

My CT uses a combination of the district PBS system and the "Nurtured Heart" philosophy of classroom management. I can honestly say that I have never seen such an effective and logical support system for the students in a school. Students as a whole are sensitive to each others needs, understanding of differences, and genuinely apologetic when they make a mistake. Of course, there are always going to be outliers for any classroom management system put into place, but this is a system that honestly works for the vast majority of children in the school. Student developed classroom rules are posted clearly on the main wall for everyone to see, and logical consequences are in place for students that break those rules. It is a classroom community that takes pride in their thoughtfulness, and is meaningful and authentic for my students. There are no rewards such as stickers or trinkets for prizes, but rather "compliments." My teacher has made sure from the beginning of the school year that students understand that a teacher is always looking for good behavior to compliment, and the students understand that their good behavior is their contribution to a successful classroom.
If I had heard about this kind of classroom prior to being placed with my CT I probably would have laughed. I would not have thought that this kind of classroom sounded realistic or age appropriate (1st grade), but now I am a believer. I am definitely taking notes, because this is the kind of classroom I want to have in the future!

Response to Article in Article Bank

I am reflecting on the article "Novice Teacher Success" from the BB file. I really appreciated the format of this article, as well as the advice it gives. It lists 20 things that every new teacher needs to know to make a happy and successful classroom. It kind of reminds me of the "First 100 Days of School" book for new teachers. Every 1st year teacher gets a little nervous when thinking about that first month of school. We all know that we are fully prepared, but sometimes new teachers think "Wow, this is it! Now I'm on my own!" Number 15 and 17 (Be a valuable team player and Never stop looking for new resources to enhance your effectiveness as a teacher) in this article reminded me that I am not losing the support system altogether, it is just changing a little. Rather than my university teachers and supervisors, I will have the members of my grade level team, specialists, and administrators that are more than willing to support me in any way they can. It is comforting to know that just about everyone working in a school has all experienced that all too monumental "1st Year" and they are not going to judge me or think I am not competent for reaching out for help if I need it!

Case Study Powerpoint

March Reading

"...Children who posses prerequisite behaviors to respond to a variety of situations are more likely to base their behavior on their beliefs and strategies for dealing with the problem that have proven effective in the past." As I was reading this section of the article I was thinking of one student in my class that refuses to raise his hand when he has something to say or has a question. Often, when the class is at the carpet, I will be explaining the next part of the day to the students, and many of them have questions. Most of my students have learned by now that if they have a question/comment, I will call on them if they have their hand raised. With this student however, he usually just shouts out. I tried the "please raise your hand" method, the 'ignore him until he raises his hand' strategy, and even the 'i'm going to sit quietly until he stops shouting out, then continue what I was saying' strategy. I would say that I have tried extensive and energetic praise when he DOES raise his hand, but he never does! In the end, I always end up answering his questions or letting him talk, because he repeats his question a million times until I answer it. It's a constant struggle of "do I answer the question and move on before he disrupts the lesson, or do I try to teach him to raise his hand, just like every other students in the class." The quote above (from the article) made me think, of course he shouts until I bend, it's always worked for him in the past. I think that after reading this article I have a resolve to continue working with him to learn to raise his hand. Maybe a conversation with him in which we make a deal that if he raises his hand I will call on him 1st, so that he doesn't have to shout out. If it is a lack of patience or fear or others saying what he was thinking (which I think it might be)then calling on him 1st when he raises his hand will hopefully solve both issues...

Creating a Classroom that Promotes Positive Behavior

I appreciate the specific examples of data collection, intervention plans, and reinforcement examples. It is really helpful for our Classroom Management project. On pg. 297 of the article there is a specific example of a positive reinforcement system to use- the lottery system. While I think this might work very well in some classrooms, I have some issues with that idea. In the book we are reading with my supervisor, and in the "Nurtured Heart" book that my school follows for their PBS policies, the authors suggest that specific encouragement in the moment is the most effective reinforcement in a classroom, especially younger grades. To me it seems that having students simply write their name on a piece of paper in the hopes of winning a reward later is not best practice, and would probably be ineffective. In my classroom the students made a class promise at the beginning of the year to always try to do the right thing, even when no one is watching. As teachers we always give specific and positive encouragement to students that have acted kindly, responsibly, or achieved something they hadn't thought they would be able to do. In the moment that a positive act occurs is the best time to 'notice' the behavior, because then students have the act fresh on their minds, and other students that may have been involved get encouragement (or see an example of a positive behavior) as well. Pulling a student aside to write their name down loses a lot of that. In addition, I have noticed that over rewarding children can lead them to believe that the only reason to do the right thing is to benefit themselves. Giving praise that includes how their positive behavior improves the classroom environment in general is part of what we do at Scroggs, and it works very well. The children are much more concerned about others now than when the school year began. I do agree that there should be a way to reinforce the entire class after a certain amount of time filled with positive behaviors, but I think there is probably a better way other than a lottery system.

Classroom Management in Inclusive Settings

The part of this article that I really gained the most from was the section on Promoting Membership. It really made me think of how in most classrooms a student with disabilities is thought of as a "special" member of the classroom, or someone that was just added to the group because there was not another place for the student. By promoting my student's awareness and appreciation of diversity I can create a classroom environment that really welcomes every student that walks through my classroom doors. Having said that, I'm finding really hard to truly foster my students diversity awareness in the classroom that I'm currently in. Most of the kids come from the same kinds of families- upper-class, traditionally structured, Caucasian families. They don't really get exposure to very many situations, other than the ones we set up in the classroom (like videos on the SMARTboard), that promote diversity. And because they are at that age (1st grade), I'm also finding that getting them to think about people other than themselves is equally as hard. I need some ideas for this particular classroom!