(13.1) List five areas you will attend to as you create a learning environment that is conducive to learning.
The first area that I would want to attend to is laying out goals and expectations for my students. This includes rules for how to act towards me and how I expect each student to act towards their neighbors. An important thing to consider is to explain why these rules are in place and it may be best to give students examples explaining the rules that they can relate to and essentially internalize. The last thing I would want if for my class to feel like a prison, so there will of course be incentives and rewards, as well as plenty of opportunities for students to give their opinions and make decisions about activities or events taking place in our classroom. I want to empower my students, while also influencing the way they carry themselves in my classroom.
Teacher/student relationships are also key in the classroom. Teachers want to maintain a certain level of control in the classroom, but it is important for each student to feel comfortable in the class and understand that the teacher has the best interests in mind for each student. One way to develop this relationship that I read about in another class suggested having mini meetings with students. While the class is completing activities throughout the day, the teacher should take time to go around the class and have a small conversation with each child. This is just a simple conversation about something in their life or outside of school. I want to know my students outside the classroom.
Another important thing to consider is that each student enters the classroom with a different background and different exposure to various things. It is a teachers responsibility to recognize that each child is different and that this is going to affect the way they perform in class.
When considering every child in the classroom, it is important that the teacher adjust lessons to match student ability and promote achievement. The teacher needs to be able to differentiate instruction enough so that each student understands the concepts on their individual levels.
Lastly, I want to make my classroom a community setting. I want my students to appreciate and accept each other. I will do this through various classroom arrangements, assignments, and activities. Communication is key for understanding.
(13.2) Consider a student who is disruptively talking
to a neighbor while you are teaching. Develop and list a full continuum
of responses for dealing with the unproductive learning behavior.
-I would first cue the student by becoming silent until they recognized that their behavior was the reason I stopped.
-I would then call on the student to put there input into the lecture that I am giving. Not to embarrass, but to remind the student that they need to be paying attention.
-An individual conference would be my next move. I would explain what behaviors I have noticed and also explain what behaviors I expect.
-After that, I would set up a system of self-regulation whereby the student keeps track of their own behavior and holds themselves accountable. Incentives could be included.
-If none of these methods work, I would then move to a parent teacher conference that possible included the student.
