Students feel safe and secure when there is a set of classroom routines. Please reflect upon what classroom routines your cooperating teacher uses in the classroom.
What are the established procedures in the classroom such as attendance, beginning class, ending class, clean up, etc? What is the physical arrangement of the classroom, tables, desks, positioning, etc? How does the teacher transition the students from one activity to another? Reflect upon the classroom routines - Are the routines providing a positive, safe, and secure plan to ensure student learning? do you agree with the routines that the techer uses? Why or why not?
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My teacher did a very good job arranging her students in a way they would learn best and feel comfortable and safe in. Sometimes she would have them in pods or sometimes rows, but she always thinks about where each student would work best in the room. What I really like about the school I worked at was that they had a set schedule every day. They always had all the different subjects at the same time so the students always knew what they would be doing next. I really liked the way everything was handled in my teacher's classroom. I thought it seemed to work really well!
ReplyDeleteI feel like the teacher I observe does make the class fel comfortable and goes through the same routine everyday and throws nothing new at them so the students are not freaking out. She starts off by taking attendance, then gives the class instructions and reminders of tests and due dates.When class is near the end she warns them with about 5 minutes left and the students clean up their stuff.I haven't really got to see how she transits from activity to activity because since I been there the students walk into to class knowing what they are suppsoe to be doing, which usually is a hands on project.I think the routines she uses are effective when she puts it in use. All the students always pay attention and listen to her and get there work done.The only problem I see is that every seat has a computer so it is very easy for a student to gain access to it and then they get distracted.
ReplyDeleteMy teacher in my opinion does a very good jon making her students feel comfotable in her class by her doing her same routine everyday.It makes the studemts feel good about coming to her class because they know what is expected of them when they come in and will have no new things thrown at them to freak out about.My teacher starts class by doing attendance, giving instructions, and giving reminders to the students.Then the students get to work.I haven't really seen her transition to one activity to another because they usually work on a project,but they always know what there doing and that is telling me the teacher has her students prepared and arranged properly.
ReplyDeleteJamie, I agree i think it is good that the students always know what they are doing next.I feel like it makes the students feel more comfortable in the class,
ReplyDeleteMy teacher has them get into rows and then takes attendence. after that he has them run between 4-6 laps around the gym. If a kid is late they lose a point in class so they can only get a 75% for the day and if a kid doesn't dress out they lose 3 points do they can only get a 25% i like this cause it makes kids more responsible for there grade and as long as they show up on time and dress out they get a good grade in the class and its amazing to see kids in the class who are failing and it know ones fault but there own.
ReplyDeletei agree with ryan i think students need routine and it does help make the enviorment of the calss room more confortable. and i also agree with him on the routine of a class makes it more structured and it makes it easy when the kids come in and know what there doing.
ReplyDeleteMy teacher that I am observing has a pretty common classroom arrangement. The desks are in 3 rows which helps in routine. When it is time for a specialty class like art, music, library, etc. the students are called by row based on how well they are listening to how to clean up or are sitting quietly. By this time in the year, most students are familiar with what time they go to certain activities, so the teacher gives them a 10 and 5 minute warning so they can stay on task and begin to clean up. I think this common row formation and then lining up to enter the hall is an effective way of making sure everyone feels stays with the class and feels safe. However, I have noticed something I didn't like: when the students have to use the restroom, they are able to leave whenever they want. The problem I have with this is that the students are only in 2nd Grade. Also, the room helpers read with small groups. They have "intervention 1st graders" walk down the hall by themselves to my teachers room. I would be confused where my students were if they just got up and left or I would be concerned having one or two of my students walking unattended. But, altogether I think that the line-up routine to get from class to class has a positive effect.
ReplyDeleteJamie Winchell:
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post. My teacher also keeps everything on a schedule so that way the students know what they will be doing at all times of the day. Also, it is great that the teacher kept in mind where the children would work best.
I feel like my teacher does a great job of making the students feel secure and has a positive learning environment. Every day the students come in they dress out and then sit in the bleachers while the teacher takes attendance and tells them their task for the day. She tells them when their next test is and when they are going to do any physical assesment since it is a physical education class. All in all she does a great job of keeping the students heads up and on task.
ReplyDeleteRyan...
ReplyDeleteI am in the same spot as you I haven't seen my teacher do transitions and other things like that because I have only been one time. So I just asked her about her everyday procedures.
My host teacher seems to have a good routine. She always has the assignments and important notices written on the front board. She makes sure to point out to the students what is due and goes over the information on the board with them. Since the topics that the teacher covers generally large topics that take up the entire class period I haven't observed her transitioning topics during class. Also, she always gives the students the last two or three minutes in class to get their stuff together. Which I think is a decent idea. Though it goes away from the idea of utilizing every minute, usually students have lost interest by then. I do believe that the routine that my host teacher provides her class room is effective, as far as I have seen. If I were a student I would appreciate the fact that there is some sort of routine and organization in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteRyan,
ReplyDeleteI think it is very important as well to have a routine. It is also nice that your teacher reminds them all the time about when their upcoming tests are and everything. Students need to be reminded about the important things like that!
....my teachers classroom is a science room and they don't sit at desks they sit at lab tables.
ReplyDeleteJamie,
ReplyDeleteMy host teacher teaching high school and still the schedule that she has for them everyday is helpful as well. I agree with the idea, I think it is good for the students to be able to know what they will be doing.
My teacher would seat the kids in a specific seating arrangment. The teacher would sit the desks in a U shape.She always said that was a good way for her to see everybody and them to see her. Everyday would be on some sort of schedule making the organization up to par.
ReplyDeleteKellen, That is about the same way it was done back in my highschool. I beleive that is an effective way to run the physical education class.
ReplyDeleteMy host teacher has her classroom set up in three colomns grouped together with two desks next to eachother. The class has assigned seating, and when the students enter the classroom, they pick up a calculator from the back wall, sit down, and begin reviewing last night's homework. The teacher answers all questions asked; however, not all students pay attention. Some get up in the middle of the class to walk around, others hold private conversations amongst eachother, and some just walk out of the room to "use" the restroom. I believe for students to achieve maximum learning, there needs to be more discipline. The students should not be allowed to get out of there seats when ever they want to, and when the teacher is reviewing last night's assignment, it is important that the student's give her their undivided attention. This would benefit not only the students, but the professor, as well.
ReplyDeleteWill,
ReplyDeleteI agree with your teacher. I believe seating the desks in rows and colomns is too traditional for our modern world. The U shape is original and gives the students a new atmosphere which might enhance their comprehension and ability to learn new things.
Im currently not assigned to a class or district so I observed one of my professors at Lindenwood.
ReplyDeleteI believe this teacher is too disorganized and I feel as though the teacher is really unprepared which makes the students question and be constantly confused.
i agree with ashley J.
ReplyDeleteTeachers need to more diciplined in order to keep the routine smooth.
i have yet to be assinged to a school. through my experices in other classes and teachers a lot of teachers are very unorganized. some teachers do not keep up with attendance. they ask students to start a sign in sheet.
ReplyDeleteA first grade teacher I've observed had the kids arranged in small groups all over the classroom and had a big carpet in the back of the class with a rocker chair that was like a reading center.She would give the kids assignments and whenever they were done, they could turn it in and then get a book to read on the carpet. All the kids loved getting their assignments done and being able to pick out their favorite books. It gave them a break from each different subject assignment and they got to do something more relaxed and fun before starting something else. I think it worked really well with the kids, they seemed to get right back to work when the teacher asked them too and I it seemed less overwhelming to them. The teacher was very prepared for her classes too and always had fun things to go along with her lessons.
ReplyDeletei agree with ana there is teachers that make me question if they should really be drinking.
ReplyDeleteA first grade teacher that I've observed would give the kids an assignment and told them that when they were finished they could get a book to read and sit wherever they wanted. She also had bean bag chairs for the kids to pick and sit on while they read. She did this so all the other kids had a chance to finish their assignments while the other kids had a quiet, fun activity to do. I think this worked well for the kids because it gave them a small break from the lessons and they always got right back up and back to work after she let them read for a few minutes. It kept their attention well, with something that was still educational.
ReplyDeleteI liked Jamie Winchell's post. My teacher also arranged her kids in a really good way. She had small groups of 3 or 4 scattered around the room and then would change them to rows. She even had them arrange their desks into a horseshoe the week of St. Patrick's Day.
ReplyDeleteI havnt been placed yet, but my junior year I helped out a second grade teacher for community service. In the morning, she would set up the smart board so that the students could drag thier name to the other side showing that they are here. The desks were set up in pods so that they could work together, but they each had a "privacy folder" for when tests were taken. Another thing that I found interesting is that the teacher assigned each kid a magnet on the board. the magnets would all start in the middle but when someone got disiplined they would have to go to the board and move thiers down. Once thier magnet was moved down twice, they would be sent to the principal. Also, when the students did a good deed in the classroom, they would move it up a level and get a prize. I feel that the teacher's routines played a positive role in the classroom and made the students feel secure.
ReplyDeleteI agree with ashley J. I feel that a teacher should use decipline each day in the classroom. Otherwise, students will think they can get away with anything and not take the teacher seriously.
ReplyDeleteMy World History professor always starts class by calling roll. He then will bring up a docket of what the days class will go like. He will discuss any homework that is coming up full detail every class. He then will tell us what 2 people the presentations will be over. Then the 2 people in the class will come up and do their presentations. Then we go into lecture including powerpoints. When he feels he has covered enough or he runs out of time he dismisses us. We can all leave without extra detail from him because he covered all the important points in the beginning of the class. Every class is the same so we always know what to expect. He established all of his rules right from the beginning and everyone always knows what to expect.
ReplyDeleteThe classroom is 2 rows of tables that can hold 4 or so people in each.
I agree with Lauren that having the kids interact together and know exactly what is right and wrong at such a young age is beneficial. If you start teaching children young that good deeds go rewarded and are expected then they will understand more. They will also want to refrain from negative behaviors because they will not want to be punished. All the kids are equally important and decide their own fate and I think this is an important aspect to learn.
ReplyDeleteMy teachers always had a routine planned out so it wouldn't freak out any of the students. I would walk into class and the first thing they would do was take attendence. The schedule for the day was usually on the board as well to let the students know what they would be doing that day. I think the schedule on the board is a great idea and really helps the students. Most of the classes are the same and you know what to expect. The teachers usually never change something up randomly and confuse the kids.
ReplyDeleteAna,
ReplyDeleteI also feel some of my teachers are very unorganized. When a teacher is unorganized I think it does make it harder on the students to learn. They usually just end up confused
The teacher I observed was very organized and shecheduled. I felt that being scheduled really helped the kids stay organized, and will teach them that for the future. The kids sat at round tables so they were always in groups. This way they could interact, learn from each other and also help each other when needed. The kids werent put into groups by name or friends but by if someone was struggling they were placed at a table with someone who was smarter. I think that by doing that it was very helpful for the students. Now a days the schools have so much to teach they have to be in a routine. The kids would walk in put their coats & back packs up, turn over there name tags in their pockets (which there was a chart), then put their clip on hot or cold lunch, and put their planners on a side table. The teacher used "give me five" to get the kids quite so she could give them instructions.
ReplyDeleteRaul,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you there are many unorganized teachers. I think that being unorganized doesn't help the kids in any way.
The teacher I am observing runs the classroom very well. He makes sure that the rules and the way he runs his class is very clear to his students. They all respect him as a teacher and follow his curriculum. He also makes sure that all his students are participating in class. Some high school students hate participating in PE class, but the way he runs it makes it fun for the kids and they all love to participate and get a good amount of physical activity in.
ReplyDeleteAshley J., I agree with you because I have had many teachers in my days that have a lack of discipline and it really makes the classroom a joke. From my experience in the students shoes, I didn't take the class seriously at all and we goofed off the whole class. I can honestly say that I learned absolutely nothing in that class.
My host teacher has a persistent and solid routine. The desks are arranged in traditional rows with the teacher's desk in front. The teacher writes their notes on the front whiteboard and lectures accordingly. On the side of the classroom the teacher keeps another whiteboard which keeps the students updated on their journal assignments and upcoming important dates. At the end of class the teacher always reminds the students to check the board and points out upcoming dates.
ReplyDelete