Blog 5: Classroom Management Plan

1) Build rapport with your students

Most minor issues in classroom management can be solved by a teacher having good rapport with their students. Students do not have to necessarily like the teacher, but there has to be a mutual understanding and sense of respect between both parties. It almost feels wrong for students to be disrespectful or rude to a teacher with whom they have strong rapport. This makes activities like student surveys and class discussions important assets in a teacher’s tool-kit. Once teachers get to know their students on a personal level, they will be able to anticipate and address future behavioral issues. For example, you can make proper adjustments for a student sleeping in class because you know they aren’t getting enough to eat at home. In that situation, it is important to make sure the student qualifies for and receives free breakfast/lunch at school. It might also be helpful to provide a snack for that student to help them stay engaged in class.

2) Address the problem before it gets out of hand

I learned first-hand during my first supervisor observation about the importance of addressing problems when they first pop up. Since it was my first week with a new class, I didn’t really address the few times when various people around the room were talking. None of it really seemed to affect the rest of the class, and most of it stopped with proximity or calling on the particular student by name. However, I never took the time to explain my expectations for classroom behavior and the consequences for those who broke the rules. My class really showed out during the observation, and classroom management was the only place where I lost points on the scoring guide. Needless to say, I firmly laid down the law the following day. I explained my expectations and how talking when I am talking would not be tolerated. The lesson I learned from this experience was to be proactive instead of reactive when dealing with classroom management. Most problems are avoidable if you make your expectations clear in the beginning and address any issues—no matter how small—when they first pop up.

3) Walk the walk if you’re going to talk the talk

My third action step involves sticking to your guns when someone breaks the rules. If you say that nobody is to be talking when you are talking, that means you cannot ignore interruptions and distractions in class. However, there are exceptions to these rules. If I ask someone to (quietly) catch up another student because they were absent, I have to bend the rules. Since the talking was constructive, it would be allowed. The punishment also has to fit the crime. You have to be flexible and judicious when dealing with different students. Despite these factors, it is important that expectations for students are made clear and that the teacher follows through—in most cases—with the stated consequences after the rules are broken.

Blog 4: Curriculum Unit Action Plan

One suggestion that I repeatedly noticed involved highlighting specific parts of the standards listed in my lesson plans. I thought this was an excellent suggestion because it makes the lesson easier for the supervisor (or anyone else) to follow. When I am lesson-planning, I have trouble deciding which standards apply to a particular class, and I often list more than I need to. If the standard could be applied to the content in any possible way, I usually put it in just to be safe. The problem is that each National Geography Standard encompasses a variety of information, and I would only use a few phrases or one sentence out of the paragraph. By highlighting the sections that apply to my lesson, it gives the observer a better idea of what to expect. It also helps me determine which standards really apply to the content and strategies that I will be using for that day.

If I am going to incorporate the Elements of Literacy into my lesson plans, I need to do more than simply list the letters that apply. I need to specify which elements are being used and why/how I am using them. The reasoning for this is similar to why I need to highlight key parts of standards. By writing out the elements, the lesson plan is easier to understand, and it helps me focus my thoughts on what I want to accomplish.

Although I seemed to do a respectable job on this for my Unit Plan, I need to continue to use a variety of objectives for my lesson plans. I need to continue to incorporate action verbs like describe, compare/contrast, explain, discuss, define, distinguish, identify, etc. Furthermore, I need to return to these objectives at the end of each lesson and check to make sure they were accomplished. This is important because informal assessment is a key component to a successful classroom. On that note, I also need to work on including certain aspects of assessment in my lesson plans. My cooperating teacher explained that many teachers do a lot of good things in the classroom without really thinking about it (Ex: Walking around the classroom to monitor students during think-pair share). The problem is that your supervisor needs to see it in your lesson plan. I need to be more thorough In the future when writing the assessment portion of my lesson plans.

Blog 3: Professional Social Studies Organization

When I asked my Cooperating Teacher if he belonged to any professional social studies organizations, the first words out of his mouth were, “Yes…the South Carolina Geographic Alliance”. I decided to further research this organization for two reasons. First of all, I wanted some background information before the presentation by the Geographic Alliance at our Capstone tonight. Secondly, I was interested to know why my teacher chose to join this group and not actively participate in any others.

I found a good answer to my second question right away after I began to examine the South Carolina Geographic Alliance’s website. Joining the organization is free***. That’s always a plus when you know you’ll be living on a fixed income. Worrying about membership dues in the last thing I should be concerned with. Plus, this is a professional organization specifically designed for geography educators. Since I will be taking on nothing but World Geography classes for student-teaching, I felt this was the best professional organization for me to research.

The SC Geographic Alliance provides a variety of in-service and pre-service opportunities that focus on free workshops where teachers have access to a variety of lesson plans and classroom resources. Opportunities for professional development include the Summer Geography Institute and “Geofest”. The Summer Institute is an annual event held at the University of South Carolina where teachers experience an “intensive, residential two-week training program intended to increase teachers' knowledge of geography, introduce teachers to new teaching techniques and materials, and help them develop skills in presenting in-service workshops to other teachers” (SCGA). Geofest is a biannual conference (also held in Columbia) where new ideas/strategies are presented and shared. It is open to the general public and the USC geography faculty even offers their input.

If the Geography Alliance’s presentation at the Capstone tonight is appropriate, I think I might go ahead and fill out the free online application. I don’t plan on joining any other organizations until I have a steady source of income. For now I think I’ll settle for their online resources that include lesson plans, daily activities, and outline maps that will be very useful while I am student-teaching.