Student Teachers Chatboard
http://teachers.net/mentors/student_teaching/posts.html
Topic: Needs some words of wisdom- Need advice on CT
Dates Spanning: 10/23/08-10/29/08
Terri, a student teacher who is in her 9th week of student teaching, explained that she is feeling frustrated with her CT (cooperative teacher). Terri explained that there is a general lack of communication. From day one, Terri felt that the CT was not giving her feedback or guidance. (The CT didn’t even introduce Terri to the class.) Aside from the lack of guidance from the CT, Terri expressed other concerns. For example, the CT assumes that Terri knows how to do a lot of things (which she sometimes does not know), does not give Terri much freedom in the classroom, and treats her more like an assistant than a student teacher. Terri is also bothered by the fact that the CT changes a lot of things at the last minute causing Terri to feel out of the loop. Terri explained that every time she tries to speak with the CT, she is busy.
All of the people who responded to this post agreed that it is the CT’s responsibility to give a student teacher feedback and guidance. However, their advice on how to handle the situation varied slightly. One person, Jennifer, advised to make an appointment with the CT and to be prepared with some notes about some key concerns so as to stay on topic and avoid venting. Jennifer also advised to speak with the university supervisor. Another teacher, Sharon, expressed empathy for Terri because she had a similar negative experience in her first semester as a student teacher. Sharon explained that she spoke with her advisor and made sure that she was placed with a different CT in her next semester of student teaching. Her reason for handling the situation in that manner was because she didn’t want to let her negative student teaching experience with her first CT ruin her impression about the field of education. Sharon advised that she was able to be placed with a new CT in the second semester and had a wonderful learning experience. Similar to Jennifer, Sharon urged Terri to speak to her advisor. However, unlike Jennifer, Sharon did not mention speaking with the CT at all. Eric responded to Sharon’s post by stating that it might be better for Terri to stick it out with the current CT since she is already nine weeks into the semester. His suggestion for Terri was to strive to open the lines of communication with the CT. Eric proposed that Terri ask her CT out for coffee- away from the school setting- in order to discuss specific areas of concern. For example, Terri could explain that she wants feedback on her instruction, discipline, classroom management, etc. Eric also recommended setting up a time with the CT to obtain this feedback and discuss ways to improve.
Useful Information for My Teaching Future:
This post (and the responses to this post) made me realize how important it will be for me to communicate effectively with my CT from the start of the semester. I’m going to make a conscious effort, right away, to keep the lines of communication open so that I know what is expected of me and what/how I can improve. I learned from working in the business field that it is crucial to create a good rapport with supervisors, managers, co-workers, etc.- and I imagine that this is the case in the field of education as well. Having a good rapport with co-workers established a comfortable work environment and enabled me to quickly learn things (that might have taken me years to learn on my own) from others with more experience. I’m definitely going to take the knowledge that I gleaned in the business world (especially “people skills”), and apply as much of it as possible when I begin student teaching.
Question I Posted:
As I was reading through some of the older posts, I realized that many student teachers expressed a lot of the same concerns. Most had to do with communication issues with CT’s and self-doubt and/or anxiety in front of the class. After reading through 2 months of posts, I felt overwhelmed and nervous! I didn’t think that student teaching would be such an overwhelming experience. I guess you can say I was “blissfully ignorant” about student teaching before I looked at this chatboard! Since I’m going to be student teaching in the spring, I started my own thread and asked for suggestions on how to prepare. I stated that I know first impressions are key and that I would like to make a good first impression with my CT and with the students in the class. I also noted that I want to be able to get the most out of my teaching experience without stepping on anyone’s toes.
Response to My Post:
So far, I received one response to my post. Someone named Steve gave me a list of the top ten things I should do. Ironically, and going along with the theme of this particular blog post, number one and ten were “pray you get a good CT!” Steve also advised that I would know by the third day whether or not my CT is a good match and if he/she isn’t, I should ask for another placement. The other eight things included: clearing my schedule of everything else (apparently student teaching is quite time consuming), eating right, sleeping more than five hours per night, etc.
I’m not sure I learned too much more from this specific response; the person who posted didn’t really respond to the details of my post. Nonetheless, it seems as though most people will agree that the most important thing about student teaching (or the factor that will determine whether you have a positive or negative experience) is obtaining a CT who can fulfill his/her role as a CT!
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Third Post
Beginning Teachers Chatboard Bulletin
beginning-teachers@lists.teachers.net
Topic: “Student’s comments on a test paper”(topic posted by Chris)
Dates Spanning: 10/15/08-10/20/08
This topic was posted by a teacher, Chris, who gave a math quiz and discovered that one of his disruptive students wrote a note on the front of the quiz. The student did not answer any of the questions and noted that he “didn’t really learn” the information because the teacher “didn’t really teach it.” Chris explained that he gave the same quiz to two different classes and almost all of the students were able to answer the questions correctly. Furthermore, this particular student has been a problem since day one of the school year; he never completes classroom assignments and rarely completes his homework. (The student also steals things from Chris’ classroom.) Chris asked if he should bring the test paper down to the guidance department and set up an appointment with the student’s mother and/or father.
I was surprised to discover that the responses to this post were quite varied. I eventually came to the conclusion that the diverse responses must have to do with the fact that teachers have so many different experiences with students, administration, and parents. As teachers gain experience, they formulate opinions and do the best they can to determine how to handle current situations based on prior experience. For example, some teachers might have had problems dealing with administration and/or parents in the past and would now rather deal with a behavior problem one-on-one with the student. (In one particular teacher’s response to Chris’ post, she wrote that it is best to deal with the student first because as soon as a teacher involves guidance or parents, the teacher loses control. She also advised to make an effort to build a rapport with the misbehaving student and show him that Chris was concerned. If that failed, only then would she suggest involving guidance or the parents.) Others might have found that talking with students individually got them no where. (In another response, a teacher noted that if it were up to him, he would meet with guidance and the parents. He would make sure to print out all of the student’s grades and be prepared to show that the student was not completing his assignments. This teacher also advised that it would be better for Chris to express concern for the student’s grades than to focus on how disrespectful the student is in order to avoid a confrontational meeting.)
All things considered, there will never be two situations that are exactly alike. As a result of the fact that every student and surrounding situation is unique, teachers learn to handle behavior problems differently. Of course there are school rules and state laws that require teachers to report certain behaviors, but if a student is simply acting out, teachers mainly have to use their discretion. Nevertheless, I think it’s important to note that although the responses were different, more than one person recommended speaking with the misbehaving student and/or developing a relationship with him/her as the first step in handling the problem.
Some reflection and the reason why I posted a comment:
I’m not a teacher yet so I cannot judge other teachers on how they handle situations but I feel that because teaching is so demanding and there are so many things teachers have to worry about (learning how to teach well, learning how to manage a classroom and paperwork, knowing how to deal with administration/parents/students, dealing with the stress of standardized testing and teacher accountability, etc.) sometimes common sense and human perceptiveness goes out the window. In addition, I feel that teachers are under so much stress that they can forget the reason why they began teaching. (I make this comment based on the assumption that people decide to become teachers because they genuinely care about children and want to make a positive impact on their lives- academically and psychologically!)
As human beings in today’s world we do this all the time! Sometimes we get caught up and find ourselves prioritizing and/or making decisions based on routine rather than taking the time to think and listen to what our gut instincts tell us to do. So many of us are multi-tasking and juggling ten thoughts at one time and this prevents us from truly evaluating situations. I feel this is so unfortunate because we’re mindlessly going through our daily motions instead of truly living, learning, appreciating, etc.
Before we make a decision, especially one having to do with a student, doesn’t it make sense to gain as much information as possible about the student? As a teacher and a person, shouldn’t we care about all students and want to know what they are thinking, feeling, experiencing (whether they behave or not)? Shouldn’t we have a genuine interest in understanding what makes children act one way or another? Shouldn’t we be looking at our students as little teachers who can open our minds to things we never thought about or considered? I feel that it’s important to be aware of rules and to follow them, but I feel so many rules are created because we forget to use our common sense and to follow our hearts and minds. So, in a case where a child is acting out in class and not completing assignments, I feel our first step should be to start with the child. He/she holds the true answers to our problem. However, if we are not able to understand and get through to this child, then it is our job to get the assistance of others (guidance, parents, etc.).
Reflection on the comments posted, the teaching profession, and the general routines of our society prompted me to recommend that Chris speak with his disruptive student and to acknowledge that this child is not only a student; this child plays more than one role in life. It is important to be cognoscente of the fact that the student is a human being who plays many different roles because his roles/life outside of the classroom may be affecting his behavior in Chris’ class. (Please see the post for more details.)
beginning-teachers@lists.teachers.net
Topic: “Student’s comments on a test paper”(topic posted by Chris)
Dates Spanning: 10/15/08-10/20/08
This topic was posted by a teacher, Chris, who gave a math quiz and discovered that one of his disruptive students wrote a note on the front of the quiz. The student did not answer any of the questions and noted that he “didn’t really learn” the information because the teacher “didn’t really teach it.” Chris explained that he gave the same quiz to two different classes and almost all of the students were able to answer the questions correctly. Furthermore, this particular student has been a problem since day one of the school year; he never completes classroom assignments and rarely completes his homework. (The student also steals things from Chris’ classroom.) Chris asked if he should bring the test paper down to the guidance department and set up an appointment with the student’s mother and/or father.
I was surprised to discover that the responses to this post were quite varied. I eventually came to the conclusion that the diverse responses must have to do with the fact that teachers have so many different experiences with students, administration, and parents. As teachers gain experience, they formulate opinions and do the best they can to determine how to handle current situations based on prior experience. For example, some teachers might have had problems dealing with administration and/or parents in the past and would now rather deal with a behavior problem one-on-one with the student. (In one particular teacher’s response to Chris’ post, she wrote that it is best to deal with the student first because as soon as a teacher involves guidance or parents, the teacher loses control. She also advised to make an effort to build a rapport with the misbehaving student and show him that Chris was concerned. If that failed, only then would she suggest involving guidance or the parents.) Others might have found that talking with students individually got them no where. (In another response, a teacher noted that if it were up to him, he would meet with guidance and the parents. He would make sure to print out all of the student’s grades and be prepared to show that the student was not completing his assignments. This teacher also advised that it would be better for Chris to express concern for the student’s grades than to focus on how disrespectful the student is in order to avoid a confrontational meeting.)
All things considered, there will never be two situations that are exactly alike. As a result of the fact that every student and surrounding situation is unique, teachers learn to handle behavior problems differently. Of course there are school rules and state laws that require teachers to report certain behaviors, but if a student is simply acting out, teachers mainly have to use their discretion. Nevertheless, I think it’s important to note that although the responses were different, more than one person recommended speaking with the misbehaving student and/or developing a relationship with him/her as the first step in handling the problem.
Some reflection and the reason why I posted a comment:
I’m not a teacher yet so I cannot judge other teachers on how they handle situations but I feel that because teaching is so demanding and there are so many things teachers have to worry about (learning how to teach well, learning how to manage a classroom and paperwork, knowing how to deal with administration/parents/students, dealing with the stress of standardized testing and teacher accountability, etc.) sometimes common sense and human perceptiveness goes out the window. In addition, I feel that teachers are under so much stress that they can forget the reason why they began teaching. (I make this comment based on the assumption that people decide to become teachers because they genuinely care about children and want to make a positive impact on their lives- academically and psychologically!)
As human beings in today’s world we do this all the time! Sometimes we get caught up and find ourselves prioritizing and/or making decisions based on routine rather than taking the time to think and listen to what our gut instincts tell us to do. So many of us are multi-tasking and juggling ten thoughts at one time and this prevents us from truly evaluating situations. I feel this is so unfortunate because we’re mindlessly going through our daily motions instead of truly living, learning, appreciating, etc.
Before we make a decision, especially one having to do with a student, doesn’t it make sense to gain as much information as possible about the student? As a teacher and a person, shouldn’t we care about all students and want to know what they are thinking, feeling, experiencing (whether they behave or not)? Shouldn’t we have a genuine interest in understanding what makes children act one way or another? Shouldn’t we be looking at our students as little teachers who can open our minds to things we never thought about or considered? I feel that it’s important to be aware of rules and to follow them, but I feel so many rules are created because we forget to use our common sense and to follow our hearts and minds. So, in a case where a child is acting out in class and not completing assignments, I feel our first step should be to start with the child. He/she holds the true answers to our problem. However, if we are not able to understand and get through to this child, then it is our job to get the assistance of others (guidance, parents, etc.).
Reflection on the comments posted, the teaching profession, and the general routines of our society prompted me to recommend that Chris speak with his disruptive student and to acknowledge that this child is not only a student; this child plays more than one role in life. It is important to be cognoscente of the fact that the student is a human being who plays many different roles because his roles/life outside of the classroom may be affecting his behavior in Chris’ class. (Please see the post for more details.)
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Second Post
Beginning Teachers Chatboard Bulletin
beginning-teachers@lists.teachers.net
Topic: “Is teaching different than what you had expected?”
(topic posted by Experienced)
Dates Spanning: 10/07/08-10/14/08
The topic was posted by a teacher who was curious about whether or not things had changed since he/she started. Apparently this teacher felt that college and student teaching did not adequately prepare him/her and was hoping that things were different today.
Unfortunately, and to my dismay, the responses were generally the same. Although the reasons as to why these particular students felt unprepared for “the real thing” were slightly different, the overall response to the posted question was: no, things have not changed!
Many teachers were overwhelmed and/or frustrated with the fact that they didn’t know how to manage the paperwork or that that the amount of paperwork eradicated their creativity. From reading the responses posted, it is my opinion that it might be beneficial for pre-service teachers to have at least one class on management. This management class should cover topics ranging from learning how to manage the paperwork that goes along with teaching to learning how to manage 20-30 children with different skills, backgrounds, personalities, etc..
Another teacher mentioned that as an elementary school teacher, you are also taking part in raising children because many children come to class with poor manners and/or poor social skills. This is why many young teachers, who do not have a lot of experience dealing with children, have difficulty managing their students. Therefore, teachers not only have to know how to teach children, they also have to know how to relate to them!
Question I Posed and the Response:
One particular teacher (JB) mentioned that he/she had a really tough first year and felt that he/she would have benefited from a class on behavior management. However, JB noted that he/she eventually figured out how to handle the students as the year went on and that when he/she went into his/her second year, he/she knew how he/she needed to begin the year.
I asked JB (and any other people who wanted to respond) if he/she could tell me some of the major things he/she learned in his/her first year and made an effort to change/implement in his/her second year. I was curious about this because, as mentioned in my previous blog post, I am concerned about being a first year teacher and figuring out how to manage my classroom.
JB advised that he/she learned to set the ground rules right away and to be very strict about them at first. From JB’s response, I learned that it’s okay to ease up later, but the important thing is not to be too lenient or “nice” in the beginning.
Some Reflection and Useful Information for my Teaching Future:
It seems as though no particular amount or type of training can completely prepare you for the day when you step foot in your very own classroom. If you think about it, no one can fully learn about any profession without actually doing the work. For example, you can read books about painting and watch the greatest artists paint, but until you put a paint brush to paper, you’ll never really learn to paint! No matter what the profession (or task) is, you have to get your hands dirty! Therefore, it’s probably best to take what you’ve learned from books and from people who are more experienced, and then make it work for you- in the best way you can for your circumstances.
It makes sense that I hear so many teachers say, “Oh gosh, my first year of teaching was all trial and error!” or “That worked last year, but not this year!” not only because we all need hands-on experience but also because there are so many variables involved in teaching- and as teachers, we are the first variable! What works for Mrs. Jones in her classroom, may not work for me because I have a different personality than Mrs. Jones! Moreover, I am aware that I will have to continually change aspects of how I teach because my students will never be the same year to year. Strategies that may keep my students motivated and happy in my first year may not work so well in subsequent years.
beginning-teachers@lists.teachers.net
Topic: “Is teaching different than what you had expected?”
(topic posted by Experienced)
Dates Spanning: 10/07/08-10/14/08
The topic was posted by a teacher who was curious about whether or not things had changed since he/she started. Apparently this teacher felt that college and student teaching did not adequately prepare him/her and was hoping that things were different today.
Unfortunately, and to my dismay, the responses were generally the same. Although the reasons as to why these particular students felt unprepared for “the real thing” were slightly different, the overall response to the posted question was: no, things have not changed!
Many teachers were overwhelmed and/or frustrated with the fact that they didn’t know how to manage the paperwork or that that the amount of paperwork eradicated their creativity. From reading the responses posted, it is my opinion that it might be beneficial for pre-service teachers to have at least one class on management. This management class should cover topics ranging from learning how to manage the paperwork that goes along with teaching to learning how to manage 20-30 children with different skills, backgrounds, personalities, etc..
Another teacher mentioned that as an elementary school teacher, you are also taking part in raising children because many children come to class with poor manners and/or poor social skills. This is why many young teachers, who do not have a lot of experience dealing with children, have difficulty managing their students. Therefore, teachers not only have to know how to teach children, they also have to know how to relate to them!
Question I Posed and the Response:
One particular teacher (JB) mentioned that he/she had a really tough first year and felt that he/she would have benefited from a class on behavior management. However, JB noted that he/she eventually figured out how to handle the students as the year went on and that when he/she went into his/her second year, he/she knew how he/she needed to begin the year.
I asked JB (and any other people who wanted to respond) if he/she could tell me some of the major things he/she learned in his/her first year and made an effort to change/implement in his/her second year. I was curious about this because, as mentioned in my previous blog post, I am concerned about being a first year teacher and figuring out how to manage my classroom.
JB advised that he/she learned to set the ground rules right away and to be very strict about them at first. From JB’s response, I learned that it’s okay to ease up later, but the important thing is not to be too lenient or “nice” in the beginning.
Some Reflection and Useful Information for my Teaching Future:
It seems as though no particular amount or type of training can completely prepare you for the day when you step foot in your very own classroom. If you think about it, no one can fully learn about any profession without actually doing the work. For example, you can read books about painting and watch the greatest artists paint, but until you put a paint brush to paper, you’ll never really learn to paint! No matter what the profession (or task) is, you have to get your hands dirty! Therefore, it’s probably best to take what you’ve learned from books and from people who are more experienced, and then make it work for you- in the best way you can for your circumstances.
It makes sense that I hear so many teachers say, “Oh gosh, my first year of teaching was all trial and error!” or “That worked last year, but not this year!” not only because we all need hands-on experience but also because there are so many variables involved in teaching- and as teachers, we are the first variable! What works for Mrs. Jones in her classroom, may not work for me because I have a different personality than Mrs. Jones! Moreover, I am aware that I will have to continually change aspects of how I teach because my students will never be the same year to year. Strategies that may keep my students motivated and happy in my first year may not work so well in subsequent years.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
First Post
Classroom Management Chatboard
"Classroom Management Mailring"
Topic: Rewarding Those on Task
Dates Spanning: 9/15/08-10/6/08
A teacher who teaches fourth grade is concerned about his/her chatty fourth graders. He/she explained that although there are about eleven or twelve students (out of twenty) who are always on task, at least 4 are almost always chatting and do not follow directions. The teacher feels sorry for the students who are always on task because he/she knows that the well-behaved students are frustrated with the talkers. The question is whether or not there is a way to reward the students who follow directions and if anyone has any suggestions on how to handle the students who misbehave.
The responses to this post were varied as some teachers do not believe in physical rewards and others believe it is beneficial to actually give students some type of tactile reward. One teacher suggested making clear to students that time that isn’t spent on task will have to be made up at some point- and that time is usually made up when other students (who were previously on task) are doing something fun or hands-on! Another teacher suggested a technique that works with students of all ages (including his/her college level students) and stated that giving students praise for a job well done always works. Additionally, praising a student in front of other people (such as a parent or an administrator) is even better. However, this particular teacher added a caveat and stated that if you are working in a school where the students are rougher- especially if there might be gang members present in the classroom- it is probably a better idea to pull the student aside to give praise or ask permission to tell a student’s parent about a job well-done. Contrary to others’ suggestions, another teacher stated that she rewards students who pose thoughtful questions, give satisfactory answers, help fellow students, etc., with craft sticks. Then whenever the she needs a student to run an errand, erase the board- or do anything that young students love to volunteer to do- she draws a student’s craft stick in exchange for the coveted activity! She also stated that she occasionally holds an award ceremony and gives certificates to good students, takes their photos, and puts those photos on a “Star Students of the Month Board.”
Although specific suggestions/opinions varied, it is clear that all teachers seem to believe in some type of positive reinforcement. It also seems as though every teacher can find a way to manage their classroom without giving up their personal beliefs. If you feel that physical rewards are childish or can end up being expensive, it appears that there are other ways to manage your classroom. All in all, it is obvious that it takes a great deal of thought and effort on the part of the teacher to figure out ways to keep students motivated and focused.
Useful Information for my teaching future:
This particular topic struck me, first of all, because I felt the teacher’s frustration in his/her post. The second reason why it struck me was because since I decided to become a teacher, classroom management has always been something that I’ve thought about. I used to teach dance (tap, jazz, and ballet) to children ranging in age from three to sixteen years old. It was always difficult for me to get the students under control when I walked into the classroom- especially the younger ones. When I would step foot in the classroom, most of them would already be there chatting and/or running around. Fridays were the worst days to teach because the students were all wound up and excited that the week was over. I remember being in awe of how much energy they all had and feeling like I had to be somewhat of a lion tamer; it was me against all of them- and sometimes I felt like I could’ve been eaten alive! The owner of the dance studio allowed me to give out paper stars at the end of class to the younger students who were well-behaved or seemed to have practiced their dance steps. (Once a student had a certain amount of stars they could use them in exchange for a small gift- such as a keychain.) The mere mention of the stars in class would automatically get most students to quiet down or listen to my instructions. Of course I would not use this tactic on the older students, but the older students were much easier to reason with. Therefore, I feel it really depends on the age group you are working with. Obviously, you would not give stars or craft sticks to sixth-graders but it might just work well with children in the younger grades. When I become a teacher, I might just try to get a feel for the group I am working with before I decide how I will manage my classroom. However, I have always believed in praising students for good work- no matter the age. I feel it is extremely important to let students know you appreciate and value hard work. Therefore, I know this type of positive reinforcement will be a part of my future classroom management.
"Classroom Management Mailring"
Topic: Rewarding Those on Task
Dates Spanning: 9/15/08-10/6/08
A teacher who teaches fourth grade is concerned about his/her chatty fourth graders. He/she explained that although there are about eleven or twelve students (out of twenty) who are always on task, at least 4 are almost always chatting and do not follow directions. The teacher feels sorry for the students who are always on task because he/she knows that the well-behaved students are frustrated with the talkers. The question is whether or not there is a way to reward the students who follow directions and if anyone has any suggestions on how to handle the students who misbehave.
The responses to this post were varied as some teachers do not believe in physical rewards and others believe it is beneficial to actually give students some type of tactile reward. One teacher suggested making clear to students that time that isn’t spent on task will have to be made up at some point- and that time is usually made up when other students (who were previously on task) are doing something fun or hands-on! Another teacher suggested a technique that works with students of all ages (including his/her college level students) and stated that giving students praise for a job well done always works. Additionally, praising a student in front of other people (such as a parent or an administrator) is even better. However, this particular teacher added a caveat and stated that if you are working in a school where the students are rougher- especially if there might be gang members present in the classroom- it is probably a better idea to pull the student aside to give praise or ask permission to tell a student’s parent about a job well-done. Contrary to others’ suggestions, another teacher stated that she rewards students who pose thoughtful questions, give satisfactory answers, help fellow students, etc., with craft sticks. Then whenever the she needs a student to run an errand, erase the board- or do anything that young students love to volunteer to do- she draws a student’s craft stick in exchange for the coveted activity! She also stated that she occasionally holds an award ceremony and gives certificates to good students, takes their photos, and puts those photos on a “Star Students of the Month Board.”
Although specific suggestions/opinions varied, it is clear that all teachers seem to believe in some type of positive reinforcement. It also seems as though every teacher can find a way to manage their classroom without giving up their personal beliefs. If you feel that physical rewards are childish or can end up being expensive, it appears that there are other ways to manage your classroom. All in all, it is obvious that it takes a great deal of thought and effort on the part of the teacher to figure out ways to keep students motivated and focused.
Useful Information for my teaching future:
This particular topic struck me, first of all, because I felt the teacher’s frustration in his/her post. The second reason why it struck me was because since I decided to become a teacher, classroom management has always been something that I’ve thought about. I used to teach dance (tap, jazz, and ballet) to children ranging in age from three to sixteen years old. It was always difficult for me to get the students under control when I walked into the classroom- especially the younger ones. When I would step foot in the classroom, most of them would already be there chatting and/or running around. Fridays were the worst days to teach because the students were all wound up and excited that the week was over. I remember being in awe of how much energy they all had and feeling like I had to be somewhat of a lion tamer; it was me against all of them- and sometimes I felt like I could’ve been eaten alive! The owner of the dance studio allowed me to give out paper stars at the end of class to the younger students who were well-behaved or seemed to have practiced their dance steps. (Once a student had a certain amount of stars they could use them in exchange for a small gift- such as a keychain.) The mere mention of the stars in class would automatically get most students to quiet down or listen to my instructions. Of course I would not use this tactic on the older students, but the older students were much easier to reason with. Therefore, I feel it really depends on the age group you are working with. Obviously, you would not give stars or craft sticks to sixth-graders but it might just work well with children in the younger grades. When I become a teacher, I might just try to get a feel for the group I am working with before I decide how I will manage my classroom. However, I have always believed in praising students for good work- no matter the age. I feel it is extremely important to let students know you appreciate and value hard work. Therefore, I know this type of positive reinforcement will be a part of my future classroom management.
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