Classroom Management

 

It is daunting to be in the front of a classroom of 33 students after only observing for a week. I remember that first day distinctly. I was terrified of managing the classroom most of all. I knew the material I wanted to teach and I had prepared for it well. But I had never been in charge of a classroom that had the particular size and dynamic of this classroom and I was afraid of how the day would progress. I knew I needed to remain confident but I hadn’t had any experience with students who had this type of behavior.

 

Shortly into my second placement I was lucky to come across the quote in my artifact above and it really spoke to me. I had gotten frustrated with one my classes and had raised my voice and it didn’t help at the time and I was frustrated with myself afterwards. This quote helped me to realize that I needed to realize that I was in control and could convey that control and responsibility with an assertive voice. What I found was interesting. The students appreciated the calm and assertive voice. Without realizing it, I think, they needed this direct approach. I became confident conveying my expectations not only for their academic work but also their behavior. Things did not improve 100% overnight but they did improve as I became consistent. It was fascinating to realize that some of the students seem to actually be craving this type of structure and actually thrived once it was in place.

 

 

 

 

 

High Expectations

 

 

Some things I had to fight against in my second placement were expectations; low expectations teachers had for their students and perhaps more importantly the low expectations students had for themselves. My mantra to the students was always, “You are smarter than you think you are.” In the beginning most of them didn’t believe it at all. 

 

They had spent so many years “not being good” at science that the thought of excelling at something like chemistry that is perceived immediately at the outset is being difficult was almost impossible to believe. I learned having high expectations for the students was only half of the equation. The other half was properly scaffolding their learning in order to allow them to gain the confidence in order to set higher expectations for themselves. 

 

My students had the tendency to give up very quickly if initially presented with something they perceived as too difficult. I combatted this with always starting with something they knew. I did this on homework assignments, classwork assignments, quizzes and exams. I also slowed down my initial presentation of new material. I allowed them to explore new material slowly and in different formats. I tried to make this initial learning as low stress as possible. I saw as the students became more and more comfortable with the new material they began to set higher and higher expectations for themselves. 

 

As my time with the students progressed they began to trust me and themselves. As they gained more success they were more willing to try more new material. It was a slow process and I was sad to leave just as some of the students had really begun to “buy into” the honest fact that they were smarter than they had ever given themselves 

credit for. They had also learned that hard work was needed to go along with that natural intelligence if they wanted to see positive results. Watching their confidence build was one of my more pleasurable things that occurred during my time as a student teacher.

 

 

 

 

Variety in Learning & Space

 

One of the things I utilized most in my classroom was various whiteboards. I had a large movable whiteboard as well as whiteboards attached to the walls. I also purchased a set of individual whiteboards. I was able to utilize these in many ways. Another aspect of the classroom that could be altered to allow for a variety of learning were the desks. This made my second placement different from my first. In my first, although technologically more advanced, the lab benches were stationary and could not be moved. In my second place I had much more mobility.

 

The whiteboards were easily my greatest asset in the classroom. The student favorite use of these was doing our chapter ending game days. During this time the students would use the whiteboards in a form of “instant grading.” I would ask a question and in pairs they would answer the question on the whiteboard and hold it up for an instant grade. The other whiteboards served as great vehicles that allowed the students to get up and move around the classroom. I had them work in groups and because the whiteboards were very visible within the classroom I was able to monitor their progress and freely answer directions and give guidance. Because chemistry involves so much practice the whiteboards allow the students to easily erase and start again thereby not dwelling on the mistake. I think this is another reason the students love them.

 

Manipulating the desks has also been a tremendous help within the classroom. I used a variety of designs depending on the particular design and lecture. When I wanted to pair and share I maneuvered the desks so the students could see eye to eye and then I assigned the students to ensure the most productive conversations. I also arranged the desks in groups of four when group work was involved. My favorite design was to organize all of the desks in a large semi-circle during game days. This allowed me to see all 33 students at once and “instant grade” their answers. There was a balance between moving their desks often enough to keep them interested and not so often to make them feel out of balance. The same went for mixing up their partners and groups. There had to be enough consistency to make the students feel safe and comfortable yet enough variety to keep the conversations and learning lively and dynamic. Overall I got a lot of positive comments from the students about the whiteboards and the classroom arrangements.