Article 3: Classroom-Management Tips for Teachers

 Summary:

Spot lights favorite tricks of the trade for classroom management. The first one covered is a kindergarten classroom where students ask to get a drink of water or to go to the bathroom in sign language. The teacher answers back in sign language; it is less disruptive to the rest of the class. Then the video covers redirecting students when they are focused on unwanted behavior. The example is a student crying because she misses her mother, the teacher asks the student to get a Kleenex. The student is redirected to get a tissue and it is all that it takes for the crying to be over.
Next trick is using “Fishbowl” for discussions to learn manners and math, they are asked to look for evidence of subjects for discussion then talk about it after wards. It is helpful for how to use manners, when to ask questions, identifying particular types of language, ways to ask questions, and how to disagree.  Once foundation is built the academics can be more thoughtful. This is the pair and share concept where they are guided to understand the concept correctly.

The next tip is how to quiet the classroom by not raising your voice louder than the students. Counting backward is the example, and clapping or flicking the lights, as long as you don’t raise your voice, since students will talk louder also creating chaos.

Next tip is to reinforce lessons each day by greeting students at the door to the classroom with a handshake and a question. The criteria for each student are to have a firm handshake and to answer questions correctly or go to the end of the line to be asked again and they cannot enter the room. Questions are from lessons taught four weeks ago and the way the teacher connects with his students.

Reaction:

The article adds vast ideas for managing the classroom I particularly like the “Fishbowl” idea. After teaching a class at the high school level it was hard to tell if the students actually pair and shared the lesson. To have gone over the reason for the pair and share first would have made the idea concrete to students.  All of the ideas are good and I would use all of them. In the self-contained classroom some of the students are non verbal so sign language is a vital instructional tool, I had not thought of teaching basic sign language for the bathroom and getting water for general education. Super tips!

The George Lucas Educational Foundation. (2008, 11 19). Classroom-Management Tips for Teachers. Retrieved April 18, 2011, from Edutopia: http://www.edutopia.org/classroom-management-teacher-tips-video