& Classroom Management and Room Arrangement
How do we ensure our classroom does not resemble this?
In order for every teacher to be successful they must have strong classroom management. Study the readings from Fred Jones' Tools for Teaching and reflect on how you can apply the readings to your own classroom.
1. Traditionally we have referred to the skills of classroom
management as a “bag of tricks.” Why is it necessary to have a classroom
management system as opposed to “a bag of tricks?” (pages 22-25)
2.
Looking at the diagrams of room arrangements on pages
41-45 of Tools for Teaching, which pattern would work best for you?
1. A classroom management system is preferable to a "bag of tricks" in that it not only includes responses to to negative behavior, but includes the plan to replace those behaviors in order to maximize learning. The ideas of a bag of tricks suggests that we have to "rummage around" to find the appropriate solution to a problem. With a behavior management system we have an effective, pre-planned, sequential set of responses to minimize the disruption of managing behavior and keep it about the learning.
ReplyDelete2. Ah the joys of teaching nine grades. While none of these formats fit my ideal space, the "interior loop with ears" fits best in that it allows me easy mobility around the room and allows students to see one another as they work and perform together as an ensemble.
ReplyDelete1. When discussing a “bag of tricks” in regards to classroom management it makes it feel very reactionary. For example, once Johnnie starts talking out of turn when you didn’t expect it you pull out a “trick” to get him back on task. However in a classroom management system there is a much more proactive approach. When you have a the system already in place it means you have thought, “I can imagine Johnnie or many other students getting chatty during this time . . . what can I do to make sure this doesn’t happen?” You then create a behavior management system to proactively avoid issues. As teachers we also know that students will not always follow directions the first time, so having a system set up allows for a quick, predictable, and unbiased approach to correct that undesirable behavior. If a system is not set up the “trick” could take longer to implement that a predictable systematic approach.
ReplyDelete2. Of the patterns presented in the book the two patterns that work best for me are interior loop (or a version of it) and cooperative learning. The option of having students work together is always a positive approach to learning math skills and working as a team.
The "bag of tricks" approach is never one that we'd like to add to our toolkits. You are so right Tim we always want be proactive and think about behaviors that may arise in the classroom and plan for it. We also want to be proactive in our classroom management, systems and structures in order to minimize challenges with behavior. Yes, Laura we definitely don’t want to “rummage around” to find solutions. We want to be prepared. If we aren’t, our student will know! Let’s keep in mind Fred’s Areas of Discipline Management when creating our positive culture action plans. Thank you for such rich comments.
ReplyDelete