Jan. - Apr. 2019 (Year 4 Practicum)
Classroom Environment Goal:
Action Plan:
Artifact:
Sept. - Dec. 2017 (Year 3 Practicum)
Linked above is one example of a board I made during my practicum that showcased student's work. The students worked hard to represent their understanding of various chapters from the novel, "The Wild Robot", through tableau presentations and then they chose one pose from their tableau to do a gesture drawing of. Along with the gesture drawing they wrote a quick explanation of what the pose represented from the chapter they focused on.
Jan. - Apr. 2017 (EDUC 2375-002)
Above is a poster I made for my classroom to help students remember a couple of concepts that were still a bit abstract to them. The poster has a description and an example for each term so that students can glance up at it and check if there are on the right track with work regarding factors, multiples and prime numbers.
This semester I had the opportunity to do a case study about classroom management and observe how rules, routines affect the classroom environment and contribute to a healthy learning environment. The above link will direct you to my case study where you can read more about the grade 3 classroom I was observing.
Growth:
I have a quiet voice and have struggled a bit to be heard in the classroom at times. Because of this, I need to focus on other ways of getting the student's attention like clapping or turning out the lights. One of the students I was teaching told me that I should use clapping to get their attention and quiet down the classroom if it was getting too loud for some students to focus on their work. I learned a lot from this case study about ways that I can encourage mutual respect in the classroom and enforce rules and routines that will allow for an environment where students can learn as effectively as possible
Actions:
During my time observing for this case study I noticed that student-teacher relationships have a significant impact on classroom management. The program outcomes recommend that I, "create and manage effective classroom routines and procedures to ensure positive student behavior" (E3). The teacher in this classroom had built excellent relationships with her students which translated to a well-managed classroom. The students were eager to please and responded well to positive reinforcement. I hope to learn more about building positive relationships with my future students and creating routines for them that will encourage positive behavior and interactions.
Sept. - Dec. 2015
I have learned and observed that classroom environment is drastically different today than it was when I was in elementary school. The environment I observed during my field day was much more free and relaxed than I would have thought. I noticed that students felt comfortable sharing their thoughts and opinions with the whole class or within small groups. The environment felt safe and controlled, but not limiting or stuffy. I have learned in class that classroom environment is very important because if you do not create a welcoming space that students feel safe in, they will not be as open to learning and sharing what they are learning.