Supporting student participation, I believe links into building a strong student relationship. Having a strong relationship with my students, enhances their engagement and participation as there is mutual respect. Further, creating a classroom environment and community where students feel safe and comfortable to learn and take risks. A factor I have considered in my teaching practices to support student participation is implementing activities where students are actively involved in the decision making process. Having negotiated learning to an extent, enhances their engagement and allows them to have an input in what they do for certain activities. From this, I can support students in the right direction.
I have found that when showing respect and care in student interactions, an influence is created for students to reciprocate. Building positive trusting relationships between students and myself has promoted student success towards their academic learning. I believe I approach the classroom in a professional matter by listening carefully to their communications and being responsive, calm, predictable and consistent. I tend to implement programs that impact learning environments in the way where students feel supported and know that we are acknowledging their self-efficacy, well-being and learning. One example can be through mindfulness that is completed every day. I find that mindfulness works well in the afternoon where students are beginning to feel exhausted. I use the program ''Smiling Minds' and this supports students by clearing their minds and reflecting on the days. Students then feel refreshed and ready to go for the rest of the day.
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Setting up a routine that works for the classroom makes managing classroom activities run smoothly. It not only ensures that you get through the things that need to be done each day, but also increase the amount of time students spend on task. Having a classroom routine can help students know what to expect and make each day run smoothly. Routines are also important in ensuring that actions are completed safely and at maximal efforts. I find a routine effective for managing classroom activities as students can prepare for the day and week both mentally and physically. Additionally, I always encourage students to take initiative and responsibility. At the beginning of the year, I put responsibility on the students to create the class rules and expectations. This has been a handy tool to reflect back to when students become off task and distracted, an effective way for students to return back on task.
Additionally, creating term overviews and familiarising students with weekly timetables allows them to prepare for what's to come and makes managing classroom activities easier. I take opportunities first thing every day to go through how the day looks with the students and notify them of any changes to the timetable is necessary. Students have responded well and follow accordingly. As the routine has been set up since day one, it has made every day run smoothly.
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When a student is behaving and reacting in a negative way, it is vital to use the appropriate behaviour management strategies for the situation at hand. It is important to acknowledge the complexity of a situation prior to managing it. It is essential to ensure expectations are set from the beginning of the year. Having clear expectations allows students to recognise appropriate behaviour for in the classroom and during their play time. One way in particular that I have learnt how to manage difficult situations is through restorative practices. I attended the Bill Hansberry - Behavior Development and Restorative Practices. I have found this training PD to be extremely powerful, one in which developed my skills as an educator to manage challenging behaviour.
At Keithcot Farm Primary School, we also implement 'Play Is The Way' (PITW). A program that emphasises on the philosophy of behaviour education that fosters independent, self-managing, self-motivated, empathetic, life-long learners. Students go through each day stating one of the PITW qualities, and make it their goal to achieve it by the end of the day. E.g. 'treat others as you would like them to treat you.' This allows students to think at the beginning of the day, 'what actions can I take to ensure I reach this goal?' Discussing this at the beginning of each days provides students with a focus of what needs to be achieved before dismissal. Further, I have behaviour ladder that students respond well too and often use a lot of praise for those who make their way up the ladder, this encourages others to achieve the same.
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Through teacher’s duty of care, it is up to me to maintain professional practices that interact with students safety. Professional boundaries for maintaining student safety is a necessity as the differences in authority and power in staff-student relationships should be held at a trustworthy level. The first part around safety, is of course creating a safe working environment. I created a safe environment where students were able to learn and grow as an individual as well as feel comfortable enough to take risks and be themselves. Students wellbeing is an important aspect, specifically when they are in the stages of understanding emotions more clearly and they are beginning to transition to teenagers. During this time, it is important to have students learn the appropriate way to deal with their wellbeing.
A way that I tend to ensure the wellbeing safety of my students is evident, is through a 'calming box.' In this box includes, fidget toys, puzzles, and other objects that allow students to reflect and think about their feelings. There has also been one student in particular in my class, where he finds it challenging to control his anger in certain situations. A trialed strategy that was negotiated between myself and his mother, was to provide him with a journal. With this journal, he is to write out situations that may have upset or frustrated him and how he may be feeling at some point. This has been extremely powerful for this student and there has been a huge change in the way he handles situations.
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Within today's society, it is important to teach student's the importance of ICT. ICT is going to play a big factor in their future, therefore ensuring that digital technology lessons are incorporated into their learning, provides them with an understanding of how to use ICT safely, responsibly and ethically. Weekly, students are using chromebooks for several activities in different subject areas. More so, I have been collaboratively teaching with the other year 5 teacher and on Friday's we bring both classrooms together for a digital technology lesson. This has been a fantastic way to learn off my colleague, as well as support students in the development of their knowledge and understanding in ICT.
Students have been given numerous tasks that have taught them about networking, hardware and software in particular. Students were provided with opportunities to create their own school network plan. They were asked to create a floor plan of their new classroom and connect up the devices using the correct symbols and networking diagrams. Students were provided with the opportunity to use the internet for support around the necessities of working technology.
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