Task 1
To complete this task I began by reading the text Classroom Management by Tim McDonald and found 5 effective strategies that I would like to try and implement throughout my EDN4100 placement. If these strategies are successful I will continue to use them as I visit the classroom throughout the year and throughout my final placement. As the focus for my final practical experience is early childhood, I tried to find strategies that were relevant and could be used in this learning area.
Strategy 1:
As I have learnt from previous placements, gaining the students attention is a crucial, however not always easy task. Cue to Start (C2S) is a strategy that involves the teacher giving a cue and the student repeating, saying, or doing something similar. To be done effectively, cues need to be clear, loud and able to immediately gain the attention of the whole class. I will use this strategy throughout my placement in order to focus student’s attention, give instructions, move through transitions and much more. Some of these may include singing a small part of a song, clapping in a pattern, squeaking a toy, etc.
Strategy 2:
A strategy that I discovered while reading the text, but had not previously given extensive thought to before, is allowing students to have sufficient thinking time after asking them a question. By providing them with at least 3-5 seconds of ‘think time’ you are encouraging voluntary participation and promoting longer, more thought through answers. This strategy is beneficial at any year level and I will be ensuring that I use it throughout my placement.
Strategy 3:
I feel it is important for students to know that teachers believe in them and their abilities to succeed. Setting clear and high expectations for students throughout their learning can do this. Tim Westerberg has developed a 6 + 1 model (6 strategies and 1 attitude that make a difference) that promotes this. I aim to implement this model into my teaching and learning throughout my placement.
Strategy 4:
A strategy that I aim to use throughout my placement is the three-part transition sequence created by Bennett and Smilanich (1994). This sequence follows a process, which includes stating when the students will move, what they will do when they move, and who will move at the time. This strategy is effective in all areas, particularly early childhood, by clearly letting students know what is required of them, at sometimes chaotic, transition times.
Strategy 5:
Another strategy from the text that I plan on using throughout my placement is to ‘establish the learning set’. By using a hook or trick to begin the lesson you are able to set the scene for the lesson and the learning that they will be engaged in. By using this strategy in the early childhood setting I am helping to create curiosity and interest in the content, as well as relating the learning to students’ lives and previous knowledge.
Task 2
Throughout my recent EDN4100 placement I attempted to use and put into practice the 5 strategies that I had previously discovered while reading the book Classroom Management by Tim McDonald. All of the strategies that I used throughout my placement were relatively successful and allowed me to maintain control of the classroom, as well as promote the engagement all of the students.
Strategy 1:
The first strategy that I had previously identified in the text was the Cue to Start (C2S). This strategy involved the teacher giving a cue and the students repeating, saying, or doing something similar. I used this strategy a lot throughout my placement and I found it to be the most effective way of gaining the students attention while in the middle of an activity or task. I used a couple different cues throughout my placement such as the ‘stop, look and listen’ and clapping a pattern, which the students then had to repeat. I also found that after using a cue it was best to wait until all students had put their hands on their heads before giving instructions.
Strategy 2:
The second strategy that I had previously identified within the text was to give the students sufficient thinking time after asking them a question. I practiced using this strategy throughout my lessons and any time that I interacted with a student, and found that this strategy worked very well. I found that it allowed the students time to process the question and think about a more in depth answer, rather than just blurting out the first thing that comes to their mind or not answering at all.
Strategy 3:
The third strategy that I had previously identified within the text was a 6+1 model, which was developed by Tim Westerberg, and involved setting clear and high expectations for all students. I did find that as this placement was throughout the first two weeks of school I did not put too much focus on setting high expectations for the students learning. Instead I used this model more to set the expectations for behaviour throughout my lessons, the classroom and the playground, which seemed to work very well.
Strategy 4:
The fourth strategy that I had previously identified within the text was a three-part transition sequence that was created by Bennett and Smilanich (1994). This strategy involved following a sequence in which you explain to the students when they will move, what they will do when they move, and who will be moving at the time. This strategy worked very well in my classroom as it allowed the students to clearly understand what is required from them and what the expectations of them are. I did find that sometimes the students needed this process explained and repeated a couple of times to ensure they understood their instructions.
Strategy 5:
The fifth and final strategy that I had previously identified within the text was to establish the learning set by using a hook or trick to begin the lesson. I used this strategy at the beginning of every lesson that I taught to ensure that the students were engaged and interested in the concept and content that we were going to be learning. This quite often involved playing a song and video that the students were able to sing and dance to. I also engaged them by using some of the materials and toys around the classroom throughout the mat session/explicit teaching portion of the lesson.
Strategy 1:
The first strategy that I had previously identified in the text was the Cue to Start (C2S). This strategy involved the teacher giving a cue and the students repeating, saying, or doing something similar. I used this strategy a lot throughout my placement and I found it to be the most effective way of gaining the students attention while in the middle of an activity or task. I used a couple different cues throughout my placement such as the ‘stop, look and listen’ and clapping a pattern, which the students then had to repeat. I also found that after using a cue it was best to wait until all students had put their hands on their heads before giving instructions.
Strategy 2:
The second strategy that I had previously identified within the text was to give the students sufficient thinking time after asking them a question. I practiced using this strategy throughout my lessons and any time that I interacted with a student, and found that this strategy worked very well. I found that it allowed the students time to process the question and think about a more in depth answer, rather than just blurting out the first thing that comes to their mind or not answering at all.
Strategy 3:
The third strategy that I had previously identified within the text was a 6+1 model, which was developed by Tim Westerberg, and involved setting clear and high expectations for all students. I did find that as this placement was throughout the first two weeks of school I did not put too much focus on setting high expectations for the students learning. Instead I used this model more to set the expectations for behaviour throughout my lessons, the classroom and the playground, which seemed to work very well.
Strategy 4:
The fourth strategy that I had previously identified within the text was a three-part transition sequence that was created by Bennett and Smilanich (1994). This strategy involved following a sequence in which you explain to the students when they will move, what they will do when they move, and who will be moving at the time. This strategy worked very well in my classroom as it allowed the students to clearly understand what is required from them and what the expectations of them are. I did find that sometimes the students needed this process explained and repeated a couple of times to ensure they understood their instructions.
Strategy 5:
The fifth and final strategy that I had previously identified within the text was to establish the learning set by using a hook or trick to begin the lesson. I used this strategy at the beginning of every lesson that I taught to ensure that the students were engaged and interested in the concept and content that we were going to be learning. This quite often involved playing a song and video that the students were able to sing and dance to. I also engaged them by using some of the materials and toys around the classroom throughout the mat session/explicit teaching portion of the lesson.