Classroom Management
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In my experience in a 1st grade classroom so far, I have found one critical concept in classroom management: establish classroom code of conduct, procedures and rules the first day of school, for it will be essential for a well-managed classroom. Although students do break the rules on occasion, they are well aware of what is expected of them from the moment they walk in the door, through transitional periods during the day, to when they leave the classroom in the afternoon. These procedures were discussed, I’m sure, very thoroughly at the beginning of the year, and are reinforced and stated each day. In my classroom, I plan to begin the first day of class going over what I expect my students to do in the classroom. The most important three are be respectful, be responsible, and be safe. As long as these are understood, the year will go smoothly.
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There are more specific procedures I will enforce in my classroom, such as how to enter the classroom at the start of the day. I would like to give the students a few minutes to say hello to their peers while they hang up their coats and put away their backpacks. I think it’s important that they learn how to say “good morning” or “how was your weekend” and other sorts of greetings. As adults we greet our coworkers in the morning, have quick small talk, and then get to work. I think I will try this out, as long as they know it has to be a brief greeting and then it’s time to go to their seat. These are their peers, and I think it’s important to make the classroom feel like they are able to be comfortable with one another and make it their classroom, their learning environment with their peers.
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It’s hard to say that I would like them to be quiet and get right to work, but we all know that can be difficult, especially with younger children. So I would like there to be different cues I can use that lets them know that they are getting too loud or off task, such as flipping the lights, ringing a little bell, or clap my hands, in which they would repeat it back. I wouldn’t want to just stand up in front of the classroom either; I would like to walk around the room. Students are more likely to stay on task when they see the teacher approaching their desk, they want to make a good impression and avoid getting told to get back to work.
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The classroom that I’m in has their desks in horizontal rows; I would like to change that in my classroom. I want to experiment with desks in groups allowing for students to collaborate on projects, or even ask help on assignments. I think this helps build social skills, critical thinking, team building skills, and it doesn’t require addressing the whole class when asking questions, they can feel safe in their little group to ask for help. Also, I want there to be areas where students can work independently, maybe at a small desk in a designated area of the room where students can go if they want to work alone. I want to have a cozy reading corner with pillows and bean bags. I also want students to have work stations throughout the classroom that allow for them to sit down, stand up, or sprawl out to do their work. I want a child friendly classroom that they feel comfortable in while they learn and explore.
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When it’s time to transition into a different activity, I want students to understand that they need to use their indoor feet and walk, because it is unsafe if they are running in a crowded space, and that is one of the main goals for a school, is keeping a safe environment. If students do run, they will be told to go back to their seat and try it again. I know this is an old method, but I don’t believe in punishing them for getting a little excited to start a new activity. I want students to show enthusiasm in the classroom, but safety concerns come first. I do not want to punish any students for any misbehavior or if they’re off task. I want to celebrate their successes and encourage appropriate behavior rather than energizing poor behavior. So unless a student does something really inappropriate, I want to focus on their strengths and not their flaws.
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I want to try two different reward systems to encourage good behavior, kindness and respect. The first would be individual rewards for students who are on task, do nice things for a peer, help out a friend, say something nice, etc.…. to encourage all students to do kind acts as well. I don’t see it as a bribe, but rather encourage students to be nice to each other rather than mean. I could slip them a gold star or some token that they can “cash out” at the end of the week in a treasure chest of sorts. The second reward system would be for the class as a whole. I would want to inspire students to, as a class, be on task and if they are, will be rewarded. With this whole class system, I could reward the whole class with a fun activity or some fun snacks.
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When it comes to conflict resolution I really want the students to learn how to work out problems themselves. If a student has a problem with a peer, or there was an incident that left them upset, I want to facilitate a conversation between the students. When they have to work out their own problems, it builds conflict resolution skills and allows for the problem to be resolved without me intervening. I’ve witnessed this with 1st graders, the problem was settled and they shook hands when it was resolved.
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"Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do" -Ben Spock
