In my previous blogs, I've kind of talked about how the students seem anxious for the end of the school year and how it's affected their behavior. Why is it that at the end of the year it always seems like the teacher starts to lose a little bit of control? Kids seem to be getting in trouble more, the teacher's are a little more frustrated. It seems like this is a reoccuring thing at all schools.
At my placement right now, I can tell that the teacher is a little frustrated with his classroom environment. He seems to be a little crabby at times, and when he's quick to punnishing the students recently and taking their recess away. Even if a kid is talking a little bit during class, there is no tolerance for that and his or her recess is gone. It's been a little awkward for me at times, because I want to try and be friendly with the kids and help them out, but I feel like I should step away a little bit and just observe. I've really enjoyed the times where I've gotten to take a group of students to a different classroom and work with them, because then I can really interact with them and get to know them.
Anyways, the teacher has been yelling at the kids a lot to sit down and be quiet. You just get that awkward feeling and not a good vibe for that classroom environment. I feel bad for the students, but I do feel bad for the teacher because the students are out of control at times. I do wonder though if he brought this upon himself, by the way he set the bar at the beginning of the school year. Maybe he let kids get away with things at the beginning and now he's paying for their behavior. If that's the case, then I definitely don't think that these kids deserve some of the punnishment that they are receiving.
That's another issue that has been going on. A kid lives for his recess and to take it away from him might just ruin his day. Threatening a kid over and over again is not really the answer at all, and all it does is make the student scared of you. I remember certain experiences when I was in school where a teacher might threaten me if I didn't start behaving properly and it really turned me off from the teacher. I know that teachers get frustrated, and I'm sure I will too but I want to make sure that handle myself in a Christ like manner. Handling discipline issues has been of the main things I've been trying to learn throughout my aiding experiences. This is probably the one thing that I'm most nervous about, because I remember what it's like to be a student and I wish some of my teachers would have done things differently.
A few things that I have come to realize especially during this aiding experience is it's important to set the classroom rules up right away and create an environment in the first week that you are willing and able to maintain. If you can start the year off by showing your students what you want your classroom to be like it will help everyone out. The students might do a better job of staying out of trouble which will help you out. But, it is very important to maintain this kind of environment. I'm sure it won't be easy at all, but it's very important. My teacher should have done this, because now he is paying for it at the end of the year.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The other day this week I had two young boys come up to me and ask me for my autograph. They went onto Trinity's website and printed off a picture of me from basketball and wanted me to autograph it. I couldn't help but just laugh, and I signed the picture. After reading in Chapter 4 and 5 about labeling and then sterotyping. This certain situation got me to thinking about that.
When I was in middle school and junior high you always had your different "groups." Not only did you have different groups, but kids were labeled as diffferent things. You were almost guaranteed that you would have a few kids in your class that would be the teachers pet. And there was always a comedian and then there loud and obnoxious students, but also quiet students. Everyone got a label it seemed like. In my short time with this field experience, I even find myself watching these students and then making assumptions about them. One girl always seems to be talking, and in my head I found myself thinking that oh she must cause a lot of trouble in class all the time. It's hard not to start labeling kids and stereotype about what they are like.
Just observing these students, I can see for some of them how it is such a struggle to try and fit in with the rest of the class. This often times can be where sterotyping starts, when kids tend to be a little more quiet then the rest or a little different then the rest. There is nothing wrong with that, but with our society there is so much pressure in being like the rest. From there kids start to make fun of others and assume they are "weird" or many other things. I caught two boys the other day making stuff up about another kid that I knew were obviously not true. These two boys were telling a group of students many things that put the kid down and they got everyone laughing. I was standing not too far away listening and I quickly put an end to it. I told them it was unnecessary and assured everyone that the things they were saying were not true. Ever since I go to this school and started aiding, I could tell that this young boy was going to be made fun of a lot. People called him a nerd and loser, and he had done nothing to them. He just enjoys doing things that the other boys in his class don't enjoy. He is a very smart individual, and he's very easy to talk to. It's such a shame that he has to be made fun for being himself.
Going back to the teachers pet label, I think its also very important that we as teachers not have favorites in our class. I find myself struggling with that even with teacher aiding. I often talk to the same kids, and I need to remember to treat and talk to everyone equally. It can be very difficult at times, especially with the students who are more shy, but if I show everyone the same attention, that will benefit myself and my class..
When I was in middle school and junior high you always had your different "groups." Not only did you have different groups, but kids were labeled as diffferent things. You were almost guaranteed that you would have a few kids in your class that would be the teachers pet. And there was always a comedian and then there loud and obnoxious students, but also quiet students. Everyone got a label it seemed like. In my short time with this field experience, I even find myself watching these students and then making assumptions about them. One girl always seems to be talking, and in my head I found myself thinking that oh she must cause a lot of trouble in class all the time. It's hard not to start labeling kids and stereotype about what they are like.
Just observing these students, I can see for some of them how it is such a struggle to try and fit in with the rest of the class. This often times can be where sterotyping starts, when kids tend to be a little more quiet then the rest or a little different then the rest. There is nothing wrong with that, but with our society there is so much pressure in being like the rest. From there kids start to make fun of others and assume they are "weird" or many other things. I caught two boys the other day making stuff up about another kid that I knew were obviously not true. These two boys were telling a group of students many things that put the kid down and they got everyone laughing. I was standing not too far away listening and I quickly put an end to it. I told them it was unnecessary and assured everyone that the things they were saying were not true. Ever since I go to this school and started aiding, I could tell that this young boy was going to be made fun of a lot. People called him a nerd and loser, and he had done nothing to them. He just enjoys doing things that the other boys in his class don't enjoy. He is a very smart individual, and he's very easy to talk to. It's such a shame that he has to be made fun for being himself.
Going back to the teachers pet label, I think its also very important that we as teachers not have favorites in our class. I find myself struggling with that even with teacher aiding. I often talk to the same kids, and I need to remember to treat and talk to everyone equally. It can be very difficult at times, especially with the students who are more shy, but if I show everyone the same attention, that will benefit myself and my class..
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Field Experience
I returned to my old Junior High School in Delavan, Wisconsin just a few days ago. It didn't seem much different than when I had left it. The only thing that was different was that I didn't recognize the students like I used to. Students were running around and yelling, and it was very noisy before the first bell rang. I could definitely tell that the end of the year was approaching, and that students were getting ready for summer. The teachers that I had were no longer there, and the new ones seemed to be quite frustrated and irritated with some of the students behavior. When I first walked in, a few of the teacher's were discussing one of the students and how his behavior has gotten out of control over the past month. Yes, indeed it was your typical Junior High setting, and it kind of made me laugh to remember the times I had here. The school was looking like it was in good shape, and not much had happened to the building itself.
I'm observing a teacher who teaches math and computer class. The classroom tends to be a little crazy at times, and the teacher has often gotten frustrated and upset and sent kids to the office. I'm not exactly sure how the whole year has gone, but it looks like the teacher is fed up with all the nonsense. This teacher tends to joke around with the students a lot though. I feel like that is part of his problem. He likes to joke around with them, but then when he wants to get down to business and do work..they aren't ready to. I think he has meet in the middle with how serious he is and how much he jokes around. It kind of confuses the kids which makes it tough. Other than that the students and the teacher get along very well. For the most part, they get a lot accomplished. They are a few students in each math class that you can tell really struggle. He usually has his aide or myself take them one on one and try to help them with their homework. He's really been pushing to get them caught up with the rest of the class.
I really actually think the students like having me around. I have two younger brothers who recently have graduated from there, so I am kind of known as their older brother. I don't know many of them, but a lot of them remember me from when I was in high school and from being around the area. It makes me feel pretty good going to help these students out, especially when I can tell that they like me. Some of them try and act a little goofy to try to get my attention sometimes. I feel bad when they do that, because the teacher gets a little annoyed. I try to ignore it, so they don't do it again.
One of the things that I feel is different, but it probably isn't is all the noise. It seems so loud and that students are real talkative during class. I guess I don't remember it, because it was a long ago, but I feel like the learning environment was a lot better when I was there. Overall, I am really enjoying it so far. The kids are great and a lot of fun, and it's fun being back where I first started school. I'm learning things that I could include in my classroom, but also things that I don't necessarily agree with. I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks.
I'm observing a teacher who teaches math and computer class. The classroom tends to be a little crazy at times, and the teacher has often gotten frustrated and upset and sent kids to the office. I'm not exactly sure how the whole year has gone, but it looks like the teacher is fed up with all the nonsense. This teacher tends to joke around with the students a lot though. I feel like that is part of his problem. He likes to joke around with them, but then when he wants to get down to business and do work..they aren't ready to. I think he has meet in the middle with how serious he is and how much he jokes around. It kind of confuses the kids which makes it tough. Other than that the students and the teacher get along very well. For the most part, they get a lot accomplished. They are a few students in each math class that you can tell really struggle. He usually has his aide or myself take them one on one and try to help them with their homework. He's really been pushing to get them caught up with the rest of the class.
I really actually think the students like having me around. I have two younger brothers who recently have graduated from there, so I am kind of known as their older brother. I don't know many of them, but a lot of them remember me from when I was in high school and from being around the area. It makes me feel pretty good going to help these students out, especially when I can tell that they like me. Some of them try and act a little goofy to try to get my attention sometimes. I feel bad when they do that, because the teacher gets a little annoyed. I try to ignore it, so they don't do it again.
One of the things that I feel is different, but it probably isn't is all the noise. It seems so loud and that students are real talkative during class. I guess I don't remember it, because it was a long ago, but I feel like the learning environment was a lot better when I was there. Overall, I am really enjoying it so far. The kids are great and a lot of fun, and it's fun being back where I first started school. I'm learning things that I could include in my classroom, but also things that I don't necessarily agree with. I'm looking forward to the next couple of weeks.
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