Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Reflection Activity: My Biggest Fear

Module 4 Unit 5 Activity 3

Reflection Activity: My Biggest Fear

I have always been an organized person and as an educator this has been one of my key strengths. I always have a routine for my students to follow, and all of my classes run relatively smoothly most of the time. I had to learn a lot by trial and error, and I really love to connect with my students. I have a performing background and I think it is so important to make each lesson relatable, but also interesting. I instill my own form of “edu-tainment” for my students. Everything I try to teach, no matter how boring the subject matter is, can be made interesting to them when I put my effort to do so. The first objective is to learn, and the second is for them to relate to it, or find it interesting.

 One of the biggest fears I have as a teacher perhaps has to deal with a class or students that are physically violent. I have only taught in South Korea for 10 years and the students here are mostly respectful. Most of the problems I have with students here, is getting them to participate, but I have found my own successful ways to target no-participating classes, in an amusing way. I have never had to deal with anyone who was physically abusive or aggressive towards me. In case of a situation like that, I would think that I’d like to deal with it in a constructive way but if I was in physical danger, I don’t actually know how I would react.

I have had one situation in the 10 years of teaching, where a student actually stood up to me, and was verbally abusive. He was very close to my personal space and it seemed like he wanted to be physically aggressive. At this moment, I could not ignore this situation, or just walk away. I told him to leave, and I would have liked to talk to him afterwards, but in Korea, confrontation is one of the biggest fears  among this culture. I got a call from the head of his department to be the communicator between us. After I explained the situation, the professor requested I give him one more chance to come back into my class. I agreed, but this student never came back. This was no surprise to me as I have had students that chose to fail my class instead of facing me about their grades, behavior, or other problems (even small ones) in class.

Another fear I have is perhaps time management if I have a student with a severe disability in my classroom. I care equally for all my students and I haven’t had any students with disabilities in my classes so far. I am scared that if I do, I might have difficulty following my routine and either spend too much or too little time with those students neglecting the rest of the class, or that single student.

I am sure as I move to different countries to teach, I will have to face new situations and adapt to different cultures and people. I am actually excited and positive about new environments and new students. Experiencing difficult situations will only make me a better-rounded educator and I’d like to be optimistic thinking that I can manage a learning environment in a constructive way. My students and their learning is the most important thing to me, so failing them as a teacher will have to top my list of fears as an educator!

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Collaborating on De-Escalation Strategies

Module 4 Unit 5 Activity 2

Most groups had three people but ours had four. We decided to do a Prezi for ours as we could work on it simultaneously. Here is our Prezi:

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Video Annotation: Managing Student Behavior

Module 4 Unit 5 Activity 1

Another annotation: This one has strategies for kids with ADHD. This video is a bit longer than others, but it is only around 11 mins long. Here is the video:

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Using Technology to Record Student Behavior

Module 4 Unit 4 Activity 3

We were put into groups of four for this assignment. 

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1vsRJOmPq2086remcTKZ6GIyuXKSgLn1bRIpxCobAbSc/edit

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Classroom Management Scenario: Giggling Girls

Module 4 Unit 4 Activity 2

It looks like this:

In all these exercises so far the main point is be calm and ignore the situation without stopping the lesson. 

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Clinical Observation of Student Behavior

Module 4 Unit 4 Activity 1

Clinical Observation of Student Behavior

I have watched 5 classes for my observation of student behavior and it was really interesting to see other teachers interact with their students. I made sure to take some notes during my observation and thoroughly ask the teachers about different types of disruptions they have to handle in their classes on a daily basis. I have also discussed the rules they have, and what kind of structure is in place for interventions or preventative measures they take so their class runs smoothly.

The following are the responses to my interview questions that the teachers provided:

Name: Lori Brackett

Location: Bucheon University Kids Town

Grade level: Kindergarten

1. What are your class rules and how do you communicate these to your students?

 Class rules are to pay attention and don’t speak out, follow instructions. Since I only see these students once, I have a bell, like you would at a dinner. If the students are talking or whatnot or if we are starting an activity, I ring the bell so they know something new is starting and to pay attention. In other classes I use the clap, clap, clap and they repeat.

2. What positive behaviors did your students demonstrate during your class today?

They followed instructions and completed the activity at hand.

3. What negative behaviors did your students demonstrate during your class today?

Sometimes they didn’t take turns and that could’ve really messed things up.

4. What strategies do you use to prevent negative behavior?

I always try to anticipate any student that might cause a negative behavior and prevent it from happening. Paying attention to students and prevention is key.

5. What strategies do you use to intervene when a negative behavior occurs?

I address the behavior if it is minor usually a “look” will stop it. I just try to continue on with the lesson. I don’t like to make a big deal out of it given I only have 30 min to teach my lesson. The show must go on, and by continuing it usually subsides, and the student and class quickly refocuses.

6. How do you encourage good behavior in your class?

Positive reinforcement and high energy from the teacher, if you are constantly giving attention and praise to your students they will stay engaged and I find the result is good behavior.

Name: Colin Beaton

Location: Gachon University Incheon, South Korea

Grade level: Freshmen & Sophomore university (Approx. ages: 19-21 years old)

1. What are your class rules and how do you communicate these to your students?

Respect everyone in the classroom.

Try your best & work hard during every class.

Bring the proper materials to each and every class.

Don’t let your attendance/work/participation get out of control in a negative way.

Never be afraid to ask questions and/or ask me for help.

Respect the rules set out in class.

2. What positive behaviors did your students demonstrate during your class today?

Most students displayed a lot of engagement and attentiveness during class activities. They also displayed hard work, effort, and passion for the lesson.

3. What negative behaviors did your students demonstrate during your class today?

Some students displayed disinterest during certain portions of the lesson.

4. What strategies do you use to prevent negative behavior?

Positive reinforcement, reward systems, severe negative behavior could result in removal from class. In most circumstances, removal isn’t necessary.

5. What strategies do you use to intervene when a negative behavior occurs?

Warnings, attempts at including them in the lesson/steering in towards them, etc.

6. How do you encourage good behavior in your class?

By rewarding those who are well-behaved, with such things as higher participation scores, etc.

Name: Melodi Crowson

Location: G2 Academy

Grade level: Middle school

1. What are your class rules and how do you communicate these to your students?

Show up on time with a book and writing utensils -- for the first three weeks coming to class without a book is cause for deduction in participation points, after three weeks you are absent; class participation is a large part of the grade -- all students are required to speak even if only through guided dialogues; cell phones are out on the desk face down where I can see them -- if phones are used for non-class purposes I take them until the end of the class and make a note of it, if the behavior persist the student is absent

2. What positive behaviors did your students demonstrate during your class today?

Laughter during participation, jokes made relative to the topic, self-motivated, English speaking

3. What negative behaviors did your students demonstrate during your class today?

Students on phones...a lot; one student without a book, sleeping in class

4. What strategies do you use to prevent negative behavior?

Try to maintain a high energy in the classroom making it easier to stay focused; some threats of punishment usually in the form of docking attendance

5. What strategies do you use to intervene when a negative behavior occurs?

Dock attendance; sleeping in class...the first time I ask the student to go get water, if the behavior persists then I start marking absences; if a student continually has multiple offenses we talk one-on-one, sometimes involving our bilingual English secretary for clarification

6. How do you encourage good behavior in your class?

Good behavior is usually encouraged through praise phrases, games to wrap up class; some students join me for coffee after class for a bit more light and humorous conversation practice

Name: Rebeca Shin

Location: Chung Dahm Institute

Grade level: 3^rd -8^th Grade

1. What are your class rules and how do you communicate these to your students?

Class Rules:

1. Be responsible!

2. Be respectful!

3. Be ready to learn!

4. Have fun!

Usually we go over the rules the first day of class. We go over the 3 R’s and give examples of each. When students don’t complete their homework assignments or don’t study for their vocabulary tests, I remind them by asking “What is rule #1.” and so on.

2. What positive behaviors did your students demonstrate during your class today?

Positive behaviors shown in class were active participation and pride for their work. Students showed good learning attitude as they volunteered to read out loud and share their answers for reading comprehension and grammar problems.

3. What negative behaviors did your students demonstrate during your class today?

Negative behaviors shown in class were usage of Korean during group work and packing up while other students were presenting.

4. What strategies do you use to prevent negative behavior?

Our classes run for three hours with two-five minute breaks. It is really hard to keep the students focused for such a long time. I find that the best way to prevent negative behaviors is to keep the students active. I always try to make the lesson fun by including some type of activity where they can focus their attention.

5. What strategies do you use to intervene when a negative behavior occurs?

If the student is acting out or disrupting the lesson, I usually tell the student why it is inappropriate for him/her to act that way and redirect focus to the lesson. If it is still an issue, I will ask the student to step out of the classroom and talk to the student outside.

6. How do you encourage good behavior in your class?

I encourage good behavior by praising students on their work and readiness. When I ask students to open up to a certain page, I will make sure to call out on the first few who have done so and say, “Thank you X for opening your book.” I think this works because students all want attention from the teacher and at the same time, repeating the task will help those who did not hear the first few times.

Name: Jonathan Hines

Location: Chung Dahm Institute

Grade level: Middle school

1. What are your class rules and how do you communicate these to your students?

I create the rules with the students on the first day of our classes and write them on a board in the classroom where they stay for the entire semester always in view. The only rule that I have consistently is “You must try!”

2. What positive behaviors did your students demonstrate during your class today?

The students were attentive during the entire class and did a great job of allowing each classmate their own chance to talk. We try to constantly have one person speaking at a time with a raised hand instead of just everyone yelling out answers.

3. What negative behaviors did your students demonstrate during your class today?

There were a few of the students who were a bit sleepy and dosed off a few times during the class.

4. What strategies do you use to prevent negative behavior?

I have a reward system where students can gain points for contributing during the class and at the end of them the term they can exchange points for prizes. Like a market day.

5. What strategies do you use to intervene when a negative behavior occurs?

I try to stop the class and bring attention to the entire group about what the “bad student/ students” are doing and use the on task students to get their classmates back on task. I find that the majority of students want to learn and don’t like it when their classmates take away from that and have had good results doing the self-policing idea. If that doesn’t work, I usually take the student aside and have a 1 to 1 conversation about the issues we are having and come up with a solution.

6. How do you encourage good behavior in your class?

Again, the point system. Also try to give a lot of positive encouragement and praise when a student tries or contributes in class.

Observation Summary

All of the teachers I have watched were different and had their own strengths. For Lori’s class I know she doesn’t have time to go through all the rules as she sees her students only once. This is not once a week or once a day, but once in her life. Every day she deals with different students. I would not use the bell strategy that she uses as I do not teach kindergarteners. I can see why it is effective for her because she needs to get the students’ attention quickly as her class is only 30 minutes long. One thing I learned from her is the way she is so effective in preventing any major behavior incidents happening in her class especially for such young kids. For example she taught a cooking class and made sure that the students shared the ingredients by not giving these to them first, but explaining it in front of the class about sharing. When she was passing out the ingredients, before giving anything to her students, she would place those in the middle and tell them to never take it from the other student unless they were passing it. This is something I wouldn’t have thought of, and it prevented major fights between these young learners.

I was really amazed by how organized Colin’s class was. The whole class knew what to do from when they walked into the class until they walked out. He really didn’t skip a beat when it came down to doing any activity and transitioning from task to task. I am really going to use one of his methods when many students raise their hands. He gives them numbers and they answer in the order that they were given. This prevents him to stop after every answer and repeat the phrase, “Any other comments?” again and again. When they finish he gives then all feedback. He is a bit less strict with his students than I am with mine and it really made me consider loosening the reigns a little next semester.

Melodi is the kind of teacher that is very relaxed in her class and engages with her students in a friendlier way than most. I think this shows the students that they can talk to her about anything and makes the atmosphere in her classroom very comfortable. I did see some students sleeping and a lot of them using their phones. She addressed the students that were using phones by giving them warnings about docking points if she saw them using their phones again.  I do not think I could be this easy-going with my students as I feel that because she is so friendly to her students, they may take more risks in behaving negatively as they may be forgiven.

Rebeca and Jon both work at the same academy in different branches. These schools are known for having students with advanced English levels. Their classes are 3 hours long with two- five minute breaks. This is demanding for any student let alone, for young elementary and middle school students. Rebeca was very good at giving feedback to her students and using low-profile management. She also tried very hard to make the lesson very entertaining and upbeat as you could tell that the students were very tired. I think I could use some of her positive methods of feedback. For example, a student had taken her notebook out and instead of addressing the whole class and telling them to take out their notebooks, she thanked the student for taking her notebook out, and the rest of the class followed.

In Jon’s class I really like his point system for rewards. These kids study so hard every day and they were still trying really hard to get points in order to get a prize at the end of the year. I asked Jon what kind of prizes he had. They were Star Wars Lego, which is very popular among elementary and middle school students here in Korea. They are around 60 - 80 dollars per box. I guess when there is something that they really want, it is not hard to have them behave and participate in a positive manner.

All these teachers have their own ways to manage their classes. There rules were all essentially the same with slight differences. They use different structures and approaches making modifications to their rules to accommodate their various classes. In the end, not one approach is going to work for every class. Just as students, teachers, and classes are different, necessary adjustments need to be made to have a good classroom climate and all of these wonderful teachers had their own unique techniques, procedures and rules that they adjusted to make their classrooms a structured and positive learning environment. 

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Blog Post

Module 4 Unit 3 Activity 3

As previously stated in my blog, at the moment I teach ELLs at a university in South Korea and this university is basically a place where many of our students are either acquiring some credits while waiting to take another round of the CSAT (a Korean university entrance exam), or are transitioning into other universities. Some do decide to finish their undergraduate studies at this university but this establishment is not very demanding. Until this year, they automatically passed based on their attendance grades even if they get every answer wrong in their midterms or finals.

Because of this, many of the students do not care much about following any kind of rules. During my first semester there, the rules I brought into the class were from the previous university I worked at, where the students were high achievers. At this current university I have had students never buy the required book or have anything to write with for the whole semester. Some would sleep in class and would “attend” to get their passing grade, but there were also some that were genuinely interested in learning English. There would be absolutely no participation from any of them, and after that semester, I tweaked all the rules that I had. Six years later, I have never had those problems again. What did I learn about making rules from that experience? I learned that rules that work for some classes may not work for others. To establish classroom rules effectively, I had to realize that there is not one behavioral setting, classroom arrangement, or single set of rules that are best for all students (Borich 79).

How do I establish rules in my classrooms? In the beginning I need to observe who will be in my class. I cannot apply the same rules for university students, as for the elementary and middle school students. First, I walk in with my universal rules. These are:

1. Be respectful

2. Be prepared

These rules seem pretty simple, but when I ask my students what rule number 1 means, there are various answers. We discuss them and I list them on the board. Again, answers may vary for different levels of students. These are some of the things that my students come up with for the 1^st rule:

1.  Raise your hand to talk

2. No talking while the teacher/others are talking

3. No eating

4. No using cell phones

5. No sleeping

6. Don’t leave the classroom unless I give you permission

When the students and I brainstorm together they also help me contribute to making the consequences and it seems more of a collaborative effort, where they can tell that the rules are fair. Also it doesn’t make the class seem like a dictatorship where they all have to abide by my rules. By doing this, they also become very familiar with the guidelines. After, we brainstorm all the rules and if I feel like I need to add something in particular to the circumstances of that class, I will add it to the list.

My non-negotiable rules include bullying, or disrespecting other people in the class including making fun of others, physically hurting someone, or calling them names. This will not be tolerated in my class at all. Consequences will be enforced as the safety of all my students comes first.

Some of my rules have acceptable alternatives, such as the rule about not using cell phones. I will allow the students to use their phones for some activities that require them, but I also explain terms like “apples up” where if they are using a phone and I want their attention I will use that phrase and (since many students have iphones) they have to place their phones with the screen down and the apples showing. Another term I use when students bring their computers to class and we work with them, is “45 your screen”, where they have to place their computers on a 45 degree angle so I know that I have their full attention. These are some of the procedures I use in class involving digital tools.

Procedures are very important and they are established in my classroom from day one. One of the normal procedures that happens every day is that as soon as class starts and I finish taking attendance, I stand in the right hand corner of the board, and write bullet points reviewing everything we have learned from the start. As the weeks progress, the list gets longer, and finally after the midterm, it is erased and the list starts again. I found this to be very beneficial for my students to review week after week what was learned. It also helps students who have missed classes catch up and know exactly what important information in the class that they may have not gotten.

I also like my students to participate but depending on their level, I will use different rules and procedures. One that I use with my university students if I am having a hard time getting them to participate is give them two cards (from a deck of cards) as they are walking into the classrooms and tell them that when they raise their hand and participate in any way, I will collect one of those cards. At the end of the class, people who haven’t used their cards up don’t get the participation points for the day. It also helps me call on people fairly because instead of calling out names and making students think I am picking on them, I will just say, “king of diamonds” and whoever has that card is the person I’m calling on.

Overall, I try and build great relationships with my students and show them that the rules that are put in place are because I am concerned about maximizing their learning time, and also because it demonstrates trust in them as mature individuals, no matter what age they are. These rules and procedures are part of my class and I make sure that I model proper behavior for all my students. When my classes are well structured and have a set routine, my students know what I expect from them on a daily basis and this causes my classes to have minimal disruptions and maintain a positive classroom climate.

References:

Borich, Gary D. (2011). Observation Skills for Effective Teaching. Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Inc.

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Annotating a Video on Smooth Classroom Transitions

Module 4 Unit 3 Activity 2

Annotating the video was next. I put in about 11 annotations. It was about using content based material with smooth transitions for the classroom. Some good techniques were used. Below is the video we had to view:

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Introduction to Norms and Procedures

Module 4 Unit 3 Activity 1

This group project included Sean, Caitlin, and me. There was one group that had four people but most were put in groups of three. 

Here is our Prezi.

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Reflections on High Expectations

Module 4 Unit 2 Activity 4 

Reflections on High Expectations

As educators, we need to develop a learning atmosphere that promotes students to achieve great objectives encouraging students to meet high standards. Setting high expectations is important to help our young learners to be challenged, progress in bigger steps at a faster pace, and also show them that we care about the strives that they make to improve themselves. When we set high expectations and our students reach or surpass those standards, it sets the bar a little higher. By doing this, us educators can proudly watch our students meet those objectives and see our young learners grow. This doesn't mean that teachers should set the bar high just to make the students’ lives harder with no purpose. All of our students come from different situations and backgrounds, and as educators we need to understand that our expectations need to be flexible and particular to each student.

Ways to demonstrate that a teacher has high expectations for their classrooms is to encourage accomplishment in any form, develop a positive classroom climate where all students are respected and treated maturely, give constructive feedback, and let the students take control of their learning process. A research conducted by teachingleadership.org, shows that having high expectations for students closes the achievement gap in classrooms. It states that even students with different backgrounds and socioeconomic status should be looked at beyond their traditional expectations and instead of limiting their standards, they shouldn't be disadvantaged of gaining knowledge at the speed and level of students in more affluent communities (The Power of High Expectations, 2014).

Teachers can help young learners define their goals and strategies to accomplish these objectives.  Defining these goals is a key element that our students need, to encourage them, give them structure, and assist them in attaining and evaluating such goals. Also, if teachers are good role models setting high expectations for themselves, they may instigate a positive aspiration for their students to set high goals as well. Managing the classrooms in an organized way, meeting lesson goals, being consistent with rules and being respectful towards their students is a good example of a teacher demonstrating great expectations. When a teacher helps their students take the steps to get to their goals, they really need to make sure the students have short-term and long-term goals. One that I really emphasize to my students is means goals and end goals taken from mindvalley.com, (where I do a separate lesson with my students about the meaning of these two goals). This really helps my students clarify the importance of temporary achievements and lets them visualize their learning process in a larger scale.

When an objective is clear and goals are met, students take pride in their work. This gives them a sense of accomplishment and makes each and every one evaluate what they have achieved. It helps them find out more about their strengths and weaknesses. In some cases it may also open doors to self-realization about talents they didn’t know they even had, or they might even develop new interests, if not just build their confidence in an area that they were already proficient in. This is essentially what us educators want our students to feel. We guide them to grow and develop under our care and support, maintaining high expectations and a positive classroom environment.  

References:

Borich, Gary D. (2011). Observation Skills for Effective Teaching. Boston, MA: Pearson Education. Inc.

Marzano, Robert J. (2007). The Art and Science of Teaching: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction.  Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

The Power of High Expectations. (n.d.).  Retrieved July 29, 2014, from http://teachingasleadership.org/ sites/default/files/Related-Readings/Diversity_CommunityandAchievement_Chapter2.pdf

Group Members’ Performance

My group members were Ian Pollard and Christopher Shears. We had to finish this project last week because we are pressed for time as our intense master’s course is coming up in a couple of weeks. Since we work together, we designated a day to go into our office and work on this project. Everyone collaborated very well. We first highlighted what was required to get an “outstanding” on the rubric, and discussed what we thought needed to be placed in the page. Ian opened up a new Glogster page, and while he was writing the headings, Chris and I were busy defining the terms. We started recording audio and sending them simultaneously to Ian so he could upload them on to the page. He also did a few recordings himself. When they were all uploaded, we searched for images together and also searched for different videos making sure that the content was not only relevant but enhancing our project. It took us a good portion of the day to finish this project but as a group I think we were very organized and collaborated with each other successfully and effectively. My group members really put in a lot of effort and we are very happy with the result of our project. 

Teach Now (Teacher Certification): Collaborative Glog

Module 4 Unit 2 Activity 3

My partners for this glog were Christopher Shears and Ian Pollard. 

Here is our glog: