Blog 8

I have done a few classroom observations in my life. I've observed as a parent, as a student and now as a future teacher. During this observation I feel I've had an advantage. My teacher is a recent college graduate so she has had a lot of new teaching techniques to share, as well as tips for my own schooling. She has been very supportive and kind these last couple of months. However, if I had to choose just one thing as the most important, it would be reassurance.

Watching and helping Mrs. Brown, has really cemented for me the goal of becoming a teacher. I've known I've always wanted to be a teacher, but now it has really become a passion of mine. Watching her interact with the children and their responses to her, have made me sure that this is the right path for me. I usually go about life a bit apprehensive and fearful, so having a clear focus on my career path is a refreshing experience. It's often said that if you do what you love it's not work. I am looking forward to running a classroom and loving those children as my own. 

Blog 7

The classroom rules in the class I am observing are pretty standard. Respect others, keep your hands to yourself and using kind words with each other are a few of the rules. These rules are clearly posted in the classroom and referred to often. They are enforced in many ways. One is with warnings and reminders, but the most effective way is with a color coded card system. 

Each student has a pocket on a large sheet of paper with their names on it. Each pocket contains a green, yellow, red and black card. The green card is always on top and as long as the student is behaving, their cards will remain green. However, once a rule has been broken and a warning given, the child is then asked to "pull a card". When yellow is on top, the child is kept in at the next recess, a red card is a note home and a black card is a one way ticket to the principles office. 

I really like this method of keeping the classroom rules. I think by having the children go up and pull a card, they are taking an active rule in their discipline. It makes it a bit more real versus putting a check mark on the board next to a child s name 

Blog 6

When you think of actively engaging students, you usually think about "hands on" activity's. Things like class wide games and small group activities are a few of the things that come readily to mind when you are planning to actively engage your students. These are fun and educational ways to reach students. However, games and group activates may not reach every student. An idea that Mrs. Brown uses that engages all of the students in a group, but each student is allowed to work independently are working with white boards.

Each child has there own one foot by one foot square of erasable white board. The children really love working independently on their personal board. But since the class is working together on something they are still engaging each other. I feel that this is a very effective tool for the class and look forward to them in my own classroom.