What did I find?
At my mentorship there are days when the kids do not get much done because they are constantly getting distracted. A classroom strategy could be used to make sure that the kids get something done even on days that they do not feel like doing anything. One thing my mentor does now is use an app that she got on her phone. The app she uses is a kitty and when the class gets too loud the glass on the phone will “break”. When the glass breaks more than 5 times they will miss 5 minutes of recess. The app works really well to keep the kids quiet and on task.
I think that when kids are given even a little bit of freedom they take advantage of it and sometimes go crazy. The easiest way to keep the kids on task is to have stern rules establish but also have some fun during the learning process. With stern rules set and still having a fun time the kids will respect the teacher and not want to disobey. The kids would also be having too much fun and enjoying their learning to act up and break the rules.
I have looked at a lot of research concerning my essential question. I read several articles and analyzed the interview I conducted. They all seems to have one thing in common. They all say that a good relationship with the students while still maintaining good boundaries and strict rules leads to a fun and healthy classroom. The students will be more productive and enjoy coming to school. One article stood out to me though. It was called "32 Strategies for Building a Positive Learning Environment” and was written by Lina Raffaelli. She uses a quote by Amy Hirzel, “Remember that you and your students are only human. You can plan, map, and research all summer, but once those kids get in the room anything can happen. You don't have to have everything together on day one." I like this because it encourages others to not give up even if they have a bad day.
Before I did all of my research I did not think that relationships with the students was very important as long as you taught them well. After reading all of these articles I have learned that relationships with the students is a big deal. Without them the students would not enjoy being in your class and with a strong bond they will want to hear and learn from you.
I think that when kids are given even a little bit of freedom they take advantage of it and sometimes go crazy. The easiest way to keep the kids on task is to have stern rules establish but also have some fun during the learning process. With stern rules set and still having a fun time the kids will respect the teacher and not want to disobey. The kids would also be having too much fun and enjoying their learning to act up and break the rules.
I have looked at a lot of research concerning my essential question. I read several articles and analyzed the interview I conducted. They all seems to have one thing in common. They all say that a good relationship with the students while still maintaining good boundaries and strict rules leads to a fun and healthy classroom. The students will be more productive and enjoy coming to school. One article stood out to me though. It was called "32 Strategies for Building a Positive Learning Environment” and was written by Lina Raffaelli. She uses a quote by Amy Hirzel, “Remember that you and your students are only human. You can plan, map, and research all summer, but once those kids get in the room anything can happen. You don't have to have everything together on day one." I like this because it encourages others to not give up even if they have a bad day.
Before I did all of my research I did not think that relationships with the students was very important as long as you taught them well. After reading all of these articles I have learned that relationships with the students is a big deal. Without them the students would not enjoy being in your class and with a strong bond they will want to hear and learn from you.