Classroom Strategies

In my experiences with the small group, double dosing, 5th grade classroom some of the classroom strategies that I have observed are when the teacher reads with the students he has them follow along with a pencil or their finger to make sure they are following what he is reading. He will also have them read the same passages together. Within this small group situation both of these ideas work really well. When working with math the teacher has the students use individual whiteboards which keeps them all working on the same problem individually, but then they come together to show the problem on the classroom board to see if they answered the problem correctly. With working through it this way the children can see how the teacher solves the problem and then see if they worked through it correctly and ended up with the correct answer. His incentive/reward for his students is a "Sugar Shaker". He gives treats out of a giant jar that looks like a salt shaker.

The "Sugar Shaker"

The students love this jar and he is a long time veteran teacher who has used this for years and years.

For my Kindergarten observations I have really enjoyed watching the teacher use multiple classroom strategies. One idea that has been really effective is starting the students with 10 pennies at the beginning of each week. Instead of dealing with actually pennies the teacher made a laminated poster board with all of their names on it. Each name has space for ten pennies drawn on with a dry erase marker. Throughout the week if the children don't follow procedures, routines, or proper behaviors they have to get up and erase a penny with their finger. On Friday they get to go to a store with their leftover pennies and buy something. Another strategy that the teacher used at the end of last year, when all the students were so anxious waiting to get out of school and behaviors started cropping up, was a 20 day countdown. She hung twenty envelopes from the ceiling numbered 1-20. Inside of each envelope was a fun (short) activity that those in the class that did their work and had good behaviors could participate in at the end of each day. This activity seemed to work well! Just today I saw that the class was so rowdy and talkative during centers that the teacher turned off the lights and it seemed to really quiet down and relax the children. The classroom has a lot of west facing windows with natural light, instead of the bright fluorescent lights, and this seemed really relaxing to the children.

The most important role a teacher plays in the classroom

The most important role I have seen in my work as an aide in the classroom, in my classroom observations, and in seeing my daughter through her 1st year of teaching is CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT.  It takes a lot of learning, education, and experience to direct and manage a classroom of 20-30 students.

 First, organizing your classroom setting is important in creating the best learning environment for the students. Making the best use of space can also be challenging but necessary. Finding space for a reading area, a learning area where the desks are set up, a small group teaching area, and an area for the teacher and her desk. Add to that space for books, technology, classroom supplies, and teacher necessities.

Second, testing, record keeping, and lesson planning are crucial to tracking progress and the how's and what's of teaching so that the students are learning in the best way to meet their needs. I know in my observations in both the Kindergarten and 5th grade classrooms, that there is always a measure of learning going on. From one on one to the classroom as a whole I have seen the teachers having kids pulled for one on one testing, or finishing of assignments. I've seen a number of quizzes given to assure that the students are retaining what they just learned about.

 Finally, managing the personalities and behaviors of each student to create a learning environment that can benefit each one. What may work one week, or day, may not work the next, so constantly recognizing what is working and what is not is very important to the teacher so that changes can occur when needed. I've already seen the Kindergarten teacher change out her discipline ideas as soon as they stop working. She has shown a lot of experience in making sure that if one thing stops working, she changes it up. I like that because it keeps the students on their toes in acting appropriately at school. Another thing I notice in Kindergarten is repetition of actions like walking quietly in the halls. When the class starts to lapse in remembering this, the teacher will revisit this action with repeating what needs to happen and even more practicing so the children remember what is acceptable at school. ORDER IS CRUCIAL when trying to direct and teach 20-30 students.

Managing Assessment

In my observations in the 5th grade double dosing class that I have been observing I have been able to help the teacher with assessments in reading and math. One of the activities that we do is Fry Phrases. These are 3 word phrases that are common in literature. A child, with practice, can improve their fluency as they practice these phrases. One of the ways that I have been able to help with assessing their fluency is to time the students as they read the Fry Phrases. As they read, we not only time them, but we also help them to achieve a standard time that is acceptable in passing one level to move on to the next. With practice they should not only increase their fluency, but should also be able to achieve the standard time without mistakes.

In the subject of math I have seen the teacher assess learning and knowledge by testing the students in areas that they are struggling in. After lots of practice the teacher will give the students some problems to see if they have mastered the concept. When they had mastered it,  I was able to check them off so that the teacher could see what areas the students still needed more reinforcement. The teacher also drew from the tests given during the normal school hours to see the weaknesses of the double dosing students, so that those concepts could be strengthened.

In the Kindergarten classroom I have been able to observe constant assessments. Since I work at a Title I school, this classroom has 2 aides, and even some parental volunteers each day. Besides the RazKids program that I talked about in my last blog that the teacher can look up each students progress, each child goes out with an aide and has a one on one learning opportunity. The things that I have observed being assessed are; one on one reading, small group guided reading, small group testing of math skills after math units, and DRA testing by the teacher. There is no way the teacher could do all that is done by herself, that is why I am a big advocate of Title I for helping the teacher in assessing her students and following up with small group/one on one learning activities to strengthen the minds and learning habits of these young students.

In all of these situations I noticed that there is a LOT of documenting and accountability to be able to measure progress with each student. We even assess the students I work with directly in my Special Class Kindergarten by filling out forms and measuring progress with their IEP goals.