Blog 7

What are the procedures the teacher uses to make everything run smoothly in the class?

When I first started going they did a class vs. teacher point system that would win them a free morning party on a Friday after a certain number was reached.  If the teacher got more points than them they had to do silent reading instead of the party.  I thought this was a clever idea because it motivates them to do good for more than just one day.  They cant earn a party in a day it takes them a whole month so for a month they are trying their best. 

The teacher also came up a with a pin system where they each have a pin on a board and if they are not listening they move a pin down and that results in 5 minutes of recess missed, then the next one is the whole recess, and eventually works down to meeting with parents.  They can also move up and get rewards for doing good in the class.  I really like this system for more of a personal reward/punishment if just one student is being bad and the rest of the class deserves a point for their party. 

I can see now how hard it is to keep the whole classroom under the same reward/punishment when their is just one or two trouble students.  Its important to have an alternative for those students.  Both systems I thought were a great way to handle the classroom behavior. 

Blog 6

What strategies does the teacher us to actively engage the students? How effective are these?

I love when teachers are willing to allow students to comment on the lesson, which is a way of engaging the students.  Also planning activities that the students will all enjoy and learn from are far better than a silent sit down class talk.

We were doing a lesson on the 5 senses of the body and the teacher used the great weather to her advantage.  Instead of making the students stay inside and just think of things, or use the classroom to explore we went on a Sense Scavenger-hunt out on the playground.  The students were thrilled to get to learn outside and it made it really fun to see what creative things they came up with.  When we came back into the room, they then had to draw a picture of what they found on a piece of paper and we rewarded them with a treat which was also their taste sense.  They really enjoyed this, and learned a new way of connecting the senses. I know that when I teach I would rather be doing a fun and exciting lesson than making them sit in the classroom the whole time.  It can be very fun for the teacher as well to get active with the students.

Blog 5

What is the most important role a teacher plays? Why?
What is the most challenging role a teacher plays? Why?

I think that the most important role for a teacher is being a self-esteem booster and motivator.  I definitely think that education is very important, but if a student is not confident in themselves how will they succeed in the classroom, or any part of life? Being someone that encourages them to do their best and to try will go much further than telling them they did the assignment wrong.  I substitute teach and I can already see how this directly affects the students.  I had one little boy who was a distraction and problem to the whole classroom, but during one assignment I pulled him aside and helped him personally work on his math and he was willing and wanting to understand what we were doing.  The more I praised him and gave him a chance to show me how much he knew the happier he was and the more he did the assignment without resisting my help.  Being that person that can change their life to love learning can mean more to them than anyone ever knows.

I think the most challenging role for a teacher is when personal life gets too involved.  When a student feels too comfortable with the teacher and shares things that shouldn't be.  It's hard for a teacher to explain to a student exactly where the line draws.  It can be hard legally also, because in certain situations you need to go to the police which can cause many more problems for you, the student, and their family.