“Inquiry into Classroom Procedures, Expectations and Consequences”
In our classroom, students have learned class procedures and expectations over the course of the first three weeks of school. Instead of lecturing at students and handing out ‘Rules and Regulations’ sheets on the first day (as I observed most teachers in other classes doing), we planned a fun, instructive, social activity for our freshmen biology students. Engaging activities seem to hold student attention, thus requiring less discipline in the overall. As Salas (2004) notes, “the best discipline is good curriculum”; I feel that we implement this advice in our classroom daily. On the second day of school, we did provide students a ‘Cheat Sheet’ with basic class guidelines and expectations; these expectations included ‘do not skip class,’ ‘come prepared for class,’ ‘stay on top of the material (look over it every night)’ and ‘do your homework.’
As the weeks progressed, we began to instruct and to model for students the more specific nuances of classroom procedures and routines. First, students should come in and immediately take out their notebooks to complete the daily Warm-Up (“Do Now”), which we project onto the Promethean Board as students enter the classroom. We will only collect the Warm-Up occasionally: students roll big foam dice and only if they roll doubles do they have to hand in their Warm-Up sheet. We explained to students how to hand in papers (pass them to the middle person in the front row of each section and we will walk around to collect them). We write the required homework for the entire week on the board every Monday morning; it remains up until Friday. We showed students how to check the class website in case they forget to write down the homework, lose any handouts, or are absent. We also have a collection of folders at the front of the classroom that contains pertinent worksheets or handouts for each day of the week (again, in case students lose their work or are absent). We expect students to remember these important pieces of information and act accordingly.
As the weeks progressed, we began to instruct and to model for students the more specific nuances of classroom procedures and routines. First, students should come in and immediately take out their notebooks to complete the daily Warm-Up (“Do Now”), which we project onto the Promethean Board as students enter the classroom. We will only collect the Warm-Up occasionally: students roll big foam dice and only if they roll doubles do they have to hand in their Warm-Up sheet. We explained to students how to hand in papers (pass them to the middle person in the front row of each section and we will walk around to collect them). We write the required homework for the entire week on the board every Monday morning; it remains up until Friday. We showed students how to check the class website in case they forget to write down the homework, lose any handouts, or are absent. We also have a collection of folders at the front of the classroom that contains pertinent worksheets or handouts for each day of the week (again, in case students lose their work or are absent). We expect students to remember these important pieces of information and act accordingly.
We plan many interactive activities for students, nearly one for every class period. After three to four minutes, we review the Warm-Up and then lecture or jump right into an activity. We make sure to clearly connect the activity planned with the material reviewed in the Warm-Up and the material from previous lectures. We explain the activity before choosing groups or handing out supplies. Unfortunately, I realize that we do not usually stop to ask if students have any questions; this perhaps is something on which I can improve. We then explain that the students have a specific amount of time to complete the assignment and that we will collect their work at the end. We identify our expectations and exactly what we want to see completed at the end of the allotted time.
Identifying expectations for group work in this manner makes the resulting consequences of misbehavior (a low or incomplete grade for that assignment) less teacher-enforced and more student-focused. I feel that I use this discipline strategy often. When I am ready to instruct the students, if I can not get their attention right away, I remind them that the longer that I have to wait for them to settle down, the less time they will have for their in-class work, and thus the lower their grade will be for that assignment or the more work they will have to finish at home. This has worked successfully for me thus far in the classroom.
When forming groups for activities, we have devised a system through which we randomly pick three of the lab groups; then, we allow the remaining students to choose their own groups. Selection of Popsicle sticks with students’ names out of a cup determines these random groups. Changing lab groups for each activity or lab ensures that students do not get stuck with others with whom they do not get along or whose work does not meet their own standards. A random group selection also provides students a unique opportunity to socialize with students with whom they may not normally choose to work, thus helping students to get to know and to tolerate each other.
In my capacity as co-teacher, but not necessary lead teacher right now, I find myself very attuned to the specific needs of each student; however, sometimes this gets overwhelming. I find myself balancing student requests to use the bathroom, questions about their activity, the need for worksheets or notes they missed when they were absent, the need to make up a quiz, or simply a desire to talk about the students day or weekend. I feel like I greatly need to work on my multitasking abilities before taking over lead teaching in the next few weeks!
Reference:
Sallas, K.D. (2004). The best discipline is good curriculum. The new teacher book: Finding purpose, balance, and hope during your first years in the classroom. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools
Identifying expectations for group work in this manner makes the resulting consequences of misbehavior (a low or incomplete grade for that assignment) less teacher-enforced and more student-focused. I feel that I use this discipline strategy often. When I am ready to instruct the students, if I can not get their attention right away, I remind them that the longer that I have to wait for them to settle down, the less time they will have for their in-class work, and thus the lower their grade will be for that assignment or the more work they will have to finish at home. This has worked successfully for me thus far in the classroom.
When forming groups for activities, we have devised a system through which we randomly pick three of the lab groups; then, we allow the remaining students to choose their own groups. Selection of Popsicle sticks with students’ names out of a cup determines these random groups. Changing lab groups for each activity or lab ensures that students do not get stuck with others with whom they do not get along or whose work does not meet their own standards. A random group selection also provides students a unique opportunity to socialize with students with whom they may not normally choose to work, thus helping students to get to know and to tolerate each other.
In my capacity as co-teacher, but not necessary lead teacher right now, I find myself very attuned to the specific needs of each student; however, sometimes this gets overwhelming. I find myself balancing student requests to use the bathroom, questions about their activity, the need for worksheets or notes they missed when they were absent, the need to make up a quiz, or simply a desire to talk about the students day or weekend. I feel like I greatly need to work on my multitasking abilities before taking over lead teaching in the next few weeks!
Reference:
Sallas, K.D. (2004). The best discipline is good curriculum. The new teacher book: Finding purpose, balance, and hope during your first years in the classroom. Milwaukee, WI: Rethinking Schools