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Home : 2002 : October : 17
Sounds like you have a handful this year. I think that discipline is one of the hardest things for most new teachers--and one of the things that causes teachers to leave the profession. Don't really know what
The thing I discovered about first grade is, once you've "lost" them, it's really hard to get them back. So I developed a "sixth sense" about when they were starting to get restless and just "switched gears" while I continued whatever we were learning. For example, if I was teaching vowels I had everyone stand up and we'd recite the alphabet and jump each time we came to a vowel, next time we'd clap on the vowels...you get the idea! Here's what I've found works for me in classroom management: Focus on the positive. First graders especially want to please. Usually if you find the child that is following directions and thank them, the others snap right into line. When feasible, I ignore the bad behavior and concentrate on the good. I use a lot of statements such as: "I'm looking for children who have cleared desks." or "I'm looking for children who are on page 26." If you don't mind doing "points", sometimes numbering the tables and giving stars on the board helps. The tables vie to be first to be ready and often help each other. One of my favorite ways of rewarding the group is having a cup for each group where you place or take away tokens. Once the group reaches a certain number, they get a prize. The neat thing about this method is that eventually everyone gets the reward--just takes some groups a lot longer. And it focuses on working as a group--not individually. (Plus it's pretty easy to implement which is always a plus!) Many teachers don't like to use rewards--and I respect their viewpoint. It can certainly be overdone. But I find the judicious use of intermittent rewards can be a positive. And truth to tell, most of us do get rewarded in many ways (such as a paycheck!!) besides the intrinsic rewards we get! It's important not to get distracted by distractions!! I have kept on teaching when a child dumped his box of 64 crayons on the floor. If you don't pay attention, most of the class won't either. Case in point: We were working on a Reader's Theater this week when the electricity suddenly went out. The kids (and I!) looked startled and then I shrugged and said, "Oh, well, we can still see!" They agreed and we went right on. I don't think we lost over 30 seconds of class time. I have found that silence is the best way to get students' attention. If you stand up front and just wait eventually everyone will stop look and listen. If someone is disruptive, just stop, given them a "look" and mostly they'll change their behavior. I also find continuing to teach and just moving towards the disruptive child often helps. They get the idea. Several books are helpful: The First Day of School Even though the philosophies differ somewhat in these books, I like to read a variety of viewpoints, try things out and see what works for me. I think you have a point that consistency is important. It's something I struggle with, too, but it really does make the difference. One final note... It's important to keep balance in your life. If you take care of yourself and take time for breaks you will be a better teacher.
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