I've been substituting for over 5 months now, so I think it is time I took a few minutes to look back and assess what I have learned.
Before I started substituting I was, as you can well imagine, nervous, because I did not know what to expect. I had been a student teacher in two very different classrooms, but still, substituting was going to be something completely different: I was going to go to a classroom completely unknown to me, with children that I did not know, with procedures and routines that I had no idea about. Since then I've had over 100 substituting jobs, in almost as many classrooms. None of them have been terrifying or dreadful to remember. On the contrary, I had an overwhelming proportion of good and very good experience.
One of the most important things that I noticed is how important the first minutes with the students are. That dreaded first impression that is so much talked about is REALLY important when you stand in front of a group of children that you do not know anything about. I think the way you start off will be decisive for the way the whole day (or half-day) is going to look like. First of all you need to believe in yourself or at least look confident and play the part of a confident person, even if you don't feel that way. When I was done with my student teaching experience I am not sure that I had that attitude of "I am a teacher". Well now I have it. When I step in front of the classroom I feel that I am the teacher and the students in front of me are waiting for me to show them the way. And I am ready for that. Another trick to looking confident (besides faking it) is being very well prepared. You could say that you cannot do a lot of prep as a substitute, but that is not true. You need to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to the beginning of class and read the lesson plan at least two times, making sure that you know how the day is going to look like. By the time the students walk into the classroom you need to be on top of the situation and know exactly what those children are going to do first, second, third and so forth. You need to know where the materials that you need are and/or what questions you are going to ask the students if there are not enough details in the lesson plan.
Besides getting to know the lesson plan you need to have an opening ready: what are you going to tell to these students when you introduce yourself? I found it very useful to take a few minutes to introduce myself no matter how the schedule looks like. I tell them my name, what I am doing there and a few things about me. That works great, it is the first step towards building a rapport with them. I also tell them what my expectations are (that usually involves following the same rules that they have while their teacher is in the classroom). I expect them to be respectful to me and to their classmates, to do their best and to work hard.
Next, I teach them the signal that I use when I need their attention and we practice it once or twice. I use "Class, class, class" with them answering "Yes, yes, yes" and having their voices off. I found that children K through 5 love this signal and are really responsive to it. Finally, I call attendance. Even if I have a seating chart and I could do attendance another way I prefer to call their names out loud because it is another way in which I am building rapport with them. I show my interest for who they are and what their names are. I tell them that I will try to remember their names by the end of the day and I ask them to correct me if I don't pronounce their name correctly. That's it! This is my opening with every classroom. If for some reason I don't feel comfortable in my skin a certain day or something happens and messes up this opening, chances are the rest of the day is going to be less than perfect. It will feel disorganized to me and I will be struggling to keep students on task and well behaved.
Another important aspect that I want to discuss about is the different group/class personalities that I encountered, my reaction and my relationship to/with them. The phenomenon of group personality is fascinating to me. I cannot stop wondering about what gives personality to a group. What makes a group be more than the sum of its parts? What makes it behave like a living creature, different and yet similar to the individuals that make it up? I don't have the answers to these questions but I noticed that the same way you meet people that you do not hit it off with right away it is also possible to meet classes of students that you do not hit it off with or that you do not like as much as you like other groups. I am not sure what causes this. I guess sometimes it might be sheer chemistry, difference of personality and other times it might be me: I feel off, I am having a rough day, in which it is not easy to meet new people and to interact with them. It might also be a combination of the two, or some things that are out of my control: something that happens at the beginning of the day, the way the classroom looks and feels like, the lesson plan that I find on the teacher's desk, something the teacher told me about the group before I met them. Whatever the causes might be: there are groups that I like more and groups that I like less; groups that I seem to be able to communicate with easily and groups that like me more than other groups. Besides the first impression and the opening that I was talking about, this chemistry between the group and me is the second important element that determines how my day is going to look and feel like.
The learning never ends. Every day is a new experience and it teaches me something not only about children but also about me as a person and as a teacher.
Showing posts with label classroom management. Show all posts
Showing posts with label classroom management. Show all posts
Monday, March 11, 2013
Friday, November 30, 2012
November 29th, 12
Yesterday I had two jobs, at two different elementary school. In the morning I was in a half day kindergarten class and in the afternoon in a 5th grade classroom. Huge difference of age and abilities, as you can imagine!
Although I have been subbing for two months already it was my first time in a kindergarten class. I was nervous before I got there, not knowing how it would turn out to be. I've always been intimidated by kindergarten because of the children's age and inexperience. I truly admire kindergarten heroes for their ability to work with and organize children so young and that are (some of them) for the first time in an organized institution, with a complex set of rules, procedures and a fixed (and long) schedule. I don't know if I could do it. I probably could, but I find it very difficult and slow. I am more of a fast paced person and I enjoy working with older kids, that are a little more independent and can think and act on their own.
It turned out that I was being nervous without reason, my kindergarten group of 20 was made up only of sweet kids, very quiet and obedient. Not only did I not have any problems with them, but I have actually enjoyed my time with them a lot.
The story was different in the afternoon, with the 5th graders. This time I was not nervous and I was expecting quite an easy afternoon (especially after I saw the lesson plans and the teacher assured me - several times - that she has amazing kids and that I will have no problems with them). They were very talkative and at times silly, especially when they had to work with partners. They were pretty good during individual work and read aloud.
I want to talk about this discrepancy that I do not understand between what the teacher told me to expect and what I actually got. Was it me? Did I do something wrong? If YES, what? Was the teachers expectation unrealistic? How come?
First of all I have to say that I had had this class before, once, when I substituted for the PE teacher in the same school. That particular day this group was my first and by far the most unruly that I had that day. I blamed it then on them being the first group of the day (I wasn't familiarized well enough with the lesson plan) and on my not giving them the instructions that they needed before we started.
Yesterday, when I was in front of the same classroom the students saw me together with their teacher, discussing the plan. They heard her telling them to support me and to help me. She even picked two helpers among the students and introduced them to me. Has this "introduction" to the class had anything to do with the way the afternoon went? I think it is possible. The teacher might have given them the impression that I need help, that I am not good enough to handle things by myself . Or it might be that I did not introduce myself properly and I did not talk at all about my expectations. But again, this situation was brought about by the weird situation in which I found myself, being in the room with the teacher while they were getting ready for lunch, being introduced by her in a hurry etc. How do you act in situations like this? How do you make things better for yourself? How do you approach a class when you substitute for half a day, in the afternoon? And finally: how do you handle misbehavior issues and frustrating interuptions when they do appear?
Let me try a few answers:
To begin with, I think the introductions is really really important. It is that first impression that counts a lot for the rest of the time you are going to spend with that group of students. So as a substitute I need to make sure that I get that right every time. I usually introduce myself by saying a few things about me, my strange name, its origin, my accent and its origin. Then I tell them what my expectations are and it is usually something very general, like respecting the same rules that they usually respect in their classroom, being respectful, helpful, participative etc. I talk about the plan of the day, always mentioning that it has been prepared by their teacher and I mke it clear that the day will not look exactly like it does when their teacher is there because I am a different person and I might do certain things differently.
I try to use the same classroom management techniques that the teacher uses in that classroom (if the teacher has left notes about it). Otherwise I use a lot of positive reinforcement. I always have some type of rewards on me but I rarely use it. I do a lot of praising, instead. Also, I make sure that I teach the students the signal that I use when I want their attention. It usually is CLASS, CLASS, CLASS (answer YES, YES, YES and silence). Students of all ages like it and it works very well. These are the corner stones of what I do every day in another classroom. I wonder what I might be missing and what I could do better.
The question that I need to answer in a more satisfying way than I do now is the last one: how do I handle misbehavior/interruptions when they appear? Yesterday, because the disruptions and the silliness took place during partner work I broke out partnerships and/or moved people around.
What else can I do?
One of the things I can always do and should have done better yesterday was positive reinforcement. Other options:
-Set clear goals when you talk (individually) to the students that are being disruptive. Explain in simple words and short sentences what they have to do, in how much time and what the consequence is going to be if they don't.
-Give choices: it is either this or that.
-Count backwards to the moment when the behavior is going to switch.
One idea that I encountered in my reading and that I liked a lot was that the consequences we should use with the students should always be related to what the student did wrong. For example if the student had the priviledge to work with a partner, outside the classroom and he/she misbehaved the consequence will be that the student is no longer allowed to work with a partner outside the classroom. He will be working by himself, in the classroom, under the close supervision of the teacher. So I have to keep my "eyes" open for consequences of this type, that are not meant to punish, but to fix a problem, to "reward" the student according to his behavior.
Another thing that might have had good results yesterday is having a short and private discussion with each student that was acting out. I could even use a system of conference tickets with the substitute teacher. If I start handing them out other students might feel compelled to behave.
I could have also used some type of table group points system. At the end I would have rewarded the table group with the most points - some type of material reward (although I did not have anything worthy of a fifth grader) or something like 10 minutes free choice time, 5 minutes early release, mention in note to the teacher etc.
In conclusion there are many things that I could have done and that I can do in similar situations. This free writing/reflecting experience helped me a lot and gave me hope that I can find answers to all my questions if only I dedicate them a little time.
Although I have been subbing for two months already it was my first time in a kindergarten class. I was nervous before I got there, not knowing how it would turn out to be. I've always been intimidated by kindergarten because of the children's age and inexperience. I truly admire kindergarten heroes for their ability to work with and organize children so young and that are (some of them) for the first time in an organized institution, with a complex set of rules, procedures and a fixed (and long) schedule. I don't know if I could do it. I probably could, but I find it very difficult and slow. I am more of a fast paced person and I enjoy working with older kids, that are a little more independent and can think and act on their own.
It turned out that I was being nervous without reason, my kindergarten group of 20 was made up only of sweet kids, very quiet and obedient. Not only did I not have any problems with them, but I have actually enjoyed my time with them a lot.
The story was different in the afternoon, with the 5th graders. This time I was not nervous and I was expecting quite an easy afternoon (especially after I saw the lesson plans and the teacher assured me - several times - that she has amazing kids and that I will have no problems with them). They were very talkative and at times silly, especially when they had to work with partners. They were pretty good during individual work and read aloud.
I want to talk about this discrepancy that I do not understand between what the teacher told me to expect and what I actually got. Was it me? Did I do something wrong? If YES, what? Was the teachers expectation unrealistic? How come?
First of all I have to say that I had had this class before, once, when I substituted for the PE teacher in the same school. That particular day this group was my first and by far the most unruly that I had that day. I blamed it then on them being the first group of the day (I wasn't familiarized well enough with the lesson plan) and on my not giving them the instructions that they needed before we started.
Yesterday, when I was in front of the same classroom the students saw me together with their teacher, discussing the plan. They heard her telling them to support me and to help me. She even picked two helpers among the students and introduced them to me. Has this "introduction" to the class had anything to do with the way the afternoon went? I think it is possible. The teacher might have given them the impression that I need help, that I am not good enough to handle things by myself . Or it might be that I did not introduce myself properly and I did not talk at all about my expectations. But again, this situation was brought about by the weird situation in which I found myself, being in the room with the teacher while they were getting ready for lunch, being introduced by her in a hurry etc. How do you act in situations like this? How do you make things better for yourself? How do you approach a class when you substitute for half a day, in the afternoon? And finally: how do you handle misbehavior issues and frustrating interuptions when they do appear?
Let me try a few answers:
To begin with, I think the introductions is really really important. It is that first impression that counts a lot for the rest of the time you are going to spend with that group of students. So as a substitute I need to make sure that I get that right every time. I usually introduce myself by saying a few things about me, my strange name, its origin, my accent and its origin. Then I tell them what my expectations are and it is usually something very general, like respecting the same rules that they usually respect in their classroom, being respectful, helpful, participative etc. I talk about the plan of the day, always mentioning that it has been prepared by their teacher and I mke it clear that the day will not look exactly like it does when their teacher is there because I am a different person and I might do certain things differently.
I try to use the same classroom management techniques that the teacher uses in that classroom (if the teacher has left notes about it). Otherwise I use a lot of positive reinforcement. I always have some type of rewards on me but I rarely use it. I do a lot of praising, instead. Also, I make sure that I teach the students the signal that I use when I want their attention. It usually is CLASS, CLASS, CLASS (answer YES, YES, YES and silence). Students of all ages like it and it works very well. These are the corner stones of what I do every day in another classroom. I wonder what I might be missing and what I could do better.
The question that I need to answer in a more satisfying way than I do now is the last one: how do I handle misbehavior/interruptions when they appear? Yesterday, because the disruptions and the silliness took place during partner work I broke out partnerships and/or moved people around.
What else can I do?
One of the things I can always do and should have done better yesterday was positive reinforcement. Other options:
-Set clear goals when you talk (individually) to the students that are being disruptive. Explain in simple words and short sentences what they have to do, in how much time and what the consequence is going to be if they don't.
-Give choices: it is either this or that.
-Count backwards to the moment when the behavior is going to switch.
One idea that I encountered in my reading and that I liked a lot was that the consequences we should use with the students should always be related to what the student did wrong. For example if the student had the priviledge to work with a partner, outside the classroom and he/she misbehaved the consequence will be that the student is no longer allowed to work with a partner outside the classroom. He will be working by himself, in the classroom, under the close supervision of the teacher. So I have to keep my "eyes" open for consequences of this type, that are not meant to punish, but to fix a problem, to "reward" the student according to his behavior.
Another thing that might have had good results yesterday is having a short and private discussion with each student that was acting out. I could even use a system of conference tickets with the substitute teacher. If I start handing them out other students might feel compelled to behave.
I could have also used some type of table group points system. At the end I would have rewarded the table group with the most points - some type of material reward (although I did not have anything worthy of a fifth grader) or something like 10 minutes free choice time, 5 minutes early release, mention in note to the teacher etc.
In conclusion there are many things that I could have done and that I can do in similar situations. This free writing/reflecting experience helped me a lot and gave me hope that I can find answers to all my questions if only I dedicate them a little time.
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