Edu 106 Task 4
Assessment Task 4
When I was on practical I observed many classroom procedures and strategies that teachers use on a daily basis. These are what I believe are the most important in constructing a positive learning environment.
One critical teacher strategy that I find most important is to lay down concrete guidelines and rules within the classroom. It is important for students to know how to behave and talk to the teacher and other students in the class.
The school rules were displayed throughout he classroom while I was on practical experience and it was evident that the teacher was respected in the classroom. The rules were short and brief “Rules that are expressed with a series of ‘don’t” instructions do not actually describe the correct behaviour you want to see (Evertson and Emmer. 2009)” but more or less act as warnings or signals to the students. The teacher had at the beginning of the year had extensive discussion on the class rules and expectations. “Rules should be reasonable – discuss the reasons the reasons for the rules with the students explain why consequences for the rules apply” (Evertson and Emmer. 2009).
When a student would misbehave the mentor teacher would say to the student e.g. “Emma, that’s not how we behave in this classroom”! “How do we behave in this classroom?” the student would then have to reiterate the class rules to the teacher and then the problem would be resolved instantly. Other surrounding students are able to take that on board.
The teacher must stay consistent with the rules and follow up on all problems that occur in the classroom. The mentor teacher displayed this in the classroom. When I become a teacher I will follow this extensively to help provide a classroom environment for all.
Another strategy I noticed was that the mentor teachers used a lot of group work activities in the classroom. The groups were divided by the students’ abilities. This was a much more student-based classroom rather than the
When I was on practical I observed many classroom procedures and strategies that teachers use on a daily basis. These are what I believe are the most important in constructing a positive learning environment.
One critical teacher strategy that I find most important is to lay down concrete guidelines and rules within the classroom. It is important for students to know how to behave and talk to the teacher and other students in the class.
The school rules were displayed throughout he classroom while I was on practical experience and it was evident that the teacher was respected in the classroom. The rules were short and brief “Rules that are expressed with a series of ‘don’t” instructions do not actually describe the correct behaviour you want to see (Evertson and Emmer. 2009)” but more or less act as warnings or signals to the students. The teacher had at the beginning of the year had extensive discussion on the class rules and expectations. “Rules should be reasonable – discuss the reasons the reasons for the rules with the students explain why consequences for the rules apply” (Evertson and Emmer. 2009).
When a student would misbehave the mentor teacher would say to the student e.g. “Emma, that’s not how we behave in this classroom”! “How do we behave in this classroom?” the student would then have to reiterate the class rules to the teacher and then the problem would be resolved instantly. Other surrounding students are able to take that on board.
The teacher must stay consistent with the rules and follow up on all problems that occur in the classroom. The mentor teacher displayed this in the classroom. When I become a teacher I will follow this extensively to help provide a classroom environment for all.
Another strategy I noticed was that the mentor teachers used a lot of group work activities in the classroom. The groups were divided by the students’ abilities. This was a much more student-based classroom rather than the
References: Emmer, E. T. & Gerwels, M. C. (2002). Cooperative learning in elementary classrooms, the elementary school journal, 103, 75-92. Evertson, C. M. & Emmer, E. T. (2009). Classroom management for elementary teachers. Upper Saddle River, NJ; Pearson. Kerri – Lee Krause, Sandra Bochner, Sue Duchesne, Anne Mcmaugh, (2010). Educational psychology for learning and teaching third edition.