1. Reflect
how expectations come into play in classroom management, in your teaching
personality, and your relationship to parents.If you have a student who you identify as having low expectations, do
you think you can make a difference in your year with that student – why or why
not?
1.
2.
Interview your teacher, another teacher in your building, or your principal
about how to get parents involved with the class and school.
The town I work in and the parents who send their children to these schools tend to have very high expectations of student performance. Education and achievement are very important and many of the parents are highly educated. This is both good and bad for the students. It is good because overall the parents are involved and encourage their children to try hard and get their work done. Homework is generally done and there is a strong parent presence in the school. On the other hand, I notice that sometimes the expectations are too high for my first graders. I observe a lot of stress and my students talk to me about never being able to play after school. There is an element of over-scheduled behavior that I think comes from the very high expectations. I feel strongly that these kids need more time to play and less time going to enrichment programs after school. There have been instances where parents are not involved and don't display their expectations the way typical parents do. I notice a decrease in work and effort at times in these children. I have found that motivating them is more difficult and it is something I am working on as a teacher.
If you can figure out a way to politely and authoritatively suggest to these parents that kids need free or play time too. This sounds like an important issue and I shall look for articles that document the need for play for next semester's course. i suspect you could also find them on the web! Nancy
I am currently student teaching in a first grade classroom at a public school in Cambridge. In this particular classroom, the teacher has set high expectations for student performance, as well as for how kids behave in the classroom and speak to each other. These students have different and various academic expectations or goals (there are several students will autism and some on IEPs), but the teacher expects all of them to meet their individualized goals and pushes them just a little bit further. My teacher uses responsive classroom management in her class, which helps set expectations for the student learning environment and classroom engagement. Students take turns speaking, they call on each other, they give hand signals to show agreement or disagreement, they have various classroom jobs, and they’ve been taught how to respond to one another in polite voices (which they remember to follow most of the time). I notice myself using these strategies, which fit my own teaching personality. I like allowing students to take charge of discussions with one another in a respectful way. In regards to my relationship with parents/families, the only interaction I’ve had is during a meeting alongside the head teacher with a student’s brother (who is his guardian) about his behavior. I think the brother respected our behavioral expectations because he also had clear, and high expectations for the student at home, but I’m not sure if this is the case with every parent. Although my teacher attempts to work with families when she can to ensure that academic and behavioral expectations are somewhat the same at home as they are are school, this is obviously not something that she can control. I think this has the potential to cause a riff between parents and the classroom teacher (although I have not seen this).
At this Cambridge public school, parents are involved in the classroom and in the school in many ways. Every Monday morning there is a school-wide community meeting in the gym. Each week the meeting begins with a parent or other family member talking about their job, what skills they needed to acquire that job, and what their favorite subject in school was. Students are excited to learn about other families and their jobs, and see their own families share this information with everyone at the school. There are also several parent-committees that meet either weekly, monthly, or at different times throughout the year. Additionally, some parents volunteer their time, helping with various projects such as the school garden, hanging up bulletin boards, or chaperoning field trips. In the classroom I am working in, I don’t often see parents on regular basis. Most students take the bus, walk, or are dropped off outside the school (there’s no parking!). My teacher sends home folders daily containing flyers, newsletters, behavior/academic reports, homework, and corrected assignments, and these are sometimes returned with parent comments. Since these families are not at the school often, my teacher that I work with makes herself available by phone, email, or has drop-in hours one day a week after or before school. Occasionally, my teacher will invite families in when special projects are completed or there are special events at the school, such as when they publish their All About Books, are performing a dance number at the Autism Inclusion Week assembly, or participating in the science fair. Our students families are highly diverse, so sometimes one or two parents or step-parents will show up, but grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, or siblings may be involved in various ways, too.
Your teacher is setting a very good example! In a school with extended hours, she works longer than most other teachers. Also, Responsive Classroom is a great model. Take good notes on how to implement it. Nancy
There is a student in my class (who I'll actually be presenting tomorrow) that immediately comes to mind when I think about low expectations. This student is disruptive (to both teachers and students) and defiant (he talks back/does the opposite of what is asked/etc.) As a result, his free play (which the first grade classroom I'm in has for the last 30 minutes of the day) is taken away daily. At this point it seems like the daily expectation (for both this child and teachers) is that he will be disruptive, etc. and will lose free play. Without giving away too much of what I plan to talk about tomorrow, my first instinct was to figure out what this student is good at/interested in, and give him many opportunities to succeed within his comfort zone/interests and raise expectations based on "If you did _____, you can do _______." My hope is that by building a relationship, I can honestly talk to him about raising expectations and eliminate some of the disruption/defiance. In terms of getting his parents involved, my teacher has told me that it's been tough to get in touch with them (both in person and on the phone), so it's something we'd have to think more creatively (i.e., would texting work? Do notes home actually make it home?) about and/or decide if it's an accessible option.
My teacher sends home monthly newsletters; there is a slight language barrier as many of the children come from Spanish-speaking homes and my teacher is not fluent in Spanish. She uses Google translate and some basic knowledge of the language to do the best she can at communicating with Spanish-speaking families. Additionally, my teacher frequently emails, calls and texts with the students' parents. She's found that texting has been a very successful means of communication as most of the parents are busy with work during the day, so face-to-face interactions are not usually possible, but exchanging some quick text messages almost always is. She's also sent home letters requesting supplies and/or help, and she said that parents usually do the best they can, like send in whatever they can supply (stickers, snacks, etc.) or find a time to chaperone a field trip, attend an assembly, or help celebrate a birthday.
Sounds like texting is really working! No language barrier to texting? I would think the school should have someone to translate her newsletters into Spanish. Many schools do have interpreters. If you find yourself in this situation, keep asking the administration for help with communicating to parents. Nancy
I definitely think you can make a difference with a student in the year. As a classroom teacher, one should strive to identify each student's strengths and weaknesses. I think by identifying these you can boost a child's confidence by highlighting his or her strengths while encouraging the student to work on weaknesses. I often encourage students to participate in class by answering questions or volunteering to read out loud. If a student answers incorrectly, I never say "You're wrong" or "Nope!" I usually give them some sort of positive reinforcement, and usually help them work through the problem or question until they get the right answer.
My teacher sends home a monthly newsletter to parents. She also sends out a weekly sheet with information on what the students will be learning in ELA along with their spelling words. She sends out a math sheet to explain what their children will be learning in that unit. The teacher also keeps parent in contact with what is going in the classroom by posting pictures from projects and events on a flicker page. Each student gets the opportunity to be a star student. This entails them filling out a large poster with their family that shares details about the student. The parent also has to send in pictures of the student, family, and important family members/friends. Lastly, the star student's parent has to write a letter about their child describing what makes he/she a star student. Also, my class is putting on a play and the teacher has asked that parents volunteer. She gave them the option of helping on costumes, with set design, etc. My teacher says that she tries to get parents involved as often as possible and tries to stay in regular contact with them so that they feel involved.
Sounds like your teacher and you are right on target. Just remember, boasting someone's expectations can take a long time so this is something your teacher should pass on to the next teacher for each child. Nancy
When it comes to classroom management, clear expectations are presented and expected to be followed. At the beginning of the school year it has been a team effort to create the classroom rules together, the students feel invested in creating the rules and all autographed the poster that we have prominently displayed and laminated in our classroom. We revisit these rules if a problem ever occurs or following an extended break from school. When we have had new students join our classroom we always review the rules and have them sign the bottom like a contract. On occasion when I have noticed someone is not following a rule, I will say if anyone needs a reminder on how to walk in the hallway, all eyes on Lilly she is a Fabulous First Grader and a great example, the misbehavior usually immediately stops. Establishing a safe learning environment is really the key for both the students in your class and for the parents of the students in your class. Providing opportunities for parents to be involved and welcome in the classroom setting is always reassuring to them through volunteer opportunities or writing celebrations where students are presenting and sharing their work, it is nice for them to see their child safe and comfortable in their classroom interacting with their peers. Keeping parents well informed through monthly newsletters and responding to them in a timely fashion is always appreciated whether it is returning an email or a phone call during your break. I think that you can make a difference in every child's life through your positive outlook, kind manner, and accepting and understanding way. Every child is a gift.
Love the philosophy you expressed! I also like the idea of each child signing the classroom rules. I have never seen that but it makes lots of good sense. Nancy
Classroom management is half the battle when it comes to being a good teacher. I came into student teaching with very little experience in classroom management. I will say that I still have good and bad days. However, I have learned a lot from my supervising teacher. I work with a very busy group who are extremely social and active. Students have classroom rules that they are expected to follow. They also have school wide rules of respect for others that they are required to follow. X's are given to students who disobey rules and in my particular class my teacher gives/takes away pretend money. We continuously go over rules and I also like to remind students of whats expected of them before lessons begin. Its a nice reminder and it tends to work well.
I work in an urban school district. There are many parents who are very involved and there are also many parents who arent involved at all. We have a very high ELL population with parents who only speak 1 language (not english). That being said many of them don't understand the importance of education and how important it is that they remain involved in their child's education. A news letter is sent home once a month informing parents of what the month will entail in terms of ELA and math. We also send home occasional letters informing them of any other changes, projects or important issues. We encourage parents to get involved and allow parents to volunteer their time in the classroom during centers and special holiday events that we put on. I think parent involvement is so important. It shows your child that you care about their education which in return will help them to care and respect the process that much more.
I assume the pretend money is for good behavior. Is it just for the person to whom it's given to use or does the whole class benefit. I would prefer to have it a classroom benefit. I don't like giving Xs. Can you think of another way to correct misbehavior beside punishment? Perhaps changing what the child is doing that they might not like, asking the child to get a drink or do an errand...? Try some other thing while you have the safety of someone elses room! Nancy
The teacher im with has high expectations for her students especially when it comes to behavior. I feel that it is important to have the same behavior standards for all students in the class. I noticed that it is not as simple when it comes to a academic standards. There are so many different levels within the class. Some students struggle with the alphabet while others are reading chapter books. I know that students notice these differences and would never want the students to label themselves. I feel that expectations and self esteem go hand and hand. I had previously talked about a student that struggled because he is not at the same reading level as his twin. He was not reaching what his expectation were for himself so he labeled himself as stupid. I have been giving him books that I know he can read to help provide him with confidence in himself. He also used to say I can't all the time. I brought it to his attention and now he catches himself before he says I can't. I also made sure to tell him that I believe his ability and that I'm proud of him because I think it helps to hear that from someone else until you can believe it yourself. So I defiantly believe that a teacher can make a difference with expectations and self esteem and that hopefully that student will carry that confidence with them when they leave.
The town I work in and the parents who send their children to these schools tend to have very high expectations of student performance. Education and achievement are very important and many of the parents are highly educated. This is both good and bad for the students. It is good because overall the parents are involved and encourage their children to try hard and get their work done. Homework is generally done and there is a strong parent presence in the school. On the other hand, I notice that sometimes the expectations are too high for my first graders. I observe a lot of stress and my students talk to me about never being able to play after school. There is an element of over-scheduled behavior that I think comes from the very high expectations. I feel strongly that these kids need more time to play and less time going to enrichment programs after school.
ReplyDeleteThere have been instances where parents are not involved and don't display their expectations the way typical parents do. I notice a decrease in work and effort at times in these children. I have found that motivating them is more difficult and it is something I am working on as a teacher.
Molly Brooks Urban
If you can figure out a way to politely and authoritatively suggest to these parents that kids need free or play time too. This sounds like an important issue and I shall look for articles that document the need for play for next semester's course. i suspect you could also find them on the web!
DeleteNancy
I am currently student teaching in a first grade classroom at a public school in Cambridge. In this particular classroom, the teacher has set high expectations for student performance, as well as for how kids behave in the classroom and speak to each other. These students have different and various academic expectations or goals (there are several students will autism and some on IEPs), but the teacher expects all of them to meet their individualized goals and pushes them just a little bit further. My teacher uses responsive classroom management in her class, which helps set expectations for the student learning environment and classroom engagement. Students take turns speaking, they call on each other, they give hand signals to show agreement or disagreement, they have various classroom jobs, and they’ve been taught how to respond to one another in polite voices (which they remember to follow most of the time). I notice myself using these strategies, which fit my own teaching personality. I like allowing students to take charge of discussions with one another in a respectful way. In regards to my relationship with parents/families, the only interaction I’ve had is during a meeting alongside the head teacher with a student’s brother (who is his guardian) about his behavior. I think the brother respected our behavioral expectations because he also had clear, and high expectations for the student at home, but I’m not sure if this is the case with every parent. Although my teacher attempts to work with families when she can to ensure that academic and behavioral expectations are somewhat the same at home as they are are school, this is obviously not something that she can control. I think this has the potential to cause a riff between parents and the classroom teacher (although I have not seen this).
ReplyDeleteAt this Cambridge public school, parents are involved in the classroom and in the school in many ways. Every Monday morning there is a school-wide community meeting in the gym. Each week the meeting begins with a parent or other family member talking about their job, what skills they needed to acquire that job, and what their favorite subject in school was. Students are excited to learn about other families and their jobs, and see their own families share this information with everyone at the school. There are also several parent-committees that meet either weekly, monthly, or at different times throughout the year. Additionally, some parents volunteer their time, helping with various projects such as the school garden, hanging up bulletin boards, or chaperoning field trips. In the classroom I am working in, I don’t often see parents on regular basis. Most students take the bus, walk, or are dropped off outside the school (there’s no parking!). My teacher sends home folders daily containing flyers, newsletters, behavior/academic reports, homework, and corrected assignments, and these are sometimes returned with parent comments. Since these families are not at the school often, my teacher that I work with makes herself available by phone, email, or has drop-in hours one day a week after or before school. Occasionally, my teacher will invite families in when special projects are completed or there are special events at the school, such as when they publish their All About Books, are performing a dance number at the Autism Inclusion Week assembly, or participating in the science fair. Our students families are highly diverse, so sometimes one or two parents or step-parents will show up, but grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, or siblings may be involved in various ways, too.
Your teacher is setting a very good example! In a school with extended hours, she works longer than most other teachers. Also, Responsive Classroom is a great model. Take good notes on how to implement it.
DeleteNancy
There is a student in my class (who I'll actually be presenting tomorrow) that immediately comes to mind when I think about low expectations. This student is disruptive (to both teachers and students) and defiant (he talks back/does the opposite of what is asked/etc.) As a result, his free play (which the first grade classroom I'm in has for the last 30 minutes of the day) is taken away daily. At this point it seems like the daily expectation (for both this child and teachers) is that he will be disruptive, etc. and will lose free play. Without giving away too much of what I plan to talk about tomorrow, my first instinct was to figure out what this student is good at/interested in, and give him many opportunities to succeed within his comfort zone/interests and raise expectations based on "If you did _____, you can do _______." My hope is that by building a relationship, I can honestly talk to him about raising expectations and eliminate some of the disruption/defiance. In terms of getting his parents involved, my teacher has told me that it's been tough to get in touch with them (both in person and on the phone), so it's something we'd have to think more creatively (i.e., would texting work? Do notes home actually make it home?) about and/or decide if it's an accessible option.
ReplyDeleteMy teacher sends home monthly newsletters; there is a slight language barrier as many of the children come from Spanish-speaking homes and my teacher is not fluent in Spanish. She uses Google translate and some basic knowledge of the language to do the best she can at communicating with Spanish-speaking families. Additionally, my teacher frequently emails, calls and texts with the students' parents. She's found that texting has been a very successful means of communication as most of the parents are busy with work during the day, so face-to-face interactions are not usually possible, but exchanging some quick text messages almost always is. She's also sent home letters requesting supplies and/or help, and she said that parents usually do the best they can, like send in whatever they can supply (stickers, snacks, etc.) or find a time to chaperone a field trip, attend an assembly, or help celebrate a birthday.
Sounds like texting is really working! No language barrier to texting? I would think the school should have someone to translate her newsletters into Spanish. Many schools do have interpreters. If you find yourself in this situation, keep asking the administration for help with communicating to parents.
DeleteNancy
I definitely think you can make a difference with a student in the year. As a classroom teacher, one should strive to identify each student's strengths and weaknesses. I think by identifying these you can boost a child's confidence by highlighting his or her strengths while encouraging the student to work on weaknesses. I often encourage students to participate in class by answering questions or volunteering to read out loud. If a student answers incorrectly, I never say "You're wrong" or "Nope!" I usually give them some sort of positive reinforcement, and usually help them work through the problem or question until they get the right answer.
ReplyDeleteMy teacher sends home a monthly newsletter to parents. She also sends out a weekly sheet with information on what the students will be learning in ELA along with their spelling words. She sends out a math sheet to explain what their children will be learning in that unit. The teacher also keeps parent in contact with what is going in the classroom by posting pictures from projects and events on a flicker page. Each student gets the opportunity to be a star student. This entails them filling out a large poster with their family that shares details about the student. The parent also has to send in pictures of the student, family, and important family members/friends. Lastly, the star student's parent has to write a letter about their child describing what makes he/she a star student. Also, my class is putting on a play and the teacher has asked that parents volunteer. She gave them the option of helping on costumes, with set design, etc. My teacher says that she tries to get parents involved as often as possible and tries to stay in regular contact with them so that they feel involved.
Sounds like your teacher and you are right on target. Just remember, boasting someone's expectations can take a long time so this is something your teacher should pass on to the next teacher for each child.
DeleteNancy
When it comes to classroom management, clear expectations are presented and expected to be followed. At the beginning of the school year it has been a team effort to create the classroom rules together, the students feel invested in creating the rules and all autographed the poster that we have prominently displayed and laminated in our classroom. We revisit these rules if a problem ever occurs or following an extended break from school. When we have had new students join our classroom we always review the rules and have them sign the bottom like a contract. On occasion when I have noticed someone is not following a rule, I will say if anyone needs a reminder on how to walk in the hallway, all eyes on Lilly she is a Fabulous First Grader and a great example, the misbehavior usually immediately stops. Establishing a safe learning environment is really the key for both the students in your class and for the parents of the students in your class. Providing opportunities for parents to be involved and welcome in the classroom setting is always reassuring to them through volunteer opportunities or writing celebrations where students are presenting and sharing their work, it is nice for them to see their child safe and comfortable in their classroom interacting with their peers. Keeping parents well informed through monthly newsletters and responding to them in a timely fashion is always appreciated whether it is returning an email or a phone call during your break. I think that you can make a difference in every child's life through your positive outlook, kind manner, and accepting and understanding way. Every child is a gift.
ReplyDeleteLove the philosophy you expressed! I also like the idea of each child signing the classroom rules. I have never seen that but it makes lots of good sense.
DeleteNancy
Classroom management is half the battle when it comes to being a good teacher. I came into student teaching with very little experience in classroom management. I will say that I still have good and bad days. However, I have learned a lot from my supervising teacher. I work with a very busy group who are extremely social and active. Students have classroom rules that they are expected to follow. They also have school wide rules of respect for others that they are required to follow. X's are given to students who disobey rules and in my particular class my teacher gives/takes away pretend money. We continuously go over rules and I also like to remind students of whats expected of them before lessons begin. Its a nice reminder and it tends to work well.
ReplyDeleteI work in an urban school district. There are many parents who are very involved and there are also many parents who arent involved at all. We have a very high ELL population with parents who only speak 1 language (not english). That being said many of them don't understand the importance of education and how important it is that they remain involved in their child's education. A news letter is sent home once a month informing parents of what the month will entail in terms of ELA and math. We also send home occasional letters informing them of any other changes, projects or important issues. We encourage parents to get involved and allow parents to volunteer their time in the classroom during centers and special holiday events that we put on. I think parent involvement is so important. It shows your child that you care about their education which in return will help them to care and respect the process that much more.
I assume the pretend money is for good behavior. Is it just for the person to whom it's given to use or does the whole class benefit. I would prefer to have it a classroom benefit. I don't like giving Xs. Can you think of another way to correct misbehavior beside punishment? Perhaps changing what the child is doing that they might not like, asking the child to get a drink or do an errand...? Try some other thing while you have the safety of someone elses room!
DeleteNancy
The teacher im with has high expectations for her students especially when it comes to behavior. I feel that it is important to have the same behavior standards for all students in the class. I noticed that it is not as simple when it comes to a academic standards. There are so many different levels within the class. Some students struggle with the alphabet while others are reading chapter books. I know that students notice these differences and would never want the students to label themselves. I feel that expectations and self esteem go hand and hand. I had previously talked about a student that struggled because he is not at the same reading level as his twin. He was not reaching what his expectation were for himself so he labeled himself as stupid. I have been giving him books that I know he can read to help provide him with confidence in himself. He also used to say I can't all the time. I brought it to his attention and now he catches himself before he says I can't. I also made sure to tell him that I believe his ability and that I'm proud of him because I think it helps to hear that from someone else until you can believe it yourself. So I defiantly believe that a teacher can make a difference with expectations and self esteem and that hopefully that student will carry that confidence with them when they leave.
ReplyDelete