Wow! There is a whole lot going on in these classrooms, isn't it? Nothing like when I went to school. There are any issues to consider. There are distractions that teachers have to deal with in the best way possible for the environment and pulse of the class. I really enjoyed reading the IRIS modules. There was quite a bit of information in the reading. The scenarios presented are real life, daily situations that I am certain we, as prospective teachers will face. I stressed in several discussions this week, the importance of taking control of a classroom at the onset of a school year. I liken this to raising children. You must set boundaries but also goals in order to establish a relationship. I want my students to respect me and I will certainly respect them. I want to establish trust in what I say to them so they know that I am speaking from my heart in the hope that they are in my class to get the best instruction I can offer.
I am aware that it won't always be easy. I remember teachers getting very frustrated with students when I was in school. Sometimes they cried. It was usually the new teachers fresh out of school with only a minimum amount of exposure to real class situations. I do not remember so many alternatives for resolving problems.You either put your head down, stood in the corner, or went to the principal's office. I'm not so sure if old school tactics were the answer. I never disrupted the class because I knew there were dire consequences in my household. My parents were very proactive when it came to disciplining my siblings and myself. Acting out at school was a huge no-no.
Nowadays, the schools seem very busy with the issues that are more to the forefront than they were years ago. I do believe there were similar issues years ago, maybe not as many, but some just the same. I am glad that there are more people recognizing problems such as bullying, disruption in the class, learning problems and breaking the rules. The IRIS modules provided detailed examples of various scenarios such as students who were disruptive and the goal the teacher reached for to change the undesired behavior. They also showed ways for the troubled students to channel their energies into positive lessons.
Another aspect of this week's lesson that I paid close attention to was "The Goals of Classroom Management" (p. 473-475). I like that the author presented a straight forward question to the reader by asking "What is classroom management?" It made me wonder how I would answer. I know that the term means to manage the classroom effectively for the benefit of the students learning on a consistent basis but the goals also included additional details such as: access to learning, more time for learning and management for self-management. To self manage simply means to check your own behavior and accept the consequences for your own actions. So, while we are concentrating primarily on student's behaviors, we have to remember to monitor ourselves because we want our students to see the positive side of being a classroom leader. Unlike the angry teacher we watched on the video, I believe most teachers are following the rules and are managing the classrooms in an effective manner. The closer I get to the reality of becoming a teacher, the more real it seems........
Pam, my home was like yours in that I dared not misbehave, knowing that whatever punishment I got at school would be nothing like I would get at home. I think it's unfortunate that now days too many parents take the side of their children. Of course there are times when this is necessary, but it should not be the norm.
ReplyDeleteGood day Professor. It is unfortunate that parents take the sides of their children if they are wrong. It's not fair to the teacher, fellow classmates, or the student himself. This situation creates a problem because a child may feel as though a parent will bail him out of any mess they create. I do not believe in letting students/children discussing adult issues with adults. It is done so often now and I cringe when I hear it. Everyone has their place in life. Once a sign of weakness from a parent is shown then it becomes very hard to convince a child to be a child. This can be very confusing. I agree that it is sometimes necessary to take the side of your child. I have been involved with both situations. I made it my business to ask questions in order to deal with the issues. My son, who is now 13, had problems in school last year. There were bullying problems that I was not aware of. My son was the one being bullied. He did not tell anyone so when he lashed out at the offenders, he received the punishment. I asked my son over and over what the problem was and he would never tell me. It was not like him to fight his classmates. He is the one who would always try to create harmony among everyone. His father is not in his life right now, so I try to provide a balance for him. I am certain this has a lot to deal with concerning his behavior. I do not want to lean too hard on this as an excuse though. Although single parenting is difficult, there are plenty of success stories to talk about. When I finally got to the heart of the matter with the bullying, I was able to recognize the subtle changes I saw going on with his personality and demeanor. He was angry, quiet, and not interested in his normal activities. I notified the school and spoke with them and I let them know that they need to monitor the situation carefully because I was not willing to send my child to school and not have any type of reassurance that he wouldn't be bothered. I took up for my child when this happened because I know him better than anyone there and something just did not seem right when I heard that he fought with the other student. So, each situation has its own explanation. Under normal circumstances I would have assessed the situation and if my son was the one who was at fault I would not take his side.
DeleteUnder the circumstances you experienced with your son, of course you had to advocate for him.
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