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Feaps 2 Critical Task
Feaps 2 Critical Task
I align most with the assertive discipline and cooperative discipline theories
as stated in my blog http://kristinaking948.weebly.com/fall-2015-blog/blog-8. I agree
that students should have established rules they are expected to follow. Rules
should be specific, not vague. For example, be respectful.
Instead have rules that show them how to be respectful, such as listen while others
are speaking. When the rules are broken, appropriate corrective actions should be
in place. Specific feedback should be given to students understand what they have
done well and how to improve. Good job! or youre so smart! are not giving
beneficial feedback. The students may not even know what they did well.
Cooperative discipline goes beyond correcting the behavior to understanding
why the student is behaving in this manner. Albert says that, To ensure that
students acquire that feeling, she gives heavy attention to what she calls the Three
Cs helping all students feel capable, helping them connect with others, and
having them make contributions to the class elsewhere (2006). I agree that
students should have a code of conduct and follow it. If there is an issue the code of
conduct would be referred to each time and the students would decide fi their
actions were following or breaking it. The focus of cooperative discipline is to care
about the student and make them feel as though they are part of a community or
family. This theory is important especially for students who may have a low selfesteem or come from a different lifestyle that may not show this kind of attention.
In my philosophy of management all four authorities mentioned in Levin and
Nolans (2014) chapter 4 should be used. I am far from seeing black and white,
therefore, I believe there cant be just one authority that allows the day to flow as
mentioned in my blog
http://kristinaking948.weebly.com/fall-2015-blog/blog-7. According to Levin & Nolan,
This many indeed be the most practical and effective approach, although
combining certain authority bases-for example, coercive and referent-may be
difficult to do (2014). I understand that one authority may be better suited for one
type of class and students and one for other types. For example, one student may
respond to firm corrective actions and others may respond better to a more subtle
approach. In order to understand which authorities to use at the appropriate times,
teachers must know who their students are.
Learning Environment:
The learning environment looks very bright and colorful. The walls are covered
with anchor charts, word wall labels, fun themed posters, behavior management
charts and encouragements as shown in the pictures below. One wall is sectioned
out for math content, science content, and writing content. In the science L.T.I.
section our long term investigation of our grow critter is presented with
observations, data charts, and graphs. There are four carpets, one big and three
smaller ones. They provide space for the students to sit somewhere else other than
their desks during instruction, a place for reading when work is finished, or a spot to
do independent work. The desks are arranged in a U shape facing each side of the
classroom as you can see in the picture below. There are three, what we call, islands
for students who need to be on their own. Instead of having a lot of open space,
there is sectioned out space that the students enjoy because they like to have
smaller areas to do their independent work. There is a space for everything. The big
carpet is surrounded by book shelves. There are also two stools because the class is
full of first grade boys that need to be able to reach the board and other materials on
the walls or in higher up areas. The classroom is designed for students that learn in
its environment just the way Clayton & Forton (date not given) mention it
http://kristinaking948.weebly.com/fall-2015-blog/september-17th-2015. As far needs
for ELL, ESE, or ADHD students go, I have one student that has these needs. C.N.
needs to sit close to the teacher because of some impulsive behaviors due to his
ADHD.
told himself to get it together. The rest of the day was better and he got to move his
clip back up to green. Overall, his reactions are getting better.
FEAP 2c. Conveys high expectations to all students. In the classroom I expect
all of my students to reach for the stars. I do not think I cant is acceptable. During
a lesson, one of my students thought the content was too difficult and quickly said
Ms. King this is too hard! I cant do it. This student is one that usually understands
the skill being taught and catches on quickly. You will see in the pictures below my
reflection is written and the notes my CT took during that lesson. The student tried
the problem again reluctantly. After we went over the first problem together, he was
able to try the rest of them with a bit more ease. As far as the semester goes, he
tackles most assignments with motivation and does well. This lesson was about
combining two shapes with pattern blocks, so the students would better understand
where to draw the line on their worksheet. The students were having trouble with
understanding they could turn the shapes different ways to make them fit together
properly. According to Weinstein (2015), some students give up before they even try
the task. Given this you have to make clear to students the balance between effort
and outcome. Students need to be able to realize when students.
FEAP 2d. Respects students cultural and family background. As you can see
in the pictures below, I gave a mini-lesson with an ELL student so he would be able
to understand the vocabulary during the actual lesson. Together we made a web of
pushes and a web of pulls to ensure that he understood the concept of those two
words. As you can see, he understood the concept because he filled in the webs on
his own with little to no prompting. Then, we talked about the word predictions.
When going over predictions he had a difficult time. Next time, I would like to find a
song about making predictions. This student is an LYB ELL student who has
expressed his frustrations in science through a learning survey. Weinstein (2015)
chapter 9 refers to providing opportunities for success by differentiating instruction.
The student did well with coming up with examples for some pushes and pulls.
However, he had trouble telling me what a prediction was. As you can see I tried
telling him, writing, drawing a picture and creating a relatable example of times
where weve predicted in class. He still was not confident with what prediction
meant. He is capable of predicting when my CT and I ask him to during lessons,
however, I feel he has issues with communicating this.
FEAP 2e. Models clear, acceptable, oral and written communication skills. For
my first grade boys whom are visual learners, I always say their directions for a task
or a transition and then ask them to repeat the directions back to me. Their
directions are usually written on their paper as well. Occasionally, I will write a
sentence starter on a piece of chart paper and take down ideas for writing. This
helps them identify what task they need to be completing at the moment and a
reminder of how to do it. In the picture below, you will see my CTs notes from one
of my observations. For this lesson, which was a read aloud about the life cycle of
pumpkins, I read a big book and asked questions throughout. I wanted the students
to write two new things they learned about pumpkins. First, we went over how to
start writing their sentences. I wrote on their worksheet on the overhead. Their task
was to try two sentences on their own or they could use the one I modeled for them
and add a new sentence. You will find an example of this below. J.J. used the
sentence that was modeled and began a new sentence of his own. In the bottom
photo, clearly written and numbered morning procedures are listed on the board so
the students in fourth grade know what to do when they arrive in the morning. If
you look on the left side of the picture, there is the schedule for the day, which is
written and modified daily. The conversation level is listed along with the positive
reinforcement system in the form of stars. This is all information that students can
count to look for when they come in the room. This practice is great for every grade!
times I did not post what they should be working on up on the board and the
students were so lost without it. This specific lesson was about the life cycle of
pumpkins. After the read aloud, the students needed to complete a readers
response. I gave the students directions and modeled the first sentence on the
overhead. When it was time for them to work independently, I left the example with
the instructions above it on the overhead so the students could refer to it. As you
can see below, only two students asked me questions about their task.
FEAP 2i. Utilizes current and emerging assistive technologies that enable
students to participate in high-quality communication interactions and achieve their
educational goals. My students really enjoy showing off their work to the class. They
take so much pride in their work and get so excited to share that it motivates them
to put effort into their work. We would not be able to share without having the
computer, elmo, and projector. Using these technologies allows us to post the
students work up for the whole class to see instead of the few kids in the front row.
It also helps them gain confidence in themselves with the skill that they learned
because to be able to share, which in a way is like teaching the class, they have to
know the skill and how they used it to explain to the class.
The picture below shows a student sharing his bellwork results with the class. As
you can see, they really take ownership in their work and enjoy the teachers rolling
chair as a bonus.
more comfortable with doing independent work. Overall, the students enjoy the
classroom and which provides them with motivation to come to school and learn.
References
Weebly Blogs
http://kristinaking948.weebly.com/fall-2015-blog/blog-4
Blog 4
9/24/2015
This week in Chapter 3 of Clayton & Forton, sitting in a circle for the morning or any
meeting is the best away to sit. It allows the students to be free of distractions,
allows the teacher to make direct eye contact with every child, reduces potential
"hot spots", and helps children become comfortable enough to take risks. Some of
the things to think about while creating an appropriate area is to pick a space where
everyone can sit comfortably, choose a spot that can be viewed from the entire
room, accommodate activities other than meetings, should be near a bulletin board,
and have good storage and an electrical outlet nearby. Obviously, there are a lot of
aspects to consider when arranging an ideal meeting space. The chapter goes on to
talk about defining the space with desks, tables, and storage areas. My class does
not have a morning meeting in its entirety, but we do go over a morning message
that consists of adding punctuation and correcting capital letters. The class does
meet in the area several times throughout the day, but they do not sit in a circle all
the time. Just last week we sat in a circle for science both days I was there. It made
it easier for the students to move in and out of the circle and allowed them to
observe the way others were sorting.
Chapter 4 of Clayton & Forton focuses on setting the room for curriculum,
specifically active learning. Basically, the students need to feel like they can roam
the room and find working spots other than at their desks, they should be able know
where to find books and have a place to read comfortably. Students should be able
to work independently, in a larger group, small group, or with a partner. Based on
my CT's classroom, she is following all of the guidelines that Clayton & Forton
mention. There are many areas where the students can work individually or with
others, there is a classroom library and carpets with pillows that they are welcome
to use, the students have personalized book boxes with "just right" books picked for
them that they are welcome to, and plenty of open space for them to be active and
move around.
Weinstein chapter 2 also talks about the classroom setting. There are six basic
functions of a classroom setting which include security and shelter, social contact,
symbolic identification, task instrumentality, pleasure, and growth. Shelter and
security is important because students should feel safe in the classroom. Social
contact refers to social interaction among students. Grouping desks in clusters is
ideal for classrooms that do group work or cooperative learning. Interaction between
the teacher and students is crucial as well. Each student should have consistent
interaction with the teacher. There should be some proof of who the students are,
when some one walks into the classroom. What are some things that the students
identify?
Task instrumentality are the things you need in the room to complete the task, such
as a kidney table or math manipulatives. Pleasure is referring to if the teacher and
students find the classroom enjoyable and attractive. Finally every room should be
arranged for growth. For example, students can learn how to tie their shoes, learn
how to cooperate, or gain selfconfidence. I still agree that my CT's classroom is setup to achieve all these things as I stated in the above paragraphs.
http://kristinaking948.weebly.com/fall-2015-blog/blog-6internship-blog-5
Rothstein-Fisch and Trumball (2008) chapter 4 was all about helping and sharing. This
chapter talks about the different ways we can have students help in the classroom,
which include students jobs, partners, buddies, and older buddies. I have experienced
all of the ways to help in the classroom. In my CT's classroom we have classroom jobs
for every student and they alternate each week so students are able to experience all
of them. Some consist of bathroom monitor, board cleaner, paper passer outer, a light
person, two door holders, two errand runners, and a recycler. They all enjoy doing
their jobs and gives them a sense of responsibility in the classroom. I have also heard
that we will be having a second grader come to our class to read one of their books to
the first graders.
Weinstein 2015) chapter 5 is about establishing expectations for behavior. This
chapter talks about having norms for general conduct, lesson-running routines, classrunning routines, and interaction routines. Since the very first day of school my
classroom has been practicing general conduct and routines. First grade classrooms
won't run successfully without routines. Even though there are routines such as
centers, there is also a lot of freedom such as where they would like to do their work
during centers. There are several reward systems in the classroom as well that help
reinforce the routines and and general conduct.
I tried using a strategy today with a student who misses a lot of information because
he is daydreaming or focusing elsewhere. I started the day by punching their cards
based on how many silvers they have in their take-home folder. Silver is the highest
color the students can get at the end of the day. This student has only had three
silvers and the other colors are below green, which is not good. Because of this, I
spoke with him in the morning and said our goal today is to end on green today.
Throughout the day I gave reminders during transition that we need to stay quiet, no
blurting out, and focus on the task at hand. He still had some moments where he
would blurt out random comments during instruction, but he managed to end on
green today. I also circulated during centers today which allowed me to witness this
student on task, but copying his center partners work. In our class it is okay for
students to help each other with their work, however, he was copying every word and
not applying himself. I encouraged him to try it on his own, to open the book if he
needed help remembering what he read, and gave him until I get back around the
room to finish the question. I tried this twice and both times it was successful.
Therefore, I think I will set this strategy into motion during independent work where
it's up to him to complete it.
http://kristinaking948.weebly.com/fall-2015-blog/blog-7
Blog 7
10/16/2015
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Levin & Nolan (2014) was talking about types of authority. If the teacher is consistent
with their beliefs and their actions then the teacher is successful in following through
with their techniques. The first authority is referent. When the teacher uses referent
authority, the child reacts with positive behaviors. The children see the teacher as a
genuine person who cares about them. Before reading on to find out about the other
authorities, I feel like this authority technique is the best one to use. Expert authority
shows the teacher is knowledgeable about what they are teaching and they have the
teaching skills. I interpret this one as fi students trust their teacher with teaching them
the knowledge they need to know to be successful. Legitimate authority is the one
that the teacher uses when they just expect the kids to do something because they
said so. Reward/Coercive authority is when the teacher relies heavily on giving
rewards for good behavior and consequences for bad behavior. This is the most
difficult authority because the teacher has to be consistent with the rewards and
consequences.
I see my CT using all four authorities in the classroom. She uses reward/coercive
authority because they get treats for good behavior as a class, as a student, or as a
row. She also uses the legitimate authority when she knows students know the rules
and are breaking them still. Therefore, she might tell a child to sit down and wait to
get water because they should know to get water during independent work time with
no exceptions. The students also know that she is knowledgeable and that she cares
about them.
In Rothstein-Fisch & Trumball (2008), they talk about what creates harmony in the
classroom. Some of the strategies used are redirection, transitions, non-response, and
direct discipline. Usually, a redirection is a correction in behavior that comes off as
getting the student on the right track. A non-response is purposefully ignoring a
behavior so the child corrects the behavior themselves. A transition is something that
happens when the class moves from one content to the next or when the class needs
a break from the content. For example, reading on the carpet, then moving to the desk
to write our responses. Lastly, direct discipline is used very seldom throughout the
day. In order to keep the harmony of the class, we use all the other strategies first.
Direct discipline is like the last resort to correcting a behavior. The chapter goes onto
talk about appropriate forms of punishment such as when a punishment may be given
that is undeserved because of culture differences. At times, punishment can be
viewed as rewards to students. Other ways that teachers can keep the harmony in
their class is to give explicit guidelines where they may expect behavior problems or
recognizing the students as a whole versus as an individual. The final thoughts of the
chapter talk about classroom rules and the rewards for individuals and for the groups.
In my classroom, I get to see all the different strategies that help a class run
smoothly. For example, my CT may be talking about a lesson and she will notice a
student talking. While she's talking she will add that student's name in the
discussion to get their attention and redirect them from talking. My CT and I also
use the transitions from floor to carpet as a break and to allow the students to get
up and move around. I don't know how many times I have used the non-response
strategy. Usually, I use this strategy when a student is trying to get my attention for
something I know they are asking at the inappropriate times. At times, students will
try to talk to me during my CT's instruction. I will just looked past them and act like I
don't hear them.
http://kristinaking948.weebly.com/fall-2015-blog/blog-8
Blog 8
10/23/2015
0 Comments
Chapter four Assertive Discipline talks about the steps for being an assertive
teacher. They are to establish rules that the students will follow at all times, create
supportive feedback for those rules, and develop corrective actions for the rules.
When making rules for the classroom, avoid making vague rules such as show
respect or no fooling around. More than six rules is too much to stay consistent
throughout the day. The rules have to be rules that can be followed all day long.
When giving feedback it needs to be sincere and meaningful to the child. Feedback
should not be general, such as good job, Johnny! Students would benefit from
verbal feedback that lets the student know that you care and you are proud of them,
behavioral awards, positive phone call home, special privileges or tangible rewards.
Corrective actions include a warning, a minor corrective action, an increased
corrective action, a call home to the parents, and finally if the problem is not
resolved a possible visit with the principal. The following information in the chapter
are strategies and techniques for correcting behavior and a behavior continuum.
The continuum consists of looking, naming/questioning, commanding, and
modeling/reinforcing.
In my internship, my classroom does have a set of rules that we follow every day.
The students get positive feedback when theyre moving their clips up. For example,
Im moving so & sos clip up because they are working hard on their task. The
students also get feedback for why they are moving their clips down so they know
what they did wrong and how they can improve.
Albert's Cooperative Discipline talks about behavior, discipline, and conduct. There
are four reasons for students misbehaving. They are attention-seeking, powerseeking, revenge-seeking, and avoidance of failure. Next the reading talks about the
three c's of discipline which include capability, helping students connect, and
helping students contribute. Capability is when you help them believe that they can
do it and it's okay to make mistakes on the way. To help students connect Albert
uses the Five A's. They help student create and maintain positive relationships with
their peers. Albert suggests that we help students contribute to the class because if
we don't, they will feel school is purposeless. The chapter goes onto to talk about
code of conduct in the classroom and how to enforce it.
Immediately reading about misbehavior, I remembered that we have a student in
my class that misbehaves to get attention. He likes people to notice his good
behaviors, but when feedback and attention don't come often enough for him, he
acts out as a result. For this student, when he has done something positive we really
make it a point to congratulate him so he feels more important when he's doing
something positive.