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Gabriella Erestain

Dr. Flannagan

UED 496.01

March 4, 2024

Weeks 7 and 8 Reflection

During these past two weeks, I learned a lot about classroom management, specifically

seating arrangements. Mrs. Williams offered for me to meet with Mrs. Leigh, an 8th grade

mathematics teacher, who has a strong and detailed process for her seating arrangements. During

my meeting with Mrs. Leigh, I saw that her desks were in rows and pairs, so students can have

shoulder partners. Because the desks are trapezoidal shaped and cause students to sit at an angle,

Mrs. Leigh emphasized how she makes her most disruptive students sit on the left-hand desks.

With these seats, she can look along the diagonals, which are facing her desk, rather than the

door. She added how she is constantly moving around the classroom, for there is always a

disruption on the other side.

In addition, she provided me with a name tag resource that she uses during the first few

weeks of school. She prints out a label for each student, puts it into a page protector, and hangs it

down the front of each desk. On the front of her desk are binder rings, allowing her to flip

through each name tag for her various classes.

In terms of choosing where to place each student, Mrs. Leigh will place her most

disruptive students next to her desk, then she will pair each student together according to her
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data. She reviews past unit test scores and will make heterogeneous pairs, matching low scorers

with low-average, as well as average with high scorers.

During the same week, I began to make a new seating chart for each class, for I noticed

transition between activities were too extensive because students were talking. When making

new seats, I first reviewed if any students have preferential seating accommodations and placed

them in the front of the classroom. I then placed students next to one another based on how well

they cooperate and whether they can handle being together. For example, in my 6B class, I had to

place two students on opposite sides of the room because they got into a fight the week prior.

Once students got into the room, I quickly discovered that some of my seat changes were

not helpful, and I had to continue switching seats. Mrs. Williams and I discussed how there may

not be a right answer when it comes to seating arrangements, and it may take multiple tries

before we see improvement. Recently—at the end of Week 8—Mrs. Williams and I have been

experimenting with seating the students in rows and pairs like Mrs. Leigh’s classroom, especially

since the students are nearing their SOL exams. Mrs. Williams and I still made the seating

arrangements using the same process of reviewing accommodations and keeping student

behaviors in mind.

Although it is the end of my placement at Salem, I interestingly learned more about

classroom routines and procedures. During Week 7, the students took their Unit 4 test, and I

could observe how a testing day occurred, how to manage using Securly, and how to multitask

while they took their tests. For the 1A class, Mrs. Williams accidentally posted the wrong Unit 4

test, which caused the lesson plan schedule to change. This gave me an opportunity to experience

teaching two different lessons in one day, as well as how to create a lesson plan in a short amount

of time.
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During the final two days at Salem, I observed other English teachers of various grades.

The first day, I observed Mrs. Wightman, who teaches three advanced 6th grade classes and a

core 8th grade class. I first noticed how her teaching and classroom management style is very

different than Mrs. Williams’, and how it is similar to mine. She is very sarcastic with her

students and can use their slang terms to relate to them. Her classroom is decorated very nicely

with dimmed lights, plants, motivating posters, and other decorations. The way she teaches is

similar to how I taught during my Practicum placements, for I dealt with older, more advanced

students. I tried to teach this way with my 6th grade classes, but I found they cannot handle when

I am laid back and have a more playful personality. I learned that my demeanor became much

more serious and stricter with Mrs. Williams’ students. Similar to the issue of seating

arrangements, I am learning that there is no single, correct answer when it comes to my teaching

style. Although I will decorate my classroom in a specific way and have a natural teaching style

that I cannot change, my classroom management strategies and demeanor may differ depending

on the students I get each year.

On Friday, I observed Dr. Washington’s core class. Her teaching style is strict and firm,

for she has strong classroom management. For example, when a student was talking out of turn,

she told him to leave the class, count to 100, and only come back inside when he was ready to

cooperate. Similarly, while the students were playing Would You Rather for their persuasive

writing lesson, she told two students to sit down when they could not stop talking. However, Dr.

Washington is also very honest and respectful, which is seen when she gives grace to her

students. For the Question of the Day activity, the students were to write an unpopular opinion

they had, and Dr. Washington shared some of hers as well. Dr. Washington also explained to me

that she allows students to sit wherever they want, but if they are disruptive during class, she will
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move them. It was incredibly helpful to observe many teaching styles and classroom

management strategies against the backdrop of the same lesson, for I could see how each teacher

explains various concept for their specific group of students. From these experiences, I have

gained some tools and strategies that I can use in my second placement, as well as when I

become a first-year teacher.

Additionally, I also met with two 7th grade teachers—Mrs. Schwandt and Mrs. Watson—

and asked them many questions about lesson planning and advice for becoming a teacher. From

their wisdom, I learned that organization and communication with other teachers on my grade

level team are crucial. I asked them how they lesson plan, and Mrs. Scwandt uses a binder and

notebook with objectives and unit plan information to guide her. It was relieving to know the

planning process for them is still as meticulous and arduous as it is for me.

A strategy from Mrs. Schwandt I will also use is small groups, specifically with my core

inclusion classes. She mentioned that she will use past quizzes and exit tickets to gauge which

students need to review the lesson’s materials, then she will make a small group with those

students in the back of the classroom. A helpful piece of advice she added is that I do not need to

reinvent the wheel, and I can use materials the students have already completed as a review item.

For example, she showed me how the students were reviewing poetry, so she used the poetry exit

ticket from the previous class as the small group review activity.

Because this placement is my first experience teaching such young students full-time, I

was nervous that my teaching style was either too weak or too strict depending on the class. After

observing different teachers, I learned that there is no single, correct way to teach. The passage in

1 Corinthians 12, which states, “the body does not consist of one member but of many,”

reminded me of my role in a school (1 Corinthians 12:14 ESV). Just as there are many roles and
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jobs in the Church, each kind of teacher and staff member is required to make a school

successful. Who I am as a teacher will not be the same as other teachers in my building, but this

is a strength that will allow me to discover what kind of educator I am.

As I progress into my next placement and become a first-year teacher, I will take all that I

have learned during my time at Salem to help me become the best teacher candidate I can be.

Although I had a very difficult time teaching 6th grade, I can recognize the blessings God

provided me with—such as an amazing school and the best Cooperating Teacher—and can

understand how to run a middle school classroom if God plans that for my future.