Some questions I have:

1) How much extrinsic motivation is appropriate? We want students to become intrinsically motivated, but we also want to praise them for their hard work. Where is that fine-line?

2) How do teachers cope with students who have extreme cases of conduct disorder? I am eager to learn the techniques involved in helping these students succeed to their fullest.

Reflection Report: Observations from Practicum (Day 4) – October 29, 2015

 

Today I had the opportunity to take charge of the morning sharing/calendar time! Mrs. S had to work with a child out of the classroom, so she asked if I wouldn’t mind assisting. I was very eager to start taking on the “teacher role,” so this gave me a chance to see what it was like to take control of the class. Every day there is a student who is the VIP for the day, and this time it was a boy who experiences some behavioral challenges. I thought it would be a great opportunity to let him know that it was my first time helping with the calendar, and if he could be my big helper, I would be very grateful- his face lite up and he told me he would help me take charge, and that I didn’t have anything to worry about because he knew all about how to do the calendar! I thought this would help boost his self-esteem, and enable him to take on a teacher-like role himself. It was clear that he felt empowered by his ability to help me, and we worked together to get through the morning carpet time.

After the morning session, the kids moved back to their seats and Mrs. S taught them some artistic methods for creating a pumpkin patch scene. She wanted to give them a sense of angle and depth, so they worked diligently on positioning the pumpkins in different ways. They also worked on shading techniques. One of the students was questioning why they had to use bats and owls as eyes for the pumpkin (not a typical technique), and Mrs. S explained that it was to try something different. This particular student became very emotional and broke down in tears, so I went to assist and ask her how she was feeling. Mrs. S said that she had never seen this student act this way before, so she wrote it down in her book. After she calmed down, the student used the drawing technique for one of her pumpkins and she realized it wasn’t that bad after all. Mrs. S drew a chart for the student, depicting the scale of the students feeling compared to the level of the problem. She worked with the student to determine if her reaction was acceptable with the level of the problem- the girl agreed that it was not. I found this to be a great technique to use, as it allowed the student to realize that she most-likely over-reacted in relation to the issue at hand.

During the morning math session, Mrs. S was working with the students on place value and using blocks to help them understand the tens and ones columns. At one point, a student who has behavioral concerns went under a table and would not come out. I asked him nicely to come out from the under, but he refused to. It was difficult trying to get him to move- and I realized that it is going to be an experience dealing with his behavioural problems. I am really looking forward to learning more about how to appropriately assist students with conduct disorders. Mrs. S also suggested a book called, “Champs,” by Dr. Randy Sprick, which I’ll be looking for in the next few weeks. I feel like this class will require me to develop management techniques very quickly, so any suggestions on resources for management will come in handy!

During the afternoon, the students spent the majority of their time working on another art project- they had to create a haunted house, and Mrs. S demonstrated on the whiteboard the many characteristics of a spooky house. I came to realize that many of the students in the class have great artistic talents. However, one boy in particular was not paying attention to Mrs. S’s instructions, and drawing the house however he wanted- finally scribbling all over the page at the end. After class, I spoke to Mrs. S about this and she mentioned that the student does this because he has no confidence- he rather not try. I am starting to take particular note of these instances and I am going to do everything I can by the end of my practicum to help the student notice his potential. It will take some time, but I believe trust is the first thing that needs to be accomplished with these students, and I am already starting to see they are warming up to me. One of my practicum students saw me in the hall on Friday and ran up to me and gave me a huge hug. It made me feel really special! I can’t wait to get into the classroom full-time on Monday…

Reflection Report: Observations from Practicum (Day 3) – October 22, 2015

 

It was great to finally settle into Ms. S’s class today. When I first arrived, I had the opportunity to chat with her and the EA, Ms. G. We went over the class name sheet and spoke about the allergies that students have. We also discussed the daily agendas which I thought was very helpful so I could get a sense of the routine. It was also great to learn more about the classroom and where the locations of reading books, puzzles, calendars and other daily activities were situated. By the end of the day, I had a better understanding of where everything was and the flow of the classroom. When the bell rang, the children got settled into their seats swiftly and they began the class with planners open on their desks. While they listened to the morning music, they worked on some drawing for the first 15 minutes of the day (this is the typical outline for every morning) and I can appreciate the idea of routine. After this quiet work time, they moved onto the carpet and worked on their daily calendar exercise which is directed by that day’s VIP. Every day they have a new VIP who takes on the role of helping the class. Ms. S also tied in some math exercises with the calendar time- asking the children to count the number of days they had been in school for, and what day of the week it was. They then transitioned into “Simon Says.”

The first lesson of the day was math, and we brought out the 10-frame kits with blue and red coins. Ms. S led the children through a series of adding and subtracting questions and they were able to show their work as a visual representation on the 10-frame. Ms. S was consistently monitoring the children’s ability to regulate and had to repeatedly ask some of the students if they were in “the growth mindset” for learning. For the most part, the students were very well-behaved, and I was able to sit with them on the carpet and discover their strengths. I was also able to take some time with another student who has some learning difficulties, and we worked on some problems together. Another aspect of Ms. S’s teaching that I found very powerful was that she reflects on those that make mistakes, and positively reinforces that it’s okay to make them- otherwise we wouldn’t be able to become better learners. She continually praised excellence and encouraged those that were struggling. If she called on someone to answer a question and there was a long pause in their answer, she would move on to the next student to see how they might be able to help answer the question. I thought it was important that she didn’t wait too long for the answer, as we have come to understand that the child may feel anxious or fearful of being put on the spot- we don’t want the child to feel negatively about not having the answer right away.

After recess, the students went over to the gym and had class with another teacher. This gave Ms. S and I had some time to plan for the following day’s class activities. I helped her organize some writing books for a spelling lesson, and we spoke about the parent teacher conferences that were happening during the afternoon hours. I was fortunate enough to be able to stay with Ms. S and listen in on some of the parent-teacher conferences. I was amazed at how she articulated to the parents and the great things that she had to say about her students. For one student who was having some self-regulation difficulties, she explained to the parent her concerns, and brought over the boy to include him in the conversation. I thought it was a wonderful idea to bring in the student as well as the parent- it allowed for a more open conversation and was not “secretive” by any means. This brought me back to my school days and I realized that I never had the opportunity to meet with my parents and teacher collectively during interviews. I really enjoyed listening to their conversations and it gave me a great insight to what future interview will hold. Today was a success, and I am really looking forward to my 2 week practicum!

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