Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Mod. 3 - Task 4

Hello everyone, hope you are all enjoying all of the snow!

I have chosen Domain 2 to closest resemble my teaching and my classroom. Domain 2 is about The Classroom Enviroment. Some of the components of domain 2 are creating an enviroment, establishing a culture for learning, managing classroom procedures, managing student behavior, and organizing physical space. I think the main reason I choose this domain was due to the fact that it did not resemble a particluar way to teach or style of content but the "stage for all learning". I think this is very important in my classroom due to the fact that i teach special education. I think the enviroment the tsduent learns in is just as important as the contect they are learning.
For me specifically I feel that to be able to teach an engagng lesson or contect that is specific to our school and modified for my students, I feel that I have to first make sure that my classroom has a engaging enviroment. I work very hard to make sure my students know and understand the rules of the room and are ready to learn when it is time. I have specific schoola nd classroom procedures that are postedon teh wall in my room and that are reviewed with my stduents weekly to ensure their understanding and that they are followed daily. I make sure that my room is inviting and shows that it is a good culture for learning. The kids feel confortable and want to learn at the same time. I feel that I create an atmosphere that is exciting and helps the students to want to learn. In my room I have the rules posted, along with many posters of information to help the kids retain inforamtion. I also hang good work that my students have done so that they see I am proud of them. We also have students of the of the at school and I hang their picture along with the description of how they won in the room. I think that putting this kind of stuff in your room shows your students you redognize them and support them.
As stated in the book, in Domain 2, we as teachers recognize our roles as the adult/techer and don't try to be friends with the students. I have a very good rapport with each of my stduents, I use the very first days of school to gain this rapport and keep it the entire school year. Students need this to feel safe and trust me as the teahcer. My job is to be their teacher, and make sure they are gaining the knowledge they need in order to be successful in school and their lives. I use a lot of activities to build trust and rapport with the students throughout teh school year, such as games, one on one interviews and many unplanned things just to show them I care.
I think domain 2 very closer resembles how I feel as a teacher, and I continue to ensure that I am maintaing the physical space of the room and keeping up the positive classroom climate but also ensuring that I teach the contect and help my stduents to achieve. My only question is actually one onmanaging student behavior. I have worked in an alternative schoolw here I worked with all behavior students and now in a "regualr" high school where I have minimal behavior problems. An issue that deal with often if stduents that do not compelte homework. I know this is alwasy a classroom problem and no matter what I try it seems that they still do not care about homework, but I was wondering if anyone has tried anything specific that works with high school stduents and handing in their homework. Any suggestions would be wodnerful. :)
I look forward t work in groups based on domains and stay afe in the snow everyone. Happy Wednesday! :)

4 comments:

  1. I work in the elementary level,but I too have problems with my older students not wanting to do their homework. They don't seem to care about missing reward days, getting detention, or any other consequences. However, I have found that they HATE to miss lunch time with their friends. Missing a social experience tends to make them think twice about their actions...but again, things are sometimes simpler in the lower grades. : )

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  2. This is tough as really very few people actually "like" to do homework but doing homework and being responsible is a very important life skill that our students learn. I wonder if you could put homework in perspective for the students. Talk to them about why you give homework- how homework is helpful to them both in the current and in the future (in our work lives we often have tasks that we have to do--many we don't love but we need to do them to keep our jobs- or move to a higher job...). Maybe the students and you could brainstorm the rewards and consequences of doing/not doing homework. Let them come up with a homework plan (and this can look different for different students). OF course as you mentioned in your post- you are the teacher but some collaboration on this issue might mean more of a buy in to the whole homework issue.

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  3. I face the same situation, the students to keep falling behind because they don't do it. I have tried to use homework passes or if students have a certain grade they get a free pass. Also, some assignments are simple tv focus to get them involved. Homework has become a lesser component to the overall grade. Problem is it is harder for the students to maintain knowledge. I try to limit my homework assignments but I give them deadlines and I stay clear on acceptance. Teaching special education takes patience and patience, some students are frustrating but some are precious. I agree with what Prof. Clarke suggested by formulating a contract. High School kids usually are tougher on themselves then we are and if they make the rules, then they may stay by them.

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  4. I agree with Julie, we have started a lunch detention for students who are missing assignments and it really seems to work. Students take their lunch to a certain room and must~! eat and do their missing work. I have also tried to write a contract for them. Depending on the deal of the contract I have had limited sucess. One contract I wrote gave the student the ability to go to the Vocational school a year earlier than most other students. This contract worked and this student passed all of his classes for this goal.

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