I wrapped up my second year of teaching yesterday, and I was a mixed bag of emotions to say the least. A huge part of my evolution as a young educator has been the practice of continual reflection and I would like to take this time to reflect on all that has occurred during my second year in the teaching profession.
The Power of Choice:
In many conversations with my mentor teacher, colleagues, and administration it is hit home that classroom management is crucial before any real learning can take place. As a first year teacher, you might think that you are prepared to manage a class, but I think this is an area that I grew in leaps and bounds in Year 2. I think the number one reason I grew in this area was that I allowed my students to take more ownership of their own learning. They were continually given choices by way of the Daily 5 management system. Through this system my students are given options with choices on how to complete those tasks in the order that they prefer. I found that this is particularly effective with the most reluctant or challenging student-the last thing those students want is to be told what to do. I was able to avoid this by given them multiple choices of things I wanted them to do. You cannot pick every battle or even hope to win every battle with our most challenging learners, and allowing them to take charge of their learning with continual choice eliminated many of those "battles". As chaotic or difficult it may be to relinquish control to your students, it is something that completely changed the way my students approached the literacy process and allowed many of them to make tremendous growth!
Relationship Building:
I was blessed with a class this year that contained many challenging students from a behavioral standpoint. I had to continually adapt my teaching/philosophy to meet their needs, but there is one powerful take away that became apparent early and often- our most challenging students are often those that need us the most. I had to do whatever it took to build a meaningful relationship with those students on their terms. A powerful method that was greatly appreciated/received by my students and their families alike was the power of Praise and Recognition. When you have a challenging student you have 2 simple choices: Attempt to change every little negative thing they might do OR Recognize the positive things that they already do. Option 2 does wonders especially with those in the K-2 sector. Young learners have the unwavering desire for positive praise/affirmation from the adults around them. Hearing a young man say " Mr. Huels I want you to be proud of me" and later on throughout the year stop whatever he is doing in the hallway when he noticed I was in sight to display positive behavior choices for all to see really hit this point home for me. This young man literally would do anything to gain any sort of positive praise, and I could dwell on the negative things he might do or I could recognize him and instill a sense of pride in him when he did make great choices. I chose option two and the change in his behavior and as a result his academic performance was off the charts! My positive recogniztion by way of verbal praise, recognition on bulletin boards, celebratory lunches with peers, or preferred choices changed this young man's thinking about the learning experience and that wouldn't have been possible if I chose to dwell on the negative. I think as educators it is imperative that we remember that often times we might be the only source of positivity in a young person's life and that we need to make the most of every opportunity to be the source of constant joy in their life. As the school year ends I dread knowing that their days may not be positive, but I am confident that the relationships I have built with them and the sense of self-pride/leadership that they have developed will carry over with them as they move on to the next chapter of their lives.
The Power of Choice:
In many conversations with my mentor teacher, colleagues, and administration it is hit home that classroom management is crucial before any real learning can take place. As a first year teacher, you might think that you are prepared to manage a class, but I think this is an area that I grew in leaps and bounds in Year 2. I think the number one reason I grew in this area was that I allowed my students to take more ownership of their own learning. They were continually given choices by way of the Daily 5 management system. Through this system my students are given options with choices on how to complete those tasks in the order that they prefer. I found that this is particularly effective with the most reluctant or challenging student-the last thing those students want is to be told what to do. I was able to avoid this by given them multiple choices of things I wanted them to do. You cannot pick every battle or even hope to win every battle with our most challenging learners, and allowing them to take charge of their learning with continual choice eliminated many of those "battles". As chaotic or difficult it may be to relinquish control to your students, it is something that completely changed the way my students approached the literacy process and allowed many of them to make tremendous growth!
Relationship Building:
I was blessed with a class this year that contained many challenging students from a behavioral standpoint. I had to continually adapt my teaching/philosophy to meet their needs, but there is one powerful take away that became apparent early and often- our most challenging students are often those that need us the most. I had to do whatever it took to build a meaningful relationship with those students on their terms. A powerful method that was greatly appreciated/received by my students and their families alike was the power of Praise and Recognition. When you have a challenging student you have 2 simple choices: Attempt to change every little negative thing they might do OR Recognize the positive things that they already do. Option 2 does wonders especially with those in the K-2 sector. Young learners have the unwavering desire for positive praise/affirmation from the adults around them. Hearing a young man say " Mr. Huels I want you to be proud of me" and later on throughout the year stop whatever he is doing in the hallway when he noticed I was in sight to display positive behavior choices for all to see really hit this point home for me. This young man literally would do anything to gain any sort of positive praise, and I could dwell on the negative things he might do or I could recognize him and instill a sense of pride in him when he did make great choices. I chose option two and the change in his behavior and as a result his academic performance was off the charts! My positive recogniztion by way of verbal praise, recognition on bulletin boards, celebratory lunches with peers, or preferred choices changed this young man's thinking about the learning experience and that wouldn't have been possible if I chose to dwell on the negative. I think as educators it is imperative that we remember that often times we might be the only source of positivity in a young person's life and that we need to make the most of every opportunity to be the source of constant joy in their life. As the school year ends I dread knowing that their days may not be positive, but I am confident that the relationships I have built with them and the sense of self-pride/leadership that they have developed will carry over with them as they move on to the next chapter of their lives.