What To Expect In Your Practicum: Classroom Management Jenny Harris

Dear Practicum Students, There is a lot to think about as you begin your first practicum. Know that it’s okay to be nervous and remember to do your best to approach your first day with confidence. Odds are your students will be a little nervous to meet you too! Our students are very smart and they will know if you are trying to be something you’re not. Just remember to be yourself, act like a professional and have fun with this experience!

What is Classroom Management? Classroom management “seeks to establish and sustain an orderly environment so students can engage in meaningful academic learning, it also aims to enhance student social and moral growth.” (Evertson and Weinstein, 2006)Evertson and Weinstein, 2006

What do I need to ask my cooperating teacher about classroom management? Students are subject to three sets of rules. Every teacher and classroom is different so it is important to know which rules your Cooperating Teacher (CT) feels are the most crucial in their classroom. On the first day of your practicum you should ask your CT about:  School district rules  School rules  Classroom rules

How much authority will I have to handle problems with discipline? This is an important discussion to have with your CT before you begin observing and teaching. You may want to ask questions such as: How do I handle students talking while I’m talking? What do I do when students continuously forget to raise their hands? How should I handle a student who refuses to participate? How do you discipline students who are caught using their cell phones or other electronic devices in class? What do I do if I catch a student sleeping in class?

Common Interruptions in the Classroom There are several interruptions you may encounter in the classroom. Discuss and observe how your CT handles these situations: Safety: Severe weather, fire and lockdown procedures are very important to know Requests to use the restroom/get water Students who need makeup work from missed classes Students who forgot books/supplies/homework

Classroom Management:Best Practices for New Teachers Edutopia.orgEdutopia.org offers five tips for novice teachers: 1.Use a normal, natural voice  Constantly raising your voice to get the attention of your students is not the best approach as students will mirror your tone.  Also, be sure to vary your tone. Use a declarative tone when giving directions. Use a more conversational tone when asking questions.

Best Practices Continued 2.Speak only when students are quiet and ready  Patience pays off. Students will quickly learn that you are waiting for them to be quiet and cue each other to start listening to you.  It’s easy to just start talking, but you will end up repeating yourself if students are not quiet and listening to instructions.

Best Practices Continued 3.Use hand signals and other nonverbal communication  Try holding one hand in the air and making eye contact to signal that students should be listening to you.  Flip the lights off and on once to get student’s attention or signal that they have three minutes to clean up, study, etc.  With younger students, clap your hands three times and have them immediately clap back twice to get their attention and all eyes on you.

Best Practices Continued 4.Address behavior issues quickly and wisely  Address issues between you and a student or between two students as quickly as possible. Don’t wait until they have time to escalate.  Always try to take a positive approach  Take the student away from other students to address the issue (in the doorway, back of the classroom, etc.)  If students are off task, rather than asking them why they aren’t on task say something like “It looks like you have a question.”

Best Practices Continued 5.Always have a well-designed, engaging lesson  This is the most important tip! Always over plan. It’s better to run over on time than to run short and leave students with nothing to do.  Engaging lessons take time to plan, but they are well worth it. Bored students equal trouble!

Other tips from my CTs Get to know your students – Ask your teacher for a seating chart and begin learning the names of your students. – Talk to them and learn a little bit about them. This will help you form positive relationships with them and make your observation and teaching time so much easier.

Other tips from my CTs Greet students at the door – Use this time to connect with students and to correct bad behavior. – If students come in the room rowdy and loud send them back out to the hallway and ask them to come into the classroom with appropriate behavior. This will keep the class from starting off “on the wrong foot.”

Other tips from my CTs Respect – Respect is a two-way street in the classroom. Students have to respect you and you should also be respectful to your students.

In Conclusion A practicum is an extremely useful way for you to get your feet wet in the classroom. Enjoy this time with your students. Soak up as much information from your CT as you can and begin to think about what aspects of his or her classroom management you want to implement in your own classroom one day.