Research to Practice Blogs

These past 5 months have been one roller coaster ride after another. Being able to see the infrastructure of a Pre-Kindergarten classroom made me appreciate my future more. After hours of observation and writing it is safe to say that these blogs have taught me a true valuable lesson. I will continue to blog my way through life to help out those after me.

The first blog came with several questions I was afraid to ask. I had no idea what I wanted to write about. I had also not been in the classroom enough to choose a topic. It wasn’t until I noticed the transitions done in one kindergarten classroom did I realize how different Pre-K maneuvered their children.  I was unsure whether or not my topic on transition was fitting. It wasn’t until Dr. Powers mentioned my first post in class was when I realized my post made sense and I was headed in the right direction.

My second blog post made me reminisce on the first day I stepped foot in an elementary school as an adult. Even to this day I still question whether or not I should be in this profession. This blog post revolves around respect and understanding that respect is earned not given. I know that it can be tough to acquire but the hard work pays off in the long run.

The third post was a vlog about our time at Eshelman Elementary. This experience taught me how important it is to improvise and to stay aware of any incidents that may occur. During this experience, I valued my time in working more 1-on-1 with the struggling students during our fossil activity. This made me realize how easy it is to help a student while working alongside some great future teachers.

My fourth post involves a topic that has played a huge role in my life. It speaks about absent parents and the effects it has on the children. I have never had this experience, but I always wonder how much I can relate to a child in this situation. I know that I every student I come across will have a different story to tell me and a new lesson to teach me, but I want to make sure that I can provide them a safe and healthy environment so that they can succeed in this world.

Overall, I am glad I consistently went with creating blog posts throughout this semester. Teaching changes as time goes on and I know I will look back on these posts and make edits where it is necessary. I cannot wait to get my own classroom one day and implement some of the ideas I have mentioned in my previous four posts.

Some ideas I would do differently would be trying all of the technology options. I think exposing myself to the different types of technology would help me figure out whether or not I truly enjoy creating blog posts. The blog post is important to do because I am able to recount my past ideas, but I am not a writer at heart. I can truly say that I felt it was easier to do a vlog compared to a blog because it took less time and the ideas were flowing at the moment.

I believe that I will be able to keep myself accountable because of these R2P. It is similar to a journal where I will be able to go back and look over some of the ideas I had constructed during times I felt were impossible to complete. I realized that parents will be able to stay connected and get a feel of what is going on in the classroom. This is a way for both parties

I would tell the future students of ERCH 496 to feel comfortable asking questions about the assignment. They will most likely not be the only one who is confused. Also, the future students should feel view these projects as a way to tell their story while out in the field. They each will have their own unique experience that is going to be worth sharing.

What Does Family Mean?

Think about what type of family you grew up in. How would you describe it? Maybe it was similar to mine where there was a mom and dad who brought home a steady income. Or was mom or dad not around? Did you have to take care of a sibling? Did you have to take care of yourself? These are the questions we have to ponder whenever we step foot into a classroom. Home life between two individuals will never mimic each other. Therefore, how confident can you say you understand what goes on at home for the children in your classroom?

The Effects of Parents Who Aren’t Around

Every now and then there might be a child who barely sees their parents. In my field placement, 10% of the class had a similar family structure to mine. The motivation within the children who experienced opposite family life to me was evident. These students became distracted more easily and thought school was useless. According to the article Parental Incarceration and Children’s Wellbeing, “Several studies find that children exposed to paternal incarceration are more likely to exhibit externalizing behaviors, such as destroying things or demanding a lot of attention.” (Turney & Goodsell) Not all of the students who didn’t have the same family life as me had a family member incarcerated. However, the amount of interest shown throughout the morning made it clear as to what their priorities were. 

What Should We Do?  

It takes a lot to truly understand a child when you only see them in one setting. Even I have two different personalities when it comes to my home life and school life. Acting as a true role model is an efficient way to show children who are disinterested in school to see the beauty in it. Every child needs a guide. Without parents at home, they might feel as if life cheated them. That is why as a teacher, we must do our best to show them the right path. We are here to be their coach, therapist, and, most importantly, their friend. Trying out different ways to relate to a child is the first step into truly understanding a child’s life.

References:

Turney, K., & Goodsell, R. (2018). Parental Incarceration and Children’s Wellbeing. Future of Children, 28(1), 147–164. Retrieved from http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=eue&AN=129524480&site=ehost-live

“You’re a Dickhead!”

WOW! First day of volunteering and that’s how I’m approached by a kindergartener.

I still can’t believe those were the first words I heard when I returned back to an elementary school setting as an adult. The best word to describe this encounter would be: Unprepared. I never expected a 5 year-old to call me that, especially one who didn’t even know me. I was never taught what to do when a student uses harsh language as an icebreaker.

I won’t lie, I was ready to walk out the door and pretend like I was in the wrong place. At that moment, I felt like I had no business being there. Luckily, I didn’t. Staying ended up turning out to be one of the best decisions I ever made. I made a new friend that day and learned a valuable lesson.

Respect

When it comes to respect we have to understand two simple ideas:

1. Respecting someone is NOT the same as liking someone.
2. Respect is earned and can be lost just as easily.

Why do I believe this? Respect comes in all shapes and sizes. It could be through sticking to the promises one makes on a daily basis. It could be found in the clapping hands of a group of people after a speech. Leaders earn respect from people who believe that they can maximize potential of those around them. In the article The Construct of ‘Respect’ in Teacher-Student Relationships: Exploring Dimensions of Ethics of Care and Sustainable Development, “A central component of respect is listening and as Covey (2000) argues, listening plays a role in all effective leadership.” (Thompson, 2018). Listening is a lost art that many extroverts have failed to practice. A person who listens shows that the speaker’s words is important which ultimately develops a trust between the two parties.

How should we listen to our future students? My honest answer: Fairly. There is nothing more harmful to a teacher-student relationship than a hypocritical teacher. We are supposed to demonstrate the expected behavior each day for these kiddos. Everyday we must act as role models to create a respectful environment. Every child will NOT have a good day, and that’s fine. As long as we are there to show them that some days are better than others is how we can show that we respect their feelings and understand where they are at physically and emotionally.

Stay True to Yourself

As teachers, we are first strangers to these incoming children. While some are open and excited to meet you, others will be hesitant. Honestly, not every child is going to love you; and that’s alright.  If you want to change the way children view you, take a step back and put yourself in their shoes. Come up with a personal handshake, celebrate those summer birthdays, play tag with the kiddos. It may not get them to respect you right away, but it’s a start.

Citations

Covey, S. (2000). The 7 habits of highly effective people. New York: Free Press.

Thompson, C. S. 1. canute. thompson02@uwimona. edu. jmcanutethompson1@gmail. co. (2018). The Construct of “Respect” in Teacher-Student Relationships: Exploring Dimensions of Ethics of Care and Sustainable Development. Journal of Leadership Education, 17(3), 42–60. https://doi.org/10.12806/V17/I3/R3

 

The next Usain Bolt or “Flo-Jo” might be right in front of our eyes. Yup, I’m talking about our star 4-year-old athletes who are consumed with more energy than a pack of lions chasing after a lone zebra. 4-year-olds wake up with the same amount of energy as any human being. They are drowsy, cranky, and don’t want to be disturbed at all. Unlike adults, who take an extra hour after waking up from a nap to adjust, children do not function in the same manner. The amount of energy building up within a child has the ability to cause many disruptions that can play a vital role on how the day will turn out. The area that is impacted the most comes during transitions. Children are able to escape from their bubble and obtain freedom for a small-time frame and, in their mind, put it to good use by exploring racing towards their next station as if it were the finish line in the Olympics.

Through My Eyes

Based on my observations within a Pre-K classroom, what struck out to me most was the different amount of instructions needed in order to limit students from overusing their freedom during a transition period. The instructor grabs the students’ attention by clapping to a beat that sounds like “da-da-dadada”. The students reiterate the instructor’s motions to indicate that they hear them and are ready to proceed with the day. Next, the students must clean their area of play upon returning to their station with their hands placed on top of their head. All of the students must remain quiet before transitioning. The instruction being used must be used boldly. Students who decide to escape their bubble and taste the littlest bit of freedom are doomed to create a disturbance. When done appropriately, this instruction can truly increase classroom management.

Evidence to Practice

According to Evaluation of Alpha and Beta Commands on Latency to Comply During Transitions with Young Children: A Preliminary Analysis by Shelby Wolf, Meredith Weber, Gary Duhon, and Kelly Schieltz, “… musical transitions (e.g., the use of pre-selected songs) were effective at decreasing the transition time for three young children. Similar results were obtained with other methods such as “beat the buzzer” (e.g., Wurtele & Drab- man, 1984), clicker cues (e.g., Goetz, Avala, Hat eld, Marshall, & Etzel, 1983), and self-monitoring (e.g, Connell, Carta, & Baer, 1993)”. The influence music has on children is the same that social media has on millennials. It changes the way we journey through the hours and incorporating an element such as music in a classroom during transition has shown to play a major impact.

Will It Work?

From an overall standpoint, the use of noises formed from an instrument or self-created has the ability to create successful transitions. Based off of what I have seen, the constant repetition on a daily basis has been implemented into most of the children’s brains. Once they hear their teacher’s rhythm, they know what is supposed to be done almost immediately. I think that in order to keep it fresh and riveting, a change in tone through the use of clapping would make for a great change. Even using a musical instrument each week might be a great way to teach a lesson on music as well.

Wolf, S. M., Weber, M. A., Duhon, G., & Schieltz, K. M. (2019). Evaluation of Alpha and Beta Commands on Latency to Comply During Transitions with Young Children: A Preliminary Analysis. Education & Treatment of Children, 42(1), 25–45. https://doi.org/10.1353/etc.2019.0002

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