Love, Smile, Teach

My Time in ERCH 496: Finishing the Marathon

What is the Marathon?

ERCH 496 is like running a marathon. 26.2 miles. Throughout the semester, I have done many projects, blogposts, and research. Every assignment is a mile. I am running, first blogpost done, one mile down. I can do it! I continue to complete assignments. I am finally at the 26 mile mark and I only have .2 miles to go! This blogpost is about those 26.2 miles. How I’ve grown as a student at Millersville University, and how I am finishing that marathon.

The First 10 Miles

Those first 10 miles was the hardest thing to complete. I struggled with procrastination, reflection, and research. Going back to my very first blogpost, it shows how little of the research I put into the assignment. The flow of the blogpost was splotchy and it was very confusing. Instead of writing about what Hoffman’s study stated, I took the information, and I bulleted it right into the blog. When writing the next post on Love, Smile, Teach, I wanted to grow in  every aspect. In my fourth blogpost, my dialogue grew, the research was intertwined into the “story” I was telling.  For example,”Koops also shares with us the tips and tricks she has for classroom management. Her first tip is all about engaging activities. If the students have engaging activities to participate in, then they will be on their best behavior. I have seen this in my observations. One day in the learning center, one teacher had the students create their own planets. The students used a coffee filter and watercolor paint. During this activity, there were no issues and the class was having a great time.” This example from my fourth blogpost shows the skills of implementing observations into the research. Reflection is still something that I continue to work on. When becoming an educator, reflection skills are very important. It drives instruction, motivation and teamwork. To be completely honest, in my last blogpost, I didn’t do my best reflecting. I just wanted the assignment done. When running a marathon, you can never lose your technique. When technique is lost, so is your drive to finish. During those first 10 miles, I’ve learned the biggest lesson. Keep pushing, and don’t give up.

Completing the 26 Miles

I just passed the 26 mile marker. Man, does it feel good to be almost done! I look ahead and I can see the finish line! But before I reach the finish line, I must look back and appreciate the journey that I just went on. Love, Smile, Teach is a blog that was set up for my R2P project for my ERCH 496 class. If I were to redo the R2P project, I wouldn’t change a single thing. This whole experience has made me into the researcher, teacher, and person I am today. Research to practice has helped me develop a professional self, and I couldn’t be more thankful. Advice for future students of ERCH 496 would be to be yourself and step out of your comfort zone. Blogging was something that I was very nervous for. This whole process has made me grow, and has opened up another door for my future teaching career.

Finishing the Marathon

My time here at Millersville University has been a great one so far! Year three is ending, and so is the marathon I have been running. Dr. Powers has been such a light during the marathon and I couldn’t thank her enough. She pushed me through the hardest 10 miles, and cheered me on through all of it! I am so glad to say that I FINALLY FINISHED THE MARATHON and I am ready for the next one!

References

All photos are from Samantha Loy

 

 

 

Classroom Management: the Affect of Students’

Overview

Over the course of the spring semester, I have learned a lot about classroom management and the impact it has on students. During this time, I had the chance to observe different classroom management styles in three settings. The first place I volunteer is in a Kindergarten classroom. Every Friday morning I volunteer in the classroom for two hours. I interact with the students and learn what it is like to teach in the city. The second observation was in my  placement at a learning center. I was there every Tuesday for four hours. The last place I observed classroom management was during the science fair that I talked about in my last post. If you didn’t read this post, you can find it here. All three observations have helped me understand the affect of classroom management on students.

Observations

Observation really helped me discover the passion I have for classroom management. When I first walked into the Kindergarten classroom in the city, I   didn’t know what to expect. From working with the students and the teacher, I have noticed that the class dynamic is very laid back. The teacher uses a calm voice and does not get mad or raise her voice when a child misbehaves. Instead, she gives them a look and the students automatically respond in a positive way. The teacher doesn’t take away recess or any free time, instead she is loving and wants best for the child. When observing in the learning center, I was in a Pre-Kindergarten classroom. In this classroom, there are two teachers and they co-teach throughout the entire day. When a child doesn’t behave or listen, they automatically raise their voice and tell the students what they are doing wrong. This gives the students a sense of embarrassment and guilt. If they continue to misbehave, they threaten to take away recess, or call the office. Both impact the students in negative ways, due to the limited time they have outside, and if they get a call to the office, it is a strike on their records. The last observation I saw was during the science fair at a local elementary school. I was at the elementary school for an hour with 21 second graders. During the science fair, the students were very calm, yet excited. Their teacher would walk around and come to each of the tables making sure that the students’ are behaving and listening. By the end of the science fair, the teacher said a slogan, and the students responded with another slogan. The classroom management here made the students recognize that it is ready to leave and they should be quiet.  Each observation was unique and different in its own way.

Research

While doing research, I found an article about classroom management in an early childhood music classroom. Although I am going to be a general education teacher, this article about music classrooms gives ideas and thoughts for the general education teacher. Classroom Management for Early Childhood Music Settings first tells us how classroom management refers to “the actions teachers take to create an environment that supports and facilitates both academic and social-emotional learning.” Koops also shares with us the tips and tricks she has for classroom management. Her first tip is all about engaging activities. If the students have engaging activities to participate in, then they will be on their best behavior. I have seen this in my observations. One day in the learning center, one teacher had the students create their own planets. The students used a coffee filter and watercolor paint. During this activity, there were no issues and the class was having a great time. I tend to find classroom management hard during transitions. That is Koops next tip. Think of thoughtful, meaningful transitions. She talks about playing music while transitions are happening. If the students are focused on the music and what is happening next, the off tasked students will not be present. Another tip is to have a set routine. Koop states, “when children know what to expect in class, they may be more likely to exhibit positive behaviors and avoid meltdowns.” This is true for the general education classroom, as well as the special education classrooms. The last tip is to set clear expectations for children and adults. On the first day, the teacher and students should automatically set up rules and procedures in the classroom. The rules that are made are in place for the entire school year. Overall, classroom management is something that every teacher has to find and work what is best for them!

Reflection

As student teaching is approaching quickly, I will take everything that I have learned through observation, and through Koops article and put it into my classroom. I will be sure to include engaging activities for my students, set clear expectations for students and families, and I will set a routine. I am very excited to have my own classroom so I can implement these ideas.

References

Classroom management picture- http://englishbookgeorgia.com/blogebg/classroom-management-2/

Koops, L. H. (2018, February 03). Classroom Management for Early Childhood Music Settings. Retrieved May 1, 2019, from http://web.b.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=4&sid=a9c3b045-7b2f-4965-a38f-30a8122649d3@pdc-v-sessmgr05

 

 Science Fair Recap; is There Anything We Could’ve Done  Better?

Group post by: Samantha Loy and Chaya Terranova

Overview

Chaya and I had an amazing opportunity to teach 21 second graders about clouds. With the cloud presentation, each student had the opportunity to create their own clouds using water, shaving cream, and food coloring. There were six different stations that the students got to rotate around. We had each group of students for around 10 minutes. The science fair was very laid back and we all had a lot of fun interacting with the kids!

Observations

During our presentation, we could really see that the students were excited to be there and to learn. Chaya and I were told that the students have done this cloud activity before with their student teacher. Even though this was the case, the students were still very excited to do the activity. We allowed the students to put the amount of shaving cream that they wanted. They also got to chose what colors they wanted to use. Once the students were done with the clouds, they were instructed to dump their clouds into a bucket. A lot of the students comments were, “It looks like melted ice cream!” or “Do you have something to mix this up with?” It seemed like they were more interested in the concoction rather than the cloud making. One thing that we did notice is that the students would want to take the clouds home that they made. Unfortunately, the students were not able to take home the clouds. Another thing Chaya and I observed was that we finished the presentation and the could activity earlier than the 10 minute span. So the students would just sit there, and wait to move until it was time to rotate. Chaya and I discussed what we could’ve done better to prevent this wait time. We decided that some type of movement would be best appropriate for the students.

Research

Once my co-teacher and I decided on what we could do better, we decided to do research. We found an article from Edutopia, that shares seven ways to increase student’s attention spans. The very first suggestion states to include physical activity. Including some type of movement in our presentation would increase the time for the presentation, which decreases the wait time.  Another suggestion Edutopia gives is to have attention breaks. Since there were six rotations of 10 minutes each, my professor decided to have a “brain break” after the third rotation. During this brain break, we had music playing and the students got to dance all around! The brain break let the students get their energy out. Overall, this experience was a great one! It allowed Chaya and I get used to co-teaching. Co-teaching is a unique experience and its very exciting that we get to do it again during student teaching.

References

Reeves, D. (2015, July 10). 7 Ways to Increase a Student’s Attention Span. Retrieved April 15, 2019, from https://www.edutopia.org/discussion/7-ways-increase-students-attention-span

Picture credit: Samantha Loy

Play, Play, Play!!!

Overview

While being placed in a preschool classroom, I observe playtime very often. Some days, I walk in and see a few kiddos using their imagination, and are famous superheroes. Other times, they are brave knights, rescuing their princess. Play may seem useless in a classroom, but I tend to argue with that statement. There are many reasons why I disagree with this statement, and there is research to back up my opinion. There are three reasons why play is valuable in the classroom. Play allows children to solve problems creatively, they learn to socialize with others, and children get to use their imagination without punishment.

Why is Play Valuable?

According to Grace Lau, play is an activity which is positively valued by the player; self motivated; freely chosen; and engaging. While in my field placement, there was this little boy, lets’ say his name is Jack. Jack was at the dramatic play section, also known as the “house keeping” section of the classroom. He wanted to be a superhero with the rest of his friends, but there were no more capes that he could wear. Instead of having a fit, Jack found a magicians outfit, and created his own cape out of it. This is an example of solving problems creatively, like I said above.  Another example of why play is so important is peer socialization. While Jack was playing with blocks, his friend Becka want to play with him. Jack let Becka to play with them. During this peer play, they both were talking to each other, about what they were building, how they were using the buildings, and the characters that they were going to use. With peer socialization, comes the development of social skills. Play allows children to use their imagination. The theme that the classroom was on the time of observation was “things in the sky.” Each student got to make their own planets out of a coffee filter and watercolor paints. Each student was able to use their own imagination, and create their own planet, and name it what they wanted to name it. No student had a planet that looked the same. With their imagination, comes amazing outcomes. It is incredible what some children come up with!

So what now?

Play is a valuable tool to use in any type of classroom. It allows the children to use their imagination, develop social skills, and problem solve in creative ways. I want you to think of a time in school where you were able to play. What was it like? Was it enjoyable for you? Allowing children to play makes a lasting impact on their lives. Why wouldn’t you want that for your students?

Citations

Lau, G. (2018). Ideology of Joyful Learning through Play in Early Childhood Classroom in Hong Kong: Misconceptions or Paradoxes? International Journal of Educational Reform, 27(4), 359-378. doi:10.1177/105678791802700403

Webster, L. (2013, February 5). Block Play in Preschool. Retrieved April 1, 2019, from http://mrswebsterscc.blogspot.com/2013/02/block-play-in-preschool.html

 

 

While observing in a Pre-K classroom of sixteen students, many thoughts and questions flooded my mind. Classroom management, curriculum, assessment, books, etc. The thing that stuck out to me the most was student engagement.

While observing, I repetitively saw students become disengaged and act out during circle time or a read-aloud. When they were not interested, the students would either then distract their peers, or get in trouble by their teachers.

Since I observed this issue multiple times, it made me become more curious about student engagement and read-alouds. In Coconsructing Meaning: Interactive Literary Discussions in Kindergarten Read-Alouds, it states, “Not only is being read to highly engaging for students, but research has demonstrated how reading aloud can promote language and literacy development through interaction among students and teachers about texts.” (Hoffman, 2011) In this study, it teaches its’ readers how to make read-alouds more interesting an engaging for students.

Here is what I found from Hoffman’s study…

1.  After the book is read, have the students freely discuss what they learned.

2. The teacher should interact within the students discussion. This creates a collaboration between the students and the teacher.

3. The read-aloud and the discussion should take 20-30 minutes at max.

4. When asking questions to the students, redirect and prompt the students for the answers you are looking for.

5. “Teachers must guide students to build on responses.” (Hoffman, 2011)

This study has changed my perspective on read-alouds. I am going to use the practices that Hoffman suggests in my field placement. I look forward to seeing how my students grow in their learning.

References:

Hoffman, J. (2011, November). Coconstructing Meaning: Interactive Literary Discussions … Retrieved March 7, 2019, from https://watsontiffany.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/read-aloud.pdf