Take a moment to re-read my Philosophy of Discipline. I believe that supervision is an essential part of good classroom management, but building a strong relationship is the most important part. A strong relationship is created and renewed everyday in the little interactions you have with each and every scholar. I talked with you almost a year ago about the power of greeting your scholars at the door every morning. This one little thing demonstrates to scholars that you care and it gets everyone off on the right foot. Never assume your scholars know how you feel; demonstate it every day. Being prepared and greeting your scholars builds that relationship one day at a time and it models excellent life skills. I am very pleased to say that most of our teachers consistently model this practice, and I see the difference it makes. I want you to think about your morning and afternoon routines and the routines of the school. What are some things that are working well, and what do we need to consider improving next year? Think about how scholars walk the halls, come into class, go to lunch, and leave at the end of the day. More importantly, think about how our routines build relationships with scholars.
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Discipline is important to maintaining a learning environment, but it can be handled in a way that students know they are cared about while at the same time knowing there are boundaries. Consistency is also important and being fair to all. I love the blue tape that was placed downstairs on the floor for the little ones to walk on as they move down the hall. It is even working for the bigger kiddos. We should consider starting the year out with tape on the floor to outline the walking path.
I love the smiling and greeting kids at the door each morning. Many kids come from broken homes or bad situations and I think that a morning smile helps brighten their day. They learn that no matter what home was like at WCE we are a family where everyone cares and will protect and guide you. Growing up in a difficult house myself a teacher with a smile and a hug really got me through the day and that also encouraged me to want to be the best I could for them. I have had an opportunity to work with scholars this year that have behavioral issues and I have found it to be very rewarding. At first it tried my patience having to adjust to the fact that many of these kids behavioral development is learned at a very slow pace and has to be practiced over and over many times daily. With time I learned to read many of their faces every morning and could determine what kind of day we were going to have and what I needed to do to change that day’s behavior. I know it’s hard for classroom teachers to focus on just 1 or 2 scholars that need extra attention but I have seen many of our own teachers be very successful at that this year even if they don’t give themselves the credit. I can say I have learned to love the "annoying child" and the reward comes when they look at you and you see in their eyes that no matter all the disruptive things they do they love you too.
I strongly believe that the morning contact with every student has an effect on the whole day's learning. You can tell a lot by the way a student responds to you in the morning, which will guide you in dealing with them for the rest of the day. This helps me decide what approach I will use to get the most out of teaching for the day. Sometimes the kids are tired and you can tell, others they are way too excited, and I can tailor my day to fit them. Morning greeting is essential. I ask how their evening was and I get a lot of stories from that question alone.I agree with consistency. That is they main aspect of my classroom management. Students know exactly what to expect everytime with a schedule, my actions and consequences.
Well, since I am new, I have not had the opportunity to see Walker Creek in action, but knowing many of your staff, I can imagine it is a positive place to be. I agree completely that setting routines and expectations early sets the tone for the year. I believe that when kids know what is expected of them, they will strive to reach that goal.
Looking forward to working with all of you!
Angela LeRoy
I work with the Special Needs scholars a lot and the things that have helped me build relationships and create routines are things that all of us dealing with the younger set do- Greeting each student at the door and having him/her choose a hug, high-five, or a butterfly- It is amazing to me that the scholars I know who have come from tough situations ALWAYS choose a hug. Also, I use a transition song (usually from Youtube) to start each lesson- this adds routine to whatever we are doing and helps the scholars to transition to our "table time" activities.
As a classroom teacher I found that daily structured routines created a more relaxed and better managed classroom because everyone involved understands the system. It means some extra time at the beginning of the year in terms of practicing the routines but the payoff is worth the time :)
Teaching is not just a "job" to me-it's a joy ! It's my calling! For this reason, I have no other choice but to be intentional in everything I do from the moment I greet my scholars at the door in the morning to the end of the day when we reflect back on our day.
When you walk in my class it’s evident that my scholars know what I expect of them not just academically, but behaviorally. I believe that there is a strong bond between my scholars and me because of the little interactions I have with each and every scholar on a daily basis. In order to ensure that my scholars are learning what I teach them, I have to first build a strong foundation with them as individuals. If I have to differentiate for their learning, I also have to differentiate for them behaviorally. Kids are not all wired the same. As a teacher, I make it my goal to respect them as they are and teach them starting from where they are.
Khanh
I love greeting my kids at the door each morning. This is something I have always done in my 14 years of teaching, and it brings me much joy and happiness to start my day. You can tell a lot about how each child is doing in that first minute. I think consistency and structure are also very important in establishing a well-balanced classroom. Scholars need the expectations set early on, and practice makes perfect.
I got a handwritten card from one of my scholars during Teacher Appreciation Week. It completely validated the morning hug! This little boy's main comment was "Thank you for hugging me every morning." Setting the tone of the day with "I care about how you are feeling this morning" is so important. Clear expectations and modeled respect are one of the reasons why our school is so wonderful. Thank you, Scott, for this blog so we can can openly share with one another on a deeper level, about what matters most--not only the academics but the caring connections.
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