Getting Comfortable

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As the semester progresses I find myself getting more comfortable in the classroom, and so do the students. Now that the students have warmed up to my host teacher and myself, they are paying less attention to their behavior. I have had some experience with behavior management from my job at a preschool, but there is always more to learn. From my short experience, I have learned a few tricks and have listed below what works best with certain types of students.

1. The Trailblazer
The students who fall into this category are the ones who finish all of their assignments quickly and have free time while the rest of the class is working on their material. So far my host teacher normally has the students who finish early read silently or work on unfinished work. I think both of these strategies are practical but not as beneficial as enrichment in the material would be. I understand though that at the beginning of the year it is important to make sure that classroom systems are established. It is important to make sure that the trailblazing students always have something to work on to keep them learning and not talking to a neighbor.

2. The Talk Show Host
The students who are in this category are the ones who struggle with keeping their mouths closed during work time. So far, all the kids who I address about talking when the teacher is talking fix their behavior right away. I normally address them with a firm but caring tone and that seems to do the trick for the chatty learners.

3. The Jumpers
The students who cannot sit still are the ones who fit into this category. I understand that some students are not capable of sitting still for various reasons and have their own individualized plans, so those are not the learners I am addressing with this tactic. When students are rolling off their yoga balls or switching alternative seating arrangements with their friends, I give them a warning to behave better with the seating or I will take it from them. So far I have only confiscated one yoga ball. Most of the time the kids realize that they would rather sit calmly on their yoga ball than sit in a regular chair. It is very important though to make sure the threat is followed through. If students think that they got away with rolling off their yoga balls on Wednesday the will probably keep rolling off them on Thursday.

4. The TLC Students
I've worked in multiple leadership positions with children for five years now and every so often there is a student who requires more than just a firm warning. I have a student like this in my clinical and what I have seen to work the best is consistent "firmth". The term "firmth" is a word my supervisor coined that she defined as being warm, but firm. It is important for students to know their limits and for teachers to stand by their rules. It is hard work, and I give my host teacher a world of props for her consistent "firmth" with my TLC student.

I know that these strategies are just the tip of the iceberg and that I have a lot more to learn about behavior management. I plan to learn many more behavior management strategies through my placement and my future classes. If you think of any good strategies that I missed, feel free to comment them below!