classroom community

Looking at my algebra-geometry classes, some of the students don’t know each others names in this class.  We haven’t taken any active steps to build a community where they get to know each other.  We’ve assumed that they know how to work with each other, but haven’t taken steps to ensure this. 

Reading about others’ experiences, I was impressed with one teacher who didn’t cover the rules until after the class got to know each other and the teacher.  I can see how this investment has a high chance of paying off during the year, and would like to kick off my classes with this type of community building. 

Some of what I’d want to establish are: behavior expectations are by having the students demonstrate it (what listening looks and sounds like, what participation looks like); I’d want to have the students practice working together (what it looks like to ask for help, when to ask, how to help another student).

Classroom surprises

My coordinator asked me,  “Have there been any surprises that you have observed or experienced in the classroom in general, in students, in yourself?” 

We get surprised when something happens differently than we expected.  One expectation I had is that a lesson plan has a lot of weight, and when applied to different classes of similar ability, would get similar student responses most of the time.  It seems that this has happened only about half the time between the two periods of 9^th and 10^th grade geometry classes.  The other half of the time, one or the other class is very inattentive and /or noisy, but it isn’t consistently one class.   I’m guessing that by planning for the diverse learner and applying it to the whole class, we would have our contingency plan for those days when the students have trouble settling down.

Another expectation I had is that a new building with new technologies would have more teachers using the technologies.  I’ve visited schools in older and newer buildings, and not noticed much difference in the use of technology.  So far, the document camera is the most frequently used technology.  I expect it’s been adopted well because teachers don’t have to change their processes much when using it.  I am interested in seeing how many teachers use Quizdoms, but it seems that only one out of a dozen teachers that have it uses it.

student behavior

I’m amazed at how consistent my mentor seems to be between 2 periods of geometry, and how differently each class responds.  With each, she has the same materials prepared, the same questions are on the board, and she covers the lesson very similarly.  With 3^rd period, half the students were involved in side conversations, and were told several times to be quieter.  Considering they’re having a quiz next Monday, the side conversations made me wonder if some had already given up.  And it’s only the 3^rd week of school!  The 6^th period responded very differently.  Considering it was the last class on a Friday, and an early release day at that, I’d expected this typically social group to be as distracted as the 3^rd period.  Contrary to expectations, they were quiet and attentive, recognizing the importance of the review.  Wow!

My mentor’s style and techniques are very consistent, yet get very different responses class to class. I’ve wondered about various ways I’d try to get attention and quiet with noisy classes, and then observed her using these same techniques, to varying success.   Teaching is a personal thing, and what works with some students does not work with others.  

My mentor teacher had a parent conference with 2 other teachers and a disruptive student and his mom.  The teachers and the mom were all concerned, with the mom stating that she’s out of options and may need to send him to live with his father in another state.  Each of the 3 teachers had called home individually with concerns.  When I take a look at the student and what’s happening inside and outside our classroom, I get a better picture of the student, although still incomplete.  After hearing about the conference, I felt increased compassion toward this young man who’s been making poor choices. While he’s still expected to behave respectfully in class, I felt an increased interest in finding out what he needed to help him be successful.  The day after the conference, I didn’t see much change in him, but I did see a change in me.