MAPS JOURNAL

Kalynn Chapman
MAPS JOURNAL
Location: Sir Winston Churchill CVI
Thunder Bay, ON

Classroom Management

Policies, Rules and Routines

Notes about classroom management strategies:

Entering the room

- My Associate Teacher (AT) would consistently meet and greet students at the front of
the classroom asking them about their weekend, mood, or health if they were sick. It
was clear to me that she had a strong relationship with the students and was aware
of events that were going on in their home lives. The students definitely felt
comfortable with her and would trust her with personal responses.

Dismissal for recess, lunch, next class

- Students would be informed when five minutes were remaining in class and would
clean up their work before transitioning. Students were clear of the expectation to
clean up any mess at their desk as well as any supplies located around their space.
At the end of the day, students would assist in placing chairs up on the desks
knowing that the custodian was coming by to clean the floors. The above were daily
routines that students were all aware of and would usually assist without being
reminded.

- Students did not have recess at this Churchill but in replacement they would receive
two, ten-minute breaks in which they were allowed to be at their lockers, have a
snack, and use the facilities. Teachers would stand in the Hub and supervise students
to ensure they were behaving and off to class in time. Students were not allowed to
leave to the bathroom after the break as it was expected that they were using their
break time wisely in preparation for the transition into high school.

- There were two breaks were the students would not be allowed to access their
lockers and would simply need to transition from one classroom to the next. Students
were supervised by teachers at this time.

- Lunch break was free time for students, similar to high school life. They were able to
eat in the Hub, while being supervised separate from the high school students.
Students were allowed to access the high school cafeteria and leave to go to town at
lunch as well.

Distribution and collection of worksheets/assignments/materials/finished work

- Assignments were typically collected at the end of class to avoid students losing their
work in their lockers, backpacks, desk, etc. Some students wished to keep their own
work in their binders to be able to work on it later at home. This was supported by
the AT as a means to prepare students for responsibilities in high school. Distribution
of work was typically with assistance of students in the classroom. Sometimes the AT
would choose students to hand out new or completed worksheets. In other instances,
handing out class work was used as a tool to gain the attention of students who may
not have been listening or distracted in the class.
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- Materials that were used in the class had labelled bins located organized at the front
of the classroom. This included items such as: blank paper, scrap paper, scissors,
markers, etc. Students were expected to respect tools they borrowed and to place
them back in the proper bin when complete. Often, the AT would remind students to
put back any tools they had borrowed at the end of class. The students showed
respect and a sense of pride for their classroom and its materials.

Students access to classroom materials/equipment (scissors, tape, stapler, computers)

- Students were able to use materials and technology in the classroom (scissors, tape,
stapler, computers, Ipads) when applicable to the task being completed. Ipads and
computers had a sign out sheet that allowed teachers to book multiple computers or
Ipads for their class. Students were expected to put any borrowed material back
when finished and to treat materials as if they were their own.

Facilitation of student organization (calendar, agenda, binders, folders)

- Students had personal binders where they kept notebooks and class notes.
Completed work was placed in an individual folder that each student was able to
decorate at the start of the year. The students were aware
that any marked work should be located in this folder and that
it was their responsibility to get it there. This was a great way
to teach the students a sense of responsibility and
organization.

- There was a calendar located in our homeroom, which

was a great way to keep up with current events happening
with sports, the high school, tests, etc. Students would
frequently use this as a tool in planning.

- Each morning, students would take turns writing the date as

well as the days schedule on the board. Students would refer to this throughout the
day.

Moving to other areas

- We had three, half days in which students participated in skating as part of their
Health & Physical Education class. For this event, student teachers and ATs would
walk with the students safely to the rink. Student teachers and ATs would split up in
order to be able to monitor more students. It was important to complete head counts
frequently and be aware of all students, surrounding vehicles, and people as well.
Washroom
- Washroom breaks were available to students during their ten minute breaks and
during their lunch breaks. Students were able to use the washroom with permission
from the AT or student teacher. They were expected to carry a hall pass and return
the pass when they were back. Only one student was allowed to leave to the
washroom at a time, this would sometimes create a short line of students waiting to
use the faculties. Sometimes students would try to use a washroom break as a
means to avoid doing work in the classroom. Finally, students were typically not
allowed to use the washroom in the first or last ten minutes of class, unless it was an
emergency.

Sharpening Pencils
- There was an issue in the classroom with students not coming prepared to class with
a pencil or sharpener. There were a handful of students that would come prepared to
class with a pencil case and sharpener, while others would need to borrow the class
sharpener or go to another classroom to use a wall mounted sharpener. The AT would
keep a stash of pencils at her desk and would be handing them out daily.
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1. What characteristics do you observe in this age group in regard to their desire
to learn, interest span and common behaviour traits?

- Students were typically tired in the morning and quiet. It would often take some
excitement and encouragement on the teachers part before students would start
participating in class.

- Desire to learn varied among students. Some students would be very keen and
prepared for class, while others had little to no interest in learning and were more
focused on social groups and being accepted.

- It was important to link learning to current interests of students in order to increase

their attention and desire to learn. Incorporating aspects such as current trends and
social media were tools that assisted with this. Finding something that a child was
interested in was an important tool to keep them focused throughout class. It was
clear when the teacher had students attention and when they were not engaged or
interested in the task at hand.

- Common behavioural traits included: texting/looking at phones, listening to music,

playing in desks when bored, chatting with peers, shy, anxious, nervous, giggly, self-
conscious.

2. What are the associate teachers expectations for student behaviour and how
is this communicated?

- Students were already aware of what Ms. Marks expected regarding behaviour in the
classroom. Students were expected to stay on task and focus when in the classroom.
They were able to work individually or in small
groups with the understanding that this
was a privilege that was earned and could be
taken away.

- When introducing topics, the teacher would

typically use this as a time to talk about
respect and how to considerately
communicate. For example, students were
to complete a debate in their Language class and
so the AT worked with the students to create a list
of Ground Rules for a safe and respectful
conversations. This way, students were aware of
what was expected of them and able to
contribute their opinions.

- The teacher would remind students during

class if they were off task, for example, Put
your cell phone away, please. She would also
walk around the classroom and speak to students who were distracted and refocus
their learning to get them back on task.
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- It was clear to me that students knew what was expected of them in the classroom.
Sometimes it would only take a look from a teacher for students to recognize that the
AT knew they were off task, and they would promptly get back to what they should
be focusing on.

3. What classroom management strategies does the associate teacher use (for
individuals/ for groups)?

- Seating plans were installed when students abused the privilege to sit with their
friends. Sitting with peers was considered a reward that was earned with positive
behaviour in the classroom. Furthermore, the teacher would allow a student or a
small group of students to work in the Hub as long as they were to stay on task.
Typically, there was only one for two groups of students allowed to work in the Hub at
a time. The AT would change up which groups were working in the Hub to make it fair
to all students. Once again, this was considered a privilege that was earned, and as a
result of poor behaviour could be taken away.

- The Hub was also utilized when students were acting out in class to the point that the
teacher had to speak to the 3-4 times. The teacher would send the students out in
the Hub for a short time out and come speak to them afterwards regarding their
behavior. This was a great way to allow students the time to calm down and think
about their actions.

- Another classroom management tool that was commonly used was general
statements to the entire classroom, for example If I have to take away ear buds, I
will not be happy. Although the AT may have wanted this to reach one student in
particular for playing music too loud, through talking to the entire class they were not
signaling out the student, making them feel uncomfortable as well as making all
students aware of her expectations.

- Sometimes tools such as clapping and having the students clap back was a means to
get the students to settle down into their seats and stop talking. Furthermore,
another tool that worked to catch the attention of students was to stand at the front
of the class silently and wait for quiet. Typically, both of these methods worked
quickly to gain attention of students and each was used at different times at the
discretion of the AT.

4. Describe student behaviour. Are there any behaviours that make students
identifiable as having special needs? Describe these.

- Student behavior in general included the following: distracted, giggly, looking for
peer attention/recognition, lack of eye contact, low participation in class, afraid of
being wrong, random outburst, quiet, interested in social media and trends, and
many cases of high anxiety.

- Some students with special needs in the class identified with having low class
participation, outbursts in class, shy when answering questions, and anxiety. Others
had lots of energy and were constantly needing to move around, unable to slow
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Kalynn Chapman
themselves down to focus. Although the above were observed behaviors of
individuals in this classroom with special needs, these behaviors when observed in
the general population do not mean a child necessarily has special needs.
Characteristics and behaviors associated with special needs are very much individual
and vary from person to person.

5. How does the teacher address off-task and/or disruptive behaviour?

- The teacher would call students out Name, eyes up front please. Other times a
general, Grade eights can I have your eyes and ears up front, please would gain the
students attention.

- If a student was not able to work in the classroom due to sounds, peers, distractions
etc., the AT would move the student to another part of the classroom or into the Hub.
- If cellphones were being used in class the AT would warn students that the next time
they see it, they would take it. If the teacher needed to she would take the phone
until the end of class or the end of the day depending on the student and how
frequently this problem occurs.

- The AT would typically address of task and disruptive behaviour directly with the
student. Typically, my AT would be very honest with the student and say Name,
youre off task. If this was not effective and the AT was required to speak to the
student more in class, she may move the student to a quiet part of the classroom or
into the Hub to work individually. Once the student had settled in to this space she
would take the opportunity to speak to the student about their behaviour in class.

- Further disruptive behaviour that was excessive or uncharacteristic of the student

usually received a phone call home to parents.

6. How are positive social skills taught and practiced? How is positive behaviour
supported?

- Positive social skills are demonstrated by the AT at all times. Students are expected
to demonstrate positive social skills and respect in the classroom. For example, co-
constructing the rules for a respectful debate and then having the teacher model
these rules. It is then expected that students practice this on their own or with their
peers. This behavior is further supported through positive encouragement and
recognition from the AT and peers. For example, comments such as Good listening,
I like how you.

- Common classroom rules were demonstrated and practiced by both the teacher and
the students. i.e., the AT is to listen to students when they are talking and expect the
same in return when they are talking.

Well Being

School and Classroom Climate

In an equitable and inclusive school climate, all members of the school community feel safe,
comfortable, and accepted. Staff and students value diversity and demonstrate respect for
others and a commitment to establishing a just, caring school community.
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Kalynn Chapman

7. What are the school policies/procedures for reporting discrimination, bullying

and harassment?

- School policies/procedures for reporting discrimination, bullying and harassment

include discussion with the student and teacher in the classroom, depending on the
severity of the situation. Parents may be contacted should the teacher find this
necessary. After this point the guidance counselor may become involved followed by
the vice principal, and then principal. Once again this depends on the severity of the
incident. Police may become involved at the discretion of the principal and vice
principal.

8. What steps are being taken in the classroom to develop a positive climate
where students feel safe, valued and included?

- My homeroom was covered with our students work. This includes activities that were
completed individually by students as well as group discussion work and co-
constructed learning goals and rules. Furthermore, the classroom has posters and
bright colours around the room extending a warm, welcoming environment.

- Desks were initially arranged in rows which created an environment that supported
individual work rather than team work. Mid way through my placement, desks were
placed in small groups. This created a warm classroom climate the encouraged group
work and peer interaction.

- The classroom had two lamps that were left on in the

morning with the classroom lights off. This was great for
reading and early morning starts because it had a
relaxing feel for students. Sometimes the lights would
stay off for the entire class as it was evident that
students were working effectively.

- There was a reading space in the back of the classroom that

was also used as a space for students to work on their own
when they were finished their work early. It had two chairs
and a rug which made the space welcoming and
comfortable.

- Finally, students felt valued and included as a result of the above mentioned art work
and co- constructed rules and learning goals, but also through morning introduction
facilitated by the AT. For example, every Monday morning the AT would ask the
students about their weekend and students would take turns telling the class about
their experience. After any event in the media for instance, when Mr. Trump was
elected, there was a discussion with the students in the before the class allowing the
students to speak their opinion and hear the opinion of their classmates.

- The AT would meet students at the door to the classroom and kindly great the
students. She would ask them how they are, if they had missed class for an illness
how they were feeling and it was clear the students responded well to her interest.
Sometimes a good morning was all it took to place a smile on her students face.
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9.

What steps (e.g. school-wide playground initiatives) are being taken in the school
and/or classroom to foster positive relationships? To educate students about well
being?

- Each morning students would respectfully listen to the announcements. The high
school did a great job of incorporating the Hub into high school events, for example,
the basketball buyout and cheerleading tryouts. This was a way to build positive
relationships among the students. Furthermore, there were various clubs or groups
that students were able to join that were considered high school clubs.

- There was a Girls Group that would come together every Thursday. Any of the female
students in the Hub were able to participate in activities designed to bring girls
together and build on their confidence and comfort.
- The school came together to raise monetary donations as well as gather food around
Christmas for a local food drive.

- There was a wonderful breakfast program that staff would take turns running in the
morning. It was a relief for both students and teachers knowing that stomachs were
full and students were ready for learning each morning.

Lesson Observations

When you teach, all of the teaching/learning components that you have been observing will
be interacting. The way in which they interact will determine how effective your lessons will
be. Note how your associate teacher brings them all together.

While observing your AT during lessons, answer the following (some questions may not be
applicable):

10. How does the AT begin lessons? What kinds of hooks or minds on practices
does s/he use to engage learners? How does s/he incorporate students interests
and tap into previous learning?

- To start lessons, the AT would ask students about their weekend or discuss any
current events that may have occurred. She would also give students time to read
silently as this was a good way for students to slowly wake up to be ready to
participate in class.

- Hooks or minds on activities included some intro discussion about topics to gather
general knowledge. For example, we used a samurai V ninja discussion to work on
our opinion writing skills as a class. Students were able to use their personal
knowledge as well as a short reading to form and defend an opinion. This was a great
way to interest students to harness their learning. My AT would incorporate different
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types of media such as short videos or movie clips as well as social media to connect
with students on a daily basis. Students also enjoyed apps such as Kahoot to test
their knowledge in a fun way.

- Generally, for language writing tasks, it was important to allow students to write
about topics that interested them. This would enhance their focus and level of
comprehension in a task and allow students to focus on different aspects of their
writing, for instance spelling and grammar or using transition words throughout their
paper.

- During math, my AT would always start with mental math warmup this was geared
towards boosting the students confidence through providing easy and then more
challenging general math problems before continuing with the unit at hand.

- Another interesting thing I observed in math class was how the AT would allow
students to discover concepts in class rather than lecturing and hoping students
memorize what she had said. For instance, using string to explore cylinders (radius,
circumference, pi, diameter).

11. How long is the instructional part (presentation) of a lesson? What sort of
activities are included to promote student engagement (e.g. pair/group work)?

- There was less instruction time in class (10-20 minutes) and more time for students
to work independently or in groups. The AT would constantly be encouraging
students to participate in class discussion to enhance engagement as well as groups
work. Think-pair-share was used regularly, and my AT would also ask students
questions that she was aware they would know the answer to, in order to get them
talking and feeling confident.

- Activities that involved students interests (i.e., social media, current events, etc.)
were a great way to promote student engagement. Furthermore, activates that got
students moving and out of their seats also assisted with student engagement.
Scavenger hunts as well as activities that involved students moving around the room
and writing on chart paper, were all tool used in the classroom.

- Another way the teacher enhanced class participation was through encouraging
students that there is nothing wrong with trying and we can work together to find the
correct answer. This made students feel safe in the learning environment and would
increase participation.

12. How does the AT close/consolidate lessons? Share examples.

- My AT would use exit cards often at the end class. It was a great means to touch base
with students to test their understanding with a question, or simply to ask a general
question. For example, she would ask how are you feeling about circumference.
Students would respond with a happy face, sad face, or straight face to express their
level of confidence. This would serve as a means for the AT to evaluate if she should
move on with other content or hold back and try to teach the current topic in a
different way to meet the needs of her students.
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- She would also quickly inform the students what she would be working on for the
next day. Tomorrow we will be learning.

- My AT would express to the students that if they were feeling uncomfortable about
anything we were covering not to hesitate to visit her at lunch.

13. How is the Ontario Curriculum reflected in the planning and teaching of the
lessons?
- The Ontario Curriculum was reflected through using a planning sheet titled A Week
at a Glance. Through using this sheet, Mrs. Marks was able to input her learning
goals, ensuring that they were reflective of Ontario Curriculum documents. She would
then be able to plan her lessons according to sections of the document that needed
to be completed. She would typically make these learning goals clear to the students
as well through verbally informing the students what the goal was or writing it down
on chart paper and posting it at the front of the classroom for reference. For example,
We are learning to write from different perspectives in order to better understand
text.

- I also noticed that curriculum documents were always close by. Mrs. Marks would plan
the order than she wanted to teach different sections goals and keep a check list of
things she had covered and still needed to cover. If another teacher in the Hub was
teaching the same subject, ATs would often plan together with activities to complete
throughout the unit.

- Mrs. Marks also made an effort to be in contact with high school teachers regarding
what materials, specifically in math, was more important for students to know. This
way she was best preparing students for what they would be taught in the coming
years.

14. How does the AT encourage participation of all students and promote higher
levels of student thinking?
- Mrs. Marks would consistently aim to have her students participating in class. She
would ask questions and wait for responses, without rushing students to respond. If
the students were being shy, she would incorporate small group collaboration into
the mix, in order for students to start talking and create a group answer to her
question. Sometimes, my AT would allow students to talk with their elbow partners,
other times she would create groups that ranged in skill level so the students could
teach each other concepts.

- Questions would sometimes be asked knowing that the students knew the answer in
order to have hands fly up and students build their confidence for speaking in from of
their peers. Mrs. Marks was great about responding to incorrect answers, rather than
saying no she would respond with interesting, or no quite, which is easier
on the kids. It was clear that speaking in front of the class was something many of
the students did not feel comfortable with, so this technique would help keep their
confidence high.

- Another way my AT engaged the students was through allowing them to come up to
the front of the classroom and write on the SmartBoard. Students loved this!

- To promote high levels of thinking my AT would leave student thinking on questions

they are struggling to solve. She would touch base on the same questions the next
class to see if the students had thought more on the topic. This was great because
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the students would get competitive with their responses. Informing the teacher when
they had determined the correct answer.

15. What types of questions does the AT ask during lessons? How does s/he get
students to listen/respond to each others ideas? Provide examples.

- Typically, my AT would ask opinion based questions with no wrong answer, or

questions of common knowledge as a means to get conversation flowing in the
classroom. Students usually responded well to this.

- In language class we would often have group discussions. When students were
starting to get too chatty about a topic, Ms. Marks would say something like I cant
hear name which would get the students to settle down and listen to what the
student who raised their hand had to say.
- Often, Mrs. Marks would have students participate in activities that encouraged them
to listen respectful to their peers and respond. For instance, for Language class we
were working on forming and defending opinions. It was important for students to
respectfully listen to their peers in order to respond to their statement.

- My AT would demonstrate positive listening skills and responses to students. She

would add comments and questions to keep the conversation moving.

- Finally, my AT would encourage students to guess when they are unsure. She would
say things like there is no wrong answer.

- Questions posed in class were to aid students getting to conclusions on their own.

16. How are technology and/or manipulatives used to engage students and
support their understandings? Provide examples.
- Technology was use frequently in the classroom, this would include: SmartBoards,
student cell phones, computers, and iPad. Using computers was a great means to
test a students comprehension rather than writing skills. It is also a positive
reinforcement tool for writing and grammatical skill development.

- Applications the allowed for collaboration or quizzes were a hit with the kids. It got
them thinking about the topic and competitive with their peers.

- Manipulatives were used in language as well as in math class. A hands on approach

was a great way to have students think differently about their learning. Manipulatives
used included: newspapers, geoboards, string, and shapes.

17. How does the AT alter content, delivery and product to meet different
students needs?

- Ways in which content was altered included stopping a lesson when students were
clearly not grasping an important concept. She would go back and reteach that
concept, allowing students time to practice and feel good about it before moving
forward.

- Often, it was difficult to keep students at the same level of understanding, for
instance in math, due to the high number of student absences. My AT would keep a
folder at the front of the class with worksheets of varying levels and when students
did make their way to class she would give them work that was at their level, not
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necessarily where the class was at, in order for them to build their foundation and
eventually catch up to the class.

- Sometimes there would be larger groups of varying understanding in the classroom.

Ms. Marks would group students depending their level of understanding of content in
order to have students help each other and to keep moving from one topic to the
next.

- For some students it was important to be in a quiet working space in order to

complete work and focus. My AT would use the Hub as a quiet space for students.
Others worked best in small groups, and it was important to keep them on task.

- Students were allowed to type or write their language responses depending on what
was most comfortable to them.

- During reading tasks, for students with reading IEPs my AT would read out loud with
students or have them read to her, in order to get them through the comprehension
aspect of the paper so they could focus on the writing aspect they were being
assessed on.

18. Observe learners while they are working on assignments. How does the AT
respond to students who appear to need help or seem to be struggling?

- The AT would meet students who raised their hands as well as students who
appeared to be struggling at their desk and crouch down to eye level with the
student. She would talk over ideas with them, build mind maps, and a plan of attack
for the task at hand. You would often see the AT walking around the classroom during
class work to ensure the students were focused and working to the best of their
ability.

- She would also invite students to meet her at the front desk to go over any questions
they may have.

19. What assessment strategies (as/for/of learning) does the AT use? Comment on
the nature of feedback given to students before/during/after task completion.

- Before a unit is started, or even a new topic within a unit, the AT will assess students
prior knowledge in that area. From example, before starting Area and Perimeter in
math class, she would assess what the students know about these topics.

- During the unit, the AT would commonly use exit slips to assess how the students
were doing, what they were understanding and what they were struggling with. This
was sometimes completed with a couple questions for students to answer before
they left class, or simply for them to inform the AT how they were feeling on a new
topic through a scale of one to three.

- Feedback to students before a task was typically leading off what they previous
learned from unit just completed. For example, the AT would move from opinion
writing to debate writing. She would provide the students with feedback about what
she liked/disliked about their opinion writing and how they would be able to apply this
to their debate writing. She should use this information to co-construct a rubric that
would be posted on the Smart Board for students to refer to.
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- During the task, the AT was constantly circulating through the classroom assisting
students with the work. She would tell them what she liked about their work first, and
then follow up with something that they could do to improve their work.

- After completion, the AT would use the co-constructed rubric to grade the students
work. She would write a positive comment on the rubric as well encouraging
comments to students. For example, good work, keep working, awesome.
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Final Reflection

Introduction
My placement at Sir Winston Churchill CVI was indeed an eye opener. It was hard to
imagine that only a few weeks of class at Lakehead University would prepare me to be up in
front of a classroom teaching students, but it did. In my first semester teaching it was clearly
demonstrated that school and classroom environment, planning and evaluation, as well as
classroom management were imperative for an optimal learning environment for students
and teachers.

School and classroom climate

Placement really stressed the importance of school and classroom environment. It
was interesting being in the Hub at Churchill as we were transitioning students into high
school routine while being physically attached to a high school. In regards to school climate,
this created potential positive and negative situations for students. For example, students
were exposed to opportunities to hang out with older high school students, as well as feel
pressure to fit in or skip class. Being associated with the high school also resulted in positive
situations. For instance, the highschool incorporated the Hub into many clubs and sports
events. As much as being associated with the high school caused issues with behavior and
sparked natural curiosity of adolescent students, it also was an atmosphere that created
inclusion and support from older students as well.

Classroom climate was similar in structure to how we were prepared in classes prior
to placement. We spoke of how the look of the classroom can foster an environment for
growth. Bright colours as well as creating a sense of inclusion and safety were important
aspects to increase learning. Cengel and Turkoglu (2016) note that classroom climate is
dependent strongly on peer relations, especially for adolescents. They stress the significance
in understanding this concept as it is key to a students overall success and connection with
a classroom and school. Mrs. Marks had already created a classroom environment which
encouraged students to communicate and treat others with respect. She would often work
with students to co-construct tools for successful interactions and conversations in the
classroom. She would also constantly role model caring relationship with students which
aided in developing a high level of trust and respect in her classroom. Mrs. Marks would
greet students at the door in the morning with a smile on her face and it was clear the
students trusted her. She knew her students to the point that without words, she could tell
something was going on in a childs life and may be influencing their mood. She would then
be ready with whatever remedy they needed, whether it be time alone, working with music,
or sitting with a friend for a day.

Mrs. Marks truly created a safe and healthy classroom climate that supported optimal
growth and learning for her students. Through involvement and inclusion with high school
activities the grade eight class could feel safe and encouraged to show their skills and
talents both in the school and in the classroom environment.

Planning and evaluation

Planning in the classroom was enjoyable but also posed some challenges. I loved
coming up with creative activities to spark interest and enhance student learning. I felt a
sense of reward when my students were engaged and excited to learn in my classroom.
Attendance posed an issue for my class, which resulted in students sometimes not being on
a similar section in a unit. I was constantly trying to catch students up with material they
had missed. Furthermore, I was placed in a classroom with many students with IEPs. This
proved to add more difficulty in planning and fairly evaluating students based on their
specific needs. Strategies that I found useful included grouping students based on their level
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of understanding in the unit, co-constructing rubrics for success, as well as posting learning
goals. As the teacher, I was required to be aware of the negative stigma associated with
grouping students, which is important in maintaining a welcoming and safe learning
environment.

A teaching aid that we were introduced to through readings and class discussion was
incorporating tools to assess for understanding in the classroom. This came into use right
away and was invaluable. I am a huge fan of the exit box, thumbs up/down, as well as
think-pair-share. I utilized this in my classroom to not only assess for understanding of a
particular skill or new learning, but I also modified it to gain a sense of how students were
feeling. For example, I would have students use a smile, sad, or straight face to represent
how they were responding to a new concept that was being taught. Moreover, I would use
the thumbs up/down and think-pair-share techniques when I noticed my students were
being shy or disengaged. Furthermore, having students work in groups helped to foster
positive peer relationships in the classroom. It was important to create and maintain a
climate that permitted students to communicate with me openly and also allow me to assess
and plan how to adapt lessons.

Interestingly, when students in my classroom heard the word test they would
instantly shut down and almost refuse to try to complete a task. Alkharusi (2016) notes that
students will develop perceptions about classroom assessments, in this case written testing,
which can affect their academic achievement. In knowing this, it was important to assess
students fairly throughout a unit rather than placing unnecessary stress on a final written
test. It was also essential to incorporate written testing as a form of assessment not only to
prepare students for high school, but also so they could overcome their fear of testing in
knowing that it was not the only way they were being assessed. Through incorporating
different types of assessment and evaluation I was able to not only engage students, but
also enhance their learning through meeting their unique individual needs.

It can be seen that the classroom climate as well as planning and evaluation work
together to break or create an optimal learning environment for students and teachers. As
teachers, we need to be cognizant of how planning and assessment can be influenced in our
classrooms. Mrs. Marks did a great job of being aware of this as well as pointing out
situations to be considerate of in my future teaching career.

Classroom management
Classroom management was an area that is hard to feel adequately prepared for
before tackling your first placement. It has been previously noted by teacher candidates that
they frequently feel ill prepared from their teacher preparation programs for effective
classroom management strategies (Rabin & Smith, 2016). I was fortunate to be placed in a
classroom where mutual respect was already in place. Both students and teachers knew
what was expected of them. Mrs. Marks demonstrated many techniques to refocus students.
For instance, she could interrupt her lecture to briefly speak directly to a student about their
behaviour, move a student to a quiet working space in the classroom or Hub if they were
disrupting their peers, or in more severe cases, ask a student to leave the classroom. Giving
students the time to sit, on their own away from their classmates, gave them the
opportunity to calm down and think about their actions. Mrs. Marks would always follow up
with students individually or in groups to discuss the situation, settling the conflict. This was
a powerful mediating tool in developing relationships with students, teachers, and peers
while maintaining a positive school and classroom environment.

My greatest reward and improvement to classroom management skills was a result of

bonding with my students through sport. Prior to my placement, my teachers had all told me
to let your students get to know you. This was great advice. I was given the opportunity to
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Kalynn Chapman
teach my grade eights gym class moments before the class started in the first week of my
placement. Although this was my teachable, it was not one of the classes I was covering for
my placement. I said yes, although my brain was overloading trying to quickly plan what to
do with the students during the class. Once I got into the gym I jumped right in and
facilitated various games of low organization which got the students laughing and working
together with their peers. I noticed that I had bonded with not only the athletic students, but
also those with behavioural issues and learning disabilities. Students would greet me in the
halls, talk to me in class about sports and activities outside of school, and interestingly, they
really respected and listened to me when I told them they were off task in the classroom.
Through sport I had really connected with my students and they were able to see the side of
me that was fun and passionate about sports.

I found that being in the classroom was the best way to learn skills for classroom
management and how to deal with behavioural issues. It was important to be put on the
spot and try to deal with a situation, knowing that if needed, your AT would be there to back
you up. Placement really stressed the importance of letting your students get to know you
and developing a mutual respect with not only teachers but with peers as well. Through
letting my students get to know and trust me I fostered a positive classroom environment,
as well as respect in classroom management.

Conclusion
Placement really opened my eyes and confirmed that teaching is something that I
desire as a career. It is without a doubt that classroom climate, planning and evaluation,
along with classroom management are entwined to create a safe and caring learning
environment. Without one of these components the growth and learning of students is
diminished. As teachers we need to be conscious of how creating an environment that
supports growth is key to supporting positive classroom management, which can directly
affect how you plan and evaluate students. I have come away from my first placement with
many learnings and I look forward to my next opportunity to apply what I have absorbed and
continue in progressing towards my teaching career.
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Kalynn Chapman

Reference:

Alkharusi, H. h. (2016). Predicting Students' Academic Achievement:Contributions of

Perceptions of Classroom Assessment Tasks and Motivated Learning Strategies. Electronic
Journal Of Research In Educational Psychology, 14(3), 515-533.
doi:10.14204/ejrep.40.15177

engel, M. m., & Trkolu, A. a. (2016). Analysis through Hidden Curriculum of Peer Relations
in Two Different Classes with Positive and Negative Classroom Climates. Educational
Sciences: Theory & Practice, 16(6), 1893-1919. doi:10.12738/estp.2016.6.0103

Rabin, C., & Smith, G. (2016). My Lesson Plan Was Perfect Until I Tried to Teach: Care Ethics
Into Practice in Classroom Management. Jo urnal Of Research In Childhood
Education, 30(4), 600-617. doi:10.1080/02568543.2016.1214192