Sarah Cordes

TED 570 Fall 2019

Classroom Management Journal Reflection
Final Reflections Due Class 4
Based off of your field experience, describe and reflection on the following:
Area of Focus #1- Students Talking
Describe the challenges you have faced in this area of classroom management. Why do you
think this is an area of challenge? What are some things you plan on trying in the future to help
remedy the challenge? Describe at least two concrete strategies you are going to try based on
the feedback you received from colleagues, supervisor(s), and/or your cooperating teacher(s).

One area that challenges me is students’ talking while others are talking and during silent work
times. Many of the students talk to each other during their silent work times, even when given
reminders that the activity should be silent, or at a whisper. Many of the students have been
talked to about working silently, given multiple reminders, etc., but they continue to talk to
each other. Students also talk while other students are talking or a teacher is talking. I remind
the students to work silently or not to talk while another person is talking. Conversations have
been had with students who continue to do this. If students continue to talk after several
reminders, they have a Class Dojo point taken away. I think in the future I will try separating
the students who are talking in the hope that will help them. I also will have conversations with
the students who we are continuing to have challenges with their talking during silent work
time and/or when another person is talking.

Area of Focus #2- Transitions to Recesses and Lunch

Describe the challenges you have faced in this area. Why do you think this is an area of
challenge? What are some things you plan on trying in the future to help remedy the challenge?
Describe at least two concrete strategies you are going to try based on the feedback you
received from colleagues, supervisor(s), and/or your cooperating teacher(s).
Transitions into recess/lunch always prove a challenge. When lining up for recess/lunch, we
have a student call ‘quiet tables’ to line up. The problem is when they get to the line they begin
talking and messing around. We remind them to set a good example for others and not talk, but
they continue to do so. When lining up for recess/lunch, I will remind students of the proper
way they should line up-quietly, in their specific lines, no pushing, etc. Showing students again
may also help them. I will also try more praising of students who are behaving the way they
should in line; this may also help others to see a model of what they should do.

Area of Focus #3 - Transitions within Lessons

Describe the challenges you have faced in this area. Why do you think this is an area of
challenge? What are some things you plan on trying in the future to help remedy the challenge?
Describe at least two concrete strategies you are going to try based on the feedback you
received from colleagues, supervisor(s), and/or your cooperating teacher(s).
I’ve been having issues with the transitions within my lessons. One issue is that when I dismiss
the students to go from the carpet to their desks or desks to the carpet, the noise level increases
dramatically. I normally ask students to quietly go to their desks/carpet, but by the time they
get there, they are no longer quiet. It becomes difficult for them to refocus after the transition.
My time spent getting the screen/doc cam prepared and handing out materials also takes up
time, which then results in the class getting distracted, and it is becoming more difficult to
refocus them. One strategy I’m going to try is to ask students to go to their desks/seats
“silently” as opposed to “quietly.” My supervisor suggested the change in language because
students have a very different understanding of both words However, if they’re in the
classroom and transitioning, I feel asking them to be ‘silent’ isn’t necessary. My CT has used a
voice level measure, and I might use that next time. In terms of getting materials handed out, I
can have students hand them out, rather than me doing it. I should probably have the doc cam
and screen ready before I need them as well.

Area of Focus #4- Keeping Students Focused/Refocusing

Describe the challenges you have faced in this area. Why do you think this is an area of
challenge? What are some things you plan on trying in the future to help remedy the challenge?
Describe at least two concrete strategies you are going to try based on the feedback you
received from colleagues, supervisor(s), and/or your cooperating teacher(s).
I’ve been having trouble keeping students focused during lessons and refocusing them after
transitions. I think my students having trouble remaining focused during lessons is a result of a
couple things. First, I think they lose interest in the lesson and want to move on to the next
thing. Second, I think the lessons might be too long. To help keep them more focused, I think I
need to get better at reading the class in order to know when it’s time to move on, rather than
trying to get through everything. I think I will also try to give them more brain/activity breaks.
This can help them have a short break, while helping them to focus more afterwards. As I
stated before, I have trouble refocusing students after transitioning within a lesson. Students
begin talking or get focused on something else, so bringing them back to attention is more
difficult. Before the transition, I need to be more explicit about the behavior I expect while
they transition, as well as my expectation of what they are to do when they get to their desks or
the carpet. I think I also need new call-and-response ideas. The ones I’ve been doing seem to
be getting old, so I think that using new ones may help. My CT has been using a couple new
ones, and I’ve been trying to use those as well. I should research more and introduce those to
the class. Having new call and response may help to refocus them because the old one are more
like muscle memory, so they don’t really seem to be working because students do them out of
habit.