307 & 435 - Blog 1

This month, I have had the opportunity to be in my clinical placement for two weeks.  I am SO excited and thankful to say that I absolutely LOVE my clinical placement!  I know that I have so very much to learn from my clinical educator(CE).  She has been extremely welcoming, and after just two weeks in her class, I feel like I have already learned so much!  The thing that I have learned most through being in her classroom thus far is how she manages things.  One learning experience we have already completed in EDUC 435 this semester about classroom management really pushed me to get to know the management practices in my CE's classroom.  I have learned various tactics to managing a classroom.  Another awesome part about being an extra hand in the first grade, is that I am occasionally asked to help other teachers.  This has given me the opportunity to see other classrooms and learn how those teachers manage their students.  I have gained so much knowledge about classroom and school management just from being in the schools the past two weeks!
I have been completing some outside research to assist me with my PDP for SSED 307.  I have one student in my classroom who struggles with ADHD and is currently unmedicated.  She has really  made keeping the classroom environment focused quite a challenge lately.  I have spoken with my CE about constructing a behavior plan to motivate her to be more focused and aware of what is happening in the classroom.  So far, my research has consisted of speaking with two elementary teachers from two counties near my house.  I have gotten information about how these teachers have dealt with students who have ADD or ADHD in their classrooms.  I plan to continue finding web sources with more information, but these teachers who have actually dealt with the students were a wealth of knowledge!
In my clinical placement, I have found that my CE is an amazing facilitator of learning.  She is very good at paying attention to each of the students' needs at any moment of the day.  I have been fortunate to see my CE facilitating a learning environment that is productive for all students.  There are times when it is challenging for her because each student is so different and some students struggle with various needs.  I have seen various ways to reach students who are struggling readers or have an attention deficits.  There are small classroom management tactics that my CE uses that keep all students involved and working hard.  One tactic is that she walks around the room during work and assists students as needed, whether that is through helping them focus or helping them with math or reading.  My CE is an active participant in her students' learning and I believe that is one of the best ways to facilitate learning.
In my future classroom, I plan to use many of the tactics I have learned thus far in my clinical experiences.  My favorite things I have learned have to do with classroom management and facilitating learning.  I believe these are two "superpowers" my CE has mastered.  My two favorite classroom management tactics that I have observed thus far are:
1. The clipping System: students are able to "clip up" or "clip down" throughout the day.  My favorite part about this system is that students can have an awful morning and still work their way back up to the "green zone" by the end of the day.  Each night, parents must sign planners and students are to write what zone they are in in the planners.  This motivates many students because this method of tracking behavior is a steady line of communication with parents.

2. The bookshelves:  All the students' text books and supplies are kept on the shelves that are located near their groups (students' desks are divided into groups of four).  These bookshelves give students a place to keep all their text books, journals, and other supplies.  This is a wonderful classroom management tool because it keeps students' desks so much more organized.  They also do not have the option to have out books and journals that they should not.  The books that are kept on the shelves are also in wonderful shape because they have never been beat about inside a desk.  Students are aware of the procedures that must take place in order for them to get their supplies between transitions.

In my future classroom, I would absolutely implement some systems either similar to or just like these!