Comments for Tips For New Teachers and Student Teachers http://successintheclassroom.com Practical help and successful strategies for new teachers Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:41:46 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on When Warnings Don’t Work – Taking Back Control of Your Classroom by Roderick Woodard http://successintheclassroom.com/when-warnings-dont-work-taking-back-control-of-your-classroom/#comment-5758 Roderick Woodard Tue, 20 Dec 2011 05:41:46 +0000 http://successintheclassroom.com/?p=737#comment-5758 Thank you so much for these tips! I plan to implement these when I return to school on January 2nd, 2012! Thank you so much for these tips! I plan to implement these when I return to school on January 2nd, 2012!

]]> Comment on When Warnings Don’t Work – Taking Back Control of Your Classroom by Sam http://successintheclassroom.com/when-warnings-dont-work-taking-back-control-of-your-classroom/#comment-5719 Sam Mon, 19 Dec 2011 06:28:28 +0000 http://successintheclassroom.com/?p=737#comment-5719 Hi Roderick, It's good to hear from you. The temptation to yell in class can be very big, but you have to fight that temptation at all costs. Raising your voice should be only at strategic moments that you - and not your students - choose. Here are some tips that I've used in the past: 1. Have a set discipline ladder. What happens when a student misbehaves? In what order? Warning? Lunch detention? After school detention? Phone call home? Admin referral? Whatever you decide, make sure your students are aware of the progression. 2. Make an example of one student. Pick the student who is the one causing the most disruption. Make him/her your focus. Call home on him. Make it clear that you won't let his/her poor behavior go on without some kind of consequence. 3. Do not try and teach over the noise. If you have to stop your lesson to deal with the disruption, stop the lesson. Focus on the one student giving you the most trouble. Give a stern warning (in a low, controlled voice), then when the class is quiet again, continue with the lesson. If it continues, stop and remove the student. Have him/her step outside of the classroom. Don't make a big deal out of it. Don't even watch him/her as he/she leaves. Once the class is quiet again, continue with the lesson. When you get some down time, go out and give the student a lecture, then allow him/her back into the class. The message you will send will be powerful. 3. Create engaging lessons. This is the best way to keep your class from making you want to raise your voice. This takes a lot of work and time. It will cost you some long hours preparing in the first few years, but you'll be creating lessons that you can use for years to come, and there will be less time needed to prepare in the future. Notice I said "less time" instead of "no time." Above all, keep from raising your voice. If you yell, then the students are in control of your class and not you. Good luck Roderick! You're going to be fine. Thanks, Sam Hi Roderick,
It’s good to hear from you.
The temptation to yell in class can be very big, but you have to fight that temptation at all costs. Raising your voice should be only at strategic moments that you – and not your students – choose.
Here are some tips that I’ve used in the past:
1. Have a set discipline ladder. What happens when a student misbehaves? In what order? Warning? Lunch detention? After school detention? Phone call home? Admin referral? Whatever you decide, make sure your students are aware of the progression.
2. Make an example of one student. Pick the student who is the one causing the most disruption. Make him/her your focus. Call home on him. Make it clear that you won’t let his/her poor behavior go on without some kind of consequence.
3. Do not try and teach over the noise. If you have to stop your lesson to deal with the disruption, stop the lesson. Focus on the one student giving you the most trouble. Give a stern warning (in a low, controlled voice), then when the class is quiet again, continue with the lesson. If it continues, stop and remove the student. Have him/her step outside of the classroom. Don’t make a big deal out of it. Don’t even watch him/her as he/she leaves. Once the class is quiet again, continue with the lesson. When you get some down time, go out and give the student a lecture, then allow him/her back into the class. The message you will send will be powerful.
3. Create engaging lessons. This is the best way to keep your class from making you want to raise your voice. This takes a lot of work and time. It will cost you some long hours preparing in the first few years, but you’ll be creating lessons that you can use for years to come, and there will be less time needed to prepare in the future. Notice I said “less time” instead of “no time.”

Above all, keep from raising your voice. If you yell, then the students are in control of your class and not you.

Good luck Roderick! You’re going to be fine.

Thanks,
Sam

]]> Comment on When Warnings Don’t Work – Taking Back Control of Your Classroom by Roderick Woodard http://successintheclassroom.com/when-warnings-dont-work-taking-back-control-of-your-classroom/#comment-5715 Roderick Woodard Mon, 19 Dec 2011 02:18:52 +0000 http://successintheclassroom.com/?p=737#comment-5715 I will be 25 years old in February and I've been working with students since I was 20, starting out with small groups of students in a reading program that was known as HOSTS, then I began working in Elementary and now I work with students in grades 6-8 and I have found myself not speaking in a controlled voice when giving them warnings or issuing consequences. I think you read my story before about wanting to become a teacher in the near future and I want to be the teacher that students come to for help, not the one the students are afraid to ask for help or talk to. I am in no way like this at home. I'm a very quiet person at home. What should I do? What would you recommend? I'm a very firm disciplinarian but I don't want to be portrayed as the "yeller". Signed, Roderick Woodard I will be 25 years old in February and I’ve been working with students since I was 20, starting out with small groups of students in a reading program that was known as HOSTS, then I began working in Elementary and now I work with students in grades 6-8 and I have found myself not speaking in a controlled voice when giving them warnings or issuing consequences. I think you read my story before about wanting to become a teacher in the near future and I want to be the teacher that students come to for help, not the one the students are afraid to ask for help or talk to. I am in no way like this at home. I’m a very quiet person at home. What should I do? What would you recommend? I’m a very firm disciplinarian but I don’t want to be portrayed as the “yeller”.

Signed,

Roderick Woodard

]]> Comment on Professional Dress For Teachers – Sending an Important Message by Sam http://successintheclassroom.com/professional-dress-teachers-sending-important-message/#comment-5272 Sam Tue, 06 Dec 2011 05:06:16 +0000 http://successintheclassroom.com/?p=944#comment-5272 Thank you for the comment BrightEyed. You're right. How you dress as a teacher should be influenced by the neighborhood and your commitment to do what's best for kids. Thanks again, Sam. Thank you for the comment BrightEyed. You’re right. How you dress as a teacher should be influenced by the neighborhood and your commitment to do what’s best for kids. Thanks again, Sam.

]]> Comment on Professional Dress For Teachers – Sending an Important Message by BrightEyed http://successintheclassroom.com/professional-dress-teachers-sending-important-message/#comment-5227 BrightEyed Mon, 05 Dec 2011 06:44:19 +0000 http://successintheclassroom.com/?p=944#comment-5227 Mark, I think what Sam was saying is that he dresses the part to as a message to his male Hispanic students. As a Black female (prospective) teacher, I plan to dress the part and give my Black female students something to aspire to as well. As a side note, a friend of mine relayed a story to me: The school where she taught had "Dress for Success Mondays" where the students dressed up. Teaching is in very many ways walking the walking as much as it is talking the talk. (FYI, she was also placed at a south side/ urban school) As a teacher, your professional disposition should be that the needs of your students come first, and that your own agenda shouldn't overly flavor your instruction (I hope it doesn't). If casual wear works with your students, kudos. You have not mentioned the SES of your students and the neighborhood in which you teach, or the level of your students, which plays a big part as well. Sorry to be so long winded. Thanks for the inspiring post, Sam! Mark,

I think what Sam was saying is that he dresses the part to as a message to his male Hispanic students. As a Black female (prospective) teacher, I plan to dress the part and give my Black female students something to aspire to as well.

As a side note, a friend of mine relayed a story to me: The school where she taught had “Dress for Success Mondays” where the students dressed up. Teaching is in very many ways walking the walking as much as it is talking the talk. (FYI, she was also placed at a south side/ urban school)

As a teacher, your professional disposition should be that the needs of your students come first, and that your own agenda shouldn’t overly flavor your instruction (I hope it doesn’t).

If casual wear works with your students, kudos. You have not mentioned the SES of your students and the neighborhood in which you teach, or the level of your students, which plays a big part as well.

Sorry to be so long winded. Thanks for the inspiring post, Sam!

]]> Comment on Principal Calling: Can You Recommend This Student Teacher? by Sam http://successintheclassroom.com/principal-callingcan-you-recommend-this-student-teacher/#comment-4312 Sam Fri, 11 Nov 2011 19:15:00 +0000 http://successintheclassroom.com/tipsfornewteachers/?p=159#comment-4312 Hello MissD, Thanks for the comment. Good luck in your job search. Keep what's best for kids as your main priority, and all your answers to the interview questions will be right. Sam Hello MissD,
Thanks for the comment. Good luck in your job search. Keep what’s best for kids as your main priority, and all your answers to the interview questions will be right.
Sam

]]> Comment on Principal Calling: Can You Recommend This Student Teacher? by MissD http://successintheclassroom.com/principal-callingcan-you-recommend-this-student-teacher/#comment-4287 MissD Fri, 11 Nov 2011 10:51:42 +0000 http://successintheclassroom.com/tipsfornewteachers/?p=159#comment-4287 Hi, thanks so much for this post. I'm currently looking for my first teaching post and had been wondering about this - what are school principals most interested in or concerned about when selecting prospective graduate teachers? I know that each principal will be a little different, but this has given me a little more insight. Thanks! Hi, thanks so much for this post. I’m currently looking for my first teaching post and had been wondering about this – what are school principals most interested in or concerned about when selecting prospective graduate teachers? I know that each principal will be a little different, but this has given me a little more insight. Thanks!

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]]> Comment on How To Let Parents Know What’s For Homework On A Daily Basis by New Teacher Help – A Roadmap | Tips For New Teachers and Student Teachers http://successintheclassroom.com/how-to-let-parents-know-whats-for-homework-on-a-daily-basis/#comment-4187 New Teacher Help – A Roadmap | Tips For New Teachers and Student Teachers Tue, 08 Nov 2011 20:57:43 +0000 http://successintheclassroom.com/wordpress/?p=55#comment-4187 [...] 1. How to Let Parents Know What’s for Homework [...] [...] 1. How to Let Parents Know What’s for Homework [...]

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