Professional Development on Classroom Management

During my time at American College of Education I have been working toward a degree in Curriculum and Instruction with a focus on classroom management. Through this program I have learned quite a few tips and tricks about how to improve my classroom management and have had success with some of those techniques. Therefore, I found it pertinent to create a professional development presentation based on classroom management. The focus is on communication and relationship building and how intentional planning can help. This professional development presentation has not been presented. However, it is designed for new/early career teachers and any veteran teachers who struggle with classroom management. It is designed to be given before the beginning of the school year, ideally during district mandated professional development. Attached is the link to the presentation, an interactive prezi.

Classroom Management Professional Development  

Capstone Update #3

IT'S DONE!!! Now for the scary part, actually sharing it. I've never led a professional development session before. I know the information is good, but do I have enough time for collaboration? Is it interactive enough? The time for second guessing is over.

Capstone Update #2

The end of grad school is quickly approaching. I am excited, but also nervous. There is still so much to do before the end, and school starts for teachers next week. That's a lot to do in a short amount of time coupled with the COVID-19 stress. BUT, I have made some progress on my capstone project. It's not complete yet, but I seem to have found my groove. I have been looking back at my past work trying to find the resources and quotes I want to include, changing the layout (constantly), and it seems like it is slowly but surely coming together. I still have a LONG way to go, but at least I've made a dent!

Capstone Update

So, here I am working on my stuff for grad school this week and I think I've got a great idea. I don't write it down because it's so good there's no way I will forget it. I finish the thing I was working on and get started on my capstone presentation. Now, I did NOT have the whole thing planned, just an idea of how I wanted to start it. So I'm working on prezi and I do NOT like new prezi, so by the time I give up fighting with that and just go to prezi classic I have forgotten what I wanted my second content slide to include. That means I have my title slide and my first content slide and that is it. I know I need to write things down or else I will forget, but apparently that lesson hasn't sunk in yet. Oh well. At least I go started. And if the idea comes back to me I can always move slides around.

Idea

So, I went back and looked over my posts from my class, when I had to write every week. Now, two in one day! *calm down self* But, looking back at those blogs gave me an idea for a possible focus for my original contribution. It's not fully developed yet, just the beginnings of an idea, but I think it might be good for me to focus on the importance of building relationships and/or the impact of specific, positive praise. Maybe. Or, I may panic myself out of this idea and into something else. Guess we'll wait and see.

It's Been a While

I started this blog because it was required as part of my grad school work for a specific class. But, once that class was over I stopped because why bother? It wasn't mandatory anymore, nobody other than my professor was reading it, and I wasn't sure how I felt about it anyway. Well, here I am at the end of my program and as part of my capstone work I have to make an original contribution that is a "unique project to support my field of study" which is not at all intimidating *sarcasm* I am super intimidate by this. I HATE open ended assignments like this. JUST GIVE ME SOME DIRECTIONS! Anyway, one of my options was to submit an article for publication in a professional journal. And while I LOVE the idea of being published I'm not sure that I have anything that would be interesting to anyone in the education community. My other options that I am considering are a multimedia presentation that I put on an online platform, which to me seems like it could be a facebook group that is specifically for educators. Or, I could create a blog post. So, I'm thinking of doing a combination of the two, create a blog, which check, already got. And post my multimedia presentation to my blog as well as to a facebook group or two. The issue is, 1- I still don't know what I want to contribute and 2- I have no idea how to add a powerpoint presentation to a blog. I guess I could always do a prezi and link it. Maybe that makes more sense. Anyway, I have about two weeks to get this figured out, so I figured I would brainstorm some ideas here, kind of as a track record of how this original contribution has evolved. So, wish me luck!

Module 4 - Contingency Plans

As a student I remember HATING the all or nothing approach to class rewards. I was on time. I did my work. And now we don't get the extra recess/pizza party/movie because ONE PERSON didn't do what they were supposed to? Now that I'm a teacher, I understand why; I still don't like it, but I find myself needing it occasionally. It's the same way in my personal life. I'm lactose intolerant; have been for over a decade. I know I can't eat dairy. I know what happens if I do. That's why I (usually) limit myself to dairy only on weekends (the occasional Hershey's Kiss does not count). As much as I do not like it; it's what's best so I do it. I hear my students when the complain about it being unfair, but sometimes it's necessary to use peer influence to instigate change. Because usually, peers have a bigger, more immediate, influence than I do. And that's okay.

Module 3 - Social Skills

Sometimes, I have bad days. I'm moody, temperamental, and don't want to talk to anyone. But, I get up and go to work because I have 130 kids who are depending on me. On those days, my best may not be as good as I want it to be, but I try to find something positive that I can grab and use to try to pull me out of my funk. And, if all else fails, I fall back on my manners and my social skills training to help me be polite and get through the day. Knowing that I have bad days helps to keep things in perspective when working with kids, because sometimes, they have bad days. But, because they are kids they may not have as much practice with their social skills as I do. But, what about the times when a kid isn't having a bad day, they are just making bad choices in the classroom? One thing I've had luck with is using specific positive praise. I have found that using this with my students, letting them know I see them making a good choice, does a lot for their behavior. Because of this I want to be more intentional with my specific positive praise. Because even when I'm having a bad day, being told something nice, given a compliment, or having my effort acknowledged goes a long way to improving my day. And if it can do that for me, I know it can work to help my students, bad day or not.

Module 2 - THAT Student

We have ALL experienced that kid. You know the one, the one who gets on your nerves from the very beginning. The one who you are convinced is making it their mission in life to make your life hard. Sometimes, you get lucky and only have one of those for your whole career. Sometimes, you are cursed blessed with one every year. I would bet that sometimes that kid really is trying to make your life hard for no reason other than that it amuses him/her. But, more than likely, that student ISN'T doing it on purpose. Instead, there is some underlying reason for their behavior. That reason could be school related, could be friend related, could be something that is happening at home, or it could be something that you, the teacher, are doing during the course of your instruction. The only way to find the truth is to actually look for the truth. Start questioning your interactions with the students, not that you don't do that already (insomnia much?). Truly, start with yourself and work out from there. Get to the root of the problem. You may just find that that kid is having a hard time and the manifestations of that hard time are what gets on your nerves. And who knows, that kid, may just help you become a better teacher because he/she has taught you how to self reflect, and how to find the root of the problem. Because, while it may be you, it might not be you either. And if you can figure out the why behind the behavior, you can start replacing the behavior with something that will benefit the student, and hopefully not get on your nerves!

Module 1 - RTI

Okay. So, I know that I am NOT the only one who gets a little overwhelmed at the thought of the RTI process. It's so much more paperwork! *crying* But, boy was I wrong. At, least I was wrong about it from the teachers end! First, we already collect so much data and that exact. same. data. can be used for this! Also, as a teacher all I have to do is fill out the very specific paperwork the RTI team send me. In my case, the paperwork comes from one of the amazing guidance counselors at my school. Yes, the fat stack of papers is a little daunting, and yes it takes some time to fill out. But, seriously? That's all I have to do! Fill out some paperwork. Easy-peasy. I already collect data. I can make a recommendation. I fill out the paperwork. Maybe attend a meeting. Maybe. I'm not a permanent member of the RTI team. I don't have to administer and evaluate all of the different tests the students take as part of the process. My part of this process is easy! That doesn't mean I won't complain about it, because paperwork. But at least I have a little bit of perspective now, when I do complain!