6-29-11 Classroom Blog
"Deficit Thinking" was a new phrase for me. However, upon further reading I discovered it's actually a phrase with a meaning that's long been prevalent and holding pervasive assumptions. Deficit thinking can be interpreted in educational terms as believing that students behave poorly and underachieve academically as a result of weak or neglected family support and/or, ineffective/patronizing/incompetent teachers.
As a new teacher, I reflected on my own effectiveness as a middle school teacher and my competence at managing 7th and 8th grade students in the classroom. I wish I could say with great confidence that I was effective in their learning and competent in classroom management. My heart and head desire is to connect with my students in their learning and to be able to reason with them as it relates to appropriate classroom behavior. Classroom management was a great challenge for me. My goal was and still is to have a similar experience like Mr. McIntyre at Shaker High School. For his entire 30+ years of teaching, he never sent any student to the office for disruptive classroom behavior. What is the key to this successful type of classroom management?
Perhaps one element of this success is the concept of “Bubbles” as described by Alex in class today. Kids love watching bubbles float in the air – adults can be distracted by them too. The Bubbles concept reminds teachers to be mindful of the fact that students get distracted, there are things going on in their lives that cause great distraction. We are all occasionally distracted by one thing or another – inside or outside the classroom: family matters at home, tense relationships with friends, personal illness, peer pressure, thunderstorms and lightening or a parade passing by the school. Being mindful of distractions allows the teacher flexibility to use such occasions as teachable life application moments.
Classroom management is my main concern. I do not have a definitive idea of how I will create a positive learning classroom environment. Behavior problems are social issues and I pray that I am able establish an atmosphere where my students are able to trust themselves and me. If anybody knows of a book or course or any resource that better addresses how to manage a classroom in terms of behavior problems please let me know. I have considered studying two areas to help me engage my students public speaking and comedy. Both great public speakers and great comedians are able to arrest the attention of there audiences. I know if I can master this area that I will have a very exciting and fulfilling teaching career.
ReplyDeleteSteve
I definitely am nervous about classroom management. I'm worried that I'll mismanage issues or will create too lax of an environment and will have all hell break loose every day. However, you make a good point that if we create an environment where our students feel trusting of both us and their peers, we can foster an environment that enables great conversations, open opinions, and a mutual understanding of the rules. I think it would be a good idea to start right off the bat with students and make it a comfortable environment. They should know where you're coming from, what you expect of them, and what they can do to learn best in your classroom. I really think that it will come from years of practice and changing it up when it doesn't work. The one thing I have to remember is to never let them see me sweat!
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