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I feel that it is important with all students, but especially English language leaners, to have fun play in their school day. My EL students are all learning both the English language and the content areas during the school day. This can be exhausting for them. I feel that by adding fun play into my teaching, I am still helping them learn, but in a different format. I find that fun play is motivating for my students and it helps them use the content knowledge. I have found this year that Reader’s Theater is an activity that my students love! They are practicing reading and working on fluency and are highly motivated to “perform” the story together.
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I begin my instruction every day by having the students review a skill. Many of my students will volunteer to answer the review questions, but I have a few students that are newer in the class that I need to encourage to answer. These newer students have a more limited English vocabulary. I will try to ask them a simplified question first to help build their confidence. This question will be something that I know that they are familiar with and are comfortable with. If they respond and get the question correct, I will respond by giving them a high five. After building their confidence a bit, my students will normally join in the classroom discussion. I have focused on making my classroom a safe place for learning to occur. I have worked to lower the affective filter so that all of my students feel comfortable to participate.
When I make a mistake, I take ownership of the situation. I accept my mistake and try to correct it. Sometimes in my classroom, I purposely make mistakes. I feel that it is important for my students to see that I do make mistakes and it is important for them to see how I handle the situation when I make a mistake. I want my students to see that it is okay to make a mistake and that everyone will make an occasional mistake. I also want them to see a positive way to handle a mistake. I will apologize and try to correct the situation. I feel that students need this model. They need to see how to respond to mistakes that they make and mistakes that others make.
One of my favorite teachers was my fifth grade teacher. On the first day of class, she was welcoming and asked us each questions about our lives. It was easy to tell that she was genuinely interested in the things we liked to do outside of school. Although she was very welcoming, she was also firm on that first day of school. After introductions, she explained her classroom rules and explained the consequences for not following them. During the school year, if a student would not follow the rules, then she would enforce the consequences. She stayed consistent the entire year. Time to time throughout the year, she would review the classroom rules and consequences. Each student in her room knew what was expected of them and what the repercussions would be if they did not adhered to the rules.
In contrast, I have observed a classroom where the teacher was not consistent with her rules and consequences. The teacher would be rather strict with one student and not so with another. This left the students in the classroom confused and without structure. The rules were never firmly stated, and the students did not know rules. This lack of structure was evident to anyone entering in the classroom. I am most concerned about my student with the initials AJ. This student has had an interrupted education, so he is still learning the rules of schools in the US. He attended school in a different country and the rules were very different. He struggles with listening to others and will interrupt others as they are speaking. He also has trouble with tattling on other students. I have trying to help him understand the rules in the classroom by modeling them and having him role play. This has helped some, but it is still a daily struggle. He does respond to consequences. He will become upset if he has reflection time during recess. He has grown since the beginning of the year, but still has a way to go!
When a student first misbehaves, I will give the student a warning by either looking at the student, saying the student’s name, or placing my hand on the student’s desk. I will show the student the behavior chart and show the student that he is now on warning. If the student continues, I will move the student down the behavior chart. I may change the student’s seat to a location closer to me and will see if that changes the behavior. If the student ends the class on the reflection part of the behavior chart, I will discuss his behavior with his homeroom teacher and will have him reflect for five minutes during recess.
In my classroom, I begin with a warning when a student does not follow a rule. If the behavior still continues, then the student will have a five-minute reflection time. The next consequence would be a phone call home to discuss the behavior with the student’s parents. The final consequence would be a visit to the office to discuss the behavior with the principal. I always begin with the mildest consequence and as needed will increase the consequences.
The students in my classroom worked together to create the classroom rules with some of my guidance. On the first day of school I introduced my students to classroom rules. For many of my ESOL students this was their first year in a US school. I used Dr. Jean’s “The Rules of the Classroom” song to help guide the students. After much review and practice, the students in my class now know all of the classroom rules that they need to follow. The process required much patience and modeling. The classroom rules are:
1. Follow Directions 2. Feet and Hands to Yourself 3. Small Voices in the Classroom 4. Work together in the Classroom 5. Raise your hand to speak I taught my procedures to my students during the first week of school. During the first few days, I spent the majority of my class time with my students going over the classroom procedures. I introduced the essential procedures such as how to enter the classroom, how to answer a question, how to ask to go to the bathroom, and how to leave the classroom on the first day of school. I had my students model the procedures as they were learned. I praise my students for their successes and redirected them when they were not following procedures. I still continue to review the classroom procedures daily with my students.
My students have had difficulty following the procedure of raising their hands to speak. My students are English Language Learners and have interrupted educations or no formal educations at all. Many of the classroom rules and procedures were new to them. My students are developing their English language and many times, they want to shout out an answer. I have been reviewing the procedure daily and have it listed on one of the walls in the classroom. I also have a procedure sheet on the table where we have our lessons. I have found that reviewing the procedures helps. I only address students that raise their hands to speak and praise the students that do raise their hands to speak. Over time, they have been following the procedure better, but still need to be reminded.
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