Blog 3 Classroom management strategies and materials

Hello everyone ✌

For this new entry, I'm going to cover two different topics relate to way a teacher develops their materials and manage their classroom. Firstly, I will write about class materials and the different possibilities they offer to create a more interactive, engaging and autonomous English learning experience for students. Then, I will write about classroom management and its role in the creation of routines and safe practices to ensure participation, respect and inclusiveness in a English classroom environment. Finally, I will give examples of how they were seen in my English classes at the colombo and what are my takes and observations on them. 

The two guiding questions for this entry are:

What tools, apps, or websites have your team teacher used in class to create materials or activities, and how did students respond to them?

What classroom management strategies have you observed in your assigned classes, and would you consider trying a different one?

Activities and Materials:

The first topic is the creation here is the creation and use of materials, which refers to the usage of different kinds of tools, websites or apps as way of innovating lessons and appeal to the raising recent necessity of using technology to make lessons more attractive and engaging for students. For example, the use of online apps like Kahoot or Nearpod, the creation of virtual classrooms like Classdojo or even gamificating. 

To give a more specific example for this part, I'm going to talk about one interesting app that discover in my midweek training called H5P. This website is an open source in which teachers can create and share online interactive activities for their students. There is about 46 different activities that vary between filling the blanks, drag and drop, listening exercise, pairing etc. The importance of this exercises is that they can serve as an autonomous practice for the students outside the classroom and serve as an engaging opportunity for students to reinforce the knowledge the have on the language.

Classroom management: routines, respect and safe environments

Classroom management refers to all the kinds of strategies and practices to create a positive and safe classroom environment for students and teachers, while creating a classroom culture to minimize disrupting practices and maximize the engagement and learning practices of the students. Some classroom management strategies include the creation of expectations and rules that highlight respect and inclusiveness, the implementation of turn and talk strategies, the development, modelling and enforcement of routines, and the use of attention getters and correction. For example, when a teacher needs attention from the students after and activity when they were talking, the teacher can use an attention getter like 1-2-3 eyes on me and the students reply 1-2 eyes on you. If a student isn't looking at the teacher, the teacher can use a correction like "I see someone is not looking."

What activities did the teacher implement and what where the reaction of the students?

During the first class, which was TB1 1.3, the teacher used primarily a presentation made in Canva in which all the links and activities where put. The presentation was really engaging related to the topic of  technology and household chores in the future. During the class, the teacher presented 2 YouTube video, one was a reportage about household and gender and the second one was a 5 min silenced short about technology. In both cases the students were paying attention to the videos and they seemed they enjoyed them because they shared their takes and opinions on them. Also, the teacher used a word wall activity in which students had to drag indefinite articles and put them in their corresponding column (thing, person, place). The students reacted positively to the activity and really enjoyed it. 

During the second class, which was TB1 1.1, the teacher also used a Canva presentation themed around food as the main material in the class. In this calls the teacher also used a Youtube video about American kids eating foreign foods and students had to take notes on adjectives and foods. In this class the teacher used a Kahoot and students played in pairs. The kahoot was about food vocabulary and students had to choose the right answer. All the students love the game and had fun playing them. They even laughed and shouted. Also, the teacher used a LiveWorksheets activity in which students had to complete with the comparative and superlative version of some adjectives.

Reflection:

Personally, I believe the websites and tools the teacher used for the classes were appropriated and correctly addressed to the students. The YouTube videos appeal to visual learners and help student to work on their autonomy and critical thinking about the theme of the videos. Maybe, I would have selected a different one for the first class, because I think it is difficult to have the students attention to the whole video. Plus, the video is from 2012 and I think there are more options adapted to the technological advancement of today. About the worksheets and the word wall activities, they are really interactive and have different modalities for students to practice and have fun. The same type of activities can be found in different platforms, such as H5P, which choose the variety and adaptability of these platforms for in class ant outside class activities. Finally, regarding the Kahoot. I'm a fan of these competitive games because students, specially teens, enjoy competing to show their knowledge. Even if these games have more than 10 years of being released, they are still a good tool to promote learning. Nowadays, access to internet allows us to create more engaging and useful tools and activities to promote students learning and I'm sure their a great support to make more dynamic and enjoyable classes.

What classroom management activities I was able to observed in class? What others I would include?

In the first class, the teacher already has a routine. The students have their assigned seat and way for the class to start. Sometimes they talk but they do it quietly. Then when the class starts the students pay attention and listen. Most of the students arrive on time, but if someone arrives late, the teacher asks the students to bring candy for the next class. During the development of the session the teacher, specially for the communication activities, likes to do modeling and use the technique of turn and talk. Me and the teacher act the expected interaction and then the students have turns to talk and make an intervention. The teacher tries to make everyone participate at least once, but there are some students that don't participate. In general, the class is calm but sometimes students continue talking, so the teacher simply says shhh and waits until there is silence. As a curious thing, there is one student who is a little too energetic and sometimes talks more and interrupts. The mother told us to keep an eye on him an report any inconvenience. We see that the energy is focus on the class and he is really paying attention, so we consider that we can respect his behaviour as long as it doesn't affect the class. 

In the second class, there is not a set routine as we have changed classrooms. Normally students arrive and seat, but during the last sessions some students continue arriving 5 or 10 minutes late. If someone arrives late, the teacher asks the students to bring candy for the next class.As the other class the teacher likes to do modeling for students to participate, using the turn and talk technique. This course is smaller so everyone gets to participate at least once, but there are some students that don't want to talk. In general, the class is really attentive and there is not necessity of using attention getters, but if it happens, the teacher says shh and waits. As a curious thing, there are two students that are cousins, so the mother of one of them warned the teacher to don't make them sit all the time together to avoid interruptions. Nonetheless, nothing happened last class, so for now there is no need to rearrange seats. 

What would I do?

I think that for both courses two thinks I would definitely do are adding a clear attention getter and apply more effectively the "what to do cycle". First, I would set with the students an attention getter we all agree like: 1-2-3 eyes on me, waterfall or wolf pack. In that way students would create a routine in which everytime I use the attention getter they would instantly pay attention. Regarding the what to do Cycle, besides the modeling, I would create more clear and observable instructions so I can make sure they know what to do, and I would add the why they are doing this activity. Then, as the teacher does I will pass by the students an check what they are doing. Finally, I will praise or correct depending on if the students are doing what they were told or not.

Reflection:

I believe that routines and classroom management are essential in case you want to make sure a certain culture and patterns are follow for the attaining of the objectives. In the case of my classes, students already have self-control and know when it's time to talk and paying attention. Likewise, I think the culture of my classes it's very healthy. We as teachers make sure to keep a respectful and inclusive environment for all. We take care of making clear instructions and to moderate in case a student misbehaves or interrupts the class.

Next week:

For the next entry I don't even know what topic, so it will be a surprise for everyone.

See you next time!!!