5 Classroom Management Strategies.
Now that I have completed my 2-week professional experience at Port Kennedy Primary School, it is time to reflect on how a classroom should look and feel like at the begging of the teaching year. Reflecting on what I have seen witnessed, I thought the experience was very insightful and important opportunity for me as a future teacher, it was good to witness strategies that were used by both my mentors in providing a safe learning environment for the students and the different strategies they used in their classrooms/lessons. Before my professional experience started we were asked to highlight and choose five of McDonald's teaching strategies that would be trialed, and see how effective they would be and most importantly if they were effective. Below are the results of these strategies I implemented while teaching:
A positive learning framework for classroom management - Aligned to AITSL Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning.
It is important as a teacher to know all your students so that you can cater and Meet all students’ needs, and make them feel like they belong in the classroom, involve all students in classroom activities. Developing a positive learning framework is important because it builds trust and connection between teacher and students and that is when learning occurs and is most effective. As a teacher, I have learnt that Planning ahead and in advanced and organisations for each individual’s needs, so learning is more effective in the classroom.
Connecting with students - Aligned to AITSL standard 1: Know students and how they learn.
It was very important for me as a teacher to create a classroom where student feel like they belong, and making the classroom welcoming through vibrant colours and students work around the classroom so that they can see they are being acknowledged for their work and feel like they belong in the classroom. Building a relationship and rapport with the students was very important, because by getting to know students and their interest teachers can build a trust in the classroom because you are showing an interest in what they have to say and caring about their opinions. By interacting and building that rapport I have developed an effective relationship with all the students in my classroom which made it easier to Establish rules routines and procedure because they are important, it creates a community feeling and makes students feel like they belong in the classroom environment. By getting to know the students I know where each student sits in different learning areas for example math, and English, and could group them accordingly. To keep my rapport and connections with the students I now volunteer once a week for the remainder of the year. This also gives me the opportunity to develop my teaching experience and also to see how they develop throughout the teaching year.
Developing safe and accountable classrooms - Aligned to AITSL Standard 4: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments.
I involved my students by working and engaged with students who have difficulty learning by interacting with the student and incorporating their interest into classroom lessons. I used lots of visual learning methods through picture diagrams, videos and online games where students could engage as a class. I believe it is also critical to build a relationship and communicate with parents/carers to create more effective ways to motivate the student both at home and in school, this could help create a safe and accountable classroom. Building connections and relationships with parents and carers gave me a good indication of why some students were behaving the way they were in the classroom. I was lucky enough to be involved in the first official parents meeting and staff’s meeting.
Cultural competency and classroom management - Aligned to AITSL Standard 7: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community.
The needs for cultural competency is important especially for a classroom and a country like Australia which is so diverse with a range of different religions and beliefs. Teachers need to be more aware and attentive in different situations involving student from a diverse background. Teachers need to know each and every one of their students, they could do this by talking and interacting with the parents and guardians, that is why communication with the wider community is so important. Interact with the parents and guardians and the wider community to get to know the student's background, in order to create a better learning environment and better classroom management strategies’. Teachers need to connect with aboriginal students and international students, they could also do this through learning their cultures and ways of learning and developing.
Proactive teaching behaviours - Aligned to AITSL Standard 6: Engage in professional learning.
Teaching in a quality learning environment, where the classroom is nice and vibrant and a welcoming environment, where students work is shown throughout the classroom, to show that their work is important and that they belong in the classroom community. Find different ways to engage students, get to know your students individually, in order to know their strengths and weaknesses. Establish classroom guidelines, rules and procedures for students to follow, this was implemented at the start of the school year and was very interesting to witness both my mentors establishing rules and guideline and what they expect of the students. Find ways to motivate students into classroom lessons, I used a lot of interactive games and questions on the interactive board to engage students in the classroom, also used lots of hands-on activities to end the lesson.
A positive learning framework for classroom management - Aligned to AITSL Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning.
It is important as a teacher to know all your students so that you can cater and Meet all students’ needs, and make them feel like they belong in the classroom, involve all students in classroom activities. Developing a positive learning framework is important because it builds trust and connection between teacher and students and that is when learning occurs and is most effective. As a teacher, I have learnt that Planning ahead and in advanced and organisations for each individual’s needs, so learning is more effective in the classroom.
Connecting with students - Aligned to AITSL standard 1: Know students and how they learn.
It was very important for me as a teacher to create a classroom where student feel like they belong, and making the classroom welcoming through vibrant colours and students work around the classroom so that they can see they are being acknowledged for their work and feel like they belong in the classroom. Building a relationship and rapport with the students was very important, because by getting to know students and their interest teachers can build a trust in the classroom because you are showing an interest in what they have to say and caring about their opinions. By interacting and building that rapport I have developed an effective relationship with all the students in my classroom which made it easier to Establish rules routines and procedure because they are important, it creates a community feeling and makes students feel like they belong in the classroom environment. By getting to know the students I know where each student sits in different learning areas for example math, and English, and could group them accordingly. To keep my rapport and connections with the students I now volunteer once a week for the remainder of the year. This also gives me the opportunity to develop my teaching experience and also to see how they develop throughout the teaching year.
Developing safe and accountable classrooms - Aligned to AITSL Standard 4: Create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments.
I involved my students by working and engaged with students who have difficulty learning by interacting with the student and incorporating their interest into classroom lessons. I used lots of visual learning methods through picture diagrams, videos and online games where students could engage as a class. I believe it is also critical to build a relationship and communicate with parents/carers to create more effective ways to motivate the student both at home and in school, this could help create a safe and accountable classroom. Building connections and relationships with parents and carers gave me a good indication of why some students were behaving the way they were in the classroom. I was lucky enough to be involved in the first official parents meeting and staff’s meeting.
Cultural competency and classroom management - Aligned to AITSL Standard 7: Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community.
The needs for cultural competency is important especially for a classroom and a country like Australia which is so diverse with a range of different religions and beliefs. Teachers need to be more aware and attentive in different situations involving student from a diverse background. Teachers need to know each and every one of their students, they could do this by talking and interacting with the parents and guardians, that is why communication with the wider community is so important. Interact with the parents and guardians and the wider community to get to know the student's background, in order to create a better learning environment and better classroom management strategies’. Teachers need to connect with aboriginal students and international students, they could also do this through learning their cultures and ways of learning and developing.
Proactive teaching behaviours - Aligned to AITSL Standard 6: Engage in professional learning.
Teaching in a quality learning environment, where the classroom is nice and vibrant and a welcoming environment, where students work is shown throughout the classroom, to show that their work is important and that they belong in the classroom community. Find different ways to engage students, get to know your students individually, in order to know their strengths and weaknesses. Establish classroom guidelines, rules and procedures for students to follow, this was implemented at the start of the school year and was very interesting to witness both my mentors establishing rules and guideline and what they expect of the students. Find ways to motivate students into classroom lessons, I used a lot of interactive games and questions on the interactive board to engage students in the classroom, also used lots of hands-on activities to end the lesson.