Classroom Setup - Start Of The Year
- Introducing yourself/ setting up boundaries: names should be on the board and address yourself and introduce yourself to the class, and the rules and boundaries should be set after the introduction. develop a signal to begin winning students over by talking and interacting with students which will help you learn about them and build a relationship and trust in the classroom. Building a rapport with the students by getting to know them and setting clear and precise boundaries. Name tags should be printed out and given to students to stick on their desks.
- The 3 R’s: Respect, Responsibility and Resilience.
- Sort out folders and subject books: The books and folders should be sorted out before any classes begin, they should be done and completed on the first day of school, they first initially come into the classroom. Printed sheets of cover paper for students to colour in during free time, or for the fast finishers.
- Diagnostic tests: The first two weeks of term 1 is practically made up of diagnostics test, this will determine where the students are at and will help teachers create reading/spelling and maths groups in the classroom, this is established through the result of the diagnostics tasks taken by the students in the classroom.
- Structured and organised lessons: Lessons should be structured according to the SCASA and ACARA. The lesson should be taught in simple steps so all students understand the concept of the lesson, use visual and verbal cues to help explain what is being taught for the visual learner and the hands-on learners. Used interactive videos and games to keep the class engaged in the lesson. At the end of the lesson recall questions and things that were taught in the lesson to see what they have learnt.
- Collaboration:Collaboration and group work is a great way for students to get to know one another, collaboration is also helpful toward the low achieving students because high achieving students can help them and explain things to them, that they could not understand from the teacher. Creates a sense of community and welcoming environment.
- Professional development: The first initial two days of my professional experience included two professional development days, this was very interesting to witness and observe, it gave me the opportunity to collaborate and work with other teachers in the school.
- Parents and teachers meeting: Parents and teachers meeting was done in the first week of tern 1, my mentor developed a power point which explained thing that was unclear to parents, this gave parents the opportunity to ask question or things that were unclear to them, it also gave teachers an opportunity to meet parents and guardians of their students to discuss any illnesses to be aware of in their class.
- Open-minded: Be open-minded about the feedback and comments given by my mentors and take them into considerations for the next lesson that is to be taught. The comments gave me an opportunity to improve throughout my professional experience.
- Establish rules and routines of the classroom:
- Students will be respected if the same courtesy is shown towards the teacher.
- There is no talk when the teacher or another person in the room in talking.
- Dojo points as rewards and points were taken away if there are disrespect or behaviour issues in the classroom. 20 dojo students get 15mins free time to go on iPad or silent reading.
- Hands up when students want to speak and ask questions, there is no shouting out in the classroom.
- Water bottle and pencil cases on the floor so there are no distractions on the desk to fiddle with.