Practice Makes Perfect
Creating a Classroom CultureEducational environments are tricky things to set up, and designing one that will meet the needs, abilities, and interests of all learners is no easy task. My speaking personality is naturally upbeat, energetic, and positive, so finding a way to harness that into teaching has come naturally. At the same time, maintaining the positive energy can sometimes be difficult. In the face of alternately talkative and sleepy students with senioritis, I've had to dig deep this year to find some new classroom features to excite my students in their final days before graduation.
One of the new things I instituted this semester was a Class Competition. Rather than a marble jar which must be filled over the course of several weeks, the points tally system resets itself every week or two, with a new prize being offered every time. Prizes have ranged from cookies (as shown here) and brownies to a free five minutes at the end of class and listening to music during a test (a particular favorite). Classes get points for all students being present, getting silently to work on the bell ringer within one minute of the bell ringing, working quietly during independent practice, and whatever else I decide is worthy of a point (or taking away a point) on a given day! |
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Offering Opportunities
I have a lot of students who, no matter how many times I remind them about an assignment or ask them to come to tutoring for help, will not turn in all of their work. Because my seniors are getting down to the wire for grades and graduation, I took an in-their-face approach to helping them complete make-up work. Rather than hold missed assignments in a binder as I had for a year and a half, I spread every single assignment out over the tops of four book cases and handed out Missing Work sheets to each student. The effect was a buffet-style make-up work assembly line, where students could pick up their missing assignments to be completed and turned in for a late grade. While I wish it were the case that every one of my students completed every assignment every day, I still have students who will neglect to turn in assignments at the end of the class period. I have no previous years to which to compare it, but the appreciative remarks from my students said it all: this modification helped me meet my students' learning needs (or, at least their graduation requirements).
My students also know that, unless it is my duty week, I am available every day before and after school, they only need ask! I send Remind texts at least once a week, more frequently when large assignments are imminent, and about half of my students are signed up to receive my messages. During biweekly grade conferences, I make tutoring appointments with any students who are failing overall or have recently failed a test so that I can see with them individually and help clarify any confusion. Class time is not enough for some students, especially with as wide a range of learning abilities as I have in my classes. I allow all of my students to do corrections to every test and quiz for half credit back on the questions they missed, and most of my students are grade conscious and take advantage of this opportunity; however, I still have a select few who seem determined to fail. Engaging with them one-on-one is the only way to try to prevent their failure from happening.