As An Upper Level High School Mathematics Teacher, My Students

Findings from a recent Ofsted report have shown that low-level disruption in the classroom is causing pupils to potentially lose up to one hour of learning each day, and that this may have a detrimental impact on their life chances (Ofsted, 2014). Difficulties managing behavior is a commonly reported source of stress and burnout among teachers, and is resulting in a substantial number leaving the profession within 5 years (Ford et al, 2012). Disruptive behaviour is not only stressful for teachers, but it can be unsettling for pupils, can hinder pupils enjoyment of school and can prevent pupils from fulfilling their potential (Gorard, 2010). Although there has never been a time when all pupils behaved well, all of the time (Viser, 2005), it is important that teachers have a good understanding of the challenges they may face in the classroom, and are equipped with effective strategies to help them manage classroom behaviour. After all, effective behaviour management and discipline in schools is a crucial to ensuring academic success and a positive and safe learning environment (Luisellia et al, 2005).

By being firm with the students, Ms. Lindberg will reduce the rudeness these kids are giving her. You can’t be nice one minute and mean the next. Ms. Lindberg needs to be firm all the time. Raising your voice only further frustrates the teacher. She has to be relaxed but at the same time mean business. She cannot let her frustrations show. Ms. Lindberg needs to be sure to remain calm at all times. I think that if she feels her frustration showing, she could use breathing techniques to help her relax and calm herself down. While using breathing techniques to relax and being as firm as possible, Maggie should be able to be more confident that she has been in the past.

Heather, reminds me of those people who have book sense but no common sense, she fails to relate to her students on a personal level, and that shows in her poor performance ratings. Heather displays a lack of procedural knowledge, she needs to be sent to a specialized class that focuses on procedural, and she needs to have continuous performance evaluations so that she will know exactly what areas need improvement. Obviously, Heather is motivated when she is designing her training course, but she lacks motivation when it comes to interacting and answering questions. Therefore, her supervisor should sit in on a few of her classes and evaluate her in real time, then immediately talk to her afterwards. Heather’s primary focus is developing her training criteria. However, she needs to put as much emphasis on being able to answer specific questions, and pay attention to the feedback that she receives. Heather has no lack of technical knowledge, but she must improve her procedural knowledge which can help to bridge the disconnection between her training and response to her

For my Field Experience I chose to observe at Krahn Elementary which is a part of Klein Independent School District. After my approval, I was assigned to four teachers and their classrooms. I observed at Krahn Elementary on six Tuesdays between 15 September 2015 and 27 October 2015, and more or less followed the schedule that was given to me by the Assistant Principal Ms. Shannon Strole. From 8:30 am to 9:15 am I observed Ms. Judy Burkes, who is a third grade Math and Science teacher. Her classroom is comprised of twenty students which range from average to below average learners and a student with ADHD and another with autism. For most part of my observation, M. Burkes had been working with her students on fractions and multiple digits addition and subtraction. From 9:15 am to 10:30 am I observed Ms. Lisa Parker who is a Math co-teacher and resource teacher at Krahn Elementary for grades K-5. During my assigned time, Ms. Parker usually joined Mr. Duru’s fifth grade class of twenty three students as a co-teacher and when required would pull out a group of six students after initial instructions from Mr. Duru and would teach them the concepts separately at a slower pace. This particular group of students with special needs was mostly seen to be focusing more and more on mathematical word problems. These students were students with Learning disabilities, behavioral issues and one of them was a student with ADHD. From 10:30 am to 11:15, I was with Ms. Janice Bluhms, who is a

Whenever she receives an email from any of the teachers she usually replies it and asks questions related to what she could not understand (e.g.: Teacher, what does Rgds mean?) Although she is very motivated, during the lessons she prefers to be nominated for activities. Whenever talking to the teacher, she often asks for feedback and after making a mistake, she tries to say it again until she feels she understood it.

It is important for a teacher to challenge disruptive behaviour immediately and consistently. I feel by trying to make lessons enjoyable and providing work that helps students to achieve minimizes disruptive behaviour. The use of good communication by the teacher can also be a useful tool. This includes the use of the voice, phrasing, eye contact and body language. For example, using an assertive tone when making a request or physically positioning yourself near disruptive students.

A student named Jamie refuses to do her work. She is constantly talking and interrupting the other students and makes no effort to participate in class. The teacher has to constantly reprimand the student and it is causing less learning due to the interruptions within the classroom. She seems somewhat clear of the rules and procedures in the classroom, but is not motivated to follow them.

is a 5th­grade teacher, who in their second semester together, has run into a disruption problem

The initial gut reaction to the quality of Bridget’s assignments is shock and slightly insulted. Considering her performance previously in the class, the actions of Bridget would leave one assuming it was done out of desperation. What is believed could possibly account for her action are several situations. These situations could include, but not limited to, lack of time management, lack of understanding, fear of the grade she is accumulating due to the previous mediocre quality of her work, or also simply not wanting to do the work. Additionally, there could have been a family situation that resulted in Bridget not be able to complete the work. For these reasons continually genuine purposeful interaction with the students is essential. By the second week of the course a call would be made to Bridget to engage her in a conversation about the quality of her work and how to best support her to improve. As the adjunct, through this type of interaction it will be easier to determine the intention of Bridget.

As a prospective mathematics teacher, I want to make thinking visible to my students. I want them to be able to express their ideas and be able to elaborate on their answers. Two types of thinking I would like to promote in my classroom are critical and creative thinking because mathematics is a subject that involves both when it comes to problem solving. Critical and creative thinking promote higher levels of student engagement and involves opportunities to investigate skills and concepts in a much wider setting. I want to teach mathematics in a way that has meaning and relevance, rather than through boring isolated topics.

This shows that both Tasha and the student are being inconsiderate at first, then literal. The student is disrespecting and distracting the teacher so she can’t teach; the student is put to the corner. As for Tasha, she begs her mother not to watch Junior. This is showing she is inconsiderate, since her mom has to go to work and she doesn’t want to help. In addition, the student takes the teacher's command literally.

Kelsey is the youngest and least experienced member of our lab. She is unique because she is the only member of our group that belongs to the millennial generation. Her generation is well-known for not conforming to bureaucracy and organizational rules. This is where we have issues with Kelsey when it comes to working. She strives to live in a world where she makes her own rules and regulations and answers to no one. She displays passive aggressive behavior because, during meetings, she expresses strong agreement and appears cooperative, but she actually will not follow new procedures or policies. She will openly agree with the group, but then will not follow the new procedure or policy once we put it into place.

Initial thoughts: Ms. Rollison needs to understand that students behave differently which will require a different way to approach their behavior. In most cases, when a student is acting out it is due to something stressful they are experiencing. A young student does not communicate their wants and needs well, this causes them to express their emotion is not the best manner. When children need are not met they will misbehave more frequently. Therefore, Ms. Rollison will need to understand and have patience with the student because there is always a reason behind why the student is misbehaving.

As a substitute I know the feeling of a pecking order all too well. I am currently a long-term substitute in a high school, teaching tenth grade English. Two of the classes in my class load include inclusion courses. Within these classes I have another inclusion, or special education, teacher in the room as well. She is constantly trying to take the lead and providing incorrect information to the students. Some examples include, providing the incorrect homework sheet that I have assigned, not allowing a student a part in the reading we are working on, and trying to take away little achievements of the students.

During my observations in her classroom, I observed Reading/Writing and Math lessons. For her Reading/Writing lesson, she discussed cause and effect. She had a couple of examples displayed on the smart board. She read the sentence and called on students to answer specific questions relating to her lesson. Some students were eager to answer and others not so much.