The Reflective Teacher: When Mrs. Breaux Is Happy...by Monica Breaux
Monica Breaux, who teaches first grade in an urban Louisiana school, was named her school's Teacher of the Year after her first year teaching.
Classroom management always has been one of my strengths. The class I have this year, however, has been a very difficult one for me to manage. Every strategy I've used for the past four years has undergone a major transformation. Techniques that have been successful with other classes have not worked with this class. Tasks that used to come easily to me now can be my biggest challenges. Every day, I come home from work totally exhausted.
Each semester, for the past four years, my former assistant principal and I have presented a classroom management seminar at Nicholls State University. The presentation is for student teachers who are just beginning to teach the lessons that will fulfill their 180-hour requirement. I discuss how to manage lining up for lunch, going to and from learning centers, sitting on the rug for shared reading or writing, sharpening pencils, writing headings on journal entries, and so on -- all the everyday routines and procedures in a first grade classroom.
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| Monica Breaux |
In the past, presenting information and offering advice about classroom routines, procedures, and rules has been very easy for me. I think that's because I've always experienced such great success with classroom management. This year has been quite a different experience for me, however!
This year, the students I have are very active and, I've noticed, many of their personalities clash. They just can’t seem to get along. They also love to yell out for anything! I've had to rearrange my seating chart several times -- and change learning center partners around many times. And we're only half way through the school year.
Most of my morning routines -- such as "Every Day Calendar Counts" and "Shared Reading and Shared Writing" -- have been switched around and revised to fit the demands of these students. I have to move through my calendar activities at a much quicker pace than I have ever done before. And now, when I model effective spelling and writing skills, instead of thinking aloud as I write, I have to pre-write my morning messages with specific skills located within the message. Sometimes, I feel as though my students are just bored with the very activities I feel are so necessary for developing their reading and writing skills.
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I've tried many different management approaches to curb the constant talking out and to deal with the students' inabilities to focus during important lessons. I've tried placing marbles in a jar. I've tried using the craft stick technique to call on students during discussions. I've tried writing down names to remind myself who had a turn to correct the morning message yesterday -- and who is due for a turn today. I've tried offering Friday popcorn as an incentive. I've even had six of my eighteen students on individual behavior management plans (which is really fun to keep track of on a daily basis).
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I have learned a valuable lesson with this class: I learned that every teacher must be able to adjust his or her classroom management techniques to fit the current situation; that rules, routines, and procedures must fit the needs of the students in the classroom today.
Of course, even with a class that's hard to manage, I love each one of my students. I return to the classroom each day, ready to greet them with a smile as they walk through the door. Recently, one of my little girls wrote the following message in her journal:
"I love Mrs. Breaux. I love to make Mrs. Breaux happy. 'Tangie, do you love to make Mrs. Breaux happy?' 'I do.' 'Malik, do you love to make Mrs. Breaux happy?' 'I do.' ... " ...and so on, through the entire class list!
And I know that, in their hearts, they do all love to make me happy!
Article by Monica Breaux
Education World®
Copyright © 2003 Education World
02/25/2003
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