I Dreamed a Dream My Class Was Calm

My Dream Class Layout

My art classroom will have a community area, group work areas, and an individual "distraction free zone". Sinks, drying racks, and art supplies will be stored along the walls in easily accessible (and easily reorganized) bins.

We will begin each class seated on the community rug. Here we will start the class with a brief classroom share and tell (How was your weekend? How is everyone? Did anyone have any exciting art adventures this weekend?). If students are in a particularly fidgety mood we might perform some "performance art" calisthenics to get the wiggles out.  We will discuss our lesson and goals for the day, reviewing any procedures or vocabulary that need clarification. This will give me an opportunity to estimate where each student is in their art experience, who might need extra help, who isn't grasping the concepts, etc. After students have an understanding of what they're expected to do next, they will be released to grab their work and proceed to their seats at the work tables. (Two groups will be asked to get their work first, while the other groups grab art materials. Once everyone has returned to their tables, they can switch.) Round tables allow groups to interact and collaborate on art pieces. Depending on the class atmosphere and how well everyone is working together, groups may or may not be changed periodically. Students will, however, be given a measure of self advocacy. If a student begins having issues with another student, they may ask to be switched to another group. There will be a period of quiet work time on projects. The day will end with a discussion wrap up and introduction of the next class's lesson.

The DFZ (distraction free zone) provides a quiet, isolated space for students. If a student is having a particularly bad day, is distracting or being distracted by another student, or just needs some alone time, they may ask, or be asked, to work in the DFZ. We had a separate room that served as the DFZ in my fifth grade classroom. It was nice to have an opportunity to remove myself from a situation in which I felt I was tending toward misbehavior. It was also an opportunity for our teachers to remove us when we were distracting other students, without embarrassing us with a visit to the Principal's office or exclusion in the hall. There were usually other students working silently in there, so it wasn't isolation so much as a quiet, introspective area.

I will be licensed to teach art in K-12 classroom, however I plan on interning at the elementary level, leading me to choose the Elementary Education case study In the study, students work in CLGs that change on a regular basis. Each child has an individual responsibility within their group. A student is causing issues within her group, leading to struggles within the CLG. Lissa becomes upset and disruptive when she is not awarded the task she wants.

 I do plan on using CLG groups at some point in my classroom for group presentations or projects, and I am more than likely going to run into a Lissa problem. Even by having students grouped together at tables where they must cooperate for space and materials, I am expecting to have some students with sharing issues and disruptive tendencies.

My first intervention with Lissa, would be to simply meet with the student briefly while the class was working. This wouldn't be a single-the-student-out-for-a-talk moment, as I plan on having regular in class discussions with all of my students regarding their work. I would just make a point to discuss with Lissa her actions. I'd inquire as to how her day was going and ask why she was having trouble working with the other students. I'd discuss the repercussions of her actions on the group and her own classroom experience. After reaching a behavioral agreement with the student, I'd ask her to go back to the seat. If the behavior continued I would ask Lissa to work in the DFZ for a period of time, until she was feeling less disruptive and could return to group work. If that didn't solve the issue, I would offer Lissa an alternative, less exciting activity (perhaps involving some writing and art analysis, yuck), and ask her to either make the extra effort to participate cooperatively in the group, or complete the alternative assignment. If that was not effective, I would meet again with Lissa after class and explain that if her behavior continues that I would need to call her parents and have a parent, teacher, student conference. I would work on a written behavioral agreement with her, outlining behavioral goals for her in class, which she would sign. If Lissa did not meet these goals, I would call in her parents, and we would revise the written behavior contract. Both Lissa and her parents would be asked to sign the agreement, and together we would continue to work on her actions in class, with weekly updates to her parents about her progress.

Helpful tips for procedures and packets to send out at the beginning of the year to help identify and set up classroom management with parents and students:
http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2010/07/24/classroom-management-strategy-first-days-of-school/

Motivation

The video above came from a study at MIT on motivation. I found it interesting in light of the current emphasis on standardized testing and teacher review. Its also a good example of adapting education: I would have a much harder time understanding the subject matter without the animation. This appeals to me, as I am a wholly visual learner.

I think keeping Behaviorist Theory in mind will certainly help me as a teach try to understand low motivation in students. Its easy to leap to the conclusion that a student is not paying attention because they are lazy or disinterested. However, if a student is in a situation where basic needs like sleep, food, shelter, or safety are not readily available to the child, they obviously are going to have more pressing concerns than the day's lesson.

I think it is also important to keep Attribution Theory in mind. As we read in the beginning of chapter eleven, when you can identify individual factors that contribute to a students lack of motivation, you can work with the student to change the way they consider those causes. When a student begins to take responsibility for their learning and changes their thinking from "I am not good at this"(stable, internal attribution) to "I can learn this" (unstable, learner controlled attribution), it is more likely that they will become intrinsically motivated to work on their assignments.

I found the discussion of Goal Theory relevant to my own current learning. I am much more of a performance goal learner than I am a learning goal centered student in most subjects. My main motivators in English, math, and history were grades. I've really only experienced intrinsic motivation in art (which is why my main focus is art education). However, for my special education license I am having to take a math education class. I have incredibly low self efficacy concerning this subject, its always been the one I've struggled the most with. However, after the discussion of learning goals, I am trying to change my thinking about this class. If I accept that failure is a part of learning, and that an active participation and pursuit of understanding in math education will most likely be more beneficial to my future students and myself than a singular concern with grades, I think I will find much more value in this class.

That being said, I think, as I mentioned earlier, its important to identify factors behind students' lack of motivation. If you can successfully determine these, you can work with the student to change the way they are thinking about the subject, you can add value and meaning to help them see the importance of the class, and you can help enrich their learning experience.

Adventure is out there: Jumping in to internship and the start of a teaching career

Hello,

I'm Maggie Miller, a senior in art education. I'll be interning next year. Along with working in an art classroom, I will also be working on a modified license in special education. They haven't had an art education intern try this before, so I'm in uncharted waters here. But I believe that excitement and innovation are integral to education.

In the spirit of Ellie, "Adventure is out there!"