Spring Break is over and we're in the home stretch, people! You can do it! You've almost survived your first (or another) year of teaching!
Here are two more classroom management strategies to get you through the last couple of months of school:
To download a printable version of the Increasing Student Engagement Reference Sheet, click here.
To download a printable version of the Proximity Praise Reference Sheet, click here.
I love using movement in kindergarten! My kids have a hard time sitting for more than one or two minutes. We incorporate brain breaks, or movement to help us learn. For example, we write our spelling words with a part of our body each morning. I also really love using technology. We read our books on our TV in our classroom. The students love seeing the words and pictures really large in front of them, and having a different voice help them read other than my own.
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I have been trying to use proximity praise and I am amazed at how well it works. Students have at least stopped to see why their neighbor is getting praise from me and often turned their not so stellar behavior into a better facsimile of their neighbor's behavior. It has been a good reminder to try to focus on positive behavior rather than negative behavior.
ReplyDeleteThroughout a lesson in literacy we are constantly moving and changing what we are doing. I have noticed that is helps to have mini lesson in my big lesson. I feels like we get a lot done and they are not just sitting in their desks listening to me talk the whole time.
ReplyDeleteI love using proximity. Students realize very quickly that I want to get them back on task. When I walk over to them I will tap on their book and place their back to where the class is. I usually only have to stay near them for a minute. It's a nice way to not interrupt the whole class.
ReplyDeleteI love using proximity praise. It works so well. One way I use it is by saying, "Red table is ready. Purple table is ready.." and then it helps the other tables get on task. The students notice that they need to get on task faster when I start saying who I notice is on task.
ReplyDeleteProximity praise works very well. If a student is off task, and their is another near by who is doing a great job that student will get all the praise and some sort of joke or surprise. It usually only takes a couple of time doing this and most everybody is on track. I also like using mini lessons to accomplish a larger task. I really enjoy having an over arching activity like a research project or some sort of craft that will tie everything together. Making the student aware of this keeps their engagement high especially if the get to choose the research topic related to the theme and/or how they present it to the class. If it's a craft and you let them know before hand, "we are doing x, so that we can do y craft. If you do not follow instructions then you will be doing z assignment instead." This keeps their focus because they want to participate and not be "the one".
ReplyDeleteI use proximity praise by praising students all around the classroom who are on task. Trying to choose different students but always coming back to those that are sitting by a struggling student. Most of time this helps but a few of the students don't get it even when the other students point out their behavior. I do like this one,and it is easy to use. It also gives me a break by focusing my attention on the positive things that are happening in class.
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