Emma Hartz

Journal #2

During my observations, I have noticed that my C.T. uses a lot of different classroom

management strategies. Different strategies work with different students and some dont work at

all. The beginning of the year is used to try different management strategies to see how students

respond to them and what strategies work best for each individual student and the entire class as

a whole. I think this is a good process instead of trying different strategies throughout the year

because it develops more of a routine for the students and as a teacher, you can have the best

management of your class in the best ways possible. I have seen a variety of management

strategies throughout the semester but my C.T. has selected a few that work really well in the

classroom and focuses on using these strategies every day.

One management strategy I have seen used in the classroom a lot is the class yes

response. The teacher says class and the students have to reply in the same manner as the teacher

and then need to be silent. This helps bring the class back into focus if the students are not on

task. The call and response helps students get focused and pay attention so the teacher can tell

them to stay focused and get back on track. This strategy is also good for if the class is being too

loud or if the teacher needs to get the classes attention quickly to tell them important information

or give reminders. The students respond very well to this strategy. They know what is expected

of them and students do exactly what is asked.

Another strategy I have seen that works well in the classroom is having a morning

meeting. In the meeting the teacher talks about what activities are planned for the day in the

classroom and also outside of the classroom so students know what to expect and what their
expectations are for the day. This helps students to be better prepared for whats coming up in

the day and can take initiative for their own learning. This also helps class to run smoothly and

allows for transition times to be minimal. During the meeting students are also able to share

about things going on in their lives. This helps build relationships in the classroom but also

allows students to feel like they are valued. This also allows students to keep side conversations

about their lives or experiences throughout the day because they talked about it a lot during

morning meeting, which helps keep students on task. So not every student is talking at once, C.T.

uses popsicle sticks to draw students names who can then share. Every student gets a chance and

doesnt get interrupted. This helps make students feel appreciated and makes them feel loved

because people are actually listening to what they have to say.

During transitions, C.T. counts down from ten to get students moving faster to allow for

more time for learning. This really helps kids to transition quickly and efficiently. Students

respond very well. They listen and most of the time they feel bad for not getting to the carpet in

ten seconds. Also during transitions C.T. tells students to tip-toe quickly and quietly. This helps

students stay focused on the learning task during transitioning and helps keep the students

focused on transitioning effectively. These are great ways to make transition times less

distracting for students and to provide more time for learning.

I have experienced many more classroom management strategies in the classroom but

these are the ones the students respond the best to and have the most impact in the classroom.

These are great strategies to use in the classroom if a class is very talkative or has trouble

transitioning. I cant wait to try these different strategies in my future classroom and find my

own strategies to use to better fit my classroom and my students.