AEE 412 Weekly Writing #10: Classroom Management

It seems like common sense that in order to facilitate efficient and meaningful learning we must first nail down the concept of classroom management, right? But what factors must we consider to lead a positive classroom environment that will accomplish this? After completing the reading this week I have taken time to reflect on the biggest challenges I see myself facing.

Competency and Enthusiasm
When the teacher is competent in the subject area being taught, students are more apt to listen and pay attention. I think teacher interest comes into play with this as well. I know that when I teach a lesson on something I am interested in (swine, engines, etc.), students see my enthusiasm and reflect that enthusiasm. Students also know when that enthusiasm is fake and over the top. I think the key here is generating that authentic interest/enthusiasm for those subjects where it doesn’t come natural. Think about how teaching this information will help students be successful. If that doesn’t make you enthusiastic to teach, you are in the wrong profession.

https://flex.wisconsin.edu/blog/competency-based-education-what-it-is-how-its-different-and-why-it-matters-to-you/

Don’t be lame
When you teach interesting material in an engaging way, classroom management takes care of its self. I am not the most creative person in the world by far. However, I have been told that being creative is hard work, and it doesn’t come natural. I have seen this first hand while writing unit and lesson plans over the course of the semester. The great thing is, we are all on the same team. Other teachers are happy to share ideas and examples of what they have found to be successful. Ag educators are not afraid to show you their “playbook.” They will also “coach” you up when you aren’t sure how to manage the “team.”

Organization and Clarity
Students can become uneasy very quickly when they don’t know the who, what, when, where, how, and most importantly why. In the first couple of weeks, we need to establish a normal routine or procedure of operation. This helps the organization and clarity of what is expected. Students that understand and apply the normal operating procedure are less anxious and thus are more comfortable in learning new material. I think it is also important that we give students a voice in operating procedure. Showing students that we can be flexible (within reason) helps develop a higher level of respect in my experiences.

http://businessofdentistrypodcast.com/?cat=25

Be Personal
This doesn’t mean that we need to be their best friend. This is not what we want at all. We just want our students to see that we care about them and their future. When you establish that professional relationship, students don’t want to disappoint you. Talk to your students. Learn their interests. Encourage them to explore SAEs in that interest area.

Setting a positive classroom environment from the first day will lead to few classroom management problems. Be stern with instruction and set expectations right out of the gate. Know your stuff. Students trust you to provide true knowledge. But, when you don’t know, admit it. Be personal and show your students that you care about their future. Help them be successful. And finally, don’t be the lame teacher. Teach to your students’ interests. Help them with their weaknesses. If we develop the right classroom atmosphere our students will be sure to succeed.

AEE 412: Micro Teaching Experience

This past week I had the privilege of traveling to Juniata Valley High School with two of my cohort members. We observed for one day and taught one class period the next three days. I was asked to begin a unit on swine with a class of juniors and seniors. I have had many experiences with pigs throughout my years of 4-H and currently work at the Penn State Swine Center. Although I have a lot of knowledge in the content area, planning can still be difficult. With class periods being only 43 minutes long at Juniata Valley, I had to really sort out the most relevant information. I wanted to teach them everything I know about pigs. When there is just simply not enough time.

The experience itself was awesome! The class I had was very relaxed and easy to work with. There were sometimes when certain students seemed unmotivated, but I was able to get them going again by talking with them and asking questions. My cohort members said that they could hear excitement in my voice, so I believe that contributed to student motivation as well. Showing a genuine interest in your students and the subject matter can greatly help the classroom rapport. In my short time at Juniata Valley, I believe we established a great classroom environment. I owe it to the students. They really are a great group of kids.

http://www.slideshare.net/ChadLowndes/building-rapport-and-classroom-management-2

I was able to facilitate a small research project on swine breeds near the end of my experience. I'm not going to lie. I was concerned when planning that lesson. What am I going to do if this falls flat on its face? After doing some thinking, I had a breeds PowerPoint on deck just in case. There were some initial groans and moans but after the students began the project, they ran with it. This was such a relief! It was really cool seeing what they accomplished while they were giving presentations.

My takeaways from this experience:
1. Don't be afraid to nerd out.
2. Be stern.
3. Have a backup plan.
4. Be personable.
5. Show students you care.

AEE 412: Inquiry-Based Instruction Lab

Wow what an experience! We kicked of the topic of IBI with a visit to Greenwood High School, where we observed Mr. Clark's morning classes. He pushes his students by using effective questioning within IBI.

IBI can be rather intimidating to all teachers, especially teachers with little experience. My lab experience this week will really help me tackle this type of instruction in the future. It is scary. Will students take the right path? Will they question the right things? Will they perform the correct experiments? What are the different possible rabbit trails my students may go on?

Mr. Clark talked with us about the importance of preparation. To be effective using IBI you must condition your mind. You need to know the steps to the scientific method like the back of your hand. You must be able to implement things on the fly.

The big thing is that students are forming the correct conclusions. That is our job as facilitators. This was my largest struggle while conducting the lab. The students didn't do what I was expecting them to do. They took the supplies and conducted experiments that were totally different than what I prepared for. I almost stopped the class and tried to point them in the direction I wanted the lab to go. Seeing the class totally involved and posing totally different questions encouraged me to let them go. If students are posing their own questions and pursuing the answers, learning will take place. Isn't that what we are going for? We just need to oversee the processes of testing hypothesis. Is the experiment a true test of the hypothesis? Are students forming the correct conclusions? We need to avoid false conclusions at all cost. This is really the only way IBI can go wrong.

http://www.embracethechaos.com/2015/11/how-to-choose-the-right-path/

I see IBI being a large part of my instruction in the future. It is a great way to stimulate student motivation. It gives them a choice in what they explore.