Discuss one question, confusion, or "I wonder...." from reading the Module.
- One thing I found interesting in the reading was the different seating arrangements that a teacher can do based on different teaching lessons. I remember in school moving chairs for different activities, but really didn't understand how each can be utilized for different things. I can see how they are beneficial in given situations.
One question I had after reading the module was the discipline hierarchy. I understand the increasing offenses, but does it increase if the bad behavior is repeated? Also, does the hierarchy start over each day or does it keep building day to day?
Reflect on the statement "Teaching with a lot of control is easy. Handing control over to the students, and planning for every possible outcome, adapting instruction where they take it, is extremely difficult, but worth it." Why might this be so? How could you productively hand over some control to your students while still supporting learning?
- Having control over students is easy because the teacher can easily predict the outcomes and shape the outcomes he/she has prepared for students. Teachers that have continual tight control over the classroom can discourage students, creating a poor learning environment. Students can become uninterested in learning and negatively respond to activities and in-class assignments. Handing over control to students is often beneficial, but can be difficult because the teacher cannot necessarily predict what will happen. Although the teacher can help guide the students and keep them on task for learning, they have to plan for outcomes that can arise from a variety of situations. I feel that handing over some control to the students makes them feel powerful, teaches discipline, establishes relationships, and creates a proactive learning environment. When students can learn through exploration and trail-and-error, they are learning through experience. This experience is something that the students will remember as the grow and mature in their education and learning. I think a good balance of control between the teacher and students must be done to create a successful learning environment for students.
In regards to the question, a lot of that is up to the teacher. In most classes I've had, the hierarchy starts over each day. However, if you're experiencing an issue with a student that happens every single day, you could have it build so that they're some more punishment. For example, if one of your students throws his pencil at someone every day, but stops after the 1st offense, you could start having it build so he actually gets in more trouble, and therefore (hopefully) stops doing it completely. That could present a problem of "why do mine build when nobody else's do?" though, so it's really hard to tell without being in the situation! My suggestion would be to try different things once you're in the classroom, and see what is the most effective for classroom management.
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