When I think about what kind of teacher I want to be, I think it’s important to have techniques that I use in my classroom everyday that won’t only benefit my success as a teacher but also the success of my students. Three components that I would like to utilize in my future classroom are classroom systems: how to keep my classroom structured, language development for my mainstream and ELL students, and how to overcome challenges and implications in the classroom. I’ve learned many great things this semester so far from my mentor teacher and I hope to utilize some of her teaching methods in my future classroom to help keep order and help refrain from any disruptions throughout the school day.
Classroom systems are key for any teacher who wants a structured classroom. It can sometimes be difficult for a teacher to do more than one task at a time, but classroom systems will allow me to have an organized and timely-mannered classroom where my students can be successful. I think it’s important to be consistent and have a routine for my students to follow because this allows for less distractions and acting out throughout the day. Some classroom solutions that I’ve grown to enjoy that I learned from my mentor teacher are having a time where students are allowed to sharpen their pencils, a system for lining up, a system for passing out handouts, a system for getting the teacher’s attention and how to excuse my students at the end of the day.
Starting with when students are allowed to sharpen their pencils, my mentor teacher only allows her students to sharpen their pencils when we have a break or if they raise their hands and sharpen them when she’s not speaking. I think this is a great solution to the pencil sharpening issue because it’s usually too loud and disruptive for a teacher to speak when a student is sharpening their pencil. The next classroom system I will utilize is having a routine for lining up.
127 our experts are availableright now
It can sometimes become chaotic to control 25 to 30 children who are walking somewhere, so I’ve learned a new method from my mentor teacher that I really like. She forms two shorter lines instead of one longer one, so she can always see every student and make sure they are behaving. This is a great solution to issues involving lining up. I think it also may be better to line them up in alphabetical order, so interruptions are at a minimum. The next system I want to use is having a routine for passing out handouts. My mentor teacher has assigned jobs that each student does each week. She also changes it every Tuesday so that all the students can try every job and learn from each experience.
This is a great method for passing out handouts because the student feels excited that they get to help the teacher out. It’s important to always make my students feel included in the classroom. My favorite classroom system that my mentor teacher utilizes is how her students get her attention. She actually uses different letters from the sign language alphabet and it’s a great way for her to know exactly what the student needs without raising their hand and just shouting out what they want. I will definitely be using this method when I begin teaching because it will help me keep my classroom organized and keep the interruptions at a minimum. My final system that I think is important is how to dismiss my students at the end of the day.
I don’t just want my students to get up and run out of the classroom, so I will use the two-line system here also and walk them out the school to ensure that no one is running in the hallways and that everyone packs up the same way. I want to make sure my classroom is clean and organized at the end of the day, so this is very important. Taking advantage of all these classroom systems will make me a better teacher and keep my students and classroom more organized.
Language development is important for all students, especially ELL students. Many ELL students are dual language learners, as they’re developing their primary language skills and learning a new one. Dina C. Castro, a professor at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, stated, “In particular, programs that focus on eliminating the readiness gap for young minority children, including dual language learners (DLLs), have increased in importance given the current demographic shifts in the United States and the need to promote learning in the early years.” (Castro, 2011)
I think this is a very good point because it’s important to promote language development in students at a young age, so it becomes more familiar for them. Learning language skills is a challenge for many students, but this can be more difficult for ELL students. It’s important to identify language domains in students early on so teachers can recognize any problems their students may be having and help resolve them.
Ester J. deJong, a professor at the University of Florida said, “The significant achievement gap between language minority and language majority students, along with an educational climate that encourages inclusionary practices rather than separate, specialized programs, make it imperative that teacher preparation programs examine the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that mainstream teachers need to develop in order to work effectively with both ELLs and fluent English speakers.” (deJong, 2005) This is key to how a student is going to develop their language skills and work through the stages of language. There are five stages of second language acquisition and preparing an ELL student for those can be difficult. I think the most important method a teacher must practice is patience. It can sometimes become frustrating to help out one student and work with them for long periods of time, but this shows the student that you’re willing to help them learn so they’re more eager to learn.
A learning theory that works great with mainstream and ELL students and ties in directly with developing language skills is the behaviorist theory. This theory focuses on “stimulus, response, reinforcement, and postulating imitation” (Peregoy & Boyle, 2017). This theory can come off as aggressive for some students, but I believe it’s the most effective and it can be easily utilized in the classroom. This theory is great because students can watch and learn, imitate and respond to situations. Having this skill early on in life will help all students learn from the situations they’re put in and the tasks they’re given.
As a teacher, I would use this for both my mainstream and ELL students, but it may be more effective for my ELL students since most of them are visual learners at first and learn to adapt to their surroundings. These theories and developmental skills workshops help meet the needs of the students and they help them grow as learners. As I’ve already mentioned a few times, it important to start these methods at a young age to ensure that students are developing a routine and greater understanding of how to accomplish new things in the classroom.
Students face challenges and implications daily in the classroom so it’s important to address these issues and promote strategies that can solve them. Program models are crucial for ELL students but can also be great for mainstream students as well. Different program models are important because teachers need to be able to accommodate for different language backgrounds. Some ELL programs offered that I will use in my future classroom are ESL Pull-Out, New-Comer Program, Structured English Immersion, and a mainstream classroom. (Downey, K, 2018)
These are all great programs and they fit the needs of all ELL students who learn in different ways. One of my favorite activities is the close-read method. This activity allows student to get their first experiences examining text and annotating it. This can be a little tricky for ELL students, but it allows students to process all the information they’ve read and understand it in a better way.
These programs and methods allow for a more meaningful understanding and they promote student engagement in the classroom. The University of Washington Center for Teaching and Learning stated, “Research has demonstrated that engaging students in the learning process increases their attention and focus, motivates them to practice higher-level critical thinking skills and promotes meaningful learning experiences. Instructors who adopt a student-centered approach to instruction increase opportunities for student engagement, which then helps everyone more successfully achieve the course’s learning objectives.” (UW, 2018)
I would love to utilize these methods in my future classroom because they allow me to increase attention from my students and it allows them to be more successful in the classroom. Aligning all of these methods with state standards is very important and it can sometimes be challenging. A good way to weave them together is through lesson plans. Peter D. John, the author of Professional Knowledge and Professional Practice stated “…lesson planning is defined as the daily decisions a teacher makes for the successful outcome of a lesson.” (John, 2006) Lesson planning is key to the success of a teacher and it creates a structured classroom.
When I think about what kind of teacher I want to be, I recognize that teachers are always learning and gaining new knowledge to influence their students. Practicing new methods and using meaningful components I’ve learned about will make me a better teacher and make me the teacher I want to be.
