Article: How to Keep Kids EngagedThis was a great article that offered 10 rules of engagement for any teacher. I think that this relates to the work that I do in my classroom because every year I always have a couple of students that seem unmotivated. This year in particular, I have one student that I cannot keep motivated for the life of me! I find something that works, but after a while it gets old and the student is unmotivated again. The article doesn't address how to motivate individual students, but a whole class in general. Along with each rule it had a section titled Here's How that would offer ways to implement it.
This article deepens my thinking about my domain. In the article, the author discusses that lack of engagement is dead time and dead time needs to be prevented at all costs. It really got me thinking about how I can change the culture of my classroom to eliminate dead time.
Video: Classroom Improved by Sign Language
In this video a lady spoke about how using sign language in her classroom helped her classroom management. I think that this is a fantastic idea! It relates to my work because it would be a way for students to communicate with me, but without speaking or even having to get out of their seats.
This video deepens my thinking about this domain because it helps me to realize that I can completely change my classroom environment without making a sound.
Blog: Classroom Management and Discipline
This blog relates to my classroom because it discusses the fact that teachers handle classroom management in different ways-what works for one teacher may be a disaster for another. My first year teaching, I found this out! It was easy to look at how someone else managed their classroom and say "Great idea, I'll try that!" Although others' strategies were great, it wasn't always as great for me. I learned that I have to find strategies that I am comfortable with and that work for me and my students.
This blog has deepened my thinking about classroom management because it discusses that discipline is not necessarily classroom management. It is a part of it, but discipline requires more knowledge of each individual student. To get at the root of a student's misbehavior we have to really tap into that student and learn more about them.
How does all of this fit into my inquiry plan?
The article, blog, and video really helped me to zero in on what I want to do for my inquiry plan. I know that I want to work on the culture for learning in my classroom. I feel that my established culture is okay but that it can improve. I'm thinking that a way to do this is to start using sign language. I think that the kids would enjoy learning it and it would allow us to communicate in a different way.