Please this discussion is a focused thread for District 146 teachers only. We are focusing upon Cognitive Coaching!
After reviewing the research document on Effective Group Management and reflecting on your practice, what & how are you becoming more aware? What do you want to be more mindful of as you plan your instruction?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by ssandscience on
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After reading the Effective Group Management practice and thinking about my classroom, I realized I needed to be more aware of "smoothness." My transitions between activities are usually fine, but every once in awhile I catch myself starting one thing, moving on, and then going back. Like I said before it doesn't happen very often, but it is something I am trying to be more aware of in my lessons. I have noticed that since the beginning of the year my "with-it-ness" has improved greatly. I think this is an area that the longer you do it, the better you get at it. I found the over-lapping section something that I seem fine with. I can have a various activities going on in my room and the students are fine. I also am able to pull myself away from a group that I might be helping to address behavioral concerns. The university I attended was big on making sure we thought about "attention grabbers" (what the packet calls "group alerting") at the beginning of our lessons. This is something I always have tried to do even before reading the packet. My university was also big on variety and mixing things for the students. So this also is something that I try to think about when I plan my lessons. I don't know I found several of the things in the packet to be topics that were covered in my education classes and things we spent time discussing in class. The only thing that might have been different was a new term for it. Did anyone else feel the same way?
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Permalink Reply by Jennie Sepe on
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As I read the packet, I noticed that my transitions are not as smooth as they should be. I have also noticed that in the past, I would end an activity and then go back for a moment to remind students of something. Since reading the packet, I have tried to stop myself from doing that, and simply remind them at a more opportune time when it will not distract them. I agree that many of the items in the packet will improve the longer you teach, but it was helpful to have them explained with examples and given alternatives. After the reading, I felt as though I had examined my teaching methods, both strengths and faults, and I am working on them each day.
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Permalink Reply by Lauren on
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As I have mentioned before, this question pertains to me a little bit differently then to the classroom teachers. I do have about 4 small groups that I do between my two schools. These groups focus on social skills and friendship, specifically building and maintaining positive interpersonal relationships. I feel that I do well with formating the group to meet all of the students' needs, but I do feel that I could improve in the area of group alerting. At times, it is difficult to keep students focused, but I feel that I am working on those "weak" points everytime I have a group. I have recently started a new group, and I have been more mindful of my instruction by setting clear expectations for the group (the students earn their chance to be at group, we respect everyone's input, etc.).
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Permalink Reply by Wendy on
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Hello, I wanted to respond to this question and I did read the handout many weeks ago and of course now left it at school...so I will write to you what I see as a difficulty in my classroom and my management but I do not remember all of the terms that go along with it...
My classroom is comprised of 3 teachers and 14 students ages 3-5 with a variety of abilities. We are structured, loud, fun and "organized" (we each have our own definition of that.) I believe we transition well throughout the day, but during transition I sometime "loose" them because they are excited about the next activity, so I have to tame down my attention getters for the next activity or add in an incentive. To assist with activities that my students have difficulties with we have added a class reward system that has improved multiple tasks /behaviors throughout the day. My biggest challenge is that there is so much happening around the room with activities and centers that I have difficuly making it around the room and "keeping" an eye on all the students and activities. Then I like to lead a small group activity also...whether it be an art or academic activity, then there is even more of a problem needing to have 4 eyes, six arms, and the ability to monitor all that is around you..THANK GOODNESS FOR ASSITSTANTS!!!
HAPPY MONDAY!
`wendy
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Permalink Reply by Creative Kristen- Science and Social Studies on
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After reviewing the research document on Effective Group Management and reflecting on my own practice, it was interesting to read the article and actually compare different techniques to the various ways I teach within the classroom. Since the beginning of the year, I believe that I also am more aware of with-it-ness and knowing what is going on even if I turn my back to a group of students. I too believe that this develops with time and as you get to know the students and their own behaviors. Another area I have dealt with is multi-tasking. Specifically in the content area of science, we usually deal with multi-tasking and having multiple issues arising at the same time. This week in fact, during an electricity lab, we had various groups completing circuits and having to draw and figure out how to run electricity through in the correct way. The groups had to be actively involved and handle multiple issues regarding the assignment and the materials. One thing that I read within the packet that I would want to work on would be not to over dwell on something. Sometimes I catch myself explaining the directions in great detail so the students understand what they need to do. However, I also feel and read that they need to take responsibility for their work and I shouldn't "over explain" something when I could be saving the time for the next class activity. I have not really "over dwelled" about behaviors, however, I have at times felt like I should let them take more accountability for their work and not "over explain" what is expected of them.
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Permalink Reply by Amy Lee on
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My application of this topic is a bit different since I work with multiple groups of multiple grade levels and multiple reading levels. Attention getters that work well with first graders do not work well for fourth graders so I am constantly differentiating activities to please, or "grab" if you will, a broader range of students. Adaptation is a key component in all of my planning. I strive to be able to modify any activity for the appropriate age/grade level that I am teaching.
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Permalink Reply by Becky Kristula on
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As this is actually my second year teaching I already know of some areas I'd like to improve on. One thing I have been working on this school year is reaching a higher level of 'time on task'. When I sit down to make up lesson plans now, I always try to plan a few extra 'just in case' projects or activities. Being the special education teacher, I am constantly being pulled to answere a 'quick question' or answer a phone call or any one of a million other distractions. I use my 'just in case' ideas in these instances. I am able to give a quick direction to the group and deal with the distraction without worrying about wasting my students' time.
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Permalink Reply by In the Middle on
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I felt like the section on avoiding satiation was written specifically for my students and I! I have a unique bunch of students with emotional and health issues. One of my most important tasks is making sure my students are fully engaged with my lessons. If they are not, no learning will take place. My students will not only "shut off their brains" but also might "shut down." Once they "shut down" emotionally, it can take many hours to get them back on track. I try to plan fun, engaging, activities that involve all of the multiple intelligences. I like to use different manipulatives and technology to help my students stay engaged. I am a firm believer that classroom management is a direct result of your lesson planning. If the students are engaged, there will be no unwanted behaviors.
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Permalink Reply by Rebecca on
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Being a learning behavior specialist, I tend to work with students more in a small group environment. After reading the Effective Group Management article, I would say that I am becoming more aware of how to handle two situations at the same time, or in other words, overlapping. When I work with students who are at a vaiety of different levels, I have to be able to effectively jump back and forth from one method of teaching something to another method. There was one day that I was working on order of operations with a small group. I had three students up at the board doing problems and the other three were at their desks working on problems. While I was working with the students up at the board, one of the boys who was sitting started talking to a neighbor when he was supposed to be doing the work. I explained to the student at the board what he did wrong and let him work on it by himself to see if he could figure it out so I could walk over to the boy who was talking to redirect him back to his work. I was able to come back to the board when the student was finishing up his problem.
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Permalink Reply by Kerry Steed on
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I work in small groups with students at different grade levels and with different abilities. I feel it is important to provide an outline to the students for what is expected weekly in our group and what will be assessed. As i plan every week, I try to vary my instruction by using different learning games or outside information to grab the students interest. It is important to cover the necessary material and make it interesting for them.
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Permalink Reply by KindergartenKelly on
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After reading the packet and reflecting on my own instruction, I am becoming more aware of the importance of maintaining high levels of student work involvement in the classroom. Whether it be working in small groups or joining in a discussion on the carpet, students are usually better behaved when they are engaged in challenging and authentic activities. The less time they have to misbehave, the less often it will occur in the classroom (in most cases). Therefore, the more engaged students are, the less chance that satiation will occur in the classroom. Making sure lessons are stimulating for all students is an easy way to avoid satiation. If students become bored in a lesson, there is a higher chance of misbehaviors. As a result, I would like to be more mindful about ensuring that my lessons are varied to interest all types of learners, as well as preventing the students from getting bored. Differentiating my lesson plans to fit the needs of both my advanced learners as well as my struggling students is something I will definitely work on in the future to help prevent any unnecessary problems in the classroom.
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Permalink Reply by Kim Hazucka on
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I think it is important to have clear expectations for your students whether you are working as a large group or several small groups. I also think it is necessary to always be ready for the groups who may finish quickly - and by this I do not mean additional work, I mean discussions or projects that enhance the objectives that you are focusing on. I also think assigning roles and responsibilities to every group member keeps the focus.
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