Notes for First Weeks

The notes in this documents are from several observations during the first couple of weeks of school in Garden Elementary School GES in Second grade. These notes had been taken from 3 different classrooms.

• Setting up a routine/ Agenda
  Establishing a routine in the classroom is an imperative part of classroom management. Also, it helps students to learn best by knowing what will happen during their day in school. On the other hand, I think that what some teachers are doing by writing down the agenda and review it with the students at the beginning of the day, help them in understanding the routine of the day. Furthermore, setting up a routine with the students can help in teaching behavior techniques during the class time.
  
  
• Students reflections
  I had noticed that when children write down their reflections on what they have learned or reflect verbally, promote and develop  their learning.
  
  
• Body movement strategy/ imitating
  Body movement is a practical strategy to use during introducing new information to students. It is teaching strategy; body movement and facial expressions allow children to understand more.
  
  
• Students time management in doing tasks
  It is a good way to teach children how to be organized and manage their time. The teachers are using a great strategy in writing workshop which allow children to move from one step to the other fluently.
  
  
• Questioning
  In order to expand students’ thinking and learning, teachers must know and learn how to use questioning strategy and ask open-ended questions that promotes children thinking and development.   
  
  
• Positive reinforcements
  Positive reinforcements can be either tangible reward or verbal one.  Moreover, positive reinforcements has a positive effect on children. In other words, it can help students to learn the differences between healthy behaviors and negative ones. However, I think that teachers must make sure that students understand what specific behavior is being reinforced. Also, teacher must choose a reward that is meaningful to the child.
  
  
• Teaching writing strategies.
  
  
• Demonstration before activities
  I think it is very important to explain to children what they are expected to do. In addition, giving a clear directions about what is coming next help students to achieve  desired objectives stated by teachers.
  
  
• Use an extended activities in order to keep students busy.

• Teaching behaviors expectations & self-expectations.
  
  
• Provide options
  Providing different options to children to choose from is an important aspect teachers should always consider during planning their lessons and activities.  
  
  
• Teach students strategies to read and write “ pocket strategies”
  It is important to provide children with teaching tools they can use by themselves such as simple reading strategies for example slide and say strategy.
  
  
• Time management/ Engage the child in planning the session time
  Teachers are providing options to students about what to do in the classroom, and the children have the opportunity to be engaged and plan what they want to do next. I think this is an important and effective tool teachers can use in order to teach students how to be engaged in learning.
  
  
• Flexibility in teaching
  Children learn best based on their interests. However, some teachers spend much time planning and organizing what they want to teach students, but sometimes students might not be interested in what the teacher is teaching. For that reason, effective teachers should always be flexible and ready for any changes might occurs.
  
• Allow children opportunities to self-correction.
  
  
• Engage learning with real life situations.
  Children learn best when they are engaged in real life situations. For example teaching students new words such as hallway, water fountain, classroom,etc.. The teacher can take them and show them where is the hallway, classroom, etc.
  
  
• Language and grammar correction
  Language and grammar correction, the teacher should correct students language and grammar during their talking by repeating the correct structure.
  

• Closure
  It is important to have an interested closure for any lesson or activity, because it will allow children to remember the lesson taught and extend their thinking and interest for the next day.
  
  
• Invented spelling help children to develop their spelling patterns during the developmental stages.

• Connections
  It is imperative and practical to have real connections between children’s lives and their learning.
  
  
• Physical arrangement
  Teaching strategy: Appropriate physical arrangement help the teacher to teach appropriately and smoothly as planned.
  
  
• Pre-assessment
  Always be aware of doing pre-assessment to the students in order to understand how much knowledge they have.
  
  
• Teaching strategy: Reading
  - Teach children how to have a mental image in their mind before and during reading. - - Teach children what to do if they got distracted while reading, and how they can reread to check their understanding of the text, and the teacher should demonstrate this skill to them in order to acquire it.
  
  
• Classroom management can be either verbal or nonverbal.