Chapter 13: Motivation

Based on our readings and class discussion, how will you create a learning environment that is conducive to learning?
There are SO many aspects that define a conducive learning environment, and there is a great responsibility of the teacher to create this particular environment. Chapter 13 had a bokoo of strategies to implement in the classroom to create productive learning settings for all children of all types. I imagine that over the years of teaching, and with the more experience I gain, I will be able to use many or all of this strategies with one class. Looking in to my first year of teaching, I will probably use a few strategies. Using too many or trying to hard all at once will be pretty overwhelming, considering other responsibilities I will have. I really connected with and really admire the section on communication with parents. This, I believe, is one of the most important lines of communication to have as a teacher. It is so easy for a parent to get lost in all the information coming from the school, and it is also just as easy for a parent to withdraw from the information. While this will be very challenging, to get all parents on board in their children's education, I believe it is the most beneficial to the overall function of the classroom. As a PreK-3rd major, I learned early on that welcoming, accepting classrooms create a sense of belonging. This does not only apply to students, but also to parents, other family members, and other faculty. This sense of belonging is important to creating an accepting and warm environment where everyone feels comfortable with all exchanges. Along with all this, I believe if I were to have open, stable, and welcoming lines of communication with the parents, they will be more motivated and feel more comfortable about getting involved in their children's schooling, both in the classroom and at home. 
Another section I really enjoyed was the section about misbehaviors and how to deal with them. However, I do feel like dealing with misbehaviors is much more complicated than what the book explains. This section was particularly interesting to me because when it comes to authority, I know I can be a "push over" and I am very inconsistent with abiding by certain rules (only minor, non-threatening to others) and follow through. I have a difficulty making rules "across the board." Hopefully, as I grow as a teacher, this will not be a tough decision for me to make. While I try to practice being consistent with rules and discipline, I still need a lot of work and much more experience. 

 

I found this quote while looking for quotes that captured a sense of belonging. It was difficult to find, and this quote is not about the classroom or school, but I believe this is the same sense and feeling teachers should instill in their students. Children should love coming to school and being with the other children (teachers!) in their class. 

Now consider your CSEL case study. Develop a full continuum of responses for dealing with the misbehavior of your case. 

Early Childhood Education Case Study
It has been one month since the school year began and most of your 25 kindergarten students know class procedures, such as the schedule of learning activities, where they are supposed to be for each learning activity, where they are supposed to keep their personal items, and how they are expected to move about the room and the school building in order to ensure a productive learning environment.  But then there is Willard.  He must ask 20 or more times a day, “Teacher, when can we go outside to play?”  In addition, he often does not stay where he should to work on a given learning activity.  Instead, you find him wandering around the room and getting into other children’s personal things.  Three times this past week you looked up just in time to see Willard walking out of the classroom without permission.  Some of the other children in your classroom community have started making fun of Willard.  Others are beginning to become less engaged in their learning. 

The first thing I think about after reading about Willard is that, maybe the material is uninteresting to him. Maybe the material needs to be presented in a different way to keep him engaged and on task. The solution to this could be as simple as modifying worksheets or activities to best suit Willard's needs. 

It also seems as if Willard always wants to be active. He cannot sit still and always wants to know when it is time to go outside. Possibly, sitting and doing worksheets (like I said before) are not his thing. He may need to experience the classroom work in a bigger sense, possibly in a way that might engage the use of his large motor skills. Willard may be giving the teacher a sign that says, "I have got to move!" There should be plenty of opportunities in the classroom that allows all children to move their bodies and be active. After all, they are kindergartners and they do not have the ability of older students to sit for long periods and engage with a worksheet. 

I almost do not see Willard's behavior as a "misbehavior" particularly, only because I think his actions are trying to tell the teacher something. He is not getting a particular set of needs met and he is trying to deal with this lack of needs in his own way. If I did see this as more of a misbehavior, since the scenario clearly states that "he should know the rules" then I would try a self-regulation strategy and see if that could help Willard stay on task. With a self-regulation strategy I might give Willard 5 stars, and each time he gets out of his seat to wander around the room or to even leave the classroom then he would have to cross off or take away a star. After the five stars are gone, then further action will need to take place (such as, losing an activity, even though I do not like this idea much). Hopefully, after implementation and practice with this method, Willard will learn to have more self control and keep his body at a desk where he can stay on task. If this method did not work (and even the method I discussed earlier), I would consider speaking with Willard's parents, because there could possibly be an underlying cause to his inattention and disengagement.