Classroom Routines

Tomlinson says that “clear and predictable classroom routines are probably the difference between productivity and chaos for classrooms…” (pp. 47).  Now that I know I will be teaching in my own classroom next fall, I am making mental checklists of all the procedures I need to teach my new students. I know that I must teach these procedures in order for our classroom to run smoothly and efficiently. It will take time to teach them in the beginning, but it will save so much more time later on.

Some of the procedures I need to teach are:

·      Starting the school day

·      Turning in homework

·      How/when to ask to use the restroom

·      How/when to ask to sharpen a pencil

·      Lining up

·      Walking in the hall

·      Transitioning between activities

·      Lunchroom etiquette

·      Asking for help

·      Attention signals

·      Classroom jobs

·      How to find missed work if absent

So, how are classroom routines related to differentiation? I’m still learning, but so far I am gathering that routines give students a chance to develop autonomy in the classroom. It also lets them to have an active role in making sure that the classroom runs smoothly from day to day. It helps them be proactive and to take stewardship for aspects of the classroom. It helps build a sense of community and pride. And, finally, when everyone is taking part in creating an efficient learning environment, it helps free up the teacher to focus on other important things.

Classroom Environment

Creating a positive classroom environment is vital. It establishes the tone and atmosphere is which teaching and learning will happen. Tomlinson says that the classroom environment will “support or deter the student’s quest for affirmation, contribution, power, purpose, and challenge in the classroom” (pp. 37).  Walls, furniture arrangement, bulletin boards, artifacts, materials, charts, posters, learning materials, and exhibits are all part of the classroom environment. Students, parents, and colleagues can get a sense right away of the teacher’s personality and goals by examining the classroom environment.

However, the classroom environment is more that just physical attributes. The affective attributes are just as important. The teacher’s demeanor and interactions with students play a huge role in the classroom climate. Do the students have a voice in the classroom? Are they seen as individual learners? Does the teacher take time to get to know students individually? Are individual cultures and learning styles respected? These are questions that every teacher must honestly consider.

Below are a few of my favorite ideas and tips for creating a positive classroom environment:

Physical Environment

·      Organize the geography of the classroom in a way that conveys flexibility
·      Represent various cultures and backgrounds through books, posters, and décor
·      Make space in the room for all kinds of learners, including students who need quiet and those who need interaction
·      Commend creativity by providing many materials for students to work with
·      Use lots of color and interesting things to look at in the classroom

Affective Environment

·      Greet students at the door each day
·      Call on students equitably
·      Teach multiple perspectives
·      Create opportunities for students to get to know one another and form connections
·      Use exit slips, journals, or class meetings to give students a safe place to communicate with the teacher and express concerns

Responsive Teaching AMAZING Idea: Interactive Science Notebooks

In the science methods class I'm taking, we are learning all about interactive science notebooks! I absolutely LOVE this idea and I can't wait to do these with my future students! I am lucky enough to have the author of this blog as a professor (also see her blog button in my sidebar.) Every week in class, we do a science activity or experiment, and then we create a few pages in our notebooks to go along with what we did.

Here are just a few pages I've done in my notebook so far:

This is a sort we did to classify magnetic vs. nonmagnetic objects.

A drawing of a spider we observed in class, as well as some teaching tips.

An owl foldable! Inside is information I learned about owls in class that day.

A cute traffic cone foldable. The bottom part slides out. We learned about the center of gravity.

The connection: How are interactive notebooks related to differentiation and responsive teaching? I can think of several ways. 

1. The notebooks are a kinesthetic activity. Students who really enjoy doing hands-on learning will love the interactive notebooks, as well as students who are artistic, and/or students who love writing. Many different talents and strengths can be utilized in the notebooks. 

2. Interactive notebooks are very personal and give students a sense of ownership over the material they learned. Students are more motivated to learn when they can take pride in the work they are doing. 

3. Interactive notebooks allow for creativity in synthesizing information. Students can represent their learning in a way that is meaningful and memorable to them personally. 

4. The notebooks give teachers a window into students' minds. Teachers can use them to evaluate student learning and adjust future lessons accordingly.

5. Interactive notebooks help students succeed by working a wonderful review and study guide. It also helps students to retain the information they learned because they extended, responded, and evaluated what their learning when they created the pages in their notebooks.

I'm sure there are many other ways in which interactive notebooks relate to differentiation and responsive teaching, but those are the reasons that really stand out to me. I can also imagine how great it will be to send the notebook home at the end of the school year, and give the students the chance to show their parents the wonderful things they did in science! I'm so excited to use interactive science notebooks in my future classroom.

Responding to Student Needs

As a pre-service teacher, I have a clear vision of my ideal future classroom. I imagine that it will be a place where each child feels accepted, needed, and respected. I picture my students feeling excited to come to school, and looking back on their days with a sense that their time in class was well-spent. I can see myself losing sleep some nights, stewing over an issue in class or with a student. In my classroom, I envision students feeling a sense of ownership for making our days run smoothly. I can see them glowing with pride when they complete a difficult assignment or successfully lead a class activity. And, all the while, I am standing there beside them, wondering what the next step will be, and how we can take our classroom practices to an even higher level.

I know that in reality, the picture of my future classroom won’t be quite so glowing. I will deal with students who are unruly, unmotivated, and distrustful. Not all of my lesson plans will be a hit. Some days, I will be tired and burned out and I’ll wonder why I even bother doing what I do.

Even still, I hope that I can always keep my vision of my ideal future classroom. I know that it will evolve over the years, and that’s a good thing. I’m guessing that just when I start to think that I’ve seen it all, a new student will come along and challenge me in ways I never could’ve imagined.

In my vision of my future classroom, I am a teacher who understands her students’ needs and responds to them. Tomlinson says there are 5 main ways in which teachers respond effectively.  I have listed them and given a brief explanation of each.

1. Invitation: This first response must be issued from the time the student enters the classroom. The teacher’s demeanor, words, and actions all contribute. In order to help the child feel like they belong, the teacher must get to know the child as a whole person.

2. Opportunity: Amazing teachers ensure that the materials, tasks, applications, and problems in their classrooms are rich with meaning and possibilities.

3. Investment: Teachers must be invested in both their students and in the content they are teaching. When teachers share thoughts with their students about the classroom, they are showing the students that they are invested in them.

4. Persistence: There is no finish line in education. Responsive teachers do not accept excuses, but offer support instead.

5. Reflection:  Reflective teachers create a network of like-minded peers. They utilize their resources within the school. They never stop learning and are always seeking to advance their professional knowledge. They are always thinking, “How can I make this better?”