Video Classroom Exercise Feedback – Classroom Management Module 1: Organizing Your Classroom and Supplies Summary: Video Clip – Arranging Furniture and Materials This video provides information relating to the physical arrangement of the room and the gathering of necessary supplies to begin the school year. The moderator interviews an early education teacher who explains in detail the process for arranging the room, setting up materials for immediate student engagement, and plans for homework and assignments. As you watch this video, note the arrangement of the furniture and student resources, and consider how this will aid you in organizing your instructional program. Objectives: After completing this module you should be able to:

Identify classroom materials that will facilitate your instructional program; Organize the physical layout of the classroom to accommodate optimum learning

experiences for your students; Initiate a program that engages the students in the learning process upon their immediate

entrance into the classroom. Questions: 1. How is this teacher helping to develop her students’ confidence and self-direction? She is providing a learning environment in which the students are made aware of the expectations she has for them. Young students especially need organization and direction; and this teacher is providing them with clear guidelines and procedures. Having the materials readily available is also a time-saver, and operates as a reinforcement for them to follow the procedures of learning. All of this eventually builds self-confidence. 2. Explain how the readiness of materials on the students’ desks promotes intrinsic motivation. A child’s intrinsic motivation may be difficult to stimulate when many children are taught using extrinsic motivators. The presence and readiness of the classroom materials generates an atmosphere of learning by highlighting the importance of activity and the ultimate goal of accomplishment. Having the right tools available creates a learning environment within that context. 3. A. Identify at least two specific examples of Mrs. Jones trying to teach her second graders self-regulation. B. What is the ultimate goal in having students learn self-regulation, and how would you plan for achieving this goal? Ultimately, you are helping your students to arrive at a sense of accomplishment and competence that will help develop their self-esteem. 1. Students are given individual boxes, i.e. personal postal boxes to keep their materials. They would also be encouraged to write notes to each other and to the teacher.

2. Students are given folders which are kept in a community file drawer or box to store their material and keep track of their progress. 3. Students share the responsibility for keeping materials in the classroom organized. Every student has some task to perform in keeping the learning environment orderly and comfortable for learning 4. Classroom environment which includes the physical and behavioral aspects of your classroom management plan should reflect what basic concept?

a. Teacher control b. Student centered c. Content based d. Student control

Module 2: Fostering Student Accountability Summary: Video Clip - Modeling Mutual Respect, Routines, and Transitions This video demonstrates how one teacher physically organizes his 4th grade classroom to promote student accountability. Notice how the students are made aware of their responsibilities related to tasks being completed from homework assignments to arranging themselves for the next lesson. The teacher models vocal signals to give to the class and individual students to promote student accountability. Listen to the teacher’s voice and choice of words as he reinforces their cooperation. Objectives: After completing this module you should be able to:

Identify specific commands and instructions used by the teacher to foster student accountability;

Design an accountability blueprint that provides students with specific cues as to what is expected of them throughout the school day;

Develop strategies that help students to follow classroom routines and time management skills.

Questions: 1. What examples can you find in the video that reflect positive reinforcement? Which reflect negative reinforcement? Positive Reinforcement: In the very beginning of the video, the teacher compliments the class on how well they are working quietly and cooperating. Negative Reinforcement: He gives them a mild reprimand by reminding them how the class is supposed to behave when transitioning. 2. From what we know of cognitive development, especially as we look at Piaget’s operational stages, how does time on task fit into a student’s ability to assimilate new material? The most crucial aspect of a student’s applying himself to learning material, is his managed time-on-task. How well a lesson is planned to provide quality time-on-task will determine how well the student can assimilate the material. If the student is spending too much time arranging his materials, getting comfortable, and gathering resources, he will be spending less time on the task assigned. Cognitive development depends upon focused time. 3. A. In what way does the teacher in the video group his students? B. When implementing a cooperative learning lesson, explain how group identity will foster a higher level of student achievement for the project or task. In the video, the teacher separated his class into groups that were identified by a specific name. As the group works together with each member aware of his or her tasks and responsibilities, the topic being examined receives a concerted effort. Therefore, the cooperative group is working as a unit to solve a problem or present a topic. The additional benefit of cooperative learning is that the collective experiences of its members help to provide a chance for greater depth into the topic.

4. Providing students with barometers to gauge their level of acceptable or non-acceptable behavior, is a characteristic of which of the following behavior management programs:

a. Democratic classroom strategies b. Cooperative Discipline c. Choice Theory d. Congruent Communication

Module 3: Planning and Conducting Instruction Summary: Video Clip – Celebrating Learning In this video a teacher explains how she executed a lesson in literacy for a first grade class by describing the instruction techniques used in teaching a circular story. Her technique utilized actual cues mentioned in the story, developed the lesson from comprehension to application, and transitioned to an interdisciplinary application in science. Take note of how each of the articles on her desk relate specifically to events in the story, and how she provided a model for her students to move to an application of the circular story technique. Objectives: After completing this module you should be able to:

Identify teaching instruction that utilizes visual materials to promote comprehension, Describe how to move a lesson from the knowledge of cognition to the application

level, Design a lesson plan that reflects an interdisciplinary approach to a specific topic.

Questions: 1. Which one of the multiple intelligences identified by Howard Gardner is the teacher in this video using to stimulate student comprehension? The most obvious of the intelligences which she is stimulating is bodily-kinesthetic and spatial. Having the students see and feel the items add a strong element of reality to the stories. 2. How many different examples of visual cues were used by the teacher in this video? The teacher is holding the book and is referring to the summaries she has posted on the board. She also has a variety of books accompanied with actual items depicted in the book. Some examples are milk carton and sponge. The students develop their own circular story on a poster with pictures of items in the story. In science the students discussed pumpkins, so the teacher had a variety of different shaped pumpkins. 3. Developing lessons for students in the first grade requires knowledge of their relative cognitive ability. Piaget stressed the importance of the experiences that exist in a child’s environment. A. Explain how what you saw in the video helps students to assimilate material in their environment. B. List at least two activities that would be appropriate for the first grade classroom so as to complement the cognitive level of these students. The teacher featured in this video obviously has a great sense of connectivity with her children. She senses that they need kinesthetic relationships to concepts that are found in the stories that they read. By using tangible items to associate the mentioned items in the story, she is attempting to give them a bridge between what they read and what they experience in everyday life. Children in the first or second grades have not yet distinguished between classes of things. For example, one young child when she saw a postal truck that resembled an ice cream truck, thought that all postal trucks were the same ice cream truck that visits her neighborhood.

One activity that might help a child see the distinction is to have them assemble items that are the same, yet different in some way – i.e. three guitars which have different sets of strings, or different body makes. Another activity might be to have the students draw their version of a soccer ball or a pumpkin, and then have them share their work to see the differences. 4. According to Piaget’s cognitive theory, first graders referred to in this video (approximately 6 years old) are in the

a. Preoperational stage b. Sensorimotor stage c. Concrete operational stage d. Formal operational stage

Module 4: Managing Cooperative Learning Groups Summary: Video Clip – Collaborative Grouping The students in this video are organizing themselves into their cooperative learning groups. The classroom comes alive as students move about the room to join their groups, and assigned students retrieve materials for the task at hand. Follow the teacher’s movements throughout this process; note his interaction with individual students, and how he responds to their questions. Listen to the students’ voices as they work together to organize their tasks. Objectives: After completing this module you should be able to:

Identify the strategies used by the teacher in a cooperative learning classroom, Design cooperative learning groups where students have specific roles in the lesson, List the student behaviors that will enable you to evaluate their progress in the lesson.

1. What clues can you find that indicate student confidence and self-regulation in this lesson? When the teacher asks them to get into their groups, they all gather into their respective groups immediately and seem to get right to work. The students appear to be confident enough to begin working on their tasks together. 2. What types of questions is the teacher asking that generates a cooperative mode of learning among the students? When a student asks the teacher a question, instead of answering it directly, he guides the student to another student in his group. He is attempting to foster an interdependence that is the foundational aspect of cooperative learning. 3. A. Identify a few strategies that the teacher employs in the video clip to better facilitate the work of the students in groups. B. When designing a cooperative learning project, what obstacles should be considered in order to better promote student success, and how can they be avoided? The answer to this question will vary. However the following elements should be present: 1. Cooperative groups should be organized so that each member has a specific role within the group. 2. The group should have a very specific set of instructions as to how they will proceed with their topic. All requirements must be stated explicitly and the expected outcomes for each group should be written. 3. Students should not be allowed to choose their own groups, as they will generally gravitate to established cliques. The teacher must use a method so that random assignments are made to each group. Also, the teacher must be prepared to make adjustments to avoid negative group dynamics. 4. A very specific assessment rubric should be given to each group so that they are aware of how their final grade on the project is being ascertained. Each student within the groups should be aware of how his or her contributions are affecting everyone’s overall grade. Obstacles often encountered with cooperative learning tend to center around the group dynamic. Either two or more of the members do not work well together, or some members of

the group complain that they are doing all of the work. These obstacles can be avoided by providing explicit instructions for the group’s task, and taking care when placing students together who may not work well with each other as a rule. Finally, the cooperative learning initiative should always be established around some structure, i.e. the carousel feedback, the jigsaw, Student Teams Achievement Divisions (STAD), or Group Investigation. 4. During a cooperative learning exercise, offering guidance and assessing student progress are the actions of a teacher as

a. instructor b. facilitator c. evaluator b. class manager

Module 5: Maintaining Appropriate Student Behavior Summary: Video Clip – Empowering Students to Resolve Conflicts In this video two students are engaging in peer conflict resolution with the teacher as facilitator. A young girl is expressing her dislike of a young boy’s unruly behavior during their group work time. Notice the format that the teacher uses to help resolve the conflict, and how he coaches them to arrive at a solution. Think about the role a teacher plays in the conflict resolution process and what cues are used to facilitate student engagement. Objectives: After completing this module you should be able to:

articulate verbal cues to facilitate student resolution of a conflict, develop a behavioral plan that includes peer conflict resolution, develop a contingency plan so as to engage your students in conflict resolution in a

variety of circumstances. Questions: 1. In what circumstances does peer conflict resolution prove more effective than authoritarian control? In any circumstance involving student disagreements or even violent arguments. Beyond one student bothering another as part of casual childhood play, student disagreements which become chronic and cause one child to lose focus or to become depressed, requires intervention. Student conflict resolution helps to foster a learning atmosphere in which students are encouraged to see each other as learners, as well as peers. 2. Describe the management technique used by the teacher to facilitate the resolution between the two students. The teacher in this video clip is using a strategy known as active listening. He is trying to get the young boy to listen to what the young girl is saying about his behavior. He encourages both of them to verbalize their actions towards one another. 3. What obstacles might you encounter while initiating conflict resolution? The main obstacle to conflict resolution is stubbornness or refusal to listen actively by one of the students involved. Another obstacle can be the depth or severity of the conflict itself. For example, a conflict involving physical abuse, may require immediate authoritarian intervention before one can begin a program of conflict resolution. 4. A. Identify two things the teacher in the video does to prompt the resolution of the conflict. B. What are the strengths and weaknesses of his approach? What methods might be more effective? 5. The teacher has the students summarize what each has agreed to. This technique is best described as:

a. creative problem-solving b. Socratic questioning c. active listening

d. participatory learning

Module 6: Communication Skills for Teaching Summary: Video Clip – Documenting Learning In this video the teacher is facilitating a class engaged in the editing and revising elements of the writing process. The class is instructed to find their best work to be placed in the portfolio, and to talk with their peers about their papers. At one point the teacher sits with individual students to discuss the procedures they used to revise the paper. Notice how the student is prodded to critique his paper using his own words to describe how he corrected errors and made changes. Take note of the teacher’s careful wording when he questions the student about his paper. Objectives: after completing this module you should be able to: • describe how the portfolio can help students to identify flaws and improvements in their

work • explain the questioning techniques needed to encourage students to critique their work Questions: 1. What is the fundamental purpose in using portfolios during writing instruction? Portfolios are used in the writing process to help students see their progress as they gain skills in writing. 2. How does the portfolio provide a more accurate picture of the student’s achievement level? Unlike standardized tests where the evaluation of the student’s work is but a snapshot, portfolios, due to the nature of the work in progress, give the teacher a great deal more material from which to perform an evaluation of the student’s work. 3. A. When discussing the piece of writing with the student, identify the steps the teacher takes to further writing instruction for the student. B. How does the teacher communicate with the student to let him know that his writing has improved, but that it still needs more work? 4. This entire video displays a teacher-to-student interaction that is reflective of which instructional style?

a. direct instruction b. discovery learning c. project-based learning d. student directed learning

Module 7: Managing Problem Behaviors Summary: Video Clip – Eliminating Bullying in Schools In this video on bullying, a middle school teacher is discussing the definition of bullying with her class, asking them for input on how to deal with the problem. Listen to the answers given by the students to questions on the definition of bullying. The teacher is attempting to stimulate a discussion on their personal experiences related to bullying, and on their feelings as to what should be done. Objectives: after completing this module you should be able to:

, identify student misconceptions of the definition of bullying, , formulate a plan to encourage students to report bullying, , provide an analysis of bullying and self-esteem as it relates to pre-adolescent and

adolescent students. Questions: 1. Explain why bullying is more prevalent among student minorities. How can you mediate the effect on these students? In this clip, the teacher particularly points out two Hispanic children and asks them if they have experienced more bullying because of the way they speak. This apparent object of bullying hinges on the aspect of bullying that is most commonplace – focusing on the differences of a victim. Hence, bullying victims are usually physically weaker, and/or emotionally unstable the age. In the case of minorities, a third aspect is that of being obviously different by virtue of speech and other cultural characteristics. This effect can be mediated by allowing the classroom to become focused on diversity, and to celebrate differences of culture and language. 2. One student identifies bullying as being an older person who picks on a younger person. Explains how this viewpoint demonstrates a misconception that is rooted in Erikson’s Identity vs Role Confusion? This student perceives bullying as being an aggression of an older person upon a younger person. This would fit into the adolescent belief that age accompanies personal strength and therefore translates into the misconception of bullying. In Erikson’s Identity vs. Role Confusion the adolescent is very much aware of his or her self as it appears to others. There is a self-consciousness that emanates from the belief that everyone is focusing on the individual. In this bullying misconception, the student is seeing the world through a set of preconceived notions of which there are no exceptions, that what I see is what everyone sees. 3. A. Identify some of the types of bullying and some of the solutions given in the clip. B. In what ways is the teacher promoting the discussion about bullying within her class? What other options might the students have to combat bullying? 4. Bullying is generally defined in two categories: aggressive and passive. Which one of the following characteristics reflects passive bullying:

a. collaboration b. coerciveness

c. belligerence d. impulsiveness