Educational Technology Guy posted some random thoughts and I have one of my own to add.- Teachers shouldn't willingly waste so much time in the morning eating breakfast, taking attendance, finding out what students will be having for lunch, etc; (lists, lists, count students, lists, more lists)
I go to a first-grade classroom every Thursday morning for my TE 301 placement. I'm there from 8:00-11:30am; I realize it's not much time to be able to really criticize, but I feel like the mornings are routine by now. My CT usually comes in when the students do at 8:50am; she doesn't come in early to prepare anything. I feel that if she would come to the school at least twenty minutes early, she would have enough time to scavenge for the things she needs within the mess on the desk.
She actually is a pretty good teacher when the teaching finally starts, but the wasted time in the morning has been bothering me all semester. Not only is time wasted on things the principal or the lunch lady need, but lessons are always interrupted by the teacher's attempt to teach the children about manners and to improve behavior. I realize this is necessary, but constantly stopping the lesson to tell a child to stop picking his nose, sit on his bottom, get fingers out of his mouth, etc, is not. It takes away too much valuable time.
What grade levels have you had experience observing? How do the teachers handle their morning routine? How do they handle behavioral issues?
I don't go into my classroom until later in the day, but from my own personal experience as a student I have always found that teachers that show up before me always have more productive classes.
ReplyDeleteAs far as behavioral issues, I think more elementary classes are filled with teaching social norms and proper etiquette. I mean, not all of them have parents who are going to teach them that stuff. I used to be amazed at how often the teachers would stop to correct the children and amazed at how laid back the whole scene is when it comes to promptness, but I think that is just the environment.
I don't know, though, because I'm definitely not saying that there is no limit. Teachers could definitely reach a point where they are spending too much time of politeness instead of teaching. Hopefully, we'll just be able to find that happy medium :)
I also arrive to my 5th grade classroom at 9 am and stay until 11:30 am. My teacher is very strict with her students, however their are always misbehaviors that interrupt instruction. I think this will happen no matter what the age level or the teacher though. She also has a worksheet for the students to do right when they walk in the room. They have to do this worksheet while they are eating their breakfast because she does not want to waste any instructional time. I feel as though my teacher does a very good job using the time she has to teach her students.
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