Intern Posting 2

The most important thing that I have learned about kindergartners so far this semester is the fact that the students, without a doubt, need structure and a daily routine in order to exist in a healthy classroom environment. My mentor teacher has done an excellent job of keeping her students on track by introducing classroom management systems and by making sure the students follow all of the rules of the classroom. In this posting I wish to discuss Mrs. Koski's classroom management systems because I believe they are extremely helpful and I may want to use some of these systems in my future classrooms.

In order to keep the students interested and to feel as though they have responsibility in the classroom, Mrs. Koski has set up a job chart. The job chart has about 10 different jobs, such as door holder and supply helper, and the students rotate through each of the jobs weekly. The students really seem to be excited to have a job and take great pride in helping the teachers. Another system that makes the students excited is the stinger bucks chart and ticket buckets. If students are following the rules or do something very nice, they are then rewarded with a stinger buck to use at the school's store or a ticket to place in a bucket where prizes are given.

Although we try to reward students for good behavior as much as possible, there are times that we have to address bad behavior situations. When students are not acting appropriately they must move their name from a green bee hive to a yellow bee hive and then eventually to a red bee hive if the behavior does not cease. If the students are on a yellow bee hive they lose 5 minutes of recess and if they are on a red bee hive they will lose 10 minutes of recess. This system seems to work well but if for some reason the students are not responding to the system, a call home is often appropriate. I have seen this system used in several classrooms and believe it is something I will use in the future for sure!

Intern Posting 1

This Monday was the first day of school for the kindergartners at East Dale Elementary. As an intern in one of these kindergarten classrooms, I was both excited and nervous to meet my students for the first time. I have worked with this age group before so I thought I would be able to prepare myself for the students' arrival. I thought about how I would greet the students and what I would do if certain situations arose. However, around 10:30 on Monday morning I realized I was not prepared for everything.

My students this semester seem to be very, very excited to start off the new year. Although I knew school would be a new experience for most of the students, I never thought that most of the students would not already understand the "rules" of school. Now that I think about this, I seemed to be naive in that aspect. I was absolutely not prepared for my students not to know that they shouldn't speak over their teachers or that they shouldn't walk out of the classroom without asking. I guess on the first day of kindergarten I learned that every minute of the day is a learning experience.

As this week continues, things become less exhausting and run a little more smoothly every day. Lining up for the bathroom takes less time and the students seem to have an understanding of the rules set forth based on their actions. The students are beginning to know each other and I can really see them starting to trust their teachers. Every day has been different, as I now know every day will. I love the excitement and eagerness of kindergartners and look forward to a great school year.