The 6 week point

Having tried to set up and maintain boundaries with my class, I have discovered some things that do and don't work.

To engage behaviour I need to:

• implement engaging tasks
• reward children
• move swiftly

In order to maintain harmony, I also need a roving eye and the ability to prevent disruption from happening. Nip it in the bud. This means:

• keeping a very careful eye on my interesting kids and where they are seated, how they are being and what they are doing.
• manage transition effectively with clear expectations and careful control
• put strategies in place to settle children when coming in from lunch/morning tea

As a teacher, I need to:

• be positive
• be calm
• be serious
• see everything
• be understanding
• be interested
• be very prepared

A small ask.

Some thoughts

By morning tea today i realised i had had an engaged class.  Why?  I think I had set up the activity and my expectations in a way that the students saw as me meaning what i was saying.  I was serious about what i wanted them to do.  There were some flaws in the activity (too long, even with my scaffolding, more was needed, my expectations re spelling were not made clear) but many of the children in the class were doing exactly what i had wanted them to do.

I had also set up a new reward "The Throne" which may have played a role.

Again, I am seeing that the key to behaviour engagement is in the activity. Those children unable to do the activity/lose interest act out or disrupt.

However, they need to value their work and finish activities and not cop out.  I will be working on strategies to ensure children make finishing their work to a good level a priority. This could also help with creating an engaged class.