Applying Classroom Rules and Procedures

---Yanhua Wang

Teachers and students must create discipline plans including rules with clear and effective consequences. The rules should be agreed upon and understood by everyone in the class. It should be understood that when rules are broken, consequences will be applied fairly and consistently. In my classroom, I will explain in detail of classroom rules and the result. Action will be taken for punishment or rewards. Students will be given the opportunity to rectify  for the first one or two misbehavior. According to my experience, I will take actions towards two kinds of behavior.  I named the behavior as positive behavior and negative behavior.

I consider answering question actively, listening to other quietly,attending teamwork forwardly and helping other friendly as positive behavior; and sleeping during class, talking without a permit, not listening to instructions and keep bothering other students as negative behavior. I will have all the rules posted on the wall to make sure students have no excuse for breaking the rules. For students who are behaving excellently, I will liberally give them rewards. Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy once said: Happy families are alike, the unhappy family is unhappy in its own way. I apply this famous saying in classroom management as “Excellent Performance is alike, bad performance appears in its own way.”

For well-behaved students I will have them bring home a reward card or a pass for a reasonable request like no homework for one time, not doing a project for one time. I have a student performance sheet hanging behind the classroom door. If a student is doing well in the class, I will put a sticker after his or her name.  For every sticker he or she collects, he or she can change them for a pass. It’s a very good example for other students because they also want to get the reward. James is a student in my class. He likes Chinese cultures very much, so he chose Mandarin Chinese as the second language. He is smart and hard working. I extremely like his attitude toward learning this subject. He not only attended class activities actively but also respected me and his classmates. He got many stickers in the last semester and he only used a pass for not doing homework for one time.

students are breaking the rules or not following procedures in many different ways. They may fall asleep, keep talking or not be willing to attend group activities. Chris had talent in learning languages. But as time passed I found out that he no longer actively answered questions as he used to do before. The worse was he didn’t hand in his homework on time. I talked with him alone, trying to figure out what happened to him. He told me that learning Chinese Characters was really hard for him. He felt like he was not able to catch up forever. I promised him that I could help him whenever he wanted. I used more teaching strategies to attract his attention. Chris was an introverted person. He liked to be encouraged, especially liked to be praised in public. I recognized that what he needed was an encouragement. So for every progress he made, I would tell him immediately with a big smile that he was doing a good job or he is the best. From then on he was doing better and better. After the final exam, he came to thank me for helping him build up his confidence.  

Classroom Behavior Process

High-Performance Learning environments

---Yanhua Wang

Academic Expectations:

If I were asked to choose the best video, I would say the Roller Coaster Physics impressed me the most. No matter the video or the plan is very organized and methodic. The students listened to the instruction first, then worked in a group to discuss how to carry the project out. The individual sketch was the first step to making it possible. Finally, they were offered the materials to carry out the project. The teacher gave students time and space to finish the project. She was not staying away to do nothing but giving direction anytime the students needed. She also asked questions to further explain the theory of the project. Each group had finished the project. The students also tried to lower the budget, and they did it. The teacher surely holds high-performance expectations for students.

Video two is about 3rd-grade Chinese math. As a Chinese I am very confused by the scenario because in the video a Chinese teacher with Taiwan accent was teaching kids(foreigners?) Multiplication formulas. The kids were reciting the Multiplication formulas under the teacher’s guidance. Most of the kids raised their hands to answer the questions. Academic expectations can be achieved for most of the students. But some students may lose interest in this teacher-centered style education. So the teacher should use more teaching strategies to attract students’ long-term attentions in the class.

Whole brain teaching, a new teaching strategy is used by lots of teachers and the effect is quite obvious. But in this video, I feel like that I can’t even catch up with the steps. Most importantly, I don’t get the point of why doing this? What’s the objective of this lesson? I have too much doubt of the lesson so that I don’t think the teacher can hold high expectation for students.

Behavior expectations:

In the video Roller Coaster Physics, everything went on smoothly and naturally. It’s like every other lesson in every day. The students were required to work in the group, so no one had an excuse to stay away. They followed the instruction, finished every part of time.

The video 3rd Grade Chinese Math reminded me of my childhood when the math teacher taught us Multiplication formulas. The students listened earnestly. They did whatever the teacher said. Classroom management was much easier in this way.

The class in Whole Brain Teaching was tight and impassioned. Even though there were several instructions, the students still followed them properly.

Norms and Procedures:

The norms and rules of the class are clear. There was a restriction in using the equipment and materials. For example, each group could only have 2 marbles. The class was separated mainly in three parts: instruction, planning, and performance. The students listened, discussed sketched, computer outlined and performed step by step. The teacher seemed to understand the students well that the project is neither too hard nor too easy for the students. Besides, there was a budget limitation for the students. Once they spent too much the teacher would remind them of their budget.

In the 3rd Grade Chinese Math video, the teacher first reviewed Multiplication formulas and then did some exercise to enhance the knowledge for the students. I like the way that when they were going to next step, they counted the number rhythmically and clapped their hands.

When a teacher has to cheer students up, then Whole Brain Teaching would be a good way. As I said above, the rhythm of this whole brain teaching was going so fast that I couldn’t help thinking about if the students could remember something.

The three teaching strategies all have very good sides that I can learn from. I am teaching grade 9 students Mandarin Chinese. Students in my class came from Russia, Irish, India, Mexico and Paraguay. How to create a learning environment with high expectations for my students is always a priority when I prepare lesson plans. First, I will set up the rules in the class, but not too many instructions as that in the Whole Brain Teaching. Regarding the many cultural backgrounds in the class, I will ask students to talk about something interesting concerning their cultures. Two to three games will be used in the class, so I don’t have to spend much time in explaining the playing rules to students. I hope that one day my class can be as organized and high effective as  Donna Migdol’s  classroom.

Positive Classroom Climate

---Yanhua Wang

Classroom Climate is the classroom environment, the social climate, the emotional and the physical aspects of the classroom. It’s the idea that teachers influence student growth and behavior. The student’s behavior affects peer interaction--the responsibility of influencing these behaviors is placed with the Instructor. The way the instructor organizes the classroom should lead to a positive environment rather than a destructive and/or an environment that is not conducive to learning.

------Dr. Karen L. Bierman, the Director of the Penn State Child Study Center and Professor of Psychology, believed that a teacher needs to be "invisible hand" in the classroom.

As we all know that the USA is the number one immigrant country in the world. There are students coming from South America, Asia, Europe and Africa in one class. They speak different languages, celebrate different festivals, have different food, influenced by different cultures. As the teacher in school, I think it’s really important to balance the relationship of students while still doing a good job in teaching the subject. Some teachers may be confused because they believe that teachers’ responsibilities are helping the students in the targeted subject, and there is nothing to do with students’ background. Well, let me tell you why it’s important for creating a climate of caring and concern in the classroom

First, respect is mutual. If you respect students’ cultures, they turn out to appreciate your respect and further respect you. Once you earn their respect, you earn their trust. Respect and trust each other is a very important first step to lead your class into easy management mode.

Second, avoid conflict. Conflict not only means fighting but sometimes it also means the smooth going of the class. Think about it that how does an Indian student feel if other students are talking about how tasted beef is. Or the teacher keeps talking about the family union, parenthood in front of single parent family.

Third, set up a harmony learning environment. I believe students’ learning efficiency would be higher is they are studying in a harmony learning environment. They will grasp the knowledge point very quickly;  they will finish homework on time; they will work together for the project.

In my class, I always pay special attention to understanding students’ background. Here are several steps I take to ensure I have a positive classroom climate.

I introduce myself to the students at the very first beginning of the semester. I want my students to know who I am and what kind of person I am. I also tell them in detail about what they are going to learn in the semester. I ask their opinions or expectation about the subject so they know that I care about their thoughts. I ask them to introduce themselves, their ages, hobbies, families, cultures, ethics, idols. I tell them that we have to know each other well so we can get along with each other.

I schedule a quiz for the students. I have to know how were they doing about the subject in the past year. I analyze the quiz and adjust my lesson plan toward different students. I want to make sure that they will make progress in my class.

I celebrate with my students their festivals, their cultures. I not only teach them Chinese cultures but also do research about my students’ cultural background. My students will introduce their culture to other students whenever there is a chance. For example, on St Patrick's Day, Irish student makes a presentation in the class to share how their family and relative celebrate this festival; the history and tradition of St Patrick’s day. I make sure that my students are proud of their cultures.

I consider communication as a very important part of positive classroom climate. I prepare rubrics for projects, tests to avoid any misunderstanding of the subject. If there is any abnormal behavior of the students, I will always talk with them face-to-face. I prefer to solve problems as soon as possible. I will find out the background story first before taking any action.

There are a lot to do to build up a positive classroom climate. Not only the teacher has to work hard to make sure everything going on well, but also the students have to contribute their effort.

Reference:

1.Bierman, Karen L. (September–October 2011). "The promise and potential of studying the "invisible hand" of teacher influence on peer relations and student outcomes: A commentary". Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology. SI Teachers and Classroom Social Dynamics 32 (5): 297. doi:10.1016/j.appdev.2011.04.004. Retrieved 23 October 2013.

2."Classroom Climate". Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. The Trustees of Indiana University. Retrieved 23 October 2013.

Making Learning Fun

---Yanhua Wang

I am teaching Mandarin Chinese as a second language for  students  who  have never  known Mandarin Chinese before. Language includes listening, reading, writing and speaking. To acquire a language, students need many opportunities to practice and apply what they have learned in class. The  Mandarin Chinese language classroom often poses challenges in this area due to rote teaching methods, dull curricula, or limited opportunities to use the language outside of the classroom. Practicing a new language can also be intimidating, especially for students with a high affective filter or negative emotional factors that may interfere with language learning.

A great way to give students meaningful opportunities to apply their learning and lower their affective filter is to make learning fun! When teachers use activities that make learning engaging and fun, students are more willing to participate and take risks. Having fun while learning also helps students retain information better because the process is enjoyable and memorable. Besides with the development of modern technologies, it’s already a tendency for students to acquire computer skills.

Mobile learning is one of the ways I use to make learning fun and effective. As far as using mobile learning also has its disadvantages, which includes distraction of attention, wi-fi issues, charging factor and so on, I have to think about how to carry forward the advantages and reduce the disadvantages. Some guiding principles turn out to be very necessary.

1.Does every student have computers? Any charge and internet access in the classroom?

2.Are they familiar with the apps? If not, how long would it take to train them?

3.What’s the students’ prior knowledge of this digital content?

4. Is there specific preparation that needs to be done before the lesson?

5.By using this mobile device, does it aid the students in reaching the learning goal?

6.Does it cause more distractions than it’s worth?  

7.Could a different technology or teaching technique be used to reach the goals more effectively?

8.Do I have backup plans if something happens and the mobile learning doesn’t work?

9.How do I monitor what are the students doing?

10.How am I sure that mobile learning should only enhance student-centered learning and the reinforcement of the targeted learning outcomes?

When my answers to those questions are 95% positive, I then will use mobile learning strategy in my class. Here are the two apps I often use in the class.

The first app I use is for the students to learn Chinese Characters. As far as we don’t have environment here for students to read, to listen and to speak in Mandarin Chinese, I have to figure out a learning environment for the students.  In this case,  It’s extremely important that there is an app with Chinese Pinyin. While this app really helps me a lot in typing Pinyin. The app has flashcards and it’s very flexible to use because it has a lot of choices. I can either use Characters, Pinyin or both of them, besides I can choose to turn the audio on or off. so whenever I want to review the Characters, I will use the flashcards.                       

Another app I use is a game. Just a couple of decades ago, it’s unimaginable that human beings can use mobile learning in class.This app is a platform where one can create quizzes, discussions and surveys. It can also display via a TV or projector, and participants enter the game pin to play. I use it as a formative assessment.  At the same time I am able to collect valuable data about where the students’ abilities are. One of the best features of the app is that it collates the data for me in a downloadable spreadsheet, where I can see if students are struggling in their weakpoints.

Generally, I think mobile learning is very useful tools to make class fun. Students are also making progress step by step. I believe that if we can make best use of the advantages and bypass the disadvantages of mobile learning, we can have more choices of teaching and learning.

Reference:

1.Teacher's Corner: Making Learning Fun. (n.d.). Retrieved May 18, 2016, from https://americanenglish.state.gov/resources/teachers-corner-making-learning-fun

A lesson for English Language Learners

---Yanhua Wang

The students  have developed a vocabulary of about 3,000 words and can communicate with simple phrases and sentences. I am going to teach them Unit 7 : Western Holiday.

Student A: His English level is between Stage I: Pre-production and Stage II: Early production. He has developed an active vocabulary of about 1000 words,  but he is obviously a passive English learner. According to the assessment test the students took at the beginning of the semester, he is partitioned to group D which is the lowest level in English.

Student B: His English level is between Stage II: Early production and Stage III: Speech emergence with the vocabulary of about 2000 words.He can communicate with simple phrases and sentences. He will ask simple questions, that may or may not be grammatically correct, such as “ Where are you come from? ” He understands easy stories read in class with the support of pictures. He told me that he feels exacting to follow up the schedule.

Student C: Most of the students in the class are like C, whose English are in Stage III: Speech emergence with the vocabulary of about 3000 words. They don’t have much trouble in passing the " PRACTICAL ENGLISH TEST FOR COLLEGES "(PETC), which is obliged to pass before graduation.What they need is intensive training and broadening horizons in English learning, so some of them may be able to take and pass a higher level test. Student C is the representative of them.

Student D, one of the best students in the class, his English level is between Stage III: Speech emergence and Stage IV: Intermediate fluency with the vocabulary of about 5000 words.She now can express her ideas and thoughts with some complex phrases and sentences. She enjoys learning English.

For student A, I prepare a set of English materials for beginners and ask A to finish them in a certain time. He can ask classmates or me to explain the answers for him. He has to finish doing the study plan I schedule for him. He comes to see me every two weeks and we discuss the next step together. When students are learning Unit 7, I hand out a Chinese version of the text to him so he can understand what he is going to learn in the class, and for me, I don’t have to spend so much time in explaining the meaning of the text sentence by sentence to all the students.

For student B, I will hand out some materials of the background knowledge of each unit to him. I also direct him to read more books and newspaper in English. Because he did research on the topic “western holiday” before class, I ask him to make a presentation to introduce major holidays in the US and how do people celebrate the holidays. It really helps build up his confidence in learning English and the effect is obvious.

For student C, I make a general lesson plan for her. In order to attract her interest and concentration in the class, I use various teaching methods in every class. Take Unit 7 for example, students watch a short video introducing a family celebrated Christmas. They are asked to listen to the dialogue very carefully and answered questions. C is asked to cooperate with her classmate to finish a project.

For student D, I give her extra materials for extent learning. She is also given more challenging projects and homework. She is asked to write an essay to compare major holidays between China and the US.

Interviews with School Counselor and General Teacher about Special Education

---Yanhua Wang

I interviewed a counselor in my school and my son’s head teacher. Before I got a comprehensive understanding of special education, I didn’t ask them extra questions because I have to catch up with the time as spring recess is on the way and there is no school next week the whole county.

Interview with high school counselor Ms. Negron

*How is a student identified for special education referral?

The process will go through by SRBI, scientific research-based interventions.  Students referred by general teachers, parents or special education teachers will be introduced to an interview. Students will be observed and measurements, which establish by SRBI team and general teachers  will be carried on by general teachers. The students will stay in regular classrooms during the implementation process, which lasted  for several weeks. If the students don’t make improvement,  they then will be referred to a test which will identify whether they are qualified to attend special education program or not.

*Who takes responsibility for the progress of the child before and after the referral?

Before the referral,  general classroom teachers are taking responsibility for the progress of the child, while case managers and the SRBI team will take charge of it after the referral.

*What is the school administration's directive for special education?

As far as IDEA is the legal law, every public school administration has to make sure that eligible children with disabilities have the right to receive special services and assistance in school.

Pupil Placement Team(PPT), which includes the school principal, counselor, social worker, psychologist, general teachers, special education teachers, parents, and student holds meeting twice a year to evaluate the effectiveness of the plan annually, developed future plans as needed.  

*What provisions are made for students identified for special education?

It depends on the IEP. Some provisions have to be met before deciding which programs the students to attend and what plans work for the students. According to the IDEA, all students with disabilities are entitled to a free and appropriate public education designed to meet their unique needs and at no cost to the parents. Parental safeguards and involvement in the educational process should be included.    Students should be educated in the least restrictive environment(LRE).

*What is the level of parent involvement in referral process and special education?

If the scale goes from one to ten, the level of parent involvement in referral process and special education is the higher the better. Parents can request a test for their child. They can cooperate with the SRBI team by  providing as much background information of the child as possible. The more involvement they offer the more obvious effect the program to the child would be. But as parents, they have the right to decline any special education services for their child. They may cancel special education and related services for their child at any time.It is important to note, however, that if they decline or cancel special education for their child and later change their mind, the evaluation process must be repeated.

Interview with elementary school kindergarten teacher

Ms. Eaton

I interviewed two general teachers in my school to see if they had the experiences to refer students for IEP. But neither of them gave me a yes answer as both of them said 99% of the students identified for special education have been identified in their early ages, so elementary school teachers have a higher probability of referring students for special education. I then turn to interview an elementary school teacher who has over 20 years of working experience as a kindergarten teacher. Here are her answers to special education questions.

*How do you identify a student for special education?

Some students have been diagnosed with a disability by medical providers before they attend school.

Some students have been referred by their parents as early as the first day they go to kindergarten. Parents also inform the teacher how is their child doing at home and what attention they hope to be offered to their child.

Students with physical disabilities have more obvious behavioral performance. For other cases, I will identify whether a student has to be referred for special education or not by their learning abilities in academics. But I consider it very seriously before making any identification by combined the information I got and observation I did.

*What are the signs of a struggling student?

You can tell from his performance when a struggling student find that school becomes much more difficult once he/she wants to build upon previously mastered skills to gather new information. This is especially true if he/she were not able to master some of the foundational skills. For reading difficulty students, they have difficulty in manipulating sounds in words. while they are struggling in writing  when other students have no problem in writing words that contain most of the consonant sounds in a word.

*Are there alternate methods of instruction tried out before referring the student for special education? If yes, what are they?

Yes, I will use alternate methods of instruction according to different students’  demands, so the usual method I use is to offer the students one-on-one teaching method, which I believe is most effective to help students catch up academically.

The Role of Special Education in Tomorrow’s  learning World

---Yanhua Wang

Recently I got the opportunity to interview a school counselor and a general teacher. I further learned the process of how to identify a student for special education and how do we do to help them in achieving academic and body improvements.

From the interviews with the counselor and the general teacher, I know that the whole assessment process is very precise and objective before the identification of a student for special education. And every further step is also distinct and targeted to make sure that the students can make progress.

Generally, there are four steps from identifying to fulfilling the program. The first steps is to identify the need: when, where and how are disabilities diagnosed and response to intervention. The second steps is formal assessment. The third step is individualized education program and meeting. The fourth step is annual and triennial reviews and progress monitoring.

While individualized education programs are offered to the students, the assessment to identify a student for special education is extremely important. it helps determine the extent and direction of a child’s personal journey through the special education experience (Pierangelo and Giuliani, 2006). Schools rely mostly on parents, general teachers and special education teachers to identify students for special education. So elementary school teachers play a very important role in the first steps as 99% of students for special education are identified at early ages. From the school counselor, I was given an outline of the whole process; and from the general teacher, I was told how to find out the sign of a struggling student. As a general teacher, I realize my mission to help those struggling students. Even though there is no student in my class attends individualized education program, there is couples of students need more attention. Their academic basic is unstable. The further they stay in this class, the farther they left behind. As their subject teacher, firstly I observed their performance in the classroom in order to find out the reason why they fell behind other students. Secondly, I analyzed their homework and project. Thirdly I gave them the feedback I summarized. I also expressed my willingness to offer help and how we could work together to help them. Now I am very happy to see the improvement they have made.

My good friend is a special education teacher assistant in my school. She is assigned to help a girl one on one. No matter where the girl goes at school, she will follow her :attending classes,assisting with homework, going to the bathroom and having lunch. My friend is taking very good care of her and without any complaints. I respect my friend and all the others who devote their careers to special education. Some of my cohorts are working with special education needed students. They shared with us some stories about how amazing progress the students have made. I believe with their help, these miracles happen!  Finland sets up a very good example in helping students for special education. while in our country, we can make it even better with all the efforts we cohesion.

Reference:

1. Understanding the Special Education Process. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2016, from http://www.specialeducationguide.com/pre-k-12/what-is-special-education/the-special-education-process-explained/

2.Understanding Special Education: A Parent Guide. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2016, from http://www.understandingspecialeducation.com/

3.Special Education Referral Process - Project IDEAL. (n.d.). Retrieved April 10, 2016, from http://www.projectidealonline.org/special-education-referral-process.php