Field Work Blog 7

• What are the school rules/classroom rules and how are they enforced?
• What are the procedures the teacher uses to make everything run smoothly in the class?

Mrs. Wilson has lots of classroom rules. She told me how she is a strict teacher, but when the students obey, everybody learns, and everybody has fun. Mrs. Wilson has her class on a routine. Each student has known the expectations from the beginning of the school year and it's clear they understand what to do. When they enter the classroom, they but their backpacks away and put their chair back at the desk. They begin their morning work and when they finish, they know to either do missing work or, if all their work is done, they may silently read. When it is time for announcements and the pledge, they all stop what they are doing and participate. Mrs. Wilson only has to occasionally redirect the more talkative students, and the whole day runs smoothly because the beginning sets the mood for the whole day. 

She also has class jobs that rotate through the students. Those include things like "equipment manager" whose job is to bring all the equipment in and out for recess. There is also a "MVP" (her classroom is sport themed) and the MVP is the first person Mrs. Wilson calls on to help her with whatever she needs, whether it's handing out papers or running an errand. She also has a job for someone to pick up papers and keep the classroom neat.These jobs are effective because she makes the expectations clear and the students know what to do. 

Mrs. Wilson has a HUGE variety of positive reinforces in her classroom. One that I really liked was the autograph board.  If a student does something good, they may sign their name on a small square with a number inside. When all the squares are full, she has another teacher at random select a number and the student whose name is on that number receives a prize. She has  "think sheet" (similar to timeout) that a student must fill out if there are any recurring issues. Overall, the behavior in Mrs. Wilson's classroom is great due to her efforts to establish expectations and be consistent in her rewards and consequences.