Posts
I've accidentally found this Top 25 Substitute Teaching Blogs list and some of the blogs I like very much.
For instance, there is a very interesting blog called Substitutes, FTW! Teaching Tips, Classroom Experiences and Lesson Plan Ideas with a few especially useful posts, such as
Classroom Management: Kids Asking Too Many Questions?
Here I like this suggestion:
"As the book describes, "sweeping" should go like this: when you assign seatwork, let them know exactly what you want to see as soon as they get started. For instance, "I am passing out your worksheet now. I need to see three things as I come around: a sharpened pencil, your history book opened to page 74, and you silently reading." For some classrooms, it may be a good idea to write the "initial sweep tasks" on the board so they can see it, or have them repeat them."
And there is this incredibly interesting post on Mystery Motivators for Classroom Management.
Oh, and the same substitute teacher-blogger offers an interesting sollution for the seating arrangement, as well.
I must say I've solved this problem by making nametags for my students. I've printed the tags and distributed them as soon as I started working at this school. But, the problem with the tags is that quite often a number of students forget their tags, and then I have to improvise on the go. Anyway, by now, I somehow managed to memorize most of the names.
In the meantime, I'll try to find this book: Every Teacher's Guide to Classroom Management, because it would really be highly helpful to me, a novice substitute teacher.
For instance, there is a very interesting blog called Substitutes, FTW! Teaching Tips, Classroom Experiences and Lesson Plan Ideas with a few especially useful posts, such as
Classroom Management: Kids Asking Too Many Questions?
Here I like this suggestion:
"As the book describes, "sweeping" should go like this: when you assign seatwork, let them know exactly what you want to see as soon as they get started. For instance, "I am passing out your worksheet now. I need to see three things as I come around: a sharpened pencil, your history book opened to page 74, and you silently reading." For some classrooms, it may be a good idea to write the "initial sweep tasks" on the board so they can see it, or have them repeat them."
And there is this incredibly interesting post on Mystery Motivators for Classroom Management.
Oh, and the same substitute teacher-blogger offers an interesting sollution for the seating arrangement, as well.
I must say I've solved this problem by making nametags for my students. I've printed the tags and distributed them as soon as I started working at this school. But, the problem with the tags is that quite often a number of students forget their tags, and then I have to improvise on the go. Anyway, by now, I somehow managed to memorize most of the names.
In the meantime, I'll try to find this book: Every Teacher's Guide to Classroom Management, because it would really be highly helpful to me, a novice substitute teacher.
Hi Miljo.
ReplyDeleteOn my blog I have an interesting PPP related to classroom management. Here is a link http://vesna-blogforenglishlanguageteachers.blogspot.com/2012/03/dealing-with-challenging-learners.html.
Maybe you will find something useful there.
Dear Vesna,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the link!
If you don't mind, I'd like to make a post out of this; and try and incorporate some of the tips as soon as I start teaching once again.
Hello again.
DeleteI am glad I could help. Of course I don't mind, you can write the post if you want.