The power of observation

I have had the opportunity to observe a number of different classrooms during my time volunteering and student teaching. It is always interesting to observe teachers’ unique teaching styles and to see how different teachers conduct different parts of their day. One of the ways I have found that frequently varies among teachers and their styles is the way in which they ask for attention from their students. Depending on the grade-level and the age of the students, I have seen a variety of different techniques used including ringing a bell, a series of claps, the teacher sitting quietly at the front of the room waiting for students’ attention, and chants such as, “Criss-cross, apple sauce, give a little clap. Criss-cross, apple sauce, lay them in your lap.” Because my main placement is in an all-day kindergarten class, I have mostly used a series of clap patterns and little chants the students are familiar with to get students’ attention. However, as I gain experience in other grade-levels, I will be open to exploring many different techniques to bring the class back together.

Many of the teachers I have observed, regardless of grade and age-level of their students, have similar guidelines and expectations for transitions between activities during the day. Most of the instances I have seen indicate to me that the teacher has dedicated a lot of time and energy in the beginning of the school year to setting up those expectations and guidelines for his/her students ahead of time so the students know what to anticipate and what is expected of them.

Another time during the school day that tends to vary among teachers is how the  “morning meeting” is conducted, if at all. One thing that my cooperating teacher doesn’t include in her “morning meeting” that I have seen other teachers include is a time for student sharing, or a time for children to share anything new, interesting, concerning, or exciting with each other and with their teacher during the meeting. I think this adds a very personal element to the beginning of the day that helps in getting the day started off on a positive, personal note.