For any new teacher, is very important to have established procedures. My table leaders procedure, my slant procedure, my hand signals for water, bathroom, materials, trash, are working pretty good. In 4th grade, it is my opinion that students should learn to be responsible of their own property, and keep up with their school work. All the way till 3rd grade I believe teachers manage the students' colors, crayons, markers, rulers, and scissors. When are they going to learn? I thought, if the teacher does everything for them. They are almost in 5th grade and out of Elementary school.
Growing up in Ecuador, I was taught to be responsible of my belongings from day one of Kinder Garden. I knew when to use a pen, when to use a pencil, when to use colored pencils, rulers, scissors, and markers. Every supply had my name on it, and if I lost it or misused it, I knew I will be out of supplies by the end of the first trimester. By the time I was in fourth grade, I had 8 notebooks for different subjects, the cover pages, and the content was immaculate.
For that reason I thought, students should be able to take care of their belongings this school year. The second week of class, I wasn't sure if I had made the right decision. To my surprise students had no idea of how to take care of their school supplies. They used the scissors, rulers, markers, when they were supposed to be paying attention. Most of the pencils, and erasers were already cut in pieces. Finally, I decided in order to help them I would tell them exactly what they needed to have for every activity. "The only thing you need to have on top of your desk is your reading book." If I could go back in time I would take the scissors and rulers away from them.
I started the school year with 4 rows and 4 columns of seats with spaces in between. That was the layout of my classrooms when I was growing up. I changed into tables of four, when I realized they will be sharing textbooks. Another reason why I changed the arrangement, was that the last row wasn't paying attention. If I could go back, I would have it in U shape from the beginning of the school year.
Little by little, students are learning how to use their notebooks. I feel that by the end of the school they will have a better idea of the purpose of having one.
It is great that you are teaching your students to be responsible for their belongings. This is an important skill that they will need to have as they progress through life. It's possible that these items became a distraction to them because having them at their disposal at all times was such a novelty. To counterbalance their excitement, you are wise to clearly state what items they will need and what items need to be put away. While most already know this, there are always those students who will push boundaries when given a chance.
ReplyDeleteI must add that I am so impressed that you are trying different things in your classroom and when it doesn't go as you had hoped, you are trying something else. That is the key to improvement. Thank you for sharing your experiences!