Module 3 Blog Post

This module we had to read chapter 7 and chapter 13 in the Woolfolk text.  Chapter 7 was about behavioral views of learning and chapter 13 was about creating learning environments.  Outside of our text, there were other articles and videos for us to watch and the video that led one of our online discussion posts, although very old, was still relevant for teachers today.

Chapter 7 operant conditioning, trying a different way of responding.  This was displayed in the video for this module on classroom management.  Students respond in different ways depending on how you word what you are trying to say to them.  When a teacher uses a specific set of words with a negative connotation, students are going to feel that negativity.  So, when talking with students there needs to be a positive way that our message is given as to not create a negative classroom environment.  Page 257 gives a great explanation of reinforcement, behavior, reinforcer, strengthened or repeated the behavior.  There are two types of reinforcement, positive and negative reinforcement.  There is a difference between negative reinforcement and punishment, "reinforcement is always associated with increases in behaviors, and punishment always involves decreasing or suppressing behaviors." (page 259).  Table 7.1 gives a helpful illustration of this.  As educators there are ways, that Woolfolk points out, that can encourage behaviors, reinforcing with teacher attention, selecting reinforcers (Premack principle), shaping and positive practice (page 263-266).  Children with behavioral problems usually have a reason for acting out in school and we need to know how to evaluate those reasons and discover what they are so that we can move forward in fixing the behavioral problem.  Some of the reasons students misbehave are, to receive attention from others, escape from an unpleasant situation, to receive a desired item or activity and to meet sensory needs (page 273).  Figure 7.4 points out ways to deal with each of those reasons with either positive reinforcement, positive automatic reinforcement, negative reinforcement or negative automatic reinforcement.  With any issues we are faced with as teachers it is important that our methods are thought out and evaluated with goals, potential ethical issues that may arise, strategies to achieve these goals and awareness of how our methods may affect other students, the student faced with behavioral issues and parents or other faculty members as well.  

Chapter 13, creating learning environments.  This is so important as a teacher to create a positive learning environment and as new teachers with little to no experience being a teacher, planning for this is important in order to be a successful educator.  each student we will have is going to be different from one another and each child copes with struggles in a different way, learns in a different way, there is no "cookie cutter" way to teach that is going to be effective with all of our students.  The goals of classroom management are to give access to learning and more time for learning (page 491).  Creating a learning environment in our classroom involves so many different aspects such as routines and procedures, rules and consequences (page 495-496).  These may all seem like they could have a negative connotation attached to them but it is important for the students to know that there are expectations inside of the classroom and that when these expectations are not followed or met that, unfortunately, there will be consequences because at the end of the day, children are in school to learn and develop into well-rounded educated adults and it is our responsibility as teachers to help them achieve this.  Woolfolk gives us a chart on page 499 that lays out some guidelines to help design learning spaces such as, fixed features such as audiovisual centers and computers, creating easy access to materials and staying organized, providing clean and convenient learning surfaces, avoiding have "dead space" in the classroom, arranging classrooms in order for students to be able to fully see presentations, having private and quiet work areas, allowing there to be options and flexibility (because no two students are exactly the same) and always continue to try and improve our classrooms through evaluation.  Encouraging children has always been and will always continue to be an extremely important aspect of our teaching, children do not want to feel discouraged in your classroom and I feel as though if students are feeling that there is a negative and discouraging learning environment they are not going to succeed as students and I am not going to succeed as a teacher.  Another helpful area that was in our text for this week was the different ways we can stop problems quickly such as, making eye contact, verbal hints, asking students, reminding students, stating the correct rule or way of doing something, being assertive and offering a choice (page 506).  As educators, I loved figure 13.1 and I think that is something that I will refer to because of its clear layout of Marshall's (2013) model on how to "discipline without stress" (page 509).