Teacher Interview

https://youtu.be/HmRMapm5bqg

*NOTE: THERE IS A FEW SECONDS IN THE BEGINNING WHERE THE SOUND CUTS OUT. IT COMES BACK ON, PROMISE!*
     For this assignment, I interviewed a 28 year veteran of the teaching profession: Ms. Berger. The interview consisted of the following questions:
1.) How many years have you been a teacher, and what grades have you taught?
2.) What is your general philosophy about classroom management?
3.) Do you begin every school year with a rigid classroom management plan, or do you prefer to get a feel for the class first?
4.) Can you give me any examples of how you manage your classroom? Anything that you have  noticed consistently does or does NOT work?
5.) In your years of teaching, have you found that taking something away or offering something extra  ( example: free time, recess, or homework) works better in effective classroom management?
6.) Do you find yourself ever using cues or prompts to manage the classroom?
7.) How do you handle disruptions?
8.) Do you use a token reinforcement reward system?
9.) Have you ever used group consequences to encourage or discourage behavior?
10.) Have you ever had a student with severe behavioral issues? What methods or strategies were used?
11.) Any advice for future teachers about managing a classroom?

     Ms. Berger has been a teacher for 28 years, and has taught grades 3-8. Currently, she teaches both 5th and 7th grade. Her general philosophy about classroom management is respect. She thinks that showing respect for the students immediately will hopefully lead to respect for her as teacher in return. This ideology is consistent with Chapter 13 of Woolfolk (pg. 496) that presents respect as an important predictor of student engagement and supportive class dialogue.  She begins the school year by observing and getting to know the students in her class before developing a very specific  classroom management plan. However, there are certain principles she generally applies.

     She has noticed throughout her years of teaching that there are certain practices that generally do NOT work in the classroom setting. Her experience has shown her that yelling or making vague threats to students does little to effectively manage a classroom. She has experienced whispering as a better alternative, because it forces the students to HAVE to listen if they want to hear what she is saying. She also has experienced that immediate consequences are a much better alternative to vague threats. Immediate consequences and following through on what one said would happen if a type of behavior continues are consistent with the discussion of Chapter 13 of Woolfolk (pg. 501). She also discovers that students respond well to verbal encouragement when following the rules, or doing well in any aspect (academic or behavioral). This ideology follows part of the Premack Principle, discussed in Chapter 7 of Woolfolk (pg. 264).

     Ms. Berger discussed that taking something away from the students does not always have the same level of effect as offering something extra, but different strategies must be applied to her 5th grade class as opposed to her 7th grade class. Her 5th grade class responds well to the offering of extra free or reading time, or the opportunity to partake in classroom chores (ex. washing the board or passing out papers). This strategy is a good example of positive reinforcement, discussed in Chapter 7 (pg. 257) of Woolfolk. On the other hand, her 7th grade class is more difficult to manage, so there is a point system in place. This system involves receiving a point for things such as disruption, disrespect, gum chewing, talking, or any straying from the classroom rules involving behavior. If a students acquires two points in a day, or three point in a week, they receive a detention. This is an example of negative reinforcement because it involves taking away free time from the student (Chapter 7, pg. 258).

     Ms Berger uses prompts and cues ,discussed in Chapter 7 (pg. 261), with both her 5th and 7th grade classes in different ways. To manage her 5th grade classroom, she may give them a "stern teacher look", or a tap on the shoulder as a cue to cease their behavior. For example, talking or disrupting the class.  In her 7th grade class, they have learned a series of holding up fingers to cue what they need from HER. For example, if they hold up one finger, it cues that they have a question, two fingers means they need to get out of their seat to get a tissue, or sharpen a pencil, and three fingers means they have to use the washroom. This method of holding up fingers to non verbally cue the teacher as to what they need provides a couple of benefits, in my opinion. First, there is no discussion or disruption to the learning taking place in the classroom on the part of the other students. Secondly, it is an effective management tool because it eliminates shouting out what the students wants or needs without other classmates joining in the discussion, and maintains classroom decorum. She explains that she often must prompt students in order to further their involvement in classroom discussion, and so students remember what homework they have and which books to take home.

     She discussed how she handles classroom disruptions as well. Along with the cues and point system I mentioned previously, she also discusses how she must occasionally insist on speaking directly to a student in the hallway if student is continuing to disrupt the class after the cues and point system do not work. This strategy of private reprimand (pg. 270) discussed in Chapter 7 is more effective because it eliminates the opportunity of the student being reprimanded to show off in front of classmates.

    The school, and therefore she, enforces a system called Positive Behavior Incentive System (PBIS). Using this system, the class as a whole works towards collecting coins during each month. The class sets a goal for how many coins at the beginning of each month. They can accumulate coins for generalized good behavior (listening, being respectful, being kind, being responsible are examples). If they reach their goal, the class is rewarded with a prize. Examples of prizes can be a homework pass, a dress down day, or an extra recess. This system is an example of a token reinforcement system discussed in Chapter 7 of Woolfolk (pg. 257).  This system is also an example of positive reinforcement. I like how the PBIS system has the classes set a goal for positive behavior, and the class works towards the goal as a team. I think it does a great job to reinforce good behavior, and hold all students accountable for the group. Ms. Berger also discussed how the PBIS system is an example of group consequences. If individuals do not participate in reaching the goal, the whole group suffers the consequence of no prize at the end of the month.

     I asked Ms. Berger if she has ever had a student with severe behavioral issues, and how she handled it. She explained that she HAS had students will severe behavioral issues that would do things such as throwing chairs and intentionally hurting another student. She explained the most important aspect during an outburst was safety. She said the first thing she does is remove the student from the other kids, an example of social isolation found in Chapter 7 (pg. 271) of Woolfolk. She discussed how it saddens her to see students with such anger, and often times administration and psychologists as well as parents must get involved.

  Lastly, the advice she gave was to OUR educators. She pleaded with them to properly equip us, as future educators, will strategies, examples, and practice in preparing us to manage a variety of different situations. She felt she was ill prepared to handle a classroom, and struggled in her early years very much because of it.

     I learned so much from this interview, but there are a few ideas I will take with me into my future classroom. 1.) Know what I can handle, and get support when I'm in a situation I can't handle alone. 2.) Understand that students come from various backgrounds and environments, so be patient with them and construct my classroom management to reflect understanding of their learning and behavioral obstacles and needs. 3.) Be firm and follow through on what I say, whether it be for a behavioral disruption, or when I say something is due. I learned that kids need a good structure and  several examples how to model behavior in the classroom, and I hope to be a teacher that is understanding, compassionate, and kind, as well as firm and matter of fact. 4.) To model my classroom management by developing different strategies that will work with various types of classrooms.