- Smile and laugh along with them
So so important! The old saying of 'Don't smile until Christmas' is wrong on every level. You need to build a positive relationship with your class to get the best from them. I work in a school in a very deprived area so behaviour can be tough, this means I do need to be firm and make my expectations very clear. However, it does not mean I can't smile and laugh along with my class. This really makes the job 10 times more enjoyable. I've lost count of the amount of times I've laughed out loud with my class. Some of my more memorable moments:
Reading 'The Christmasaurus' in front of my class and their visiting parents....it was probably the most embarrassing section of the story where the elves are singing silly songs about Santa's giant bottom...I'm fairly certain my face was as red as his Santa suit but I just laughed along with them.
Our end of year Pirate Party where I took on the swashbuckling role of Captain and made them all walk the plank (very satisfying!).
When they do something utterly ridiculous - for example, dancing when they didn't realise you were watching or putting on a high pitched voice in the dinner line because they were daydreaming and just following the pitch of the voices before them!
- Go in tough on behaviour
On the other side of the point above, it definitely pays off to go in tough on behaviour in Autumn term. Once they understand where the boundaries are, they settle into the routines (another very important point!) and work for you rather than against you.
One of the most important lessons I have learnt is to remain consistent. If you say you want them to line up in silence, do not accept anything less! If they don't do it how you have asked, make them line up again, and again, and again, and again. I saw what happens first hand when rules aren't consistent when I was joined by a second year BEd student who didn't do this. It becomes chaotic as the children end up feeling confused because they don't know where the boundaries are.
Every child needs to be treated equally (to a point, certain children may need slightly different methods). Make sure your class rules are sanctioned consistently - if the quiet, well-behaved child does something you would normally sanction, then sanction it. It's really important that the children see you treating them all fairly.
Just as equally, reward consistently as well. Whilst prizes and reward points work well, I have found telling them what they have done well and praising their strengths works incredibly well too!
If you have any other questions or comments please get in touch! I'll carry on my NQT year reflections soon x
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