Procedures the teacher uses to make everything run smoothly in the class.

The teacher that I observed used a lot of of good procedures to make his special needs class run smoothly. Some of the procedures he used were to welcome his students when they came in the morning. He and his aides would instruct the students to hang their backpacks, put home lunches on the designated shelf, put their jackets in the bin. The students would then take their seats at the tables where their chairs and folders were already placed. The students knew what was expected of them because they did the same things at the same time everyday. The teacher had laminated strips of card stock displayed in a holder in the front of the room that had the times of each activity and subject. The students didn't need to wonder what was coming next because they had a visual representation of the schedule. After the activity had passed, he would turn the strip around. If he forgot the students were sure to remind him. In addition to the schedule the teacher would tell the students what the schedule was for the day.

The teacher also had the rules of the classroom posted and he would review them everyday. He added gestures for each rule to help the students remember them. He had a designated spot in the classroom where the students could go and sit quietly if they needed to take a break. His students felt supported and loved and it showed in the interactions between the staff and the students. I hope to be able to create a positive environment like the one I observed in my own classroom.

Blog Entry 6

Strategies the teacher uses to actively engage the students and their effectiveness.

The teacher that I observed in my fieldwork experience used several different strategies to engage his students. I observed an autism unit where the teacher had to be very creative with his teaching methods to actively engage all of the students and to keep their attention focused on what he was teaching. He used the Smartboard, memory games, worksheets, scavenger hunts, and free time activities where the students could interact with each other.

Since socializing is often very difficult for people with autism, the teacher would set aside time twice a week for the students to play "social games." The students would be given an activity to do and they would have to complete the task by working together. Some students wanted to take over and others wanted to be left alone, so the teacher and his para educators were vital in helping the students communicate with each other and complete the task they were given.

The only thing that I saw that I felt the teacher could have improved on was that the students spent a lot of time sitting in their chairs facing the Smartboard. Although it is important for the students to learn to sit for long periods of time, especially those with autism, I thought that if the teacher could have shortened the time the students were sitting in their chairs they may have been able to focus better.

Blog Entry 5

The most important role a teacher plays

I believe that the most important role that a teacher plays is as a role model. Children watch and notice and often imitate what they see and hear, so I believe that we, as educators, need to be as positive, as professional, as compassionate, and as fair as we can be. Children are watching us and learning from our behavior even when we don't see it happening.

The children that I've observed in classroom settings and on playgrounds are looking for traits in others that they can emulate, and even try on for size, to see if that trait suits them. Some children seem to have a great sense of who they are from a young age, but often they are just beginning to discover who they are and who they want to become. For these reasons, I think that we need to show the children we teach characteristics that are positive so that they might be able to draw form them as they grow.

Having said that, I also want to state that I believe that it's very important for children to see us as human beings, capable of making mistakes and also admitting to those mistakes. I think that it's okay for children to see us as human beings who don't just live at the school and wait for them to show up so we can teach them. The teacher that I observed in an autism unit was a great example of all of these characteristics. He was fair, professional, compassionate, and also a little crazy and entertaining in order to keep the children's attention while he was teaching them. We are going to be a role model for the children we teach, so I believe that we should be a good one.

Blog Entry 5

The most important role a teacher plays

I believe that the most important role that a teacher plays is as a role model. Children watch and notice and often imitate what they see and hear, so I believe that we, as educators, need to be as positive, as professional, as compassionate, and as fair as we can be. Children are watching us and learning from our behavior even when we don't see it happening.

The children that I've observed in classroom settings and on playgrounds are looking for traits in others that they can emulate, and even try on for size, to see if that trait suits them. Some children seem to have a great sense of who they are from a young age, but often they are just beginning to discover who they are and who they want to become. For these reasons, I think that we need to show the children we teach characteristics that are positive so that they might be able to draw form them as they grow.

Having said that, I also want to state that I believe that it's very important for children to see us as human beings, capable of making mistakes and also admitting to those mistakes. I think that it's okay for children to see us as human beings who don't just live at the school and wait for them to show up so we can teach them. The teacher that I observed in an autism unit was a great example of all of these characteristics. He was fair, professional, compassionate, and also a little crazy and entertaining in order to keep the children's attention while he was teaching them. We are going to be a role model for the children we teach, so I believe that we should be a good one.

Blog Entry 5