Mrs. S has no set classroom management plan. She likes to set clear expectations for behavior, give specific positive reinforcement (I like the way...), and tailor consequences to the offense. She says the best thing is to keep the kids busy so there is no time for trouble. She believes in intrinsic rewards rather than extrinsic ones. They do have a class promise, which they will write together, but I have not seen it yet.
Classroom Set-up
Mrs. S spent a lot of time over the summer making her room (she was moved into a portable) look inviting and warm and it does look fabulous (curtain, plants, color). She wants the kids working in cooperative groups so puts them in tables of 5-6. She does not separate the 2nd and 3rd graders because she wants a strong sense of community. She wants kids to share their thinking and support each other. She wants her room to scream "we are readers" when you walk in. A large portion of the room is taken up by the library. The walls are covered with literacy bulletin boards and charts the class will create together. Eventually the walls with be covered with student thinking and student work. At the front of the room is a large carpet which is near the whiteboard, Activeboard, and flipchart. She uses this area for class meetings, read alouds, and teaching lessons. One tip she gave me was to cover the digital clock and have analog clocks or the kids will never learn to tell time on an analog clock.
Advice for the first day as a teacher
1. Number one is don't try to do it all. Go deeper and not as broad. Make sure the kids get down transitions and routines even if you get to no subjects.
2. Don't be afraid of bare walls--the kids will fill them up.
3. Be as organized as possible. Figure out what systems work for you and use them.
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