ART IN THE CLASSROOM

It has been a fun year with the first graders. Their reading is improving through the use of computer resources like RazKids, and our daily revision of sight words and initial blend sounds is helping them to improve their fluency and pronunciation. But, aside from the English, Science, and Maths classes, it's always fun to take a break and do some creative art projects in class. And when we can use concepts we've studied in our other subjects and create a creative outlet to further their understanding of any of these topics, all the better. Here are some of the crafts the grade one students have been working on this year. I'm so pleased with their continual progress and I'm excited to share some of their work here. Enjoy!

                       

                      

GRADE ONE CLASSROOM

Take a look at my new classroom. This year I've moved up to grade one. It took me nearly a whole week to get my classroom cleaned, set up and organized, but I'm happy with the end result.

NON-PUNITIVE DISCIPLINE

It's common for people to assume that using non-punitive discipline (classroom discipline that does not punish or admonish the student, but rather seeks to educate and teach in order to change unwanted behavior) makes me a lazy teacher. Or they think that I'm too soft or too permissive of bad behavior, but this couldn't be further from the truth. It is much easier to just blow up in rage when students fail to follow instructions or abide by school rules than it is to remain calm and collected and address the issue with a carefully thought out solution to the problem without resorting to any kind of shouting, belittling or condescending comments, or most importantly corporal punishment, which does little to  change the students' behavior but rather creates resentment for all those involved. My T.A. was skeptical of the effectiveness of such disciplinary techniques when the school year began, but I'm sure she is convinced now that this calm, fair and humane way of dealing with problems in the classroom effectively eradicates the behavioral problems while building students' abilities to resolve problems thus building self-esteem and self-confidence.

While I've always followed the basic concepts of non-punitive discipline, my techniques and perspective have changed a lot since reading, "Positive Discipline: The Classic Guide to Helping Children Develop Self-Discipline, Responsibility and Life Skills" by Jane Nelsen Ed. E. Here are some of the valuable tips and ideas this book has to offer. I highly recommend the book to any teachers hoping to improve their classroom management skills.

• Non-punitive discipline does not mean letting children "get away" with their behavior. Rather it is a means of helping children explore the consequences of their choices in a supportive and encouraging environment so that lasting growth and learning can take place. We learn more when we receive both kindness and firmness to learn from mistakes.

• A misbehaving child is a discouraged child. Behavior is based on what the child thinks is true, not on what is actually true. (Interpretation not reality)

• Admit that you can't make children do anything and ask for their help in finding a solution that works for both of you.

• Never do something that a child can do themselves - We do a great disservice to children when we pamper them, as they miss the opportunity to develop better life skills and attitudes.

• The feeling behind what you say or do is more important that what you say or do. Make sure the message of love and compassion gets through.

• Decide what you will do, Ex, "I will continue the lesson when everyone is ready," not what you will make the students do.

• Get children involved in creating routines and then let the routines be the boss.

• The child who needs the most love is often the child who acts the most unlovable.

• Don't make demands, offer choices instead.

• Let your students know in advance what you plan to do.

• We should teach and model communication and problem-solving skills. Class meetings give children and adults the opportunity to practice many communication and problem-solving skills together.

• Win students' cooperation by (1) expressing understanding for the student's feelings. (2) Showing empathy without condoning. (3) Sharing your real feelings. (4) Inviting the child to focus on a solution.

• Positive discipline takes repetition and patience and the ultimate goal is to instill self-control so that eventually children can set their own limits.

• Shen children consistently hear harsh, negative criticism directed at the they begin to believe and internalize it until it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. (Self-fulfilling negative labels)

• When a teacher uses corporal punishment, he or she is saying to the child, "I am bigger than you" and "I don't respect you."

MY CLASSROOM: A PICTURE JOURNAL

YOUTUBE IN THE CLASSROOM

Given what we know nowadays about the differences in individual student's learning styles (whether that is logical, verbal, kinesthetic, aural or visual), it becomes the teacher's responsibility to prepare lessons that strategically integrate each of these types of learning. There are many materials teachers can use to supplement their lessons which appeal to each of these learning styles such as: crossword puzzles and word searches for logical learners; plays, skits and role-plays for verbal learners; TPR and physical games such as "Simon says" for kinesthetic learners; Songs, rhymes, and drilling games for aural learners; and flashcards, pictures and videos for visual learners.
Videos are a great tool for visual and aural learners, and video-sharing websites like YouTube, with its seemingly endless supply of content which can be downloaded and used in the classroom, make it easy to find the perfect video to integrate into your lesson. Videos have become a mainstay in my classroom for the following reasons:

1. Videos allow teachers to present authentic or "real" language to their students. It's important that students aren't exposed to only one source of language i.e. me, but other native speakers as well to improve their abilities.
2. Videos allow students to see the language used in context. When students watch a video they aren't just hearing the language, they are also seeing it thus improving their comprehension.

NOTE: Despite the many benefits of using videos in class, it's important to note that while well-curated videos used to supplement a lesson have a place in the classroom, playing videos for entertainment's sake without a clear teaching objective is a waste of time and often times leads to passive and unengaged students. That being said, when used and curated carefully, videos have the ability to transport students from the classroom and discover language in authentic contexts.

HOW STUDENTS ACQUIRE LANGUAGE AND HOW TEACHERS AID IN THEIR AQUISITION

English language learners acquire language in various ways:

• Incidental Acquisition: Learning of new vocabulary through indirect exposure to language and new vocabulary during a lesson
• Intentional, Pre-Selected Vocabulary: Vocabulary of a particular topic or a set of related words chosen by the teacher and directly taught and discussed in class

When presenting these new vocabulary words here's an idea for some of the steps involved:

1. Generate interest in the topic before delving into the vocabulary.
2. Activate the students' current knowledge of the topic.
3. Explain, illustrate, act out, or show the meaning of the word (There are many ways of teaching or introducing vocabulary as I've discussed already here.).
4. Provide example situations and several written or oral examples using the targeted language.
5. Use oral repetition to improve memory and retention of words as well as to enforce proper pronunciation and stress
6. Use controlled activities such as matching, fill-in-the-blanks, etc, to help learners integrate the targeted language into their mental lexicon
7. Include open speaking and writing activities so learners can integrate the newly-acquired words into and their writing and conversation

USING PICTURES IN THE CLASSROOM

The classroom is usually not the ideal environment for language learning as learners are far removed from the situations that teachers are trying prepare their students for. That is why pictures are such a valuable stimuli in the classroom. Pictures bring an element of reality and set up a context that is missing in the classroom setting. Pictures also help keep students' attention and generate a fun excitement in class. I've seen the effectiveness of using pictures in the classroom to help learners quickly retain the target language when used correctly. But what is the correct use of pictures in the classroom? Here's a video demonstrating some techniques for using pictures, specifically flashcards, in the classroom setting. I have since tried most of these techniques and my students love them.