Field Blog Post 7/ West Geauga

Question I will be exploring: In his essay, Herbet Kohl claims many young teachers fail to see themselves as adults and feel very much like the children. Therefore, they often struggle to discipline students. They feel criticism and limits on behavior will cause the students to dislike them (20). To what extent do new teachers struggle to discipline students? Is this issue something I will need to beware of when I begin my career as a teacher? How will I discipline my students? What will I allow and not allow?

     Today, when I observed Mrs. Kirchner's class, I decided to focus on how she disciplines
her students. Her being a student teacher provided me with a unique opportunity to see how new teachers discipline and control their classrooms. Overall, Mrs. Kirchner created a very relaxed atmosphere. She rarely reprimanded her students and they accordingly did whatever they pleased. I observed at least three students texting. Furthermore, students had many side conversations that were unrelated to the literature they were supposed to be discussing. One group spoke about different iphone models and how easily they get scratched. Another group began talking about television commercials and fashion. The children were generally very loud and off topic. In addition to allowing the students to have side conversations, she also let students return to their locker anytime they forgot needed material. I also observed many children listening to ipods and eating snacks.

     Overall, Mrs. Kirchner did not discipline her students very much. Throughout the entire class, I only heard her make three requests for the students to stay focused. These requests were lightly spoken and not very demanding. My observation has led me to believe that new teachers, generally, do struggle with discipline. Therefore, this issue is one that I need to be cognizant of when I begin teaching.

     I believe that classrooms should have an inviting and fairly relaxed atmosphere. I also believe, however, that rules need to be enforced to help maintain focus and ensure that the students receive the best learning experience possible. When I begin to teach, I think I will allow students to eat in my room. As long as the snacking doesn't interfere with the lesson, it should be permitted. Not allowing children to eat in the classroom has always seemed to be a trivial rule. I will not however, always allow students to return to their lockers to retrieve forgotten materials. This sends the message that students do not need to be adequately prepared for class. I will also not allow students to listen to their ipod whenever they chose. I do believe, however, that music can be useful in education. Music can be inspiring and certain genres can even increase attention. I will use music in my classroom occasionally. Music is a passion of mine. Ayers suggests, and I agree, that teachers should examine their interests and look for possible connections to student interests and integrate these shared interests into the classroom (7). Using music in the classroom would be a great way of accomplishing this task. Finally, I will not refrain from reminding my students to stay on task as often as is necessary.