Case Study

Miss English needs some help with her classroom. To me, I think the children are acting this way because they don’t know the rules and procedures of the classroom. They are acting out because they don’t have any control. Before it even gets to this point, I would take the time to get to know the children the first couple weeks of school. They need to have an idea of how the classroom functions everyday and in order to do that you can have to explain to them how it works. I would take into consideration what they want out of the classroom experience and I would include their ideas into the SOPs. They also need to get to know each other and understand that while the other kids in their class are their friends, they are also their classmates and need to know how to learn and grow together. It is going to be a more enjoyable experience to be comfortable around your peers if you also have boundaries with them. By making a shared vision for the year, this allows everyone to be on the same page. 

Starting at the 6th day of school with Miss English, I would explain to her that before you can teach the kids anything, they have to know what your rules and expectations are in the classroom with her and their classmates. They don’t understand that this space is a learning environment and there are certain places to play. I would advise her to get the children together and explain to them that their behavior is not going to be tolerated and ask what ways they think this behavior can improve. By making them think about their actions rather than discipling them, it holds them accountable for what they are doing and what they can do to make it better. They may know that this is not the time or place to be rough with each other or the time to play and yell but they don’t know that Miss English is in charge. She doesn’t seem in charge because I bet if their parent or guardian was in charge of this classroom, they would not be rolling on the floor and yelling while they were trying to talk. By yelling at them and telling them to be quiet and to do their jobs, this doesn’t really make a whole lot of sense to them because they may not understand what doing their job is. You have to sit them down and explain to them what the rules and expectations are. 

Visuals are very important to younger kids; especially 2nd graders. 2nd graders may be able to read but they may need some assistance. By creating visuals with pictures and words, this makes it so that they can refer to this when they are unsure. There needs to be an SOP for everything you do with kids at this age. I would stop what I’m doing at this point and gather the kids together and explain that this behavior is not going to be tolerated and ask them to brainstorm ways this behavior will not happen again. By including them in the process, it makes them feel heard and that their wishes are valued. Also, when you create these SOP’s as a group, it makes the kids all feel united and that they are accomplishing this task together. 

Overall, I think it is important to get to know your students and have them understand the basics of your classroom. By setting clear boundaries and making SOP’s together, it allows them to feel like they have control over their day at school. You can still have fun and learn when there are procedures set in place and they have to know the right time and place to talk and fool around with each other. You need to get to know your students from day one and have them feel like you are comfortable with each other but also still know that you are authority. They have to realize that you are in control of the classroom and that it is up to them to decide what they need from you. 

Reflection

Standard 3 – Learning Environments: The teacher works with learners to create environments that support individual and collaborative learning, encouraging positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.

Above is a case study I completed based on a classroom scenario that needed some guidance. I am connecting it to Maines Common Core Standard #3. This standard is talking about how learning environments are a crucial part to a childs education. It is to my understanding that in order to have a classroom that runs smoothly, you need a classroom learning environment that aligns with that. In the scenario above, Miss Englishs classroom was out of control because there was no guidance. She should have sat down with the children at the beginning of the year and established what was expected in the classroom. The teacher should work with the children to create a classroom environment that supports individual and collaborative learning and so on. It is important to establish this from day one.

I am not quite sure what I want to do as profession but this will help my future career because for both myself and my future students or patients, the learning environment for everyone should be a safe space that needs to get established from the moment I meet them. By supporting individual and collaborative learning, encouraging positive social interaction, active engagement, and self motivation, this will set both myself and my students/patients up for success. They will then know what is expected of them and how we can work as a team to ensure the best learning occurs.

Especially in the special education setting, establishing rules and guidelines that you want to follow from day one is so important. As a possible future special educator, I want to ensure that my students have a routine and rules that they know. All children need structure, especially those with higher support needs. Children with higher support needs need that structure. Often times, when their structure and routines are out of wack, this is where ineffective learning occurs and I want to provide my students with the best possible learning environment, no matter the child.