Standard+5

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**Standard 5** **Teacher Knows How to Manage the Classroom** The teacher uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.


 * __Evidence 1: Intervention__**

Rationale 1: Within our school day, the district has asked that we set aside a period of time each day to devote to personalized learning in the form of intervention. The academic teachers analyze each one of their homeroom students' performance in the areas of math, reading, and writing and assign them to the appropriate intervention group. These groups concentrate on strengthening their weaker areas by offering additional training and enhanced activities. The students that have either displayed satisfactory performance in the above subjects or advanced learning levels are then assigned to the creative arts teachers who's charge is to engage the students in stimulating activities that we are not able to offer the students within the constraints of the regular classroom.

My subject area is abundant with opportunities I can offer the students that are assigned to me, so that is not my challenge. My challenge is the diverse personalities, as well as mixed age-groups, that I am given in one gathering! Combining 7th and 8th graders in a somewhat nonstructured-environment such as a computer lab has proven to be very, very interesting.


 * __KSD__**


 * 5.K.3** The teacher knows how to help people work productively and cooperatively with each other in complex social settings.

We are building the bridge as we are standing on it, so this is all a work-in-progress. My first quarter was a combination of 5th and 6th graders, and while they were interested in working with Web 2.0 Cool Tools, they were quick to assume that my intervention period was to consist of three agendas: games, games, and games. The mentality, coupled with the fact that my 7th and 8th graders are more advanced in technology, it was necessary for me to rethink my strategy for intervention.


 * 5.S.6** The teacher analyzes the classroom environment and makes decisions and adjustments to enhance social relationships, student motivation and engagement, and productive work.

I currently have a lab of 29 computers, which we were quick to fill up in the 1st quarter of intervention. After reflecting on my past experience and projecting what I wanted my next intervention to offer, I sought out a 7th or 8th grade teacher that would like to switch classrooms with me. I only wanted half the number of computers and was desperately seeking work-space. It was evident to me that if I was to offer personalized learning and a project-based environment, I needed an area for the students to be able to collaborate and plan! Needless to say, it didn't take me but a minute to find a volunteer. When you don't spend the entire school day in a lab environment, you crave more computer-time. When you do, however, you find you crave more work-space and FEWER computers! If I've learned one thing over the past year, it's that if we are to offer our students a state-of-the-art workplace/school environment, we need to have available the physical space that enhances and encourages collaboration and positive social relationships.


 * 5.D.3** The teacher values the role of students in promoting each other’s learning and recognizes the importance of peer relationships in establishing a climate for learning.

Our unit for this quarter is going to involve the students producing a [|Claymation]presentation (stop-motion video). There are numerous YouTube videos available that demonstrate the process well, and the internet resource, //__[|Making Claymation in the Classroom eBook]__// is also an effective teaching tool that I am using.

I introduced the concept by showing the students one of the most effective demonstrations of a claymation, the [|T-shirt Wars] video. After that, I assigned half the group to the computers, and then asked the other half of the group to pair up with someone that was assigned a computer. I did allow the students the option to work alone in this environment when I observed some of the particular students in this group. I am familiar with their personalities and their backgrounds and I did not want to force them into working with someone they were not comfortable with.

Even though it is in the initial stages, I approach this with great anticipation and excitement of working with individual groups/pairs/students in an independent learning environment that is conducive to suit the needs of all students in the groups.