Student behavior during my practicum is as varied as possible. Having exposure to such a wide variety of age ranges, I’m able to see some huge differences between elementary, middle school, and high school although my lack of experience makes it difficult to identify what might be unique to a specific class and what might be typical for that age range. I find that behavior factors into classroom management significantly more with younger students, where much of our energy is devoted to keeping students on task and giving direction. Even with the CT and the two of us pre-student teachers things can easily get out of hand.
I’ve noticed a tendency for a small selection of students to cause a majority of the behavioral issues, which is in line with what I’ve learned from my theory courses on classroom management. I understand that maintaining a positive classroom culture begins with establishing positive relationships between the student and the instructor, and that as a practicum student it’s going to be difficult to achieve a strong sense of trust in just a few days. With that in mind, I found to my surprise that the students took to me quite quickly, and after a few weeks students would greet me in the hallway and couldn’t wait to show me the projects that they were working on. I find that the best way to keep students motivated on learning is to show genuine interest in their work, and to provide feedback that is direct and specific, not just ‘good job’ or ‘that looks great’. While I may not have had the same level of trust and authority as the CT, I was able to begin to help the students stay motivated and tried to maintain a positive atmosphere.
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