How can I improve my classroom management strategies in a Special Educatio classroom?
451218
It would help to know what specific behaviors are causing you to ask for help.\n\nI have found that there are three primary causes for misbehavior in a special education classroom. Since you (presumably) are able to provide individualized instruction with more 1:1 time available, student frustration should be minimalized. If the kids are acting up, and when you seek to re-direct them, they are stuck about what to do to "get back to work," you need to re-assess your instructional strategies.\n\nAnyway... these are the sorts of things going on in my classroom. I hope some of these are of interest for you to try.\n\n1. The student is new to the program and has bad habits because in regular ed class he/she can just sit there and tune out. Call the student's name more frequently during instruction (in a conversational tone). I also do "round robin" for various skills on a regular basis...nothing like knowing that you're going to be called on to perk up attentiveness. I always make sure that if a student cannot currently answer, they can pass for the moment without penalty. I just smile, nod, say, "OK, well, think about it...I'm coming back to you..." As they crave approval, and they see the others succeeding at their own levels and getting praise and attention for it, they will start to come up with their own ideas.\n\n2. Lack of overall motivation. If a student doesn't understand WHY they have to do all this school stuff, they're not going to be motivated to do hard work with little or no value. I spend lots of time acting as a counselor. I start with the immediate rewards (I do a point system/token economy...you get points for every assignment you turn in, with prizes spaced every 50 points and a huge auction of books, computer programs, collectibles, and educational toys/puzzles at the end of the year). Oh well, no points, no prize!  One of the most valued prizes I have is what we call a "You Pick" in my classroom...the student selects one of the laminated You Pick cards from the prize box (instead of a toy or pencil). At any time, (tests or regular ed make-up work excluded), the student can hand me the card and be excused from the daily work for the time he/she is scheduled to be with me. The work does end up in the student's folder to be completed later. The student may quietly play the whole time (of course, everything in my room addresses academic, OT, and PT goals, but the kids don't know that). An unmotivated student, parked sadly at his desk while others play happily in the free time area, quickly discovers the drive to get one of those cards for him/herself. The interesting thing is that, as students become used to this option being available, they often don't take a card from the prize box, prefering a toy or pencil. They also save their card in their folder (they may only have one at any one time) for a day when they feel really off...and sometimes don't cash it in for a month or two! Anyway, once the student is driven to earn the points and prizes, we work hard on instilling the idea that print is a tool for success. We explore career choices and how print is used in different areas. I emphasize during writing assignments that writing is just talking with your pencil rather than your mouth. As students skills increase, I continually focus with them on how this helps make their lives better.\n\n3. Seeking peer entertainment. Since most of the students are caught up in #1 or #2 above, the occasional class clown is quickly quashed as his/her behavior is responded to negatively by his/her peers. Plus, loss of recess time, loss of points, loss of turn during round robins (hey, you'd be surprised...the class clown is bouncing up and down with his/her hand high in the air, and sighing in frustration as more quiet students are called on first), etc. helps emphasize the point to them...if you play now, you lose your play time for later. In addition
793537
be well versed with the lesson you teach.prepare well with anticipated questions.\nbe cool and conduct the class in a dignified manner
532405
You should talk to the students who are having difficulties and ask how you could improve your teaching skills.  Maybe you speak too fast and they don't hear everything you say.  Perhaps you're moving through the curriculum too quickly.  Maybe it's not you at all- they could have problems at home or be busy with a part-time job.  Look for different ways to teach- use words, pictures, hands-on activities, videos, pop-quizzes, technical manuals, etc.\n\nThe important thing is to communicate with your students and ask what YOU can do to help them.  However, I can't help but wonder if it could be a language problem.  English obviously isn't your first language, and I had real problems in university with a Teaching Assistant for Computer Science who was not able to communicate in English.  It could be that you're not yet at the point in your language acquisition where you're ready to be teaching.
878338
Classroom Management is just how it sounds...it's how you manage your classroom.  Are the students behaved? Are you proactive when dealing with their behaviour or do you react to behaviour?  Fred Jones has a number of books on classroom management.  He give strategies for keeping the students calm and having them follow classroom rules.  He also travels the country talking to teachers about how to smoothly run the classroom.
305622
Go to class one day with a big duffel/sports bag. Put anything in the bag - old newspapers, soft toys, you name it. Right at the top of the bag, put something that you think might interest your students - depending on their age and sex it might be a newly released CD, or a favorite sports magazine, or the latest in hand held PS2's. Make sure the bag is zipped closed. As you enter the classroom put the bag somewhere very obvious (but within easy reach of yourself). \nStart your class in the normal way, and somewhere within the first 5 minutes mention to them that you have a bag of goodies you want to use for today's class. But you first have to deal with some grammar/vocab/etc. Handle the class like you normally would. Maybe remind them that you have to finish the work to get to the bag with stuff. Make sure your face gets all excited when you mention the bag - they might start to wonder what is in the bag. Try to ignore the rowdy ones and concentrate on the well behaved ones. If the class gets very rowdy, just touch the bag, or maybe just take a sideways glance at it. Make sure your kids see this. \nNow, if the class didn't behave like you would have wanted them to behave, end the class (when time is up) with a sentence like, "Oh, I'm so sorry we didn't have time to look at what's in the bag. Act like they're not in class with you, open the bag, take out the noce goody at the top (zip up again and don't let them see what's at the bottom of the bag), and start paging through the magazine/take out your diskman and listen to the CD (making sure they see the cover)/ or do whatever you want to  with the goodie. \nDON'T say anything to them after that. Just shrug your shoulders if they have any comments.\nNow, say they were good, you could use that article in your class just before time's up. \nFor the next lesson they have with you, again bring your bag. This time make sure you have something they are really keen about, and that you have a plan on how to incorporate it in your classroom. Follow the same procedure as the first lesson. (If you used a CD the first time, maybe come to class listening to it over your diskman, or play it on the classroom CD player until they start to arrive for class.) Again, if they're not good - no bag. \nKeep this up for at least 4/5 lessons. Sometime during these 4/5 lessons, tell them that they didn't have time to work with the bag's contents, so that means they will have to do extra homework - the reason for this is that the contents of the bag would have helped them to understand something better/practice a grammar concept/practice some vocabs. But because they didn't get to the bag, they have to do extra homework to make up for the lack of practice.\nTry it. I used it on a few classes at different schools, with different age groups, and in all instances, it worked by the 3rd lesson. \nTo keep them on their toes afterwards, why don't you plan for some type of fun activity once every 4/5 lessons. Maybe help them to learn their favorite song's words. Let them bring their own CD's to class and have a listen to the CD day - be sure to have them rate each other's CD's and say why they like it/don't like it (all in good English, of course). \nTry not to involve the director or another teacher, if possible. This will show them that you can't handle them and they will feel totally in control Even if some are punished by the director, they will become martyrs, and you will be able to get less out of them. Always try to handle the problems without losing your cool. They like seeing teachers squirm - it is a natural drug for them! \nGood luck, and if you try it, let me know how it worked.
349717
Collaborate with you special education teacher.
1091558
Do you mean mild/moderate learning disability, or mild/moderate mental retardation? Also, are you a parent or a teacher? I am writing the rest of this response as if to a new teacher who may be teaching special education on a waiver and hasn't had the methods courses that a special ed teacher would get in a good training program. Or someone with a sped degree from an, ahem, not-so-good sped teacher prep program.\n\nIf you are a parent, talk with your child's special ed teacher about home activities to support the skills being worked on in class.\n\nAcademics:\n\nFor mild/moderate Learning Disabilities (NOT MR), remember that these kids have normal smarts. Actual content instruction should be at grade level, especially for science and social studies. Content should be presented with lots of small-group hands-on activities, videos, interactive computer, and read alouds (you do the reading). For math, task analyze computation skills and take them through step by step until they master each skill; use manipulatives whenever possible. To task analyze, break each skill down into it's most basic steps, and don't teach the next step until the first is completely mastered (unlike regular ed, where a partial understanding is sufficient because full comprehension is expected to develop from repeated use in learning more advanced steps). To deal with their language disability interference in problem solving, do word problems out loud together.\n\n If their LD is language-related, you need to do a phonics-based approach using short passages to build comprehension. Don't stop after the basic phonics.... also include rules like "empty e," where the e doesn't do anything and the other vowel is short (have, give, etc.), the 5 double vowel expectations (boat, bread, great, country, oil), the 4 sounds of "y," and so on.\n\nSite to Start: http://www.interdys.org/\n\nFor nonverbal LD, work on simple patterning, organization, and memory skills, using content area materials.\n\nSite to Start: http://www.nldline.com/\n\nFor mild/moderate MR students, work academics at their developmental level, with activities incorporating simpler elements of grade-level standards. Assess and develop hands-on activities for life skills and communication, using task analysis to break things down into the most basic steps, building mastery a step at a time. MR students also don't generalize independently, so once you teach something in one place (e.g. handwashing at your classroom sink), take it to other locations (e.g. the sink in the bathroom, another classroom, etc.).\n\nSite to Start: http://ericec.org/faq/mr-lifsk.html\n\n\nBehaviors:\n\nFor any kid, you need to determine where he/she is along Piaget's and Erikson's models. That will help you determine your approach. You should provide clear and simple rules (no more than 3 or 4), a set list of consequences and rewards, and consistent application of those consequences and rewards. A child with more severe behaviors or a need for serious social skills instruction requires a Behavior Intervention Plan, and your school psychologist can help you with that, especially as a member of your IEP team.\n\nPiaget: http://www.funderstanding.com/piaget.cfm\n\nErikson: http://web.cortland.edu/andersmd/ERIK/sum.HTML\n\nBehavior Intervention Plan: http://www.mpf.org/SPIN/FAQ%20Sheets/BehInterPlans.html\nhttp://www.resa.net/behavior_intervention/
1054855
Without proper classroom management, the students will run the classroom and not the teacher.  The classroom will be unfocused and no learning will be able to take place.  A successful teacher knows that the majority of time spent in the classroom must be focused on instruction.  A good classroom manager does just this.
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Pay attention to the way the teacher poses questions and then adapts the students' answers into follow-up questions. Watch how children respond to questioning as well as which children the teacher focuses on the most and least. How does the teacher's attention affect students not actively involved in the exhange? (i.e. does in encourage or discourage others from attempting to get involved?)\n\nLook at the way each area of the room is set up and determine how language instruction has been integrated. Also, ask yourself how the teacher integrates language (vocabulary building, grammar and usage) into other subject lessons.\n\nI'd have to know the grade level to be more specific. Hope this helps a little.
634084
tell everybody what you need to learn.  then make them read from the textbook and give project options to show you that they learned it.   say they can choose to write a summary, show you notes they took, draw a diagram, etc.  then move on to the next grade while the others work independently.  and have a good discipline system and keep it in place, even when it's tough.  if you let them get away withit it will be worse later.
1072833
Since you have a learning disability, you will want to make sure you have prepared ahead of time.\n\nHave a list of answers for:\n--How you will organize your classroom.\n--Your "philosophy of education."\n--What is the purpose of special education?\n--How will you work with regular ed teachers?\n--How will you involve parents?\n--Examples of how you will adapt and modify curriculum and classroom environment for different student needs.\n--What tasks will you assign your E.A.?\n--How will you build in state standards and benchmarks for each child's actual grade level while still addressing their developmental level?\n\nAnd so on.\n\nHave someone sit down and ask the questions to you while you practice saying your answers. Also have them ask questions you haven't thought of, to practice mixing and combining your ideas.\n\nGood luck!
205758
Yes. When you "manage" a class, you have to deal with your students both on your level as teacher and on their level as well. Guidance comes into play when you model behavior or give them prompts to help them come up with an answer. Any time you are redirecting, focusing, or encouraging a child to do something, you are guiding that child. Unfortunately, not enough teachers take a psycho-social approach to teaching, so that when problems arise, they are stuck as to what is going on with the child. When I was a one on one assistant in a classroom, I always asked my student to "check-in" with me, this allowed him to tell me if he was having a hard time or needed a breather (he had Aspergers Syndrome). I would consider guidance to be ESSENTIAL to classroom management.
841618
This one's quite open ended.  First of all it depends on the learning disability.  If it's eyesight, glasses will help.  If it's concentration, studying for an hour, then taking a fifteen minute break, then going back to studying again may help.  If it's memorization, flash cards or music may help.  Identifying information with music is a great way to remember things.  If it's comprehension, work with the children to figure out what each piece of the story or text is saying.  \n\nIt's a case by case basis.  One solution won't work with every disability.  It also helps to have your smarter students aid the ones that are having trouble.  Many students resign trying to tackle a problem when an adult intervenes.   So, having someone their own age work with them makes things a little easier.  When fellow students help those that are struggling, there's a great chance to make friendships and both the student tutor and the struggling student learn the material even better.
808945
1) Don't read off your notes (or Powerpoint presentation or overhead transparency)\n2) Don't dance around or ring your hands or play with your hair\n3) Talk loudly and clearly (without shouting) and make sure your voice doesn't go too high-pitched\n4) Make sure you look left, right and straight ahead for about 3 seconds each (otherwise people won't feel included and will start chatting amongst themselves, which will make you even more nervous)\n\nThese are the basic guidelines I give my students.\n\nGood luck.
1030025
Give them plenty of opportunities to get up and move around.  Cooperative groups work well.  You must remember to model for them the things you want them to do.  Patience is key and so is structure. They are very anxious to please and will thrive with your excitement about their learning!  Weekly themes work very nicely- both for you (it's easy to plan), and for them (they keep focused).
351607
Pay attention in class. Jot down what you don't understand and ask them later if timer permits. Also, listen carefully if the teacher already answered one of your questions.
696327
Tips on how to be organized:\n\n** Categorize!  Organize your stuff in groups!**\n\n- put the utensils that use the *most* in a pencil bag that you can (and will) carry with you everywhere -- in mine I have two black pens, two red pens, a mechanical pencil, a regular pencil, my favorite eraser, and my calculator\n\n- put extra/backup writing utensils in a different pencil bag that you keep in your backpack or locker -- I have a lot of extra black and red pens, more pencils, more erasers, and extra pencil lead kept in my backpack just in case I lose or run out of something\n\n- use ONE notebook PER subject (if the teacher wants you to have one) instead of mixing a bunch of subjects into just one notebook; and color-coordinate them!  if they're all different colors, you'll have an easier time of grabbing the right one in a hurry\n\n- use ONE folder PER subject (whether your teacher tells you to have one or not!) instead of putting all of your papers into one folder; this way, none of your work will get mixed up, and it's a lot easier to find a particular paper that you're looking for; color-coordinate these also, and label them by subject!\n\n- have a TAKE-HOME folder: this is one that you put your *homework* inside of -- all of your subjects can go in here; in the left pocket, put homework that you need to do; in the right pocket, put the homework that you completed that needs to be turned in\n\n(- the other folders are for the papers that you do not need to do for homework and do not need to turn in to your teacher -- save EVERY paper that you get back, and you won't lose anything!)\n\n**Last Tip!**  Put your name and the date on everything you get.  That way, if you forgot to turn in something, and the teacher asks for it, you can go right to the correct folder and find it according to the date.  Fast and simple.  Good luck!