Field Notes Week 1: Classroom Management

Our first week at the middle school was very new and different, but also very fun. I was happy to finally be in an actual middle school getting first-hand experience. This week we focused on classroom management and during our observations we looked for what sorts of things were working well and what could have been done differently in terms of classroom management.

Classroom Management in Middle School Math Class

The first thing I noticed when class started is that the teacher was patient. He let the students settle in and let them tell him jokes and such before quieting them down to start class. I thought that was great; kids have to sit and be quiet in classrooms most of the day, and the 4 minute break in between classes is not much to get out any energy. I think starting class with conversations is effective. They started class by going over the homework, and the teacher consistently checked in and asked individual kids questions to make sure the class was still engaged. They then worked on the next assignment and the teacher had them do this with groups of three. When things got a bit too noisy, he used a bell to regain the attention and focus from the class. Overall I think his classroom management skills were pretty effective, or maybe he just had a really really good class who enjoyed math! :)