Carowinds Can't Beat This Ride

This week, 23 hilarious, amazing fourth graders stole my heart and I'm not looking back. I have had so many new, wonderful experiences in the past 72 hours that I probably have forgotten half of them and could never forget the rest! I feel well prepared to take on this season of learning and practicing. As I was telling the face to face EDUC 435 class earlier, I feel like I've been strapped into this huge roller coaster that has been slowly approaching the top. Of course, there's no taking the restraint off and peacing out. Lately, I've noticed that the hypothetical ladders/steps are gone and it's nothing but me, strapped into this hypothetical roller coaster, at the top, about to take off at any moment. And there is nothing I can do but take it all in and enjoy the experience! 

One of the things "trending" most on my mind right now is how to transition while teaching. It sounds so very simple, and yet it is hands down one of the most difficult things to master as an educator! In a real classroom, you have students who are not going to abide by every rule you lay before them on the first day of school. They will test the limit and try to get the class off track. Initially experiencing this had me doubtful about my classroom management skills, but Dr. Clark said something really impactful this week in class. While discussing transitions and such, she made the point that our students will try to test our limits, but it is not at all because of a mean-spirited attempt or other negative intention. Students need to be shown the limit early on, because it can save you a year's worth of discipline issues that take away from instruction and learning. I am so glad we had this conversation, because transitioning is something I have honestly not considered a great deal. But the more I think about it, the more it makes sense that it can make or break your classroom. 

I firmly believe that transitions and discipline are directly correlated. That is a direct connection to NCTCS Standard 4a! If all of the day's content is not seamless and perfectly aligned, students could hijack your plans and derail your schedule. Why is that? Because they found wiggle room and went with it. Now, what could have been a smooth transition back to the classroom from the cafeteria could turn into books in the floor and papers strewn everywhere. 

I have yet to experience this, so I'm really thankful for that. I was luckily able to see some of the awesome methods my CE uses to transition students between activities, which has been pretty seamless. I liked that she seemed to have a natural knack for making sure students don't lose motivation between activities. In fact, I have been picking the brains of the teachers in my team and on my hall at school, and they have given me some great ideas that I can't wait to use! It's also good that my team all uses similar transition cues and behavior systems, which is a connection to NCTCS standard 4c.

If I have learned and reflected on anything this week, it is definitely that the negative behavior students might display while transitioning is not a sign of hopeless negative behavior. If anything, correcting this behavior early on can lead to beautiful things. It will create an atmosphere of respect and good intentions.