Understanding Students – by Janelle Halverson
As
a Secondary Physical Science major, I have come to realize that I am going to
have a very limited amount of time with my students. Having close to 150 students per day, and for only about 50
minutes, does not give me a whole lot of time to get to know each and every
student on a personal level.
Through some experience, I have found that the students that teachers
get to know are the ones that either misbehave, or the ones that enjoy the
attention. What about all of the
others? My goal is to get to know
everyone, including Òall of the othersÓ!
I
think that one of the most important things that a teacher can do is to have an
open door policy. If a student
knows that they can rely on a teacher, they will be more likely to open up and
allow that teacher to get to know them.
This is my plan. My
cooperating teacher at Two Harbors High School allows students to come in for
help ANY time. So many kids take
advantage of this opportunity it is unbelievable. Not only do they come in for additional help in the class,
they come in to just chat. A good
teacher will never be Òtoo busyÓ to talk to their students! An extra five minutes with a student
will allow me to get to know them just a little bit more than I did before they
came to see me.
Another
strategy that I will use to get to know my students is to have the first couple
days of class to get to know each other.
I am most definitely going to do the memorizing names game (with a
physical action of course). I
think that this really worked as an ice breaker in our methods class, and
everyone is comfortable with everyone.
This obviously makes discussions easier, which also leads to great peer
teaching and group work: one of the easiest ways to learn is by teaching
others! I will also take advantage
of the first couple of days to have the students make note cards like Jody did
with our Educational Psychology class.
I always see her flipping through them, and I noticed that she shuffles
them to make sure that she gives everyone a chance to answer. She will then put that person to the
end of the pile. This strategy
ensures that you will not constantly call on the same student every time.
During
the first few days of class I will also give a survey, or more than one if need
be. There are some examples of my
surveys on the pages following this one.
There are many questions that I would like to ask, but may seem too
personal for some students to answer.
Another
strategy that I will use to get to know my students is to allow them to sit
where they want in the classroom.
This strategy will allow me to see who might be trouble working
together, and who might need a little extra help in the classroom. If someone sits in the front of the
row, it might be because they just canÕt see. It is very important for a teacher to pick up on the small
things. You know that if you have
a group of female students or male students sitting together and giggling, or
disrupting the class, that this seating arrangement probably wonÕt be working
much longer. You can tell them
that as soon as they screw up, you are in control of where they sit.
The
way that you have your room set up might also effect how well you get to know
your students. If it is dark and
gloomy, some students might feel as if they are in a prison and they wonÕt
allow you to get to know them simply because they might not feel comfortable in
your class room.
The
following pages are just some examples of what I might do when I get into my
classroom and finally start teaching.
There are sample surveys, surveys that have been completed, room setup,
and some other fun strategies that I might use to get to know my students!
ÒWho Are You?Ó Worksheet
This questionnaire gives me a chance to get to know you a little better. Please answer the questions truthfully and to the best of your ability! Remember, this is just for me!