Yesterday, I enjoyed helping out in first grade again. It was a busy morning, we learned all about greater and less than. We had the students go around the room and ask who liked dogs better, and who liked cats better. Then the students had to figure out how many people liked dogs more than cats, according to their own information. We also had the students do this by their favorite flavor of ice cream.
When they went to recess, I asked Mrs. Wensel a few questions. I asked her what the classroom rules were and how they were enforced. She told me that the main rules are: no talking without being called on first, be polite to those around you, and to try your hardest. She said the best way to enforce the rules is a behavior chart that she has. All of the students have colored paper clips, and if someone is not behaving, Mrs. Wensel asks them to walk up and move the clip from "Great Day" to "Warning" (the signs are on colored paper plates that are taped to the white board). If the student is still acting out, they have to move the clipboard down to "Stop! 3 tickets" and give 3 'tickets' to Mrs. Wensel. They all have tickets, and at the end of the week depending on how many tickets they have, they can buy something from the treasure chest.
They also have table points, so if their entire table is doing well and quiet, they get a table point, which they love and try really hard to get.
Some of the procedures Mrs. Wensel uses to make everything run smoothly in the class is songs that they sing together, when she claps they clap back until it's quiet, and they have some rhymes as well to participate. One thing I really like and hope to use in my classroom is sign language. Mrs. Wensel has them use the sign for 'bathroom' when they need to go, and during story time when the students agree with the speaker or like something they said, they pat their chest as a sign that they agree, instead of speaking their opinion out loud.
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