​​​​Jason Wakeman​

When it comes to classroom management, I believe that a great many issues can avoided preemptively through careful planning. Designing experiences that are meaningful, have clear direction and pacing, and provide an appropriate level of challenge, can bypass most misbehaviors before they even begin.

 

In order to demonstrate what I mean by preemptive planning, let me walk through a lesson with a lot of transitions and activities. This particular lesson was taught during our fourth quarter unit early in our Taming of the Shrew sequence. In it students were asked to construct "scene pictures," illustrations of various sections of the first act of Taming of the Shrew paired with quotes from the same section. The activity is adapted from Jeffrey Wilhelm's tableau activity which he discusses in Action Strategies for Deepening Comprehension. 

 

Long before the lesson itself, I will construct an assigned seating chart at the beginning of each quarter. I base this chart behavior I observe during the previous quarter. If certain students tend to distract one another I separate them. Students who need frequent redirection I place near the front of the room. Students who are usually on task and bring a lot of productive energy to their group I generally split among the different groups. 

 

I also take skill levels into account as well. Based on early formative assessments, which I discuss in more detail in artifact two for domain three, I can group student who are likely to need a lot of assistance together so I spend more one-on-one time with them. 

 

By creating these seating charts I am able to create table groups that can work together productively. Long before I begin my lesson I've already taken steps to make sure it that things run smoothly. 

 

In the days before the lesson I mentally run through the lesson envisioning how it will go. How long will each activity take? What questions/confusions am I likely to run into? Based on my thoughts I put together a slide presentation--I like Google Slides--as a visual for the lesson's instructions. To the right you can find slides I put together for this lesson. Putting slides like these together before a lesson helps me solidify my plans for the lesson so I can execute them confidently with smooth transitions.

 

During the lesson itself, I project the slides on the Smartboard, which provides a clear visual to back up the verbal instructions I give during the lesson. Students can also refer back to them throughout the lesson if they are ever unsure of what we are currently doing. When students have a clear idea of what they're supposed to be doing, I find they are more on task. When they aren't, there's little room for excuses. Time frames are also given so that students can better pace themselves. If they know the cut off time is 1:20, and I really will hold them to it, I find I have to do much less work moving around the classroom keeping students on task. 

 

Despite the numerous transitions and the considerable amount of work--thirty minutes isn't a lot to review a passage, find quotes, and draw an illustration--the lesson went quite smoothly. At the end of the lesson, we had six illustrated scene pictures which made for an excellent review of the first act of the play.