Monday after lunch with Isaac:
Let’s see... I can feel the classroom sliding away from the more pristine levels of... not sure what to call it. Telling kids what the limits are, clearly, and enforcing them, right away, not letting even little things slip, with clearly explained repercussions. A warning, basically, with the repercussion given for if it happens again. And then, if it does happen again, following it up with that repercussion. Without drama, or yelling, or any strong emotion. Just clear, certain, matter-of-fact. I kind of am thinking of it in terms of being impeccable with your word. “If you do this again, y will happen.” And by golly, it does, as soon as it happens again, even a little bit. I’m generally doing a warning, and then some kind of sitting out/time out for a bit at the second. I havne’t had to get to the books suggested third step, which is a letter home, but I had to explain that was what was happening next time they didn’t listen.
And I meant it. I think the fact that I mean what I say when I say it, is powerful. Kids can feel my determination behind my words, when it’s there. And they quickly notice when it’s not, and don’t take it as seriously, push things further. They are very acutely aware little beings, in some ways.
So, in any case, I’m noticing that impeccably slipping a bit, and the classroom slipping a bit as a result, and that is a good thing. Why: because it means I’m aware of what I’m doing wrong. The steps of mastery go like this: unconscious incompetence (don’t know they’re doing it badly), conscious incompetence (know they’re doing it badly), then conscious competence (they can do it well, but it requires them to be focused on it intensely), and finally unconscious competence (they can do it in their sleep, or while juggling, etc. without needing to focus on it).
The fact that I have some clear things to check in on, specific kinds of actions and protocols, checklists, when the classroom is going south, is super helpful. It gives me a way to respond, when I notice things going south. Before this, it was just a helpless kind of noticing. “Oh well, things are going down the drain again. I wish I knew what to do about it.” Now I’m getting more clear on my tool box, the things I can try when I notice that. That feels better because I feel like I have some agency and control, like it’s not just a random roll of the dice, but a set of skills I can get better at.
I recall my first year teaching in the preschool, it was about 2/3 through the year that I started feeling like I had some handle on the classroom management aspect of things. Perhaps this is the same kind of thing.
It’s nice that I’ve found a philosophy and set of tools and attitudes that mesh with my personality, and with my mentor in teaching. The book I’m reading says something, and I can link it to something my mentor said and/or did, and apply it directly to this school culture.
In any case, I’m still in the very early stages of this, but it is hopeful.
OK, almost out of time, but I want to briefly update on my organizational habit and how that’s going:
There is still a lot to learn and tweak, and it’s not yet well established as a habit. I’m starting to notice inefficiencies, places where the system seems to be dragging, not doing it’s job well, and so I’m beginning to think about how to tweak it. Also, as I get more comfortable with the basics, I’m trying to add in additional levels to it, like the time blocking. Right now it still feels like a whole lot of work, a lot of my weekend, going to setting it up and keeping it clean and running smoothly. But I’m not giving up, so I have confidence I will get to a good place with it, eventually.
Which is important, because I really want to be efficient enough with my time that I have more of a weekend to actually spend with Suzannah, and doing fun, reinvigorating pursuits. I think enemy number one for efficient use of my time is online shopping and the accompanying research.
-(now we’re into Tuesday lunch)-
The other contender for enemy number one is just having a clear picture of all my commitments and responsibilities, and using that to schedule my time well, and then following through with the schedule. If I can simply decide that I’m blocking of x amount of my weekend for time with my spouse, then I’ll just have to fit my responsibilities into the time remaining. I may not get everything I want to done, but I’ll get the most important stuff done.
Other things: teachers are now eligible for the vaccine, so I’m working on getting vaccinated. Then I can finally go to IKEA, Yay! Aside from that, I’m a hermit and it doesn’t effect me that much anyways, I don’t mind semi-solitude. But it should be safer.
Also, spring break is this coming weekend! Super yay! Until I figure out the classroom management and teaching in general thing, I’m still living from weekend to weekend and break to break, so that means I’m going to get another chance to breath easily again, for a few days (until the end of break approaches and I get anxious again thinking about the impending end)
I think that’s all the news for now. Well, I’m sure there’s more, but my artificially imposed time limit of lunch is in place for keeping me efficient with my time, so I’m stopping now so. Take care and much love to all of you friends and family who are reading this. (And to the friends and family who are not, as well.)
-Isaac
No comments:
Post a Comment