You Don't Have to be So Mean!

The Triumph:  I have found something new that works for my Tues/Thurs students to get their attention and gets them quiet.  I have never really been a fan of clapping patterns and having the kids repeat it, but it was like magic!  They were so silent after I tried with them!  We'll see how long it lasts for!

The Struggle:  I have a headache from being so "mean."  After my observed lesson I realized that I needed to change something about how I let the students know that I am not happy with their behaviors.  I used my  "angry/disappointed/LISTEN TO ME/Teacher voice and faces.  I had to constantly move kids all day, and remind them of how they should behave when others are talking.  At one point a student had no idea where he should be sitting and did not listen to the directions (meaning, he did not get EVERYTHING he needed, i.e. folder to go home).  I walked over to him and just said "___, get your folder and sit on a letter now."  And the boy sitting behind him says, "You don't have to be so mean!"

The Ludicrousness:  As I was sending kids out to afternoon recess, there were kids from my class who started lining up on the wall by our door to have a race.  When the last kid got there, they yelled, "Ready, Set, GO!"  And then they all ran off in different directions!  It was the funniest thing to see.  I wonder how they determined who won that one!