1

Runninghead: OBSERVATION 3 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND ROUTINES

Observation 3

Karina Diaz

Raritan Valley Community College

Professor Kimberly Schirner

November 25, 2019

 2
OBSERVATION 3 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND ROUTINES
EDUC-230-02 EDUCATION FIELD EXPERIENCE

I. Observation # 3:
Classroom Management and Routines

II. Grade Level and Subject Area:

Second Grade

III. Setting:
Classroom type is inclusive general education, in a second and third grade elementary
school, located in an urban area. The classroom has two teachers and occasionally an
aide will assist in the classroom. About one third of the class are special needs. There are
twenty-one students in total with twelve boys and nine girls, ranging from the ages seven
and eight.

IV. Pre-Observation:
Classroom routines and management is a big thing to conquer as an elementary
teacher. This will benefit the classroom in many ways and help to navigate, establish
order, and calm the kids. A classroom, particularly those with young children need to
have routines. Having a set activity for every part of the day, you will be able to focus
more on your teaching and less on instruction and controlling the class. Routines in the
classroom environment help manage behaviors. Research proves that students will
misbehave in order to fill a stimulation gap. Routines will help minimize this behavior
by giving each student something to do. When students know what is expected of them
at certain times of the day, then they will follow through with tasks instead of inventing
their own and causing chaos (Ministry of Education, Guyana, 2019).
Establishing and maintaining classroom routines is essential to a good classroom
management. Having students involve in this process help kids develop a sense of
responsibility, increase confidence, and comfort levels. Students should be involved in
the general administrative process by collecting or passing out papers and supplies and
taking attendance. Students can also help with classroom maintenance by cleaning up
desk and floor, watering class plants, opening and closing the window, cleaning off the
board and maintaining bulletin board. All these should be established in the beginning of
the school year so that students can be able to create a manageable environment for
students. Its okay to constantly reinforce routines in an appropriate manner depending on
age level (American English, 2019).
In addition, for younger children, critically, in second grade they will expect a
high demand for roles in the classroom such as being a line leader, door holder, or even a
lunch helper. Students as young as pre-k have been established these roles in the
classroom and it helps manage the class because they feel independent and like a big kid
that they can do task by themselves. It is a fun way to make students feel a part of the
classroom and can help with improving their confidence. Being a classroom helper and
errand runner are more desirable roles in elementary schools and children really enjoy
these roles. An advantage of these roles is that each child gets the opportunity to learn
each role in the classroom and every child will have every job at least once during the
school year (Rose, 2019).
 3
OBSERVATION 3 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND ROUTINES
Knowing beforehand that the classroom is all inclusive and does contain a special
education teacher with one third of the class referred to as special education, I expect to
see a teacher establish relationship with each student. It is important that a teacher gets to
know each student personally know matter how difficult they may be, they must embrace
the challenge to get to know him or her better. Students will need a positive leaning
climate to proactively manage the class. Rules and procedures must be established in
order to meet each students intellectual, social, emotional, and physical needs. Students
seating must be organized strategically such as by placing them by skill level or a manner
that is conductive to group work. Another factor in the climate is have clear expectations
for each student to meet these needs. Making sure every child, especially special needs
students, feel welcomed in group discussion and giving time for equal participation
(Special Education Guide, 2013).

V. Data:
 Teachers usually, but not every day go down to the gym to pick up their students to
come to the class and begin their day.
 Before that they go to their class, students stay in the gym for about fifteen minutes to
do Mindfulness.
 One of the first thing students must do upon entering the classroom is to do their
morning routines. This consist of greeting the teacher, hanging up backpacks, hand in
notes and folders, choose their lunch, get breakfast, and answer question.
 Children had a hard time remembering this routine and would get reminded by
teacher to do lunch count or hand in their folders.
 Children took their time doing the routine and would often talk to other students
instead of going back to seat to start morning work question.
 This routine is posted on the wall in big writing and with a small picture related to
each task. It is located on the right side of the class, above where the children hang
their backpacks.
 The’ answer question’ part of the routine is where each student will have a strip of
paper on their desk where they will then glue it on their morning work journal. They
then answer the question it asks. It usually is something simple such as a two-part
question and the teacher is expecting a two-sentence response.
 Many students needed constant reminder to complete their work. They get distracted
with eating or talking to other kids in the table. One child just refuses to do the work.
They typically are allowed fifteen minutes to complete. If not completed, then must
finished the work when they go to math centers such as Chromebook or games.
 Class rules are Be Responsible, Be Safe, and Be Respectful. It is hung right above the
sink area and has every student sign the class rules. Students are not reminded of the
rules.
 During morning meeting students must recite daily affirmations which is a positive
message that reminds students they can be anything they want to be.
 In morning meeting children go to the carpet and greet each other and the teachers in
the class. Currently, the teacher asks the class a question and each student must
respond. Students who did not know what to say or where shy and nervous to
participate when it was time, are given the opportunity to say there response once
everyone has gone.
 4
OBSERVATION 3 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND ROUTINES
 Teacher uses smartboard for a small message; that includes fun facts about the day,
the special they will have. Student participation to fix two mistakes from a sentence.
She want students to sole these related facts about eight math problems and the
teacher picks a student who has their hands quietly raised to go up and answer
problem on the smart board.
 Teacher uses a reward system called Dojo and gives class points and individual points
for being quiet, listening, following directions, doing homework, showing self-control
and others. They got prizes for every 00,25,50, and 75 numbers they receive. Prizes
can include snack from teacher, eating lunch with the teacher, to a toy from the toy
box.
 The class schedule is consistent, except for the days of specials which are not the
same every day. The students start there day from 8:15am-2:40pm.
 The students schedule begins with Breakfast/Morning Meeting, followed by Math,
Writing, Reading, and Lunch, then the have Science/Social Studies, followed by a
Special.
 There is not enough time given for the schedule activity. Kids are aware of the
schedule, it is posted on the white board for students to see.
 On Friday’s kids have something called D.E.A.R which is drop everything and read.
All students even the teachers must stop what they are doing and read a book for the
remainder of the period until they are dismissed to go home.
 On Wednesday and Friday’s children go to gym special and on Tuesdays they have
art special.
 Fridays are always test days for the students and they can have math test and spelling
test that cover material that were learned earlier that week.
 Teacher also has objectives written on the white board for each subject that students
should meet. For Reading the objective was I can draw conclusion. For Grammar it
was I can identify pronouns. For Spelling it was I can spell words with double digits.
For Math it was I can add and subtract within 20. For Writing it was I can create how
to piece. For Science it was I can tell what engineer does.
 For any child that is misbehaving she would call attention to the child and give him or
her warnings. If the behavior continues then teacher will prompt the child to sit out
during and activity and loses their chance to participate.
 The teacher is told when and what time the special is and lunch/recess. She must
work her schedule around that.
 The schedule is not flexible because she has to accommodate for IEP students and the
IEP teacher.
 For misbehavior she provides a warning to redirect their attention. Then a verbal
class warning or individual warning. Gives body cues. Fort the second warning the
student will lose a point on Dojo. Third warning she write a note of what they did
wrong and have a parent sign it
 Consequences are logical. Children are aware of consequences and are based on
classroom responsive
 Parents are notified to when their child misbehaves through the Dojo app.
 Does not like to involve principal for when a child misbehaves, however only uses
the principal as a last resort.
 5
OBSERVATION 3 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND ROUTINES
 The teacher has class schedule on the wall and changes them accordingly.
 Non-tenure teachers get observed three times a year. Tenured teachers get observed
only twice. Once in the fall and the winter.
 They are assessed by the Stronge method. Different areas have to be assessed each
time. Teachers must make a portfolio of meeting all the standards.
 If the teacher receives an infraction and it is bad, it will get written up. It then will be
placed in the teachers personal file. She has to get at least one recommendation for
improvement to see how she can improve in her teaching strategy.
 Teacher noted that she would hardly ever involve the principle because by not calling
the principles its shows she knows exactly how to handle the class no matter what
circumstances. Shows she can manage her job well and that she got hired for a
reason.
 Students are prompted to use hand signals whenever they want a drink of water, go to
the bathroom, need a pencil, need a tissue, and when they agree with someone.

VI. Analysis:
It was surprising to witness this new technique that the whole school is involved
with. Mindfulness was an activity that students of the same grade level participated in
the gym for about fifteen minutes. The physical education teacher speaks to the children
by having them relax their bodies and she would do yoga poses with them and sometimes
read a yoga book to the class. The teachers are present in the activity and participate with
the students to encourage them to do the activity. This is a great activity to start of the
student’s day and it is something new that the school has adapted. Research has proven
that by practicing this technique each day children will regulate their behavior and stay
focus on learning. Mindfulness is highly recommended for special education classrooms
were students were more prone to being distracted and disruptive. It also helps with
controlling their attention and settling their minds back into learning which most kids
struggle with. Children also learn about how to self-regulate their behaviors, how to
avoid conflicts, and how to avoid situations that may lead them trouble by practicing
yoga and meditation in Mindfulness. The most important part which is becoming more
relevant in schools since more and more students are becoming diagnosed with ADHD
and being placed on the autism spectrum is that Mindfulness program benefits them.
Schools have seen improvement and that this program has allowed them to become aware
of themselves when they are able to calm themselves in moments (Garey, 2016).
Morning message is popular amongst teacher and there are many ways to go
about them. The teacher for her second-grade class she has them sit in the carpet in a
circle. Then, she would pull out a question from a box to ask the class and they would
each get an opportunity to answer the question. The thing that was the most impressive
and admirable that truly show how compassionate and caring was that the teacher gave
equal opportunity for everyone to answer. If students did not give an immediate response,
she allowed them about one minute to give a response. If they still did not know what to
say, then the teacher allowed them a chance after everyone has gone. The teacher
showed patience and was considerate towards students’ feelings. She made each induvial
feel included in the activity. A teacher approved classroom routine is writing a morning
message on the board. This is known as a simple way to welcome students while
developing on their own skills (Cox,2019). The teacher includes spelling and
 6
OBSERVATION 3 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND ROUTINES
punctuation errors that students will go up on the Smart board and fix themselves. There
is also a question of the day where students would copy into their journal and need to
answer. This was a great way to check on student’s grammar and spelling and for them
to improve.
The teacher at this district is evaluated by administration using the Stronge
method. This is also known as the Stronge Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Evaluation
System. Which is a comprehensive, uniform evaluation system that consist of teacher,
educational specialist, and leader components. They are being evaluated on six research
based professional standards. There is also an optional seventh standard which is the
evaluating the students progress. The goal of the system is hiring, developing, evaluating,
and supporting educators using uniform, aligned criteria to increase effectiveness (Strong
& Associates Educational Consulting, LLC, 2019). Since the teacher is a tenured
teacher, she gets observed only twice a year. One time in the fall and one time in the
spring. She would also be given a recommendation on how she can improve her teaching
to be more effective on students learning.
As part of the teachers discipline and reward system, she uses something called
class Dojo. Nearly 95% of the United States school are using class Dojo to engage kids
and interact with parents. ClassDojo help create a positive learning environment
(ClassDojo, 2016). Teachers encourage students on any skill or value such as working
hard, being kind, helping others, or something else. The primary goal of Dojo is to
encourage positive student behavior and to provide means for teachers and parents to
communicate frequently and effectively about student development. Research conducted
has proven that teachers who have used Class Dojo have seen an increase in self-
regulatory student behavior and a decrease in negative behaviors. There is also noted an
increase in student engagement and personal ownership of class conduct (EdSurge,
2019). The second-grade teacher is a proud supporter of Dojo and uses it frequently to
reinforce discipline and acknowledge positive behavior.

VII. Recommendation:
Observing this teacher classroom about her classroom management and routines it
is highly apparent that the teacher has well controlled class and is able to manage and
disruption in the class. For a class that is inclusive and containing special ed students this
can be challenging to some teachers. Fortunate for the teacher she is not alone and is
provided help by a Special Education teacher in the class and a class aide. A couple
moments it was seen that students were acting out, but this is appropriate behavior
because of the age level. It is important that the teacher corrects behavior and is able to
manage classroom, so students do not misbehave. There would be just one consideration
for improvement in classroom management and routines. I would recommend a change
in the morning routine when students do lunch count.
A way to get students more interactive with the equipment of the classroom
such as the Smartboard is by using it for morning routines. Instead of having a group of
students all bundle up by the door to lunch count and attendance, the teacher can use the
Smartboard and have the students select their name and drag it to the choice of food they
want for lunch. That eliminates the use of the magnets the teacher has the students use.
It’s also fun, interactive, and helps young kids get use to the touch process of technology
that is becoming important and rapidly growing (Concordia University-Portland, 2018).
 7
OBSERVATION 3 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND ROUTINES
This recommendation will help tremendously with the class flow and not avoid having
students bundled up by the door to select their lunch.

VIII. Post Observation:

Learning and doing research about classroom management and routines has
helped me to realize the managing a classroom is not something that comes easy and will
take time. Doing plenty of research and seeing what works in your classroom and what
doesn’t is a great step towards a successful classroom. The teacher has taught me it can
be like a trial and error approach because what works for one student may not work for
another. Therefore, not giving up until each student’s needs are being met so they would
be able to function in a classroom and not have it out of control. Without the appropriate
skills of managing the class and establishing routines in the class, then the school year
will not run smoothly, and children will not be able to learn to in the classroom
environment.
Observing in person how the teacher can manage her class and able to redirect
their attention when they are misbehaving was a great opportunity. I was able to take
plenty of notes for future references and was provided with websites that guide teacher in
helping the classroom. Students learn skills when daily routines are in order and become
adjusted to them quickly. This is an important skill because it helps them become
independent and if there ever is a day when the teacher needs to be absent, then the
students will know exactly what to do without being told. They can also aide the
substitute by telling what come first, second, third, and so on which kids will feel special
because it makes them feel of importance.

IX. Citations:
American English. (2019). Involving students in classroom routines and processes. Retrieved
from https://americanenglish.state.gov/files/ae/resource_files/topic_1_
_students__class_routines_final.pdf

ClassDojo. (2016). Learn all about classdojo. Retrieved from https://www.classdojo.com/

Concordia University-Portland. (2018, April 6). 5 examples of smart boards in the classroom.
Retrieved from https://education.cu-portland.edu/blog/classroom-resources/five-ways
that-smart-boards-are-a-smart-choice-in-the-classroom/

Cox, J. (2019). 5 activities to make your classroom morning routine more productive. Retrieved
from https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/5-activities-to-make-your-classroom
morning-routine-more-productive1709.html

EdSurge. (2019). Classdojo. Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/product-reviews/classdojo

Garey, J. (2016, February 2). Mindfulness in the classroom. Retrieved from

https://childmind.org/article/mindfulness-in-the-classroom/

Ministry of Educaiton, Guyana. (2019). The importance of routines in classroom settings.

Retrieved from https://education.gov.gy/web/index.php/teachers/tips-for
 8
OBSERVATION 3 CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT AND ROUTINES
teaching/item/1884-the-importance-of-routines-in-classroom-settings

Rose, M. (2019). Ask mary: Classroom helpers. Retrieved from

https://www.scholastic.com/teachers/articles/teaching-content/ask-mary-classroom
helpers/

Special Education Guide. (2013, February 26). Special education classroom management tips |
Advice from teachers. Retrieved from https://www.specialeducationguide.com/pre-k
12/behavior-and-classroom-management/classroom-management-7-tips-from-an
experienced-teacher/

Stronge & Associates Educational Consulting, LLC. (2019). Stronge & associates, llc. Retrieved
from https://strongeandassociates.com/evaluating.html