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=== I was on WIKI 14 today just to make sure everybody is involved in some way. Looks like all four of you are helping and I've noted so in my grade book. Just as a note, final WIKI grades are individual based on what evidence of each student's work I find on the page histories and the discussion. If you meet face-to-face or discuss things outside of this WIKI let me know as I can adjust accordingly. ===

A great classroom theory will not just look at one theorist to get its own theory but it will combine some of the greatest to make one that they feel best represents themselves and will best help the students learn at their highest quality. Taking from Bandura’s Social theorist where students will learn from one another, you can then take that and combine it with getting to know your students and having them learn about one another from each other. This can be done by what I like to call a “Get to know me book” that the students will create. These Books will be made by the children in the classroom and then will be read to the class by that student at the end of the week. There really is no guideline for what needs to be put into the book about yourself and the students will work on these books together to see what each other will put in their own book. Building your relationship with your student will not just stop after that first week with you just finding information about them but all throughout the year the relationship with each of your students should grow.

Disruptive behavior or behavioral problems can be solved easily when positive behavior is promoted in the students. Having the students in your classroom know what you expect from the very beginning can also help this situation out. These rules that you give to the classroom should be given with a positive light on them but still specific of what the students need to do. Another great way to promote positive behavior in the students is to make sure you encourage them and not just the ones who get things correct but also the ones that are trying but struggling. Another way to make sure disruptive behavior is as less as possible is to show respect to the students and actually listening to them. All of these ideas of promoting positive students can also be seen as a form of Skinner’s behaviorist theory as well as taking from Bandura's.

Another theory that we can look into is Vygotsky with his social developmental theory. By creating a cooperative learning environment, we are utilizing Vygotsky’s More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) by having students help each other learn. We, as teachers, have to realize that sometimes a peer can relate more to a student than us. The student’s wording might be easier for the other student to understand. Another strategy from Vygotsky we can utilize is the method of scaffolding. We can assist students in certain areas and then little by little, we start to build on these assignments with less participation from the teacher and more on the student. This way, students start to learn how to do assignments independently.

A strategy that we can also incorporate in the classroom is to have a mini survey about the multiple intelligence theory by Gardner. The test does not have to be long or difficult. If we do this, we get to learn our students better and we also have an idea on what method to use to grasp the student’s attention and help them learn. Another method we could use to learn more about our students is to create a silhouette collage. The students sit down in front of a bright lit area with a flashlight or a projector and the teacher or another student can trace the outline of the student. Afterwards, the students can fill this collage with photos from magazines, their own pictures and words that describe them. This is a fun activity that gets all students involved and teachers can learn a lot about their students.

I think that if you involve students in the making of rules, they will be more likely to cooperate instead of having a teacher just tell them what they have to do. If a student brings a rule that might sound negative, the teacher can modify it so it does not have a negative connotation. For example if a student brings the rule of not talking when somebody else is talking, the teacher can modify the rule by saying wait your turn to talk. You can also ask the students to consolidate the list so you don’t have 35 rules and you can have at least 5 main rules for the classroom. Another way to reinforce the rules is to have them displayed in one of the classroom’s walls so that students have a constant reminder as well as vocal reinforcement. I think the best example that we have is ourselves as teachers. If students see us behaving and following the rules, it is easier for them to have a person they look up to acting properly and modeling how to behave.

In studying to become a teacher, I have thoroughly analyzed the importance of my own experience as a learner, along with how it will impact the way I conduct my classroom. Teachers have complete control on educational factors such as the strategies they use, how they organize the class, and the way they treat the students. The teachers’ actions will greatly affect their students in many ways. I believe that any student can learn with the right help and guidance. Teachers need to be patient and treat each student respectfully. They need to conduct fun and interesting activities to increase their students’ interest in both learning and participation. Getting involved and getting to know each student is very important. I also think teachers need to understand cultural differences and students needs. It is my goal to combine my range of experience and education with my ability to be a compassionate, enthusiastic, and intelligent teacher who will make a positive contribution in the school system.

After analyzing all the theorists, I believe they all have very essential points that can be combined to ensure a positive classroom and working environment. One theorist that I particularly like is Bandura, and I really agree with his theory on behaviorism. This theory focuses on variables that we can observe, measure, and manipulate to avoid any problems. As teachers lead their class throughout the year, they can examine their students’ behaviors and reactions to see what works and what doesn’t. They can then manipulate the activities to help the students learn at their highest potential. Bandura believes that punishment in whatever form does not work as well as reinforcement, and I totally agree. I think children need to learn how to self-assess themselves to make the correct responses. I think behavioral charts are one way to model what I believe is positive student conduct. Children will be able to self-observe their own behaviors and keep track of the things that causes misconduct so they can change their actions for the next time. Environmental planning is also very important. Teachers can have discussions with their students to discuss their behavioral charts and diaries to they can alter the environment to promote a positive atmosphere. This is also a great way to get to know and build relationships with students. I think that one way to create classroom rules is to determine them with the students. The students will then decide what rules they want and like, and they are more likely to follow them because they took part in creating them. Rules will be placed visibly in the classroom and enforced throughout the school year. Teachers should model the desired behavior that the students can follow. This is a very important component in Bandura’s theory.

There are many teaching techniques that I will need to obtain in order to guide my students throughout the school year. It will be extremely important for me to come to class organized with creative and motivating activities. It is my goal to try to make the material interesting, relevant, and worthwhile. I am going to have a lot of patience and guide my students in the right direction so they will succeed. I am going to organize my classroom in heterogeneous groups so the students will be able to learn from each other in a diverse and realistic environment. The environment will be very safe and controlled. The rules will be made in the beginning of the year and practiced throughout the semester to make sure they are being observed. I will also get the parents involved throughout the school year. Teaching is my passion, and I will do anything I need to do to promote a positive atmosphere.