How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteMy classroom is already pretty much self-running already. My students know to read what's on the TV as soon as they enter and begin whatever task is there. They know where things get turned in and where things go that need to be taken home. Students know there is a binder with their work in it if they are absent and it is their job to get those assignment's as well as any notes they missed while they were gone. This isn't something that happened magically though. I spend the first couple of weeks each year really making these expectations clear and making sure everyone knows what to do.
At home is where I need some work. It seems easier to just do things myself and not deal with anyone else having to do things. I could have my daughter do more like helping with chores.
I do write assignments on the board so that students know what is expected of them throughout the day. This does cut down on questions as to what they need to do next.
ReplyDeleteI could give more responsibilities to the students with things like emptying the pencil sharpeners, straightening the book shelf, and putting books on the bookshelf. It is difficult to let others do things that are not always done to "perfection." I need to remind myself that they learn from these experiences and get better at it each time they do the task.
I could let my husband do more chores at home. It would let me have a few moments to relax and take a moment to breathe. I always see one more thing that needs to be done.
I think creating a self-running classroom comes with setting routines. I know that I definitely need to work on the self-running part. I get caught up in the chaos of 24 students sometimes and just do it all. My students know the routines of the day and the structure, but most don't take it upon themselves to make happen what needs to be before I say something. I did like what the book said about a grading station for kids to check their own papers sometimes. I could also be writing their missing assignments on the board and they have the responsibility for finding and completing.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading this chapter, I realize I have a problem. I just always do things at home so they get done and I don't have to listen to whining or complaining. I am self sabotaging! A job chart for my girls, like when they were little, could still work now. Also, more open communication with my husband about what I could use help with might be beneficial. Otherwise he pays no mind!
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteI do have certain guidelines for my classroom that the students know they need to do when they arrive and when they leave the room. However I could require more of them in order to accomplish more when they are here. This is sure something to think about.
I am a firm believer in the phrase 'What you permit, you promote" I do think in school settings, coaching and at home this rings true. If I permit my child to leave garbage from their snacks in the living room after watching TV, Then I am promoting that behavior. I check myself with this phrase all of the time. Not sure if this applies to the question, but, it has helped me with delegating help and encouraging kids to be accountable in the classroom and at home.
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ReplyDeleteI serve as the K-2nd ESL teacher for our building. I spend part of my day pushing in and part of my day pulling out. I am still working on "perfecting" my role as a push in teacher as this is new for our building this year. My pull out groups run like a well oiled machine due to routines! Each day has the same "flow" even if the activities are different day to day and the students have their assigned tasks to help the groups go smooth. For instance- my upper newcomer group each student will have a task at the beginning of our time to get the materials or set the daily calendar up. When we get to the table we are ready to work. Any visitor that has ever entered into my room to watch always comment on how many skills we cover in a 15-30 time due to the routines we have set.
ReplyDeleteAt home we definetly need to set some better routines. During the school week I feel like I come home and run ragged because there are just some things that I have "always done" myself and I feel that do not get done to "mom standards" and I end up doing them over- supermom syndrome!
I am hoping to create more of a self-running classroom by trying a new format 2nd semester: students watch instructional videos as "homework" at home or in study hall (or end of class if they are done with everything). During class time, we will start with everyone practicing on the board and recapping the information. Individual practice will not be graded by me - I will either use online/automatically graded materials or will give them access to the answer key at the front of the room for the worksheet. They will make their own study guides. The only thing I will grade/put in the grade book is a weekly quiz/test and a spiral review "Math Minute" that is automatically graded. At home, I'm hoping to get rid of a whole bunch of stuff so we have less to clean around, and set things up to where my daughter can reach and do more chores like putting away her own laundry and picking up. I also seriously considered getting a Roomba vacuum. ;)
ReplyDeleteHow can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? This year is the most self running classroom I've ever had. Students know our routines and a pretty good at following them I like this but also know I need to give them more choices. Self running classroom does not mean teachers aren't teaching or are being lazy. Self run classroom means students listen and know expectations regardless of the content. They know the outcomes I'm looking for and show them in their work in a timely manner.
ReplyDeleteI have 3 kids under the age of 6. I don't know if I'll ever have a self running home. We have recently made a calendar and have a task to do each Sunday afternoon. This helps us stay on top of things that might get neglected during the week or all together. Laying out our kids clothes the night before and staying up to date on laundry helps a lot.
In my classroom, I have incorporated some of what the author suggested. I have classroom jobs, which frees me up from certain tasks and makes some tasks a go little faster and smoother. I also have stations activities with answer keys that allow students to practice a task and check their work immediately.
ReplyDeleteIf someone knows the trick to running a smooth household, I am all ears. I have a 3 teens and we all have very busy schedules, so most of us are not home several evenings each week. Depending on the time of year, we may have busy weekend schedules too. Sadly, we often exist in survival mode when it comes to our house. It is probably my fault for not establishing good routines and chores habits when the kids were young. It always just seemed like such an effort to get things done in a timely manner, so I lowered my standards for housework. Yes, my family helps with the chores, but it is almost never self initiated. Though my children do take care of their own laundry, so that is a plus.
I think I can give students more responsibility when it comes to collecting papers and tidying up the computer lab. I know students love to be helpers, so for me, it’s just remembering to assign these responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteAt home, my kids have responsibilities, but I find myself constantly reminding them to follow through with them. Chapter ten really hit home for me when the author writes about project manager and superhero syndrome. There are times that I need to let go of my perfectionism and let my family members own more of their responsibilities. My favorite paragraph was, “Intentionally “dropping the ball” empowers the people in your life to find their own approach for tasks which they complete independently, rather than waiting for your directions, reminders, and approval.”
I am not always good at giving up control of my classroom, but I can allow students to help me with different tasks. I can have them do things and not redo it later when they don't do it exactly the way I think it should be done. This would give them more responsibility in the room and take some tasks off of my plate.
ReplyDeleteAt home, I can allow for more help when I am trying to keep up with the housework and kids. I liked the idea of delegating by strengths. It is not always going to be fair, but it could be a huge help. Also, I need to remember that asking for help is not a bad thing. It will help the house run more efficiently. Keeping up with the small things that just take a few minutes will help minimize my bigger cleanings on the weekends as well.
Callie Dutenhoffer
ReplyDeleteWhen I was teaching in my junior kindergarten classroom, the way that I had a self-running classroom was assigning classroom jobs and asking my students to help me with things that would not only truly help me do less, but teach them a little bit of responsibility. They thought it was awesome to have a "job" like me and to do things around the room that is known as an "adult task."
When it comes to my personal life, it seems a lot more challenging. I have a hard time letting things go or asking for help because I just want things done and want them done my way. My daughter is too young to have household chores, but I can see this happening in the future to help with the idea of a "self-run home." I also feel like my husband does a decent job at helping, but potentially setting certain things for him to do each night or at the end of each week would help us have a better self-run home.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteI can create a more self-running middle school special education classroom by:
- asking students to update the wall calendar
- asking students to write the lunch menu for the day
- training EA's for recording data
A more self-running household:
- training our three children to fill and empty the dishwasher
- training our children to clean the bathrooms
- training the children to do their own laundry
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? I use to have my work-study student make all of my copies, do bulletin boards and grade some of the daily assignments.
ReplyDeleteIf you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home? I have grown to be satisfied by the way others do things. It may not be up to my standards, but who cares, it is done.
I'd like to think I do a pretty good job of giving students responsibilities in the classroom but I also would be open to working on this area as well. I try to make sure students filled out their planners and clean their desks weekly. We have a helper of the day who helps with various tasks as well. I'm sure if I give it some more thought and effort I could come up with more creative ways to give students productive responsibilities.
ReplyDeleteAt home, I try to give my kids routines of checking the lunch menu every night and packing their lunches ahead of time if need be, picking out their clothes for the next day, and making sure their homework is done.
Self-running classroom: In order to do this, I think you need to talk with the students at the beginning of the year and practice. I need to do more practice and discussing. When things don't go smoothly with self-running classroom, I need to use that as a teaching moment, rather than a lecture. If something needs to be corrected, I need to make my words golden.
ReplyDeleteTo make the school more self-running, I would need to let the teachers run with their responsibility, support them, and watch, not micro-manage.
At home, I need to sit with my wife and decides who does what. Whatever she does, I need to support her and if she does something different than I would, I need to keep that to myself because I do not want to micro-manage and if she decides to do something let her do it.
Making my classroom more self-running: As a high school teacher, this is a little tougher for me. I did like a couple of the ideas she mentioned in the book, about assigning a student or pairs of students to go through the turned in work and see who was missing, or having students do more to help with the classroom library. My classroom was in a very small school, but with 5 classes of work getting turned in, finding a student or 2 to go through each class of papers and make a list of who was missing would have been helpful.
ReplyDeleteAt home, doing more assigning of jobs to my kids would be helpful. My husband has "trained" me that things won't always be done "my way", so getting the kids more involved wouldn't be a big stretch, but it would be a big help!
I realized that I am most overwhelemed when kids keep asking me the same questions, repeatedly, day after day after day. I believe structure and routine is the key to a self- running classroom. My students know what to do when they come in each day, put their lunch card in the hot or cold lunch bin. This does a few things - tells me attendance (if the card is out of the pocket chart, they are here) and tells me how many people need hot lunch without having to ask every kid. It also has all their cards ready to go then so I can grab them and take them to the lunch room when it is time. IF a student doesn't know what to do, they can check the slide on the board. If they ask me what to do, I simply point at the slide and then they remember. They have jobs like praciting spelling words when they come in. This was taking a long time for some students during class time so now they have the time they need and the whole class isn't waiting on them.
ReplyDeleteDuring reading groups, I teach groups for 75 minutes straight. I send groups to both spanish and english at 4 different times and to 4 different classrooms. It is confusing! SO I made slides. Its all laid out for the day so everyone knows when they are going, the current group is highlighted so they know who should be gone, and there is a timer so they know when the next group is leaving. It also lists their independent jobs at those times.
I was taught, never do anything a student could do. Doing those things gives kids responsibility, pride, ownership of the room, and saves us time! So I have a student put the lunch cards in the chart every morning, whoever gets their first. A student turns on the decorative lights around the room. A student gets the cold lunch bin everyday and makes sure it gets emptied and put away. Every kid cleans up their own table area in the classroom. IF it's still a mess we play do one thing to make our room look better. If they did their job, we play a fun game. There's so much kids can do that we don't need to waste valuable time and energy on. And most of the time, students love being able to help.
When I ran my own classroom it was pretty self run. We would spend a lot of time at the start of the year going over procedures and how our classroom should run. A month or so in and the kids could do everything without me having to tell them. This help us get more time in because our transitions were short and everybody knew what was expected of them. At home, I'm not so great at this. I tend to do a lot myself instead of delegating things that need to be done. I think I can establish a lot better routines at home by making it known to my family what needs to be done on a daily basis and why.
ReplyDeleteHow can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility?
ReplyDeleteWe have classroom "jobs" already, but they are pretty basic. I would like to extend this idea to include a few more tasks that would help me me. One is gathering make-up work for students who are absent. That could save some time and would be a good job for an eager, responsible student. Another idea would be learning to sort their own papers for their "mailboxes." I have always preferred to do this myself to avoid parent calls/texts wondering where papers are, but with the right training, students could probably learn to do this themselves.
In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
It's just my husband and me at home. He is quite helpful and contributes to the household chores regularly. I could be more vocal when I'm having a hard week & need extra help. I usually just put things off until the weekend and do it when I feel better.
As I was reading this chapter I was making notes of how I can give the student's more responsibilities of the items that I am taking care of. Fourth quarter is upon us and that means several students are out of school for many different events. What if I had students volunteer to be absent student aides to help all students stay on the same page (keep track of homework and help others find what is needed) and also have people help make up labs or other projects we are working on that students missed.
ReplyDeleteAt home, I just need to ask. I am a 100% project manager for all that we do and I have created a monster. My spouse relies on me (at times) to tell them what needs to be done and the kids don't function unless it is directed from me. Seriously, it is not that bad but I know I can delegate more and look the other way if a task isn't up to my standards.
In the classroom, I had the most success with giving students more responsibility when I created routines. I had different bell-ringer activities we cycled through, and I had a good process for getting work to absent students (without me chasing them down!). During my junior high study hall time, I would ask students to run little errands for me or do small tasks in the classroom if they were finished with their homework. Most of the time they would jump at the chance to help out. If I could add anything, I would probably try to utilize the "answer key station" idea more, and I would consider involving my students more in small cleaning tasks in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteAt home, I'm trying to be better about letting my kids help with household tasks, even though they are very little. I think I need to be more consistent with having my kids clean up one thing before we start another. Many times I will do it myself because it's faster and I know it will be done "right". People have mentioned to not do something for a child that they can do for themselves. I'd like to be better about applying that idea throughout the entire day, instead of only with certain tasks. My husband is a huge help when he's home after work, so our evenings are definitely a team effort and that makes a huge difference.
I liked the idea that the author gives of having successful activities such as gallery walks in your back pocket and implementing that into various lessons. By having 4-5 activities that you know are successful and easily adaptable, you won’t have to spend hours upon hours scouring pinterest or the internet trying to make something just right for each lesson/activity. Maybe not all papers need to be graded by you. You need to find areas where you can do fewer things better or everything is going to feel quite overwhelming. In my personal life, I can create a more self-running home by not nit-picking chores that my husband does. He is willing and able to do the laundry (a lot more frequently than I ever did myself), and it shouldn’t matter to me that he doesn’t fold or hang things up exactly how I would like him to. I realize this, but it’s a work in progress. I also am going to have to give up a little more control in preparing meals after we have our baby. He is perfectly capable of preparing supper without me hovering over him making it more stressful and impossible to accomplish. Letting go of control is something I definitely need to work on.
ReplyDeleteI could free up my time by assigning tasks to others. At school, some students love to help out, so I should let them more often. At home, I sometimes do tasks because I am the one who has always done them, but I could encourage other family members to do them now. I am sure that they would be willing to, I just need to ask. Even if things don't get done exactly the way I want them done, at least I am not the one doing them.
ReplyDeleteHow can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteBy giving students responsibility, they are to hold themselves accountable as well as their peers to get those jobs done. In my first-grade classroom, students have a weekly job. My jobs include energy expert, pencil patrol, teacher in training, line leader, snack boss, door duty, stellar substitute, trash trooper, and caboose chief. Students are in charge of making sure their job is done throughout the day. They have one week on and one week off. Students are chosen at random using their numbers so their job usually switches. One job I would like to add for next year, is a library organizer. I constantly find myself organizing our classroom library or asking students to do so.
To make my home run smoother, I need to continue to do one load of laundry a night and maybe 10 minutes of dishes. This way I should never get behind and the system will continuously run. Especially with laundry, it is so easy to get behind even with 2 people in the house.
I love the idea of a self-running classroom and feel I do this! I went to a summer workshop with Scott Ervin a few years ago and implemented those strategies in home of a self running classroom. Anything that I see fit for students to do-- I give that out as a job. Kids are so eager about getting the jobs. Jobs out of the ordinary classroom jobs (line leader, door holder), that I currently have: Ipad chargers, headphone sorter, mailbox deliverers, plugging in my Ipad, attendance taker, milk count, and many others. Students are in charge of doing their jobs-- if they don't; they are fired and have to train their replacement. I think when students get meaningful tasks in the classroom they feel important. Also, a great way for students to prove they are responsible.
ReplyDeleteAt home is a different story, I feel If I take care of it, the way I want it that is best. However, I can feel the stress this cause me. I need to feel comfortable with my husband doing things, even if it is different than how I would do the chores. I need to commit to one household task a night instead of the pile up and every weekend spent resetting the house for the next week.
Things that I already do to create some semblance of a self-run classroom:
ReplyDelete-I have daily routines (at the high school level) that students become familiar with. We transition through them daily so that students aren’t surprised by the variety of activities, they aren’t doing one thing for too long, and so that I have an outline for each day as I build my lesson plans.
-Absent Box-a milk crate on a table at the front of the room that has a folder for each day of the month (the idea came from Pinterest I believe?-years ago). Any time that I hand out papers for a lesson, I save one for each student who is absent and write their name at the top. I file the papers in the folder for that day. When the student returns, they know to check the absent box for any handouts that they missed. It has taken several years for students to remember to use this system (even after daily/weekly reminders-I almost gave up on them!), but now three or four years in, I’m reaping the rewards of not having to remember to give each individual student their handouts when they come back.
-Graded Paper Return Boxes: kind of like the absent box, I have milk crates for each class and a folder for each student. I file all graded papers at the end of the day and students know that they can collect them at any point. This saves me so much time and headache trying to find class time to hand out all of the graded work that I collect!
-Participation Points: On “practice” assignments (usually grammar or writing work), I take participation points, meaning that I have students do the assignment on scrap paper with their name. They correct their own work and turn it in. I look over the work to get a general idea of how students are doing with the concept, and then give anyone who did the assignment a point or two for simply doing the work. I don’t take an actual grade (higher points, of course) until I feel confident that students are where they need to be with the concept.
Somethings that I might look into changing (in order to create more time and facilitate deeper learning):
-More quizzes: easy grading for me/them, but keeping them accountable for doing the reading that we are not able to complete in class on a given day. (I often avoid reading homework because so many students fail to complete it.)
-More discussion: a little prep work on my part would create big dividends in student understanding and application, I think (also not something that requires heavy grading or participation on my part, yet increases student depth of knowledge…I’ve just always felt that my students need help actually “taking”-so that’s something I need to work with in order to implement.)
As I read these chapters these were questions that I thought about a lot. To make my classroom more self-sufficient, I can try giving students more responsibility. I can mix things up by assigning students roles like line leader or tech support, which helps them feel more in charge and responsible. I can also let them take the lead in discussions and activities to boost their confidence and show their independence. Also, involving students in decisions like setting classroom rules or rewards gives them a stake in their learning space. At home, keep things running smoothly by setting up a chore chart to divvy up tasks among family members, can make teamwork and responsibility easy. Get everyone involved in planning and cooking meals to share the load and have fun together. I can also encourage each family member to keep their spaces organized and stick to routines independently for a balanced home life.
ReplyDeleteIn my classroom, I can give students more responsibility by having them grade each others daily work. Instead of me having to collect and grade it every day, we can take a few minutes to have them either peer-grade or even self-grade. I can easily display an answer key and have them grade their own while I walk around and see how their assignments look. I have also began to think about how I can make my homework assignments more digital so that students can do them online and have them be graded by the system for quick feedback.
ReplyDeleteAt home, I have learned to take advantage of grocery pickup. This has been such a time saver for me. Instead of having to spend 1-2 hours at the stores on the weekend, I can now use that time to get other things done around the house and pick up my order at a time when it's convenient for me.
In order to give my students more responsibility in the classroom - I need to look at each of my classes individually. I teach grades 7-12 throughout the day and each period would look differently. Each level requires more/less of teacher instruction for such duties. I can have upper grades correct the papers of the younger students. I still like to go over the papers to see how they are doing their work, but the time to grade will be far less. Some students want to be helpful, while others just want to do their own thing. I really like her suggestion of "homework coupons" and such as a thank you for helping.
ReplyDeleteAt home - grocery pick up has been amazing! I live nearly an hour from a major town, so that has been a huge timesaver. During Covid time, I started having family meal planning time and have continued since. Nothing I hate worse than to get home after work, and try and come up with something to eat for supper! As my kids got older, they wash their own clothes...another amazing time saver. I just feel I'm able to get things done that normally get pushed to the back burner.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteI do not run a classroom, but I do try to make my office accessible for students so they can help themselves as able. For example, I have a self serve cart with bandaids, lotion and vaseline. It's always stocked and in the same place so kids can get what they need, freeing me up for students that require assessment. At home is where I really struggle with "super hero syndrome". I like things a certain way, and I feel like I am the only one who can do it. I also get frustrated when no one helps me... clearly I am the one with the problem! This year as my girls have gotten a little bigger I have been trying to put more responsibilities on them, they are in charge of cleaning their own bathrooms. I showed them how to do it, and then I have them check in with me when they are done so I can check their work. They have actually been doing a great job, it's good for them to be responsible, and it has taken a big thing off my plate! I know I need to continue giving up some control to find that balance at home!
In my classroom, students can take more responsibility by getting their materials for labs, cleaning up those materials, asking peers for assistance before coming to me, ensuring there is more student voice during lessons and activities than teacher voice, etc. In my personal life, being okay with things being done differently than I would do them and also at different times. I have an adult son with non-visible special needs. One way I have been able to find more balance is giving him tasks to complete but giving him a more open time frame. For example, instead of telling him to cut the grass today, I will say things like, "Hey, can you make sure the grass gets cut before Friday?". This works for his brain - choice and deadline at the same time. This works for me because the task gets completed and its not on my list of things to do.
ReplyDeleteAs a school nurse at an elementary school, I don't have an traditional classroom but there's a few aspects of my health office that helps it be "self-running". Most students know that they need to ask me, but they can help themselves to extra jackets, gloves, and hats if they need to borrow some. I also have a few students that often forget their snacks, and they know where in my office to get them. My office is also organized and they can easily get kleenexes, bandaids, lotion, etc. This all helps free my time and attention to giving students medication, calling parents, or triaging students as they come in.
ReplyDeleteAt home, I try to have some tasks for my kids to help it self-running, but I still have to give reminders. They are great at accomplishing the tasks when they do it, but I wish that I didn't have to remind them so often. They will forget or continue to try to put it off. But my kids are great at picking up on my mood, and when I seem stressed they will quickly jump in to help.
I feel I already do a good job with a self-running classroom because I have a job for each student in my class. I have a bulletin board with jobs listed on a pocket and students name on a popsicle stick in each pocket. Every week I rotate the sticks and they get a new job. They love this! In my personal life my kids help out as well. They have a chore chart where they have to complete one chore a day. They also help out with dishes and clean up after themselves when they make a mess. I could ask them to help out more often to take some stress of my everyday tasks though too.
ReplyDeleteI think there are a couple of things I could do to make my classroom more self-running. One is to figure out a better system for when I have students returning from being absent. I loved the idea from the author about putting a student in charge of filling the other student in on what they missed, but I think I could also create a "What Did I Miss?" Station. This could have any materials the student missed along with a short description of what we did in class. I could put a student in charge of writing the description each day. Another thing I would like to try is having more of my work be self-assessed by students. Even with essays, I think I will try having students score themselves first before I score them. If they scored themselves the same as I would score them, I wouldn't have to do as much work while I'm grading them.
ReplyDeleteAt home, I could definitely get my children doing laundry. I am responsible for 99% of the laundry right now, and there is no reason that my kids (15, 13, 11) couldn't do their own. That would free up a ton of time for me to do other things!
I teach small reading groups throughout the day (each group is about 30 minutes). Because the routine is similar each day, the students know what is expected of them. The students come in, quickly find their seats, and we get rolling. During writing time, each student has a role to pass out certain materials--this allows us to waste very little time and get as much instructional time as possible. I would like to start incorporating more "independent goal setting". This will allow students to take more ownership of their reading progress. When this becomes more natural for the students, it will help to save time during student-teacher check-ins.
ReplyDeleteAt home, I can definitely delegate more household tasks to both my husband and my son. As FTB pointed out, I have a tendency to do things "my way", because I feel like I complete them "better". (ie--laundry, vacuuming, etc.). My goal is to ask each of them to complete something on my to-do list each day. This not only helps me, but it will also help create responsibility within my son. Hopefully after this becomes a part of the household routine, I will have less on my daily "plate" and the household will run more smoothly.
The idea of a self-running classroom is something I have been thinking about a lot recently. I teach Spanish which feels like a very teacher-directed subject for the learning part, especially because they won’t really speak much Spanish if I don’t continually request them to. However, I plan to build new routines next year to allow the students to take on more of the workload. I imagine it being more teacher-centered at the beginning of the year as I teach them the routines and then transition to more student-centered. I am also thinking of incorporating jobs, even though I teach middle school and it might be a bit trickier to organize. My hope is that the technology will function better so they can have their independent study online, coupled with some whole-group speaking exercises every day. We play lots of games and once they learn how to play they do a good job at leading the activities themselves. They also plan and make lessons for younger students which is definitely student-centered. At home, I try to find any opportunity for my toddler to “help me”. Even if she’s actually making it more work for me, she enjoys “helping” and it is good for her to practice taking responsibility. I love the idea the author shared of having her put the clothes away at such a young age so that it becomes a part of her routine early on in life.
ReplyDeleteI think it really all boils down to communication. Making sure that your students and/or coworkers are aware of what the expectations are. If unsure, being comfortable to have conversation about it and make sure everyone is on the same page. Also as a teacher, you have to be ok knowing that there are multiple ways to do the same thing and "your way" isn't the only way. Allowing people to have the capacity to bring forth their ideas and talents is going to open up doors for them and you. In personal life, much the same way as teaching in that making sure communication is happening in regard to what the end goal is. Being a team player at home is going to help accomplish all the required tasks.
ReplyDeleteEstablishing routines for your students from day one helps create a self-running classroom. This gives students more responsibility and they enjoy having jobs in Kindergarten. They love to help out the teacher and their classmates. It makes them feel important and helpful. If students know what the expectations are each day there are less behavior issues. I go over our schedule during morning meeting each day so they know what to expect. Students love routines and when things change it throws them off a little bit. I try to keep my routines and schedule the same from day to day.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal life I try to create a self-running home. This is easier said than done. My daughters do their own laundry and are expected to keep their rooms picked up and clean. This helps me out a ton. They are also expected to empty the dishwasher when needed. Little chores around the house that are taken off my plate help to create a self-running home. We are all so busy and if we all help out it keeps our house clean and running smoothly.
A self running classroom is a great idea. I believe with routines in the preschool classroom, this is possible. A goal in my classroom is to create more independence and awareness in my students. There are a few things that I want them to be able to do on their own but the concept of extending to more responsibilities can work but would need to be implemented and modeled extensively. Establishing more jobs in the classroom, could be a start to this.
ReplyDeleteI REALLY struggle to let go of the superhero syndrome at home. I tend to get worked up if things aren't done the way I expect them to be done. I have never related to a chapter more. I am tired, overwhelmed, and overstimulated. I want to create more of a balance for myself and let go of that perfection. I like the idea of thinking about who notices the little things. If it's only me then can I let it go? I have slowly started to let the reins go in our household but I do feel like I need to communicate with my family that they need to be able to see that things need to be done. I don't want to have to delegate. I think discussing what we are all capable of doing and playing on our strengths could help.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteAt school, I try to let the students (8th graders) do lots are their own. They run errands to the office and are trusted to walk to the BR on they own. I still have a hard time with letting them take control of their of learning. I want to lead them, not let them explore for answers.
At home, I try to have our home run 50/50. Some days I am very successful, and some days, not so much.
I believe it's possible to have a self-running classroom if routine is established from day 1. Many students are happy to help out where they can in the classroom, so I believe showing them what your expectations look like and sound like will be a good start to having a self-running classroom. There may be a day or two in which you have to visit expectations, but I believe it's possible as long as you give the students the tools.
ReplyDeleteIn the library, it is pretty self-running. When I teach lessons though, I definitely take on all of the instruction. Before teaching a database lesson I could have the instruction to the class be to get logged in and find an article on UFOs using a database. This will get students exploring rather than sitting there waiting for everyone to get their computers out and going, something to write with, etc. Minds will be activated!
ReplyDeleteAt home I very much need to work on this. With young kids sometimes I end up doing too much for them with the idea that I need to to get out of the house on time. I need to MAKE time for them to take the time needed to get themselves dressed, etc.
As I was reading this chapter, I was trying to come up with different ways to give more responsibility to students in the band room. After an afternoon of 3 different grade levels moving chairs, stands, and instruments, my room can be quite different than it was before my first class. I think that my last class of the afternoon could be responsible for picking up any pencils on the floor/stands, resetting chairs into rows, picking up any extra books or music left on stands, and percussionists can cover their instruments and make sure everything is put away in the cabinets.
ReplyDeleteI know that keeping a clean house is not my strong suit. I've been experimenting with how to make it easier for me, and not get completely out of hand. Cleaning every room feels too overwhelming, so I started scheduling which area of the house to clean each week. That way, at least once a month, every area is getting at least a little bit of attention. This will hopefully save me from having to all of a sudden rush to get the whole place tidy.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteIt's all about transfer of responsibility. In the classroom, I really liked the idea of an IT team. So often, I have to pause a lesson when someone says they can't log into the textbook website or some other issue. Their password was saved and it's "not working." 90% of the time, no matter the issue, I ask, "Have you tried restarting your computer?" and it's fixed. I think that could save me a lot of multi-tasking and being pulled in different directions in the high school classroom.
At home, I know I need to transfer more housework to the kids. It's a lot of work up front to teach them when I'd really rather sit and zone out while they go play upstairs for 30 minutes, but it'd pay off in the long run.
I could have done better in this aspect. Many students love to help out teachers and be an assistant. For those who did not want to I offered it as extra credit. Having students who arrived first in class hand out materials, write instructions neatly on the board. Some students love technology so I had them set up the video and move it to the section we needed to watch. I used to teach a Basic Chemistry class to IEP students. While taking notes they loved to highlight and we would learn how to highlight key words. The students would take turns handing out the highlighters at the beginning of class.
ReplyDeleteThere were a few students who loved to come in before or after school and help me set up labs. If they listened carefully and handled chemicals and glass they way they were assigned they received bonus extra credit for being safe.
At home just having my boys clean up after themselves was a huge bonus. This wasn't always so easy. They always were in a hurry and forgetful. We have a son with autism. The structure was amazing. His room always looked better than anyone else.
The superhero syndrome at times would set in at home. This can be a tough one but it didn't take long to realize the anxiety this lead to.
I am excited for the next school year and giving my kids more opportunities to share in the responsibilities in our classroom. I have a multi-grade situation so making an IT team will be helpful if I use older students to trouble shoot for the younger students when learning the ins and outs of technology. There are several other teams I am also pondering. I already have a payment system set up in my room and love the idea, of being hired, fired, promoted, transferred, or applying for a new job. What a great real world experience.
ReplyDeleteBeing an empty nester my home life is not nearly as busy. I have been able to adopt my father's quote of "There's always tomorrow" I no longer worry if things get a little untidy. I have been working on downsizing and freeing myself of unwanted and unused things, this is so freeing! I really want to declutter my classroom as there are things in the cupboards from the beginning of time!
I think since I am older taking time to enjoy a cup of coffee on my porch just comes easier these days. Don't let life go by so fast, take the time to enjoy it.
I believe creating clear expectations and routines from the start is vital to having a self-running classroom. This will take time and patience as everyone learns the routine and procedures. I like having things written on the board and using the same format each time so students know where to look for their questions on what to do and have consistency.
ReplyDeleteAt home in my personal life, this needs a lot of TLC. I have 4 kids and against all my efforts of routine, schedule, consistency, etc. my kids fight me every step of the way. They know what they SHOULD do, but they definitely don't follow that regularly. They are at an age of getting more responsibilities at home for chores and earning privileges but it's like pulling teeth each time. It seems easier for me to just "do it myself" as I am definitely a perfectionist, but I'm trying to pull back the reins and teach my kids how to do it well so it's less on me.
Anything self-running is not an easy task that takes time and patience, but it's worth it in the end!
*Miranda Fox
DeleteHow can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteTo create more of a self-running classroom (PE), students will know the routine of the classroom, expectations of behavior and attitude, responsibility of cleanup, and the importance of everyone getting chances to improve their skill level.
Currently, I have warm up, circle time, active time, and clean up time. Students know to be respectful, give effort, rotate partners each lesson, and to do their share of clean up.
When we are between units (known as Free Week), students can really be seen running the show because it involves more student choice, preparation by students, and continuation of the lesson by students.
In my personal life, the family can have a clearer understanding of their role in helping the home stay presentable and the family stay bonded.
I actually feel like I do have a self-run classroom. I saw Scott Ervin (the Kid Whisperer) present his ideas about giving students more responsibility a few years ago so I've tried to implement this into my classroom. He suggested we give out every job possible to students, so I simply assign students jobs as needed (locker monitors, bathroom monitors, milk helper, attendance taker, iPad charger, snack helper, mailbox distributor, morning book distributor, etc.). They are responsible for completing that job each day or they get fired and help train in a new worker. They love the responsibility and feel important when chosen for the meaningful tasks. This has helped in reducing so many behaviors in my classroom, too. The students take ownership and responsibility of the classroom tasks and I get to release control over little things that are occupying my precious time.
ReplyDeleteIn your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home? I have a harder time releasing control in my home. I tend to want things done a certain way so I am more likely just to do it myself instead of asking for help. I need to learn to let others help and realize that ultimately, I'm gaining time with my family when everyone pitches in.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility?
ReplyDeleteOur classroom is self-running, but this happened because of setting and going through routines, laying out clear expectations and going through them throughout the year when necessary, setting up the room in a functional way, and giving students jobs.
In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
I can create more of a self-running home by expecting my kids to do their chores without doing any of the unfinished chores for them. If they don't do the chores, we need to stay consistent with giving them a natural and meaningful consequence until it gets done. I would say this is the biggest part of creating a self-running home in our case.
I like the author’s idea of assigning more jobs to students. Letting go of the super hero syndrome and letting students do some of the jobs and tasks they are capable of doing. This idea crosses over into my personal life too. I need to let my husband and children do some of the household tasks that I think only I can do.
ReplyDeleteHow can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteI am all about delegating responsibilities to students in our classroom. At the beginning of the year we discuss our classroom "family" and how our classroom is our home for learning. I explain to them what I did to create their learning environment, making it organized, clean, inviting, and cozy. Many of our daily assigned jobs focus on cleaning and organizing our class room work spaces. I am going to switch up my duty chart to help them become even more involved and to save me from added duties after they leave. I am going to add a finished paper checklist where the paper organizers can first alphabetize the papers (for easier grade book implementation) and they can also highlight the names on the checklist for any students that did not complete and/or hand in. I used to have a stack of graded papers I would save for the end of the week and file into their mailboxes, but recently have paper mailbox sorters who do this daily for me. I have plant care givers, calendar prep students, line leader, daily clean up checkers (making sure their peers areas are clean before they dismiss them for the day), errand runners, etc. I am going to continue to reevaluate my job chart to make it more purposeful and to not only save time for my after hour prep, but to also give them ownership to our room and belongings and to give them responsibilities.
At home, (a few years back) I worked on letting go of cleaning and household duties "my way" and tried to allow things done differently - the clothes may go to the wrong basket, the towels may not fit the shelves perfectly, the black towels go downstairs, but may be put in the upstairs bathroom, etc. BUT, we had a house that was somewhat organized, we had clean towels, and so on. Most of all, I learned to let go and enjoy having some time to be with my family more, while at the same time the kids were given more chance at being responsible - a win win! Realistically, this is not an every day thing and I often have to ask the crew to step up to the plate, but it does get done much quicker and I fall behind far less. Our kids left at home are all teenagers now, so I don't have a job chart, but all that are home are expected to pitch in that night with dishes, meal prep, or whatever is needed.
I can create more of a self-running classroom by thinking about the daily things that need to get done and giving those responsibilities to students if it is not necessary that I complete the task and help train them in at the beginning of the year. In the past I used a job chart and students would fill out an application for their top three jobs and at the end of the week, get paid a certain amount in classroom dollars. I was changing it every week and it seemed so time consuming, but if I were to change out every month instead and have students help with that it would free up time for me after school to do things that I have to do. I will re-evaluate the plan I had to fit with who I am now and the students I will have this year.
ReplyDeleteIn your personal life, I used to be the only one who cleaned the kitchen and would get upset cause no one else would help. I finally accepted help from my husband and just don't look at the way he loads the dishwasher and thank him for helping. I now look for things that someone else can do and ask for help.
I believe in allowing students to be their own self motivators and looking for ways to be an active participant in their learning. The students can have some assigned "jobs" but I also want them to have initiative and look for extras to be done. I hope that by giving them some independence and allowing for initiative they will learn to be proactive in life as well as in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI read a book entitled "Cleaning House". It was written by a mom of six kids. She took one characteristic she wanted her children to learn each month and worked towards it with them. This has changed how I parent at home with my two children. They are learning the art of organization, initiative, meal preparation and planning, as well as other skills. This not only helps me around the house but it will also help them when they are on their own. I want to have thme as well prepared with life skills as well as a good education.
I can definitely give my students more responsibilities. I don't need to type and copy a vocabulary sheet for each unit, they can make their own or I can provide the terms through Google classroom. Same with review sheets. I can make better use of technology provided with my curriculum, like I can use the online tests instead of paper.
ReplyDeleteAt home I need to let other people do things the way they do things and no micromanage. I can enjoy the fact that the job is done instead of being critical about how it was done.
My school uses a "student intern" system. My life is so much simpler with an intern! I have them put papers in alphabetical order, file papers in the "return" bin, and grade objective work (multiple choice, matching, true/false, etc.) I also have them help me reshelf books in my classroom library. This year I didn't have an intern, but I did have a study hall, so if I noticed students didn't have anything to do, I'd ask them to do smaller tasks for me. It's so helpful to delegate menial tasks like vacuuming and sanitizing desks. Many hands make light work.
ReplyDeleteAs per the author's suggestion, I feel that utilizing students to do some of the work for you would alleviate some of the stress that comes with teaching. We all have those students that we trust and want to help, so why not utilize them to make our lives easier. Our school also has a peer tutoring program that allows students to match up with other students in hopes they can help them understand material outside of class that they don't comprehend within class. This program seems to work well and has helped many students and allowed teachers to use before or after school for planning or preparing materials. Students can also sign up to be a teacher's aide for a class they have already taken. These students can do menial tasks, such as making copies, organizing materials, helping to set up labs, or making bulletin boards.
ReplyDeleteAt home, I need to be better about delegating work to my family. My husband and I have settled into our roles, but I've had a hard time asking for help from my kids. Being able to let go of all the responsibility within my house would make life much less stressful!
I love the idea of a more self-running classroom which gives students more responsibility. I already have my students help with many of the chores in the classroom, but I know they are capable of so much more. I find I have the most success when I spend extra time in the beginning of the year teaching my students the way these chores should be done (I'm a perfectionist so it's hard giving away some of the control!). The children love having jobs. Some of the jobs they have with include: making sure Chromebooks are in the charger, cleaning up in the classroom at the end of the day, putting up chairs, emptying the pencil sharpener, organizing the book tubs, counting the lunch cards, and passing out/collecting papers. I think this year I will try having someone in charge of gathering make-up work for absent students.
ReplyDeleteI am always trying to find ways to create a more self-running home. I think the household chores (cleaning, laundry, etc.) would seem more easy to manage if I did a few minutes of them everyday instead of doing all of the big cleaning on the weekends. This really takes a long time and cuts into more enjoyable weekend activities and time for family and friends.
I am guilty of having super human syndrome. I have a hard time delegating tasks to others because they won't be done right. I am getting better with this at school though. I assign students jobs that they keep for 2 weeks. Some of my students have jobs for the whole year (plugging in and unplugging i pads, erasing the board at the end of the day, picking trash up off the ground, sharpening pencils, etc...) This has been a huge help. What takes a couple of minutes for them to do, saves me a bunch of time. I'd like to start having them peer grade papers. I think this is something that could also save me some time. I need to get better at delegating tasks at home. It seems every time I ask for help I get a complaint, or an eye roll, or an argument, or it's done partially correct. So to avoid that, I end up doing everything by myself. This in turn makes me crabby and exhausted. I need to let go of my super human syndrome and ask for help at home, or delegate tasks, whether my kids like it or not. Something has got to give!
ReplyDeleteCreating a self-running classroom takes a little bit of time at the beginning of the year to establish routines and jobs. Students truly enjoy taking part in the daily activities that help a classroom run more smoothly. It takes a lot of items off my to-do list by having "jobs" for the students to accomplish throughout the day. Having a self-running household takes a bit of planning and prioritizing too. Small tidbits of multi-tasking helps me to keep my home running more smoothly. For example: Wiping down the bathroom counter right after getting ready in the morning and now my counter is clean. Spraying and wiping down the shower right before I get in crosses another item off my list. Having the entire family help clean up dishes, etc right after supper means the kitchen is clean when I wake up. I do not want to spend an entire weekend morning cleaning my house so I do 1-2 tasks nightly. It only takes 15-20 minutes to vacuum, dust or mop the kitchen floor. I'd much rather do 1 or 2 of the main cleaning tasks in the evening so my weekends are more free.
ReplyDeleteI try to establish a more self-running classroom by establishing routines. For instance, two days of the week are set aside for regular grammar practice and one day per week is set aside for vocabulary practice. As students get used to the routine throughout the year, I no longer need to remind them to take out their materials on those days. I’ll post new vocab words on my Promethean Board, and students will automatically take out their notebooks to begin recording the words and definitions, using up less of our class time when I might otherwise need to remind students to take out their materials.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal life, my husband and I can set up clear, age-appropriate chores for our sons. I definitely fall into the trap of thinking it’s all my/our responsibility or that it’s just easier if I do it myself. We’re trying to do better about having certain jobs for our kids around the house, which takes a bit off our plates. I also try to do better with accepting help from my kids when I know that their best effort might not be so great (I’m thinking specifically about my younger kids). On page 217, Angela Watson says, “But 80% done by them is better than 100% done by you. … But if the middle 80% can be delegated, that’s 80% less work for you.” I might need to go through and fix whatever they were working on, but it’s less work for me overall; plus, it’s an activity that keeps them focused and helps them learn responsibility.
My classroom is pretty established in self-running, students know to get their computers and start logging in. I will have the assignment on the board so they can get started right away. Some younger students need assistance in logging in but those that are more proficient can get going on the assignment when they are ready.
ReplyDeleteAt home could use a little work, we are usually so busy with kids practices/activities it is a quick get this chore done before we have to go. Everyone just helps out when we are home and what chores take priority that day/time.
In the classroom: Since I teach high school, I have a different group of students each class period. I have been wondering for awhile how I can incorporate some self-running components, such as the IT team (to get the computer cart, make sure students are choosing the "correct computer" and plugging it into the numbered slot, etc.) I also could use help from those who are creative in bulletin board ideas, etc. I think this fall is the time to incorporate some of these ideas!
ReplyDeleteAt home: my husband and I have a great system where I cook and he does the clean-up each night. Also, we have talked for a few years now about having a night each week where he is in charge of cooking the evening meal. Maybe it's time to revisit that idea...even it means hotdogs, McDonalds, or eggs for dinner!
In my newspaper class, I've been unconsciously creating a self-running classroom over the years. I have a real mix of students, chosen for a variety of reasons -- they aren't all straight-A students or extremely driven, but many of them are. Each student brings something unique to the newspaper staff. They are led by student editors who apply for the job. Although it was difficult to give up some of the control at first -- I had to keep reminding myself that it didn't have to be my way, it was their paper -- it's been a wonderful experience. The students thrive when given guidance, but also given freedom. They police each other better than I could, and because the paper is something they feel they have control over, they are are more invested in it than if I were the BIG BOSS. Another fun aspect of the class is there is a lot of new technology we deal with, graphic design, updates to our program, etc. In addition, there's a lot of "teen lingo" that gets used. The kids get to teach me these things -- they learn the new tech so quickly, and they really enjoy teaching their teacher -- and they always love explaining a new popular slang term to me. If you let go of your ego, and enjoy their enjoyment, it can be really wonderful for them and for me.
ReplyDeleteA side note: in all my volunteer or community activities, I make it a practice to ask kids to help. If we're setting up for post prom, I put a note on my board looking for volunteers to help -- I invariably have more kids show up than those that even sign up. They don't expect rewards or payment, although a sincere thank you and a DQ Blizzard never hurts. My point is that kids really enjoy helping, they enjoy feeling needed and responsible and important. They are big, strong, energetic, with good backs...ask them to help! They will! :)
Building a more self-running Kindergarten classroom is going to take a lot of modeling, teaching and practicing expectations together, and checking-in to see how things are going but I think for some things it can work. I know at the beginning of the school year it will not be possible but as the year continues, it is something I try to grow towards. Some things I have tried or are going to try this school year include:
ReplyDelete-having various jobs that the kids can help with (milk person, line leader, calendar helper, paper passer, etc)
- placing sticky notes in workbooks so I am not having to spend my time (and wasting theirs) walking around the room helping get kids to right pages
- teaching kids how to put the books back on the bookshelf so I am not having to spend my time at the end of the day doing it
-teaching the kids how to pack their own folders so I or my TA is not having to do that for them
-practicing putting on winter gear quickly (boots, gloves, hat, snow pants, etc) so I am not having to walk around helping with countless zippers and boot laces
I found myself agreeing and thinking “I do that”, with some of the self-sabotaging ideas the author mentioned in the book when it comes to my home-life. I often feel like, “it won’t get done ‘right’ so I might as well do it”, or getting to the point where I am just upset because no one is helping me and will not ask for help because, someone should realize things need to get done right?? So, I feel like I will be needing to have a talk with my husband and girls and come up with a more self-running household. Some ideas I had include:
- teaching my girls to fold and put away their clothes
-teaching my girls to put their dishes in the dishwasher
-breaking up the housework (based on strengths) with my husband so I do not feel like I am constantly having to do everything
-having my girls help with the cleaning tasks and being okay if it is not up to some standard because at least it will be done
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteHaving a classroom that is self-running is a little bit difficult as I teach Preschool, especially in the beginning. It usually takes a good two months to really get into the routine and schedule of everything, so I think it is possible after that and after they are used to their classmates and me as well. Some ideas that I use in my classroom to foster independence for my students is having classroom helpers, showing them the proper way to put their things away in their cubbies, showing them the proper way to put on winter gear and take it off and put it away in the correct place without having to help them the whole time, eating snack and taking care of their garbage, and many more things. These are big things that help them in the long run. I feel in my personal life I take care of most of the housework, errands, all of the things like that because my boyfriend is a farmer and rancher and works long hours with no weekends off. It seems like if I don't do it, it might not ever get done, especially in the fall and spring when it's busy season. When it isn't busy season, he makes time to help out more around the house. I do like things done a certain way and done well, so often I just end up doing things on my own but I don't mind because I actually like cleaning and organizing. I think however, to make it better at home, is to just delegate tasks for myself and for my boyfriend so there is responsibility for the both of us.
I definitely need to do better at this. I find myself just doing the tasks so that it is done to my standard and I don't need to redo something I asked somebody else to do. In the classroom, I want to try to incorporate jobs for my students into the classroom. I almost want my students to "apply for a job" so that I can find their strengths and give a job based on what the students do well. I have 5 different classes every day, so by having jobs for my students, my classroom will run much more smoother because I won't have to do the same things 5 times throughout the day.
ReplyDeleteAt home, I typically do most of the chores, but if I ask, someone else will help out and do their part. I need to do more of that so that I am not taking on all of the mental load of the things that need to be done at home, as well as school.
As a Special Education that supports students in a Pre-Algebra class then provides support in the resource room; one thing popped into my head almost instantly. For student's time in the resource room, I create a spreadsheet for them that shows their current grade in each class and the missing assignments from each class. My thought is to spend more time at the beginning of the schoolyear helping students become more comfortable with infinite campus and looking up their grades/missing assignments. I would like to shift the completion of the spreadsheet over to the students and once they are completed we will have a more focused time in discussing an action plan.
ReplyDeleteAt home, I have a 9 year old daughter, a soon to be 7 year old daughter and twin boys that turned 4 recently. This summer we have been working on getting acclimated with all the household tasks but I think I might try to do a rotation where each child specializes in a task for 2 weeks then move on to a task that a sibling had. The boys will rotate in the more basic tasks.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteOver the past 24 years of teaching I have practiced giving students classroom jobs that has helped with classroom management along with student learning. The kids love having jobs and helping me in the classroom. Using this technique (strategy) allows the kids to gain independence, and they love the responsibility. They are actually happy to help me out! Yes, there are times when someone loses their job, but later, they ask if they can have their job back. Since I give students responsibilities during the school year, the students apply themselves and there are very few that do not turn in their assignments. I am so proud of their achievements and acknowledge them for all their great work.
Personally, I have been an empty nester for many years, so my husband (retired) helps with daily chores and this helps me tremendously.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteI think I do a pretty good job of having a self-running classroom. Even though I teach kindergarten, my students know it's their responsibility to put their folders in the folder basket, lunches in the lunch box basket, water bottles on the counter, backpacks and coats in their locker. If their folder isn't in the folder basket, it doesn't get packed. When it's time to pack up for dismissal, their name doesn't get called because I don't have their folder. When they realize that all their friends are packed up, they'll either go get their folder that they forgot to put in the basket, or they'll go get their papers out of their mailbox and pack up because their folder isn't at school that day. They're also good about getting book boxes for their tables and returning them to the shelf. They also get out materials for independent literacy and math centers and then return them once that time of the day is finished. It takes a lot of teaching and training at the beginning of the year, but it's totally worth it come October or so when they have the school routines finally figured out. I've never done classroom jobs, but I've done Table Captains in the past. I might try and implement that again this year. I really liked the idea of an "I.T. Team" as well now that we're 1:1 with iPads. Last year I had a student who just stepped up and organized the iPads and headphones every day, but assigning that task to a couple of kids each week I think will be a good thing.
As far as a self-running home, I could be better at this. My kids are grown but still live here for now. They could help more with household responsibilities than they do. My husband is great at doing all of the outside chores (like mowing, weeding, automotive maintenance) and will often help with laundry. I just need to plan better for meals and prep them ahead of time. That way someone else can pop it in the oven (or whatever) to ensure that it's ready at 5:00 when everyone wants to eat. It's hard to get home from work at 4:15 and have a full, nutritious meal ready at 5.
I think students jobs, and routines can be helpful in creating a more self-run classroom. I had a "music helper" in my elementary music classes. This helper was selected weekly and would help with different things such as passing out or picking up instruments and other materials and updating our rewards system at the end of class. This helper would be my designated person for any assistance I needed. It was great! The students took it very seriously and loved to help, which helped the classroom be more efficient and lessened how much running around I had to do. Routines are so important as well; when all the students know the routines, there is much less explaining that the teacher has to do, which opens up time for other things, and helps the classroom time feel less hectic. It saves a lot of wasted energy and helped me not feel so depleted by the end of the school day. I could look into further ways to encourage student responsibility, that would also lighten my load; students grading their own assignments as a regular thing would really help, I think.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal life, I think I can work towards setting up more routines, which would help to keep up on recurring tasks around the home and would be more efficient as I wouldn't have to think about what needs to get done. Setting expectations for who is going to complete which tasks would also be helpful.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteI can create more of a self-running classroom by giving my students the responsibility of creating bell ringers and exit slips for each other based off of our homework obligations or daily activities. I could also assign students the responsibility of creating a comprehension quick quiz over daily reading assignments or even have students create their own comprehension questions for our Socratic Seminars that are held after a reading assignment.
In my personal life, I need to drop the super hero syndrome and give my kids more responsibilities with house chores, meals, and assisting with getting siblings to activities. I need to let go and accept that mediocre is OK. No one is gonna die because my carpets are cleaned 2-3 times a week, and that if corners are missed it won't hurt anything. I am awful when it comes to these types of things. UGH!
Self-running classroom: Anything that my students can do, they will do. Get materials out, things they need for the next subject, snack routine, etc. Many things in the classroom with routines and expectations, once taught I don't have to say much or anything at all and the students are doing it.
ReplyDeleteSelf-running home: With four year olds, we haven't gone into too many things to make it more self running at their age. They do little things like bring their plate at the end of the meal to the counter, help clean up toys, put dirty clothes into the laundry basket. As they get older we will continue to add things that the boys can help out so our household continues to self run.
Self-running classroom: I like the author's example of giving someone (or a small group) a job for a quarter/semester. I can see how I could use that with handing out materials, light operator (when we watch brainpop or other learning videos). I also think if I provide choice boards more often for kids to 'prove' they learned the concept, kids will take more responsibility for their work and may be intrinsically motivated to perform better.
ReplyDeleteSelf-running home: I like her idea of not dividing tasks equally with spouse based on 'time', but rather choose the tasks with which our personalities/strengths naturally lend themselves to. I need to give up the perfectionist/superhero idea. There is not just one way to fold a towel (my way)! I need to be gracious for the help I get, as we're a busy household, so if it's folded it's folded and it's OK!!! I am working diligently on letting go of the my way of how things should be done. Definitely a work in progress.
I create a self-running classroom by letting students know the expectations. The students know how to do things and where to put things. It is the students’ responsibility to execute the expectations. For example, if a student’s pencil breaks or is dull the student puts it in a container and takes a sharpened pencil from the other container. Then when the students are at recess or at a special, I sharpen the pencils. This process eliminates students asking what to do with their pencil, the teacher being pulled away from teaching, and/or the students playing with the pencil sharpener. When students are given responsibility, they feel ownership for our classroom. My children are now adults. When they lived at home, we had a self-running home because it was everyone’s responsibility to take care of our home. As young children, they helped make dinner, set the table, put their laundry away, picked weeds, and so much more. As a family, we worked together.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of each year, I select a few students to be my “Equipment Managers.” These students help me bring all of the PE equipment back to the storage room at the end of the day. These students take pride in their job, and they know where to put the equipment. Having them help carry equipment saves me from having to make multiple trips back and forth to the equipment room at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteIn my personal life, I think I can create more of a self-running home by not worrying so much about how clean and organized my house is. I know that I am able to find everything that I need, so spending extra time re-organizing things that are already put away is not the best way for me to use my time.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility?
ReplyDeleteAngela Watson talks about giving students jobs. In my first grade classroom, I have jobs every year. I have enough jobs for a third of the class and then it rotates every week. My jobs have changed from year to year. At one point, I had one of my teacher's helpers also designated as an iPad helper (to plug in the iPads at the end of the day). I took this away at one point because it would get forgotten or not all of the iPads were plugged in or (heaven forbid) the cords were all pulled out and messed up (not done perfectly for how I would do it!). I will definitely return this job to the bulletin board. I have a "return" bin in my classroom library that I usually end up shelving at some point in the week. I have let my daughters help me reshelve the books, but maybe I could bring back a library helper job that I had a very long time ago. Another thought... after playing math games, students return materials to piles in the front of the room, then I put things in a nice pile to paper clip together, put the cards in the bag, etc. This may also be another way my teacher's helpers could help out too (usually it is just handing things out). Lots of ideas!
In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
It is funny this came up as my family is just starting to work on this more. My daughters' "chores" have not changed much over the years (clean up toys, put dirty laundry in hampers, bring dishes to the sink, and put clean socks and underwear away). I have not been too successful up to this point to add other ones - they will help once but not again. At their recent yearly check-ups, the doctor suggested now that they are older to give them more responsibilities since they live here, make messes, and eat here too. My older daughter has been better at helping out since then, which is great since it allows more time for me to rest!
ReplyDeleteOver the years, I have gotten better about delegating things to students, but I know I can do better. I have always thought that when you walk into a classroom, the ones who are doing the learning are the ones who are busy and talking. As a teacher, I try to front load and then give the students the time to do the work and the thinking. I used to "deliver" all the knowledge and expected the students to sit and receive. When I was this green, I didn't realize the truth of who is doing the work is doing the learning.
In my home, I have had to continually remind myself and delegate. My summer project has been to remodel the kitchen, and I have asked for very little help from my boys. This has no only lead to the project being drug out longer, but it's become stressful for me instead of enjoyable. Last weekend I finally delegated some things, and the pressure that was released from seeing the progress of 3 people working rather than one was immense. I am stubborn, but I know I can do better about asking for help and not taking everything on myself.
I thought that I had a pretty self running middle school classroom until an elementary teacher transferred over to our grade level. I have never worked at that level, but became inspired by the routines, schedules, and expectations that she had those middle schoolers doing every day. They knew the expectations and without fail, followed them. I implemented many of the ideas, but without having her around, I would have never known that students are capable of doing those things on their own.
ReplyDeleteAt home, I am pretty committed to having a pick up and tidy house. I don't do well living in a space where things don't have a space. Living with a husband and 3 boys, I see that I should "drop the ball" so that someone else has to pick it up sometimes. I feel like we are also the people who never hire anything done, so starting back to school, I will look into a house cleaner for a few times a month. I have learned that my boys do better pitching in when given short, quick jobs, so I need to make a quick list and then let them work on it at their own pace.
As I was reading this and all the suggestions for my students to help out in the classroom I decided I am planning to try a few this next year! I always have a "helper" for the week, but their main job is passing papers out and being the line leader. This next school year I want to have them do a few more responsibilities- checking if everyone handed in papers, making sure the classroom is picked up at the end of the day, putting papers in mailboxes for me, etc.
ReplyDeleteAt home- It always seems "easier" if I just do most tasks around the house. My daughter is old enough where she could help vacuum, mop, put dishes away, etc. So I will try and give up some things even if they arent done perfectly!
I teach students with specific learning disabilities reading, writing and math. Many of the suggestions she gave in the book do not apply to my classroom. I don't have students during morning seatwork or dismissal. They don't line up for transitions or bathroom breaks. They come for 30 minutes and then go. Some areas I could have students be more independent is putting away classroom supplies. I expect students to do this but they are often in such a hurry. I don't do many worksheets and no homework so there is little students could do in the area of correcting pages.
ReplyDeleteSince I am an empty nester, my home is pretty self-running as well. My husband and I have tasks that we do around the home. I can relate to having to let some tasks be done differently than I would do them (read not as perfect). But by each taking some tasks, the work load is manageable.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteIn my job as a school counselor, I feel as though I put a lot of responsibility on the student to achieve their goals, because without their hard work and buy-in, the goal won't be accomplished. This happens from conversations (tough ones sometimes) about how they need to go about making this happen. In my personal life I need to give more responsibilities to others and respect their way of doing things, even if I do not agree with it or they want to do it a different way. This is another thing that is easier said than done but in order to fill my cup, responsibilities will need to be shared.
I was brainstorming ideas for this as I was listening to this portion of the book. What responsibilities can I delegate to students or paraprofessionals that would make my classroom run smoother or more efficiently? The first one I thought of was having a paraprofessional that comes into my room in the afternoon cut the afternoon missing homework list I need each day. That will give me more instructional time with the class I have right before ICU time begins in the afternoon. My last two periods of the day are set aside to help students who are missing homework. I also really liked her idea of having students alphabetize the stack of papers turned in and have them report to me who's papers I am missing. I think training one or two students in each class to do this would be a great idea.
ReplyDeleteAs for at home, I feel like I have already started working toward that. My own children are getting older now and are much better at helping. My oldest can now mow the lawn. All four of my children know how to unload the dishwasher. I am working on teaching my oldest how to cook meals. I feel like the more I teach them how to do these day to day tasks the more efficiently things will run at home without me doing it all. When it all falls on me, I become very irritable and snappy with my family.
My room looks a little different that a general classroom. I have small groups that come in and out multiple times a day. Some of the things that I can streamline to have a self-running classroom would be to have students at the beginning of the day make sure that there are sharpened pencils at every table. If we need more sharp ones, then they can sharpen more pencils. I would also like tables to be wiped down more often than I can get to them, as well as, door knobs and the countertop. Maybe this would be a great job for my students right before they are dismissed for lunch and the end of the day. I would also like to figure out a way to have students label work when there is a missing student in the group. As far as home or personal life, I feel like this is self-running better than school. I think if we were more on a schedule with some of the items that need to be done around the house, it would be easier to feel like I am getting to everything and that it is not all waiting for a Saturday morning or Sunday afternoon.
ReplyDeleteSara Gebhart
ReplyDeleteHow can I create a more self running classroom? I can not feel like I have to grade everything the students complete! I can delegate more small chores like putting away science supplies after activities, erasing the board at the end of the day are a few things I can delegate to free up some time in my day. At home I always tell my kids they need to do their own laundry but I always end up doing most of it, I guess I need to stick to it and not finish it for them. I could also make a weekly chore list so they have their expectations ahead of time instead of the morning I want the chores complete.
ReplyDeleteHow can I create a more self running classroom? I can feel like I don’t have to grade everything the students complete! I can delegate more small chores like putting away science supplies after activities, erasing the board at the end of the day are a few things I can delegate to free up some time in my day. At home I always tell my kids they need to do their own laundry but I always end up doing most of it, I guess I need to stick to it and not finish it for them. I could also make a weekly chore list so they have their expectations ahead of time instead of the morning I want the chores complete.
ReplyDeleteIn the classroom, I can determine which tasks I can delegate to my students. For example, I can give students ownership of tasks that relate to bell work while I take attendance, answer individual questions, answer the phone, etc. This can include tasks such as passing out/grabbing the sheets themselves, having a student lead the group through the bell work task, and have students help with work collection & organization. I can guide students on how to give/receive feedback (such on essay writing skills), so that they have ownership over the revising/editing process for themselves and for peer partners. As, Watson points out, having others do 80% of a task is better than me doing 100% of everything. This will require me to stop defaulting to the super hero syndrome the author refers to. This is also true at home. In this season of life, our adult children live on their own for the most part, so creating a more self-running home will require my husband and I to communicate better on what tasks we are responsible for. The author's accounts of how culturally we tend to expect more out of one gender over the other in a household rings true for me! As Watson comments, sometimes it works better to strive for happy/happy instead of 50/50. This could be the approach we try to eliminate resentment and exhaustion.
ReplyDeleteI can assign responsibilities to students, such as sharpening pencils, distributing papers, organizing books and manipulatives, etc. I can also ask students what are some things they would like to help with in the classroom and see if it is viable for that to happen. At home, I can have my children help with more of the chores on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis. They currently do help but I could have a more systematic approach so that they will know what to do, even if I am not home to remind them.
ReplyDeleteI could use our LMS more efficiently to avoid needing to hand back graded papers (something I am terrible at remembering to take time to do), communicate missing assignments to students and families, and to distribute information and assignments directions to students with absences. I have always used some form of an agenda with a bell ringer or routine activity, however in the last few years (post-COVID) this has been less effective at minimizing the time that I spend answering questions like, "what are we doing today?" or having to verbally ask/prompt students to start the bell ringer. I think the more intense phone use is playing into that, so finding a new routine to deal with phones might help those other things get back on track.
ReplyDeleteAngela had a few examples to create a self-running classroom. I would like to utilize a student to help those who were absent, I already have students who collect papers but putting them in a number order would make the grading go a bit faster. I often forget to return papers so I will have a student in charge of checking the bin and returning papers each day. Other jobs could include writing the assignment on the white board and erasing the boards before the next class. In my personal life, I have a good balance at home, but I will try deleting suduko and facebook from my phone.
ReplyDeleteAs a special education teacher, my students were mainly pull-out. If I had students that overlapped, they knew they needed to do their independent work while they were waiting for their turn if they weren't working together as a small group.
ReplyDeleteAt home, as empty nesters now, my husband does some of the cooking and does some of the laundry. Unfortunately, the rest of the household chores usually get left to me. I think I'm still got a little case of the superhero syndrome yet.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteIn my special education room – I could have students go get the other students for our group instead of going to all of the rooms to gather everyone. I could also have students tidy up the space before they leave – that would also give them a sense of accountability. If a student misses a session, I could have another student show them how to do what they missed. At home, those same things apply – I do try to have my children do their own tidying up, getting their own snacks but often, it is more for me to clean up then after they do it. However, with continued practice, I know they will be able to help more!
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteCurrently, I run my room as a self-running classroom. It took me a few years to hand over responsibilities to my students as I definitely fell into the Superhero Syndrome and sometimes have a hard time delegating tasks. I have clear routines for how students are to manage their time in my classroom, and they all have jobs to help keep our room clean and organized. I give a lot of student choice in my room as they work to develop their own projects. They know it is their responsibility to advocate for what they need to be successful. I am simply here to assist, guide, and facilitate their ideas.
In my household, it is only my husband and me. We have always been good about delegating tasks suited to our strengths and are in tune to what slack needs picking up if one spouse is overwhelmed with tasks.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility?
ReplyDelete-I feel like my classroom is already fairly self-running. I set routines and schedules for different activities throughout the school day. I have timers set and the kids know that timers mean it time to clean up or change activities. These timers are set for when I am doing small group work so the students transition without my instruction so I can get the most time in small groups with students. For me the hard part is knowing that clean up will not in general be done to my standards (all books straight, word work activities all put in the exact tub/drawer, est....) but, I have gotten better at accepting this since the kids are doing the jobs quickly and quietly so I do not lose time with other students.
In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
-Home for me is much more of a struggle. I need to set boundaries and expect my husband and son to help out more often instead of doing all the work. Like at school I could accept that some things don't need to be done every day or be done perfectly.
ReplyDeleteHow can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility?
I am a slow learner. This is my 27th year of teaching and this is the first year where I am thoughtful about how my class runs. First, students sit in groups of four. At each quad is a small crate with a few pencils, calculators, and any thing else needed for the day. I no longer spend time passing out supplies to each class. I also started the year with six baskets for students to turn in work. Past years, I spent too much time sorting homework based on class periods. I have not created student jobs per se, however, classes are more efficient now.
In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home? I use a budget program to take care of our budget. It is synced with our bank account. Yes, there is a fee, but I no longer have to enter each debit or credit.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteWow! I love this question. I am guilty of having superhero syndrome, especially, when it comes to certain tasks. I am currently in my 7th year of teaching and I feel like I get better each year at delegating tasks. This past year, I put students in charge of certain tasks and it has helped tremendously. I teach 6th grade, so they are very capable of helping out...in fact, they LOVE it.
My goal is to have an updated classroom responsibilities list by the end of October. The more responsibilities that a student has, the more focused and on task they are as well. I have already seen first hand how great it can be to let students help you that I want to make this even more of a priority for my classroom.
At home, most of the "housework" tasks fall into my lap, especially during this time of the year, as my husband is a farmer. During the winter, I coach basketball and he is home, doing more of the tasks. This works pretty well for us. During the spring and summer, I would like to discuss this more with my husband to make sure our task loads do not overwhelm either of us. My children are little right now, so my oldest is just now learning how to help. Even his help with taking dishes to the sink has helped tremendously.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? (If you are an administrator, how you can create more of a self-running school by giving staff more responsibility?) In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteI currently have classroom job duties, but I frequently have to remind students to complete them. I'm wondering if they see the duties as something that isn't important, and what do I need to change to make a change. Maybe it's a discussion I should have with them. Where do they see that they can contribute more to the classroom? I think that actually might work with this group.
At home, there's just me and my dog. I haven't been able to get much help from her :), but I have started to prep meals for the week and that is helping. I will try to find some other areas to make adjustments.
I teach in an intermediate school setting at a school that has a 4-day week and an 8-period day. I teach in a one to one situation, all students come to my classroom with their Chromebook to use for the period. I see all 5, 7 and 8 graders every week in addition to ¼ of the 6th graders in a wheel class. Broken down my week looks like this, I see each section of 5th grade 1 period a week. ¼ of the 6th graders 1 period every day for a wheel class situation that switches every quarter. I see all of the 8th graders on Monday and Wednesday. I see all of the 7th graders on Tuesday and Thursday. With my unique schedule, making as much as possible self-running is highly beneficial. There are times when students are transitioning into class. I need to be switching materials around for the next age group.
ReplyDeleteThings I have done to create a self-running classroom:
1. Each Grade level has a section on the whiteboard that tells students what is due, what materials they need, the topic for the day, and their question of the day information.
2. I have a binder created for each grade level that contains the course materials. (I don’t teach from a textbook.) The binders are numbered 1-25.
3. Students' chairs are numbered, and all materials they use in class correspond to that number. For example, chair 5 uses binder 5 for their grade.
4. When students come into class I have the Promethean showing the question of the day (after reading these chapters I will be changing the questions to pertain to specific topics covered to add to learning). That way I can get more bang for my buck. I complete administrative duties while they are completing this. They create a Google Doc for this and turn in every 5 periods for points.
The procedure for the class is as follows. When a student arrives regardless of the grade, they check the board, collect the materials needed for class, take their seat, log on to their Chromebook, and start with the question of the day. All of this happens while I am taking role and getting ready to teach their class. I believe this cuts down on time wasted.
I use Google Drive and Google Classroom. I create everything in Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, etc, for the students to complete on their Chromebooks. All my students hand in electronically.
Absent students check Google Classroom for assignments. They take on the responsibility of completing assignments and asking questions if necessary. Taking away the need for me to create a missing assignment folder etc.
All missing work is documented in Infinite Campus. When students complete their missing work, they must comment on it in Google Classroom.
My home is a work in progress. I have learned to ignore dishes on the counter until someone empties the dishwasher and loads it again. I have started asking people to do things for me so I don’t have to do it all. If your laundry is not by the washer, I don’t wash it. If you don’t bring up the Guinia Pig bowls, I don’t make more.
My daughters are responsible for cleaning their rooms and 1 bathroom. I don’t ever clean those areas. They are old enough to make sure it is livable. My husband cleans the master bedroom and vacuums the floors on the weekend. I do the laundry. My husband will help with folding clothes and organizing them to get to the right rooms. I take on the kitchen. Other common areas we work on together.
I manage the Google Calendar for myself and my husband (it is easier to do his schedule myself). He does have to put everything he wants on the side table and I put it in during my downtime. My daughters are responsible for putting their activities on the calendar. One does a really good job. The other is at college and prefers to write things down on a calendar so we don’t need as much from her. But she will email if there are things she wants us to know for the family calendar.
Everyone helps with making sure the pets have food and water. Our cats and dogs will let you know if you forget.
I do not have a classroom, but I do have an in home daycare for up to age 5. Its hard to give the young kids too many jobs but all the kids need to help clean up the play area completely everyday before lunch and at the end of the day. I also have my older kids clean up everything outside before they come in so that I don't need to do that at the end of the day.
ReplyDeleteAt home I like to leave "to-do" notes for my husband and kids (if they are home) - I've found that by just leaving a to-do list I don't have to constantly remind them of what should be done and they can work on it in whatever order they choose. I do a great majority of the housework but my husband is very good about cooking meals and taking care of quite a bit of the outside work.
I could create more of a self-running classroom by having students do basic tidying the last minute of class. Pushing in chairs, throwing away garbage, returning borrowed items in the correct locations, etc. I could also have my last class period of the day spray and clean the tables every Friday to keep the classroom looking tidy. One thing I currently do that really helps keep my classroom running efficiently is the students grade their own homework assignments. They come up to my desk and check their work and make corrections as needed. It keeps the class period running smoothly so then I'm not having to grade all the assignments outside of class time and the students get immediate feedback this way.
ReplyDeleteMy personal life is a bit more tricky since I am a mom of two young kids. My husband have gotten better over the years doing a 50/50 happy take on household chores. If one of us is burnt out of laundry then the other person will do the laundry. If one of us is burnt out of cooking then the other person does the cooking. Our kids are getting to the age pretty soon where they can start taking more responsibility in cleaning the house as well. We need to get better at delegating those tasks to our kids.
I teach multiple topics in two large classrooms including three kitchens. I learned very early in my teaching career to share responsibilities with my students. I have specific expectations for students in maintaining clean and orderly kitchens. At the end of every class students know what needs to be done-floors clean, workstations clean, chairs pushed in, etc. I had the same expectations for my own children at home. It was just expected they clean the area they were using when they were done.
ReplyDeleteI can create a more self-running special education classroom by:
ReplyDelete- asking students to update the calendar
- asking students to write the day of the week and the date for the day
- having students be in charge of keeping track of the daily "days of school" chart
At home, I need to communicate with my Fiance and decide who does what at our house. Then, we need to support each other and both take care of our responsibilities at home. This should allow for a more self-running household where we both take equal responsibility.
My students in my classroom are self sufficient and is really managed well as a class. I would say at home I need more work. I do most of the home responsibility and should be better about giving up some of that in order to create balance.
ReplyDeleteI am very guilty of the superhero syndrome and do too much for my students. I have high schoolers so all the more I need to help them develop into independent adults. Instead of giving those without a pencil a pencil, I need to do it once but tell them from now on where the pencils are stashed and for them to help themselves. I also always say yes to peer tutors for help but I should really be recruiting more upper-classmen to help out in my Algebra 1 classroom so more students are getting questions answered at once
ReplyDeleteI do allow students to collect materials. I think after Christmas break, I am going to assign someone the task of the Absent Student Helper. This will help to free me up from trying to keep track of who was gone and what they need to do. I think my students understand my expectations pretty well at this point in the year, so the class period does run pretty smoothly. However, there is ALWAYS room for improvement. Since I am the only one in my household, everything does fall on me. There is no way to mitigate any of that responsibility. I just do the best I can, and I absolutely let things go that are not important to get done in that moment. I do prioritize my household duties. I have also let others help if necessary.
ReplyDeleteFor a more student run classroom, you can give students more jobs and responsibilities. It helps take pressure off of the teacher to free up more time for more important things. It also helps students feel like it’s their classroom too.
ReplyDeleteAt home my husband and I need to do better and having our three children do more to help out. We tend to just do it as it’s faster and easier instead of giving our kids a chance to help out.
In my classroom studetns are pretty self sufficient. They know what to expect as the routine stays pretty much the same. They enjoy activity days and know my expectations well. One place that would make them more self sufficient is reading instructions better, and making their own notecards for quizzes. Taking more ownership in their learning.
ReplyDeleteIn my home, I need to assign chores more diligently and take time to show my kids how to do things properly and with patience. I need to show more of my kids how to make meals. We do fun travel nights and try different meals from other countries. It would be so fun for my kids to research and do their own meal. These things would not feel as much like a chore if they enjoy what they are doing. Less stress when they enjoy what they are doing.
I think structure and routine is really important to have a self-running classroom. I enjoy having a good routine in my classroom and I believe I have a pretty good self-running classroom. My students know what is coming up and they know what to do when they are finished with an assignment. I could improve things by giving students more jobs around the classroom.
ReplyDeleteAt home, I need to be better about communicating with my kids what their jobs are when helping around the house and having them complete those same jobs routinely.
I have found over my years of teaching the more "routine/self-running" times/ideas you can implement into your classroom the better your classroom runs and the more efficient you are. Depending on the group of kiddos I have my "self-running" parts tend to change, but some of my usuals include:
ReplyDelete1. A self efficient morning routine (so that I can have time to have conversations/talk with students as they come in the door)
2. A set work students are supposed to get out and start when coming in for recess that they don't need my immediate attention or directions for.
3. Having routine places for finished work, "what to do when I'm done early", and other daily routines.
Spending the time early on to get these things up and running really helps my classroom run efficiently. We also give our "cougar rewards" when students are caught be responsible, respectful, ready, and safe without having to be asked.
At home my kids have jobs to help around the house, start a load of laundry, un-load/load the dishwasher, and even simple routines like hanging up backpacks, emptying folders. For awhile we did everyone picks a supper for each night of the week (checked the cupboards to make sure we had all the ingredients and then helped prepare that meal) it was a GREAT way to help with supper planning, get them involved, and give me one on one time with each of them (we should get back to that again!)
I can create a self-running classroom by having routines students can follow. I also make sure the students know my expectations. Another thing I can do is to collaborate with others on my team and have set things that each of us do to make things run smoothly.
ReplyDeleteTo create a self-running home, I need to work on delegating. I am not the only one that can do the housework. I can also create schedules of when things are going to be done so it is automatic rather than guessing what needs to be done.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility? In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the school year, I created jobs. Attendance taker, absent helper, paper collector and organizer, supplies distributor, supplies gatherer. I also, when needed, have delegated the task of guard for password checker to enter the classroom. I would like to make a corrected papers distributor but I don't want them to see everyone's scores.
Self-running home. The best (only) way I do this is by making a family size recipe of soup and freezing it in individual portions for my lunches during the week. I suppose I could make a chore schedule so I know which day I'll clean what to take off the mental load of it all.
How can you create more of a self-running classroom by giving students more responsibility?
ReplyDeleteI assign students jobs every day. I have attendance helper, supplies manager, paper passer, etc. If there are other jobs that I think they can handle as third graders, I utilize them and have them help me. They actually really enjoy being able to help and take leadership in the classroom and it helps every day activities run smoothly.
In your personal life, how can you create more of a self-running home?
At home, it's only my husband and I and our 10 month old daughter. My husband and I know the things/household tasks that need to get done and work together to make things run smoothly at home. We are a great working team and realize when we're struggling or just need a break. We make things easier for each other and are extremely supportive and helpful when we know it's necessary.
I love the idea of a more self running classroom, but that is hard at Kindergarten. They do know that every morning the daily work will be at their table spot and needs to be completed before they can do some coloring sheets while I do lunch count and attendance. They also know that when they complete any work that we are doing--instead of telling me they are done--spelling words are on the white board for them to practice. At lunchtime, they know that they have to get dressed for recess depending on the weather.
ReplyDeleteAt home, it took me longer to let people help with chores at home. But now I ask them to help or love it when they surprise me and unload/load the dishwasher.
As a high school special educator I can play support system or I can play safety net. But working on handing over the responsibilities is, I believe, one of my main jobs. Ideally, my students will be able to work independently using the tools and phrases that they need to help them all. Each week, I go through and write out missing assignments, it occurs to me that I could train them to write assignments that are missing-- this is an accountability measure, but who better to be accountable than the actual student.
ReplyDeleteI am a mother of a 6 year old and holding him accountable for things like picking up toys, laundry, and helping with prepping supper is something that NEEDS to happen. It will only make him better. I struggle with the continual yelling at him to start and finish each task. I am not a very good house keeper at all, but training my family to be in charge of some tasks to take off my plate my allow me to do others with less frequency.
My TK classroom is pretty much self run. At the beginning of each year and periodically, going over procedures and what is expected and what is not expected helps accomplish this. The kids really know what to do and they do it because they know there is a consequence if they do not. They are very capable and they enjoy having jobs of their own. I switch jobs daily because when you are five years old, a week is just too long to wait. And, with the size of my class, they could go a month without having a job that actually 'does' something. At home, I do not delegate much, because I am a perfectionist and I don't feel that it can really be done the way that I want it: when someone helps out, I never tell them that, but, I know that when they are not around I will just get whatever it is they were doing, up to my standards. I am getting better with this with age though.
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