I have developed a standard classroom routine with lots of structure and clear expectations for my fifth grade classes which I have found cuts down on the need for formal discipline measures. I am continually modifying this scheme for other grade levels and particular class needs.
Since every class is different, here are the basics to pick and choose from:
My "discipline" system does take class time at the beginning of the year to
explain. I think it is time well-spent. I also send a letter home to parents in August describing my system and what my goals are for the year. I use the
focal point of "Rainbow of Respect." I credit Christi Moraga, FLES teacher
in the Farmington, CT Public Schools, and Lydia Meyers of Mansfield, CT
Middle School for this idea:
RAINBOW OF RESPECT
1. Repect for myself.
2. Respect for my teacher.
3. Respect for my classmates.
4. Respect for the Spanish language.
5. Respect for the many Spanish cultures.
6. Repect for my classroom.
7. Respect for the classroom materials.
I make up a classroom poster with a large rainbow and also make up stickers with the rules on my computer for the front of their notebooks with this list. Their principles cover every possible distraction and disruption. They are simple and to the point. The Rules of Respect are easily learned and are part of what we concentrate on during the first few weeks.
Every day I greet with a smile and shake hands with each student personally and as s/he enters my class. I think it's an excellent way to convey the authentic cultural practice in Spanish cultures, get to know my students more personally (skin-to-skin), set the stage for positive interaction, and maximize the process of second language acquisition by lowering the affective filter.
We then begin every class with a long song. (I start playing the song as everyone enters.) Because I only meet with fifth grades forty-minutes, twice a week, I supply lyric sheets for the particular song with Spanish on the left and English on the right. We learn the song line by line, starting with the chorus. I link the song to the current theme.
Then after formal greetings, I take attendance. I ask, "¿Quién está ausente hoy?" (Who is absent today?) Students take turns raising his/her hand to announce one student who is absent that day using this poem:
______ está ausente pero no de nuestra mente.
(______ is absent but not from our minds.)
(Credit to Lonnie Dai Zovi for this poem) Contact
Each student is required to have the Spanish folder and its contents, a nametag, and a sharpened pencil on top of the desk. Everything else goes under the seat. I then ask, "¿Quién no está preparado hoy?" (Who is not prepared today?) Again, students take turns volunteering one name of a student who is obviously non-prepared and lacking something on top of the desk or on his/her person. Students get four individual points in my grade book for being prepared and lose a point for each item missing. The student leave their nametags on their desktops upon leaving. I collect them and keep them in sealed plastic boxes until the next time to prevent loss.
I have divided my class of 20+ into four "equal" groups/teams according to the compass directions - el norte, el sur, el este y el oeste -- and their level of skill from the past year's assessment. I composed a short chant
for them to say during the beginning of the year to solidify their identity
and make it easier to divide groups for small group activities.
!Somos el norte,
el equipo mejor
de esta clase!
!Dénnos una flor!
In addition, as a traveling teacher, I do use an incentive chart for the teams. They seem to respond well to the system and are eager to amass points.
I display a schedule of what my goals/activities are to be in each class. I
award all teams extra points (depending on my mood) for getting through all of them on a particular day with no discipline interruptions (positive
reinforcement). By the way, I never take away points once they are earned.
At the beginning of each class, each team is responsible to recite either
(1) today's complete date, (2) a weather report, (3) the number of the day
in the school year, or (4) the number of days left in the school year. Four
points can be earned for a perfect performance. As the year progresses, I
eliminate or modify these and add other tasks for variety having to do with the particular theme of the marking period.
I display the incentive chart in front of the class at all times. The goal
at the beginning of the year was 100 points. During the second half I have
raised it to150. For the last part of the year, it will be at 200. Every now and then, each group/team is asked to produce a creative experience for the class like reciting a chant or role playing a dialogue. Points are awarded here also. The members of the team that meets the goal first get cans of Goya juice.
I do reward my students with a mini fiesta at the end of the year. There is minimal expense on my part because I ask students to bring in a little something. Since we meet from 8:15 to 8:55 a.m. the choices can be quite creative from doughnuts to fresh fruit to cheese & crackers. We brainstorm together a large list on poster paper of possibilities in Spanish and students sign up. Of course, someone always brings candy and cake anyway, but there is a balance. We always have leftovers and lots of fun.
During the actual party, I seat the students in a large circle around the
perimeter of the class and we play either lotería with vocabulary words,
concentration with the flags, capitals, and country names in PAIRS, or "Rueda de fortuna" (Wheel of Fortune) with countries/capitals or phrases in Spanish. The individual pairs receive rewards of pieces of Andes brand chocolates, buttons from Teachers' Discovery
or other little "premios"/prizes (stickers, pencils, decorative trim for
their lockers, etc.) They really get into it!
It's a nice break from teaching every now and then throughout the year. I firmly believe that socializing with your students periodically is important to reduce the need for formal discipline measures throughout the year. It emphasizes a nice, relaxed but directed atmosphere for maximum second language acquisition.
For problems that do develop, I use a system using a yellow card and a red card (similar to those used in soccer), laminated for long use and magnetized to stay on the board. When a student acts inappropriately, I first indicate that to her/him with my body language, making eye contact, as discreetly as I can non-verbally (i.e., giving a "thumbs-down and grimacing). If the behavior continues, her/his name appears under the yellow card. If the behavior still continues, then her/his name goes under the red card, and the student calls his/her parents (at home or the office) in my presence immediately after class in the classroom or in the office and explains the reasons for the phone call. I then talk to the parent personally. The disruptive situation has to be handled immediately as I'm only in that building first period every day. Names have worked their way to appear under the red card only about five times in five years. It's sort of a modified "three-strikes-and-you're-out" rule that everyone clearly understands because of the vast participation in community and in-school soccer. When I introduce this "soccer card" method, I precede it by a short lesson about the most popular games in Spanish-speaking countries.
For my third, and fourth grade classes on a cart in another building, I finally have found something that works for an itinerant teacher. I hang a stack of bright purple laminated ¡Huy! cards high on my cart. When I enter the classes, the children know to have their desks cleared, mouths closed, nametags on, and attention focused to me. I have a one-minute egg timer in my hand and hold it up if there are still children with desks cleared and nametags on. If there is a violation to the conduct or readinesscode, I point to the cards and say, "¡Huy!" If this student continues to cause problems during class, I say, "¡Huy!" again and hand him/her a ¡Huy! card. If there is another infraction by the same student, I again say "¡Huy!" and hand him/her a second card which means a call to parents. At the end of the class, I collect the cards and write the problem student's name on the card for later reference. I return the rest of the cards to the stack. I teach six classes of third and fourth graders for fifteen minutes daily and have only had to call parents ONCE the whole year. The children appreciate the visual nature of the cards and respond well.
When I started with FLES I never realized how important classroom management was since I didn't have a classroom in the elementary school building, but now I know that it's worth spending lots of time at the beginning of the year to get your classes used to your routine and expectations to insure a smoother year with more progress -- even if you are on a cart. I find, too, that the more difficult classes need a refresher and perhaps a new approach in January/February.
For lower grades, I use the "Dénme cinco" system. I say "Give me five!" They respond as we point together to our eyes, ears, mouths, hands, and feet. Click on the link to see the poster I use.
Please, DO NOT GET THE IMPRESSION THAT I AM COMPLETELY IN CONTROL ALL THE TIME! Although I have been teaching for many years, I am constantly on the outlook for new ways to manage my classes. Every class is a challenge! Every year brings a new challenge! Because I teach in a university community, the start of the new semester in January brings new students into my classes which may necessitate a rethinking of an approach to a particular class. I also reread Harry Wong's book, THE FIRST DAYS OF SCHOOL, every summer to recharge my think tank.
Take what you like from any "system" and work gradually to make up your own approach. Although one method is never the answer to all problems since each class is different, I hope all this information gives you plenty of food for thought.
Lastly, it is essential that you communicate your expectations to both students and parents (for support). Consider composing one letter to both groups that you go over in class during the first week. Ask students to bring the letter home for a parent or guardian to sign. Click on the picture below for a copy of the letter I send home.
