Comments on: More About Maintaining a “Good” Class http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/05/30/more-about-maintaining-a-good-class/ ...For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:43:08 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Pat http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/05/30/more-about-maintaining-a-good-class/#comment-2195 Pat Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:17:47 +0000 http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=1441#comment-2195 I love the suggestion of "recognizing students" because I don't think we do enough of that in school. This would even bring the shy quiet students up to the forefront. I have also used red/green square foam pieces glued together. They turn the green up on the desk when they're working so I know they don't need help. If they need help, they turn the red over. This is great because they don't have to keep their hands raised while I'm helping someone else. I just go around the room and help the students with the reds on their desk. After I'm done helping them, I turn it back to green. I'm amazed the difference it made in my class. I love the suggestion of “recognizing students” because I don’t think we do enough of that in school. This would even bring the shy quiet students up to the forefront. I have also used red/green square foam pieces glued together. They turn the green up on the desk when they’re working so I know they don’t need help. If they need help, they turn the red over. This is great because they don’t have to keep their hands raised while I’m helping someone else. I just go around the room and help the students with the reds on their desk. After I’m done helping them, I turn it back to green. I’m amazed the difference it made in my class.

]]> By: Elona Hartjes http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/05/30/more-about-maintaining-a-good-class/#comment-2057 Elona Hartjes Sat, 31 May 2008 17:19:32 +0000 http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=1441#comment-2057 Larry, Regarding your comments about saying I'm sorry, I agree with you. When I say I'm sorry for something I said, did, misunderstood whatever, I'm saying that I'm human too. I think this helps build positive relationships with students that lead to positive teaching and learning environments. Larry,
Regarding your comments about saying I’m sorry, I agree with you. When I say I’m sorry for something I said, did, misunderstood whatever, I’m saying that I’m human too. I think this helps build positive relationships with students that lead to positive teaching and learning environments.

]]> By: Larry Ferlazzo http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/05/30/more-about-maintaining-a-good-class/#comment-2054 Larry Ferlazzo Sat, 31 May 2008 13:42:06 +0000 http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=1441#comment-2054 What a great idea! I've had students in my ESL classes decide where they want to sit, but I could see doing this type of exercise, with a rubric, would be an excellent exercise that would provoke a lot of higher-order thinking in both ESL and mainstream classes.. Larry What a great idea! I’ve had students in my ESL classes decide where they want to sit, but I could see doing this type of exercise, with a rubric, would be an excellent exercise that would provoke a lot of higher-order thinking in both ESL and mainstream classes..

Larry

]]> By: smilin7h http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/05/30/more-about-maintaining-a-good-class/#comment-2053 smilin7h Sat, 31 May 2008 13:34:12 +0000 http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/?p=1441#comment-2053 Larry, First, I want to reiterate my oft-repeated appreciation for you and your efforts with this blog. I have shared information (always with the recommendation to subscribe to your blog) with multiple colleagues; have celebrated you with other learners I work with; "thank you" seems so insufficient sometimes... Re: involving students in changing seats, and post-its: I remember assigning students in an urban middle school [in a classroom rife with 'out-of-control' issues and requests in the classroom comment box to change seats] home with the assignment to re-arrange the classroom seating in a way that they thought might be best for improving classroom management. The assignment was graded, and I remember developing a rubric of some kind with it. I gave each student a chart with seat row boxes and post-its, and a list of first names. I saved those charts and found them quite useful to review periodically, to note who might be a calming influence, might indicate good group cohorts, etc. It occurs to me now that it would have been interesting to repeat that exercise a couple of months later! Thoughts? Larry,
First, I want to reiterate my oft-repeated appreciation for you and your efforts with this blog. I have shared information (always with the recommendation to subscribe to your blog) with multiple colleagues; have celebrated you with other learners I work with; “thank you” seems so insufficient sometimes…
Re: involving students in changing seats, and post-its: I remember assigning students in an urban middle school [in a classroom rife with 'out-of-control' issues and requests in the classroom comment box to change seats] home with the assignment to re-arrange the classroom seating in a way that they thought might be best for improving classroom management. The assignment was graded, and I remember developing a rubric of some kind with it. I gave each student a chart with seat row boxes and post-its, and a list of first names.
I saved those charts and found them quite useful to review periodically, to note who might be a calming influence, might indicate good group cohorts, etc. It occurs to me now that it would have been interesting to repeat that exercise a couple of months later! Thoughts?

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