The Daily Five- Chapter 1

Hello all! I know I am not a true teaching blog and you see WAY too many posts about my family, but hey, I am a kinder teacher too, and I am joining in our your book study :) This week Tammy from Live Laugh Love Kindergarten posted about chapter one. Each Thursday the host for the next chapter will post questions for you before reading and also allow for you to ask questions in the comments. The following Wednesday, that blogger will post answers to that week’s questions and a reflection of that chapter. You will have an opportunity to link up each week too so the learning will continue to spread online. I have learned so much already and I just have read Chapter 1!!! 

Here are Chapter 1's questions:

1. How do I teach new behaviors?

In kindergarten, everything is a new behavior!!! August, September, and even October are spent with a LOT of talking to them about what a behavior should look like, and what procedures should look like from the beginning all the way to the end. I do a lot of repetition, and modeling for them, and I point out students who are doing a great job. I praise praise praise children when they are doing the right thing ( and hope that it rubs off on the others! ) New behaviors take me a long time to get, so for them I give the same type of grace I would want.

2. How do I teach expectations?

My expectations are definitely modeled and talked about all day everyday, even on the last day of school! My expectations change as they get older, and start becoming more familiar with what is going on in school and in our class. There will be those that, on the last day of school you are scratching your head and wondering where they were all year long when you were going over these expectations......BUT for the most part if you are CONSISTENT with your expectations and praising those that are following them, the class will follow along.

3. How do I monitor student behavior? whole group? small groups? individual?

Presently I do it all. I really would like to do the " I Can" charts that I see around the internet, but I have yet to do them.

4. What do I do when a student is not exhibiting desired behavior?

I use a clip chart in my classroom to provide immediate consequences when students are not behaving the way they have been taught. There are good and bad things that happen when students clip up ( good ) or down ( bad ). Students clip up if they receive rainbow sticks ( colored popsicle sticks ) and if they get to the highest color they get something from the treasure box. If students are continually making poor choices, they have to take away their rainbow sticks, and then move their clip down. As they move down the chart, there are consequences that go along with that, such as a simple warning, 5 minutes away from the class, missed recess, time in another room, and call parents. What I have found works BEST though is simply praising those who are following along and most others will get the idea.

5. Whose classroom is it?

It's OUR classroom! From my first day of teaching 8 years ago I made it a point to always let the class take part in decisions and share their opinions on certain items in class. They need to be comfortable in the classroom, and this can happen by allowing them to feel they are included and their voice matters.

6. Locus of control?

External locus of control. This will definitely be changed this summer while reading this book!

7. Where are supplies stored?

My students keep their supplies in their pencil boxes at their seat. They have what they need (pencils, crayons, scissors, glue, erasers) and I have a few areas throughout the room where they know they can get a whiteboard, eraser, sharpened pencil, extra crayon, glue stick and so on. I also have an area that has a whole punch, stapler and tape, and they are free to use any of it on assignments for class. ( not notes to their best friends :) )This is AFTER I have explained my expectations though :)

There is a great pinterest board for the Daily Five that this group has started ( click on the picture below for a link to it )

Caitlin from Kindergarten Smiles is leading Chapter 2! Click below to go to her blog and start following her!!!