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Classroom Motivation and Management Artifact 1
Name of Artifact: Classroom Observation
Date: Fall 2003
Course: FL 692
Rationale:
For my Practicum this semester I observed the classroom of an ESL teacher of
kindergarten through second grade. This was the first time I have ever been in a lower elementary classroom. Since
I've only worked with adults, I was ignorant of the importance that behavior management can have in a classroom.
Discipline is not usually an issue with the adult college students I've worked
with. However, behavior problems often occur in classes of children. If distractions are constant, other
students cannot learn. In addition, teachers must have a system of discipline that is well thought out and administered
equally to all students. However, the teacher I observed has a teaching style that presents a lot of discipline problems
from occuring in the first place.
She uses song, dance, and games to teach English. The kids have fun and
remain focused on the lesson. For example, I saw the teacher once use a game of hopscotch to teach numbers to a
group of kindergarteners. In this kind of activity two things are happening. The first is that the young students
are expending energy that helps calm them down for activities that occur later in the lesson. And secondly, the
students are physically and mentally involved in the task and are therefore completely focused on it.
This is a great example of the benefits of task-based instruction. Not
only do the students learn about the five senses while simultaneously learning English, but they are also in a learning
environment which coincides with their biorhythms and short attention spans.
Classroom Motivation and Management Artifact 2
Name of Artifact: "I, too, am America."
Date: Spring 2003
Course: FL 664 (SLA)
Rationale:
The paper I wrote in Second Language Acquisition is an ideal artifact for Classroom
Management and Motivation because it identifies a need for and introduces the use of Complex Instruction (CI) in the Heterogeneous
Classroom. CI motivates students because it gives them a purpose in the classroom and puts them in a role that strengthens
their weaknesses and complements their strengths. Also, there should be fewer behavior problems because of the learner-centered
nature of CI projects.
Specifically, the use of CI in the mainstream classroom is an effective way
to integrate native and non-native speakers in the same classroom. However, it also engages learners in a task in which
each person has a unique role. If each group member does not stay focused on the project and carry his or her own weight,
the group will fall short in some manner. This encourages the other group members to help keep their classmate(s) on
task.
If students are in a learner-centered environment in which each person must
be held accountable not only by the teacher but also by his peers, I believe that there will be fewer discipline problems.
Additionally, an important feature of this type of discipline and motivation strategy is that no student is a passive learner,
and everyone has an important role that requires attention and dedication.
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