Today I rearranged the classroom because the new seating order was not working out. Typically when this happens, it is to seperate two students who do not work well together or two students that are too chatty, and are not paying attention. Today it was the latter.
The difference in today's movement and movements I have made in the past, was that today it was between one of my better students. When I write "better students", I am not playing favorites. This is just a student who is very successful in school and seldom gets in trouble. When I approached her to let her know her seat would be moved, due to much talking with another student, she seemed surprised.
She said something to the effect of, "well both me and him [the other student she was conversing with] are getting our work done, we can listen and talk and we are not bothering other people". I told her that was true, but I do not allow others to talk while I am instructing and it would be no different for her. After school, I switched her seat with another student's.
It was surprising to me that she thought the rules did not apply to her in the same way that it applies to other students. It makes me wonder if maybe she was a 'teacher's pet' last year and therefore had different privileges. Or perhaps she is just not used to having consequences for her actions, as her actions are typically positive.
I have a student who has just recently begun to misbehave. When I call her out on it, she will cry & cry, but if I ignore it (if it's something small), she'll just carry, knowing good & well she's not doing what she should be doing.
ReplyDeleteThat's when I have to remind myself... she's 5. I can't expect her to be perfect. :) Are you job hunting yet? Will it be difficult in Illinois to find a job for the fall? Mississippi has this lovely thing called a "hiring freeze" going on right now. I hate it for the new graduates... many districts are not hiring new teachers (no matter how experienced) because of the budget crisis. If teachers leave, they are not replaced. I could have as many as 35 Kindergarteners in my classroom with no assistant. (They will be pulled next year to be used as tutors).
Hopefully, our lovely congressmen can get all of this under control because I will DREAD next year knowing that my class could be that HUGE!! (My classroom is teeny tiny & I would have to say good-bye to our carpet if I had to just add one more table).
Also, our Winter Jam is in Mississippi... :) Not making it up to Illinois this go around. :) Have a wonderful time! I'm very excited about the concert!!!
It should be awesome, the concert. I have put in several applications for a job. Lots of districts locally do not have them posted yet. I keep praying, God knows where I am suppose to be this fall. 35 students in a classroom, and kindergartners, no less! That is insane! I hope that doesn't happen to you.
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