Classroom Management at Escuela Carlos Aguilar

My pre-practicum is in a 1^st grade classroom at Escuela Carlos Aguilar. So far I am enjoying working in the classroom and have made note of classroom management procedures put in place by both the classroom teacher and the school as a whole. I was placed in a private Catholic school for my first practicum placement in a 5^th grade class and it has been quite a change to be at this school with such a young age group.

Our classroom is made up of 25 rambunctious 1^st graders who are the youngest grade at the school. The classroom is fairly small and with all the materials stored around the room there is not a lot of space for movement about the classroom. For the first few weeks the tables were arranged in two long rows, but as of last week Eli (the classroom teacher) changed the tables around into smaller groups of tables put together. The students do not have assigned seats in the classroom and I wonder if that is not something that is common in this country because I know some of the students in the class could benefit from being closer or farther away from others.

Throughout the first few classes one of the main focuses Eli has made is teaching classroom rules to the students. She has pictures posted on the board of children siting properly in their seats, respecting one another, raising their hands, etc. When she first showed the students these pictures she had them tell her what they thought they meant and in this way they were able to comprehend in their own words how they should be behaving in the classroom. These “posters” have stayed on the wall since the first week and Eli occasionally will refer back to them to remind the students how they should be acting at school. Eli also teaches a lot through song. All of the students are eager to learn the new songs whether they are about the new subject they are learning or about cleaning up after themselves.

The students at Escuela Carlos Aguilar are given a much greater amount of independence than I would ever imagine seeing at an American elementary school. When the kids need to go to the bathrooms, which are located out around the building, they can walk out of the classroom and go by themselves. Also, before any meal they eat at school (there is no cafeteria so snack and lunch are eaten in the room) or after painting the students have to wash their hands and are given soap and sent off on their own to the bathroom sinks. Additionally, at any point during the day the kids are wandering out of the classroom which leads to a general patio or blacktop area and I have to go and corral them back inside. However, for the most part they know how they are supposed to stand in line, girls lined up behind each other and boys on the other side and they all participate in classroom activities.

Since I have never worked with this young of an age group I am unsure exactly what the normal criteria are for discipline but I do think this class could benefit from more clear instruction on how to problem solve amongst themselves to lead to less hitting, pushing, kicking, etc. Although the class size is big and the room is a little smaller the students should be able to respect the space and one another without always needing teacher intervention. I will continue to note other ways Eli manages the classroom in the weeks to come!