Intern needs help with Kindergarten classroom management!!!?

Question

I am an intern in a Kindergarten classroom. It is my 3rd week. There is no structure AT ALL. The kids choose their centers and switch whenever they want. I have been trying to give them structure by implementing new rules and strategies during centers, etc. I am really at a loss. It is a lower income school and there is not much support from parents. All of the class is very low and far behind. Many of them cannot write unless they are working one-on-one with a teacher. The kids bounce off the walls, do not listen, are loud in the hallway, etc. They do not listen to anything! I have tried being stern and consistent, calm, ignoring the behavior...I feel bad for the students that are making good choices because they cannot do anything fun because their classmtes can't even handle sitting quietly for less than 1 minute. There are 2 students in the class in particular that do nothing but cause chaos. We have practiced walking in the hall, sitting correctly, made up rules for the centers...

NOTHING SEEMS TO WORK! I need help! Strategies, ideas, ANYTHING at this point will be helpful. How can I get them to listen and focus so that I can teach?!
I am so tired at the end of the day from getting on their case. At the end of the day, I am ready to crash.

Additional info:
I know they are in kindergarten and do not expect them to sit perfectly and still, but the other classes are NOWHERE near as crazy and loud as we are.

They have the card system and they also have the option to move their card up if they make good choices and behave, so they always have something to work for...I have A LOT that are at the lowest color at the beginning of the day.

Answer 1

Try a ticket system. Group them into groups...like the red hearts, blue diamonds etc and put those shapes up on posters with a pocket on it. Have the kids stay in their groups to rotate centers and group their desk or tables and hang that shape over them. Then make a really big deal out of catching them being good saying things like "I really like how the blue diamond group is working so quietly at their center...that earns a ticket (put a popsicle stick into the pocket chart to count off that point). Then at the end of the day count how many sticks each groups has earned, and using a roll of raffle type tickets - tear off that many tickets for each student in the group. They can have a special zip baggies or something with their name on it. Then on Friday have ticket redemption each week and put out prizes like stickers, pencils, candy etc with prices on them like "20 tickets."


Be sure to give them out liberally in the beginning so the kids really get interested in the system. Don't take them away...use another method for punishments like the "Calm Down" spot.

Good luck!

Answer 2

I am a first grade teacher, and I completely understand where you are coming from! You are not alone! Though my class doesn't sound as wild and crazy as your's, I've been in situations like your's before and I know how frusterating it is! The person who answered before me has some great ideas. I do something similar as the color-coded name cards. I have a poster with 3 columns of stoplights: green, yellow, and red. Each child's name is on a clothespin. Every day everyone starts on green. One warning is "move your clip to yellow," two warnings is "move your clip to red and miss your recess." When I first started this routine, I had a LOT of kids missing recess. But after about two weeks of implementing and staying consistant, I've had fewer and fewer kids getting warnings. You can try that and see how it works.

With the centers. . . I've seen an awesome centers system in a Kindergarten room before. They had to "sign up" for centers, by moving their clothespin to the center they are working at. Each center is allowed only a specific number of kids at the center. The kids MAY NOT switch centers unless someone else moves their clip- there has to be an open slot to sign up. To avoid chaos and fighting over who signs up when and for what, you can use the name jar (popsicle sticks with the kids' names) to choose who goes 1st.

One last idea. . . I know you said that the parents aren't too involved, but I still think this will work. For your two "problem" students, create behavior charts to monitor their behavior throughout the day. I currently have 4 kids with these charts. They earn a sticker for each time that they "behave" during a specific activity. The activities are listed on the right, the date at the top, total, comments, and parent signature at the bottom. If you don't think the parents will send the chart back each day, then don't require parent signature, just keep the charts in a file as a reference for conferences or something. THe kids really take a lot of pride in their charts, and some of them are working towards long term goals (McDonald's lunch, free time on computer, etc.).

It takes a while for the kids to adjust to new teachers, too. As soon as you get them settled, you'll be graduating, and you'll have to start all over with your own class! :o) I hope this helped! Good luck to you-- you'll be fine!

Answer 3

Sometimes catching them when they are good works really well. If someone is sitting nicely or paying attention say, "I really like the way John is looking at the person talking and paying attention." You'll notice a few of them will sit up straight and listen as well. You can talk to the kids about why they can't switch centres and limit the number of people per centre. We would put their names on cards and make an envelope for each centre with a picture of the centre since most of them can't read. We would show the name strips one at a time so each child had to recognize their own name and then choose a centre right away. You may also find that they switch centres if their centre time is too long. I find some kids only last about 10-15 min. before they are bored of an activity.

Answer 4

I am not an el ed teacher, but may-be this can help. Get one of those blue calendar things with the pockets from a teacher supply, a small one. Get colored index cards.

You can implement a behavior management system using the cards. Put each child's name on a pocket. Then you assign meanings to each color of card. Green is good, they have not misbehaved, yellow is a warning for first offense, orange is second warning and keep in from recess with a note/call to parents, red is third strike and you're out which is to the principal (kinders will be terrified of this so it works), lose recess and note/call home. From there you develop the code of conduct you want, i.e. sitting in seats, raising hands, keeping hands to self, etc. Make a huge colorful poster with visual examples of what you want (example: Raise hand before speaking and have a picture or drawing of a child with his hand in the air.) Make the rules POSITIVE. Don't say no doing this, no doing that. You can tie a reward in for those who stay green/yellow, such as free time or a sticker on their pocket. If the whole class stays green/yellow a percentage of the week, they get five extra minutes at recess. SIt the kids down first thing in the morning and explain this new system and show them how it works. Model the behavior you want. Do not give in, do not make exceptions. Do this every day and they will get it.

For transitions: Sit down and make a schedule of the daily routine. List the routine on the board in large letters with the times for changes. Instruct the kids that they will change when you say so and you will check that off on the daily schedule. If you must rotate centers during one period of time, post names on each center and every day you start there, then rotate as a group to the next station. Have a bell to let students know when they will be moving from one station to another/one activity to another.

Hallways: Practice proper line walking and hall behavior. Make a permanant line-up according to how the kids relate to one another. Associate this with the same behavior system as in the room.

Please contact your special education department to see which students are receiving services and find out their accommodations, goals,etc... This will help you determine who is at risk, who is already getting assistance for identified problem areas and who does not need as much one on one. Find out if an aide is availible, or if a high school student can come in and assist for credit.

I realize you may have tried some, or all, of these, but I think adding very visual examples and modelling behaviors will help. Also, the consequences are real and hit them where it matters, which is a disruption of their fun. You can always have them miss their specials if they enjoy P.E. or music, if it is not too often. Spend a week going over everything in the morning to remind them, and implement from the first day.

I hope this helps you.

Answer 5

In addition to sending these students to the office, and calling home, I would meet with each of them individually. Is there one you can develop a relationship with? Does one of these students feel pressure to go along? Maybe you can find out why he and his friends are disruptive. On the other hand, can you determine who the catalyst is? Sometimes this is hard, and you have to guess. Send one student out, and see what happens. Maybe the others will see that you are serious about stopping their behavior. Maybe they will no longer feel bullied by the strongest-willed member of their group. Check their last report card, whether online or in the cumulative folder. Are they doing well in other classes, or poorly? This is critical information. Talk to their other teachers. What do they do? If there is no support from the school, then you may want to think about working elsewhere, or working at a junior high. There are schools where this sort of thing is not tolerated, and on the whole, the younger the students, the more parental influence there is.

Answer 6

Bgmom- has the correct answer. Follow her recommendations and you will see marked improvement. Hopefully you can see how she approaches the problem but use her principles.