This section describes several effective classroom management techniques developed through trial and error which should prove very beneficial to entry-level teachers in a rural school environment with multiple grade levels.
My Background
Years ago, I taught 3rd and 4th grades in one classroom with no aides, no computers, no music, art, or PE teachers, and no time off from 7:30 to 3:30 each day because of lunchroom duty and playground supervision. For three years, I thought that was a challenge.
Later, I moved to Blinn College where I was a college librarian and taught Freshman English and Speech. That was a little easier, but still a tremendous challenge.
While at Blinn, I met and married the most wonderful man alive, Newton Cundieff, and I began teaching reading in Alvin, Texas where I was responsible for setting up the entire reading program for 7th and 8th graders (over 500 students.) Four colleagues and I implemented a reading program for students from the nearby prison (some were 18 to 19 years old and couldn’t read), and nearly 400 students who had never read a book of any length in their entire lives! Talk about a tremendous challenge!
This is where my ideas for a book and a weekly column in the Sun, were “born”. Happiness definitely is reading. A person who reads is never bored and can travel to all parts of the world through reading! I love it and try to instill this same desire and love for reading in all my students. I truly believe “reading is the heart of education” and I concentrate a great deal of my time, effort, and imagination in trying new ideas to help kids develop a love for reading!
Newton and I flew to Wyoming in 1973 to see his sister and her family and loved it here, so a month later, we quit our jobs in Texas (teaching and Montsanto), and moved here. I taught 4th grade at Yellowstone School and when the Farson English teacher moved to Rock Springs, we moved to Farson and have been here ever since! We love it but here was the really huge challenge grades 7-12 in a rural school teaching the required subject of English (which nearly everyone hates). Now, I would certainly have to use my brain to meet this challenge!
Almost all the textbooks for English are the same for all grade levels, just a little more advanced each year. The texts include Warriner’s Grammar and Composition for grammar; Adventures in Reading Series for literature; Wordly Wise for vocabulary; Spelling Series, Writing Process for all grades; Speech Class and Business English. Each English class has to have the following subjects in their curriculum: reading, writing, vocabulary, analogies, grammar, spelling, and word processing for essays! I needed to devise new ways to teach the “same thing” each year!
Over the twenty-two years of teaching in Farson, Wyoming, I tried all sorts of activities to try to interest the students. I love English so I wanted to try and instill a love for English and reading in each person who walked into my classroom. It didn’t always work, but sometimes it did! I wanted each person to feel good about himself/herself and experience some success in a subject that no one enjoys! I also wanted students to be motivated enough to be successful in college English classes.
2. Classroom Management Techniques
more.........
My Background
Years ago, I taught 3rd and 4th grades in one classroom with no aides, no computers, no music, art, or PE teachers, and no time off from 7:30 to 3:30 each day because of lunchroom duty and playground supervision. For three years, I thought that was a challenge.
Later, I moved to Blinn College where I was a college librarian and taught Freshman English and Speech. That was a little easier, but still a tremendous challenge.
While at Blinn, I met and married the most wonderful man alive, Newton Cundieff, and I began teaching reading in Alvin, Texas where I was responsible for setting up the entire reading program for 7th and 8th graders (over 500 students.) Four colleagues and I implemented a reading program for students from the nearby prison (some were 18 to 19 years old and couldn’t read), and nearly 400 students who had never read a book of any length in their entire lives! Talk about a tremendous challenge!
This is where my ideas for a book and a weekly column in the Sun, were “born”. Happiness definitely is reading. A person who reads is never bored and can travel to all parts of the world through reading! I love it and try to instill this same desire and love for reading in all my students. I truly believe “reading is the heart of education” and I concentrate a great deal of my time, effort, and imagination in trying new ideas to help kids develop a love for reading!
Newton and I flew to Wyoming in 1973 to see his sister and her family and loved it here, so a month later, we quit our jobs in Texas (teaching and Montsanto), and moved here. I taught 4th grade at Yellowstone School and when the Farson English teacher moved to Rock Springs, we moved to Farson and have been here ever since! We love it but here was the really huge challenge grades 7-12 in a rural school teaching the required subject of English (which nearly everyone hates). Now, I would certainly have to use my brain to meet this challenge!
Almost all the textbooks for English are the same for all grade levels, just a little more advanced each year. The texts include Warriner’s Grammar and Composition for grammar; Adventures in Reading Series for literature; Wordly Wise for vocabulary; Spelling Series, Writing Process for all grades; Speech Class and Business English. Each English class has to have the following subjects in their curriculum: reading, writing, vocabulary, analogies, grammar, spelling, and word processing for essays! I needed to devise new ways to teach the “same thing” each year!
Over the twenty-two years of teaching in Farson, Wyoming, I tried all sorts of activities to try to interest the students. I love English so I wanted to try and instill a love for English and reading in each person who walked into my classroom. It didn’t always work, but sometimes it did! I wanted each person to feel good about himself/herself and experience some success in a subject that no one enjoys! I also wanted students to be motivated enough to be successful in college English classes.
2. Classroom Management Techniques
more.........
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