In my first year of teaching, I found myself as a push-in art teacher—art on a cart, ready to bring creativity to young minds. My trusty three-shelf rolling cart housed all my supplies—markers, paints, paper, scissors, glue—you name it. Here's a little "Week One" teaching anecdote...brings you right back to those good ol' early days of tough lessons about classroom management.
Classroom Management Master
As I entered the second-grade classroom, often referred to as the "oasis," I immediately sensed the serene atmosphere. The teacher radiated calmness, and the children sat in perfect attention, poised and ready. She kindly asked, "Do you want them at their desks or on the carpet?" Contemplating the easiest setup for my lesson, I opted for the carpet, and she graciously offered to facilitate the transition. With anticipation, I unpacked my art supplies onto her kidney table—buckets of oil pastels and liquid tempera paints. "Show two," she instructed, and like a synchronized motion, all 28 students silently rose from their seats and neatly pushed in their chairs. "Show three," she continued, and without a hint of disruption, each student calmly, quietly, and swiftly made their way to the carpet, arranging themselves in straight rows with folded legs and hands resting in their laps. "Piece of cake," I thought, feeling confident about the upcoming lesson.
Classroom Management Disaster
As the teacher left the room, I began my instruction. A few students started whispering. It was such quiet whispering that I didn't feel the need to address it. However, much to my bewilderment, within mere seconds, the whispers grew louder and transformed into full-fledged conversations. How could this be? They were so quiet just a moment ago! One student shouted a question while another made loud comments, leaving me at a loss for what to do. In a desperate attempt to regain control, I decided to move them back to their desks, hoping that engaging them in the art activities would eliminate any behavioral issues. After all, my education classes had taught me that an engaging lesson would keep students focused and well-behaved.
By the time the students settled back at their desks, the once serene room had erupted into a cacophony of loud conversations. Amidst the chaos, a particular student named "Gabe," who had been offended by something, caught my attention. Determined to address the possibly dire situation, I hurried to his side of the room—the side adorned with art supplies on the kidney table. I arrived just in time to witness Gabe swiftly swiping his arm across the table, resulting in a disastrous display of paint, pastels, and paper strewn everywhere.
With a sense of shame and defeat, as a first-year teacher in my first month, I found myself making an urgent call to the assistant principal, seeking help to restore order in the class. Thankfully, she responded graciously, calming the students down. I continued to show up for the job, but over the next month, I endured lessons that seemed to unravel in a similar fashion. And I wasn't sure how much longer I could hold on, until...
The Lifeline: Video Analysis
One afternoon, the second-grade teacher—the fearless leader of this "oasis"—pulled me aside to share her own first-year journey and the lifeline that saved her. Her previous assistant principal, known for emphasizing reflection and effective management, had encouraged her to regularly video record her lessons. Together, they would meticulously review the footage, identifying the smallest shifts in her tone, behavior, posture, and language that could significantly impact the classroom experience. The assistant principal
even highlighted the tiniest behaviors of the students, demonstrating that by addressing those micro-behaviors, the larger meltdowns could have been averted.
Transformation Through Self-Reflection
And this second-grade teacher became my mentor in video analysis. Eagerly, I embarked on a journey of recording lesson after lesson, sharing the often embarrassing footage with her. And just as she had experienced, by the middle of the year, my classroom underwent a remarkable transformation. The once noisy and chaotic environment evolved into a joyful and productive learning space. Students were attentive, engaged, and took pride in their artwork, while also exhibiting proper use and storage of materials.
It became evident to me that my professors' notion that engaged students would have fewer behavioral challenges wasn't entirely accurate. Classroom management encompassed more than just providing entertainment and engagement. Through an obsessive amount of observation of master teachers, devouring management books, self-reflection through video recordings, and witnessing the gradual metamorphosis of my classroom each year, I arrived at a fundamental realization. Classroom management ultimately boiled down to three crucial elements: clarity, consistency, and connection.
And while observing master teachers and consuming management resources were instrumental to honing my classroom management, the practice that made the greatest impact was videoing myself teaching and reviewing the tape.
While having a dedicated mentor to review the videos with me made a tremendous difference in my first year, I soon faced the challenge of finding mentors in a new location. However, I discovered that even reviewing the videos on my own had a significant impact on my practice. Each year, as I continue this journey, I am humbled by the lessons learned and growth achieved.
Embrace the Practice
Videoing lessons for classroom management is a practice accessible to all educators. By documenting your teaching and engaging in self-reflection, you can enhance your effectiveness in the classroom, support student success, and create a more harmonious learning environment, an "oasis."
As I reflect on my teaching journey, I am grateful for the second grade teacher who introduced me to the idea of videoing my lessons and coached me through the reflection process. The practice of self-reflection, fueled by the power of video analysis, has enabled me to continuously evolve and refine my classroom management skills. Whether you have a mentor or choose to review the videos on your own, the commitment to videoing lessons is worth the effort, as it empowers you to lead every child to success.
So, get out your smart phone, rent an iPad from the library, ask your dad for his old video camera, and get rolling!
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