Task 4

Which component from this domain are you most comfortable with?

I chose domain 2. The componant that I am most comfortable with is organizing physical space. I am working with a group of students who are very high energy and feed off each others behavior. When I started out the year I had my desks arranged in a horshoe shaped design, with rows facing each other. I could walk in the center and each child was basically in the front row, no matter where they were sitting. However, after the year began, I realized that I had a very challenging group as far as behavior and a few student's were pulled to the front to keep them from distracting others. This made things much worse! After collaborating with a veteran teacher, we worked for 2 hours on a seating arrangement that put the students in groups of 4 and five, with each behavior student facing away from each other. They were also given seats that were not in the front of the room. This helps keep them from being the center of attention and has cut down alot on the distractions in my room. Since discussing this with my collaborating teacher, I am much more comfortable and proficient in this area.

Which component from this domain do you believe most strongly ties to instruction?

I believe that 2D most strongly ties to instruction. I might not have answered that question the same before this year. But as I have mentioned, I have a very challenging group this year that possess a very high energy level. I think that until I can manage their behavior effectively, no learning will take place.

Which component from this domain would you like to zero in on in your own instruction?

Since I believe that 2d (managing student behavior) is very important to my classroom this year, I would like to concentrate on this area. I feel that once I can handle that, I will be able to deal better with the other components in this domain. I am also currently working with a behavior specialist from our OVEC office. Collaborating through this class and working with her seem to be my best options.