Hello! My name is Maureen O'Brien. I am an experienced educator who champions students with enthusiasm and engaging lessons. I have taught over 15 years in grades K-8, with subject expertise in Language Arts and Social Studies, Gifted Education, Advanced Mathematics and Math/Reading Interventions. Please find my detailed resume by using the link below.
Of course the best way to handle student misbehavior is to have a great lesson plan and engage the students in learning so there is no time to misbehave. By having a system in place gives students clear expectations and consistency.
After creating a Classroom Contract the first days of school, students are aware of expectations. Every student is given a clip on a classroom chart; they start their day on green. After a warning, misbehavior is cause to clip down. Students always have to opportunity to clip back up from any point on the chart through exceptional behavior. Most days, I am able to handle student behavior entirely through positive reinforcement using this chart.
Should a student not meet expectations, I ask them the “4 Questions” from the Capturing Kids Heart model. These questions help students to reflect on their behavior and refocus as needed. Students are reminded of classroom expectations in a calm, quiet manner; often non-verbal cues can achieve this.
I find encouragement and positive outcomes for positive behaviors are excellent management tools! I motivate students by using a stuffed toy who likes to sit with a well-behaved group. Tables can also earn table points toward extra incentives (reading/writing free choice, learning game time, choice of classroom job), and should the whole class “fill the jar,” the class can earn a whole class reward of their choice (a free learning period with a really great learning activity to fill the time!).
STEM LEARNING
I enjoy teaching Mathematics and Science. During the past school year, I led 5th graders on a STEM exploration in which they studied energy, air, and the Laws of Motion. Students then constructed Hot Air Balloons from tissue paper. Supplies where furnished through a grant from our Education Foundation. We had to make adjustments to our original flight plan due to weather conditions (it actually became too warm!), but the balloons flew indoors. Students formulated future test ideas (make balloons larger, test in colder conditions) that teachers plan to incorporate in the future.
I am attending the STEM Summit at Argonne National Laboratory in June. I look forward to discovering how to better incorporate STEM into my classroom.
