Break is over.

Christmas break is over and it is back to the grind. I feel that as the year has gone by I have gained a lot of confidence in the classroom. I have learned to control the classroom a lot easier. I have started to use many of the methods we have talked about. For one I have become attached to the timers. It gives the students a little push and I have noticed that many of the students will focus more because they think that they are going to run out of time. I love it.

I have also gained a better trust with the students. I do not raise my voice as I used to think I needed to sometimes. I have used many of the love methods such as giving students a polite choice such as,"You can work on it now, or you can stay in during recess and work on it." I also like the quiet method. If students are talking when they shouldn't, I stop talking and slowly they will focus again and stop talking. There are other habits so to speak that I have started using in class. Even just a simple smile at the right time goes a long way. I admit that it has made class smoother and built my confidence. All and all I am having a pretty good year that I only see getting better.