When I arrived today to my Learn and Serve, the children were getting prepared for class. They put their belongings in their locker and began to eat breakfast. The classroom teachers and I walked around and spoke with each of the students for a little. It was just small talk, but I believe as a teacher it is important to welcome each of your students to class everyday. It sets a good mood for the day and it allows you to see how each student is doing. I actually learned this technique from Coach Mihalich, when he presented to my Edu 214 class that I had with Mrs. McLaughlin. After breakfast, the students met on the carpet for the pledge and then we began morning meeting. During this time I realized that one of the students was not paying attention to Mr. Azzarella. When I tapped this student on the shoulder to grab his attention, he looked and me and said "We have gym today!?" It was then that I realized what he was looking at. It was the schedule for the day that Mr. Azzarella posts on one of the blackboards. I hadn't payed much attention to this before but when this student brought it up to me it made me think about it more. The schedule is a great idea, especially for students with exceptionalities. These students need routine in there lives because they need to know what is expected of them and when. A schedule provides smoother transitions throughout the day and leaves less room for disruptive behavior. For the remainder of the day, Mr. Azzarella read to them, the students completed their alphabet stations, and then they headed off to lunch. I thought this Learn and Serve was very helpful today. I learned a technique that is very useful to any classroom, especially a Special Education classroom, and I will take this with me to use in my classroom when I begin to teach.
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