4th-6th grade classrooms pose at the same time the greatest joy and the greatest challenge to co-op teachers. Students are ready for real discussion, but they have some clear discipline to work out as well. They are still kids, too, though they are beginning to look over the wall into the Intermediate classroom.
What came out of our meeting this past week was a need for teachers to return to the Teacher Training video for 4th-6th grade and to the “Discipline in the Classroom” training video. These give some great tips on how to teach the class as well as how to deal with certain types of students, who typically cause disruption in the classroom. Find those in your online suite in Unit 1 under Prepare for Co-op in the Co-op Jobs Sheets Folder.
We also discussed that teaching virtue is not like teaching other subjects, but it is an organic process that develops as children make mistakes and need to be corrected or as they do something well and need to praised. Be on the look out for ways to praise your students’ work this month!