Classroom Managment Adjustments

I woulnd't say that my classroom management plan is totally the same as the one I presented this summer, but it definetly has a few "MINOR" adjustments. I have kept the same rewards, all though I do not use them often because of time. I am so busy dealing with the day to day of still getting adjusted that I forget and my students don't remind me. I am going to start the week after Labor Day. My principal doesn't allow candy so I have yet to figure out how to change that reward aspect. My expectations, rules and classroom philosophy have stayed the same. I HAD to change my consequences. After talking to other teachers, they said there is no way I would have a chance to call parents and conference everytime I child got to their second check. I realized that would be more work on me and so I change my consquences to when they get to their first check (write 100 times) and when they get to their second check (write 200 times) and the third (GET OUT and don't come back until a parent/teacher conference), so I am putting it up to the parent to contact me after I have writtent their child up. Taking the advice of one of the teachers from this summers July course, I do not make my kids raise their hand. I might change that next year. It works in the fact that it gives them a little freedom in my room, but it doesn't in that when it is the most ANNOYING CHILD and they ask you a question constantly and just yell it out at the random time, Like WHAT???? My classroom philosophy works good in the sense that when a more advanced student is done, I let them help those who don't understand.

I Cried

Ok so please don't think I am a big softy. But today I CRIED my first time as a teacher. Two of my students were in a fight this morning in the Auditorium where the students go before the bell rings. As I walked out my room to go to the office at the 7:30 am bell, I just heard commotion in the doorway. And of course"OH" and "WOW". So as I stood there, my heart started to beat and I say the male teachers run to break it up and bring the students out to the office. I saw them bring out 2 of my students and so I followed them to the office. As I started asking them what they fight was about and what is going on..The principal told me to stay in there with them. These boys were fighting over the town they were from. WHAT...I said "Boy if anything you need to fight over the seat you want in a classroom". After talking to them for the next 5 minutes to calm them down my principal told me to return back to my class. We had an assembly with a Police Officer at 9:00am and after 15 min I went to talk to a teacher in the hallway. I just broke down and said "It just really hurts when it is the students who bad things happen to that don't act up in your class and try their best. They tell you about all their problems and want you to help them and then they do this ONE thing." She said..I had a good heart and that it was ONLY THE BEGINNING. All the students are going to get suspended for 9 days and then Alternative School. I just have a lot of ideas running through my head right now and I enjoy this. I have been approached by three girls to talk about family issues and they just break down and cry and my heart melts even more and I am going to learn to break that mold but it will be hard.