1st day -- Principal's Office

Regarding norms/rituals/rules in the classroom: In Ms. Ramaekers’s Chemistry class, the students know that their homework needs to be out on their desks and checked at the beginning of class. Then the students also know that they are expected to be called on during class. Ms. Ramaekers uses the method of calling on students in sequential order, so the students know when their turn is coming up. 

In Ms. Duning’s General Science class, the students know that they are expected to turn in their assignments in a alphabetical order at the beginning of the class. Ms. Duning created a system where she announces the last name of her students while taking roll call. She announces three students’ last names in a row and then takes a break, then proceeds to call the next three students by their last name. Ms. Duning does this ritual at the beginning of class, as the students complete roll call they also bring their assignments to the front of the room when their name is called. Ms. Duning said that this order helps her with grading and organizing papers. If the student is not in class, or did not turn in their homework she recognizes the absence immediately and writes herself a note to follow up with the student. If the students are absent, all of their assignments are placed in their own personal folder. Ms. Duning set up a small storage bin on the back desk and each student has a folder. Inside the folder are graded assignments and assignments that need to be completed by the student. Ms. Duning made a rule that all assignments need to be completed or the student will fail the class. 

Regarding distractions in the classroom: I have observed that in both classes students are accessing their cell phones, eating crunchy foods, and there are tons of side conversations. More of these distractions are present in Ms. Ramaekers class because she never addresses them. In Ms. Duning’s classroom, she addresses an issue as it is happening and the issue doesn’t continue. However, once Ms. Duning takes everyone’s attention from the lesson to focus on the student’s misdemeanor she looses the motivation of the lesson.

Regarding common responses to distractions: I believe that both teachers notice the distractions, especially Ms. Duning since she actually addresses the issues. I think that these distractions cause strong emotion to arise in Ms. Duning because she finds these misdemeanors very disrespectful. Ms. Duning shared with me that she is very consistent and very serious, especially during the first few days of class; if any students are misbehaving she sends the student to the office. Ms. Duning said that after the third day of class each quarter, the students know that she is not going to tolerate such misdemeanors. When Ms. Duning addresses these misdemeanors she remains calm and stands her ground, so I don’t think that she is nervous to address the issue. I think that since she has been teaching for 16 years that she is used to sending the same type of students to the office. However, Ms. Ramaekers tends to be the student’s friend and not their superior. I personally think that Ms. Ramaekers should have more of a backbone rather than being flexible with her students. It just feels weird that she is comfortable being their friend, especially when her role is like being a supervisor and she also is not their peer. I think that Ms. Ramaekers does not address these distractions because she doesn’t want to cross a line with her “friends/students.”