Routines and Patience

My first day in a 1st grade classroom was rather exciting.  I realized how much time, thought, and effort must go into teaching the minds of young children.  This day specifically taught me the importance of routine and patience.  I entered into a classroom that had a substitute for the first half of the day.  While this may seem like a minor change, it meant the world to those children.  The students found it difficult to focus, listen, and complete tasks that the substitute teacher had asked them to complete.  The students were excited to see their classroom teacher return, a familiar face that they are used to seeing.  I believe the reason that the students respond more appropriately to their classroom teacher is based off the fact that they know what is expected of them.  For instance, students know their rules, routines, and classroom procedures and when an unfamiliar person is attempting to lead their classroom, the most simple discourse may cause them to partake in difficult behavior.  It is, however, inevitable.  Students will have to deal with change and teachers will have to be absent for various reasons.  I believe the best way to deal with this change is to prepare the students beforehand.  Inform students when an absence is going to occur and go over rules and expectations for substitute teachers with them.  In addition, I learned that teaching takes a great deal of patience.  Students need to be given a specific amount of time to think and then respond.  The classroom teacher also needs patience when dealing with difficult behaviors.  She must always remain calm, speak about what the desired behavior is, and redirect behavior, when needed.  I really enjoyed my first day in the first grade and look forward to this experiance; I really think I can learn a lot from the students in my classroom and my CT.