The classroom management piece I used was Bloomz. Bloomz is a website that is used to monitor behavior, post student work, and interact with parents. I went onto the website and created a free account. I then made a demo classroom and explored the point system for good/bad behavior. I also looked at how to send out shoutouts to students based upon good work. Bloomz fits into domain 2 of Danielson; classroom environment. Specifically, it fits into components A, B, and D of domain 2. Component 2A is creating an environment of respect and rapport and component 2B is establishing a culture for learning. These two go hand in hand with this classroom management tool. When the teacher is communicating with parents and sending them good work or comments on their child’s work in the classroom, the students (and parents) will gain a respect for that teacher. Communicating with parents about good things their child is doing in class will give the students and parents something to discuss at home. The student would also be able to see that the teacher really cares about them, and they will be more motivated to learn. By rewarding students for good behavior and taking away a reward for bad behavior, the teacher is creating a culture for learning through showing students what is expected of them. This motivates students to do well in class and be rewarded. Component 2D is managing student behavior, which is clearly where Bloomz fits in as well. One of the major elements of Bloomz is the point system described above. This was a great way to monitor the students’ behaviors in class and have something to reflect back on when discussing student behavior with either the student or parent. Having a report on the student’s behavior over the past week or month can help parents and students to see what the student is doing well and what they need to improve on.
Bloomz relates to growth mindset because of how it encourages students to do schoolwork and behave well. If a student is really struggling in one area, the teacher can work with them one on one on improving this skill. For example, if a student really struggles with math, the teacher can work with them one on one and send comments to the parent through Bloomz. This helps the parent to know what to work on at home, while encouraging the student that they can improve these skills. This encourages growth mindset because it encourages students to continue to work hard to have positive comments/messages sent to their parents.
In my future classroom, I would definitely use Bloomz. I would use it to communicate with parents, monitor student behavior, and post student work. Bloomz is a great way to talk to parents about the daily activities in class and to remind the parents of important events. For example, the day before picture day, I could send out a reminder to all the parents reminding them of this. Or, if there is a test coming up, I could send out a reminder for their children to study. In Ed Psych, we talked about how important communicating and creating a positive relationship with parents is. Bloomz makes it easy and convenient to share positive comments about student work. That way, when parent-teacher conferences come up, the parent can easily see the “point” system and be able to reflect on their child’s good and bad behaviors.
The Framework for Teaching Evaluation Instrument. (n.d.). Retrieved September 24, 2017, from http://static.pdesas.org/content/documents/danielson_rubric_32.pdf