Dealing With Everyday Classroom

Problems
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Lesson Content
This instructional activity include
ways to deal with topics such as
homeless students, hunger in the
classroom, lack of supplies, and
overcrowded classrooms. The
material covered will prepare preservice teachers to deal with these
issues in their classroom.
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Description of Learners
The intended audience for this
instruction is undergraduate
students who are majoring in any
level of education.

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Objectives

Given an introduction to the topics, students will be able to:

1. reflect, in at least five sentences, on their schooling experience relating
to programs to fight hunger.
2. identify the number of students who are homeless without any error.
3. identify the percent of the United States students who are eligible for
free and reduced lunch.
4. identify the percent of gang members who are below the age of 18.
5. identify three ways to create a safe space for students.
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Problems in the Classroom

1. There are too many students per
classroom
2. There are not enough resources for the
Every school year there are
students

teachers facing over crowded

classrooms this affects the classs
behavior, and often leaves some
students being shorted on
attention
teacher.are often
On top of from
that, the
classrooms
lacking supplies because the school
district and families cannot afford to
buy supplies.

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This leaves teachers spending, on

average, $400 a year on classroom
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supplies.

Managing Large Class Sizes

Here are some simple ways to manage a large class:

1. Be Strict About Discipline and Rules. This

doesnt mean you have to be a mean teacher. It
does mean that you cant let students get away with
little things like talking to their neighbor.
If you have to stop class to manage a conflict between two
students,
dont expect the rest of the students to sit there
twiddling their thumbs
silently.

2. Allow students to do group work. It is a lot

easier to watch over 7 groups rather than
individually watch over 30-35 students.
3. Create seating charts. Seating charts allow the
teacher to see if the students are where they need
to be
4. Give Every Student a Chance to Participate.
Whether you are
keeping track of who you call on,
playing games where everyone
has to participate, or
doing
partner work, make sure that every student is
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involved.

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Dealing With Lack of

Supplies

As previously mentioned, teachers often spend

their own money on providing supplies for the
classroom. This is very hard when teachers get
paid very little and/or have personal finances to
pay for.
There is also the option of a classroom donation system However,
depending on the location, some or most of the parents do not
have money for the supplies.
There is always the option of writing a
grant and receiving money. Writing a
grant application is a majoring
undertaking according to the U.S.
Department of Science & Human Services
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Directions for Question 1

This question is to see if future teachers have an idea on how much
school supplies actually cost and how this can be a burden on parents.
On the next slide it will ask you to match a typical school supply item
with the correct price.
In order to match these objects you will need to use the pen feature.
The yellow arrow points to the pen feature.
1. Find the pen and click on it.
2. Draw a circle.
3. Press the esc key to exit the pen feature
4. Click the next arrow to go to the matching section.

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Question 1
Match an idea with the correct price.
Once you are done click the Next arrow
Expo Marker 16 pack
Crayola Crayons 24 pack

$2.59

Avery 1.5 inch binder

$3.5
9

Five Star Folder with prongs

Oxford White Index Cards 100ct.
Avery Plastic Binder Dividers

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$1.9
9

Press the esc key to exit the

pen feature

$12.79
$2.1
9
$3.79

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Answers to Question 1
Correct Answers
Expo Marker 16 pack

$1.99

Crayola Crayons 24 pack

$2.59

Avery 1.5 inch binder

$3.59

Five Star Folder with prongs

Oxford white Index Cards 100ct.

Avery Plastic Binder Dividers
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$12.79

$2.1
9
$3.79
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Reality of School Supplies

-Parents usually spend around $650 on school supplies and clothes at the

beginning of the year.

-Teachers spend around $400 per year.
*The reality is supplies are expensive.*
Helpful hints:
1.

Limit supply lists to materials that will actually be used or

for materials that will be useful for multiple activities.

2. If there are two or three more expensive items needed, try to collaborate
with another teacher who may also need these items. If the items are split
between classes then parents of each class wont have to spend as much
and there will still be a class set.

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The Neighborhood

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American Students Witness Gang

Violence
As of 2014, there are 24,250 gangs and 1,150,000 gang
members in the United States
Eighty-six percent of U.S. cities
with 100,000+ population
report gang activity
40% of gang members are under 18.

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Gangs in Schools
Students who have family members in gangs or are
in gangs themselves, will often see other students
who are affiliated with other gangs at school.
This can create a extremely tense and
uncomfortable uncomfortable situation for
students.
As a teacher, there are ways to make students feel
safe and less anxious or even scared when they
enter your classroom.
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Creating a Safe Space

1. Have a clean and orderly classroom. This
allows students to be less distracted.
2. Make it easy to supervise your students. An
idea for this is to put mirrors by the white-board.
3. Ask students to write on the board. It
encourages students to be directly involved. It
will save you work and allows you to keep your
face to the students. Keeping your face to the
students is important for good classroom control.
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Creating a Safe Space

Cont
4. Organize the physical space of your
classroom for movement and
interaction. Make it easy for students to
pull their desks together to do small group
work. Set it up so that it is easy for you to
walk around.
5. Make
it safe for students to
participate and ask questions.
No matter what a student says,
make it a habit to respond with
respect. Model respect for your
students, and teach them to show
respect for one another.

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What ideas do you have to create a

safe classroom?

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Question
Click on the action that is not a way to create
a safe space for students.
*click directly on the answernot the letter.
A. Having a clean and orderly classroom.
B. Getting the students involved.
C. Moving around the room when lecturing.
D. Staying in front of the room when lecturing
so you can supervise all of the students.
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Correct!
It is actually recommended to have
opportunities for student
involvement during class. It is also
recommended for the teacher to
walk around while lecturing. Both of
these actions lead to more classroom
control and safety.
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OPPS! Please Try Again.

Moving around while lecturing allows
the teacher to keep an eye on
students, and makes learning more
engaging.

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OPPS! Please Try Again!

Getting students involved through
such activities like writing on the
board allows the teacher to keep his
eyes on the students. It also offers
the opportunity for student
participation.

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OPPS! Please Try Again!

Having a clean and orderly classroom
is actually a great way to make
students feel safe. It allows for less
distractions, and the room is more
inviting.

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Take a Step Toward a Safe

Classroom
Look at your classroom and ask yourself if it is a place that
is distracting, or a place that encourages students to do
their best. If there are papers on the floor or things falling
out of desks, it is distracting.
Ask students to write on the board for you. This allows you
to keep your eyes on the students. While also allowing
students to participate.
Make it safe for students to participate and ask questions.
No matter what a student says, make it a habit to respond
with respect. Model respect for your students, and teach
them to show respect for one another.
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Home Life
As you may already know, students are from all different
types of home. Each student has their own background.
Some teachers assume that all students of the same race or
socioeconomic status have the same background. That is
very untrue.
The next section will walk you through two issues
facing students that stem from home.

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American Students Arent

Eating
Three out of five teachers
surveyed report that they see
students regularly come to school
hungry because theyre not
getting enough to eat at home. A
majority of these teachers who
witness hunger say the problem is
getting worse.

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51 percent of students in
pre-kindergarten through
12th grade in the 2012-2013
school year were eligible for
the federal program that
provides free and reducedprice lunches.
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American Students Arent Eating

Cont..
School Meals Are A Critical Safety
Net.
In a survey, a majority of teachers say a
lot or most of their students rely on school
meals as their primary source of nutrition.

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American Students are

Homeless
Homeless children enrolled in
public preschool and grades
K-12 jumped 8 percent, in the
2014-2015 school year, from
the previous school year.

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The total number

of known
homeless
students is
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1,258,182.

Benefits of School Breakfast

School meals play an important role in making
sure that, even in tough times, kids still get the
healthy food they need.
Nine out of 10 teachers agree that school
breakfast is especially important for academic
achievement.
Teachers credit breakfast with
increased concentration
better academic performance
better behavior in the classroom
decreased tardies or absences
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Fighting Hunger
The Solutions suggested by teachers
are to:
increase communication with parents about the
school meals that are available.
reduce the red tape that limits participation in
meal programs.
decrease stigma by making free breakfast
available to all students, not just those with low
incomes school meals as their primary source of
nutrition.
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Homelessness is Very
Serious

Bruce Lesley, president of the First Focus

Campaign for Children, said,
A record number of homeless students mean
a record number of our children being exposed
to sexual trafficking, abuse, hunger, and denial
of their basic needs. The new data means that
a record number of kids in our schools and
communities are spending restless nights in
bed-bug infested motels and falling more
behind in school by the day because theyre
too tired and hungry to concentrate."
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Did your school provide solutions for

hunger?

If your school provided solutions, what were they? Were the solutions
effective? Why or why not?
If it did not, do you think the programs previously mentioned could
have helped students at your school? If so, how?
Write at least 5 sentences.

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Some programs that schools have in

place to fight hunger are providing
students with:
-Free/reduced school breakfast
-Free/reduced school lunch
-Free daily snacks
-Free summer lunch
-A backpack of food for the weekend

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Teachers Are Taking Action

Most commonly, teachers
assist families in enrolling
in school meal programs,
refer families to resources
in the school and
spend money out of their own pockets to buy
food for hungry students.

On average, teachers who buy food for hungry

kids in their classrooms spend
on average $26 a month.
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Ways to Help Homeless Students

Stabilize the childs basic needs.
-food
-clothing
-shelter
-medical care
-basic hygiene
-transportation needs resolved

Administer a brief educational assessment to

the child to determine his or her level of
academic ability.
A brief assessment in reading, math, and writing will avoid
teaching above or below a students ability while previous
school records are obtained.

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Ways to Help Homeless

Students

Find time each week for new

students to check-in with their
teacher.

Assign an adult to check-in daily with new

children during the first month of school.
Have an adult watch new students during
recess for the first few weeks since play
time may be difficult for new students.

Pair a new student with a buddy in

the classroom on the first day of
school.
Have a buddy will keep new students in
contact with someone who knows their way
around the school.

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Ways to Help Homeless

Students

Reach out to parents.

Send a welcome letter or videotape home to the parents.
Create a special invitation inviting parents to a getting acquainted time.
Plan assignments so children can keep up
without having to take work home.
Provide school supplies and books.
Dont withdraw privileges if a new student
doesnt return school materials.
Dont take possessions away as a disciplinary measure
If a new student falls asleep in class, let her/him sleep.
It may be needed rest from living in a car or shelter.

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Question
About how many students are
homeless?
a. 1.3 Million
b. 2.0 Million
c. 1.0 million

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Incorrect! Please Try Again!

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Correct!
There is an
enormous
number of
students who are
homelessness.
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What we learned
Once again, the concept of teachers spending their own
money was addressed in this section. Just as it was in
the school supply section.
There are many students who suffer from hunger. One
of the best solutions is having breakfast at school.
More than half of students are eligible for free or
reduced lunch.
There are many students suffering from homelessness.
Homelessness affects about 1.3 million students.
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Overall Assessment
About what percent of students are
eligible for the free and reduced
lunch program?
a. 35%
b. 50%
c. 75%

Correct!
About 50% (51% to be
exact) are eligible for
the free and reduced
lunch program
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OPPS! That is Incorrect.

Please Try Again!

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Question 2
What percent of gang members are
under 18?
a. 40 %
b. 60%
c. 20%
d. 80%

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OPPS! That is Incorrect.

Please Try Again!

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Correct!
Forty percent of
gang members
are under 18.

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Reflection
After reviewing all of this information, what
have you learned? Did that cause you to
look at the profession at teaching
differently?

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HOORAAYYYY!

You have
completed
this lesson!

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