Thursday, November 24, 2011
Merry Management
I think a lot about how to keep students engaged and, well, under control. My experience in middle school gave me a glimpse of how classrooms can be learning communities or just a place for kids to hang out during the day. It only takes one person to get the plan off-track. I think the key to starting off on the right foot and staying on course is to lay out the expectations first. The teachers who started class with a statement of expectations were making sure no one could say they didn't know what they were supposed to be doing. During the class period, expectations might need to be reviewed for a few students and the time was taken to do that.
This video demonstrates another way to lay out expectations for younger students. I thought it was fun and warm, yet the message is clear. Might have to warm up the uke!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
"Go Ahead, Make Your Day"
When I first heard about the discipline program used in the Everett School District secondary schools, I thought it sounded a bit harsh. Students sitting facing the wall for minutes, hours or even days? I wondered how this could possibly be used in a way that doesn't result in angry students refusing to conform or even seeking revenge against teachers or staff. What I discovered is that when it's used consistantly, it's like a magic pill. When it's used poorly, students continue to test limits in the classroom and interrupt the flow of lessons and student learning.
The five step program is designed to provide students with specific expectations for behavior at school. One very important school rule sets the theme: No one has the right to interfere with the learning, safety, or well-being of others. This rule can be found posted in every classroom, the lunchroom, in the hallways and in the principal's office. Going into steps is not the choice of the teacher. The student chooses to go to Step One by making poor behavior choices. He or she is responsible for the consequence and it's the responsibility of the student to reflect on the behavior that led to sitting in a corner facing the wall.
When the teacher has a natural break in teaching, he/she goes over to the student to review what happened before releasing the student back to his/her desk. The conversation starts with, "Why did you choose Step One?" The student responds by relating the behaviors that were interfering with class learning. Usually, Step One is all it takes to get the student back on track. If the student continues to "choose" behaviors that show disrespect for classroom expectations, the result will be Step Two, Three, Four or Five.
Step Two - student is standing facing the wall.
Step Three - Student is standing facing the wall directly in front of the Make Your Day Rule.
Step Four - Student is sent to the office, parents called and a conference scheduled. Until that conference is held, student will be in Step One for the remainder of the day or days. Kind of an "in-school" suspension.
Step Five means the student will be suspended from school for a week.
The Cooperating Teacher I spent most of my DYAD time with used this classroom management tool with great efficiency. The students knew exactly what behaviors were expected and what would happen if they didn't follow the rules. No delay. No special consideration. No surprises. Blurting? Didn't do homework? Talking inappropriately? Unprepared for class? Disrespectful? Inattentive? These behaviors led to Step One. Without fanfare, anyone choosing Step One is sent to a chair in the back of the room to contemplate how they fell short of expectations.
My opinion is that following the Make Your Day program consistantly means that the teacher is providing a safe classroom where a whole bunch of learning is taking place. Very little time is wasted on repeating instruction, getting students' attention, or intervening in student squabbles. When students are given an assignment, they don't grumble. When the teacher is talking, no one else is. Students remain seated unless they're given permission to stand. When the classroom is engaged in an activity that allows for student interaction, partnering or discussion, they conduct themselves appropriately. There's no teasing, no bullying, no bull.
My daughters often complain about classrooms where the teacher has lost control. They're frustrated with the waste of time and the difficulty of hearing what the teacher has to offer when the room is abuzz with chatter. Hillary expressed, "Hey, if I'm going to spend a year taking Spanish, I'd like to be able to speak Spanish when I'm done." Yes, that would be ideal! I've made a point of teaching them that they can have an influence on their peers by being model students and I've heard from their teachers that they are respectful and helpful (My little angels!). After all, the teacher is expected to teach and the student is expected to learn and if these things don't happen, we are failing to provide quality education.
The final component of the Make Your Day program is that students self-evaluate at the end of every period and award themselves "points". Points are based on minutes in the period so if there are 45 minutes and a student spent 5 minutes in Step One, he should only give himself 40 points. These points are entered into a spreadsheet and total points are noted on report cards. This allows students and parents to discuss daily behaviors and relate them to marks the students are receiving for their work in class.
I feel like I have the tendency to be somewhat mushy in my classroom management so I see a real benefit to working in a school where all students know expectations and all teachers follow the same discipline procedures. No one teacher is any "meaner" than any other. There are no "teacher's pets" and no frustrated students feeling like their time and effort was wasted. I visited many classrooms in the DYAD to see how different teachers used (or didn't use) the program effectively. I can say without a doubt that the most productive and comfortable classrooms were the ones where the teacher took full advantage of the benefits Make Your Day can bring to a middle school. I predict a further advantage is that we're instilling in students a sturdy sense of responsibility for themselves and consideration for others.
The five step program is designed to provide students with specific expectations for behavior at school. One very important school rule sets the theme: No one has the right to interfere with the learning, safety, or well-being of others. This rule can be found posted in every classroom, the lunchroom, in the hallways and in the principal's office. Going into steps is not the choice of the teacher. The student chooses to go to Step One by making poor behavior choices. He or she is responsible for the consequence and it's the responsibility of the student to reflect on the behavior that led to sitting in a corner facing the wall.
When the teacher has a natural break in teaching, he/she goes over to the student to review what happened before releasing the student back to his/her desk. The conversation starts with, "Why did you choose Step One?" The student responds by relating the behaviors that were interfering with class learning. Usually, Step One is all it takes to get the student back on track. If the student continues to "choose" behaviors that show disrespect for classroom expectations, the result will be Step Two, Three, Four or Five.
Step Two - student is standing facing the wall.
Step Three - Student is standing facing the wall directly in front of the Make Your Day Rule.
Step Four - Student is sent to the office, parents called and a conference scheduled. Until that conference is held, student will be in Step One for the remainder of the day or days. Kind of an "in-school" suspension.
Step Five means the student will be suspended from school for a week.
The Cooperating Teacher I spent most of my DYAD time with used this classroom management tool with great efficiency. The students knew exactly what behaviors were expected and what would happen if they didn't follow the rules. No delay. No special consideration. No surprises. Blurting? Didn't do homework? Talking inappropriately? Unprepared for class? Disrespectful? Inattentive? These behaviors led to Step One. Without fanfare, anyone choosing Step One is sent to a chair in the back of the room to contemplate how they fell short of expectations.
My opinion is that following the Make Your Day program consistantly means that the teacher is providing a safe classroom where a whole bunch of learning is taking place. Very little time is wasted on repeating instruction, getting students' attention, or intervening in student squabbles. When students are given an assignment, they don't grumble. When the teacher is talking, no one else is. Students remain seated unless they're given permission to stand. When the classroom is engaged in an activity that allows for student interaction, partnering or discussion, they conduct themselves appropriately. There's no teasing, no bullying, no bull.
My daughters often complain about classrooms where the teacher has lost control. They're frustrated with the waste of time and the difficulty of hearing what the teacher has to offer when the room is abuzz with chatter. Hillary expressed, "Hey, if I'm going to spend a year taking Spanish, I'd like to be able to speak Spanish when I'm done." Yes, that would be ideal! I've made a point of teaching them that they can have an influence on their peers by being model students and I've heard from their teachers that they are respectful and helpful (My little angels!). After all, the teacher is expected to teach and the student is expected to learn and if these things don't happen, we are failing to provide quality education.
The final component of the Make Your Day program is that students self-evaluate at the end of every period and award themselves "points". Points are based on minutes in the period so if there are 45 minutes and a student spent 5 minutes in Step One, he should only give himself 40 points. These points are entered into a spreadsheet and total points are noted on report cards. This allows students and parents to discuss daily behaviors and relate them to marks the students are receiving for their work in class.
I feel like I have the tendency to be somewhat mushy in my classroom management so I see a real benefit to working in a school where all students know expectations and all teachers follow the same discipline procedures. No one teacher is any "meaner" than any other. There are no "teacher's pets" and no frustrated students feeling like their time and effort was wasted. I visited many classrooms in the DYAD to see how different teachers used (or didn't use) the program effectively. I can say without a doubt that the most productive and comfortable classrooms were the ones where the teacher took full advantage of the benefits Make Your Day can bring to a middle school. I predict a further advantage is that we're instilling in students a sturdy sense of responsibility for themselves and consideration for others.
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
The Power of the Pat on the Back
I've just had the most powerful experience in my middle school DYAD. For a number of reasons, I was pretty nervous at the start. I'd heard negative things about the school, I'd been placed there late and hadn't met with the teacher in the spring as many others had done, and I struggle with my classroom management skills so I expected the 6th graders to basically eat me alive. All my fears have melted away after a few weeks with a wonderful teacher who has not hesitated to allow me to establish myself with her students and make a few mistakes along the way. No one died. In fact, I know I've had a positive impact on these students, as has my partner, Nicole. I see their faces light up when we become their "teacher" and they are eager to be our guinea pigs.
My DYAD teacher has given me the gift of a pat on the back. When she says to me "That went so well. The students were really engaged," I feel like I could walk on water! She and I have different styles but she is excited about my future as a teacher and lets me know what I'm doing right and what to do next time. The classroom experience she's allowed me to have has been the most valuable time in my training. I can read books, watch videos, write lesson plans, reflect, and research but none of that compares to sharing a lesson with a classroom of interested kids in terms of my learning. It's a great feeling to present a lesson and then see the students put the information to use in their work. I am so glad that I sought the ML endorsement because I had the benefit of being mentored by a teacher who wasn't afraid to hand me the reins. It was just the boost I needed to get me through the rest of this year. I know I can do this.
My DYAD teacher has given me the gift of a pat on the back. When she says to me "That went so well. The students were really engaged," I feel like I could walk on water! She and I have different styles but she is excited about my future as a teacher and lets me know what I'm doing right and what to do next time. The classroom experience she's allowed me to have has been the most valuable time in my training. I can read books, watch videos, write lesson plans, reflect, and research but none of that compares to sharing a lesson with a classroom of interested kids in terms of my learning. It's a great feeling to present a lesson and then see the students put the information to use in their work. I am so glad that I sought the ML endorsement because I had the benefit of being mentored by a teacher who wasn't afraid to hand me the reins. It was just the boost I needed to get me through the rest of this year. I know I can do this.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Teaching Middle School
Today I had the opportunity to teach a reading lesson to a room full of 6th graders. It was evidence to me that no matter how well planned, rehearsed, edited and re-hashed, there is likely to be the need to change direction, shorten, re-think, and maybe even scrap the whole thing! I worked really hard on this read aloud and was very confident going into it.
For some reason, BOTH of my watches had dead batteries this morning and I considered that to either be a bad omen or a sign that I needn't worry about the clock. As it turned out, I needed to worry about the clock. Though I'd read through the story several times, it seemed to get longer and longer as I read. Fortunately, it was a story that gripped the students' attention and inspired them to raise their hands, but I was very short on the time that I had planned for an assignment for them to show what they'd learned.
So now I'm editing. I'm giving the same lesson again tomorrow but it will be better, cleaner, smoother, and . . . shorter.
For some reason, BOTH of my watches had dead batteries this morning and I considered that to either be a bad omen or a sign that I needn't worry about the clock. As it turned out, I needed to worry about the clock. Though I'd read through the story several times, it seemed to get longer and longer as I read. Fortunately, it was a story that gripped the students' attention and inspired them to raise their hands, but I was very short on the time that I had planned for an assignment for them to show what they'd learned.
So now I'm editing. I'm giving the same lesson again tomorrow but it will be better, cleaner, smoother, and . . . shorter.
Sunday, October 9, 2011
The Gap
I'm lucky enough to know the complete exhaustion of Friday just after school is out. It's a mind-numbing kind of tired but the kind where you know your efforts mattered. I was an assistant teacher at the time so I'm assuming the classroom teacher was as tired as I was, if not more tired. But here I am in school preparing to take on the job of teacher. I'm here because I know that feeling, not in spite of it.
Teachers have been in the news a lot lately due to budget cuts, contract negotiations, and statistics that make it seem like our kids are becoming less educated rather than more. Some people want teachers to do more with less and resent that teachers get summers off and still have the nerve to complain. A recent story in the Seattle Times discusses the high expectations people have of teachers yet still don't value them as professionals. I think it's because every adult in the country has, at one time, had a "bad teacher", someone who probably hated their job, was burned out, or resented being scrutinized by administrators and parents. This experience causes some people to be merciless about what teachers should be capable of doing and ought to do without complaining and just be thankful they have a job.
My favorite part of this piece is when a teacher being interviewed expresses that he's fighting an uphill battle and the reporter summarizes this viewpoint with "he knows he has two choices: throw up his hands or try like crazy". Good teachers are going to try like crazy, but let's hope they aren't completely burned out from their efforts to fill the gap.
What can we as individual teachers do in our classrooms to connect students to enriching learning experiences when schools are operating on budgets that are stretched thin? What resources remain untapped? How can we involve families in educational activities to a greater extent?
Teachers have been in the news a lot lately due to budget cuts, contract negotiations, and statistics that make it seem like our kids are becoming less educated rather than more. Some people want teachers to do more with less and resent that teachers get summers off and still have the nerve to complain. A recent story in the Seattle Times discusses the high expectations people have of teachers yet still don't value them as professionals. I think it's because every adult in the country has, at one time, had a "bad teacher", someone who probably hated their job, was burned out, or resented being scrutinized by administrators and parents. This experience causes some people to be merciless about what teachers should be capable of doing and ought to do without complaining and just be thankful they have a job.
My favorite part of this piece is when a teacher being interviewed expresses that he's fighting an uphill battle and the reporter summarizes this viewpoint with "he knows he has two choices: throw up his hands or try like crazy". Good teachers are going to try like crazy, but let's hope they aren't completely burned out from their efforts to fill the gap.
What can we as individual teachers do in our classrooms to connect students to enriching learning experiences when schools are operating on budgets that are stretched thin? What resources remain untapped? How can we involve families in educational activities to a greater extent?
Friday, October 7, 2011
Makeal
Makeal inspires me, not only because he has given school a second chance but also because he sees potential in himself that he didn't see before. I have met many kids this year who have much in common with the "old Makeal" who didn't want to go to school, didn't care how he did and couldn't think of any way to connect what he'd rather be doing to school. I saw a NSD Community Schools booth yesterday at the campus career fair and I'm wondering if there were classes available there that would connect to kids as the skateboarding one did with Makeal? Plan to look into that. I know they have classes like quilting, ESL, karate, dance. I also wonder if there are scholarships available for these classes?
I have a student who says he hates school. Yet, I see him doing things that indicate otherwise like taking leadership roles in the classroom and attending optional events. He strikes me as a kid who would burn like crazy if someone put a spark to him. There are so many positive ways to allow kids to write what they want, where they want and to an audience who can appreciate what they have to share. I do see how Makeal needed this connection to get him motivated to learn. No surprise that he missed school a lot - he didn't feel like he had anything to contribute that would be appreciated. Now he sees that he can share what he knows about something he cares about. Love it.
I have a student who says he hates school. Yet, I see him doing things that indicate otherwise like taking leadership roles in the classroom and attending optional events. He strikes me as a kid who would burn like crazy if someone put a spark to him. There are so many positive ways to allow kids to write what they want, where they want and to an audience who can appreciate what they have to share. I do see how Makeal needed this connection to get him motivated to learn. No surprise that he missed school a lot - he didn't feel like he had anything to contribute that would be appreciated. Now he sees that he can share what he knows about something he cares about. Love it.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Technologically Challenged
I admit, I'm one of those people who just doesn't get technology. I still call keyboarding "typing" and I play solitaire with cards that can actually be shuffled. When I run into a computer glitch, I get a panicked feeling inside because my efforts to resolve issues are hit and miss. My teenage daughters are far more capable than I am of putting our internet connection to good use. I recently gave up my flip phone and got a fancy phone with apps, internet and "Angry Birds". I still haven't played, but it's there in case I ever want to. Frankly, I'd like to have my flip phone back.
It's not that I don't see the value of the technology we have. I do. I also see the value of going for a walk with my friend as opposed to sending her a message on facebook. I enjoy going to the library and looking at staff recommendations, new magazines, and the books on the carts that others have picked up but not checked out. I have had trouble with spending too much time at the computer and it's been difficult for me to break myself of these habits. I've spent far too many hours of my life playing freecell, poker, and scrabble, shopping on zappos, ebay, craigslist, and Amazon and I can't ever get them back.
I know our kids have to be computer savvy to be employable in the future, but I worry that they will also be overweight, anti-social, and unable to stay focused on every day activities that don't come with all the bells and whistles that can be found on a computer. I agree with Cathy Davidson that our society has become overly paranoid about child molesters lurking around every corner and on every website. And because I agree, I say let's unplug the computer and send our kids out to play for a few hours everyday rather than allowing them to sit transfixed in front of a screen from 4pm to bedtime.
As with anything we give our kids, moderation is key. It's so easy to let them spend hours playing games or watching videos on youtube because they're so content and quiet. We have to monitor what kids see and for how long and for me, that's difficult because I struggle to keep up with the skills they've already mastered. So, I must bravely go out on a limb and try new things like blogging, photostory3, wikis, online courses, itouch, and a whole bunch of other techno-thing-a-ma-jigs because I want to be there to witness, help and learn when my students and my daughters are using technology to be the best they can be.
It's not that I don't see the value of the technology we have. I do. I also see the value of going for a walk with my friend as opposed to sending her a message on facebook. I enjoy going to the library and looking at staff recommendations, new magazines, and the books on the carts that others have picked up but not checked out. I have had trouble with spending too much time at the computer and it's been difficult for me to break myself of these habits. I've spent far too many hours of my life playing freecell, poker, and scrabble, shopping on zappos, ebay, craigslist, and Amazon and I can't ever get them back.
I know our kids have to be computer savvy to be employable in the future, but I worry that they will also be overweight, anti-social, and unable to stay focused on every day activities that don't come with all the bells and whistles that can be found on a computer. I agree with Cathy Davidson that our society has become overly paranoid about child molesters lurking around every corner and on every website. And because I agree, I say let's unplug the computer and send our kids out to play for a few hours everyday rather than allowing them to sit transfixed in front of a screen from 4pm to bedtime.
As with anything we give our kids, moderation is key. It's so easy to let them spend hours playing games or watching videos on youtube because they're so content and quiet. We have to monitor what kids see and for how long and for me, that's difficult because I struggle to keep up with the skills they've already mastered. So, I must bravely go out on a limb and try new things like blogging, photostory3, wikis, online courses, itouch, and a whole bunch of other techno-thing-a-ma-jigs because I want to be there to witness, help and learn when my students and my daughters are using technology to be the best they can be.
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