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.
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