More Than One Way to Go

   The opportunity to visit a variety of classrooms served as a scale I can use to find my balance in the classroom.  For almost every classroom decision a teacher makes, there is a broad range of options from which to choose, especially when it comes to expectations of student behavior.  This is an area I am still vague about.  I know my methods will be influenced by my school, the district, the principal, my co-workers and the student population, but I also need to establish my own course to follow because my students will look to me for cues. 
   One of the first ideas that came up in my course work at UWB is that learning is noisy.  I liked this quote "A silent classroom is not necessarily one where learning is taking place." Not sure who said it but I agree.  My CT certainly does not have a silent 5th grade classroom, but she does have times where she expects no noise from students.  One of those is when they are seated on the rug and she's giving a mini-lesson.  As the lesson progresses, so do the opportunities for students to contribute.  When the lesson is over, the transition back to their seats is expected to be done QCQ - quickly, calmly, quietly.  If not, "FREEZE!  Come back, Let's try that again."
    My CT does not use a microphone so it was interesting to observe a first grade classroom where the teacher used a mike.  Despite the magnification of her voice, students still talked out of turn.  She did not choose to correct behavior every time but she did send out reminders that when she's talking they're listening or when one of them is talking, everyone else is quiet.  If she stopped every time someone blurted or wiggled or whispered, she'd be stopped all the time because the energy these kids are trying to harness is turned up to high.    I liked the way she used a quiet voice and didn't raise her voice above conversational volume. 
    The teacher I worked with for science class in Lake Washington School District had a very soft voice and used the microphone in fun ways.  When students were working and she wanted their attention, she would say quietly and in a sing-song manner, "Oh, Students?", and they would reply "Oh, Yes?".  She also used the student mike which sparked interest in participating and made it so even the quietest student could be heard. 
    As I take on more responsibilities at my main placement, I'm finding that by the end of the day, my throat burns.  The students test my limits and I say "FREEZE" more than I'd like.  I want to use the microphones during my weeks as teacher because I think it "clicks" that the teacher is talking in a more obvious way and prevents him/her from being drowned up by the ebb and flow of student wiggling. 
     Another issue I ponder is the use of the rug for mini-lessons.  Yes, it's great to have students at your feet with their eyes looking upward at you, engaged in the lesson.  The problem comes when students aren't as little as they used to be, nor as comfortable with their legs crossed as they used to be.  It's difficult for me to sit cross-legged for 20 minutes so I can relate to their wiggling as the lesson gets longer. 
    On the other hand, I've experimented with letting them remain at their desks to hear the lesson but there are many distractions available to them.   I hope to be able to work with the classroom set-up and seating arrangement to allow students to easily move their chairs into "auditorium rows" for mini-lessons without the risk of hitting people on the head with chairs or taking away from learning time.  I might also try out "Girls on the rug, Boys in chairs", taking care to switch off, or "Front row, criss-cross, back rows legs tucked under", letting students decide which method is more comfortable for them. 
    If I expect to keep my students' attention, I know I've got to have expecations in place for when they are to be quiet and when noise is expected.  There's got to be some of both.  I think it's important to consider my students' needs so that they will see I'm wanting them to have as much success as possible and there's more than one way to get there.
   

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!  

"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.