As I posted the statement of student and teacher rights in classrooms, only one student commented on it. A Year 12 girl with only a few weeks left at the campus asked doubtfully "Do we really need that?"
As their teacher explained the Yellow Card to the students in the English Language Centre who have only been in Australia for a fairly short time, one protested that the Yellow Card "is too soft. Just one warning, then Exit."
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Rights in Every Classroom
Today a bright yellow poster measuring 42x11cm was put on the wall above the whiteboard in every classroom of our Years 7-12 campus.
This is a prompt and reminder of the rights of the students and the teacher:
This is a prompt and reminder of the rights of the students and the teacher:
In this classroom, the students and the teacher have the right:
- To do as much quality work as possible,
- To feel comfortable and safe.
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
The Red Card
Developmental Management Approach
to Classroom Behaviour
Name ……………………… Form ………
Exit 0
Reason …………………………………
Teacher signature ……………………………………
Date and time received ……………………………
Red is for danger. Let’s hope we never need to use this card. It is only used when a student’s behaviour threatens the safety of other students or the teacher. If such an emergency arose, very few details are needed to be filled in on the red card before sending it with a reliable student to the Junior School office to get help immediately.
to Classroom Behaviour
Name ……………………… Form ………
Exit 0
Reason …………………………………
Teacher signature ……………………………………
Date and time received ……………………………
Red is for danger. Let’s hope we never need to use this card. It is only used when a student’s behaviour threatens the safety of other students or the teacher. If such an emergency arose, very few details are needed to be filled in on the red card before sending it with a reliable student to the Junior School office to get help immediately.
The Yellow Card
Developmental Management Approach
to Classroom Behaviour
Name ……………………… Form ………
Reminder of Rights & Responsibilities #1 0
Reminder of Rights & Responsibilities #2 0
Warning with offer of choice 0
Moved and isolated in the classroom 0
Exited 0
Reason …………………………………..
Appointment time 10.18 0
12.49 0
3.15 0
Teacher signature ……………………………………
Date and time received ……………………………
The yellow card is for those persistent, anxiety producing behaviours of the C student and the even more distressing behaviours of the D category.
We’ll use the Yellow card in class to record the steps that we have followed to remind, warn, isolate and finally exit.
When the exit point is reached, the card is sent with a reliable student to the office. The offending student remains in the class until the manager, principal class member, or a teacher arrives to escort the student to a destination such as the back of a senior class.
If we exit a student from our class, we will not readmit him or her until we have had the teacher-student discussion and we come up with a plan to solve the behavioural problem.
to Classroom Behaviour
Name ……………………… Form ………
Reminder of Rights & Responsibilities #1 0
Reminder of Rights & Responsibilities #2 0
Warning with offer of choice 0
Moved and isolated in the classroom 0
Exited 0
Reason …………………………………..
Appointment time 10.18 0
12.49 0
3.15 0
Teacher signature ……………………………………
Date and time received ……………………………
The yellow card is for those persistent, anxiety producing behaviours of the C student and the even more distressing behaviours of the D category.
We’ll use the Yellow card in class to record the steps that we have followed to remind, warn, isolate and finally exit.
When the exit point is reached, the card is sent with a reliable student to the office. The offending student remains in the class until the manager, principal class member, or a teacher arrives to escort the student to a destination such as the back of a senior class.
If we exit a student from our class, we will not readmit him or her until we have had the teacher-student discussion and we come up with a plan to solve the behavioural problem.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Modifying the Curriculum for Category D
As nearly all students whose behaviour falls into category D are boys, I have listed 41 strategies from the recent literature on boys' education that may be useful to those of us finding ourselves trying to modify the curriculum for these boys in our classes.
1. Well structured tasks
2. Present tasks in bite-sized pieces
3. Talking before writing
4. Provide templates for writing tasks
5. Dim the lights
6. Time explicitly structured
7. Frequent quizzes
8. Anger management
9. Identify & help at risk boys
10. Use a lot of ICT
11. Use lots of rewards & praise
12. Minimise homework
13. Lots of movement
14. Provide territory to own
15. Get boys to think before they act
16. Teach less, facilitate more
17. Programs about gender construction, adolescent & media issues
18. Give pats on the back, hand shakes
19. Work to get beneath the ‘cool mask’ of adolescence
20. Resist providing the solution to a problem
21. Expand responsibilities as boys progress through the school years
22. Participate in making rules & decisions
23. Connect to nature & relate to animals
24. Activities cater to all interests
25. High level of supervision to prevent bullying
26. Opportunities to reflect on masculinity & life
27. Emotional outlet provided in drama, music etc
28. No shaming
29. Present an optimistic view of life
30. Provide keys to communicating about feelings
31. Demonstrate & model what is being taught
32. Move from brief, closed, experiential tasks to reflective, open ones
33. Dynamic lessons, particularly the opening focus
34. Emphasis on time on task
35. Encouraged to expand oral & written answers
36. All topics taught are explicitly relevant & new concepts integrated into known concepts
37. Time provided for answering questions. Use Think – Pair – Share
38. Provide challenge
39. Groups restructured so classes are not groups of strangers
40. At least 15% of every lesson is devoted to reading
41. For behaviour improvement have moderate expectations
1. Well structured tasks
2. Present tasks in bite-sized pieces
3. Talking before writing
4. Provide templates for writing tasks
5. Dim the lights
6. Time explicitly structured
7. Frequent quizzes
8. Anger management
9. Identify & help at risk boys
10. Use a lot of ICT
11. Use lots of rewards & praise
12. Minimise homework
13. Lots of movement
14. Provide territory to own
15. Get boys to think before they act
16. Teach less, facilitate more
17. Programs about gender construction, adolescent & media issues
18. Give pats on the back, hand shakes
19. Work to get beneath the ‘cool mask’ of adolescence
20. Resist providing the solution to a problem
21. Expand responsibilities as boys progress through the school years
22. Participate in making rules & decisions
23. Connect to nature & relate to animals
24. Activities cater to all interests
25. High level of supervision to prevent bullying
26. Opportunities to reflect on masculinity & life
27. Emotional outlet provided in drama, music etc
28. No shaming
29. Present an optimistic view of life
30. Provide keys to communicating about feelings
31. Demonstrate & model what is being taught
32. Move from brief, closed, experiential tasks to reflective, open ones
33. Dynamic lessons, particularly the opening focus
34. Emphasis on time on task
35. Encouraged to expand oral & written answers
36. All topics taught are explicitly relevant & new concepts integrated into known concepts
37. Time provided for answering questions. Use Think – Pair – Share
38. Provide challenge
39. Groups restructured so classes are not groups of strangers
40. At least 15% of every lesson is devoted to reading
41. For behaviour improvement have moderate expectations
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
The Podcast Script
I read in Podcasting for Dummies that some podders prefer to speak from a few notes while others read from a script. I opted for the latter. The plus was I knew what I wanted to include. The minus was I couldn't lean over close to the laptop microphone because I needed to be able to see the script. I did prop the laptop up with a couple of thick books, but the sound is still quite feint.
I decided to post the script.
The Podcast Script
This is an introduction to a developmental management approach – or DMA - to classroom management that we are currently implementing in our secondary school campus.
As you listen, don’t be surprised if you find yourself saying “I’ve heard this before” or “I already do that!”
There is nothing new in the theory and practice of classroom management. What the DMA does is to re-assemble elements of the tried and true approaches in a way that meets the needs of 21st century classrooms.
Let’s start with the two concepts – developmental and management.
What are we developing?
The DMA is designed to increase the capacity of students to respect the classroom rights of others by taking responsibility for their own behaviour. That’s personal responsibility.
But even more important is that students’ exercise communal responsibility by influencing others to be responsible for their own behaviour.
Each junior school class – Years 7 to 9 – is developing statements of rights and responsibilities with their teacher.
So, what are we managing?
The overall goal of the DMA is to manage classroom behaviour to protect the agreed rights of the students and the teacher. The rights are about everyone feeling safe and being able to work and learn.
How we manage students’ classroom is differentiated to meet the needs of each student.
When it comes to student discipline one size most definitely does not fit all.
Before I explain how and why, I need to explain that foundation of the DMA is not the rights and responsibilities. They need to be built on top of the foundation of goodwill and the 4Rs:
• Recognition
• Relationships
• Rewards
• Reducing disruptions
Without giving attention to these, it would be fruitless putting time and effort into classroom rights and responsibilities.
All contemporary classroom management theories rely on building a pile of goodwill between the teacher and the class to create a climate of trust and mutual respect. If our students perceive us as trusted adults to talk to we know the pile of goodwill is okay.
Every student wants to belong to a group that matters to him or her. Every student craves recognition by their teacher in primary school and at least some of their teachers in secondary. We give recognition in many ways, for example, by acknowledging students doing the right thing and by taking an interest in what interests them.
Rewards are more powerful in managing behaviour than punishment. Although both are necessary with many students, recognition and rewards need to be more plentifully provided.
We need to work out what rewards would be meaningful to the class. It might be choice in the program, computer time, sweets or stationery.
Reducing Disruption comes from us keeping students interested by delivering a smoothly flowing lesson and making sure our students are feeling that we are constantly monitoring their classroom behaviour and holding them accountable for learning.
The DMA recognizes that one size doesn’t fit all by identifying four categories of student behaviours. Categories A, B, C and D.
We need to respond differently to a student in each behavioural category.
It is the behaviour that is categorized, not the student. A student’s behaviours may be in category A in, say Phys Ed which he enjoys because he is skilful and talented in many sports. In English, the same student’s behaviour could be category D - he is disruptive because he cannot read.
Working out which category each student’s behaviour belongs to is a matter of trial and error.
The DMA approach recommends that when beginning teaching a new class, we should assume that all students’ behaviour will be in category A, even though it is extremely unlikely that this will turn out to be the case.
Category A students have a very positive attitude to the curriculum. William Glasser would refer to them as having they school and the teacher in their ‘quality world’. They do their work willingly and capably.
If students whose behaviour is usually in category A ever behave irresponsibly, we merely have to provide a hint to remind them of the rights and responsibilities and they will return to behaving appropriately.
Hints can be non-verbal such as pausing or simply looking at the student or verbal such as describing the situation or an I-message.
Category B students are occasionally distracted and distracting and stubbornly refuse to take the hint. Compared to category A students, they are less interested in their work and less confident about it.
Recognitions, rewards and consequences are required to manage these students’ behaviours. Recognitions include non-verbal praise – for example thumbs up AND specific verbal praise, for example, a positive entry in the student’s diary. Rewards will also help – for example mini chocolate bars.
Category B students’ inappropriate behaviour may require us to assertively deliver increasingly severe consequences. We need to practise this routine until we have it down pat. 1. Explanation of the problem referring to rights and responsibilities, 2. If inappropriate behaviour continues, reassert. 3. If necessary, offer choice and apply about four sequential steps: Choice – “Stop talking now, or move to this desk!” Isolate, Warn of need to talk later, Exit.
I will explain our arrangements for exiting later.
Once a student has to be exited for persistently challenging behaviour, he or she is to be responded to as a Category C student.
As soon as practicable after the exiting, the teacher-student discussion takes place. This is the keystone strategy for dealing with category C behaviour. Other students must not be able to see the discussion taking place but another teacher could be around to observe and give feedback. This discussion has two purposes.
Firstly, the student is made aware of the unreasonableness of the behaviour and its effect on others. Secondly, a plan is developed to solve the behavioural problem.
Again there is a script and sequence for us to follow:
1. Welcome and seek help from the student to deal with the problem.
2. State what the problem is, what effect it is having on others including the teacher and how it makes him/her feel.
3. Listen and paraphrase students’ facts and feelings.
4. Reframe positively.
5. Confront the student’s argument. Try to show it is unreasonable.
6. Get the student’s agreement that there is a ‘problem’.
7. Have the student provide a solution that meets both his or her, and our needs. If necessary suggest some.
8. Evaluate all the solutions and find one acceptable to both.
9. Set a timetable to evaluate its effectiveness.
If the classroom behaviour problem is not solved after several such discussions and use of the other techniques outlined, there is no alternative but to regard the student as displaying category D behaviours. Nearly all category D students are boys.
There are two differences in the response to category D, compared to category C students.
The first is in the nature of the teacher-student discussion. These discussions are more difficult because the D students have pushed the boundaries so much further. Acting skills may be useful here because we will find ourselves following a script that requires us to say “I like you!” to some students who we may find to be quite unlikeable because they have pushed all our buttons to the point where not losing it takes every ounce of our self-control and professionalism!
• Hence, the first requirement to succeed with this discussion is to fight our first impulse – try to remind ourselves that this student is hurting.
• Throughout the discussion encourage the student at every opportunity.
• Separate the deed from the doer.
• Express a liking for the student while applying consequences which are likely to build the student’s self-concept. Helping on a weekend working-bee is an example.
• Show awareness of something that the student believes he is good at. Try to observe him being competent at something.
• We’ll try to enlist the D student’s support to help us in some meaningful way.
• We’ll show some interest in the student’s interests.
• We’ll modify the curriculum.
The discussion also has a therapeutic component, based on the psychology of Rudolf Reikurs who believed that students whose behaviour places them in category D have a mistaken goal.
Like everyone else, students whose behaviour is category D want to belong but because they can’t do this through succeeding on the school’s terms, they seek to belong through getting attention in destructive ways, seeking bossy power, exacting hurtful revenge or becoming helpless.
• So, we collect enough data to be confident about accurately identifying the mistaken goal.
• Then we make the student aware of it.
• Then we confront the student with the choice – being liked or mistaken goal.
• We identify a way of informing the student privately during the class when he is reverting to seeking the mistaken goal.
Before I sign off, I need to explain how we’re using the Yellow and Red cards.
Let’s get the red card out of the way first. Red is for danger. Let’s hope we never need to use it. It is only used when a student’s behaviour threatens the safety of other students or the teacher. If such an emergency arose, very few details are needed to be filled in on the red card before sending it with a reliable student to the Junior School office to get help immediately.
The yellow card is for those persistent, anxiety producing behaviours of the C student and the even more distressing behaviours of the D category.
We’ll use the Yellow card in class to record the steps that we have followed to remind, warn, isolate and finally exit.
When the exit point is reached, the card is sent with a reliable student to the Junior School office. The offending student remains in the class until the manager, principal class member, or a teacher arrives to escort the student to a destination such as the back of a senior class.
If we exit a student from our class, we will not readmit him or her until we have had the teacher-student discussion and we come up with a plan to solve the behavioural problem.
So that’s it, an overview of our developmental management approach to classroom behaviour. So as we work on implementation, we need to keep the key ingredients in mind – goodwill, reducing disruption, recognition, rewards, relationships, rights and responsibilities and differentiating our responses to the behaviours of students in the four categories.
Thanks for listening.
I decided to post the script.
The Podcast Script
This is an introduction to a developmental management approach – or DMA - to classroom management that we are currently implementing in our secondary school campus.
As you listen, don’t be surprised if you find yourself saying “I’ve heard this before” or “I already do that!”
There is nothing new in the theory and practice of classroom management. What the DMA does is to re-assemble elements of the tried and true approaches in a way that meets the needs of 21st century classrooms.
Let’s start with the two concepts – developmental and management.
What are we developing?
The DMA is designed to increase the capacity of students to respect the classroom rights of others by taking responsibility for their own behaviour. That’s personal responsibility.
But even more important is that students’ exercise communal responsibility by influencing others to be responsible for their own behaviour.
Each junior school class – Years 7 to 9 – is developing statements of rights and responsibilities with their teacher.
So, what are we managing?
The overall goal of the DMA is to manage classroom behaviour to protect the agreed rights of the students and the teacher. The rights are about everyone feeling safe and being able to work and learn.
How we manage students’ classroom is differentiated to meet the needs of each student.
When it comes to student discipline one size most definitely does not fit all.
Before I explain how and why, I need to explain that foundation of the DMA is not the rights and responsibilities. They need to be built on top of the foundation of goodwill and the 4Rs:
• Recognition
• Relationships
• Rewards
• Reducing disruptions
Without giving attention to these, it would be fruitless putting time and effort into classroom rights and responsibilities.
All contemporary classroom management theories rely on building a pile of goodwill between the teacher and the class to create a climate of trust and mutual respect. If our students perceive us as trusted adults to talk to we know the pile of goodwill is okay.
Every student wants to belong to a group that matters to him or her. Every student craves recognition by their teacher in primary school and at least some of their teachers in secondary. We give recognition in many ways, for example, by acknowledging students doing the right thing and by taking an interest in what interests them.
Rewards are more powerful in managing behaviour than punishment. Although both are necessary with many students, recognition and rewards need to be more plentifully provided.
We need to work out what rewards would be meaningful to the class. It might be choice in the program, computer time, sweets or stationery.
Reducing Disruption comes from us keeping students interested by delivering a smoothly flowing lesson and making sure our students are feeling that we are constantly monitoring their classroom behaviour and holding them accountable for learning.
The DMA recognizes that one size doesn’t fit all by identifying four categories of student behaviours. Categories A, B, C and D.
We need to respond differently to a student in each behavioural category.
It is the behaviour that is categorized, not the student. A student’s behaviours may be in category A in, say Phys Ed which he enjoys because he is skilful and talented in many sports. In English, the same student’s behaviour could be category D - he is disruptive because he cannot read.
Working out which category each student’s behaviour belongs to is a matter of trial and error.
The DMA approach recommends that when beginning teaching a new class, we should assume that all students’ behaviour will be in category A, even though it is extremely unlikely that this will turn out to be the case.
Category A students have a very positive attitude to the curriculum. William Glasser would refer to them as having they school and the teacher in their ‘quality world’. They do their work willingly and capably.
If students whose behaviour is usually in category A ever behave irresponsibly, we merely have to provide a hint to remind them of the rights and responsibilities and they will return to behaving appropriately.
Hints can be non-verbal such as pausing or simply looking at the student or verbal such as describing the situation or an I-message.
Category B students are occasionally distracted and distracting and stubbornly refuse to take the hint. Compared to category A students, they are less interested in their work and less confident about it.
Recognitions, rewards and consequences are required to manage these students’ behaviours. Recognitions include non-verbal praise – for example thumbs up AND specific verbal praise, for example, a positive entry in the student’s diary. Rewards will also help – for example mini chocolate bars.
Category B students’ inappropriate behaviour may require us to assertively deliver increasingly severe consequences. We need to practise this routine until we have it down pat. 1. Explanation of the problem referring to rights and responsibilities, 2. If inappropriate behaviour continues, reassert. 3. If necessary, offer choice and apply about four sequential steps: Choice – “Stop talking now, or move to this desk!” Isolate, Warn of need to talk later, Exit.
I will explain our arrangements for exiting later.
Once a student has to be exited for persistently challenging behaviour, he or she is to be responded to as a Category C student.
As soon as practicable after the exiting, the teacher-student discussion takes place. This is the keystone strategy for dealing with category C behaviour. Other students must not be able to see the discussion taking place but another teacher could be around to observe and give feedback. This discussion has two purposes.
Firstly, the student is made aware of the unreasonableness of the behaviour and its effect on others. Secondly, a plan is developed to solve the behavioural problem.
Again there is a script and sequence for us to follow:
1. Welcome and seek help from the student to deal with the problem.
2. State what the problem is, what effect it is having on others including the teacher and how it makes him/her feel.
3. Listen and paraphrase students’ facts and feelings.
4. Reframe positively.
5. Confront the student’s argument. Try to show it is unreasonable.
6. Get the student’s agreement that there is a ‘problem’.
7. Have the student provide a solution that meets both his or her, and our needs. If necessary suggest some.
8. Evaluate all the solutions and find one acceptable to both.
9. Set a timetable to evaluate its effectiveness.
If the classroom behaviour problem is not solved after several such discussions and use of the other techniques outlined, there is no alternative but to regard the student as displaying category D behaviours. Nearly all category D students are boys.
There are two differences in the response to category D, compared to category C students.
The first is in the nature of the teacher-student discussion. These discussions are more difficult because the D students have pushed the boundaries so much further. Acting skills may be useful here because we will find ourselves following a script that requires us to say “I like you!” to some students who we may find to be quite unlikeable because they have pushed all our buttons to the point where not losing it takes every ounce of our self-control and professionalism!
• Hence, the first requirement to succeed with this discussion is to fight our first impulse – try to remind ourselves that this student is hurting.
• Throughout the discussion encourage the student at every opportunity.
• Separate the deed from the doer.
• Express a liking for the student while applying consequences which are likely to build the student’s self-concept. Helping on a weekend working-bee is an example.
• Show awareness of something that the student believes he is good at. Try to observe him being competent at something.
• We’ll try to enlist the D student’s support to help us in some meaningful way.
• We’ll show some interest in the student’s interests.
• We’ll modify the curriculum.
The discussion also has a therapeutic component, based on the psychology of Rudolf Reikurs who believed that students whose behaviour places them in category D have a mistaken goal.
Like everyone else, students whose behaviour is category D want to belong but because they can’t do this through succeeding on the school’s terms, they seek to belong through getting attention in destructive ways, seeking bossy power, exacting hurtful revenge or becoming helpless.
• So, we collect enough data to be confident about accurately identifying the mistaken goal.
• Then we make the student aware of it.
• Then we confront the student with the choice – being liked or mistaken goal.
• We identify a way of informing the student privately during the class when he is reverting to seeking the mistaken goal.
Before I sign off, I need to explain how we’re using the Yellow and Red cards.
Let’s get the red card out of the way first. Red is for danger. Let’s hope we never need to use it. It is only used when a student’s behaviour threatens the safety of other students or the teacher. If such an emergency arose, very few details are needed to be filled in on the red card before sending it with a reliable student to the Junior School office to get help immediately.
The yellow card is for those persistent, anxiety producing behaviours of the C student and the even more distressing behaviours of the D category.
We’ll use the Yellow card in class to record the steps that we have followed to remind, warn, isolate and finally exit.
When the exit point is reached, the card is sent with a reliable student to the Junior School office. The offending student remains in the class until the manager, principal class member, or a teacher arrives to escort the student to a destination such as the back of a senior class.
If we exit a student from our class, we will not readmit him or her until we have had the teacher-student discussion and we come up with a plan to solve the behavioural problem.
So that’s it, an overview of our developmental management approach to classroom behaviour. So as we work on implementation, we need to keep the key ingredients in mind – goodwill, reducing disruption, recognition, rewards, relationships, rights and responsibilities and differentiating our responses to the behaviours of students in the four categories.
Thanks for listening.
Re-posting the Podcast
Box.net technical support replied overnight and I have learned that I am able to post the Podcast directly to Blogger. So here goes!
Podcast 1.mp3
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