It’s important to me as a teacher to have my students
understand what’s expected of them in my classroom. This is not only in
relation to the assignment, but also to the way they are expected to behave
within the classroom.
Just as good work is usually rewarded with good grades, I
strive to provide positive reinforcement to students who are adhering to the
rules and procedures in the class. By the same token, it is also important to
take action in some way when students are not following those rules and
procedures.
It has been my experience so far as a teacher that students
appreciate when expectations are clear and so are consequences. I start the
year with posting a few guidelines in class to help reinforce the way I run the
class. I’d like to discuss a few of these examples and some strategies that may
be employed.
Positive
Reinforcement
It is noted in the Art and Science of Teaching (p. 133) that
certain research points to a loss in motivation when students are offer too
great rewards for simply fulfilling expectations. I have experienced this both
as a teacher as well as a sports coach and a parent, where offering a great
reward that is disconnected from the activity tends to put the focus on the
reward rather than the desire to follow the rules. As a result, I focus on
positive reinforcement with natural consequences. In other words, I try to
reward students with a pat on the back, a smile, or another reward connected to
their behavior.
It sounds incredibly simple, but one of the most effective
strategies I have found for positive reinforcement is simply telling the
students what is appreciated. I try to also connect the consequences. As a
simple example, when I am teaching a mathemetics unit I sometimes do a flipped
classroom method and have students work independently so I can coach them. When
one student helps another student, I make sure I let them know how it’s
appreciated, as well as why. For example – “Hey Femke, I really appreciated how
you helped Markus in class today. Sometimes I am not able to get to everyone
who is struggling and your stepping in really helped me. Make sure everyone is
understanding the lesson”
At the same time, I encourage students like Markus to thank
their peers as well.
To take things a step further, I also like to reward ongoing
adherence to classroom procedures by informing parents and/or class mentors. I
feel that when a student is consistently doing a good job in my class, I want
that to help carry weight in other areas of their academics or personal life. I
will regularly write to a student with a parent or mentor in the cc and let
them know what they are doing in class that is really working, and how they are
positively contributing.
Another reason for doing this is I’ve noticed we as teachers
do this a lot for problems, but not as much for those who are helping create a
positive environment in class.
Further, I believe that involving parents in good behaviors
serves to help parental involvement, stimulate motivation, and bring parents in
to the loop of understanding what is going on with their children in class.
Surprisingly, I often find that some of my good behavior students are
struggling a little at home. It is incredibly helpful for their parents to hear
about how it is going for their children in class.
When Rules and
Procedures are Not Being Met
My first line of strategy for kids who are not adhering to
rules is to try to get an understanding of the whole picture. Is this a
one-off? A recurring problem? Something that relates to a greater academic or
social issue?
The Art and Science of Teaching refers to this strategy as
being “proactive”, which summarizes at least part of what I try to do with
this: anticipate what is going on, where potential disruptions may be, and nip
the situation in the bud when possible. This may entail speaking to a student
in advance as mentioned in the book, but more often it is seating particular
students in other configurations and particularly engaging certain students in
the lesson.
When behavior disruptions do occur in class, I often tailor
my response to the individual students. Most often the disruption is talking
when there is either a lesson or another student is talking. Ideally, I engage
the ‘offending’ student one on one, either by eye contact and a look, or by
continuing the lesson but walking quietly over to that student and speaking to
the rest of the class while right next to that student, often with my hand on
his or her desk.
In many situations a one-on-one approach works due to my
dynamic with the students. I keep a very friendly, playful classroom. We get
work done, but the atmosphere is fun and friendly. With behavior disruptions I
am very strict with non verbal signals and show a side that doesn’t come out
often. Due to this, a very stern look that says “I mean business” can often
convey to a student that he or she has crossed the line.
Outside of the
Classroom Actions
Typically I do not like to send students out of the
classroom and to the principal or for a “time out” as a disciplinary action
(this said, as a side note: I do believe everyone can use/deserves a time out
from time to time. But not as a disciplinary action! I use this more when
things are tense between students, or when a student is getting emotionally
charged, and I let him or her use a couple of minutes to relax and take a
breather).
However, there are times when disciplinary actions like this
are called for. I usually call this the last line of defense, but would use it
as a first line of disciplinary actions in a few cases, namely if there were a
situation where the student became violent, threatening, or posed any danger to
fellow students. In that case I would immediately send the student to our vice
principal’s office and more people would get involved.
When there is no threat or danger, I send students out of
the room only when I have tried individual intervention methods and these do
not work. Before sending a student out
of the room, I will attempt a non-disruptive whisper to the student, or a slip
of paper when appropriate, saying “this is your last warning.” They know what
this means and 9 times out of 10, it curtails the behavior.
My strategy is a last warning centers upon students
understanding what that means. I have already made students aware of this
method from the beginning, and they know what to expect from a last warning. In
my classroom, we try to create an atmosphere of respect and understanding, and
I offer that to them to. A last warning means they are crossing the line into
territory that can’t be addressed in the classroom anymore. Beyond that point,
others become involved. The steps that would then typically happen include involving
the vice principal, their class mentor, and in some cases their parents.
In conclusion, a strong classroom management style needs
both the teacher and students to be on board and have an understanding with
each other. It entails not only the teacher deciding and communicating what
they want in the classroom, but for the students to buy in to the strategy,
understand it, and have a clear idea of what is too far. I find that 90% of
this can be done simply and non-verbally when the students know what the rules
are. A chart posted in the classroom and regular discussion about this can
really help.
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