the continuing need for maintaining our habits & routines

importance of praise & preparation

a reminder of RP strategies that teachers can use for dealing with classroom management issues especially BACKCHAT

some new strategies and time to share.

Reflection

Using the strategies

Discussion & sharing with colleagues

Staying CALM, POSITIVE and RESTORATIVE

Entry & getting ready to learn Movement during the lessonSignals for getting ‘Full Attention’Expectations & Habits of behaviourLearning intentions visibleSuccess CriteriaExit

Getting ‘Full Attention’: Using the Countdown

Five, you should be finishing the sentence that you are writing.Four, some pens are down already.Three, excellent Jack, well done, for being the first to give me your full attentionTwo, ready to listenOne, all pens and pencils down, now!Thank you.

Exits: Using Exit PassesWith students waiting quietly at their desks waiting to be dismissed:Ask each student to give you one fact/key word/new term that they have learnt today OR

Ask each student/row/group a question about today’s learning

Avoid keeping students in after the bell

The following video ( 14 minutes ) demonstrates the importance of these.

Although it is about a Year 7 class I think it covers the relevance of habits & routines effectively.

While you watch it think about the teacher’s (Amy) strengths.

What were Amy’s strengths?

Have you tried these lately?Using proximity

‘The look’ or hand signal

Verbal interventions: directing a student to the task at hand, calling on a student to answer a question or simply naming the student

Using “I” messages to verbally prompt behaviour without a direct commandFirst, describe the behaviour in a non-blaming way: “When people talk when I am giving instructions.... Next, describe the tangible effect this behaviour has on you: “...I have to repeat the instructions and that wastes time....”Finally, state your feelings about the tangible effect: “...and I get frustrated.”

Try using these cards to prompt or challenge students to manage their own behaviour

I will show persisting by staying focussed on my learning

I will manage my impulsivity by listening while the teacher is talking

I will show courtesy by letting

students LEARN

I will manage my impulsivity by not turning around and distracting others

I will show commitment to my learning and courtesy by being on time

I will show strive for accuracy by listening to instructions

I will show commitment to my learning by bringing my workbook, student diary and pencil case to class

I will show courtesy by letting my

teacher TEACH

I will show courtesy by listening to other students when they are talking

Thanks very much to Janne Wallace for sharing this idea with me.

As a teacher you have tried all the ‘tools in the toolkit’You still don’t have a positive relationship with a particular studentSo, you have another chat with the student to find out what he is thinkingYou come up with a plan/contract that you discuss with him.

 LUKE THINKS:WC is picking on him•I don’t like writing or working hard•I don’t like doing posters or worksheets•I could try a lot harder•I am off task often.

WC THINKS:•You are a very likeable student•You are not showing COURTESY when you talk when I am•You could be putting heaps more effort (COMMITMENT) into your work•Your techno beats are awesome but not helpful for teaching or learning•I could be helping you a lot more to achieve•We need to fix things, so that Social Studies is better for you, me and the rest of the class

WE BOTH AGREE WE WANT THINGS TO IMPROVE

Helping the student change his behaviour and improve the relationship: Using yellow and red cards.1.Yellow Card 1: Change your behaviour2.Yellow Card 2: No more chances3.Red Card: Move yourself to the desk beside me

1.

2.

3.

Who has had the pleasure of dealing with a student like Lauren??

Vanessa and Kathy are talking, and as you walk by, you attempt to deal with it.Teacher: “Vanessa, I would like you to turn around and get some work done.”Student: “I wasn’t doing anything.”Teacher: “You have been talking this whole period, and I want it to stop.”Student: “No I wasn’t.”Teacher: “Every time I look up, I see you talking to Kathy.”Student: “She was just asking me a question.”Teacher: ”I don’t care who was asking who what. When I look up, I expect to see you doing your own work.”Student: “Yeah, but...”

Have you had enough yet? Who do you think will look foolish by the time this conversation winds down?

It takes one fool to backchat.It takes two fools to make a conversation out of it.

The student mouths off. The teacher responds. The student mouths off. The teacher responds. The student mouths off. The teacher responds. The student mouths off.

What happen’s?

The teacher will ‘pull rank’ and send the student to the Withdrawal Room or Dean

Open your mouth, and slit your throat.

Imagine instead:

Teacher: “Vanessa, I would like you to bring your chair around and get some work done.” Student: “I wasn’t doing anything.” Teacher: (silence) Student: “Well, I wasn’t.” Teacher: (silence) Student: “Well…” Teacher: (silence) Student: (silence)

When students begin to feel foolish, they fold. Getting back to work suddenly becomes the quickest way to disappear.

Things to remember:Never take anything a student says as personalIf you do, you will feel wounded and respond emotionally with the ‘fight/flight’ reflexAnd who has the power now? The studentInstead take two relaxing breaths and think with your cortex

Insert a picture of a brain labelled with the cortex and brainstemAcknowledge the work of Dr JonesGive out resources

What is the real agenda underlying the profanity?POWER!!! It is a question of power and this boils down to a question of control.Who controls the classroom? Who controls you?If you allow the student to control you, determine your emotions and your behaviour .....Then, the student is very POWERFULIf you give a student this much POWER and it comes quickly and predictably, he/she will use it again and again......

Take two deep breaths, remain quietIf you are in your cortex, you can use good judgement and choose a long-term response that fits the situationIf, however you are in your brainstem, judgement is out of the questionConsequently, if you succeed in the short-term you will probably succeed in the long-termYour lack of an immediate response (staying CALM and SILENT) is very powerful body language

If the student then gets back to work, consider getting on with the lesson

Make sure you have the chat later

Don’t worry that the other students will think that you didn’t do anything about it.GIVE THEM SOME SOCIAL INTELLIGIENCE.They saw that you handled it well. The student tried the ‘big one’ and failed.

Your short-term response does not foreclose any other management optionsIt simply gives you time to thinkIn the long-term you can use other options:refer to the Dean, send to the withdrawal roomJust do it CALMLYIf you are calm you are above the stormThe calm helps students accept responsibility for their own actions

When you have the restorative chat at the end of class, find out what is happening in the student’s life that has prompted this behaviourStay calmASK and LISTEN“Mike, what you said in class today was not at all like you. Tell me what’s really going on”

WAIT Allow the student the time to answerThe time that you take to have this chat could be the turning point in your relationship

Teacher Students of 10 ???

Learning

Reflection

Using the strategies

Discussion & sharing with colleagues

Staying CALM, POSITIVE and RESTORATIVE

I will manage my impulsivity to respond when dealing with backchat. I will not be a FOOL! I WILL STAY QUIET.