Volume 53 :: Number 11

November 2011

www.ascd.org

LEARN. TEACH. LEAD.

Update

How To

Manage Your Classroom Effectively

Want to create a positive, engaging, and orderly learning environment? Sharpen your classroommanagement skills with these tips from the experts.

Classroom management includes everything from seating Tomlinson says. There shouldbe a defined structurewithto transitions to engagement to discipline. What classroom clearprocesses and expectations, but the structure shouldmanagement should not include isa command-and-control include enough flexibility to accommodate students' needs,approach, says Carol Ann Tomlinson, a professor inthe Asolid setofclassroom management strategies can com-Curry School ofEducation at the University ofVirginia and bine with a defined structure to help create anenvironmentcoauthor ofASCD's Leading and Managing aDifferentiated that is orderly but the enabling part is up tothe teacher.Classroom. "If a teacher's notion is to manage, [his] style Here are a few favored strategies frombecomes domineering," says Tomlinson. "This results in experienced classroom teachers atresistance from students and an adversarial relationship." all levels. _^„,

Some teachers, especially new ones, confuse classroom . Take the time to gettomanagement with discipline, says Tomlinson's coauthor, know your students andMarcia Imbeau, who is a professor of curriculum and enlist them in their owninstruction in the College of Education at the University of success. Elona Hartjes, a I »yArkansas. Although discipline is anelement ofclassroom special education and mathmanagement, other elements, such as established routines Mjj?^^-and mutually designed guidelines for good behavior, continued on page2-» | V^can foster amanageable environment while ^rgreatly reducing the number ofdisciplinaryincidents. "w.

The goal,says Tomlinson, is to createthekind ofenvironment that studies I A*have shown to be most conducive 4 , lUt^At^.to learning: one that is orderlybut enabling. "An orderly/enabling environmentfacili- •* Jtates high-quality learning,"

INSIDE UPDATE: Engage Students in the School Community 4Teaching and Learning Resources for the Global Classroom 6Educators Need More Flexibility with Federal Funding 8

"—.^n.LtAU. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD.

November 2011

Education

Update

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Education Update presentsa varietyofviewpoints. The viewsexpressed hereinare not necessarilyofficialASCD positions.

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EducationUpdate is published12 times a year.

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A 1 HH

Manage Your ClassroomEffectively-> continuedfrom page I

teacher at Woodland SecondarySchool inMississauga, Ontario, has been teachingfor 29years. Shehas been writing her blog,Teachers at Risk (www.teachersatrisk.com),for fiveyears. One of her most popular postsis titled, "Nine Questions I Ask My Studentson the First Day of School," in which shedescribes how she asks students about their

learning successes and difficulties."I want the students to know that we are

a team, and that we each play a part in thelearning," Hartjes says.

♦ Collaborate with your class to create guidelines for appropriate classroombehavior. It's important to enlist kids in thecreation of these guidelines, especially at thehigh school level, says Hartjes. "I emphasizeto them that they're in grade 9; they're expertsat school by now. We work together to createfour basic behavioral guidelines for the yearand to describe what each behavior, such as

attentive listening, looks like. Kids won't buyin otherwise."

♦ Establish a routine for starting class.

Post a problem or a writing exercise on theboard that students willbegin as soon as theystow their gear in their desks. Also, createa seatingchart so you can take attendancewithout calling roll, suggests Tomlinson.

♦ Establish a signal that indicateswhen students should stop talking

•"•^lillfta

and give you their full attention. Nevertalkwhen students are talking; doingsodiminishes your leadership role and doesn'tmotivate them to stop talking, saysTomlinson. The signal could be a bell, a hand clap,or dimming the overhead lights—whateverworks for you. Susan Alexander, a middleschool English teacher at Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, Fla., uses a vibraphone(a vibrating percussive instrument) for thispurpose. The vibraphone's tone can take several minutes to dissipate, says Alexander, whonotes that students naturally become quietas they strain to hear when the tone will stopcompletely.

♦ Give clear directions. "Consider what

good quality will look like.Communicatethe process for how to do the task weJJ," saysTomlinson. You can also make "task cards"

and place them in the center of tables or onthe board so kids can remind themselves of

the steps they need to take to finish a project.♦ Create a strategy for kids to request

help. When you're workingwith studentsone-on-one or in small groups, you wantthe others to have a way to get help withoutinterruptingyou. Formulate a strategy forthis and ensure students understand it, saysImbeau. Some teachers use "check with three

before me"—meaning that students shouldask three classmates before going to the

teacher for help. Other teachersplace "hint cards" in a central

location that students can

check when they get stuck.

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LEARN. TEACH. LEAD. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD.

At the elementary level, students can place "stoplight cups"—green, yellow, and red—on their desks as nonverbal signals ofunderstanding.

• Find creative ways to set the mood. Alexander, aformer professional actor, director, and writer, borrows fromher theater background to harness kids' energy and set themood in the classroom. "You can create an environment

with lighting and sound that is appropriate to your underlying message," she says. "Afterall, a play begins before theactors take the stage." Alexander might put coloredgels ontheoverhead lights, project an image onto the wall, and playmusic as students enter the room.

• Use technology strategically (or, "If you can't beat'em, join 'em"). Many students have cell phones or smart-phones, so figure out howyou can leverage those devices toaid in classroom management, suggests Lori Gracey, executivedirector of the TexasComputer Education Association.For example,at www.todaysmeet.com, teachers can createprivate forums where they can post questions for studentsto answer, tweet-style. "Students are writing rather thantalking," Gracey notes. "Students using technology arepayingattention, responding to their teacher and to each other."

• Practice flexible grouping. Imbeau emphasizes thatit's important forkidsto be exposedto diverse personalities, interests, and ability levels as you work together to builda community of learners. "Flexible grouping supports the

LEARN. TEACH. LEAD. LCAKn. I c«v.n.

Education Update

idea that students can learn from each other," she says. Sheworks hard to mix up groups throughout the week, chartingthem out and keeping notes on her rationale for her studentpairings.

♦ Provide opportunities for collaboration. "Kids aredying to collaborate," Alexander notes. Set aside time for students to work together to solve problems, conduct research,and play games that build teamwork.

♦ Allow kids to use their own words. In her "Fish-

bowl" exercise, Alexander places three chairs in the middleof a large circle of students seated on the floor. She asks aprovocative question—one designed to foster conversation,with manypossible valid answers—but onlystudents seatedin the chairs may respond. Once students in the center havespoken, they must relinquish the chairs and return to thelarger circle. Theexercise gives each student theopportunityto be heard.

♦ Plana high-quality curriculum. Thisis the HolyGrail—the strategythat will render allyour other classroommanagement strategies unnecessary. "A high-quality curriculum isan effective method of discipline," says Tomlinson."Students who feel that theybelong, that theyhave a voice,and that they understand classroom routines are moreengaged. Engagement gives them less of a reason to rebel." eu

—Jennifer J. Salopek

Video: Want to see examples of effective classroom management in action? Use your smartphoneto scan the QR code and watch a clip from the ASCD video Classroom Management that Works.

Don't have a smartphone? Watch the video atwww.ascd.org/eu-nov11 -qr-video.

What's a QR code? Go to www.ascd.org/qrcodes to learn more.

t-^nnrv. ic«un. LEAD, LEARN. TEACH. LEAD. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD,

November 2011

In the Classroom with

Brad KuntzT^?-r«5^-c=/

55^ Engage Students in the School CommunityEducation Update ispleased tointroduce Brad Kuntz, another

award-winningteacher who willoffer practical advice about howto increase student achievement

and educate the whole child. Kuntz willsharehis insight onarange of topics, includingengaging students in schoolculture;improving students'reading writing and thinking skills; andusingproject-basedinstruction.

Pleaseshare the column withyour colleagues, and join the"In the Classroom"discussion on ASCD's blog Inservice, at

http://ascd. typepad.com/blog/in-the-classroom-with, whereyou can also read advicefrom past "In the Classroom" columnists BijalDamani and Deirdra Grode, who arealsoformerOutstanding Young Educator Award (OYEA) winners. Tolearn more about the OYEA program, go to www.ascd.org/oyea.

Today, we see more and more students floating throughschool without engaging with the world around them. Someare disinterested in classes. Many lack self-esteem. Perhapsthey are just bored. Often, these students just get by in their

ASCD Needs You! Call

for ASCD Candidates

ASCD's Nominations Committee is seekingcandidates for governance positions in 2012.Elected leaders are responsible for ensuringthat programs, products, and services focuson the success of learners and that ASCD

resources are used wisely to promote ASCDvaluesand guide the future direction of theassociation.

Please consider nominating yourself orencouragepotential candidates to apply.Go to www.ascd.org/nominations for moreinformation on the open positions, includingthe time commitment and qualifications, andto access the nominations form. The deadline

to submit the completed form is January 31,2012. Please contact Governance Director

Becky DeRigge at bderigge@ascd.org with anyquestions.

Make Your Next Move with ASCD

Job Ramp™Looking forsome career assistance? Jointhousands ofother educatorswho search and post listings on the ASCDJob Ramp, a customizededucation jobs sitethat usesthe technology that made CareerBuilderthe number one jobs site in the United States.ASCD JobRampcombines CareerBuilder's job-posting engine and resume and job searchservices with allof the jobs listed in the CareerBuildereducationcategory to create a valuable and unique jobsearch experience for oureducator audience.

The ASCD Job Ramp listings integrate into the main ASCDwebsite and our ASCD EDge® social networkingcommunity, personalizing education-related listings to a user's geographiclocation in either the United States

or Canada. The site is open toanyone, and job seekerscan use theservice for free. Job posters pay forthe service, but ASCD members

receive a 10 percent discount offany jobs they post on the site.To learn how to post resumes,view current job listings, orreview the fees for job posting,visit www.jobramp.org.

HSCDI Job RampA CAREERS SITE FOR EDUCATORS

It

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LEARN. TEACH. LEAD. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD. LEARN. . tAun. lcmu.

Education Update '•

classes. I believeencouraging and inviting students to getinvolved with organizations that match their interests cangoa longwaytoward setting them up for successand givingthem a place to belong in the school community.

A student involved in some sort of club, group, or teamstandsa better chance of becomingan engaged citizen, gaining self-confidence, and feeling more accepted. In addition,he is more likely to improve qualities that are directly linkedto success both inside and outside of the classroom, such as

an increased sense of duty, responsibility, and commitmentto selfand the schoolcommunity. He mayalso improve histeamwork skills, work ethic, communication abilities, andmore. Plus, connectingwith an adult maybe just what heneeds in his life at this point.

Often,an otherwiseapathetic student might be moremotivated in classif academic eligibility is a factor in continuing a certain activity. Receiving encouragement tosucceed academically from a coach or advisor can have apositive influence on the child. Clubs also benefit studentsbyteachingthem to more actively managetheir after-school time. Because there

is less time to waste in a busy schedule,this kind of commitment can lead to

improved homework completion and testpreparation.

Joininga club could be equally useful for the student who does average

• l

classwork and feels uninspired. An extracurricular activitymight offer this student a reason to feel excited about goingto school, and that enthusiasm could take the student from

ordinary to extraordinary.Students may not be involved in clubs at school for any

number of reasons. I start by assuming that no one has everinvited them and keep my eye out for students who couldbenefit from the club experience. When I find a matchbetween a student's interests and a club in our school, I

simplyask if he has considered joining and encourage him todo so. I follow up a few days later. I also speak with the club'steacher advisor, pass along that student's name, and requestthe teacher make an effort to meet the student to discuss the

possibility of his joining. I have introduced students to clubadvisors personally, and I have even walked a student to hisfirstmeetingjust to help him feel comfortable about takingthat first step.

If I have a student who could benefit from club participation but who doesn't have any particularlywell-matchedinterests, I begin to think of advisors or coaches who maywork well with that student and approach the matter from apersonality standpoint instead.

Sometimes it doesn't work. More often, a student feels

good about being noticed, honored to be wanted, and betterhaving connected with adults, eu

Brad Kuntz teaches Spanish andenvironmental leadership atGladstone HighSchoolin Gladstone, Ore., and is a 2011 winnerofASCD's Outstanding Young Educator Award, which issponsored by GlobalScholar.

MINING THE RESEARCH

Stay abreast ofthelatest education research with themonthly online-only"Mining the Research" column. To read this month's list ofresources, go towww.ascd.org/miningtheresearch.

utAKN. [EACH. LEAD. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD.

November 2011

Teaching and Learning Resources for theGlobal Classroom

Educators don't have to breakthe bankto provide studentswithaccess to world-class lessons aboutglobal issues, orconnect with learners and teachers in other countries. Free

software likeSkype allows students to participatein face-to-face language lessons; the Smithsonian offers free videos,lectures, and online exhibitions; and National Geographieswebsite has a wealth of multimediaresources designed totake students on exciting adventures.

If you want to knock down your classroom'swalls andfree yourself of geographical boundaries, check out theseteaching and learning resources.

Asia for Educators

http://afe.easia.columbia.edu

The Weatherhead East Asian Institute of Columbia

University created this website, which provides extensiveresources for teaching Eastern Asian history and culture,including lesson plans, videos, maps, time lines, primary-

source documents, and more. The site features

several modules on a range ofhistorical topics, includingthe "China & Europe: What Is 'Modern'?" module, whichlooks at the social, cultural, political, and industrial historiesof both societiesfrom 1500-2000 and beyond and asks thequestion, "What do we mean by 'modern'?"

Teachers can also participate in collaborative, onlineprofessional development courses on topics, such as how toteach East Asian history using a multidisciplinary approach,as well as courses in eastern religious practices, geography,arts, and culture.

Asia Society

www.asiasociety.org/education/resources-schoolsFind arts, culture, history, math, and other educational

resources on this well-designed website. Asia Society offers aplethora of advice and strategies for creating global classrooms and schools.

Choices for 21st Century Education Programwww.choices.edu

Sponsored by Brown University's Watson Institutefor International Studies, this website offers videos from

scholars and matching lesson plans on current topics.The curricular lessons are designed to allow students toact as decision makers as they examine crucial points inhistory. Students can use historical and contemporaryprimary-source documents, maps, editorialcartoons,and more to develop their critical-thinking, creativity,innovation, and collaboration skills, as well as their media,

technology, and civic literacies.

Cleveland Museum of Art

www.clevelandart.org/learn/distance%201earning.aspxThrough the ClevelandMuseum of Art's award-winning,

low-cost distance learning program, students can view artand artifacts in the museum's collection and interact with

museum educators. Lessons range from Fauvism toforeign languages, from Mesopotamia to math. Scholarshipsfor the distancelearningprogramsare available forlow-wealth school districts.

Global Dimension

www.globaldimension.org.ukThe Global Dimension website is managed

by Think Global, an education charitythatpromotes global learning. This website connects

LEARN. TEACH. LEAD. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD.

current events with curricula, and providesbackgroundinformation, news reports, research, videos, and otherresources to help K-12 teachers infuse global issuesacrosscontent areas.

"Education plays a vital role in helping children andyoung people recognise their responsibilities as citizens oftheglobal community," says the website. The lessons aredesigned to teachstudentsto "critically examine their ownvalues and attitudes" and to learn to "value diversity, understandthe global context of their local lives, and develop skillsthat willenable them to combat injustice, prejudice, anddiscrimination."

iEARN

www.us.iearn.org

iEARN is a collaborative resource that connects classes

around the world. The organization's mission is to "enableyoung people worldwide, working in collaboration and dialogue, to make a meaningful contribution to the health andwelfare of the planet and its people." Made up of over 25,000schools and youth organizations in more than 125 countries,the iEARN network provides extensive opportunities forcross-cultural communication and collaboration.

The website provides a forum for making connectionsand features news, project updates, videos, and plenty ofeducational and entertaining resources. iEARN also offersprofessional development for K-12 educators and hostslocal, regional, and international events. iEARN is a partnerin Adobe Youth Voices (http://youthvoices.adobe.com), aglobal philanthropic initiative that trains youth to use digitaltools to share their stories and ideas.

One World Education

www.oneworldeducation.org

One World Education is a nonprofit program thatshowcases writing by middle and high school students in aneffort to promote youth literacy. In their reflections, studentsdiscuss their experiences in another country or with anotherculture as a starting point for conversation about a timely

MORE ONLINE

LEARN. TEACH, lcmu.

Education Update

topic. The One World Curriculum provides teachers withresources to help them infuse lessons about global issuesacross the content areas. Each month, the website sharesnew project-based learning activities and materials.

Peace Corps/Paul D. CoverdellWorld Wise Schoolswww.peacecorps.gov/wws

This unique website taps intotheexperiences, knowledge,and writingof Peace Corps volunteers to createengaginglesson plans, classroom materials, and multimedia resources.The siteoffers plenty ofexciting ways to benefit from thevolunteers: students can listen to the Volunteer Voices

podcast to hear exciting tales from the field, or correspondwith a current volunteer who will send monthly messages.Teachers can also request returned volunteers to come speakin the classroom.

TeachUNICEF

www.teachunicef.orgAs it states on the TeachUNICEF website, "TeachU

NICEF is a portfolio of global education teacher resourcesdesigned and collected by the U.S. Fund for UNICEF'sEducation Department." The website features curricularunits, lesson plans, videos, and more, focused on the topicsof poverty, education, gender equality, water sanitation, andUNICEF's Millennium Development Goals, to help students better understand the needs of children and families

around the world. Students can also watch vodcasts (video

podcasts), check out photoessays, and read stories posted bychildren about their lives, eu

—WlLLONA M. StOAN

M

The world is available at our fingertips! Educatorswho seek to create globalclassrooms will be inspiredby the transcontinental connections formingbetween Kenyan students and their peers in the United States and Canada.Readthe online-onlyarticle "Rafiki Link Connects Kenyan and NorthAmerican Students" to learn how this collaborativelearning programencourages young people to "think, link, and act." To read the article, go towww.ascd.org/eu-novll-kenya.

lcakin. itACH. LEAD. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD. LEARN. TEACH. LEAD.

November 2011

ASCD Community

Message from the Executive DirectorfZ^l&Ll

Educators Need More

Funding Flexibility

States and districts sought flexibilityin using federal dollarsand in meeting federal education mandates well before

No Child Left Behind (NCLB)ushered in a new era of federal

control over education, but

this call for flexibility hasbecome more urgent duringthe past several months as

almost every state works to implement the new commoncore state standards and as NCLB's 2013-14 deadline, bywhich all students must reach reading and math proficiency, inches closer.

Two recent efforts by federal policymakers to respond tothis call for flexibilitycouldn't be more different, but unfortunately, both are marked by serious flaws.

The first attempt to provide states and districts withmore flexibility comes from House Education ChairmanJohn Kline (R-MN) and his Republican colleagues, whostrongly believe in the need to reduce the federal footprinton education and restore local control. They've passeda bill that would provide unprecedented flexibility in theuse of federal education dollars. States and districts would

be able to shift money into and out of a wide range offederal programs—including Title I, Improving TeacherQuality State Grants, and English Language AcquisitionState Grants.

But permitting funds to be siphoned from programsthat serve high-need students jeopardizes the federalgovernment's historic role to ensure education equityfor each student. The legislation also fails to provide thekind of flexibility requested by educators, such asautonomy in determining how to identify low-performingschools. What's more, allowing states and districts touse federal education funds for a multitude of purposesmakes it difficult for educators to defend spendinglevels or make the case for necessary increases—animportant consideration in this new, contentious fiscalenvironment.

Flexibility with Strings AttachedU.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is also

sympathetic to states' calls for flexibility, and he intends toprovide them with relieffrom meeting key NCLB provisions, including the much-maligned 2013-2014 deadline.However, his plan comes with a big catch: to qualify for theNCLB waivers, states must commit to key reforms alignedwith the Obama administration's priorities.

The U.S. Department of Education understandablywants to target its finite resources and balance flexibilityagainst the possibility of watering down accountability;however, offering waivers from one administration's priorities in exchange for another administration's priorities isn'tflexibility. It's simply replacing old mandates with new ones.

Putting Students First

Ultimately, educators need flexibility that is built intofederal legislation from the outset rather than added laterthrough incredibly broad allowances or through a patchwork system of waivers. During the legislativeprocess,lawmakers must consider educator input regarding themost effective uses of federal funds and the most appropriate waysto support them in identifying and meeting theirstudents' needs.

Based on educator feedback to date, it's clear, for

example, that the accountability mandate needs to be transformed from one that is punitive, federally prescriptive,and overlybureaucratic, to a model that rewards growth,is state-driven, and provides research-based supportsmatched to each district's achievement challenges.

Finally, any attempt to build flexibility into federal legislation must support the ultimate goalof preparing our nation'sstudents for lifelong success. Too often the concept of flexibilityrevolves around the needs and wants ofadults. Instead, wemust consider how and when students can directiy benefitfrom efforts that empower their local educators to help themreach their fullest potential. In short, federal lawmakers needto hold schools and districts accountable for student learningwhile providing them with customizable supports groundedin localknowledge of what students need. Only then willthehard workand good intentionsofeducatorsat all levels workin concert to help each and every student succeed, bj