“The phrase, “we don’t do that here,” involves a deliberate choice of words. The messaging is key. “Here” withholds judgment about whether the behavior would be appropriate elsewhere; “we” enforces the idea that the school is a community, rather than shaming or excluding the individual from that community; and the overall message is straight to the point, reinforcing that school is a place where certain behaviors are expected.”
behavior
Showing 16 posts tagged behavior
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Behavior Management Must: Tell Students What and Why
All this teacher did was calmly request the class’ attention, and ask a student to remind his classmates why it’s important for only one person to talk at a time. “Acoustics,” the student replied.
image via flickr:CC | v@lentina
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Laptop multitasking hinders classroom learning for both users and nearby peers
Laptops are commonplace in university classrooms. In light of cognitive psychology theory on costs associated with multitasking, we examined the effects of in-class laptop use on student learning in a simulated classroom. We found that participants who multitasked on a laptop during a lecture scored lower on a test compared to those who did not multitask, and participants who were in direct view of a multitasking peer scored lower on a test compared to those who were not. The results demonstrate that multitasking on a laptop poses a significant distraction to both users and fellow students and can be detrimental to comprehension of lecture content.
If you’re lecturing you’re doing it wrong…but this is an interesting study with many good citations on multitasking and learning in classroom environments.
photo via flickr:CC | Enokson
Giving Good Praise to Girls: What Messages Stick
“My research shows that praise for intelligence or ability backfires,” said Dweck, who co-authored a seminal research paper on the effects of praise on motivation and performance. “What we’ve shown is that when you praise someone, say, ‘You’re smart at this,’ the next time they struggle, they think they’re not. It’s really about praising the process they engage in, not how smart they are or how good they are at it, but taking on difficulty, trying many different strategies, sticking to it and achieving over time.”
But what some might not know is that this paradox is strongest for girls.
“I see any unused ability in my class as an incipient behavior problem.”
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An odd incident last Thursday reminded me how high risk simple student interactions can be, particularly when you least expect it…
photo via flickr:CC | Amarand Agasi
Why Do We Suspend Misbehaving Students?
Certain Television Fare Can Help Ease Aggression in Young Children, Study Finds
In a study published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, researchers reported the results of a program designed to limit the exposure of preschool children to violence-laden videos and television shows and increase their time with educational programming that encourages empathy. They found that the experiment reduced the children’s aggression toward others, compared with a group of children who were allowed to watch whatever they wanted.
“Here we have an experiment that proposes a potential solution,” said Dr. Thomas N. Robinson, a professor of pediatrics at Stanford, who was not involved in the study. “Giving this intervention — exposing kids to less adult television, less aggression on television and more prosocial television — will have an effect on behavior.”
photo via flickr:CC | kthread
Keeping tabs on kids’ behavior
Leitzel is one of thousands of teachers using a free software program called ClassDojo. It lets teachers reward and punish students’ behavior as it happens. ClassDojo co-founder Sam Chaudhary is a former teacher. He says the program is a bit like those electronic roadside signs that show you how fast you’re driving. “When motorists are shown their speed, that’s an order of magnitude more effective than police traps,” he says. “You already know that information — it’s on your dashboard, but just by the fact of it being displayed to you in real time actually changes behavior.”
Chaudhary says the aim of ClassDojo is to catch students being good. Teachers are encouraged to award points for paying attention, helping others or persistence. “Positive, consistent reinforcement actually improves behavior,” Chaudhary says.
photo via flickr:CC | iamdat
School district actually expands paddling rule
In the you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff department: A Texas school district changed its rules on which administrators can paddle students after parents complained that male assistant principals whacked two girls so hard that they reportedly had bruises.
This kind of punishment, incidentally, is not singular to Springtown High, the district it is in, or even Texas. Nineteen states allow administrators to whack students — 31 states have banned it — and there are very specific rules about how it is to be done.
photo via flickr:CC | haven’t the slightest
New Year’s Resolution: Classroom Procedures, Not Rules
Yep, clearer procedures, fewer behavior issues. Tell kids what you want them to do, and they’re going to be more responsible and cooperative. What a contrast with rules, which focus on what you don’t want kids to do. (And of course many of them do it anyway—after all, rules are meant to be broken.)
American Educator Summer 2012
Ready to read? American Educator published the Summer 2012 edition that includes:
- Metamorphosis
How Missouri Rehabilitates Juvenile Offenders - An Evolving Controversy
The Struggle to Teach Science in Science Classes - Knowing Ourselves
How the Classics Strengthen Schools and Society - Labor’s Untold Story
A Textbook Case of Neglect and Distortion
Or just download the whole magazine.
Think smarter not harder
novicephoenix asks:
I was standing outside of my door, directing hallway traffic when I saw one of my former students taking his sweet time in the crowded corridor. He always had a bit of a bad attitude. I ushered him to hurry along to his class, and as he was walking to his class, he looked over shoulder and gruffed out “Fine! I’ll listen to you for the first time ever.”-insert annoying sneer-
Then I went into the class, and, like all teachers, I put the irritating incident into the back of my mind; however, I didn’t want this student to get away with:
- Being cruel and rude
- Taking pleasure in it.
I feel disturbed when students take pleasure in rudeness. It’s weird to me. Anyway, I didn’t want him to get away with it. I spoke to his teacher, and I devised a plan with my colleague. Next day, I went inside this student’s class, and I made a big speech that I saw something that stood out to me in the hallway: a student diligently listening and following directions. I went on about how crowded the halls were, and how this student was listening as opposed to a lot of other people. We awarded this student with an award for following directions. It actually turned out to be a positive thing. The whole class clapped for the student, and his regular teacher gave him a huge pat on the back.
Point 1: Goes to teacher for turning something negative into something positive.
I want to hear from you. What was one of your creative problem solving situations? How did you creatively address/fix a behavior issue?
“Children learn so much on their own. Most of what they need to learn from riding a bike to writing is best taught by coaching them in the act. However, when it comes to learning the most important skill set of life—getting along with others—we often decide to get didactic and ignore internal motivation.”
How to Respond to an Angry Student via Email
- Do not respond immediately. Wait two or three days and carefully consider your response.
- Use a professional tone.
- Address the student by name.
- Deal with only the issue brought up in the email.
- Do not address personal matters via email. (If you need to address such issues, use the telephone.)
- Limit your response to two or three lines. (“The more you write, the more ammunition you’re giving them to get angry all over again,” Brown said.)
- Close “Respectfully, [your name].”
