Monday, November 30, 2009
Chapter 19 and 20 First Days
Chapter 19 and 20 are the two most important chapters in the book. Procedures--how are they delivered, posted, learned or known in your classroom? What would you offer that needs to be consistent across our staff? If I were to walk into your room and you were not there, would procedures be in place so that the room could run itself? Do your procedures "walk the walk" and "talk the talk" without being addressed? What procedures are vital for productive learning?
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Keep in mind the difference between a "rule" and a "procedure" when reading these passages and reflecting upon your own classroom. Often we think of the rules we want in our classrooms, but don't pay enough attention to the procedures that are necessary to help things run smoothly.
ReplyDeleteQuestions to ponder:
Are your procedures clear to your students?
Are they in writing?
Chapter 19:
ReplyDeleteBad procedure plan = poor classroom behaviour
Procedures are critical to the working environment of a classroom.
Make sure the procedures are taught and practiced to become routines.
Chapter 20:
Be consistent
Implemented procedures need to be consistently used on a daily basis.
Procedures that become routines help the class run self-sufficiently.
ELEE
Chpater 19
ReplyDeleteClassroom management comes from good procedures not discipline. The procedures need to be well established with the students so that they become routine every class period. Without effective procedures the classroom teacher is doing all the work, not the students.
Chapter 20
The procedures used in our classes need to be consistently practiced on a regular basis. Students must know exactly what they are to do each class and each transistion. Effective teachers have consistent procedures for every transistion they use in their classrooms.
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ReplyDeleteChapter 19
ReplyDeleteSometimes, I think that some teachers don't want to demonstrate the effort necessary to put routines into place. The result is an unmanaged classroom. Yes, it takes more work up front, and it continually takes work to remind students of the procedures. However, it's well worth the effort!
Chapter 20
My "AHA" moment--reading the transitions section. I try to keep my classroom focused and on task from bell to bell. Why give students breaks in the halls when we can plan for appropriate, simple transitions within the 90 minutes we teach? Keep the transitions short, simple, and easy-to-do. Again, it all goes back to procedures and consistency. Students are much more likely to succeed behaviorally and academically with sound procedures in
Garrik and Krityn make great points. The effort to implement procedures and work until they become routine allows students to gain ownership and allows a teacher to teach rather than work hard managing. Transitions allow for activity that students desire. Only 144 words in a text message so how much attention do students give?
ReplyDeleteIn response to what needs to be consistent across the staff...I would say consistency within our own classrooms. By that, I mean I think it is ok for different classrooms to have different procedures in place. Differnt subject areas, different procedures. I also think that our kids need to experience diversity in procedure...that is a real world experience. Procedure at the doctor, procedure paying bills, procedure fixing dinner, etc.
ReplyDeleteRelationships and procedure. Are they mutually exclusive? It is a balancing act that I know I struggle with.
ReplyDeleteThe person who works, learns. So true. I don't think I truly learned science til grad school and through teaching. I need to constantly remind myself that is true for my students, too. Thanks, Charlie!!!
ReplyDeleteProcedure for the movement of paper. This works when the whole class is turning something in at the same time. But, when I am using layered curriculum, this does not work,so another procedure is needed for that particular situation. This involves conferencing with students after they have put their name on the conference list indicating they are ready to be quizzed.
ReplyDeleteChapter 19
ReplyDeleteOkay, I think I figured this out now! I thinkt he most important thing I gleaned from this is that procedures vary greatly from rules. Procedures seem to be proactive and rules for discipline are reactive. You may have to use both but the more procedures you have/review them, the less discipline/rules you will need. I found this to be true this year as I put more procedures in place about homework and cleaning up, etc. I'm happier and the kids respond well to the procedures. (Although we had to review them just yesterday about homework. i.e. We work harder and have more during the week if you don't want homework on the weekends.)
I agree about short attention spans and relating things to text messages! I found that I have to actually SHOW them what I mean by putting things away and then reinforcing this when we do a project by standing in front of the door until everyone helps clean up. No one leaves until my room is clean. At first this year, I was worried they would think I was treating them childishly but now I realize that if they don't do it, I have to and #1, I'm not their mom, and #2, they're okay with following the directions as long as they know I'm serious about it. I think that's where consistency comes in with reinforcing procedures.
ReplyDeleteChapter 20
ReplyDeleteTransitions stuck out to me as something that could be useful to us as staff, mainly becuase we use the 90 minute block. Ideally, we should be transitioning every 10 minutes or so to a new activity (even if it's as simple as writing a journal or getting out your clicker, etc.) So when that's expected in a 90 minute block, you should be transitioning 7-8 times a period. If those aren't in place, that can be a nightmare for management. I tried allowing more time to go over really basic things (even with seniors) about how to get out your clicker, write your number down, put it away properly, etc. I spent a lot of time on those things at the beginnign and now when we go to that, it runs smoothly. They get to move around while getting ready for the next thing.
Chapter 19
ReplyDeleteIt is important that we take time to show our students our procedures. Explaining is not good enough. The more structured our classrooms with procedures and expectations, the less we will have to deal with negative behavior issues.
Chapter 20
Obviously we can not have a procedure in place for everything that will come up in a classroom. It seems like ever day something new or unexpected can happen. However, we have a good idea of the common things that will happen in our classrooms. Have procedures in place for those so students know exactly what is expected of them when those situations arise.
Chapter 19/20--Everyone is saying the same thing--different words, same message. I certainly don't disagree. And instead of repeating the comments, I'm simply saying "ditto." But one comment in the book has not yet been addressed: Procedures REDUCE (not eliminate) misbehaviors. I've had "rules" or "policies and procedures" or whatever you call them in place for years. As long as they are enforced (look at Jill's comment about standing at the door until done), whatever they are called will be followed. ("Enforced" sounds like a rule instead of a procedure, doesn't it?) The chapter we're on in business MANAGEMENT right now talks about "power" (the ability to control behavior). There are four kinds of power--position and reward; expert and identity. Putting this into an educational organization, it looks something like this: Position power is that power the teacher SHOULD have simply because the teacher is the teacher--that's a respect issue (and is not nearly as automatic as it was 20 years ago--or 10 years ago or even 2 years ago--the evolution has been steady and more or less constant). Reward power is the power the teacher has (should have) to assign grades based on student achievement and to assign consequences for not following appropriate procedures (rules). (Think about this: If an employee at your restaurant did not follow the appropriate procedures for washing dishes or recording a customer's order, what would happen? First time, you'd probably retrain. Second time? Third time? Eighteenth time?) Expert power is that power GIVEN to someone for his knowledge/skill. (Whom do you ask for help with a math problem? That person has expert power. That person might be another student; it might be a teacher--and not necesssarily the one you have assigned to you for the math class.) Identity power can be positive--or negative. Identity power controls your behavior because you want to be "like them." Maybe that means working extra hard so you are identified as a top 10% student. Maybe you work extra hard to make the team and get to wear the uniform. Maybe you show off in class or shoplift (or worse) in order to be a member of the "cool group." (Gangs hold a tremendous level of identity power.) The procedures in Wong's book are really talking about controlling behavior. What forces are at play? Position. Reward. Expert. Identity. And, as Wong says (though not quite in the words of the business manager), you can reduce (but not eliminate) the potentially negative forces of identity (or expert) power.
ReplyDeleteI think we are all in agreement as to fact that classroom management, and all of its components are vital to successful teaching.
ReplyDeleteThere are many components involved in having effective classroom management. Chapters 19 and 20 address the concept of proceedures. These are ideas and concepts that instill the ideas of consistancy in expectations leading to routine behavior of the students.
I am reasonably certain that most of us present our students with some sort of classrooom expectations at the beginning of each term.
We each need to implement our preceedures in such a way that it fits our curriculum, and then hold the students accountable for following our proceedures.
Explain these proceedures early in the term. Make sure your students understand them, and positively reinforce students who follow these proceedures and make them into a routine..
We can do all this, but we will still have behavior problems arise. Discipline will still be necessary. Rules will still be necessary.
Great chapters. As a number of people said, it takes a bit of time at the beginning to teach the procedures and make them habit, but you save a lot of time and frustration in the long run!
ReplyDeleteFirst--I'd like to "ditto" Betsy's comments abou the students benefitting from learning an array of procedures from their many teachers. When these seniors graduate, they will encounter professors who use MLA, APA, or other forms of documentation; they will experience variant syllabi, systems, personalities--and will have to adapt. We do a disservice to them if we don't prepare them for that experience. However, I do support school wide policies to aid in consistency and create balance. I think procedures, both individual and school wide, teach kids respect, responsibility, tolerance,and patience.
ReplyDeleteCh. 20: The very last point from this chapter is "managing my attitude" which is something I try to do daily. My 20 minute drive to work allows me to put my mind where it needs to be for the students. While extremely cliche, our attitude is everything--and while we become exhausted, frustrated, or believe our day is just going to stink, WE can have a GREAT day by presenting the correct attitude for the students. If we are grumpy--they are grumpy--students are perceptive to say the least. Many of them actually rely on us to be positive, engaging, and interested in their lives--for some of them, school may be the best part of their day. Through procedures and activities, we give them structure and consistency--something they may not get elsewhere, something which they can depend on, rely on--and something which illustrates that we care about them and their learning.
ReplyDeleteKey points that stuck with me for Ch. 19 are problems arise due to lack of procedures and routines; I liked the "give me 5" to quiet the room; Praise and then encourage when procedures are done correctly, set the expectation that they be done correctly every time; at-risk students NEED consistent rountine and structure; you must rehearse procedures as a class
ReplyDeleteOne of the most important things that I took from this chapter (I actually learned from Harry Wong- long ago) is that the person doing the work is the person doing the learning. If I lecture my students for 90 minutes- I will know ALL about my content area. Likely, the students will know very little. So- student engagement and cooperative learning is vital. Managing these activities, though, in a way that is productive to all students and limits the amount of "wasted" instructional time continues to be an challenge. That is where procedures are vital. Students need to use their instructional time to learn. The teachers job is to manage the classroom in such a way as to make this possible.
ReplyDeleteClassroom management is preventative and must be modeled by the teacher. Besides, we are all creatures of habit; we just need to exhibit those habits we want our students to display. We must spend time to continually reinforce, clarify, and model our procedures to ensure that our students properly execute them from day to day.
ReplyDeleteWow. Great conversation is going on through this blog. Look at how we can be consistent yet maintain individualism. Procedures that are reinforced become routine and therefore reduce problems later. Routine helps with structure. So are we saying that if we want students to put their name on the left hand of the paper we need to model it? Introduce, practice (teacher model), model again and again then we have routine. This information relates not only to classroom management but to real-life experiences.
ReplyDeleteKeep the great conversation going.
Great stuff.
Chapter 20:
ReplyDeleteOnce again- consistency is the word to know. Your procedures must be in place, and they must be followed consistently. There were many great ideas in this chapter for setting procedures. Many people have already talked about the important information. So- I guess I will ask a question that stuck out for me reagarding the movement of paper. I understand that having a box that the students walk to in order to turn in their papers may lead to some wasted time. But I do this anyway because of the research that says we need to have kids move every now and again if we want their brains to keep working. So- I use natural transitions (hand this in to the box, move to your group) as movement opportunities. I do not give any other sorts of breaks. If used in this way- is it still a bad idea? Do others have better ideas for physical movement opportunities to keep the brains going and not waste that precious instructional time?
Chapter 19:
ReplyDeleteIt occurs to me that we talk often about "raising the bar" academically - it occurs to me that having high expectations in the classroom AND procedures in place that will give students the best opportunities to reach those expectations might be the key. AAThe key for me to remember is consistency. If you are not consistent, it doesn't really matter how many times you Explain - Rehearse and Reinforce. I also like the words "Praise the deed - encourage the student" and the term "at promise" students.
Chapter 20:
ReplyDeleteI was trying to imagine if my classroom would be able to "run itself" - and I think the students would be good at the start of the period - those procedures are in place, but I don't know what would happen when it came time to move to the next lesson. Most of them would not be able to read the book and move forward, but maybe I haven't given them enough practice at that.......it might just be the subject, but I don't do that very often.
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ReplyDeleteTeaching and parenting have a lot in common, and this section reiterated this. For instance, when I want my kids to learn to do laundry, I have to actually show them how to do this—not once, but several times. The same is true for students. We assume if we show them once they know, but they have several teachers with different procedures, so they need reinforcement. Remember, we stay in our classroom all day and follow the same routines; they do not.
ReplyDeleteConsistency is the key word of this book. I agree with what everyone has already said about being consistent in a department, as well as the entire building (and in some cases campus). If some teachers are giving breaks and letting kids leave early, it is harder for teachers who are not.
I liked Jill’s comment about cleaning up her room. My first year I was buying students pencils every week and spending time cleaning up after them. Now, they have to buy a pencil or borrow one by giving me something of value for collateral (i.e. ipod, wallet, cell phone). I have not had to buy any new pencils for two years! Plus, when they clean up I like to sing the Barney clean up song or the theme song from High School Musical. (you know, “We’re All in This Together”…now it is stuck in your head, right?)
I like the discernment between rules and procedures. Jill's statement of insight about figuring out the proactive nature of procedures as opposed to the more intrinsically reactive nature of rules is a great one. Novice educators and veterans alike sometimes forget that the classroom environment is your space and you are the architect, designing the capability for great success or destining yourself to many doomed attempts at learning. And much of this is generated from the creation of basic procedures which encompass many of the most common classroom scenarios from "How to seek help" to "sharpening your pencil."
ReplyDeleteAs a new teacher to the Norris School District, I notice procedures the staff follows consistently as a district. For instance, as I walk through the hallways I observe several teachers outside their classroom door waiting for the students to enter. I also believe that teacher's consistently use email to communicate with each other regarding student concerns. What are some other things each of you believe we do consistently as a district?
ReplyDeleteIn teaching and modeling classroom procedures, it may enhance the student’s understanding if the teacher can explain the importance of the procedure. i.e. I have student sign out sheet when students leave the classroom. Students questioned the purpose the sign out sheet. This gave me an excellent opportunity to explain the importance of the procedure. If their was and emergency at school and we needed to leave the classroom. I need to be knowledgeable of all my students’ whereabouts. If there is a family emergency, parents may need to get a hold of student’s immediately. After explaining the importance of the procedure it becomes easier to teach and reinforce.
You all don't realize how long that took me to post! That's a success!
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