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Post by Admin/ A. Mistretta on Aug 24, 2013 10:01:18 GMT -5
Please read the first chapter of Discipline with Dignity: New Challenges, New Solutions by Curwin, Mendler, and Mendler. Answer one of the following questions and post your response. You must reply to two people with a meaningful response. Be sure to include your name in your response.
1. What are some key out-of-school causes of discipline problems that educators cannot control but need to understand? 2. What are some things that teachers and administrators inadvertently do that actually lead to discipline problems? 3. How many specific strategies or phrases can you think of to positively influence student behavior?
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Post by shannarae1 on Aug 24, 2013 16:58:25 GMT -5
First I would like to acknowledge that I am from Rochester New York, born and raised, and I was elated to see that once again my city was mentioned in another book that we have endorsed at BLA. First the Family Model book, second the Strategic school book and now this book. With that said, I would like to answer question number one.
It was surprising to me to find out that we can only control 10 to 30 percent of the behavioral challenges (I like to refer to this as opportunities) that are wrapped inside the in-school causes. In order to overcome these barriers, we can address Student Boredom, create a competitive environment, be clear about behaviors that will and will not be tolerated and there were a few more strategies. So, that leaves the 70 to 90 percent that we can not control. We can't control what kids watch, the sense of entitlement they have, their environment and many more factors. However, there is always hope. We can do our part by teaching students better ways to respond, model the behavior we would like to see and while doing all of that, we must be able to maintain everyone's dignity. So, as the book stated we need to focus on "positively affecting the lives of children vs. solving discipline problems that have been around before time began." We have to remember the following when dealing with students: PREVENTION, ACTION, RESOLUTION.
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burke
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Post by burke on Aug 26, 2013 20:47:01 GMT -5
I would like to answer #2. 1. Competitive Environment: This chapter speaks of giving students choices which, in turn, allow them to be competitive and win in real life. To use the same choices given in real life (field, profession, industry, sports, performing arts, etc.), BLA has chosen to offer “clubs” on Fridays. This gives our students choices and will motivate them to “win” or succeed in the school environment, just like in real life. The chapter also speaks of competition within each student vs. competition between students. This is inherent with our reading levels and our encouragement of improving them. We don’t talk about one student’s growth vs. another’s! At BLA, we talk about students competing with themselves. We hear students proudly announce to anyone who will listen, “I grew from Level _____ to Level _____!!!!” Their classmates then celebrate with them, helping them to be supportive of one another. 2. Student Boredom: BLA does a great job with combating boredom. How many times have we moved a student to a higher grade level family because their reading level is so much higher than the other guided reading groups in their own classroom? Look at what we did during the summer “Watch Us Grow” program. I observed one group where several rising 3rd graders were in the same guided reading group with a rising 4th grader. Did the fourth grader feel bad because he was with third graders? No…he emerged as a leader because his one year more of life experiences gave him an edge over the third graders. He naturally became a leader, which gave him more self-confidence. I had never seen him so involved in his learning. In fact, he actually was more of a behavior problem during the regular school year. Yet here he was being a role model! 3. Powerlessness: For many years I was the type of teacher who made the rules for the class and gave them to the students. Then one year I moved out of my comfort zone and allowed the students to make the class rules. Of course, there were some non-negotiable rules shared by me. After all, I was a member of the group as well. I was amazed at how students followed their own rules because they participated in the rule-making process themselves. 4. Unclear Limits: I remember one time I explained the rules and steps to the behavior plan that was in place in my classroom. When one of my students broke one of the rules, I skipped down to step 3 of what happened when a student made a mistake. Quickly the student called me on it. “I thought that happened after I did not follow the rule three times. This was my first ‘offense’”. Talking about reality check! I didn’t realize that most of the students who didn’t abide by the rules and expectations would point out very quickly when I stepped out of line. I quickly discovered it worked both ways! 6. Lack of Acceptable Outlets to Express Feelings: I always found when I taught students that it was o-kay for them to BE angry…it was the manner in which they expressed it that could get them in “trouble”. In that way, I could help them diffuse their anger quickly. When I gave the students ways to express or even to release their anger, behaviors improved. Counting to ten, taking deep breaths, flexing their fingers out then making fists, etc. go a long way in bringing kids down from “a good mad”. Our book study of Teaching With Poverty in Mind by Eric Jensen taught us that children are “hotwired” for anger, but we need to teach them how to express it. 7. Lack of Success: The feeling students have about not succeeding is a massive one for our students…if they believe they cannot succeed, they don’t even try. In their minds, it would be better to be considered a class clown than a failure. Celebrating small successes can increase a child’s belief that they can succeed if they simply try. --Dianne L. Burke
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Post by virginia on Aug 27, 2013 12:26:23 GMT -5
1) What are the key out-of school causes of discipline problems that educators cannot control but need to understand? Students come from different backgrounds. Students sometimes have lack of a secure family environment. Students come from two parent families, one parent families, and sometimes grandparents , or aunts and uncles are raising them. Students also come from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Students are also subjected to different types of music, video games and television and movie violence that can affect their behavior in the classroom. Students do not always get a positive message in their song lyrics or the messages they watch on television. Students are affected by their home life before they come to school and sometimes need encouraging words to start their day and get them motivated. It is not necessarily that they do not want to learn or they may be unhappy it is an affect of their environment. As teachers we can turn their day around by not taking everything they do personally and spend a little time getting to know the student.
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Post by virginia on Aug 27, 2013 12:36:25 GMT -5
First I would like to acknowledge that I am from Rochester New York, born and raised, and I was elated to see that once again my city was mentioned in another book that we have endorsed at BLA. First the Family Model book, second the Strategic school book and now this book. With that said, I would like to answer question number one. It was surprising to me to find out that we can only control 10 to 30 percent of the behavioral challenges (I like to refer to this as opportunities) that are wrapped inside the in-school causes. In order to overcome these barriers, we can address Student Boredom, create a competitive environment, be clear about behaviors that will and will not be tolerated and there were a few more strategies. So, that leaves the 70 to 90 percent that we can not control. We can't control what kids watch, the sense of entitlement they have, their environment and many more factors. However, there is always hope. We can do our part by teaching students better ways to respond, model the behavior we would like to see and while doing all of that, we must be able to maintain everyone's dignity. So, as the book stated we need to focus on "positively affecting the lives of children vs. solving discipline problems that have been around before time began." We have to remember the following when dealing with students: PREVENTION, ACTION, RESOLUTION.
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Post by virginia on Aug 27, 2013 12:41:40 GMT -5
I really like your statement about "positively affecting the lives of children vs. solving discipline problems that have been around before time began."Many of the challenges that students face are the same ones that have been around just a little different. With the availability of the internet and ipod's and different ways of media have made things more accessible to students. There is a bigger range of media available to our students at an earlier age. If parents do not monitor than students have no filter to know what is right and wrong or what messages they should be paying attention to.Your response that their is hope means not give up and keep trying because students need us.
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Post by mosey4 on Aug 30, 2013 9:21:48 GMT -5
Question #1 Family life is factor: single family, divorce Alcohol and drug problems Media to much of the wrong television violence Playing games that are violent orientated Parents if all children know is constant yelling, being degraded and being hit thats what they exspect. Finances lack of jobs therefore no money, poverty.
Ms. Dolan
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Post by Mrs. Gillespie on Sept 1, 2013 16:32:22 GMT -5
Question #3 As I reflect on reading chapter 1 I am reminded that I do not always know what is going on in the heart of the child or the heart of any other individual. I do not know the challenges that they are facing and dealing with. What I do know is that I can and must carefully measure my interaction with others so that I keep the doors of meaningful interaction open between us. I know that I must remember that most comments and responses are not personal to me and should not be responded to with annoyance or criticism and even if they are personal to me I still need to respond with the head not the heart. I endeavor to create a classroom environment where every student experiences security and acceptance and where the student understands that they will never loose that security and acceptance, that each day they begin with a clean slate with which to succeed. Mind you I am not perfect, that I often fail but that I need to give myself the same chance for success each day.
I like the thought that the experiences we face daily are opportunities and they truly are. They are opportunities to help a child, their family, a fellow teacher be successful that day and in the future.
Thank you Mrs. Burke for reminding us that we do a lot of amazing things for our students and for reminding me to give my students strategies to deal with their emotions.
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Post by Tucker on Sept 2, 2013 8:52:23 GMT -5
Question #1 What are some key out-of-school causes of discipline problems that educators cannot control but need to understand?....
Effects of the media can have a big influence on students and how they react to situations and problem solve because of what they see on T.V., video games, movies, and hear in music which most times if it's not child friendly then it's mostly in a negative content.
Having a sense of entitlement as if the student them self come first and everything else is secondary. Students are this with their parents and the parents feed this behavior and then the students come to school with the same mind set and educators are also guilty of feeding this behavior with bribe systems such as stickers, candy, points, etc. the students no longer look at earning good grades is good enough.
Students come to school more worried about their security needs rather then learning all students come from different backgrounds, living environments and emotional support systems. This becomes a problem because those students that come from not getting the support that they need at home come to school and act out for the lack of attention that they don't receive and home. Students also learn negative behaviors from songwriters, rappers, and political leaders who they see in the media behave in ways such as pointing fingers at their opponents, name calling, and using offensive language and also just being disrespectful to one another. Students see this and think its okay because their favorite rapper or famous person acts this way so it's okay for them to treat others that way while in school and out of school.
I agree with Ms. Virginia that children today have way more access to a lot things because of modern technology and if parents don't monitor what the children see and don't see they won't have a filter to what's right and wrong.
I agree with Mrs. Rae as well that as educators we have to be committed to create ways and excitement for the students when they come to school and that way the 70 to 90 percent of behaviors that we can't control can be redirected.
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Post by Appleby on Sept 2, 2013 9:42:31 GMT -5
Some of the key out-of-school causes of discipline problems that educators cannot control but need to understand are the lack of secure family environment and effects of media. Students cannot control what kind of family they come out of. Some students have single parent homes, two working parent home, or come from blended families. I think it is important to realize that some of your students did not experience they same type of family life I came from or have the same family life as other students in their classroom. Also, discipline problems can occur from media. There is so much violence on television and many students witness the violence daily. I think Educators need to be aware that some violent behave may stem from what has been witnessed on television.
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Post by Appleby on Sept 2, 2013 9:49:16 GMT -5
Question #1 Family life is factor: single family, divorce Alcohol and drug problems Media to much of the wrong television violence Playing games that are violent orientated Parents if all children know is constant yelling, being degraded and being hit thats what they exspect. Finances lack of jobs therefore no money, poverty. Ms. Dolan I think it is interesting that you said that is what the students expect. I think we need to be more aware that they are children and they are do not know any better. They are going to act based on what they see at home or on television. We need to set a great example so that they have something else to based their decisions on.
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Post by Appleby on Sept 2, 2013 9:55:37 GMT -5
6. Lack of Acceptable Outlets to Express Feelings: I always found when I taught students that it was o-kay for them to BE angry…it was the manner in which they expressed it that could get them in “trouble”. In that way, I could help them diffuse their anger quickly. When I gave the students ways to express or even to release their anger, behaviors improved. Counting to ten, taking deep breaths, flexing their fingers out then making fists, etc. go a long way in bringing kids down from “a good mad”. Our book study of Teaching With Poverty in Mind by Eric Jensen taught us that children are “hotwired” for anger, but we need to teach them how to express it. --Dianne L. Burke I really agree with this statement. I learned last year that some students have never been taught proper ways to express themselves. Instead of throwing a chair when they are angry, I could teach them ways to calm down like the ones you listed or having them do math problems or drawing a picture. I think it is extremely important to realize that we do not just teach the content to our students, but we also teach them life skills.
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Post by virginia on Sept 2, 2013 12:17:47 GMT -5
Ms. Burke mentioned lack of sucess for students. Students not believing they can succeed changes there behavior in school.I was new to a middle school where there was a substitute teacher for three years. My first day there the sub came in to tell me about the classes and what to expect. He said the kids will not sing ,they behave badly and do not expect much out of them.It was hard at first the students had not been singing, they had never stood on risers,and never really done much in class.I worked with them for 6 months and decided they needed to participate in a music festival to build their confidence. They did not want to do it at first but they slowly got excited.The morning of the festival we went to breakfast we arrived at the place for festival early and they said we were to go on immediately because they had some groups that did not show up.My students finished performing and we waited for results. I picked up our result packet took the kids outside and we agreed no matter what they should be proud of their performance. I pulled out their rating. The kids had gotten superior which is 1st place the best you can get.I saw students doing cartwheels, hugging each other, tears of joy, etc.It was one of my proudest moments as a teacher. The next time in class the students were ready to go and try anything. I still keep in contact with some of those students who are now teachers themselves having their own moments of success.It usually only takes one success to start believing and having a chain reaction of many more. As teachers we start those successes in a students life.
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Post by Ms. Olmedo on Sept 2, 2013 15:11:23 GMT -5
Question #3 I have found myself complaining about my students and blaming them for inappropriate behavior but not looking at myself and seeing how I might have contributed to it. Engaging students is a daily necessity in order to prevent students from becoming bored. Also allowing students to have choices throughout the day in order to minimize power struggles where the teacher is the dictator. As members of society, my students will need to make choices from relationships, jobs, colleges, etc. allowing them to decide whether to finish work during lunch or recess is a simple choice but allows them to be accountable. I think that requiring students to earn educational opportunities and lack of success can go hand in hand. First allowing troubled students to obtain success based on their strengths can improve self esteem and their perspective on seeing that rewards are achievable and can be a meaningful member to the class as a scholar.
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votaw
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Post by votaw on Sept 2, 2013 18:49:34 GMT -5
Question #1 It is important for educators to be aware of key out of school causes of discipline problems. The ones that stood out in my mind while reading were children watching violent television shows, not having role models at home to teach them life skills, parents using violence as their only discipline method, children being held accountable for something for the first time and children who come from divorced families are likely to struggle with emotional issues.
As educators we often have to remind ourselves our job is not just to teach academics but to teach and reinforce everyday skills which will prepare our children for life. We should never assume our students know right from wrong, skills to deal with emotions, the ability to share and use good manners. If we want our students to succeed then we need to make them well rounded individuals.
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burke
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Post by burke on Sept 2, 2013 20:11:17 GMT -5
Wow! I love this discussion that is going back and forth!
Mrs. Rae: I truly believe there is hope, and the way to discipline with dignity is to teach students better ways to respond and to model the behavior we would like to see.
Mrs. Gillespie: I like the way you responded in speaking of measuring your interactions because you don’t know the challenges the students face and are dealing with. It reminds me that we can’t control others…we can only control ourselves. Stephen Covey does a great job explaining this in what he calls our “circle of control/influence”. You make a great analogy between the students having a clean slate each day and giving yourself the same chance for success each day. I have always told the new teachers that they can’t take care of everyone else (i.e. their students) until they take care of themselves first.
Mrs. Tucker: Thank you for bringing up the point of students worrying about their security needs rather than learning. Abraham Maslow says humans must satisfy their basic needs before meeting their “self-actualization” needs. He said their basic needs include (in order of importance): physiological, safety (where security falls), love/belonging, esteem, then self-actualization--where learning takes place. Also, so many times, students ask, “What will you give me if I do such-and-such?” My answer has been, “Just the fact that you did the right thing should be enough to make you feel proud of yourself! You don’t need a sticker, candy, points, etc.” Because we are in constant competition with songwriters, rappers, and political leaders, it makes our job even more important. It is our responsibility to teach and model for them…just like Mrs. Rae pointed out in her response.
Mrs. Appleby: I can’t tell you the number of times I have said the same thing about teaching content and life skills to students. While content is our ultimate responsibility, life skills are just as important. When it comes to behavior, I always wanted my students to learn that people treat them the way they treat other people. Once they learned that, the content was easy to teach. I felt as if I had done my job.
Mrs. Mitchell-Harris: I love your response about your students winning first place, and the “superior” result. We often speak of “celebrating small successes”, but what an excellent example of a “huge success” in your case. Also we never know the impact we make on the lives of our students, but to have some of those same students who originally did nothing in class to succeed and then become teachers themselves. Imagine how your impact on a small group multiplies with your former students now being teachers themselves. Wow!
Mrs. Olmedo: I totally agree with your statements of engaging students and how giving them simple choices increases their accountability.
--Dianne L. Burke
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Post by aelsaesser on Sept 3, 2013 8:24:58 GMT -5
I would like to answer number two:
First, when I was reading the Chapter I kept thinking to myself: this is the perfect approach to the children at Billingsville. Having said that, in one way or another, I believe that unclear limits for our students have one time or another, impacted the way students approach their day to day interactions. I have learned from mistakes in previous years for myself, that without clear expectations, students cannot be held accountable for that which they have not been clearly taught. As the chapter mentions, I believe that often, due to the many (MANY) constraints educators are faced with (most of which is out of our control) it becomes difficult to manage all that is required for a successful learning environment. Limit setting is something that takes a great deal of practice and patience. In a course I took this summer I learned an approach that I found to be successful to children in counseling, and I could see how it could generalize to the classroom. When children have been taught limits, and are "testing the waters", "pushing their luck" or any of the other phrases that indicate not meeting expectations, they, as many of us know, are searching for a reaction or attention. To recognize both the limit, and their feeling, a formula I have found to be helpful is:
a. Acknowledge the child's feelings, wishes, and wants: "You are (be genuine!) b. Communicate the limit: "The doll house is not for hitting with the hammer." c. Target acceptable alternatives: "The log is for hitting with the hammer."
For example, the student who is running down the hall:
"You are excited to get to where you are going (you are having fun running, you are happy playing with your friend) but, the hallway is not for runnning. You can run when you go to gym, recess, or at home".
The student who is speaking out of turn: "Susie you are really excited to tell me about ___. Group discussions are not a time to shout out. You can shout out during ___ (unstructured time). You may raise your hand to share during this time".
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votaw
New Member
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Post by votaw on Sept 3, 2013 9:57:59 GMT -5
Question #3 As I reflect on reading chapter 1 I am reminded that I do not always know what is going on in the heart of the child or the heart of any other individual. I do not know the challenges that they are facing and dealing with. What I do know is that I can and must carefully measure my interaction with others so that I keep the doors of meaningful interaction open between us. I know that I must remember that most comments and responses are not personal to me and should not be responded to with annoyance or criticism and even if they are personal to me I still need to respond with the head not the heart. I endeavor to create a classroom environment where every student experiences security and acceptance and where the student understands that they will never loose that security and acceptance, that each day they begin with a clean slate with which to succeed. Mind you I am not perfect, that I often fail but that I need to give myself the same chance for success each day. I like the thought that the experiences we face daily are opportunities and they truly are. They are opportunities to help a child, their family, a fellow teacher be successful that day and in the future. Thank you Mrs. Burke for reminding us that we do a lot of amazing things for our students and for reminding me to give my students strategies to deal with their emotions. I completely agree with you. We do not always know the challenges our students are facing and the "baggage" they carry everyday. I enjoy making my classroom a safe place with positive interactions. Some days this is more challenging then others but the best part of teaching is being able to start over each day.
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votaw
New Member
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Post by votaw on Sept 3, 2013 10:06:32 GMT -5
Question #3 I have found myself complaining about my students and blaming them for inappropriate behavior but not looking at myself and seeing how I might have contributed to it. Engaging students is a daily necessity in order to prevent students from becoming bored. Also allowing students to have choices throughout the day in order to minimize power struggles where the teacher is the dictator. As members of society, my students will need to make choices from relationships, jobs, colleges, etc. allowing them to decide whether to finish work during lunch or recess is a simple choice but allows them to be accountable. I think that requiring students to earn educational opportunities and lack of success can go hand in hand. First allowing troubled students to obtain success based on their strengths can improve self esteem and their perspective on seeing that rewards are achievable and can be a meaningful member to the class as a scholar. I agree we do need to give our students choices throughout the day. I have found this helps meet the individual needs of children. This also helps to perpare our students for the real world.
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Post by McIntyre on Sept 3, 2013 11:12:32 GMT -5
Question #1 Media Gangs Lack of role Models in community Drugs Lack of community centers
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Post by Rice on Sept 4, 2013 18:22:33 GMT -5
I would like to answer number two: First, when I was reading the Chapter I kept thinking to myself: this is the perfect approach to the children at Billingsville. Having said that, in one way or another, I believe that unclear limits for our students have one time or another, impacted the way students approach their day to day interactions. I have learned from mistakes in previous years for myself, that without clear expectations, students cannot be held accountable for that which they have not been clearly taught. As the chapter mentions, I believe that often, due to the many (MANY) constraints educators are faced with (most of which is out of our control) it becomes difficult to manage all that is required for a successful learning environment. Limit setting is something that takes a great deal of practice and patience. In a course I took this summer I learned an approach that I found to be successful to children in counseling, and I could see how it could generalize to the classroom. When children have been taught limits, and are "testing the waters", "pushing their luck" or any of the other phrases that indicate not meeting expectations, they, as many of us know, are searching for a reaction or attention. To recognize both the limit, and their feeling, a formula I have found to be helpful is: a. Acknowledge the child's feelings, wishes, and wants: "You are (be genuine!) b. Communicate the limit: "The doll house is not for hitting with the hammer." c. Target acceptable alternatives: "The log is for hitting with the hammer." For example, the student who is running down the hall: "You are excited to get to where you are going (you are having fun running, you are happy playing with your friend) but, the hallway is not for runnning. You can run when you go to gym, recess, or at home". The student who is speaking out of turn: "Susie you are really excited to tell me about ___. Group discussions are not a time to shout out. You can shout out during ___ (unstructured time). You may raise your hand to share during this time".
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Post by Rice on Sept 4, 2013 18:25:03 GMT -5
@elsasser- Love the positive spin on teacher comments... Even when the child is not exhibiting the expected behavior, the way they are redirected makes all the difference. What they are doing is not wrong... Just not appropriate at this time. :-)
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Post by Rice on Sept 4, 2013 18:27:29 GMT -5
Question #3 I have found myself complaining about my students and blaming them for inappropriate behavior but not looking at myself and seeing how I might have contributed to it. Engaging students is a daily necessity in order to prevent students from becoming bored. Also allowing students to have choices throughout the day in order to minimize power struggles where the teacher is the dictator. As members of society, my students will need to make choices from relationships, jobs, colleges, etc. allowing them to decide whether to finish work during lunch or recess is a simple choice but allows them to be accountable. I think that requiring students to earn educational opportunities and lack of success can go hand in hand. First allowing troubled students to obtain success based on their strengths can improve self esteem and their perspective on seeing that rewards are achievable and can be a meaningful member to the class as a scholar.
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Post by Rice on Sept 4, 2013 18:31:28 GMT -5
Honest reflection, Olmedo! I agree, sometimes we get caught up and quickly look to place blame rather than truly reflect. Great idea to always look for ways to make all students shine by finding their strengths and interests.
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Post by Rice on Sept 4, 2013 18:37:43 GMT -5
3. How many specific strategies or phrases can you think of to positively influence student behavior? Student interest surveys Praise students doing expected task as role models Refrain from singling out students using sayings like "waiting on 3, ... Waiting on 2.... " instead of names Highly engaging lessons Opportunities to pair share Authentic learning Class/individual Celebrations Peer nominations Students stamping others for positively helping them 10:2- mini lessons under 10 minutes Chances to make better choices
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Post by AKelley on Sept 4, 2013 20:01:58 GMT -5
1. What are some key out-of-school causes of discipline problems that educators cannot control but need to understand?
I feel that teachers sometimes fail to acknowledge that students arrive to school each day with the baggage of their life with them. Some children have their homework neatly completed in their folder (maybe even with a parent's signature), some have a healthy lunch with a note tucked away from parent encouraging them to work hard, while others arrive with an empty backpack, folder, or even stomach. These are situations that children arrive to school with daily whether teachers are prepared or not. I have personally witnessed children misbehaving because they are simply hungry, or the fact that they have repeatedly asked their parent to sign their agenda, but can't get them to comply. It can be very difficult as an educator to assess the situation in the short amount of time during the day to actually talk with them. Simply stepping back (or pulling them aside) and asking them what's going on can be a powerful way for a teacher to "see it through the child's eyes."
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Post by AKelley on Sept 4, 2013 20:15:35 GMT -5
Students also learn negative behaviors from songwriters, rappers, and political leaders who they see in the media behave in ways such as pointing fingers at their opponents, name calling, and using offensive language and also just being disrespectful to one another. Students see this and think its okay because their favorite rapper or famous person acts this way so it's okay for them to treat others that way while in school and out of school. Good point Tucker! I am all about freedom of speech and lifestyle, but children must understand the fundamental difference between right and wrong- what is acceptable behavior and otherwise. This is where parents need to have frequent discussions with their child about what they see on TV and ACTUAL reality. The media isn't going to change how they do things, but parents (and teachers) must inspire children to make good, positive choices. "Do as I say, not as I do" isn't an effective way to dissuade children from choosing the wrong path.
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Post by AKelley on Sept 4, 2013 20:25:55 GMT -5
a. Acknowledge the child's feelings, wishes, and wants: "You are (be genuine!) b. Communicate the limit: "The doll house is not for hitting with the hammer." c. Target acceptable alternatives: "The log is for hitting with the hammer." For example, the student who is running down the hall: "You are excited to get to where you are going (you are having fun running, you are happy playing with your friend) but, the hallway is not for runnning. You can run when you go to gym, recess, or at home". The student who is speaking out of turn: "Susie you are really excited to tell me about ___. Group discussions are not a time to shout out. You can shout out during ___ (unstructured time). You may raise your hand to share during this time". _______________________________ I like the ideas Elsaesser! Sometimes teachers are in such a rush we want to quickly end a negative behavior by responding in a "mean" way. Teachers must remember that we must help children make good choices each and everyday through positive interactions. Also, if a child is running in the hallway or calling out, let's take a step back, because what they're doing isn't causing ANY harm to anyone else. Does it really require a teacher to fly off the handle or say something "mean"? I think not.
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Post by mcreadaniel0216 on Sept 5, 2013 5:36:25 GMT -5
I am responding to question # 1. What are some key out-of-school causes of discipline problems that educators cannot control but need to understand? Our children live in poverty and we all have read many books about what they go through and the struggles they encounter on a daily basis. We can read as much as we can about what living in poverty is like but we truely DON'T know what it is like unless we experienced it growing up as a child. Children leave our school to go home to an empty house, with no food and maybe no power - but we expect them to do everything that we ask and sometimes it is just too much. A lot of our kids leave school to go home to an empty house, no one to help them with homework or sign their agenda. Some of our students leave school and the next time they eat a meal is breakfast here at Billingsville. A lot of our students problems are out of their control and sometimes we are quick to blame them.
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Post by Daniel on Sept 5, 2013 12:23:26 GMT -5
1. What are some key out-of-school causes of discipline problems that educators cannot control but need to understand? I feel that teachers sometimes fail to acknowledge that students arrive to school each day with the baggage of their life with them. Some children have their homework neatly completed in their folder (maybe even with a parent's signature), some have a healthy lunch with a note tucked away from parent encouraging them to work hard, while others arrive with an empty backpack, folder, or even stomach. These are situations that children arrive to school with daily whether teachers are prepared or not. I have personally witnessed children misbehaving because they are simply hungry, or the fact that they have repeatedly asked their parent to sign their agenda, but can't get them to comply. It can be very difficult as an educator to assess the situation in the short amount of time during the day to actually talk with them. Simply stepping back (or pulling them aside) and asking them what's going on can be a powerful way for a teacher to "see it through the child's eyes." I agree - sometimes just having a critical conversation with the student can solve many of the problems. You are showing you care and that can mean so much.
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