Over the past couple of years, we've been focusing on STUDENT ENGAGEMENT. All of the "strategies" you've been implementing to help all of your students, especially your English Learners, cannot be effective if you do not have strong classroom management. I took away four main componets -
1.) 100% is non-negotiable! - you must have the attention of every single student, every single time!
2.) The goal of compliance is student success.
3.) You must make sure there are CLEAR EXPECTATIONS - post your daily objective with language objectives ( more training to come!) and refer to it! It doesn't do a damn bit of good if you write it on the board but never refer to it. Make sure your students know what they are doing while they're in your class, every single time!
4.) The culture of compliance is both positive and most importantly, invisible. Once you establish this positive culture, students will follow along unconsciously!
Thanks for participating! I look forward to reading your opinions and ideas! This is a safe environment - please be honest! The point here is to talk about teaching!!! Thanks, again, folks!!! Jon P
The teachers all had total control of their classes because they waited to make sure all were listening before they gave instructions. All were in the front and center of the room. I found them a bit robotic sounding or perhaps they had training in the military, but they had 100% attention. In regards to the introduction, I disagree with the comment lyrics are not lyric poetry. This depends on the song writer/poet. Students by in when teachers connect to their lives; by connecting with students' love of music and relating this to the poems they read, I get buy in and then I get students to want to learn.
ReplyDeleteBeing ex-military I definitely agree. What happened to the "finesse"? These techniques can be and are implemented with our personal spin on them and with much more...dare I say, "flair"? We all have personality, keep using it without becoming "robotic". ;)
DeleteI agree with Annette. It did seem a bit robotic. I feel that type of environment for 6 hours a day can be challeging for students. I think it is possible with this years 6th grade, but I couldn't imagine seeing 100% participation with the classes I had last year. If I had to stop and wait every time for a few off task students then we would have never got anything done. Those students found it amusing to have me wait for them. I think 100% depends on the type of students. Some students mightonly focus 80% of the time and I might feel that was a good day for that individual. For that individual I would key in on the portions I felt were most important with the "strategies" learned from this chapter.
ReplyDeleteChapter 6 – ‘Do Not Engage’
ReplyDeleteLemov points out in chapter 6 the need for using a strong voice to help set your authority as a teacher in the classroom, which in turn helps secure an environment that promotes access to learning for all the students in the class. He uses five basic points to help develop a strong voice, one of which stood out to me more than the others due to it’s seemingly every common presence in my classroom.
The ‘do not engage’ section identifies the importance of not legitimizing, and therefore not escalating) authoritative conflict. I often see the trend of people (children especially) trying to justify their actions against yours based upon their incorrect frame of reference. This could mean that a child is used to talking back or disputing adults or instructors in other settings such as the house, the mall, the beach…whatever. However this is not acceptable in a school setting and their attempt to change the school setting into a setting that they can challenge and/or change the rules is severely detrimental to the classroom. By not engaging the conflict from the outset, you do not allow even the slightest of erosion of the classroom structures that can quickly spiral out of control. Perhaps.
Test. My earlier post didn't seem to stick..
ReplyDeleteOk that worked. Here is the earlier one again.
ReplyDeleteI've been using 100% in class as much as possible now. I'm actually surprised ho quickly the students respond. I think, possibly it leaves little chance for calculation or prevarication on the students part. Clean boundaries are easier for them, it seems. The robotic issue, I think, is a factor of the teacher's approach to 100%. I don't believe it is natural byproduct of the approach when done with care. Also, I have stopped saying please. That helped almost immediately. :)
It is of course within the noble performance level to gain the attention of 100% of students 100% of the time. This goal could be reached if students are exposed to and or acquainted with the same classroom routine, and the same teaching style, combined with the same teaching mentality from kindergarten throughout! Running down a slippery slope is committed when students’ learning is to be reached in an assembly line structure.
ReplyDeleteI like the comment Jason put about “do not engage” with regards to authoritative conflict. I see this all the time as well. Students will talk back and try to justify their inappropriate actions. It’s important that the school admin and teachers buy into this concept of not legitimizing student objections. Not to say students should not be able to explain themselves, it’s just the objective manner in which many of them do. Just like we need 100% buy in from the students in the classroom, I think we need a 100% buy in from the staff to be firm and enforce this “do not engage” concept. If we are consistent, students will be more likely to abide.
ReplyDeleteI also found the part on strong voice to be very informative. I agreed with many of these techniques and sometimes forget to even use them. I found that lowering your voice and standing up straight can often times make a world of difference. I sometimes ‘catch myself’ yelling or raising my voice when it is not needed! I also enjoyed the part of ‘Do it Again’. Students who have to repeat an action immediately afterward shows that you are serious about a simple transition technique. It is a technique that I want to try. It reminded me of the most recent Karate Kid movie where Jackie Chan has Will Smith’s son take off his jacket and hang it on a closet wall a thousand times until it is done right.
ReplyDeleteI also connected with the "Strong Voice" segment of this chapter, particularly the "Do Not Talk Over" principle. This year, I have a very talkative and "active" third period class. Multiple times during the class I will start a direction and break it off before finishing ... waiting until I have everyone's attention in order to repeat the entire directive. It feels like a eternity before I can get the full instructions out. I do think it is an effective technique, but it requires some serious perseverance and patience on the part of the teacher.
ReplyDeleteI just presented this same topic to the Induction candidates last night. We talk about the spectrum of Inner Authority vs. Inner Apology. Inner Authority can make all the difference in being an effective teacher. It does not mean being aggressive or doing battle; it is a relaxed, natural state that permeates in our teaching. It is an invisible quality. It is a willingness to be firm without being mean. A teacher who has inner authority speaks in a voice that goes down in volume and lower in tone. Their body posture more squarely faces the student.
ReplyDeleteI refer to the "do not engage" portion of the text as "No Arguing with the Ref". Kids understand the role of the referee on the sports field. The ref makes the call, and you live with it. (There are no instant replays or challenge flags to be thrown.) In the classroom, there is no time for arguing with the teacher. If a student wants to discuss my decision, I tell them that I am more than happy to meet with them at lunch or after school. Students want guidance and structure. Being firm, but fair is a necessary quality of an effective teacher.
Much of what has been posted resonates with my belief that good teaching is an art form that requires constant maintenance, experimentation, rehearsal, and confidence. Kelly’s treatment of projecting an inner-authority might be a base for a good teacher’s performance; without command, disunity can be sewn amongst students and lead to misguidance, disrespect, or at the least apathy and/or confusion.
ReplyDeleteIn this respect, I also agree with Lemov’s assertion that 100 percent of students must follow, “a direction given in your classroom,” (Lemov 167). A given direction is an extension of the teacher’s authority; a lack of following directions, whether from misunderstanding them or by way of a student’s mutinous choice, undermines the teacher and limits the student’s chance of reaching the day’s learning goal.
As such, I see a difference between following “directions” and “engagement”. Directions are all or nothing, whereas there are degrees of engagement. Directions must be explicit, understood, and followed. If they are not, then the student most likely will be disengaged. Lemov’s suggestions for the least invasive forms of intervention (172-174) provided some great ideas on how to remedy possible reasons for not following directions, I particularly liked his section on how to “invent ways to maximize visibility,” (Lemov 176).
One possible fallacy of the section was to suggest that following directions leads to total engagement. I find it difficult to assess a student’s “total engagement”. Some students might complete a direction or assignment, but yet their output may not reach their capability. Hence, they followed the directions but were not totally engaged. Thoughts?
-Eric
I felt the same way. Does engagement mean students' simply following directions, or does it refer to an eagerness with which the student follows directions? This difference is important, because getting full classroom engagement would be far easier if it only meant 100% following directions, as opposed to 100% of students approaching a task with willingness and passion for learning.
DeleteThere were many interesting points in Ch.6. I am trying to use "Quiet Power" more in my classes. I agree that it is my natural tendency to get louder and faster when the class control seems to be slipping. I am learning to go against my natural tendency and that you can teach an old dog new tricks. :)
ReplyDeleteI found this reading very practical and straight-forward. Take a look at his ideas on what to do, which start on page 179. They are a great summary of clear directions and “actionable tasks” that can help our students that need more guidance then the average pupil. If we are trying to reach our resource, EL, or non-motivated learner, then technique 37 is a great starting point. Were their any other techniques that passed the “gut-test” for you all?
ReplyDeleteGood ideas, Technique 38- STRONG VOICE, is misguided. Speak softly and carry a big stick; and you will go far.
ReplyDeleteTeddy, such ideas are utter nonsense!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, Teddy I have no idea what your directions mean! Clear them up.
ReplyDeleteReading this chapter reminded me a lot of hearing teachers say (myself included)"Well, if they aren't doing the work, it's their fault. If they fail, it's their fault." Hearing Lemov's descriptions of the 100% engagement really does make me feel that it is just as much the teacher's fault. Everyone plays a part in student success - granted we cannot enforce that they do what we want when they walk out of the classroom, we CAN enforce what they do when they are in it. I also kept thinking of Teaching with Love & Logic, if anyone has read that. Some of his discipline techniques are very similar. Somehow, we all have to find something, even one teeny thing that we genuinely LIKE about each of our students. If we all have that, and then are Oscar-award winning actors the majority of our day, I believe we can win most of them over. Donna is right - patience, patience, patience (and a lot of acting) pays off in the long run. I also appreciated Anthony's comment regarding "do it again" - mainly because it was a reference to Karate Kid.
ReplyDeleteI don't specifically disagree with any of the ideas presented in Chapter 6. I really like the ideas about "compliance" and "strong voice". I do find the reading to be a little bit overly simplistic and kind of makes some assumptions that all teachers have a similar approach to their students.
ReplyDeleteI think that in the end, the author is just pointing out effective teaching techniques. This book is much like every other how-to manual of teaching. I guess I really struggle with the idea of teaching how to teach. Does that make sense? It's just such a hard concept because so much of what we do is innate.
Students generally rise to the level of expectation that we have for their classroom behavior. If we allow them to have poor posture, to disengage from the class, to blurt out answers, be off task, etc, they will do so. The material in Chapter 6 is really nothing new, but it certainly is a reminder for us to wait for every student to be engaged before we give directions/lecture and to expect 100% of our students to focus. We are reminded to slow down... because often, in our rush to teach the material within a given time frame, we are losing some students...and thus making more work (and frustration) for ourselves (and our students) down the road. Good read, and looking forward to the next chapter.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I've read so far, this book seems like it is going to give me a lot of tools to be a more effective teacher. The first technique that Sparked my interest was "What To Do". I mean it seemed so obvious but sometimes I forget that you have to be very specific with kids. Instead of saying "stop fooling around" I should say "Jocie, stop talking , turn around in your seat , face the front of the class room and continue to do your math problems." :-). I like that . Then they can't argue with you and they know what is expected of them.
ReplyDeleteAnd lI see others like the Strong Voice and so did I. Yelling at the kids doesn't get them quiet. Getting their attention & waiting for it to be quiet is much more effective and less of a strain on the teacher as well.
I have also being telling my students that I need their eyes on me and pencil down, when giving instructions, and I have noticed that I have more student on task.
Looking forward to morer techniques.
I also fall into the "if you are talking, I will just talk louder" trap rather than waiting for all of my students to listen before giving directions. I've started trying to wait for my class to be quiet, but I find it difficult to wait for 100%. But the reading in Chapter 6 shows that by not waiting for 100%, it gives the signal that non-compliance is acceptable - so I need to work on that.
ReplyDeleteAlso, in the box about clip #15 in talking about the reason for the correction, Lemov states that the reason for the correction is not for the student to pay attention, but for the student to succeed academically. I want to start including this when I'm correcting students' behavior.
There were three things in this chapter that really stuck out for me for different reasons.
ReplyDeleteSomething I do right:
1. 100 Percent (pg. 167)- I do not start to talk or start something new until I have all of the students paying attention or doing what I ask them to do- and I mean ALL of them. For example, when I ask my students to take out their Time Tracker I tell them that "I need to see 100% of Time Trackers" meaning that I do not tell them what their homework is until I see 100% of my students' Time Trackers out. This works really well and now when I ask them to take out their Time Trackers they ask me "Ms. V do you want to see 100% of Time Trackers?" and I reply "Of course.
Something I do wrong:
1. "Rely on Firm, Calm Finesse" (pg. 175)
When you ask the students to do something you are supposed to give them the command and then follow it up with a reason like "we have to do this to continue with the learning process" not "we have to continue this because I say so".. which I've said a few times to my students when they take to long to do something.
Something I need to start doing:
3.Do it Again (pg 191)- Sometimes I give consequences to my students such as "staying in 1 minute after class" if they take to long to be quiet, but this is not an immediate consequence. The students will not learn that they need to be quiet faster if they are paying the consequences an hour later. I need to come up with some sort of consequence that is immediate and related to the offense.
Regarding "Something I do wrong", I too remember saying "...because I say so." It fits with the advice, "it is not what you say, it is how you say it." My challenge is dealing with a "I don't want to do this" student question as a way to diminish the work.
DeleteAs with everything, there are good and bad points. This book is a good refresher of things I had forgotten or had tried and stopped over the years. On the other hand, there is a lot of other authors who have stated similar things such as Harry Wong. I found this to be just the same ideas written differently. After reading the chapter and viewing the DVD, I have found that this is all just good teaching. We all can use some pointers here and there, but in my opinion I think all of us use these things in class. Waiting for students is a great technique, not talking over them is a great technique, and a strong voice is a great technique but again I am pretty sure that most of us use these. And if you don't I pretty sure there are 45 other techniques that you are using to control and make learning happen inside your classrooms.
ReplyDeleteLike Emily and others, I often talk over the students and raise my voice if they continue to talk. Since reading chapter six of the book, I have begun to incorporate waiting for all students to stop talking before I begin or stopping in the middle to wait for students to cease their interruptions. I think that I need to continue to work on this skill.
ReplyDeleteI take some issue with "100%" and "No Warnings." In my particular class situation with some of my students, if I gave no warnings they would be in detention every single day or outside in the hallway/front office. They would not learn anything or participate in the activities that they are in school to do. This doesn't seem good to me. Also, if I continually waited for 100% compliance, I don't know that I would ever get the chance to start anything with my students. I, of course, am exaggerating a bit, but Mr. Lemov talks again and again about the importance of not wasting time because time in the classroom is so valuable, but I might spend a large majority of my time continuously correcting the behavior of just a few students to get 100% compliance. This takes that valuable time away from those students who are willing to take their education seriously. Now, I am not saying that I want to leave some students behind. I would like all my students to be successful, but we have to work in the space we are given.
I was struck by the video clips showing military style teaching techniques. I don't really want to teach in a military school, although I understand the importance of consistency, procedures, and routines. I wonder where the art and soul of teaching goes when it is boiled down to a series of techniques that must be mastered.
Lastly, I feel privileged to be in an online conversation with the author of the book and a former president.
In my reading of the chapter, the techniques of strong voice and organization really resonated with me.
ReplyDeleteHow does one develop a strong voice? Is this something that can be developed over time or do some of us simply have it? I completely agree with the author's assessment of its important in the classroom. In my personal experience as a classroom teacher, and not always comfortable asserting myself to a room of strangers my voice has definitely developed over my years in education working with kids. It has something that has come as a necessity and with experience, has allowed myself to manage a classroom of 6th and now 8th graders fairly well. I have also seen its importance and how a lack of a strong voice can really serve as a deterrent to successful classroom management through the last four years as I have had student teachers in the classroom. Teachers that lack a strong voice, or as I see it a "strong classroom presence" have a much more difficult time getting the kids to navigate the course of a daily lesson. I think this is something that we all have to work at and develop.
Organization was a technique discussed by the author in this chapter somewhat ironically to my experience. As 6th grade teachers, we really stress the importance of organization as a child makes that difficult transition from elementary school into middle school. We get them to write in their time trackers, put the homework and the classroom notes in the right folders, and keep the loose papers out of their backpacks. We check and re check and then check again to ensure that the students are keeping organized and every parent conference that I go to where the kids is struggling in organization we always find out that the kids is doing their homework, on time mind you, just not handing it in when it is due. Why is this? It drives me crazy. If you are going to spend the time doing the work why not turn it in. Then it hit me as I was reading the section on teacher organization, "am I organized?" Most definitely no. How can I expect the kids to organize their backpacks if my desk is a mess, or I do not have things clearly labeled in class? We desperately need to model what we would like the kids to do in all things......
I agree with many of the previous posts, but mainly on two points:
ReplyDelete1) By "not engaging" in authoritative conflict, I feel like I have improved my teaching and classroom environment significantly. Having the same group of students for three years, their comfort level in speaking up in my class increases significantly. However, with that, comes the blurring of the line between engaging in conversation/discussion and arguing/talking back. By simply not engaging it from the beginning, I have seen a significant decrease in students trying to argue with me.
2) The non-negotiable 100% is definitely a patience game. It is often easier to use this at the beginning of the year (with my new 6th graders, rather than my 2nd or 3rd year students) when they are still learning how the class is run and testing the waters, if you will. I've always implemented this strategy, but had a tendency of inconsistency. At times, I would feel rushed, so I would not wait until the whole classroom is completely silent/engaged. Now, it seems that persistence has paid off on my part since it only takes my students a matter of seconds before all of them quiet down and I have their attention.
i already did this. it did not work. so this is a test
ReplyDeletei liked the pencils down heads up example. it is a good idea to ask for simple and observable actions, one at a time. it took me a long time to figure that out.
ReplyDeletei do not like "looking for it" if i look for it i usually find it.
maybe it is in another chapter but this only talked about what students do after an instruction is given. what about students acting out in general.
Thanks, folks, for your engery, insight, and talents! Let's keep these discussions going in your departments and teams! We're talking about teaching - we're the experts! Let's keep it going! JP
ReplyDeleteSome excellent down to earth ideas in this book. I particularly liked the Quiet Voice technique. I will continue to read the book and apply the lessons. I'm glad we're reading it as a staff and discussing it. However, I understand Eric's point that following directions may not automatically correlate to true student engagement.
ReplyDeleteWow, i feel proud that i somehow figured out how to get on this site without the instructions! Anyway, im glad that we started with chapter 6, because you cant even talk about lesson planning or standards or anything else without strong classroom management a.k.a. Control of the room. Having said that, expecting 100% engagement is an ideal. This chapter reminded me of one of my master teachers, who would inform me after a lesson i taught of every time i was inconsistent in my expectations. He would say, "consistent, consistent, consistent," and i use this when leading my student teachers a well. You have to "own your classroom," but, there will be times that not ALL studenta are indeed engaged. I can see it when i observe my student teachers or other colleagues, and people can see it when they observe me. There may be a couple of people off task at times, but yiu have to know when to get on with yiur lesson, because there are time factors to consider as well. In any case, the chapter was interesting amd useful, and an area i consider my strength.
ReplyDeleteI've seen you teach, and you DO own the classroom...in a good way...it's fun and engaging! Good job!
DeleteJS - original message did not post... I really liked the idea of observable observations through clearly stated directions. Clear, concise communication is often lost when the understanding & expectations of instruction are assumed to be understood.
ReplyDeleteThe teachers in the video expected and required pupil attention. It seemed as though they used their voices and big movements to the focal point in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteI agree strong voice is an important technique. I have started to use it and the students seem to be responding. When kids are talking amongst them selves, sometimes, I intentionally lower my voice and it seem to quite the class down quicker than if I was yelling. “Do it again” is also important. Students need to repeat a task many times before it is ingrained in their brain and they have mastered it.
ReplyDeleteThe greatest difference in my teaching style since reading this book has been staying with a student until he/she understands the correct answer. This focus captures the entire room since students are just waiting for the individual to get the right answer for numerous examples. I still need to work on the closing minutes of class. I find I hurry and don't have all the attention needed to convey the homework or to review the learning.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThese are all great techniques that we use, either applied as Lemov states and others with a personal spin on them (which I feel is important). My cousin who has been teaching in middle school in Boston for 20 years mentioned to me when I first started in the classroom as a 6th grade math/ science teacher, that he used something that combined all these techniques, he called it, “Don't smile until Thanksgiving”. Not that he didn't smile (he actually did stand-up), but that he came in at the beginning of the school year buttoned up in a shirt and tie, setting the behavior and classroom protocol bar high, along with any and all of his expectations. “This can be a lot of work and may not be how you would like to run your class” he tells me, “but by Thanksgiving (most times earlier), you can back off and a good majority of your students know what to expect and how to act. It's habit”. He goes on to say that, “Once at this point it no longer is an effort for you and it's much easier to maintain a class that you want to teach in”. According to his mother (my Aunt), his kids loved him! I tried this “Thanksgiving” idea and it worked! Student's were “100%”, there was less need for, “warnings”, behavior “corrections”, “consequences”, “talking over” and “squaring up”. It's true that ultimately the techniques up to chapter six will be very hard to implement if high behavioral expectations are not set and we don't have clear consistent ways to respond to students when they don't follow those expectations. Boiled down? I think this chapter says to set expectations early, high and be consistent, the rest will follow.
DeleteI just want to say that I think it's means a lot about a staff who can truly feel comfortable to speak their mind, share their techniques and self analyze. I feel privileged to be working with such a great staff!
I have struggled with this for years. I try to be as clear as possible with instructions and expectations, but I have large groups that choose not to do their homework. A couple of things have worked for me. I stole the stamp sheets from the math department. This has been a lifesaver both for me and my students. They get two weeks of work at a time and there are places on the stamp sheets for parent signatures. The kids know what's expected as well as the parents. I've also found that on big assignments, scaffolding is essential. For essays, I teach the Jane Schaeffer writing method and from there I can create what are essentially fill-in-the-blank templates for an entire essay. They still have to come up with their concrete details and commentary, but when they have something in their hands and they don't have to invent something like an essay from scratch, I usually get many more students who turn something in.
ReplyDeleteOver the years I've improved at "100%", "What to Do", and "Strong Voice". My students are much better behaved, and I have higher engagement. But in that time, I have noticed a shift away from posted consequences. I liked that many of Lemov's consequences like "practice that again" wouldn't show up on a class bulletin board. While I much prefer these preventative measures I should revisit some consequences for my repeat offenders.
ReplyDeleteI agree with early points that while I may have all students follow directions they may not be totally engaged. I think real engagement is when one’s heart is in it, i.e. students taking pride in their work. I love witnessing those moments in the classroom, but they don’t happen everyday, and much of the time I’m not able to observe them at all i.e. “is that kid thinking about what to write or spacing out?”. Following directions far more measurable than engagement.
Looking over the previous comments, I agree with Annette on staying with a student until he or she understands the correct answer. I also learned this skill at a recent training at La Ballona, in which we learned if a student is unable to respond, after adequate wait time, move on to another student, but then return back to the original student and allow them to verbalize the correct response.
ReplyDeleteAs a relatively new teacher, I am always in need of the reminder "Be specific." In past years, I have worked mostly with 8th graders, but this year I am working mostly with 6th graders. I have learned the importance and benefits for students and myself on being specific. I was reminded clear effective directions involve actionable tasks that any students know how to do.
Quiet Power is a very powerful tool which can ease your blood pressure and save your voice. A person watching this technique being performed by a teacher may think at first that the teacher does not have control because they are waiting for silence almost passively--yet when the students refocus it is obvious that the teacher was controlling the situation.
ReplyDeleteReading the information presented in the Strong Voice section was valuable not because I had never heard it before, but it was a good reminder of how to get a keep students attention. Sometimes I forget these simple but very affective details that really do work.
ReplyDeleteI do think that students pay much better attention if I explain things efficiently without getting too wordy. When I regularly keep descriptions brief, students are also more willing to give me their attention if I need to give them a more detailed explanation.
Being reminded to stop, speaking slowly and refusing to speak over students has helped me stay much more calm and consistent with my class. It changes the whole dynamic in a positive way.
I am trying to reteach myself to use the technique of waiting until everyone is listening but like many good things it takes a lot of patience especially with 40 kids in a class.
ReplyDeleteI do admit that I am still learning to be better at setting and maintaining high behavioral expectations in my class. . . constantly with around 40 students I am doing the nonverbal eye contact, positive group correction, talking to individuals, walking around etc. . . This year I have been working on having a stronger presence in the class but not talking over students. I can find myself some times wanting just to move on but the more I practice what this chapter was about the more I find success. Slowing down and speaking slowly but clearly is a key for me.
ReplyDeleteThere are a lot of great strategies in this Chapter. I particularly like the section that describes the different levels of re-direction, and breaks them down from least to most invasive. I like that this chapter gives specific statements and use of language to redirect students. I also agree that sometimes that hardest thing is to determine when students are engaging in defiance or are not able to follow through due to some other reason. I find that giving them the benefit of the doubt one time, checking in with them on the side, providing the direction again, and following up with "Does this make sense now," usually works. However, for my few who are often defiant, I generally need to follow up with a consequence, and often more than once in a period. It's a tough one sometimes, though, because students who have behavioral difficulties often need a little more flexibility. If I offered a one-size-fits-all approach with these students, I might not be taking into account their area of difficulty. How does one balance the idea that fairness means "not treating everyone equally, but providing each individual with what they need to succeed," with the idea that non-compliance must always be dealt with, with a consistent approach? Where is the flexibility in that? I'm not sure it is always as black and white as this chapter seems to suggest.
ReplyDeleteChapter eight addresses our biggest challenge, creating a positive rhythm in the classroom. Offering different instruction and curriculum for students of the same grade who are at different cognitive and/or interest levels, thus as stated it is worth thinking about changing the format of the work every fifteen minutes as you seek to master a single topic. This requires patience and a willing to devote time into differentiating. Hence, differentiate them by adding in multiple forms of action-steps, and different types of behavior that would demonstrate proficiency. I concur… Page 226 states, “When you’re maximizing pacing, your teaching engages and interests students, giving them a sense of progress and change.”
ReplyDelete- Kenji Tatum
I agree with many of the techniques presented in Chapter 8. I think it is imperative that we keep things moving forward in the classroom. Students should be aware of the days activiites (Look Forward). I am, however, guilty of sometimes not moving from one activity to the other in a timely fashion. I have had to continue "agenda" items into another class meeting-probably due to the rythm the class had taken on a particular topic. Perhaps a more definitive use of a "Brighten Lines" technique will help us keep the pace and cover the mandated social studies standards.
ReplyDeleteSeveral worthy comments. As Annette and others mentioned the idea of staying with a student, even moving on for a correct answer, but coming back for a repeat of the correct answer sends a powerful message to the students.
ReplyDeleteI found the "Break it Down" section in Ch. 3 especially helpful. I have tried using incorrect answers as teachable moments, but this section really clarified other options.
Also, in Ch. 8 I found good, fresh ideas in the "Look Forward" section. I liked the mystery item.
I really appreciate the awareness that this section brought into my daily teaching practice, if that makes sense. I think at this point in the year (yes, much later than this post was supposed to go up, but I'm getting all caught up) I'm comfortable with my students and have let my guard down a little bit. I have smaller classes this year, and it's easier to get more relaxed with 12 than it is with 35. I really became aware of times when I am trying to speak over students to get across information or give directions-- and I've been allowing it to happen. I've been stopping and quieting down, asking for a specific task (like holding up the paper) and then going on. It's so simple, but I felt like I need simple sometimes.
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 6, the "100 Percent" technique is challenged every week when some students fail to have homework ready on the due date. What about this situation? The "Strong voice" technique included this, "your voice never competes for attention" and "fewer words are stronger than more." O my God, these two suggestions alone are like having a key to the front and back doors of my house. "Do It Again" is very applicable (and this is a "touchy" subject) to walking students to the field and back during fire drills! You know what that looks like!
ReplyDeleteJon, Chapter 6 had a great many concrete odeas, for a third grade class. To have students full attention , in a stacked class like my fourth period, is another matter. This is not a perfet world in all class rooms but a pretty good list of positive ideas, which are already in effect in my class room. Geo W 427
ReplyDelete