This chapter offers some applicable strategies for improving behavior in the classroom.
Big Idea #1: Assertive Discipline. Developed by the Canters, Assertive Discipline follows B. F. Skinner's ideas and encourages positive reinforcement and negative consequences. While I am in favor of a more passive, covert behavior management plan, there comes an age group and a stage of mental development with Skinner's behaviorism doesn't necessarily work anymore. For older children, simple temporal rewards or punishments aren't enough to dictate their behavior.
Big Idea #2: The Good Behavior Game. Barrish, Saunders, and Wolf developed the game to diminish negative behaviors and to focus on peer encouragement. To be frank, I see the Good Behavior Game as nothing more than a short term solution. This is "imposed discipline" if I ever saw it, and it is only an extension of Skinner's system of rewards and punishments.
Big Idea #3: Think Time. Nelson created Think Time to reinforce rules, provide early intervention and encourage positive social exchange between the teacher and the student. I am not convinced. Think Time seems like a glorified time-out, which I think is one of the worst discipline practices around. You are basically informing the child, "if you no longer wish to participate in my class, here is how you can get out of it." The child then proceeds to misbehave, and is given a free ticket out of class, and is prevented from learning the material and developing a sense of social responsibility to the rest of the students. And the debriefing form is supposed to fix this? I doubt it.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Ch. 3 - Foundations of Classroom Management
This chapter introduces some psychological theories with which to approach classroom management.
Big Idea #1: Foundational theories are the theories on which many other strategies are based. Understanding these theories is an important step to understanding the strategies that are presented later in the textbook.
Big Idea #2 and #3 (because there are five theories presented in this chapter):
B. F. Skinner's research proposes that behavior can be influenced by a system of rewards and punishments. If good behavior is rewarded, it will continue to be exhibited, and if negative behavior receives punishing consequences, it will be avoided.
Redl and Wattenberg's theory of group dynamics posits that individuals act differently whether they are on their own or are part of a group. By reminding a child of their appropriate social reality, the child can be reminded what behavior is appropriate.
Glasser's Choice Theory asserts that every individual, teacher and student, is responsible for their own behavior. Children choose their behavior based on which needs they need to have fulfilled: survival, belonging, power, freedom, and fun.
Thomas Gordon's emphasis is on discipline as self-control. He believes that students own their problems, but that teachers need to be active listeners so that they can understand and help a child with their problems.
Ginott's Congruent Communication Theory holds that, while problems are owned by the student, it is the teacher's responsibility to provide and create an environment conducive to the best behavior and learning possible. With clear communication, "I-Messages," constructive guidance, uncritical messages and an avoidance of sarcasm and ridicule, the students will respect the teacher and will demonstrate that respect through good behavior.
Big Idea #1: Foundational theories are the theories on which many other strategies are based. Understanding these theories is an important step to understanding the strategies that are presented later in the textbook.
Big Idea #2 and #3 (because there are five theories presented in this chapter):
B. F. Skinner's research proposes that behavior can be influenced by a system of rewards and punishments. If good behavior is rewarded, it will continue to be exhibited, and if negative behavior receives punishing consequences, it will be avoided.
Redl and Wattenberg's theory of group dynamics posits that individuals act differently whether they are on their own or are part of a group. By reminding a child of their appropriate social reality, the child can be reminded what behavior is appropriate.
Glasser's Choice Theory asserts that every individual, teacher and student, is responsible for their own behavior. Children choose their behavior based on which needs they need to have fulfilled: survival, belonging, power, freedom, and fun.
Thomas Gordon's emphasis is on discipline as self-control. He believes that students own their problems, but that teachers need to be active listeners so that they can understand and help a child with their problems.
Ginott's Congruent Communication Theory holds that, while problems are owned by the student, it is the teacher's responsibility to provide and create an environment conducive to the best behavior and learning possible. With clear communication, "I-Messages," constructive guidance, uncritical messages and an avoidance of sarcasm and ridicule, the students will respect the teacher and will demonstrate that respect through good behavior.
Ch. 1 - Introducing the Concept of Classroom Management
This chapter introduces us to the subject of classroom management and offers some ideas on how to approach it.
Big Idea #1: Classroom management is connected to an individual teacher's philosophy and instruction. Every person has a moral obligation to act in accordance with their conscience, and being a teacher is no different. A teacher's instruction should reflect what they believe about the purpose of education, about discipline for children, and about the mastery of their subject matter. Keeping the instruction and the philosophy connected is vital to maintaining consistency in a classroom.
Big Idea #2: Student misbehavior affects the teacher and other students, and it is prudent to find the cause of the misbehavior, rather than addressing the behavior alone. It is important to note that a classroom is an environment where many different children interact. The behavior of one affects the others, and the misbehavior of one can, and often does, have a negative impact on the group as a whole. A teacher should focus on finding the root cause of the misbehavior, rather than quelling the behavior alone. The misbehavior is often a symptom of a larger problem.
Big Idea #3: Student diversity plays a huge factor in managing student behavior, and a management model must address every kind of student. Your classroom management plan must be specific, yet versatile enough, to address many different behaviors and personalities. Every student must feel that you have been fair in your management of the class, and that includes when you manage other students.
Big Idea #1: Classroom management is connected to an individual teacher's philosophy and instruction. Every person has a moral obligation to act in accordance with their conscience, and being a teacher is no different. A teacher's instruction should reflect what they believe about the purpose of education, about discipline for children, and about the mastery of their subject matter. Keeping the instruction and the philosophy connected is vital to maintaining consistency in a classroom.
Big Idea #2: Student misbehavior affects the teacher and other students, and it is prudent to find the cause of the misbehavior, rather than addressing the behavior alone. It is important to note that a classroom is an environment where many different children interact. The behavior of one affects the others, and the misbehavior of one can, and often does, have a negative impact on the group as a whole. A teacher should focus on finding the root cause of the misbehavior, rather than quelling the behavior alone. The misbehavior is often a symptom of a larger problem.
Big Idea #3: Student diversity plays a huge factor in managing student behavior, and a management model must address every kind of student. Your classroom management plan must be specific, yet versatile enough, to address many different behaviors and personalities. Every student must feel that you have been fair in your management of the class, and that includes when you manage other students.
Ch. 14 - Applying a Management Philosophy in Your Classroom
While chapter 13 discussed developing your classroom management philosophy, chapter 14 talks about putting that philosophy into action in your classroom.
Big Idea #1: Management philosophies serve as the basis of the classroom management plan. Without a coherent philosophy, you classroom management plan will end up being confusing and inconsistent, and the students will recognize this. Those inconsistencies will result in unpredictable behavior and resentment from your students, as well as creating confusion for yourself. Actions that are inconsistent with your philosophy or beliefs about education create a duality of character and mindset that are harmful to your well-being. But, if you are consistent and act in accordance with your philosophy, your students will respect you, and you will respect yourself in return.
Big Idea #2: Classroom management plan should include specifics such as relations with the students and parents, building the environment, and establishing rules. The more specific your plan, the less guesswork you need to do when the moment comes to take action in the classroom. If your plan is specific, you have a solid, tangible work to go back to and check yourself. This keeps you as the teacher accountable to your plan. For example, if you have written down a specific plan to call every child's parents once every month, you have a deeper seeded obligation to follow through with that plan. Also, writing down the specifics of your plan contribute to maintaining consistency, as is explained above.
Big Idea #3: Tailor your management plan to many different kinds of students, and address different kinds of misbehavior and special needs. Have a plan for violent behavior. While we hope you never have to deal with violence in your classroom, you should always be prepared to act quickly and decisively should the occasion arise. Your plan should include responses to many different kinds of behaviors and needs to help keep you prepared to act and handle any kind of problem in your classroom.
Big Idea #1: Management philosophies serve as the basis of the classroom management plan. Without a coherent philosophy, you classroom management plan will end up being confusing and inconsistent, and the students will recognize this. Those inconsistencies will result in unpredictable behavior and resentment from your students, as well as creating confusion for yourself. Actions that are inconsistent with your philosophy or beliefs about education create a duality of character and mindset that are harmful to your well-being. But, if you are consistent and act in accordance with your philosophy, your students will respect you, and you will respect yourself in return.
Big Idea #2: Classroom management plan should include specifics such as relations with the students and parents, building the environment, and establishing rules. The more specific your plan, the less guesswork you need to do when the moment comes to take action in the classroom. If your plan is specific, you have a solid, tangible work to go back to and check yourself. This keeps you as the teacher accountable to your plan. For example, if you have written down a specific plan to call every child's parents once every month, you have a deeper seeded obligation to follow through with that plan. Also, writing down the specifics of your plan contribute to maintaining consistency, as is explained above.
Big Idea #3: Tailor your management plan to many different kinds of students, and address different kinds of misbehavior and special needs. Have a plan for violent behavior. While we hope you never have to deal with violence in your classroom, you should always be prepared to act quickly and decisively should the occasion arise. Your plan should include responses to many different kinds of behaviors and needs to help keep you prepared to act and handle any kind of problem in your classroom.
Ch. 13 - Developing Your Personal Classroom Management Philosophy
Most of the textbook has spent a considerable amount of time reviewing classroom management plans and strategies. This chapter gives some solid advice about developing your classroom philosophy.
Big Idea #1: A management philosophy is necessary regardless of the grade or subject you teach. This is solid advice because the kind of behavior you will face will differ from grade to grade, and you can never rely purely on your subject matter to enthrall the class. There will always be someone who is not as interested in your subject matter as you would hope them to be, and there will always be an age group where there will be some discrepancies about behavior. Even seniors in high school are still learning to be adults, and as a result may resort to behavior that is not conducive to a learning environment. That's why a classroom management plan is necessary for every age and subject matter, and it should be specifically tailored to that grade and subject matter.
Big Idea #2: Your philosophy should address discipline, roles of the teacher, behavior problems, and the goals of classroom management. The goal of your classroom should be clearly defined, whether you want a mastery of the subject material, a productive social environment, or any number of other educational goals. You should outline how you will handle discipline and behavior in your classroom, and then be consistent with those decisions. Of course, in the same way that you have clearly defined the goal for your classroom, you should clearly define your own role as the teacher. Are you a mediator for discussion? Is your job to lecture and relay the pertinent information? Are you a role model or a parental figure? All of these factors should be addressed when formulating your classroom philosophy.
Big Idea #3: It is best to pick and choose from the presented strategies that you think will work best for you. The ideas that you agree with will be the ones that you execute with more precision and accuracy. If you lack conviction for certain ideas presented, then you won't perform them as intended, resulting in its failed execution. In the same way, one single set of principles won't work for every child. Use the ideas and principles for each appropriate moment.
Big Idea #1: A management philosophy is necessary regardless of the grade or subject you teach. This is solid advice because the kind of behavior you will face will differ from grade to grade, and you can never rely purely on your subject matter to enthrall the class. There will always be someone who is not as interested in your subject matter as you would hope them to be, and there will always be an age group where there will be some discrepancies about behavior. Even seniors in high school are still learning to be adults, and as a result may resort to behavior that is not conducive to a learning environment. That's why a classroom management plan is necessary for every age and subject matter, and it should be specifically tailored to that grade and subject matter.
Big Idea #2: Your philosophy should address discipline, roles of the teacher, behavior problems, and the goals of classroom management. The goal of your classroom should be clearly defined, whether you want a mastery of the subject material, a productive social environment, or any number of other educational goals. You should outline how you will handle discipline and behavior in your classroom, and then be consistent with those decisions. Of course, in the same way that you have clearly defined the goal for your classroom, you should clearly define your own role as the teacher. Are you a mediator for discussion? Is your job to lecture and relay the pertinent information? Are you a role model or a parental figure? All of these factors should be addressed when formulating your classroom philosophy.
Big Idea #3: It is best to pick and choose from the presented strategies that you think will work best for you. The ideas that you agree with will be the ones that you execute with more precision and accuracy. If you lack conviction for certain ideas presented, then you won't perform them as intended, resulting in its failed execution. In the same way, one single set of principles won't work for every child. Use the ideas and principles for each appropriate moment.
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Journal #1: The Best, the Worst, and Why it Matters
Reflection #1: January 15, 2013
Who were your best teachers growing up and why? Who were your worst teachers and why? Why does this matter?
My best teacher was my sophomore and senior English teacher, Queen Henry. It's easy to qualify her as the best for a couple simple reasons. It always felt like her classroom was a community. Every student had the opportunity to voice their opinions about an issue or about a book we were reading. And it wasn't that we had these discussions, it's that these discussions felt like they mattered. I was in high school, going through every problem a high school student does, with relationship problems and tensions with parents and college pressure. But there in Mrs. Henry's class, my opinion mattered, and the other students and the teacher listened to what I have to say, and I listened to them. We formed a community with fun roles for each member to play. Some were readers, some were actors, some were activists. Mrs. Henry made it seem like what we read in her class was relevant to our lives, and that we were key players in the discussion of the topic at large. In short, the reasons she was the best teacher were the students' active participation in dialogue, the relevance of the subject matter, and the community that she built in her classroom.
It's hard to pick out my worst teacher because it feels like I had plenty. I disliked some teachers (Mrs. Thibedeaux [11th grade pre-cal] and Mrs. Garcia-Meitin [7th grade algebra]) because of the perceived lack of relevance for the material. I disliked others (Professor Krohn [Shakespeare, Modern Drama], Mrs. Kordsmeier [9th grade English], Mrs. Bordelon [6th grade World History], Mrs. Lancaster [7th grade Texas History]) because of the lack of involvement. These classes were all very lecture-based, with little interaction or discussion with the students. What these teachers told us was "correct," and we were expected to take it at face-value without questioning it. Other students may remember these teachers differently, as is expected, but in my opinion, these classes were very low in involvement and intercommunication.
Why does it matter? It matters because if I want to impress a student like I was, I need to be like Mrs. Henry, and not like the other teachers. The very simple answer is that if I want to be what I thought was a good teacher, I have a good example to emulate in Mrs. Henry, and I have examples to avoid in my reflections of past teachers. I can take what I disliked from those classes (perceived lack of relevance and lack of interaction), and I can focus on bringing those aspects into my classroom.
Who were your best teachers growing up and why? Who were your worst teachers and why? Why does this matter?
My best teacher was my sophomore and senior English teacher, Queen Henry. It's easy to qualify her as the best for a couple simple reasons. It always felt like her classroom was a community. Every student had the opportunity to voice their opinions about an issue or about a book we were reading. And it wasn't that we had these discussions, it's that these discussions felt like they mattered. I was in high school, going through every problem a high school student does, with relationship problems and tensions with parents and college pressure. But there in Mrs. Henry's class, my opinion mattered, and the other students and the teacher listened to what I have to say, and I listened to them. We formed a community with fun roles for each member to play. Some were readers, some were actors, some were activists. Mrs. Henry made it seem like what we read in her class was relevant to our lives, and that we were key players in the discussion of the topic at large. In short, the reasons she was the best teacher were the students' active participation in dialogue, the relevance of the subject matter, and the community that she built in her classroom.
It's hard to pick out my worst teacher because it feels like I had plenty. I disliked some teachers (Mrs. Thibedeaux [11th grade pre-cal] and Mrs. Garcia-Meitin [7th grade algebra]) because of the perceived lack of relevance for the material. I disliked others (Professor Krohn [Shakespeare, Modern Drama], Mrs. Kordsmeier [9th grade English], Mrs. Bordelon [6th grade World History], Mrs. Lancaster [7th grade Texas History]) because of the lack of involvement. These classes were all very lecture-based, with little interaction or discussion with the students. What these teachers told us was "correct," and we were expected to take it at face-value without questioning it. Other students may remember these teachers differently, as is expected, but in my opinion, these classes were very low in involvement and intercommunication.
Why does it matter? It matters because if I want to impress a student like I was, I need to be like Mrs. Henry, and not like the other teachers. The very simple answer is that if I want to be what I thought was a good teacher, I have a good example to emulate in Mrs. Henry, and I have examples to avoid in my reflections of past teachers. I can take what I disliked from those classes (perceived lack of relevance and lack of interaction), and I can focus on bringing those aspects into my classroom.
Statement of Purpose
I have attended my first semester of grad school at the University of Houston and found it very enlightening. I'm working on my Master's degree in Education and my teaching certificate for 8-12 English and Language Arts. I'm in a class now that requires periodic journal entries in response to articles or prompts. I will use this blog to organize my entries into an easy to read, easy to navigate interface. I hope other students out in the world might find my entries thoughtful, and perhaps provide some insight into someone else's teaching philosophy and reflections.
~Travis Koneschik
~Travis Koneschik
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