Being an effective educator involves all of the complexities that exist in human nature. Not only does the teacher need to, personally, lead a balanced life in order to be an effective role model, but he must also be adept at dealing with the many personalities that sit in his classroom each day. With that being said, it seems to be a rather daunting pursuit to step into the classroom and be a “teacher”. We know that so much of what we do, in and out of the school, has an impact on our students. Therefore, the logical place to begin to improve would be with oneself. We need to be effective role models everyday, which can not be minimized. “Research indicates that individuals are more likely to model the behaviors of people whom they view as possessing competence and control over resources, and who are major sources of control, support, and reinforcement-characteristics possessed by teachers” (Jones & Jones, 2007, p. 70). We, also, walk a fine line between being cheerleaders and disciplinarians. We must “simultaneously assert both [our] right to be treated with respect and [our] responsibility for ensuring that students treat each other with kindness. Warmth and concern can exist side by side with firmness. Indeed, effective management involves blending these vital ingredients” (Jones & Jones, 2007, p. 80).
In our assigned reading, Jones and Jones (2007) suggest several ways to improve student-teacher relationships which are, as stated above, as important as the methods of discipline employed. The activities that I feel could be utilized quickly and simply in my classroom are the I-message, demonstrating interest in student activities, and the suggestion box. One change that I could begin tomorrow is the I-message. This method of correcting behavior is effective because it “express[es the] personal feelings [of the teacher] and often deal[s] with student behavior that require[s] change” (p. 111). By explaining, privately, how I feel when a student displays disruptive behavior, I am explaining how his behavior, specifically, impacts me. I am not telling him what he did wrong. As Curwin and Fuhrmann (1975) state, “when I tell someone what’s wrong with him, I virtually take away from him all responsibility for himself….Thus I leave him powerless and probably defensive” (as cited in Jones & Jones, 2007, p. 110). From my vantage point, this is a very compelling reason to begin using the I-message.
Demonstrating an interest in an individual’s activities is an easy, common sense approach to becoming involved with all people, regardless of age, but when used in a student-teacher relationship, it can be instrumental in improving relationships, behavior, and academic achievement. “Students and their guardians are extremely appreciative of and impressed with teachers’ attendance at student activities”, and this is another activity I can begin right away (Jones & Jones, 2007, p. 89).
Given that “students often perceive their teachers as relatively uninterested in their ideas about the classroom” a time efficient way to recognize and honor their ideas and opinions would be to have a suggestion box (Jones & Jones, 2007, p.89). This is another simple, yet effective way to improve student-teacher relationships that I could begin as soon as I provided a box in which to put suggestions. Once a week we could devote time to reviewing the suggestions made in each block, and in this way, projects and procedures could be adjusted to reflect the students’ needs and interests.
Another important aspect of the school environment is peer relationships. “When students are liked by their peers…[they] experience a sense of safety and security, belongingness and affection, significance, respect for others, and power. Students are then able to concentrate more fully on learning and are willing to take greater risks” (Jones & Jones, 2007, p. 123). The above is a strong argument in favor of positive peer relationships in the academic setting, and the first activity that I thought would be valuable for the students, as well as, myself was the Name Chain. The process of repeating names and interests would help everyone to know two important things about each other. In a large middle school, the students, often, do not know each other’s names, and I certainly struggle with names everyday, as well. Initially, an individual’s name is the first, and most basic, fact to learn about a person. When you do not know someone’s name, it has a negative effect on further communication. Any activity that can help us remember each others’ names is worth the investment of time, especially in a large educational setting.
The second activity that could easily be implemented each twelve week session is to design a T-shirt which communicates ideas, interests, and activities that are important to each student and would assist them in getting to know each other better. Finally, I would like to involve my students in more group decision making, “Group cohesiveness [can] be enhanced by involving students in shared decision making about classroom organizational factors or problems” (Jones & Jones, 2007, p. 142). The more my students can become involved in working together to establish the classroom environment, the more they will feel an investment in each other and the community they create together.
All in all, implementing activities which improve student-teacher and peer relationships can only serve to make the educational environment more rewarding for all parties involved. As Wentzel (2003) states, “Research indicates that student motivation and positive behavior increase when students perceive their relationships with peers and teachers to be positive and supportive. In addition to facilitating enhanced learning and more responsible behavior in schools, feeling connected to school is a major factor influencing a wide range of issues associated with the positive mental health of young people and adolescents” (as cited in Jones & Jones, 2007, p. 71). To further explore students and the effects of positive relationships, I found the web site for Positive Behavior Support. This site presents approaches to whole-school programs which improve the behavioral and learning environments within a school, and there are still many sites to visit. Yet, any initiative to improve the relationships within the academic community could only prove to be constructive for the learning environment, as a whole, and I look forward to extending my knowledge and research in the future.
Curwin, R., & Fuhrmann, B. (1975). Discovering your teaching self: Humanistic approaches to effective teaching. Englwood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Jones, V., & Jones, L. (2007). Comprhensive classroom management: Creating communities of support and problem solving (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom 8th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Wentzel, K. (2003). School Adjustment. In W. Reynolds, & g. Miler (Eds.), Handbook of Psychology, Vol. 7: Educational Psychology (pp. 235-258). New York: Wiley.
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Reflections on My Goals and Procedures
As I reflected upon the goals, rules, and procedures for student behavior in my classroom, I found that stating three goals was, without a doubt, the most difficult part of this assignment. I have vague, unspoken goals floating around in my head, but I had never been required to focus my attention on developing just three to frame a year of teaching. I began scouring the assigned materials to get an idea of how I could organize a year’s behavioral goals in three categories, and then, how could I word them concisely. Goals were mentioned in Dr. Alene Harris’ DVD presentation on “Goals and Procedures”. In this DVD she suggested that goals should be “developed through an understanding of your students, your philosophy, and your curriculum” (Laureate Education, Inc., 2008). This seemed a good place to begin.
With students as my first priority, the initial goal is to develop expectations for student behavior that the students themselves, help develop. In this way, I hope to foster a sense of collaboration and community in which students have ownership, the outcome of which I hope is; they treat each other with respect and dignity and choose to take responsibility for their own actions. As Jones and Jones state (2007), “we need to involve students in developing the guidelines that facilitate a safe, supportive environment. The creation of needed structure can be an important aspect of community building” (p. 197).
My second goal is to provide assistance to those students who display counterproductive behaviors. I must help all students understand the effects their actions have on others. By becoming a guide for the student in the process of reflection, I hope the student becomes more aware of the cause and effect of his actions. Hopefully, then students will be intrinsically motivated to follow classroom norms because they appreciate their value. “Rules should provide guidelines that or benchmarks that help students examine their behaviors and consider the effects on themselves and others” (Jones& Jones, 2007, p. 197).
My last goal is to create an environment for learning that encourages safe exploration and fosters creativity. By eliciting student involvement in developing and maintaining classroom norms and my involvement in monitoring and enforcing these same norms, teacher and students can create a community where all feel welcome and safe.
Now, rules, or norms need to be considered. As I stated before, ideally, I would like the students to be involved in the process of establishing the classroom norms, but for the purpose of this reflective exercise, I will describe a few rules that I would like to have in place each school year in the art room.
1. The first norm should reflect how students are to treat each other. Clearly stated, students should treat each other with respect and dignity.
2. The second norm has to do with the manner in which the students treat the physical environment of the classroom. The students must follow all procedures in caring for, and cleaning the classroom environment. The room and all art supplies in it are school property, and need to be cared for and respected.
3. There is very little factual information to master in my discipline, yet considerable effort is required to produce a quality piece of artwork. My final rule involves student effort. Each student must endeavor to do the best quality work of which they are capable, and clarify any confusion about directions, aesthetic decisions, and processes.
One area that has been a constant problem in my classroom is the establishment of an acceptable noise level. Students understand quiet and they understand the freedom to talk, but they have a hard time understanding what too much noise sounds like. Currently, I have switched the lights on and off to indicate that they are too noisy. This works temporarily, but the noise level often gets too loud again. In Jones and Jones (2007) there were two great ideas suggested. The first suggested clear visual signs to help students know when they have exceeded a reasonable level of noise. This would involve making signs that could be color coded or have graphic illustrations on them to let the students know where they are on the noise continuum, possibly with three to four levels represented. Another idea that I thought was great was the Yacker Tracker. One of the authors had used this device in her classroom and it was successful. It resembles a spotlight and measures the noise decibel level in the classroom. The decibel reading can be adjusted by the teacher, as well. It certainly is worth researching.
Another area that presents problems from time to time is the freedom of movement that is necessary in my classroom. Students are asked to independently get the materials needed to do their artwork, yet while out of their seats, they have a tendency to socialize, and this negatively affects their productive time in the art room. Rules have been established and consequences enforced, yet it continues to be a problem. While searching for a solution I ran across an excellent resource for classroom management ideas that I intend to explore for solutions. In the meantime, this is an area in which I would welcome suggestions because the imperative to mingle is very strong in middle school students and I have yet to discover the magic solution.
Most days go quite smoothly in my room, but not all days. The process of reflecting upon my current goals, rules, and procedures has given me a new focus on how I might change my approach, particularly as it applies to norms, or rules. In the future, I plan to have my students more actively involved in creating the norms. In this way, I hope to encourage an increased sense of community and collaboration within my room.
Jones, V., & Jones, L. (2007). Comprehensive classroom management: Creating communities of support and solving problems (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom 8th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program three. The Relationship Between Instruction and Behavior [Motion picture]. Classroom management to promote student learning. Baltimore: Author.
With students as my first priority, the initial goal is to develop expectations for student behavior that the students themselves, help develop. In this way, I hope to foster a sense of collaboration and community in which students have ownership, the outcome of which I hope is; they treat each other with respect and dignity and choose to take responsibility for their own actions. As Jones and Jones state (2007), “we need to involve students in developing the guidelines that facilitate a safe, supportive environment. The creation of needed structure can be an important aspect of community building” (p. 197).
My second goal is to provide assistance to those students who display counterproductive behaviors. I must help all students understand the effects their actions have on others. By becoming a guide for the student in the process of reflection, I hope the student becomes more aware of the cause and effect of his actions. Hopefully, then students will be intrinsically motivated to follow classroom norms because they appreciate their value. “Rules should provide guidelines that or benchmarks that help students examine their behaviors and consider the effects on themselves and others” (Jones& Jones, 2007, p. 197).
My last goal is to create an environment for learning that encourages safe exploration and fosters creativity. By eliciting student involvement in developing and maintaining classroom norms and my involvement in monitoring and enforcing these same norms, teacher and students can create a community where all feel welcome and safe.
Now, rules, or norms need to be considered. As I stated before, ideally, I would like the students to be involved in the process of establishing the classroom norms, but for the purpose of this reflective exercise, I will describe a few rules that I would like to have in place each school year in the art room.
1. The first norm should reflect how students are to treat each other. Clearly stated, students should treat each other with respect and dignity.
2. The second norm has to do with the manner in which the students treat the physical environment of the classroom. The students must follow all procedures in caring for, and cleaning the classroom environment. The room and all art supplies in it are school property, and need to be cared for and respected.
3. There is very little factual information to master in my discipline, yet considerable effort is required to produce a quality piece of artwork. My final rule involves student effort. Each student must endeavor to do the best quality work of which they are capable, and clarify any confusion about directions, aesthetic decisions, and processes.
One area that has been a constant problem in my classroom is the establishment of an acceptable noise level. Students understand quiet and they understand the freedom to talk, but they have a hard time understanding what too much noise sounds like. Currently, I have switched the lights on and off to indicate that they are too noisy. This works temporarily, but the noise level often gets too loud again. In Jones and Jones (2007) there were two great ideas suggested. The first suggested clear visual signs to help students know when they have exceeded a reasonable level of noise. This would involve making signs that could be color coded or have graphic illustrations on them to let the students know where they are on the noise continuum, possibly with three to four levels represented. Another idea that I thought was great was the Yacker Tracker. One of the authors had used this device in her classroom and it was successful. It resembles a spotlight and measures the noise decibel level in the classroom. The decibel reading can be adjusted by the teacher, as well. It certainly is worth researching.
Another area that presents problems from time to time is the freedom of movement that is necessary in my classroom. Students are asked to independently get the materials needed to do their artwork, yet while out of their seats, they have a tendency to socialize, and this negatively affects their productive time in the art room. Rules have been established and consequences enforced, yet it continues to be a problem. While searching for a solution I ran across an excellent resource for classroom management ideas that I intend to explore for solutions. In the meantime, this is an area in which I would welcome suggestions because the imperative to mingle is very strong in middle school students and I have yet to discover the magic solution.
Most days go quite smoothly in my room, but not all days. The process of reflecting upon my current goals, rules, and procedures has given me a new focus on how I might change my approach, particularly as it applies to norms, or rules. In the future, I plan to have my students more actively involved in creating the norms. In this way, I hope to encourage an increased sense of community and collaboration within my room.
Jones, V., & Jones, L. (2007). Comprehensive classroom management: Creating communities of support and solving problems (Laureate Education, Inc., Custom 8th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.
Laureate Education, Inc. (Producer). (2008). Program three. The Relationship Between Instruction and Behavior [Motion picture]. Classroom management to promote student learning. Baltimore: Author.
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