PreClass Assignment

Fill out the notecard you are given with the following information: Name School/Location Subject/Grade you teach An interesting fact about yourself which you can share publicly A question about classroom management or discipline. ( use back of card if necessary)

Helping the First Year Teacher Survive What every teacher should know and implement in their classroom

Dr. Timothy L. Heaton Associate Professor of Education Cedarville University Cedarville, Ohio 45314 [email protected]

Research Shows

The vast majority of discipline/behavioral problems which happen in classrooms are due to poor teaching methods and lack of structure. Included in this lack of structure, there is too much down-time between activities(transitions). The research indicates you need to be well planned and rehearsed in your teaching presentation and have established routines in your classroom.

Labor Before Labor Day!

Get your classroom set up Know what your overall plan for the year is… Think through what you are going to do… Where you are going to store things…..

What your goals are for this year as far as behavior, academics and spiritual emphasis.

The Quiet Signal

Make the Children take ownership, not you.

( No ringing bells, flipping on and off lights, blowing whistles, screaming, etc.) Set Expectations, Practice, Remind, Enforce and be consistent.

100% participation needed. “Everyone is almost ready, I am waiting on two people” I see groups 1,2 4 and 5 are ready. Great Job!” Raised Hand, Hand Clap, 5 Count( or silent 5 count), “ If you hear my voice….” When you have to Shush children, then you have an ineffective control system in your classroom.

Note Cards and Groups

Find the people with your color cards and form a group of 3-5. You will have 30 seconds to do so.

After you have grouped together and claimed an area of the room introduce yourself with information from your cards, you have 1 minute, 30 seconds Assign a “Go For” to bring me your cards at the end of 2 minutes.

Watch for the Quiet signal

A Plan for the Day/ A Set Routine

Write your schedule of activities for the day in a visible place, in the same place every day before the students arrive.

Go over it orally at the beginning of the lesson No Down Time! Include Routines and Behavioral Expectations for children going to and from the classroom, i.e. bathroom, specials, cafeteria, recess, dismissal, etc.

Greet the children at the door, assignment waiting at their desk, non-intrusive systems of prayer/ attendance/ offering/ other routine tasks.

The Lesson A parable for the Classroom

Then Jesus took his disciples up the mountain, and gathering them around him, he taught them saying: Blessed are the meek Blessed are they that mourn Blessed are they who thirst for justice Blessed are you when persecuted Blessed are you when you suffer Be Glad and Rejoice for your reward is great in Heaven.

The Lesson Continued

Then Simon Peter said:“ Do we have to write this down?” And Andrew said:“Are we supposed to know this?” James said: “Will we have a test on this?” And Phillip said;” What if we don’t know it?” Bartholomew said:” Do we have to turn this in?” John said: “ The other disciples didn’t have to learn this.” And Matthew said;” When do we get out of here?” And Judas said: “ What does this have to do with real life?”

The Lesson( continued)

Then the Pharisees present asked to see Jesus Lesson Plans and inquired of Jesus his terminal objectives in the cognitive domain.

And “Jesus Wept”

Lesson Planning Made Easy

Attention Getter- A hook to grab the student Objectives- What do you really want your students to know about this subject? Why do I want my student to know this content? What biblical principle is illustrated by this lesson?

Teach Content What’s the best method for teaching this content( strategies)? Assess objective measure how my student’s learned this material?

What’s the best way to Exit Slip/Closure- How can I summarize or review what I just taught the students?

Lesson Planning made easy

Your job is to uncover items in the lesson for the students to learn, not just cover material.

Ask yourself these questions as you plan: 1. What’s important?

2. Why is it important?

3. Which method is best to teach the information?

4. How can I best evaluate the lesson?

5. What biblical truth/principle is taught?

Create a Week at a Glance

Create a weekly syllabus for your class from your daily lesson plans. Send home the Friday before so students and parents can begin planning their week. This is also an easy way to handle students who are absent. Helps you keep on track as well.

Radical Pedagogy

Throw Away that Workbook Stopping killing trees with all that copying materials Eliminate Homework and give families their children back. Get out of the Homework trap.

Have fun and make lessons relevant to the student’s lives and world.

Proactive vs. Reactive

Always have something for students to do, for those who come early, for those who finish first, and for those who have to stay late. Give some varied choices.

(Crafts, Games, Learning Centers, Jobs)

Discuss/ Post Consequences for Actions or Classroom Rules

Have class discuss guidelines that need to be set for the classroom, school to run smoothly.

Have students with your close guidance delineate the same rules you would have chosen, but only guide, don’t make suggestions unless the classes rules are too severe. Post these 3-5 Rules/Consequences Killer Actions/Killer Statements Practice: proximity, glare, voice, touch, nonverbal Research shows: that students who make rules buy into them more than if given by the teacher with no input.

Transitions can be Killers!

Practice Practice Practice Fire Drills, Emergency shut downs, Picture Day, Specials, Field trips, Grandparent’s days Line up procedures so there isn’t a body count.

“Everyone whose birthday is in January” “Anyone who is wearing purple socks”

Classroom Management and Disciplinary Techniques

Remember the Root Word for Discipline and Disciple are the same!

Discipline doesn’t need to be punitive Discipline should guide and direct.

Pupil Causes of Misbehavior

Feelings of inadequacy Desire for attention( even negative attention) Desire for revenge( may act out toward you and their frustrations on others) Desire for Praise Wrong idea on how to belong to a group Reaching a frustration level Open Rebellion( be careful on this one)

Teacher Causes of Misbehavior

Uninteresting teacher-learner situation Unwise academic pacing Lack of organization, no established routine or procedure Poor teacher-student or group relationship Weak teaching personality- you need forcefulness, conviction, security, self-control and self-respect.

Set expectations and stick to them.

Positive Recognition and Reinforcement

1. Correct the offender privately. Never embarrass or confront with other children around.

2. Catch them doing something positive 3. Never Yell at a child or threaten them 4. Give the students some reminders: “What do we do when asking a question? What is our procedure for getting in line?” 5. After dealing with a serious offense, ALWAYS notify the principal and the parent before the child gets home. Try calling the parent or guardian at work.

6. The Principal is always the last resort!

Use of Rewards/ the Store

Bonus Bucks and a Token Economy Bonus Bucks used for attendance, on task behavior, correct manners, right answers, any sort of positive reinforcment.

This can be used as a “way of escape” for not getting homework done, etc.

Devise a system of penalties and levey as fines for wrong behavior.

The Store: Slush fund and donations, Dollar store trinkets, High-end items, Teach students wise use of monies and savings. Have on Friday afternoon as part of Math class. Students keep their own bucks in an envelope throughout the week. It’s just like money, you lose it, it’s gone.

Self Control in the Classroom

Never Cry in front of your class out of frustration Never Scream at a class in frustration Never touch a student inappropriately when frustrated Never threaten or promise if you can’t deliver.

Use the Glare Change voice depth and speed

Use the following

1 . Wise and sparing use of voice 2. Probationary isolation 3. Knowledgeable ignorance( no mountains out of molehills) 4. Catch them being good 5. Recognize the ripple effect 6. Wise and frequent use of punishment Remember No method works perfect with every child.

Never, Never, Never

Use Homework at Punishment Punish the entire class for a few people’s misbehavior Let a parent or student help you grade papers Call out grades in class or have students grade others papers.

Never keep any assignment to grade for more than a week.

Other effective types of discipline

Time Outs Work/Service projects Parent or Guardian sitting with child in class.

Discipline Chart showing progress ( Wise, Fool, Simple, Scorner system) Home visits Finding interests of child and using this as a motivation.

Discipline Techniques

Proximity- Move to the source of the problem Use of Facial Expressions “The Look” Practice in front of a mirror. Laugh when appropriate( candy corn illus.) Non-Verbal Signals/Cues Voice Variation( Slow Down/Deepen voice) Circulate and Observe and Correct Get on their level, see the largest part of class.

More Discipline Techniques

Verbal Cues ( We are waiting on one more person, etc.) Turn to a Neighbor Repeat the rule: Call on Betsy to tell the rule, Call on Carl to tell the rule, Call on Dan( who has broken the rule) to repeat the rule. Hears it 3 times and isn’t embarrassed in front of class.

Helpful Hints

1. Students should always be engaged in learning, never have any down time.

Never ask what the students want to do today?

Don’t ask students if there are questions, have students pair share questions they have, then pick on someone to share.

Make positive comments, never use sarcasm.

Other ideas

Talk to Parents or Guardians…find out what works for them.

Talk to other professionals and study the research on the specific disability.

School leaders on whether these children can be serviced by your school.

Supervise, Monitor, Structure and Patience Document Everything

In Closing

Classroom arrangement: A place for everything and everything in it’s place.

Cooperative learning strategies: Time limits, heterogeneous groups, monitor and have accountability on task they are to do, and assigned roles and responsibilities Circulate, Circulate, Circulate Never leave your class unattended…no matter how good they seem.

Desk at back of room, Soft-soled shoes, Squat/Don’t Bend, Eyes in the back of your head, Get the whole class in view/No Tunnel vision.

The Teacher

He never taught a lesson in a classroom… He had no tools to work with, such as whiteboards, maps or charts….

He used no subject outlines, kept no records, gave no grades, And his text was ancient and well worn…..

His students were the poor, the lame, the deaf, the blind and the outcast….and His method was the same with all who came to hear and learn….He opened eyes with faith…..He opened ears with simple truth and opened hearts with love, a love born of forgiveness….A gentle man, a humble man, He asked for and won no honors, no gold awards of tribute to His expertise or wisdom….And yet this quiet teacher from the hills of Galilee has fed the needs, fulfilled the hopes and changed the lives of many missions….For what He taught brought heaven to earth and revealed God’s heart to mankind.