Classroom Management Resources Shindler School Climate PLSI Teaching - Workshops by JVS
Classroom Climate Plan
by Connie Frady
EDCI 590-Section 02
Summer, 2008
Dr. John Shindler
Introduction
My name is Connie. I am an
elementary school educator. I have earned my MS with CLAD
preliminary credential for grades K-8. I am currently working on clearing my
credential at California State University, Los Angeles. I have been teaching
for a total of 7 years; all at Lenicia B. Weemes Elementary School. Lenicia B.
Weemes is part of the Los Angeles Unified School District. Presently I am teaching
1st grade but I have also had the pleasure of teaching both 2nd
and 3rd grade students.
Lenicia B. Weemes Elementary school is part of the West Adams-University Park
Community; one of the oldest neighborhoods in Los Angeles. The school is
surrounded by a wealth of educational resources such as the California
African-American Museum, California Science Center, and the Natural History
Museum. Lenicia B. Weemes Elementary is located a block west of the University of Southern California (USC), south of Jefferson Blvd., and
north of Exposition Blvd. Our school population is approximately 1,200 students
with approximately 72% Hispanic or Latino, and 28% African-American (not of
Hispanic origin). Among the student population at Weemes 45% are English
Language Learners. At Weemes Elementary there is a 93% participation in the
Free-Lunch program.
Problem Identification
I would like to create a strong
sense of community in my classroom. I want my students to learn how to work
together and find value in another classmate’s contribution as well as their
own. I want students to understand the importance and benefits of being a fair,
honest, empathetic community member as well as the consequences that may arise when
these ideals are devalued. It is my hope that if I create more community in the
classroom in time students will demonstrate more patience, kindness, and
respect towards one another, themselves, and their learning community.
Research Questions
· How do I help students come to understand
and then experience values and ideals important to a successful community?
· In what ways do collaborative group activities
foster the classroom community? What new interactions and social skills emerge
from these students?
· What can I do as a teacher to develop
a sense of community in the classroom? What actions have I used to discourage the
development of Community?
Plan of Action
My study on creating a strong sense
of community in the classroom will take place over a three month period. These
studies will commence at the start of the school year and conclude at the end
of the first reporting period. I have divided my plan of action into three
stages. The duration of each stage is one month. The first stage introduces the
concept of community to my students. The next stage involves identifying how to
effectively use collaborative learning to promote a strong sense of community
in the classroom. The final stage of study focuses on my demeanor and
interaction with students throughout the day to identify how I promote or discourage
the development of community in my classroom.
Stage 1
To begin, I will introduce the
concept of community to my young 1st
grade students. As mentioned earlier, it is expected that this process will
take one month. The first week will focus on understanding community. Henceforth, each week, students will focus on a new
community ideal such as responsibility,
respectfulness, and empathy. Working in whole group,
students will meet with the teacher for 25 minutes a day to discuss this new
community ideal.
I will assess students’ development
through formal and informal means. My informal assessments will include observations
of students’ responses to questions surrounding our daily discussions.
Specifically, I will be looking to see if students are engaged in the topic and
making headway in understanding the topic discussion. Formal assessments will
take place at the end of each week and will require students to draw a picture
which illustrates understanding of the discussed community ideal. At the end of
the fourth week, students will demonstrate their understanding of community by
working in groups to act out one of the three introduced community ideals.
The purpose of these whole group
discussions is to help students gain a concrete understanding of these inherently
abstract ideals. In the past, I assumed students already understood community
ideals such as responsibility, respect, and empathy. Students will be expected to begin demonstrating these
community ideals in their daily interactions with students and teachers.
Lastly, I will also involve students
in the creation of our Social Contract. I will explain how it relates to
Community, and how it will help us to uphold community ideals. Students will be
required to take the contract home to review with their parents. I will request
the parent’s signature as well as the student’s signature. The purpose of this
Social Contract is to support and promote a healthy classroom climate.
Stage 2
The next phase of my studies will
involve identifying ways to effectively utilize collaborative group activities in
order to foster a strong classroom community. It is expected this process will
take approximately one month. To begin, my first week of Stage 2 will involve
research on effectively implementing and organizing collaborative learning activities
which promote a sense of community. In the 2nd week, I will observe students
working collaboratively in contrasting classroom environments: one with a
strong sense of community and one lacking a strong sense of community. I expect
to identify what skills students use to work successfully in collaborative
groups. I also expect to identify how students with challenging behavior react
to a positive collaborative group experience. During the 3rd and 4th
week of Stage 2, using the research gathered from the last two weeks, I will implement
collaborative learning activities. I will observe and take notes on student
progress, interactions, and assimilation of community ideals introduced in Stage
1.
The purpose of Stage 2 is to prepare
and implement effective collaborative learning activities which support
students’ current academic development and strengthen their experience of
community. Through observation of collaborative group activities and analysis
of teacher questionnaires, I expect to identify effective ways in which to
organize collaborative activities. For instance, I expect to identify
strategies primary teachers use to ensure each students participation within
the group. For example, is every student within the small group assigned a job?
I expect to discover what teachers do to avoid one student dominating the
progression of the group task. I expect to find out what teachers do to ensure
students stay on task. In addition, through classroom observations, I expect to
identify how a student’s connection with and understanding of community
contributes to their collaborative learning experience. I will be looking for
how students listen to one another. Is there a culture of listening (Shindler 6-5) present in the classroom? Do
students demonstrate a desire to be responsible to the others in the class?
I
feel a collaborative learning environment is important because when students
work in groups they become more engaged in the activity and take ownership of
their learning. This learner-centered instruction actively teaches
responsibility because students have to make choices that are good for the
group. Likewise, they are intrinsically motivated by their excitement to demonstrate
and share their learning. Finally, students will have a positive learning
experience together which in turn will help to foster a sense of belonging and
Community.
Stage 3
My third and final stage of study
focuses on how I promote the development of community in my classroom throughout
the daily challenges and interactions between teacher and student(s) as well as
student(s) to student(s). It is expected Stage 3 will last for a total of four
weeks. To begin, I will videotape a full week of instruction. I will refer to
this videotape as Video A. This
videotape will allow me to identify any behaviors I am not aware of which may
be detrimental to our classroom community. During the second week of Stage 3, I
will review the videotape. As I review the videotape I will be looking for
answers to these questions:
· What strategies am I currently using
to deal with a student who continues to talk despite repeated attempts to
refocus the student’s attention?
· Do I consistently clarify my behavioral
expectations for my students?
· Am I allowing myself to be hooked in by certain students; do I have
a pain-based response? (Shindler
15-7)
· Do I implement effective, organized
collaborative group activities which promote a sense of community?
· How often do I employ strategies which
will move beyond a power struggle to true conflict resolution?
In addition, I will identify when I
perpetuate dysfunction in my classroom. For example, I will analyze whether I
am helping students to develop their own inner motivations or simply teaching
students to be motivated by the teacher’s approval or disapproval.
During the third week of Stage 3, I
will begin to apply new strategies in the classroom based on information
gathered from my videotapes. During week 3, I will keep a journal on what
strategies where used and how they were received by the students. Finally, I
will videotape the fourth week of Stage 3. I will refer to this videotape as Video B. I will complete a comparative
analysis of Video A and Video B. I expect to identify
improvements in my use of positive recognitions and overall ability to create a
sense of community in the classroom.
The purpose of Stage 3 is to gain an
awareness of my strengths and weaknesses in regards to promoting a sense of
community in the classroom. I expect to identify what I am currently doing to
promote or discourage community. In particular, I will focus on behaviors that
discourage community and promote dysfunction. Once these behaviors are
identified I expect to replace these behaviors and/or strategies with
strategies that help promote a sense of belonging and community in the
classroom.
I feel Stage 3 is important because
the teacher sets the tone for the class. If I want to have a climate of
community in my classroom I will need to create an environment which invites
students to build relationships, participate, and become excited about
learning. As an educator, I want to know if I am doing something to move
students away from this goal. Therefore, self-reflection and analysis of my
interaction with my students will allow me to identify any negative behaviors.
Data Collection
· Student Illustration¾
The purpose of this data is for
students to demonstrate their concrete understanding of the discussed community
ideal by creating an illustration which communicates the meaning of the specified
ideal.
o
Assessment
will be given to students during Stage 1 at the end of each week; after the
community ideal has been thoroughly reviewed and discussed.
· Group presentation¾
The purpose of this data is for students
to demonstrate their concrete understanding of one of the three community
ideals by working in small groups to act out a scenario which communicates the
meaning of the ideal.
o
Given
to students at the end of Stage 1; after all three community ideals have been
introduced, reviewed, and discussed.
· Research Current Journals/Books¾
The purpose of this data is to provide
information on organizing effective, collaborative learning activities. I will
identify strategies and organizational ideas which are used to ensure a
successful collaborative learning experience for students.
o
This
research will take place during week one of Stage 2.
· Teacher Questionnaire¾
The purpose of this data is to gather
advice and tips from teachers on how they organize collaborative learning
groups.
o
This
research will take place during week one of Stage 2.
· Observation/Field Notes¾
The notes acquired during observation
have a three-fold purpose. First, they will be used to identify effective and
ineffective ways to implement and apply collaborative learning activities. Secondly,
I want to identify the skills students use while participating in a
collaborative learning event. Lastly, I will note my students’ progress in
applying community values to their collaborative group experiences.
o
These
observations will take place during weeks 2-4, of Stage 2.
· Video A¾
The purpose of this data is to identify
how I approach the everyday challenges and teacher-student interactions to
determine how I promote and discourage a sense of community in the classroom. Also,
this data will be used in a comparative analysis to assist in documenting my
growth in promoting Community.
o
The
video taping will occur the 1st week of Stage 3. The video tape will
be reviewed during the 2nd week of Stage 3.
· Video B¾
This video will be used in a comparative
analysis between Video A and Video B. The purpose of the analysis is to
document my growth in using strategies which build and promote a sense of
community.
o
The
video taping will occur the 4th week of Stage 3. In addition, during
this 4th week, the video tape (Video
B) will be reviewed and compared with Video
A.
Analysis of Data
The analysis of my data reveals some
distinct patterns. First, students’ behavior in collaborative groups indicates
that students do benefit from having a formal introduction to and understanding
of community ideals. An analysis of students’ illustrations and group
presentations indicate students’ initial understanding of these community
values. Furthermore, field notes indicate students’ assimilation of these community
values when engaged in Stage 2 collaborative activities. Specifically, students
demonstrated behaviors indicative of a Culture
of Listening. (Shindler 6-5) For instance, when ideas were presented by
fellow group members, students’ offered their attention. Furthermore, in most
groups each student offered some form of participation indicating a sense of
responsibility to the group. As a result each student felt apart of the
collective accomplishment and found value in the classroom community.
In addition, I observed a pattern
emerge between my implementation of collaborative activities in Stage 2 and my
observations of other teachers’ implementation of collaborative activities also
in Stage 2. This data revealed a high majority of collaborative group activities
progressed successfully in classrooms where students had been taught to value
community ideals. In contrast, in classrooms where community ideals where not
valued, a high majority of collaborative groups struggled to get through the
project due to student-student conflicts and overall lack of organization. From
these results, I will determine collaborative group activities are most
successful when they are implemented in an organized manner within a classroom
which upholds established community ideals.
Lastly, from the comparative
analysis of Video A and Video B I have determined the teacher’s response
to daily challenges and student-teacher interactions is foundational to
building a strong sense of community in the classroom. In Video A, the teacher’s motivational strategies and behavioral
comments did not lend themselves to promoting a healthy classroom community.
Students did not feel empowered by the learning experience. In direct contrast,
were the new strategies and instructional approaches implemented in Video B. For instance, collaborative
learning activities were used as well as positive recognitions, consistent
clarification of behavioral expectations, and the implementation of logical
consequences. These new approaches allowed students to experience
self-responsibility and a sense of belonging. These positive experiences build
upon each other and ultimately work together to create a sense of community and
a healthy classroom climate.
Plan for Future Action
Through
analysis, data revealed a clear connection between a classroom which values
community, and the students’ ability to successfully collaborate and complete a
group activity. Therefore based on this
information, I would like to extend this study and focus on students who
exhibit extreme Negative-Identity
Behavior Patterns (Shindler 15-4). I would like to observe to what degree a
student, with negative behavior, absorbs positive social and/or behavioral skills,
when s/he is consistently surrounded by classmates that uphold community
ideals.
Goals
· I want to promote student
responsibility.
· I use a social contract to which
students are accountable.
· I implement and model a process for conflict
resolution; moving beyond my need to defend my own ego thus avoiding potential
power struggle situations.
· I use positive recognitions which
clarify my behavioral expectations.
· I implement group activities to engage
students’ learning and foster a feeling of community and personal
responsibility.
· I strive to convey clear, concise
directions.
· I implement consistent consequences
based on students’ behavior.
· I effectively implement intrinsic and
extrinsic motivational strategies.
Mission Statement
I am an educator committed to facilitating
and engaging all students in their academic and social development so they may
reach their highest potential. I use current teaching strategies and
instructional approaches to communicate standards-based lessons within a
classroom climate which promotes and values community and personal
responsibility.
Technical Management
I want to improve on my ability to
gain 100% attention and use of cue. In the past, I have used the Give Me Five Technique. This involves a
visual cue as well as verbal cues. I say Give
Me Five and put my hand up in the air while saying aloud the following
steps: 1) Eyes on the Speaker. 2) Quiet. 3) Be still. 4) Hands free. 5) Listen.
I find this technique works well to gain their attention. However, the process of saying the steps
aloud takes too long and sometimes I say the steps in the wrong order. In
addition, I have trouble when I begin to transition out of needing 100%
attention. Occasionally, I forget to tell the students something and need to
interrupt them, so I would use the cue again to get their attention. I
recognize this lessens the effect of the cue. Frequently, after giving the cue, I would ask
students to quiet down saying, “Quiet!” or “Please stop talking.” This does not
take positive action or clarify the expectation (Shindler 6-9). Consequently, I
will now use rhythmic clapping to
establish 100% attention. I prefer this procedure because it is interactive and
immediate. I will introduce this procedure to students on the first day of
school. I will inform students of the purpose of this procedure and what I
expect them to do when they hear this clapping. We will rehearse this procedure
daily until students demonstrate complete understanding. If I do not receive
students’ attention after this initial attempt I will go through a series of
steps:
1)
Stop
and wait for 100% attention.
2) Use clarifying statements which
redirect behavior and avoid using statements which recognize negative
behaviors. For example I may say, “We are
all listening attentively right now.”
3)
Apply
logical consequences to students’ behavior.
In
addition, I want to improve on managing directions. I will approach giving
directions with the expectation that directions will happen once. As a result, I will need to make
every effort to convey clear, concise directions; not always an easy task for
me. I will tell my students it is essential they ask questions if they do not
understand the directions. To communicate directions I will utilize the process
suggested on page 6-12 in Transformative
Classroom Management by Dr. John Shindler. The process follows:
1)
Use
cue (clapping out a rhythm) to gather 100% attention
2) Explain finish word: Begin!
3)
Give
the directions.
4)
Call
for questions and check for students’ understanding.
5)
Use
finish word (to cue students they may begin.)
I would like to improve on daily
procedures and transitions in the classroom. For instance, I want students to
transition quickly from reading on the carpet to working at their desk. Moreover,
I would like to improve on the manner in which students prepare to line-up,
distribute pencils, and participate in daily opening/closing activities. To
achieve this goal I will use a systematic approach (Shindler 6-16) to introduce
students to the appropriate procedure. The process follows:
1)
Teach
the procedure
2)
Practice
it until it is demonstrated
3)
Use
positive recognitions to shape students behavior
4)
Celebrate
students’ success
5)
Provide
additional opportunities to practice as needed
In the inevitable event that the
students’ ability to carry out the procedure breaks down I will provide
non-personal, logical consequences. For example, if students are not lining up
correctly or putting their backpacks away in an undesirable manner I will need
to clarify the expectation. Then students will go back and do the procedure
again.
Motivation
In the past, my motivational plans
have included sticker cards and group points which are turned in for prizes as
well as Friday free-time and treats. Also, I promoted self-improvement and
frequently used personal praise. Essentially, my plan for motivation included
mostly extrinsic forms. I have always felt unsatisfied with these forms of
motivation but I wasn’t aware of other options. My dissatisfaction took the
form of frustration with the students. Inevitably, towards mid-year it would
become clear that students were motivated by the prize. Once the opportunity for a prize had been dangled in front
of the students the undesirable behavior would change. However, seconds later this
same behavior would reappear. I felt my students were taking advantage of my
generosity; as the school doesn’t supply these prizes. I would often end up
feeling unappreciated and resentful towards my students. Consequently, I
created an atmosphere where students were motivated by my approval or
disapproval. In retrospect, I realize I did not help them to become
self-motivated learners. Therefore, I welcome the opportunity to articulate a
new plan for motivation.
It is my intention to create a
motivational plan that guides students to build a foundation for inner
motivation and personal satisfaction. That being said, I also see value in
using some extrinsic forms of motivation in an effective, intentional manner.
When dealing with 1st grade students, it is beneficial to shape the
desired behavior immediately. This is best achieved though extrinsic rewards. My
new plan for building motivation will focus on 4 strategies: positive
recognitions which clarify the desired behavior, instructional design,
self-improvement, and some extrinsic forms of motivation: such as stickers and
grades.
I will use positive recognitions to
focus on the whole group, particular individuals or a specific collaborative
group. I may say, “I appreciate that you
are putting so much care and attention into your manuscript writing, it
will pay off when we write sentences.” (Shindler 5-8)
Or
I may say, “We are all giving Anthony
our undivided attention right now.” (Shindler 5-9) I expect these positive
recognitions to help clarify my behavioral expectations, shape a particular
student’s (or groups’) behavior, or help a student recognize an accomplishment.
I will avoid using personal praise statements which do not recognize the
desired behavior and take away from students’ internal locus of control.
I will motivate students through my
instructional design. I will incorporate more of a constructivist approach
(Inquiry-based approach) to my mathematics, science, and social studies
lessons. The purpose of these lessons will be to engage the students in their
learning; allowing them to forge their own discoveries led by their natural
curiosities. I expect students to feel empowered from these experiences, thus creating
more of a self-directed learner.
It is my goal to help each child
recognize their competence and believe in their ability to participate with
energy in their learning process. Therefore, I will motivate students through
self-improvement. This form of motivation will be difficult to nurture in 1st
grade students. It will take time, consistency and patience. To implement this
form of motivation I will recognize students’ incremental achievements. I will
provide assistance (such as small group tutoring) to help students achieve the
goals they have set for themselves. In addition, I want to increase the
frequency in which I use performance-based rubrics to grade assignments. The
purpose of this is to help students view grades as an assessment of their
effort and energy towards the assignment versus a labeling of their ability in
the subject.
Finally, I will give students
stickers in recognition of good behavior. However, I will now give these
stickers out randomly and immediately after the behavior takes
place. For example, I may say, “I asked
you to put away your art supplies and take out your anthologies,
this table did it right away without being asked again, so they will get a sticker.”
(Shindler 7-9) In this instance, the desired behavior is first mentioned
then the reward, thus the focus is on the behavior. The reward is secondary.
Whole Class
To promote social and communal bonds
within the classroom I will use 4 different strategies: tribal councils,
collaborative group activities, implement a social contract with consistency
and integrity, and utilize win-win conflict resolution. In creating opportunities
for communal bonds among students, I expect students to feel a sense of belonging
and responsibility to their community members.
To begin, tribal councils will be
used to give students a working knowledge of community ideals. As mentioned
earlier in my Action Plan, students will meet daily for 4 weeks, 25 minutes a
day to discuss and learn about community ideals. The expectation will be that
students will successfully contribute to the classroom community due to their
true understanding of community ideals such as responsibility, respect,
empathy, and effort. Later these tribal councils can be used to provide
students with a forum for voicing their opinions on classroom procedures,
assignments, field trips, and other suggestions or concerns.
I will implement collaborative group
activities wherein each group member will take on a role/job important to the
groups’ success. One reason for these collaborative activities is to create a
forum for students to experience an event together, thus forming a sense of
responsibility to the group and larger community. Furthermore, in this environment
students have an opportunity to practice conflict resolution skills.
I view the social contract as a tool
to help guide students toward personal responsibility and accountability to
others. I expect students to view their self-generated
social contract as a behavioral guide to help remind them of the agreements
they have made in regards to what students should expect from one another. My
social contract will be a document which will be signed by the parent, teacher,
and student. However, I am aware that the degree in which students value the
document will depend on my effective implementation of the social contract. Once,
the substance of the contract is confirmed it must be implemented immediately
and consequences (which articulate cause and effect) must be carried out
accordingly. I will remind students that the contract is “about the welfare of the participants and not the wishes of the teacher.” (Shindler 11-1)
My last strategy for promoting
social and communal bonds will be to employ a system for conflict resolution.
The purpose of this system will be to give students a foundation from which to
develop problem-solving skills. I will utilize the 6-step approach by Naomi
Drew, referred to in Transformative
Classroom Management (Shindler 14-5).
These
6-steps include:
1)
Cool off¾Help students become aware of their
emotional response; their fight or flight reaction
2)
Use “I messages” to tell what’s
bothering you¾Students
report their experience.
3)
Each person restates what they heard
the other person say¾This step ensures clear communications and
invites students to empathize with one another.
4)
Take responsibility¾Encourage students to make things
better in the future.
5)
Brainstorm solutions that satisfy both
people¾Guide
students to stick with the process of creating a resolution that satisfies both
individuals.
6)
Affirm, forgive, or thank¾Students recognize the effort it took
to come to a resolution and recognize their growth; didn’t resort to fight or
flight reaction.
(Taken from, Hope and Healing by Naomi Drew)
Finally, my strategy for dealing
with a student who demonstrates difficult behavior patterns involves different
interventions. First, I will identify what is at the heart of the student’s
negativity pattern. In other words, what is the student trying to gain from the
undesirable behavior? Next, I will identify and remove elements which trigger
the student’s negativity pattern. For example, if the student demonstrates a Best/Best Worst/Inferiority Complex Negativity
Pattern (Shindler 15-11) it would be wise to reduce the competitive
elements in the classroom. In addition, I will need to keep my own anger at bay
and avoid using a pain-based response
to the student’s behavior. Finally, I will implement logical and non-personal
consequences when the student violates our classroom’s social contract.