Classroom
Management Resource Page – Shindler – School Climate – PLSI – Teaching
- Workshops
by JVS
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Student-Centered
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Teacher-Centered
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Effective
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1 TEACHER
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2
TEACHER
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So how does one move from management defined by style
2 “orchastrater’ to a style 1 “facilitator?”
Begin by
creating clarity and “operationalize” desired behavior:
The key
thing to keep in mind as you attempt to make the shift from a more
teacher-directed to student self-directed set of practices is that it will
hinge on the clarity that you can create. It cannot be overemphasized in
your thinking and strategy that students cannot know what they do not
experience. Concepts like responsible, respectful, cooperative, positive
attitude, full-effort, risk taking, being creative are abstractions until they
are “operationalized” and made real in one’s experience. The burden is on the
teacher to make these ideas concrete and personally meaningful to students
(recall the concept attainment exercise where we began with concrete ideas and
developed a generalization about the concept “community”).
High
expectations are nice. But students cannot rise to a level of behavior that
they do not understand (on a real and material level). Unfortunately, for many
teachers who want a great deal from their students, having high expectations is
just a start. The job of teacher is to teach one’s expectations. This includes
accepting accountability for students growing in understanding of the skills
necessary to meet them.
Developing
Clear Expectations:
Expectations are rooted in
the law of cause and effect. Students know if . . ., then . . . For example, if
they listen they will know what is going on, and things happen smoothly, and if
they do not, they do not know what is going on, and there may be other
consequences that the teacher implements as well. However, if the teacher says
everything over and over, complains that there is too much talking, and is
inconsistent about their consequences or uses illogical punishments, no cause
and effect relationship will develop in the minds of the students. Actually
there is a cause and effect learned – “when the teacher gets mad, he/she
complains.”
If the
teacher models and expects a type of behavior – for example respectful
interactions, the students will soon see that there is an expectation for such
behavior. But the teacher must make the students aware that there is a value to
the behavior and a consequence when it does not happen. Lectures, guilt,
preaching, chronicling failure seem like action, but they are pretty useless.
Take action. Model the behavior deliberately. And over time help the student
see the value. And no matter how repetitive it may feel, it is useful to
promote mantra-type language. For example, “in this class we all try our best.”
Or “this class has only responsible learners.” Or “the great thing about this
class is that we always listen to each other and expect to be listened to.”
Keep in
mind the difference between 2-style teacher expectations and 1-style teacher
expectations relates to what the students are responding to. In 2-style teacher
expectations the student is responding to clear and consistent consequences and
modeling. The student knows what is going to happen and the teacher follows
through. The cause and effect is created in a systematic manner and reinforced
each day. With 1-style teacher
expectations the clarity is just as evident, but the cause and effect is
located (psychologically) in the students’ awareness of the purpose of the
behavior. For example, if we all listen to each other, we develop respect and
learn more. And it feels right on some intrinsic level.
Who has
their hands on the steering wheel of the class?
To shift
from 2-style to 1-style management begin to allow the students to take control
of the steering wheel of the class. For example, if you have in the past identifies
situations that need to change to make for a functional classroom, begin to
involve the student in problem solving how to solve collective problems.
To give the
students the wheel when they do not know how to drive is more crazy than
courageous. And giving students a lack
of structure and clarity and expecting them to show some sort of self-regulated
behavior is the definition of the ineffective 3-style teacher discussed
earlier. So handing the steering wheel
(figuratively) to the students needs to be done as recognition for the students
showing responsibility (recall the frame development chart in week 2). Make
that social frame very clear and deliberate – “when you guys are able to show
me . . ., I will let you decide . .” or “Since you were able to . . ., I think
you are ready for . . “ And if they fail, do not shame of dwell on the failure,
but reduce the amount of freedom and responsibility and then encourage them to
do better when you give them the opportunity in the future. This underscores the point that this process
takes as long as it takes. It may happen quickly or it may take all year.
Key in
Technical Management is to shift from the extrinsic to and intrinsic “awareness
of value”
Recall the
area of technical management. The goal of good technical management is
smoothness, efficiency, safety (emotional and physical) and clear
communication. Almost any group of students needs to begin with a 2-style
development period to begin the year. Recall the handout, but the key to
success is practicing success, recognition of the positive, and an expectation
of 100% attention including consequences for anything less.
Shifting
from 2-style to 1-style technical management happens as the students begin to
see the value of the efficiency and ease of communication. This will happen a
great deal more quickly if the teacher helps the students recognize this value.
For example, as the class is listening to the speaker the teacher might briefly
note how nice it is that people in the class listen and expect to be listened
to. This can be done in the form of simple questions (that are somewhat
rhetorical and don’t really need to be answered) for example, “how long did it
take us to shift from the lab to our seats? About 40 seconds, at the beginning
of the year it took a lot longer, how does it feel to be able to trust others
will be ready when you get back to your seat? Or “How does it feel to be in a
class where you are listened to when you are speaking?” These questions shift
the locus of control from the teacher to the student. They create an awareness
of the intrinsic value of the behavior. As the behavior takes on its own value
and is associated with personal and collective satisfaction, the need for the
teacher to maintain an extrinsic reward and consequence structure become less
and less necessary. Eventually, the students should feel that they expect to
have their hands on the wheel and will likely feel a little insulted that the
teacher would need to take control with extrinsic interventions.
Teach the
skills necessary:
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1.
Self-direction (have students problem solve how to work together without the
need for the teacher to be referee, and how to work independently without
needing to be rewarded)
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2.
Respect and emotional sensitivity (take time to examine the process of
communication as it occurs in your class, have the students recognize what is
required for them to feel safe and respected)
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3.
Cooperation and Other/Team-centeredness (a 1-style classroom is nearly
impossible to cultivate without a sense of interdependence and community)
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4.
Efficiency as a means to higher value outcomes (have them see that being
self-directed and collectively efficient enables them to do more and achieve
higher quality outcomes)
Make a
practical shift in your management style:
Over the
course of time, when it comes to processing problems that arise, make a shift
from you doing the thinking to letting them do the thinking. The results are
that they begin to trust their own ability to solve problems and they will take
greater ownership over the solutions that are developed. The sequence might be
something like this: early in the year using mostly 1. teacher explanations –
then shifting occasionally to 2. teacher-led discussions – then to 3.
student-led discussions and finally to – 4. student-initiated problem solving,
as they show the ability and the will for self-improvement. This shift will
help the students feel confident with the steering wheel in their hands, and
build community. You still may need to facilitate the process, but the students
will learn to take ownership of “their class” and any problems that arise.