My Philosophical Background
As a teacher, I identify as an existentialist. This means that I highly value the individual and the importance of living authentically. As a part of classroom management, there is a need to recover when things arise, discipline needs to happen, classrooms need to hit the reset button for the next day, etc. The strategies listed below are ones that allow teachers to recover their classroom. My view on individual choice is seen in these strategies because students do have choice; they are not robots. The need for the Recover level of the Pyramid is needed when their choices don't align with classroom protocol and rather than throwing down the gauntlet, these strategies are first steps to getting back on track.
Strategies to Implement into the Classroom
1. Student Roles and Accountability
I will implement student roles and group expectations in my classroom with an accountability system to solidify the importance of these roles and expectations. Within each group, each student is assigned a role that carries responsibility and accountability for the greater team. In regard to a caring classroom community, these roles benefit community because students are being held accountable for their role by their peers, along with weekly participation points from the teacher. For the weekly participation points, students are graded on the group dynamic: On Task, Math Talk, Team Roles, Quick Start, and Staying Together, This accountability for students is important because if issues arise, the expectations of the role and the participation points are clearly outlined. Again, referencing back to Level 1, students tend to thrive when they know what is expected of them (Boaler, 2006). Lastly, when the roles are clearly listed visually in the classroom and referenced frequently, they then become a good reference to recover classroom management when things do not always go as planned.
2, Reinforce Expectations
I will continuously revisit classroom and group expectations. Group expectations will be shared with students explicitly before they start on a group task in order to ensure collaboration success, or at least, increase the chances of success! And they will be quickly be revisited again if the classroom is off task. This allows students to get back on track and continue the lesson, rather than quit (Villa, Thousand, & Nevin, 2010).
3. Change It Up Occasionally
While structure and routine are good, it is also equally important to change it up occasionally. I will be proactive on this in order to break of the monotony of classroom time, specifically instruction. Regardless of a change of pace and/or scenery, students will know the expectations remain the same. A few examples of this could be: group activities, brain breaks, free choice seating for one day, student-led instruction, and playing music (Albert, 1996). Students will react positively to this change in pace and that is important to keep student morale up!
4. "Praise in Public, Discipline in Private"
I will use this discipline approach in the classroom. This allows for students to feel valued because it avoids humiliation and guilt techniques. As a result, students are more likely to not shut down in the classroom. This is a turn-around, or recovery, technique used by many teachers. Students will know this is my discipline belief when they see it modeled in the classroom. Additionally, because I highly value the individual, this discipline approach supports the need to be non-reactionary to students.
5. Bored Students are Redirected
I will have brain teasers and math logic puzzles to share with students that finish early. This approach will recover any and all bored students from being a possible distraction to their peers. This is a proactive and redirected approach in order to avoid having to take disciplinary action for the early finishers. Once of my favorite sayings for those who say they are bored is "only boring people get bored" so to challenge this I will provide things to become un-bored and therefore, challenged.
Resources
As a teacher, I identify as an existentialist. This means that I highly value the individual and the importance of living authentically. As a part of classroom management, there is a need to recover when things arise, discipline needs to happen, classrooms need to hit the reset button for the next day, etc. The strategies listed below are ones that allow teachers to recover their classroom. My view on individual choice is seen in these strategies because students do have choice; they are not robots. The need for the Recover level of the Pyramid is needed when their choices don't align with classroom protocol and rather than throwing down the gauntlet, these strategies are first steps to getting back on track.
Strategies to Implement into the Classroom
1. Student Roles and Accountability
I will implement student roles and group expectations in my classroom with an accountability system to solidify the importance of these roles and expectations. Within each group, each student is assigned a role that carries responsibility and accountability for the greater team. In regard to a caring classroom community, these roles benefit community because students are being held accountable for their role by their peers, along with weekly participation points from the teacher. For the weekly participation points, students are graded on the group dynamic: On Task, Math Talk, Team Roles, Quick Start, and Staying Together, This accountability for students is important because if issues arise, the expectations of the role and the participation points are clearly outlined. Again, referencing back to Level 1, students tend to thrive when they know what is expected of them (Boaler, 2006). Lastly, when the roles are clearly listed visually in the classroom and referenced frequently, they then become a good reference to recover classroom management when things do not always go as planned.
2, Reinforce Expectations
I will continuously revisit classroom and group expectations. Group expectations will be shared with students explicitly before they start on a group task in order to ensure collaboration success, or at least, increase the chances of success! And they will be quickly be revisited again if the classroom is off task. This allows students to get back on track and continue the lesson, rather than quit (Villa, Thousand, & Nevin, 2010).
3. Change It Up Occasionally
While structure and routine are good, it is also equally important to change it up occasionally. I will be proactive on this in order to break of the monotony of classroom time, specifically instruction. Regardless of a change of pace and/or scenery, students will know the expectations remain the same. A few examples of this could be: group activities, brain breaks, free choice seating for one day, student-led instruction, and playing music (Albert, 1996). Students will react positively to this change in pace and that is important to keep student morale up!
4. "Praise in Public, Discipline in Private"
I will use this discipline approach in the classroom. This allows for students to feel valued because it avoids humiliation and guilt techniques. As a result, students are more likely to not shut down in the classroom. This is a turn-around, or recovery, technique used by many teachers. Students will know this is my discipline belief when they see it modeled in the classroom. Additionally, because I highly value the individual, this discipline approach supports the need to be non-reactionary to students.
5. Bored Students are Redirected
I will have brain teasers and math logic puzzles to share with students that finish early. This approach will recover any and all bored students from being a possible distraction to their peers. This is a proactive and redirected approach in order to avoid having to take disciplinary action for the early finishers. Once of my favorite sayings for those who say they are bored is "only boring people get bored" so to challenge this I will provide things to become un-bored and therefore, challenged.
Resources
- Albert, Linda. (1996). Cooperative Discipline. Philadelphia, PA: American Guidance Service.
- Boaler, J. (2006, February). Promoting Respectful Learning. Educational Leadership, 63(5), 74-78.
- Villa, R.A. Thousand, J.S. & Nevin, A.I. (2010). Chapter 9: Students as Collaborators in Responsibility. Collaborating with Students in Instruction and Decision Making, Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin press, p. 171-188.