http://edge.ascd.org/service/getFeed.kickAction?quantity=25 New blogs from Muriel_Rand on ASCD EDge Mon, 29 Oct 2012 17:05:10 GMT Mon, 29 Oct 2012 17:05:10 GMT website@ascd.org (ascdAdmin) website@ascd.org (ascdAdmin) KickApps Feed Builder 2012-10-29T17:05:10Z 32 http://edge.ascd.org/service/searchEverything.kickAction?as=127586&sortType=recent&tags=null 0 http://edge.ascd.org/_Hurricanes-Halloween-and-other-Hurdles/blog/6433243/127586.html As hurricane Sandy approaches the east coast of the U.S., many teachers are getting a much-deserved break for a couple of days, but many people may also be experiencing the trauma of the storm. In the midst of this challenge, Halloween also occurs, and even for those schools that don't celebrate the holiday, its effect on children and families is still significant. [image]   Children will be returning to school after at least a few days of unusual schedules, anxiety, and perhaps even staying in shelters or with other family members. Natural disasters take their toll on children as they are immersed in the anxiety around them. The added excitement of Halloween can create the perform storm of classroom chaos! Here are some tips to stay calm, productive, and supportive at this challenging time:   Keep yourself calm. Monitor your stress levels and take time to relax and breathe deeply. Spend your break time sitting quietly rather than running errands or getting tasks done. Find a few moments to be still, close your eyes, and imagine yourself in a place that's relaxing. Retain your daily schedule. As much as possible, keep things running in your classroom as close to normal as possible. Children need the security of a predictable routine. If you are having a party or parade, keep it short and return to your regular activities in between. Alternate activity and calm. Children have been stuck indoors for a few days and will need to be active. Consider music and movement activities that can guide the excess energy in positive ways. Alternate this activity with times to regroup and calm down. Read your favorite stories, provide art activities, and practice deep breathing with the children.  Build community. Remind the children of how to say kind words, how to care for each other, and let them know you care, too. Natural disasters and holidays are two powerful ways of bringing people closer to each other. Build on this energy by reminding the children how important they are to each other and using community building activities. Provide extra support. Some children may experience trauma from the storm, in both large and small amounts. Observe children who might need an extra hug, to be listened to, and or who might need more professional support. Some children are very uncomfortable with high-energy celebrations such as Halloween and will need extra support to stay calm or in control. Provide these children time to be alone in a quiet spot, or practice some relaxation activities. They might need your calm, reassuring presence and extra attention.  I wish everyone safe passage through the storm on the east coast of the U.S. - or to those experiencing unusual challenges anywhere in the world. Share with us in the comments how you respond to these challenges in your classroom.   Visit The Positive Classroom As hurricane Sandy approaches the east coast of the U.S., many teachers are getting a much-deserved break for a couple of days, but many people may also be experiencing the trauma of the storm. In the midst of this challenge, Halloween also occurs, and even for those schools that don't celebrate the holiday, its effect on children and families is still significant. [image]   Children will be returning to school after at least a few days of unusual schedules, anxiety, and perhaps even staying in shelters or with other family members. Natural disasters take their toll on children as they are immersed in the anxiety around them. The added excitement of Halloween can create the perform storm of classroom chaos! Here are some tips to stay calm, productive, and supportive at this challenging time:   Keep yourself calm. Monitor your stress levels and take time to relax and breathe deeply. Spend your break time sitting quietly rather than running errands or getting tasks done. Find a few moments to be still, close your eyes, and imagine yourself in a place that's relaxing. Retain your daily schedule. As much as possible, keep things running in your classroom as close to normal as possible. Children need the security of a predictable routine. If you are having a party or parade, keep it short and return to your regular activities in between. Alternate activity and calm. Children have been stuck indoors for a few days and will need to be active. Consider music and movement activities that can guide the excess energy in positive ways. Alternate this activity with times to regroup and calm down. Read your favorite stories, provide art activities, and practice deep breathing with the children.  Build community. Remind the children of how to say kind words, how to care for each other, and let them know you care, too. Natural disasters and holidays are two powerful ways of bringing people closer to each other. Build on this energy by reminding the children how important they are to each other and using community building activities. Provide extra support. Some children may experience trauma from the storm, in both large and small amounts. Observe children who might need an extra hug, to be listened to, and or who might need more professional support. Some children are very uncomfortable with high-energy celebrations such as Halloween and will need extra support to stay calm or in control. Provide these children time to be alone in a quiet spot, or practice some relaxation activities. They might need your calm, reassuring presence and extra attention.  I wish everyone safe passage through the storm on the east coast of the U.S. - or to those experiencing unusual challenges anywhere in the world. Share with us in the comments how you respond to these challenges in your classroom.   Visit The Positive Classroom Mon, 29 Oct 2012 17:05:10 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Hurricanes-Halloween-and-other-Hurdles/blog/6433243/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-10-29T17:05:10Z Blogs ASCD EDge As hurricane Sandy approaches the east coast of the U.S., many teachers are getting a much-deserved break for a couple of days, but many people may also be experiencing the trauma of the storm. In the midst of this challenge, Halloween also occurs, and even for those schools that don't celebrate the holiday, its effect on children and families is still significant. [image]   Children will be returning to school after at least a few days of unusual schedules, anxiety, and perhaps even staying in shelters or with other family members. Natural disasters take their toll on children as they are immersed in the anxiety around them. The added excitement of Halloween can create the perform storm of classroom chaos! Here are some tips to stay calm, productive, and supportive at this challenging time:   Keep yourself calm. Monitor your stress levels and take time to relax and breathe deeply. Spend your break time sitting quietly rather than running errands or getting tasks done. Find a few moments to be still, close your eyes, and imagine yourself in a place that's relaxing. Retain your daily schedule. As much as possible, keep things running in your classroom as close to normal as possible. Children need the security of a predictable routine. If you are having a party or parade, keep it short and return to your regular activities in between. Alternate activity and calm. Children have been stuck indoors for a few days and will need to be active. Consider music and movement activities that can guide the excess energy in positive ways. Alternate this activity with times to regroup and calm down. Read your favorite stories, provide art activities, and practice deep breathing with the children.  Build community. Remind the children of how to say kind words, how to care for each other, and let them know you care, too. Natural disasters and holidays are two powerful ways of bringing people closer to each other. Build on this energy by reminding the children how important they are to each other and using community building activities. Provide extra support. Some children may experience trauma from the storm, in both large and small amounts. Observe children who might need an extra hug, to be listened to, and or who might need more professional support. Some children are very uncomfortable with high-energy celebrations such as Halloween and will need extra support to stay calm or in control. Provide these children time to be alone in a quiet spot, or practice some relaxation activities. They might need your calm, reassuring presence and extra attention.  I wish everyone safe passage through the storm on the east coast of the U.S. - or to those experiencing unusual challenges anywhere in the world. Share with us in the comments how you respond to these challenges in your classroom.   Visit The Positive Classroom behavior, blogs, childhood, classroom, early, education, management nonadult false Hurricanes, Halloween, and other Hurdles text blog behavior,blogs,childhood,classroom,early,education,management 795 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 1 Blogs 0 6433243 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_4-Basic-Needs-That-Must-Be-Met-to-Learn/blog/6387905/127586.html I just spent 10 days in the hospital with complicated appendicitis, which is why I haven’t posted in a while. This experience helped me realize how important it is to have our basic needs met and how much of a role they play in motivation.           As soon as I got into the hospital, I stopped caring about anything but my most basic needs – getting rid of pain, getting food, sleeping. Nothing else mattered much to me, although I did call my office to cancel my classes. It was many days before I started thinking about my job, my relationships, or the hundreds of little tasks that make up our regular lives.           Children are the same way. If their basic needs are not met, they will not be motivated to learn. Who cares about verbs when you are hungry? Who wants to do math games when you are lonely or scared? Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can be an important reminder for us to consider why children are not engaged in learning?           Here are the four basic needs that Maslow identified. How well are these needs met in your classroom?[image] Physiological Needs: Are the children sleepy, or hungry? Have they been sitting too long and need to move around? Is the room too warm, or cold? Are the children able to go to the bathroom when they need to? Are they sick with a cold or asthma? Safety Needs: Do the children feel safe in your room? Are they afraid of other children? Are they worried about being criticized? Is their home life safe? Is the neighborhood a safe environment? Love & Belongingness Needs: Do the children show caring behavior toward each other? Do they get enough one-on-one attention from you – especially those children who might not get enough attention at home? Do you carry out community-building activities? Do the children get enough time to socialize with each other? Self-Esteem Needs: Are the children academically successful or are they struggling? Is the work too easy or too hard? Do they have a sense of competence and confidence in their abilities? Do some children see themselves as stupid or bad?     Teaching young children is such a hard job because we have to make sure these basic needs are met for the children and for ourselves, while also preparing children academically. In some schools this is harder than others and we need more social support systems and school-wide programs to help. But in any classroom, you can help meet some of these basic needs throughout the day by being aware of them.     Please share in the comments how you have been able to meet the basic needs of your students! Visit The Positive Classroom Blog I just spent 10 days in the hospital with complicated appendicitis, which is why I haven’t posted in a while. This experience helped me realize how important it is to have our basic needs met and how much of a role they play in motivation.           As soon as I got into the hospital, I stopped caring about anything but my most basic needs – getting rid of pain, getting food, sleeping. Nothing else mattered much to me, although I did call my office to cancel my classes. It was many days before I started thinking about my job, my relationships, or the hundreds of little tasks that make up our regular lives.           Children are the same way. If their basic needs are not met, they will not be motivated to learn. Who cares about verbs when you are hungry? Who wants to do math games when you are lonely or scared? Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can be an important reminder for us to consider why children are not engaged in learning?           Here are the four basic needs that Maslow identified. How well are these needs met in your classroom?[image] Physiological Needs: Are the children sleepy, or hungry? Have they been sitting too long and need to move around? Is the room too warm, or cold? Are the children able to go to the bathroom when they need to? Are they sick with a cold or asthma? Safety Needs: Do the children feel safe in your room? Are they afraid of other children? Are they worried about being criticized? Is their home life safe? Is the neighborhood a safe environment? Love & Belongingness Needs: Do the children show caring behavior toward each other? Do they get enough one-on-one attention from you – especially those children who might not get enough attention at home? Do you carry out community-building activities? Do the children get enough time to socialize with each other? Self-Esteem Needs: Are the children academically successful or are they struggling? Is the work too easy or too hard? Do they have a sense of competence and confidence in their abilities? Do some children see themselves as stupid or bad?     Teaching young children is such a hard job because we have to make sure these basic needs are met for the children and for ourselves, while also preparing children academically. In some schools this is harder than others and we need more social support systems and school-wide programs to help. But in any classroom, you can help meet some of these basic needs throughout the day by being aware of them.     Please share in the comments how you have been able to meet the basic needs of your students! Visit The Positive Classroom Blog Mon, 08 Oct 2012 15:21:16 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_4-Basic-Needs-That-Must-Be-Met-to-Learn/blog/6387905/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-10-08T15:21:16Z Blogs ASCD EDge I just spent 10 days in the hospital with complicated appendicitis, which is why I haven’t posted in a while. This experience helped me realize how important it is to have our basic needs met and how much of a role they play in motivation.           As soon as I got into the hospital, I stopped caring about anything but my most basic needs – getting rid of pain, getting food, sleeping. Nothing else mattered much to me, although I did call my office to cancel my classes. It was many days before I started thinking about my job, my relationships, or the hundreds of little tasks that make up our regular lives.           Children are the same way. If their basic needs are not met, they will not be motivated to learn. Who cares about verbs when you are hungry? Who wants to do math games when you are lonely or scared? Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can be an important reminder for us to consider why children are not engaged in learning?           Here are the four basic needs that Maslow identified. How well are these needs met in your classroom?[image] Physiological Needs: Are the children sleepy, or hungry? Have they been sitting too long and need to move around? Is the room too warm, or cold? Are the children able to go to the bathroom when they need to? Are they sick with a cold or asthma? Safety Needs: Do the children feel safe in your room? Are they afraid of other children? Are they worried about being criticized? Is their home life safe? Is the neighborhood a safe environment? Love & Belongingness Needs: Do the children show caring behavior toward each other? Do they get enough one-on-one attention from you – especially those children who might not get enough attention at home? Do you carry out community-building activities? Do the children get enough time to socialize with each other? Self-Esteem Needs: Are the children academically successful or are they struggling? Is the work too easy or too hard? Do they have a sense of competence and confidence in their abilities? Do some children see themselves as stupid or bad?     Teaching young children is such a hard job because we have to make sure these basic needs are met for the children and for ourselves, while also preparing children academically. In some schools this is harder than others and we need more social support systems and school-wide programs to help. But in any classroom, you can help meet some of these basic needs throughout the day by being aware of them.     Please share in the comments how you have been able to meet the basic needs of your students! Visit The Positive Classroom Blog blogs, education nonadult false 4 Basic Needs That Must Be Met to Learn text blog blogs,education 526 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 6387905 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Are-You-Losing-Effectiveness-with-Too-Many-Whole-Group-Lessons/blog/6332295/127586.html           Yolanda was trying to listen to Mrs. Green as she went over the math lesson. The other 21 first graders were at the desks, [image]sitting in groups of four or five. Yolanda had her back toward the board so she turned in her chair to try to see what Mrs. Green was writing. Then she looked down at the workbook on her desk. She couldn’t find anything that looked like what was written on the board. She turned a few pages in the book, and then gave up. Yolanda knew already that she wasn’t any good at math. Her teacher had told her that last year, and her mom usually yelled at her because she got bad grades on her report card. Looking over at Latonya who sits next to her, Yolanda saw her writing neat little numbers in the boxes up and down the page. Her handwriting was so pretty. But she knew she wasn’t smart like Latonya. Yolanda started to daydream, looking out the window. She knew math would be over soon and she could get up then and move around a little bit before reading groups. Mrs. Green continued to talk, writing numbers and lines on the whiteboard, but Yolanda was lost in her own world.   Whole group activities and lessons have three major problems: Undifferentiated Instruction.In any classroom, children are rarely on the same instructional level and ready to learn the same material. In much whole-group instruction, only the children in the mid-level academic range are engaged. For some children the material is way too advanced and they zone out or cause distractions. For others, the material is not challenging enough and they are not learning anything new. Lack of Engagement.It is extremely challenging to manage whole group instruction in a way that keeps all the children engaged, partly because of the mismatch of instructional levels noted above, and partly because it is hard to get 25 children to do anything together smoothly. It takes a very talented teacher to keep all the children on task and learning. When I observe in elementary classrooms, I frequently see children on the wrong page, playing with objects in their desks, looking into space, or even reading their own book under their desk. Whole group lessons require children to learn at the pace of the teacher, rather than their own rhythm. Passivity. Because of the nature of most whole-group instruction, it is hard to keep all the children actively engaged in the lesson. Often they are watching a demonstration, listening to others talk, or waving their hand wildly to answer a question without being called on. Although there are some simple methods for getting children more engaged in whole group activities, there is still little opportunity to explore, question, experiment, or get deeply involved in a topic.   I recommend that you look closely at your daily schedule to determine the relative percentage of time that children are in whole-group lessons compared to other formats. How many hours each day are children sitting? Here are some suggestions for improving the motivation and efficiency of children's learning:   Use the Guided Reading Model in other subjects. Plan your mathematics, science or social studies instruction along the same lines as guided reading. Set up one group which works with you on the lesson material, then create other groups who work independently at centers during this time. Rotate the groups so that all children get a small group lesson with you which is targeted for their skill level. Use Cooperative Learning. The trick to successful cooperative learning is providing structure and teaching children the skills they need to work together. Below is a video showing how one teacher does this in his classroom. I also recommend the resources from Kagan Publishing.    Incorporate Problem-Based Learning. Long term projects that the whole class participate in allows for skill and content development, individualized pacing, and self-regulated learning. Here's a wonderful example from a kindergarten classroom:         Please share with us other ideas you have for alternatives to whole group instruction that you have used!  Visit The Positive Classroom Blog           Yolanda was trying to listen to Mrs. Green as she went over the math lesson. The other 21 first graders were at the desks, [image]sitting in groups of four or five. Yolanda had her back toward the board so she turned in her chair to try to see what Mrs. Green was writing. Then she looked down at the workbook on her desk. She couldn’t find anything that looked like what was written on the board. She turned a few pages in the book, and then gave up. Yolanda knew already that she wasn’t any good at math. Her teacher had told her that last year, and her mom usually yelled at her because she got bad grades on her report card. Looking over at Latonya who sits next to her, Yolanda saw her writing neat little numbers in the boxes up and down the page. Her handwriting was so pretty. But she knew she wasn’t smart like Latonya. Yolanda started to daydream, looking out the window. She knew math would be over soon and she could get up then and move around a little bit before reading groups. Mrs. Green continued to talk, writing numbers and lines on the whiteboard, but Yolanda was lost in her own world.   Whole group activities and lessons have three major problems: Undifferentiated Instruction.In any classroom, children are rarely on the same instructional level and ready to learn the same material. In much whole-group instruction, only the children in the mid-level academic range are engaged. For some children the material is way too advanced and they zone out or cause distractions. For others, the material is not challenging enough and they are not learning anything new. Lack of Engagement.It is extremely challenging to manage whole group instruction in a way that keeps all the children engaged, partly because of the mismatch of instructional levels noted above, and partly because it is hard to get 25 children to do anything together smoothly. It takes a very talented teacher to keep all the children on task and learning. When I observe in elementary classrooms, I frequently see children on the wrong page, playing with objects in their desks, looking into space, or even reading their own book under their desk. Whole group lessons require children to learn at the pace of the teacher, rather than their own rhythm. Passivity. Because of the nature of most whole-group instruction, it is hard to keep all the children actively engaged in the lesson. Often they are watching a demonstration, listening to others talk, or waving their hand wildly to answer a question without being called on. Although there are some simple methods for getting children more engaged in whole group activities, there is still little opportunity to explore, question, experiment, or get deeply involved in a topic.   I recommend that you look closely at your daily schedule to determine the relative percentage of time that children are in whole-group lessons compared to other formats. How many hours each day are children sitting? Here are some suggestions for improving the motivation and efficiency of children's learning:   Use the Guided Reading Model in other subjects. Plan your mathematics, science or social studies instruction along the same lines as guided reading. Set up one group which works with you on the lesson material, then create other groups who work independently at centers during this time. Rotate the groups so that all children get a small group lesson with you which is targeted for their skill level. Use Cooperative Learning. The trick to successful cooperative learning is providing structure and teaching children the skills they need to work together. Below is a video showing how one teacher does this in his classroom. I also recommend the resources from Kagan Publishing.    Incorporate Problem-Based Learning. Long term projects that the whole class participate in allows for skill and content development, individualized pacing, and self-regulated learning. Here's a wonderful example from a kindergarten classroom:         Please share with us other ideas you have for alternatives to whole group instruction that you have used!  Visit The Positive Classroom Blog Mon, 10 Sep 2012 15:05:28 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Are-You-Losing-Effectiveness-with-Too-Many-Whole-Group-Lessons/blog/6332295/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-09-10T15:05:28Z ASCD EDge           Yolanda was trying to listen to Mrs. Green as she went over the math lesson. The other 21 first graders were at the desks, [image]sitting in groups of four or five. Yolanda had her back toward the board so she turned in her chair to try to see what Mrs. Green was writing. Then she looked down at the workbook on her desk. She couldn’t find anything that looked like what was written on the board. She turned a few pages in the book, and then gave up. Yolanda knew already that she wasn’t any good at math. Her teacher had told her that last year, and her mom usually yelled at her because she got bad grades on her report card. Looking over at Latonya who sits next to her, Yolanda saw her writing neat little numbers in the boxes up and down the page. Her handwriting was so pretty. But she knew she wasn’t smart like Latonya. Yolanda started to daydream, looking out the window. She knew math would be over soon and she could get up then and move around a little bit before reading groups. Mrs. Green continued to talk, writing numbers and lines on the whiteboard, but Yolanda was lost in her own world.   Whole group activities and lessons have three major problems: Undifferentiated Instruction.In any classroom, children are rarely on the same instructional level and ready to learn the same material. In much whole-group instruction, only the children in the mid-level academic range are engaged. For some children the material is way too advanced and they zone out or cause distractions. For others, the material is not challenging enough and they are not learning anything new. Lack of Engagement.It is extremely challenging to manage whole group instruction in a way that keeps all the children engaged, partly because of the mismatch of instructional levels noted above, and partly because it is hard to get 25 children to do anything together smoothly. It takes a very talented teacher to keep all the children on task and learning. When I observe in elementary classrooms, I frequently see children on the wrong page, playing with objects in their desks, looking into space, or even reading their own book under their desk. Whole group lessons require children to learn at the pace of the teacher, rather than their own rhythm. Passivity. Because of the nature of most whole-group instruction, it is hard to keep all the children actively engaged in the lesson. Often they are watching a demonstration, listening to others talk, or waving their hand wildly to answer a question without being called on. Although there are some simple methods for getting children more engaged in whole group activities, there is still little opportunity to explore, question, experiment, or get deeply involved in a topic.   I recommend that you look closely at your daily schedule to determine the relative percentage of time that children are in whole-group lessons compared to other formats. How many hours each day are children sitting? Here are some suggestions for improving the motivation and efficiency of children's learning:   Use the Guided Reading Model in other subjects. Plan your mathematics, science or social studies instruction along the same lines as guided reading. Set up one group which works with you on the lesson material, then create other groups who work independently at centers during this time. Rotate the groups so that all children get a small group lesson with you which is targeted for their skill level. Use Cooperative Learning. The trick to successful cooperative learning is providing structure and teaching children the skills they need to work together. Below is a video showing how one teacher does this in his classroom. I also recommend the resources from Kagan Publishing.    Incorporate Problem-Based Learning. Long term projects that the whole class participate in allows for skill and content development, individualized pacing, and self-regulated learning. Here's a wonderful example from a kindergarten classroom:         Please share with us other ideas you have for alternatives to whole group instruction that you have used!  Visit The Positive Classroom Blog nonadult false Are You Losing Effectiveness with Too Many Whole Group Lessons? text blog 489 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 0 6332295 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Getting-Ready-for-the-Start-of-School-Part-III-How-to-Create-Community-and-Bully-Proof-Your-Classroom/blog/6303159/127586.html Do you ever wonder why the children in some classrooms work well together and show kindness to each other, while in other classrooms the children tattle, tease each other, and constantly seek teacher attention? One reason is community-building.[image]   In an effective classroom, the children - and the teacher - feel safe, secure and part of a larger whole. The more the children care about each other, and know that they are cared for, the better they will behave. Here are some ways to ensure that you develop group cohesion and a positive climate from the very beginning of the school year.   1. Help Children Get to Know and Care About Each Other          Starting the first day of school, plan activities that help the children get to know one another. Morning Meeting is a perfect time to build a sense of group cohesion. Here are a few examples of activities: Classmate Scavenger Hunt. Make a BINGO game board. In each square put a description that might fit the children in your class, such as "Comes to School on the Bus." Children talk to each other, trying to find the child's name to match each square. Classroom Family Book: Children each draw a self portrait, and depending on their age, either dictate or write something about themselves. The pages are laminated or covered in page protectors and put in a binder and become part of the classroom library. Read the book frequently to the children during the beginning of the school year. Picture Name Cards.Take a digital picture of each child and laminate it on a small index card. Punch a hole through the cards and put them on a binder ring. Choose one child to start in the middle of the circle. That child looks at one of the cards, finds that child, says “good morning” and then takes that child’s place in the circle. The next child then turns over the next card and starts the process again. Duck Duck Goose Name Chase . Play by the standard rules for Duck Duck Goose but instead the child who is "It" says the name of each child as he or she goes around the circle. Who Am I? The children write or dictate something about themselves privately during the day. Then at group time, you read each description without telling the name. The children will play a guessing game to figure out who you are describing. Here’s a video from the Responsive Classroom which shows a 1st grade classroom at Morning Meeting using picture greetings as a way of getting to know each other and build community:   In this video, kindergarteners learn more about each student in the class through "Star Student of the Day" writing activities.  2. Teach Children to Be Kind.                  Bullying begins with small actions like weeds in a garden and the best approach is prevention. You want to create a healthy, caring environment where the weeds have no chance to grow. The goal is to get children into the habit of saying kind things - and know that teasing and cruelty are NOT acceptable. Have the children brainstorm kind words, put them on chart paper, and refer to them frequently the first few weeks of school. Be sure to acknowledge whenever you hear children using the words. After the children have gotten good at this, you can teach them how to do kind things for each other. The children can brainstorm ideas, then act out the scenarios for practice. Again, be sure to point out whenever you see children being kind. Here is a video of children giving suggestions for being kind:       Here is a kindness song you can use in your classroom:   3. Set Limits on Negative Behaviors           Children will naturally test the limits on what they are allowed to say and do. This includes bullying, teasing and rejecting classmates. In order to create a healthy classroom community, it is critical to stop these behaviors immediately. If you let even the smallest negative comment go unchallenged, you will give the message to the children that being nasty to others is acceptable. It's not.            For example, you might overhear children say something like: "You can't play with us." "Look at what she's wearing!" " You're stupid." "Oooh, he looks like a girl!" or "I don't like you." When you hear children say these types of things, you have a teaching opportunity.           I recommend having a quiet, private talk with the child and say something like, "Jenna, I heard you tell Kayla that she's stupid. We don't use mean words in our classroom. I'd like to see you say something kind to make up for that" (See Apology-in-Action).  Later in the day, when I had the children at a group meeting, I would tell the children, "I've heard some unkind words today so I think we need to review how we talk to each other in our classroom." Then I would review the poster of kind words, talk about how it feels when others say mean things to us, and reaffirm how wonderful it is to have a place to work where everyone is treated kindly.         After a few instances of this type of discussion, the children will come to an amazing realization: this classroom really is a safe place! This will help stop the anxiety, fear, and power-seeking that leads to bullying. In other words, if you can jump-start the kindness, it will take off and "go viral". The critical step is to intervene immediately and consistently when children are unkind.   4. Use Positive Teacher Language           Your words and actions set the tone of the classroom. Notice when children are following procedures, demonstrating newly learned behaviors and showing kindness. This is the old adage of "catch them being good." In a positive, healthy classroom. children should receive many more times as many positive comments as negative ones. Find ways for children to see their strengths and the strengths of others. Children will follow your lead and watch you carefully, so remember you are always modeling. This is hard, so also find ways to stay calm when children push your buttons!           Listen to how this teacher used Multiple Intelligences to help promote the idea that everyone has strengths:     Do you have other ideas for creating a positive community in your classroom? Please share your experiences in the comments!   This is the third part of a series on Getting Ready for the Start of School. See Part I here, and Part II here.        Do you ever wonder why the children in some classrooms work well together and show kindness to each other, while in other classrooms the children tattle, tease each other, and constantly seek teacher attention? One reason is community-building.[image]   In an effective classroom, the children - and the teacher - feel safe, secure and part of a larger whole. The more the children care about each other, and know that they are cared for, the better they will behave. Here are some ways to ensure that you develop group cohesion and a positive climate from the very beginning of the school year.   1. Help Children Get to Know and Care About Each Other          Starting the first day of school, plan activities that help the children get to know one another. Morning Meeting is a perfect time to build a sense of group cohesion. Here are a few examples of activities: Classmate Scavenger Hunt. Make a BINGO game board. In each square put a description that might fit the children in your class, such as "Comes to School on the Bus." Children talk to each other, trying to find the child's name to match each square. Classroom Family Book: Children each draw a self portrait, and depending on their age, either dictate or write something about themselves. The pages are laminated or covered in page protectors and put in a binder and become part of the classroom library. Read the book frequently to the children during the beginning of the school year. Picture Name Cards.Take a digital picture of each child and laminate it on a small index card. Punch a hole through the cards and put them on a binder ring. Choose one child to start in the middle of the circle. That child looks at one of the cards, finds that child, says “good morning” and then takes that child’s place in the circle. The next child then turns over the next card and starts the process again. Duck Duck Goose Name Chase . Play by the standard rules for Duck Duck Goose but instead the child who is "It" says the name of each child as he or she goes around the circle. Who Am I? The children write or dictate something about themselves privately during the day. Then at group time, you read each description without telling the name. The children will play a guessing game to figure out who you are describing. Here’s a video from the Responsive Classroom which shows a 1st grade classroom at Morning Meeting using picture greetings as a way of getting to know each other and build community:   In this video, kindergarteners learn more about each student in the class through "Star Student of the Day" writing activities.  2. Teach Children to Be Kind.                  Bullying begins with small actions like weeds in a garden and the best approach is prevention. You want to create a healthy, caring environment where the weeds have no chance to grow. The goal is to get children into the habit of saying kind things - and know that teasing and cruelty are NOT acceptable. Have the children brainstorm kind words, put them on chart paper, and refer to them frequently the first few weeks of school. Be sure to acknowledge whenever you hear children using the words. After the children have gotten good at this, you can teach them how to do kind things for each other. The children can brainstorm ideas, then act out the scenarios for practice. Again, be sure to point out whenever you see children being kind. Here is a video of children giving suggestions for being kind:       Here is a kindness song you can use in your classroom:   3. Set Limits on Negative Behaviors           Children will naturally test the limits on what they are allowed to say and do. This includes bullying, teasing and rejecting classmates. In order to create a healthy classroom community, it is critical to stop these behaviors immediately. If you let even the smallest negative comment go unchallenged, you will give the message to the children that being nasty to others is acceptable. It's not.            For example, you might overhear children say something like: "You can't play with us." "Look at what she's wearing!" " You're stupid." "Oooh, he looks like a girl!" or "I don't like you." When you hear children say these types of things, you have a teaching opportunity.           I recommend having a quiet, private talk with the child and say something like, "Jenna, I heard you tell Kayla that she's stupid. We don't use mean words in our classroom. I'd like to see you say something kind to make up for that" (See Apology-in-Action).  Later in the day, when I had the children at a group meeting, I would tell the children, "I've heard some unkind words today so I think we need to review how we talk to each other in our classroom." Then I would review the poster of kind words, talk about how it feels when others say mean things to us, and reaffirm how wonderful it is to have a place to work where everyone is treated kindly.         After a few instances of this type of discussion, the children will come to an amazing realization: this classroom really is a safe place! This will help stop the anxiety, fear, and power-seeking that leads to bullying. In other words, if you can jump-start the kindness, it will take off and "go viral". The critical step is to intervene immediately and consistently when children are unkind.   4. Use Positive Teacher Language           Your words and actions set the tone of the classroom. Notice when children are following procedures, demonstrating newly learned behaviors and showing kindness. This is the old adage of "catch them being good." In a positive, healthy classroom. children should receive many more times as many positive comments as negative ones. Find ways for children to see their strengths and the strengths of others. Children will follow your lead and watch you carefully, so remember you are always modeling. This is hard, so also find ways to stay calm when children push your buttons!           Listen to how this teacher used Multiple Intelligences to help promote the idea that everyone has strengths:     Do you have other ideas for creating a positive community in your classroom? Please share your experiences in the comments!   This is the third part of a series on Getting Ready for the Start of School. See Part I here, and Part II here.        Mon, 27 Aug 2012 18:22:56 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Getting-Ready-for-the-Start-of-School-Part-III-How-to-Create-Community-and-Bully-Proof-Your-Classroom/blog/6303159/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-08-27T18:22:56Z Blogs ASCD EDge Do you ever wonder why the children in some classrooms work well together and show kindness to each other, while in other classrooms the children tattle, tease each other, and constantly seek teacher attention? One reason is community-building.[image]   In an effective classroom, the children - and the teacher - feel safe, secure and part of a larger whole. The more the children care about each other, and know that they are cared for, the better they will behave. Here are some ways to ensure that you develop group cohesion and a positive climate from the very beginning of the school year.   1. Help Children Get to Know and Care About Each Other          Starting the first day of school, plan activities that help the children get to know one another. Morning Meeting is a perfect time to build a sense of group cohesion. Here are a few examples of activities: Classmate Scavenger Hunt. Make a BINGO game board. In each square put a description that might fit the children in your class, such as "Comes to School on the Bus." Children talk to each other, trying to find the child's name to match each square. Classroom Family Book: Children each draw a self portrait, and depending on their age, either dictate or write something about themselves. The pages are laminated or covered in page protectors and put in a binder and become part of the classroom library. Read the book frequently to the children during the beginning of the school year. Picture Name Cards.Take a digital picture of each child and laminate it on a small index card. Punch a hole through the cards and put them on a binder ring. Choose one child to start in the middle of the circle. That child looks at one of the cards, finds that child, says “good morning” and then takes that child’s place in the circle. The next child then turns over the next card and starts the process again. Duck Duck Goose Name Chase . Play by the standard rules for Duck Duck Goose but instead the child who is "It" says the name of each child as he or she goes around the circle. Who Am I? The children write or dictate something about themselves privately during the day. Then at group time, you read each description without telling the name. The children will play a guessing game to figure out who you are describing. Here’s a video from the Responsive Classroom which shows a 1st grade classroom at Morning Meeting using picture greetings as a way of getting to know each other and build community:   In this video, kindergarteners learn more about each student in the class through "Star Student of the Day" writing activities.  2. Teach Children to Be Kind.                  Bullying begins with small actions like weeds in a garden and the best approach is prevention. You want to create a healthy, caring environment where the weeds have no chance to grow. The goal is to get children into the habit of saying kind things - and know that teasing and cruelty are NOT acceptable. Have the children brainstorm kind words, put them on chart paper, and refer to them frequently the first few weeks of school. Be sure to acknowledge whenever you hear children using the words. After the children have gotten good at this, you can teach them how to do kind things for each other. The children can brainstorm ideas, then act out the scenarios for practice. Again, be sure to point out whenever you see children being kind. Here is a video of children giving suggestions for being kind:       Here is a kindness song you can use in your classroom:   3. Set Limits on Negative Behaviors           Children will naturally test the limits on what they are allowed to say and do. This includes bullying, teasing and rejecting classmates. In order to create a healthy classroom community, it is critical to stop these behaviors immediately. If you let even the smallest negative comment go unchallenged, you will give the message to the children that being nasty to others is acceptable. It's not.            For example, you might overhear children say something like: "You can't play with us." "Look at what she's wearing!" " You're stupid." "Oooh, he looks like a girl!" or "I don't like you." When you hear children say these types of things, you have a teaching opportunity.           I recommend having a quiet, private talk with the child and say something like, "Jenna, I heard you tell Kayla that she's stupid. We don't use mean words in our classroom. I'd like to see you say something kind to make up for that" (See Apology-in-Action).  Later in the day, when I had the children at a group meeting, I would tell the children, "I've heard some unkind words today so I think we need to review how we talk to each other in our classroom." Then I would review the poster of kind words, talk about how it feels when others say mean things to us, and reaffirm how wonderful it is to have a place to work where everyone is treated kindly.         After a few instances of this type of discussion, the children will come to an amazing realization: this classroom really is a safe place! This will help stop the anxiety, fear, and power-seeking that leads to bullying. In other words, if you can jump-start the kindness, it will take off and "go viral". The critical step is to intervene immediately and consistently when children are unkind.   4. Use Positive Teacher Language           Your words and actions set the tone of the classroom. Notice when children are following procedures, demonstrating newly learned behaviors and showing kindness. This is the old adage of "catch them being good." In a positive, healthy classroom. children should receive many more times as many positive comments as negative ones. Find ways for children to see their strengths and the strengths of others. Children will follow your lead and watch you carefully, so remember you are always modeling. This is hard, so also find ways to stay calm when children push your buttons!           Listen to how this teacher used Multiple Intelligences to help promote the idea that everyone has strengths:     Do you have other ideas for creating a positive community in your classroom? Please share your experiences in the comments!   This is the third part of a series on Getting Ready for the Start of School. See Part I here, and Part II here.        behavior, blogs, childhood, classroom, early, education, management nonadult false Getting Ready for the Start of School Part III: How to Create Community and Bully-Proof Your Classroom text blog behavior,blogs,childhood,classroom,early,education,management 1463 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 6303159 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Getting-Ready-for-the-Start-of-School-Part-II-Why-Some-Teachers-Have-Smooth-Running-Classrooms/blog/6289999/127586.html            I have observed many, many teachers in elementary and early childhood classrooms and the ones that have the smoothest-running classrooms all do the same thing: they teach procedures. Now only do they teach the procedures they need the children to follow, but they also have the children practice and they give them positive feedback until they become automatic routines. They make learning procedures the most important teaching priority in the first few weeks of school, even if it takes time away from other subjects. They more than make up for this time because their classrooms run so effectively. [image]           So the first step in getting ready is to plan what procedures to focus on. It’s helpful to think about them in three groups based on when you will teach them: The first day of school, the first week of school, and the first six weeks. Here are some suggestions: First Day of School                Quiet Signal                Arrival: putting things away and getting started on “do now” work                Lining Up                Walking in the Hallway                Using the Bathroom                Talking during group lessons                Dismissal: cleaning up desk and getting materials ready to go home First Week of School                Fire Drill or Other Emergency Procedures                Morning Meeting                Moving from group meeting area to centers and other transitions                How to sit during group meeting or circle time                Sharpening pencils, getting a drink                Using learning centers                Cleaning up after work time or center time                What to do when you’re finished early                How to say nice things to each other                How to push in chairs                How to hang up coats (this might have to wait for cold weather) First Six Weeks of School                Working with a partner                Taking turns                Turn-and-Talk or Think-Pair-Share                Getting help when the teacher is working with a group                What to do when the teacher has a phone call or must leave the room                What to do when a visitor enters the classroom                What to do when someone is hurt                What to do when you need to calm down                How to take care of materials                How to take appropriate breaks   Teaching Procedures                The Responsive Classroom has a wonderful strategy for teaching procedures called “Interactive Modeling.” This has four distintive elements: Students learn why the procedure is important Students observe the model and create a picture in their mind of what it should look like Students do the noticing in describing what’s happening Students practice and get immediate feedback.   Here is a video that shows the process of Interactive Modeling in action:     You can also try the “I do, We do, You do” demonstrated in this video:             Remember that children at all ages – from preschool to high school – need to be taught or reminded of how you want them to behave. Don’t be afraid to teach very minor procedures. It is better to err on the side of teaching too many than too few.           Please share with us in the comments what procedures you think are most important in your classroom and how you teach them.     This is the second posting in a four-part series on getting ready for the start of school. See Part I here.                     I have observed many, many teachers in elementary and early childhood classrooms and the ones that have the smoothest-running classrooms all do the same thing: they teach procedures. Now only do they teach the procedures they need the children to follow, but they also have the children practice and they give them positive feedback until they become automatic routines. They make learning procedures the most important teaching priority in the first few weeks of school, even if it takes time away from other subjects. They more than make up for this time because their classrooms run so effectively. [image]           So the first step in getting ready is to plan what procedures to focus on. It’s helpful to think about them in three groups based on when you will teach them: The first day of school, the first week of school, and the first six weeks. Here are some suggestions: First Day of School                Quiet Signal                Arrival: putting things away and getting started on “do now” work                Lining Up                Walking in the Hallway                Using the Bathroom                Talking during group lessons                Dismissal: cleaning up desk and getting materials ready to go home First Week of School                Fire Drill or Other Emergency Procedures                Morning Meeting                Moving from group meeting area to centers and other transitions                How to sit during group meeting or circle time                Sharpening pencils, getting a drink                Using learning centers                Cleaning up after work time or center time                What to do when you’re finished early                How to say nice things to each other                How to push in chairs                How to hang up coats (this might have to wait for cold weather) First Six Weeks of School                Working with a partner                Taking turns                Turn-and-Talk or Think-Pair-Share                Getting help when the teacher is working with a group                What to do when the teacher has a phone call or must leave the room                What to do when a visitor enters the classroom                What to do when someone is hurt                What to do when you need to calm down                How to take care of materials                How to take appropriate breaks   Teaching Procedures                The Responsive Classroom has a wonderful strategy for teaching procedures called “Interactive Modeling.” This has four distintive elements: Students learn why the procedure is important Students observe the model and create a picture in their mind of what it should look like Students do the noticing in describing what’s happening Students practice and get immediate feedback.   Here is a video that shows the process of Interactive Modeling in action:     You can also try the “I do, We do, You do” demonstrated in this video:             Remember that children at all ages – from preschool to high school – need to be taught or reminded of how you want them to behave. Don’t be afraid to teach very minor procedures. It is better to err on the side of teaching too many than too few.           Please share with us in the comments what procedures you think are most important in your classroom and how you teach them.     This is the second posting in a four-part series on getting ready for the start of school. See Part I here.          Mon, 20 Aug 2012 23:20:58 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Getting-Ready-for-the-Start-of-School-Part-II-Why-Some-Teachers-Have-Smooth-Running-Classrooms/blog/6289999/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-08-20T23:20:58Z Blogs ASCD EDge            I have observed many, many teachers in elementary and early childhood classrooms and the ones that have the smoothest-running classrooms all do the same thing: they teach procedures. Now only do they teach the procedures they need the children to follow, but they also have the children practice and they give them positive feedback until they become automatic routines. They make learning procedures the most important teaching priority in the first few weeks of school, even if it takes time away from other subjects. They more than make up for this time because their classrooms run so effectively. [image]           So the first step in getting ready is to plan what procedures to focus on. It’s helpful to think about them in three groups based on when you will teach them: The first day of school, the first week of school, and the first six weeks. Here are some suggestions: First Day of School                Quiet Signal                Arrival: putting things away and getting started on “do now” work                Lining Up                Walking in the Hallway                Using the Bathroom                Talking during group lessons                Dismissal: cleaning up desk and getting materials ready to go home First Week of School                Fire Drill or Other Emergency Procedures                Morning Meeting                Moving from group meeting area to centers and other transitions                How to sit during group meeting or circle time                Sharpening pencils, getting a drink                Using learning centers                Cleaning up after work time or center time                What to do when you’re finished early                How to say nice things to each other                How to push in chairs                How to hang up coats (this might have to wait for cold weather) First Six Weeks of School                Working with a partner                Taking turns                Turn-and-Talk or Think-Pair-Share                Getting help when the teacher is working with a group                What to do when the teacher has a phone call or must leave the room                What to do when a visitor enters the classroom                What to do when someone is hurt                What to do when you need to calm down                How to take care of materials                How to take appropriate breaks   Teaching Procedures                The Responsive Classroom has a wonderful strategy for teaching procedures called “Interactive Modeling.” This has four distintive elements: Students learn why the procedure is important Students observe the model and create a picture in their mind of what it should look like Students do the noticing in describing what’s happening Students practice and get immediate feedback.   Here is a video that shows the process of Interactive Modeling in action:     You can also try the “I do, We do, You do” demonstrated in this video:             Remember that children at all ages – from preschool to high school – need to be taught or reminded of how you want them to behave. Don’t be afraid to teach very minor procedures. It is better to err on the side of teaching too many than too few.           Please share with us in the comments what procedures you think are most important in your classroom and how you teach them.     This is the second posting in a four-part series on getting ready for the start of school. See Part I here.          behavior, blogs, childhood, classroom, early, education, management nonadult false Getting Ready for the Start of School Part II: Why Some Teachers Have Smooth Running Classrooms text blog behavior,blogs,childhood,classroom,early,education,management 9244 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 1 Blogs 0 6289999 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Getting-Ready-for-the-Start-of-School-Part-I-8-Things-to-Consider-in-Setting-Up-Your-Classroom/blog/6264627/127586.html This is the first posting in a four-part series that is designed to help you think through getting ready for the new academic year. The good thing about the cycles we go through as teachers is that each year we get to start over again with a more-or-less clean slate. This is a great opportunity to reflect on what worked well that you want to repeat and what you want to change.  [image]The first thing I usually think about is the physical environment, since there is the practical need to set up your room before you do many of the other things to start the new academic year. Here are issues to consider: Seating. Whether you have desks or tables, you’ll want to think through where to put the children for seatwork. The important issue is to consider how much you want the children to converse with each other. Will they be working primarily in groups? Or would you prefer that they work silently and independently? I've seen teachers struggle with getting the children to stop talking and stay on task when the desks are grouped together. It makes more sense to put the desks in rows or separated somehow if you value more individually-focused work. Of course you'll also want to think through where you will stand to deliver whole group lessons and try to ensure no child has her back to you. Check out the great set-up ideas from The School Supply Addict.   Quiet Corner. It's important to set aside some space for a child to go when he needs to regain control or calm down. This should be created as a pleasant place, not an area for punishment. Check out the “Peace Corner” from Mama Montessori. Teacher space.We all need personal space and it's appropriate to think through the boundaries of your personal are. Then you can teach the children those boundaries and where they are not allowed to touch.  Small group area. Where will you meet with small groups? This area should be somewhat protected from traffic and noise, and it's helpful to mark the area off with tape or a carpet so children have a visual reminder not to bother you when your working with the group.  Learning centers. Do you have enough room to set up some permanent centers like a reading corner, science center, or math games? You'll also want to put together center materials children can do at their desks, and find storage for these.  Whole group meeting area. No teacher ever thinks she has enough room in her classroom!  However, your class meeting area really needs the most space you can give. I have seen more behavior problems result from children sitting virtually on top of one another, accidentally stepping in toes, bumping into shoulders, and so on. The best seating plan is to put all the children sitting around the edge of the carpet so they can see each other and you. You can also consider getting individual carpet squares for each child. These provide a natural boundary for personal space. Or try using place mats instead as recommended by Teach Preschool. But don’t think these are only helpful in preschool!  Storage. There are four types of storage to plan for: Children's personal items (coats, books, etc), learning materials that children need access to (manipulatives, leveled reading books, etc), teaching materials that you will use throughout the year, and your own personal items. Here are some creative ideas I found on Pinterest. In my experience, the important step is to visualize HOW movement in these areas will flow. For example, how many children can get to their cubbies or coat hooks at once? How will the children be able to look through the books? Will all of their materials fit in their desk or do you need more storage unit on their chair. Imagine how a child will go through each step of the day before you finalize your plan. Finally, make sure everything is neat and organized. I've repeatedly noticed that the most organized classrooms also have the best behavior!  Decor. If you are not already addicted to Pinterest, then try it out! You'll find hundreds of ideas for making your classroom a warm and friendly home for yourself and the children. Be sure to leave some of your spaces undecorated so that the children can make the room reflect their personalities and work. Check out my “Teaching-in-Style” Board on Pinterest and follow me! From The Positive Classroom This is the first posting in a four-part series that is designed to help you think through getting ready for the new academic year. The good thing about the cycles we go through as teachers is that each year we get to start over again with a more-or-less clean slate. This is a great opportunity to reflect on what worked well that you want to repeat and what you want to change.  [image]The first thing I usually think about is the physical environment, since there is the practical need to set up your room before you do many of the other things to start the new academic year. Here are issues to consider: Seating. Whether you have desks or tables, you’ll want to think through where to put the children for seatwork. The important issue is to consider how much you want the children to converse with each other. Will they be working primarily in groups? Or would you prefer that they work silently and independently? I've seen teachers struggle with getting the children to stop talking and stay on task when the desks are grouped together. It makes more sense to put the desks in rows or separated somehow if you value more individually-focused work. Of course you'll also want to think through where you will stand to deliver whole group lessons and try to ensure no child has her back to you. Check out the great set-up ideas from The School Supply Addict.   Quiet Corner. It's important to set aside some space for a child to go when he needs to regain control or calm down. This should be created as a pleasant place, not an area for punishment. Check out the “Peace Corner” from Mama Montessori. Teacher space.We all need personal space and it's appropriate to think through the boundaries of your personal are. Then you can teach the children those boundaries and where they are not allowed to touch.  Small group area. Where will you meet with small groups? This area should be somewhat protected from traffic and noise, and it's helpful to mark the area off with tape or a carpet so children have a visual reminder not to bother you when your working with the group.  Learning centers. Do you have enough room to set up some permanent centers like a reading corner, science center, or math games? You'll also want to put together center materials children can do at their desks, and find storage for these.  Whole group meeting area. No teacher ever thinks she has enough room in her classroom!  However, your class meeting area really needs the most space you can give. I have seen more behavior problems result from children sitting virtually on top of one another, accidentally stepping in toes, bumping into shoulders, and so on. The best seating plan is to put all the children sitting around the edge of the carpet so they can see each other and you. You can also consider getting individual carpet squares for each child. These provide a natural boundary for personal space. Or try using place mats instead as recommended by Teach Preschool. But don’t think these are only helpful in preschool!  Storage. There are four types of storage to plan for: Children's personal items (coats, books, etc), learning materials that children need access to (manipulatives, leveled reading books, etc), teaching materials that you will use throughout the year, and your own personal items. Here are some creative ideas I found on Pinterest. In my experience, the important step is to visualize HOW movement in these areas will flow. For example, how many children can get to their cubbies or coat hooks at once? How will the children be able to look through the books? Will all of their materials fit in their desk or do you need more storage unit on their chair. Imagine how a child will go through each step of the day before you finalize your plan. Finally, make sure everything is neat and organized. I've repeatedly noticed that the most organized classrooms also have the best behavior!  Decor. If you are not already addicted to Pinterest, then try it out! You'll find hundreds of ideas for making your classroom a warm and friendly home for yourself and the children. Be sure to leave some of your spaces undecorated so that the children can make the room reflect their personalities and work. Check out my “Teaching-in-Style” Board on Pinterest and follow me! From The Positive Classroom Wed, 08 Aug 2012 00:02:18 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Getting-Ready-for-the-Start-of-School-Part-I-8-Things-to-Consider-in-Setting-Up-Your-Classroom/blog/6264627/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-08-08T00:02:18Z Blogs ASCD EDge This is the first posting in a four-part series that is designed to help you think through getting ready for the new academic year. The good thing about the cycles we go through as teachers is that each year we get to start over again with a more-or-less clean slate. This is a great opportunity to reflect on what worked well that you want to repeat and what you want to change.  [image]The first thing I usually think about is the physical environment, since there is the practical need to set up your room before you do many of the other things to start the new academic year. Here are issues to consider: Seating. Whether you have desks or tables, you’ll want to think through where to put the children for seatwork. The important issue is to consider how much you want the children to converse with each other. Will they be working primarily in groups? Or would you prefer that they work silently and independently? I've seen teachers struggle with getting the children to stop talking and stay on task when the desks are grouped together. It makes more sense to put the desks in rows or separated somehow if you value more individually-focused work. Of course you'll also want to think through where you will stand to deliver whole group lessons and try to ensure no child has her back to you. Check out the great set-up ideas from The School Supply Addict.   Quiet Corner. It's important to set aside some space for a child to go when he needs to regain control or calm down. This should be created as a pleasant place, not an area for punishment. Check out the “Peace Corner” from Mama Montessori. Teacher space.We all need personal space and it's appropriate to think through the boundaries of your personal are. Then you can teach the children those boundaries and where they are not allowed to touch.  Small group area. Where will you meet with small groups? This area should be somewhat protected from traffic and noise, and it's helpful to mark the area off with tape or a carpet so children have a visual reminder not to bother you when your working with the group.  Learning centers. Do you have enough room to set up some permanent centers like a reading corner, science center, or math games? You'll also want to put together center materials children can do at their desks, and find storage for these.  Whole group meeting area. No teacher ever thinks she has enough room in her classroom!  However, your class meeting area really needs the most space you can give. I have seen more behavior problems result from children sitting virtually on top of one another, accidentally stepping in toes, bumping into shoulders, and so on. The best seating plan is to put all the children sitting around the edge of the carpet so they can see each other and you. You can also consider getting individual carpet squares for each child. These provide a natural boundary for personal space. Or try using place mats instead as recommended by Teach Preschool. But don’t think these are only helpful in preschool!  Storage. There are four types of storage to plan for: Children's personal items (coats, books, etc), learning materials that children need access to (manipulatives, leveled reading books, etc), teaching materials that you will use throughout the year, and your own personal items. Here are some creative ideas I found on Pinterest. In my experience, the important step is to visualize HOW movement in these areas will flow. For example, how many children can get to their cubbies or coat hooks at once? How will the children be able to look through the books? Will all of their materials fit in their desk or do you need more storage unit on their chair. Imagine how a child will go through each step of the day before you finalize your plan. Finally, make sure everything is neat and organized. I've repeatedly noticed that the most organized classrooms also have the best behavior!  Decor. If you are not already addicted to Pinterest, then try it out! You'll find hundreds of ideas for making your classroom a warm and friendly home for yourself and the children. Be sure to leave some of your spaces undecorated so that the children can make the room reflect their personalities and work. Check out my “Teaching-in-Style” Board on Pinterest and follow me! From The Positive Classroom behavior, blogs, childhood, classroom, early, education, management nonadult false Getting Ready for the Start of School, Part I: 8 Things to Consider in Setting Up Your Classroom text blog behavior,blogs,childhood,classroom,early,education,management 3746 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 6264627 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Tips-for-End-of-the-Year-Success/blog/6161595/127586.html Teaching is an unusual profession in that we have such pronounced cycles of beginning and ending. For many teachers, June can be a challenging month with end-of-school festivities, field trips, getting materials sent home, and packing up the room. It can also be an emotional time as we change our routines and begin separating from social relationships. Here are some tips to help things go smoothly at the end of the school year.   Keep Routines the Same. Although you will have special activities at the end of the year, the children also need stability. Transitions – even happy ones – can be unsettling and the more the structure of the day stays the same, the more you will prevent stress behaviors. Keep the children busy and engaged!  [image] Plan Goodbye Rituals. The children and you have developed strong relationships with each other. Acknowledge this with rituals to help ease the separation from each other. These might be picnics, parent events, or pizza parties. Emphasize how important you have all been to each other and celebrate your community. Let the children know you will miss them and talk about the emotions they might feel about leaving each other. Concrete ways of capturing the sense of community might include autograph books, t-shirts with children’s names on them, a slide show of the past year, or memory cards in which children write compliments to each other.   Prepare for the Transition to the Next Grade. As much as possible, help the children know where they will be going in the fall, and what aspects might be the same or different. In many schools, administrators do not let families know until right before school starts who the next teacher will be. Although this prevents many administrative headaches, it’s very difficult for families and children. In a perfect world, children would meet their new teacher before school ends, and know what classroom they will be attending.   Review the Year. Take this opportunity to teach children how to reflect on their progress. The children can write down (or dictate) their best accomplishments, and their goals for the next year. You might write a class letter to the children that will be coming in September to give them advice for the next year.   Say Goodbye to Families. Provide the families with some type of closure and goodbye message. This might be a letter to each family highlighting their child’s accomplishments (the children can help with this), or a short meeting to review the school year. Prepare the families for what they might expect for next year. The more information you can give, the less anxiety and stress the families – and children – will feel.   Stay Organized. Think through the steps you will take to get the children’s belongings home, any books or materials you need to collect, and what you will need to put away. Make a list or use post-it notes to keep organized.   Make Plans for September. This is the ideal time to write yourself notes about what you will want to remember when you start the new school year. What went well that you want to continue? What do you want to change? Different routines? Better seating arrangements? Activities that the children particularly enjoyed? We might think we will remember, but over the summer it’s easy to forget the little changes you want to make.   Manage the Stress. This is a busy time of year and an emotional one. You’ve spent 10 months or more with your class and saying goodbye is an emotional process. Although you may be relieved at the end of the year, and glad to have a break (if you are lucky enough to get one!) the process of separating is still challenging. Take care of yourself! Be sure to get plenty of sleep, and plan a few extra self-care activities to help you relax and pamper yourself. You’ve worked hard and it’s important to recognize your own accomplishments!   Share with us in the comments any suggestions you have for making the end of the school year a smooth transition!   Visit The Positive Classroom Teaching is an unusual profession in that we have such pronounced cycles of beginning and ending. For many teachers, June can be a challenging month with end-of-school festivities, field trips, getting materials sent home, and packing up the room. It can also be an emotional time as we change our routines and begin separating from social relationships. Here are some tips to help things go smoothly at the end of the school year.   Keep Routines the Same. Although you will have special activities at the end of the year, the children also need stability. Transitions – even happy ones – can be unsettling and the more the structure of the day stays the same, the more you will prevent stress behaviors. Keep the children busy and engaged!  [image] Plan Goodbye Rituals. The children and you have developed strong relationships with each other. Acknowledge this with rituals to help ease the separation from each other. These might be picnics, parent events, or pizza parties. Emphasize how important you have all been to each other and celebrate your community. Let the children know you will miss them and talk about the emotions they might feel about leaving each other. Concrete ways of capturing the sense of community might include autograph books, t-shirts with children’s names on them, a slide show of the past year, or memory cards in which children write compliments to each other.   Prepare for the Transition to the Next Grade. As much as possible, help the children know where they will be going in the fall, and what aspects might be the same or different. In many schools, administrators do not let families know until right before school starts who the next teacher will be. Although this prevents many administrative headaches, it’s very difficult for families and children. In a perfect world, children would meet their new teacher before school ends, and know what classroom they will be attending.   Review the Year. Take this opportunity to teach children how to reflect on their progress. The children can write down (or dictate) their best accomplishments, and their goals for the next year. You might write a class letter to the children that will be coming in September to give them advice for the next year.   Say Goodbye to Families. Provide the families with some type of closure and goodbye message. This might be a letter to each family highlighting their child’s accomplishments (the children can help with this), or a short meeting to review the school year. Prepare the families for what they might expect for next year. The more information you can give, the less anxiety and stress the families – and children – will feel.   Stay Organized. Think through the steps you will take to get the children’s belongings home, any books or materials you need to collect, and what you will need to put away. Make a list or use post-it notes to keep organized.   Make Plans for September. This is the ideal time to write yourself notes about what you will want to remember when you start the new school year. What went well that you want to continue? What do you want to change? Different routines? Better seating arrangements? Activities that the children particularly enjoyed? We might think we will remember, but over the summer it’s easy to forget the little changes you want to make.   Manage the Stress. This is a busy time of year and an emotional one. You’ve spent 10 months or more with your class and saying goodbye is an emotional process. Although you may be relieved at the end of the year, and glad to have a break (if you are lucky enough to get one!) the process of separating is still challenging. Take care of yourself! Be sure to get plenty of sleep, and plan a few extra self-care activities to help you relax and pamper yourself. You’ve worked hard and it’s important to recognize your own accomplishments!   Share with us in the comments any suggestions you have for making the end of the school year a smooth transition!   Visit The Positive Classroom Mon, 11 Jun 2012 14:40:40 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Tips-for-End-of-the-Year-Success/blog/6161595/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-06-11T14:40:40Z Blogs ASCD EDge Teaching is an unusual profession in that we have such pronounced cycles of beginning and ending. For many teachers, June can be a challenging month with end-of-school festivities, field trips, getting materials sent home, and packing up the room. It can also be an emotional time as we change our routines and begin separating from social relationships. Here are some tips to help things go smoothly at the end of the school year.   Keep Routines the Same. Although you will have special activities at the end of the year, the children also need stability. Transitions – even happy ones – can be unsettling and the more the structure of the day stays the same, the more you will prevent stress behaviors. Keep the children busy and engaged!  [image] Plan Goodbye Rituals. The children and you have developed strong relationships with each other. Acknowledge this with rituals to help ease the separation from each other. These might be picnics, parent events, or pizza parties. Emphasize how important you have all been to each other and celebrate your community. Let the children know you will miss them and talk about the emotions they might feel about leaving each other. Concrete ways of capturing the sense of community might include autograph books, t-shirts with children’s names on them, a slide show of the past year, or memory cards in which children write compliments to each other.   Prepare for the Transition to the Next Grade. As much as possible, help the children know where they will be going in the fall, and what aspects might be the same or different. In many schools, administrators do not let families know until right before school starts who the next teacher will be. Although this prevents many administrative headaches, it’s very difficult for families and children. In a perfect world, children would meet their new teacher before school ends, and know what classroom they will be attending.   Review the Year. Take this opportunity to teach children how to reflect on their progress. The children can write down (or dictate) their best accomplishments, and their goals for the next year. You might write a class letter to the children that will be coming in September to give them advice for the next year.   Say Goodbye to Families. Provide the families with some type of closure and goodbye message. This might be a letter to each family highlighting their child’s accomplishments (the children can help with this), or a short meeting to review the school year. Prepare the families for what they might expect for next year. The more information you can give, the less anxiety and stress the families – and children – will feel.   Stay Organized. Think through the steps you will take to get the children’s belongings home, any books or materials you need to collect, and what you will need to put away. Make a list or use post-it notes to keep organized.   Make Plans for September. This is the ideal time to write yourself notes about what you will want to remember when you start the new school year. What went well that you want to continue? What do you want to change? Different routines? Better seating arrangements? Activities that the children particularly enjoyed? We might think we will remember, but over the summer it’s easy to forget the little changes you want to make.   Manage the Stress. This is a busy time of year and an emotional one. You’ve spent 10 months or more with your class and saying goodbye is an emotional process. Although you may be relieved at the end of the year, and glad to have a break (if you are lucky enough to get one!) the process of separating is still challenging. Take care of yourself! Be sure to get plenty of sleep, and plan a few extra self-care activities to help you relax and pamper yourself. You’ve worked hard and it’s important to recognize your own accomplishments!   Share with us in the comments any suggestions you have for making the end of the school year a smooth transition!   Visit The Positive Classroom behavior, blogs, childhood, classroom, early, education, management nonadult false Tips for End-of-the-Year Success text blog behavior,blogs,childhood,classroom,early,education,management 486 20 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 6161595 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_How-to-Ensure-a-Smooth-Running-Field-Trip/blog/6144027/127586.html             Do you get exhausted just thinking about taking the children on a field trip? Do you have visions of losing a child, or worry about the children fooling around and being out of control? Do you wish your field trips could be more of a learning experience? Let’s explore some strategies to help turn this around.             The first step is to create a plan that addresses each part of the experience. Take some time to think through each moment of the trip, from leaving the classroom, to returning at the end of the trip. Here are some topics to consider:[image]             Preparing the Children for Learning: Think about your learning goals for the trip. If you’re going to the farm, what are the few overarching concepts you’d like the children to learn? Plan some lessons to give the children the background knowledge they need to better understand what they will be exposed to. If you’re going to a play, you could learn more about the story or setting. If you’re going to a museum, find out what exhibits will be available. If you’re going to a park, think about what activities will be best for your children. Even if you are just going for a neighborhood walk, think about what children can learn along the way and prepare them for the content.             Prepare the Children for Proper Behavior. A few days before you leave for your trip, go over the behavior expectations you have for the children. This might include the following: Appropriate behavior for sitting on a school bus How you will line up How to behave when a guide is explaining information What they are allowed to touch What to do if they have to go to the bathroom Procedures for eating lunch or snack What to do if they get separated from the group Who will be in charge I recommend that you practice these behaviors before leaving. Teach them the same way you’d teach procedures in your classroom. Model what you want the children to do and have them pretend they are on the trip. If you create a sense of play to this, the children can have fun pretending they are at the trip location. For example, you can set up the chairs like a bus and practice appropriate behavior.You can also provide visual supports like photos and additional practice with appropriate behavior for the children who might have the most difficult challenges during the trip. They might need to take the photos with them as a reminder.             Prepare the Adults for the Trip. Decide on who will be your chaperones, if you will have any. Even if you don’t have extra people to help, be sure to work with your assistants to clearly understand your roles. Think through who will go first on the bus, or who will wait with the children while you check in or get tickets. Assign children with challenging behaviors to a specific person to keep on track. If you have parent volunteers, put into writing what behaviors you expect for the children and what the chaperone’s specific jobs are.  For example, make it clear that it is inappropriate to buy food for their own child that other children won’t get. Or write out the procedures for helping with lunch. Write down the names of the children they are responsible for, meeting times, meeting places, or other important information – including a contact phone number if there are any problems.You can put these instructions on a clipboard, or laminate them on a card.             During the Trip. Be organized! Have all materials ready before the children arrive, and keep a positive and calm attitude. Remind the children one more time about the behavior you expect on the trip. Needless to say, keep your eye on children who need more support, and be very careful about intervening when you see any agitation in children. Giving a child a quick break to get a drink or a quick walk around for a few minutes can avert a behavioral disaster. Some children will have a great challenge in staying as still as we want them to during presentations, or maintaining impulse control in new and interesting areas. Be positive and firm, and most importantly, intervene before behavior gets out of hand.             Provide Positive Feedback. Most of all, give lots of praise and feedback. Let the children know when they are doing well, and point out appropriate behavior frequently: “I see many children sitting quietly and waiting.” “I noticed how you kept your eyes on the speaker.” “You all did a great job of keeping your hands to yourself.” “Maria, you’ve stayed with your leader the whole morning!” “You have all kept yourselves very safe by following the directions.” These positive statements are much more effective than trying to correct children’s minor misbehaviors. Also provide this positive feedback to your chaperones!             Review the Trip. After you return, review all aspects of the trip with the children. Let them know what they did well, and what areas could be improved for the next time. Continue follow-up activities that build on your learning goals. Field trips are often a wonderful opportunity for children to record their experiences – using their literacy skills in meaningful ways. Create a class book about the trip, make posters about their experiences, or write a story for the class newsletter.             I hope these strategies will help make your trip into a better learning experience and help you stay sane! Please share in the comments any other strategies you’ve found helpful in your field trips!              Do you get exhausted just thinking about taking the children on a field trip? Do you have visions of losing a child, or worry about the children fooling around and being out of control? Do you wish your field trips could be more of a learning experience? Let’s explore some strategies to help turn this around.             The first step is to create a plan that addresses each part of the experience. Take some time to think through each moment of the trip, from leaving the classroom, to returning at the end of the trip. Here are some topics to consider:[image]             Preparing the Children for Learning: Think about your learning goals for the trip. If you’re going to the farm, what are the few overarching concepts you’d like the children to learn? Plan some lessons to give the children the background knowledge they need to better understand what they will be exposed to. If you’re going to a play, you could learn more about the story or setting. If you’re going to a museum, find out what exhibits will be available. If you’re going to a park, think about what activities will be best for your children. Even if you are just going for a neighborhood walk, think about what children can learn along the way and prepare them for the content.             Prepare the Children for Proper Behavior. A few days before you leave for your trip, go over the behavior expectations you have for the children. This might include the following: Appropriate behavior for sitting on a school bus How you will line up How to behave when a guide is explaining information What they are allowed to touch What to do if they have to go to the bathroom Procedures for eating lunch or snack What to do if they get separated from the group Who will be in charge I recommend that you practice these behaviors before leaving. Teach them the same way you’d teach procedures in your classroom. Model what you want the children to do and have them pretend they are on the trip. If you create a sense of play to this, the children can have fun pretending they are at the trip location. For example, you can set up the chairs like a bus and practice appropriate behavior.You can also provide visual supports like photos and additional practice with appropriate behavior for the children who might have the most difficult challenges during the trip. They might need to take the photos with them as a reminder.             Prepare the Adults for the Trip. Decide on who will be your chaperones, if you will have any. Even if you don’t have extra people to help, be sure to work with your assistants to clearly understand your roles. Think through who will go first on the bus, or who will wait with the children while you check in or get tickets. Assign children with challenging behaviors to a specific person to keep on track. If you have parent volunteers, put into writing what behaviors you expect for the children and what the chaperone’s specific jobs are.  For example, make it clear that it is inappropriate to buy food for their own child that other children won’t get. Or write out the procedures for helping with lunch. Write down the names of the children they are responsible for, meeting times, meeting places, or other important information – including a contact phone number if there are any problems.You can put these instructions on a clipboard, or laminate them on a card.             During the Trip. Be organized! Have all materials ready before the children arrive, and keep a positive and calm attitude. Remind the children one more time about the behavior you expect on the trip. Needless to say, keep your eye on children who need more support, and be very careful about intervening when you see any agitation in children. Giving a child a quick break to get a drink or a quick walk around for a few minutes can avert a behavioral disaster. Some children will have a great challenge in staying as still as we want them to during presentations, or maintaining impulse control in new and interesting areas. Be positive and firm, and most importantly, intervene before behavior gets out of hand.             Provide Positive Feedback. Most of all, give lots of praise and feedback. Let the children know when they are doing well, and point out appropriate behavior frequently: “I see many children sitting quietly and waiting.” “I noticed how you kept your eyes on the speaker.” “You all did a great job of keeping your hands to yourself.” “Maria, you’ve stayed with your leader the whole morning!” “You have all kept yourselves very safe by following the directions.” These positive statements are much more effective than trying to correct children’s minor misbehaviors. Also provide this positive feedback to your chaperones!             Review the Trip. After you return, review all aspects of the trip with the children. Let them know what they did well, and what areas could be improved for the next time. Continue follow-up activities that build on your learning goals. Field trips are often a wonderful opportunity for children to record their experiences – using their literacy skills in meaningful ways. Create a class book about the trip, make posters about their experiences, or write a story for the class newsletter.             I hope these strategies will help make your trip into a better learning experience and help you stay sane! Please share in the comments any other strategies you’ve found helpful in your field trips!  Mon, 04 Jun 2012 23:29:12 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_How-to-Ensure-a-Smooth-Running-Field-Trip/blog/6144027/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-06-04T23:29:12Z Blogs ASCD EDge             Do you get exhausted just thinking about taking the children on a field trip? Do you have visions of losing a child, or worry about the children fooling around and being out of control? Do you wish your field trips could be more of a learning experience? Let’s explore some strategies to help turn this around.             The first step is to create a plan that addresses each part of the experience. Take some time to think through each moment of the trip, from leaving the classroom, to returning at the end of the trip. Here are some topics to consider:[image]             Preparing the Children for Learning: Think about your learning goals for the trip. If you’re going to the farm, what are the few overarching concepts you’d like the children to learn? Plan some lessons to give the children the background knowledge they need to better understand what they will be exposed to. If you’re going to a play, you could learn more about the story or setting. If you’re going to a museum, find out what exhibits will be available. If you’re going to a park, think about what activities will be best for your children. Even if you are just going for a neighborhood walk, think about what children can learn along the way and prepare them for the content.             Prepare the Children for Proper Behavior. A few days before you leave for your trip, go over the behavior expectations you have for the children. This might include the following: Appropriate behavior for sitting on a school bus How you will line up How to behave when a guide is explaining information What they are allowed to touch What to do if they have to go to the bathroom Procedures for eating lunch or snack What to do if they get separated from the group Who will be in charge I recommend that you practice these behaviors before leaving. Teach them the same way you’d teach procedures in your classroom. Model what you want the children to do and have them pretend they are on the trip. If you create a sense of play to this, the children can have fun pretending they are at the trip location. For example, you can set up the chairs like a bus and practice appropriate behavior.You can also provide visual supports like photos and additional practice with appropriate behavior for the children who might have the most difficult challenges during the trip. They might need to take the photos with them as a reminder.             Prepare the Adults for the Trip. Decide on who will be your chaperones, if you will have any. Even if you don’t have extra people to help, be sure to work with your assistants to clearly understand your roles. Think through who will go first on the bus, or who will wait with the children while you check in or get tickets. Assign children with challenging behaviors to a specific person to keep on track. If you have parent volunteers, put into writing what behaviors you expect for the children and what the chaperone’s specific jobs are.  For example, make it clear that it is inappropriate to buy food for their own child that other children won’t get. Or write out the procedures for helping with lunch. Write down the names of the children they are responsible for, meeting times, meeting places, or other important information – including a contact phone number if there are any problems.You can put these instructions on a clipboard, or laminate them on a card.             During the Trip. Be organized! Have all materials ready before the children arrive, and keep a positive and calm attitude. Remind the children one more time about the behavior you expect on the trip. Needless to say, keep your eye on children who need more support, and be very careful about intervening when you see any agitation in children. Giving a child a quick break to get a drink or a quick walk around for a few minutes can avert a behavioral disaster. Some children will have a great challenge in staying as still as we want them to during presentations, or maintaining impulse control in new and interesting areas. Be positive and firm, and most importantly, intervene before behavior gets out of hand.             Provide Positive Feedback. Most of all, give lots of praise and feedback. Let the children know when they are doing well, and point out appropriate behavior frequently: “I see many children sitting quietly and waiting.” “I noticed how you kept your eyes on the speaker.” “You all did a great job of keeping your hands to yourself.” “Maria, you’ve stayed with your leader the whole morning!” “You have all kept yourselves very safe by following the directions.” These positive statements are much more effective than trying to correct children’s minor misbehaviors. Also provide this positive feedback to your chaperones!             Review the Trip. After you return, review all aspects of the trip with the children. Let them know what they did well, and what areas could be improved for the next time. Continue follow-up activities that build on your learning goals. Field trips are often a wonderful opportunity for children to record their experiences – using their literacy skills in meaningful ways. Create a class book about the trip, make posters about their experiences, or write a story for the class newsletter.             I hope these strategies will help make your trip into a better learning experience and help you stay sane! Please share in the comments any other strategies you’ve found helpful in your field trips!  blogs nonadult false How to Ensure a Smooth-Running Field Trip text blog blogs 729 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 6144027 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Why-Are-We-Separating-Boys-and-Girls/blog/6102207/127586.html             I’m always surprised to see teachers make a conscious decision to separate boys and girls in activities in school, such as lining up, taking turns, or creating teams. I think this is problematic. It contributes to gender bias and discrimination – and is damaging to BOTH boys and girls.[image]             Imagine for a moment that you heard a teacher tell the children, “Okay, let’s have the Black children line up on this side, and the White children on the other side.” Most of us would think this is completely inappropriate (I hope!). Yet we often do the same thing with gender. The only time this might be acceptable is going to the bathroom, but I don’t think children should line up for the bathroom, so even that instance is not one I would advocate. Imagine saying this: “Good morning, red heads and blondes.” Silly, right? Yet we point out gender differences every time we say, “Good morning, boys and girls” instead of “Good morning, children.” I’ve seen teachers use a pattern of calling on a boy, girl, boy, girl to answer questions during lessons. Why differentiate children by gender during lessons? You might be thinking that this allows for more fairness. But would you be comfortable using a White child, Black child pattern? Probably not, and that raises the question of why we are comfortable separating by gender. What’s the result of years and years of hearing these phrases and being separated by gender?   Children may learn that boys and girls are different intellectually.   Children may learn that they should be considered as different kinds of people because of their gender   Children get locked into gender stereotypes at an early age Are boys and girls different? Of course! But not intellectually. And the physical differences are not significant for the types of activities done in early childhood or elementary grades.             We’ve made great progress in gender equity – but there is still a long way to go, by any measure. It’s interesting to note that girls and women have made great strides in entering college in numbers greater than men, yet they are still underrepresented in many fields – especially science and math. At the same time, boys – especially Black and Latino – are rapidly dropping in number in college enrollment. They are also psychologically discouraged from entering many “helping” careers such as teaching, nursing, and social work – which have been traditionally female jobs. I wonder why these differences still persist so strongly at a time in which we are so aware of the value of diversity. Perhaps we are still reinforcing those gender differences throughout a child’s early years.             As educators working with young children, we have a unique and important role to play in helping children reach their full potential and overcome early roadblocks of discrimination. I encourage you to consider how you might inadvertently reinforce gender stereotypes by separating boys and girls. Please share with us your thoughts about this – and other ways you’ve been successful at giving all children a positive view of gender equity. Visit The Positive Classroom             I’m always surprised to see teachers make a conscious decision to separate boys and girls in activities in school, such as lining up, taking turns, or creating teams. I think this is problematic. It contributes to gender bias and discrimination – and is damaging to BOTH boys and girls.[image]             Imagine for a moment that you heard a teacher tell the children, “Okay, let’s have the Black children line up on this side, and the White children on the other side.” Most of us would think this is completely inappropriate (I hope!). Yet we often do the same thing with gender. The only time this might be acceptable is going to the bathroom, but I don’t think children should line up for the bathroom, so even that instance is not one I would advocate. Imagine saying this: “Good morning, red heads and blondes.” Silly, right? Yet we point out gender differences every time we say, “Good morning, boys and girls” instead of “Good morning, children.” I’ve seen teachers use a pattern of calling on a boy, girl, boy, girl to answer questions during lessons. Why differentiate children by gender during lessons? You might be thinking that this allows for more fairness. But would you be comfortable using a White child, Black child pattern? Probably not, and that raises the question of why we are comfortable separating by gender. What’s the result of years and years of hearing these phrases and being separated by gender?   Children may learn that boys and girls are different intellectually.   Children may learn that they should be considered as different kinds of people because of their gender   Children get locked into gender stereotypes at an early age Are boys and girls different? Of course! But not intellectually. And the physical differences are not significant for the types of activities done in early childhood or elementary grades.             We’ve made great progress in gender equity – but there is still a long way to go, by any measure. It’s interesting to note that girls and women have made great strides in entering college in numbers greater than men, yet they are still underrepresented in many fields – especially science and math. At the same time, boys – especially Black and Latino – are rapidly dropping in number in college enrollment. They are also psychologically discouraged from entering many “helping” careers such as teaching, nursing, and social work – which have been traditionally female jobs. I wonder why these differences still persist so strongly at a time in which we are so aware of the value of diversity. Perhaps we are still reinforcing those gender differences throughout a child’s early years.             As educators working with young children, we have a unique and important role to play in helping children reach their full potential and overcome early roadblocks of discrimination. I encourage you to consider how you might inadvertently reinforce gender stereotypes by separating boys and girls. Please share with us your thoughts about this – and other ways you’ve been successful at giving all children a positive view of gender equity. Visit The Positive Classroom Mon, 21 May 2012 14:36:55 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Why-Are-We-Separating-Boys-and-Girls/blog/6102207/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-05-21T14:36:55Z Blogs ASCD EDge             I’m always surprised to see teachers make a conscious decision to separate boys and girls in activities in school, such as lining up, taking turns, or creating teams. I think this is problematic. It contributes to gender bias and discrimination – and is damaging to BOTH boys and girls.[image]             Imagine for a moment that you heard a teacher tell the children, “Okay, let’s have the Black children line up on this side, and the White children on the other side.” Most of us would think this is completely inappropriate (I hope!). Yet we often do the same thing with gender. The only time this might be acceptable is going to the bathroom, but I don’t think children should line up for the bathroom, so even that instance is not one I would advocate. Imagine saying this: “Good morning, red heads and blondes.” Silly, right? Yet we point out gender differences every time we say, “Good morning, boys and girls” instead of “Good morning, children.” I’ve seen teachers use a pattern of calling on a boy, girl, boy, girl to answer questions during lessons. Why differentiate children by gender during lessons? You might be thinking that this allows for more fairness. But would you be comfortable using a White child, Black child pattern? Probably not, and that raises the question of why we are comfortable separating by gender. What’s the result of years and years of hearing these phrases and being separated by gender?   Children may learn that boys and girls are different intellectually.   Children may learn that they should be considered as different kinds of people because of their gender   Children get locked into gender stereotypes at an early age Are boys and girls different? Of course! But not intellectually. And the physical differences are not significant for the types of activities done in early childhood or elementary grades.             We’ve made great progress in gender equity – but there is still a long way to go, by any measure. It’s interesting to note that girls and women have made great strides in entering college in numbers greater than men, yet they are still underrepresented in many fields – especially science and math. At the same time, boys – especially Black and Latino – are rapidly dropping in number in college enrollment. They are also psychologically discouraged from entering many “helping” careers such as teaching, nursing, and social work – which have been traditionally female jobs. I wonder why these differences still persist so strongly at a time in which we are so aware of the value of diversity. Perhaps we are still reinforcing those gender differences throughout a child’s early years.             As educators working with young children, we have a unique and important role to play in helping children reach their full potential and overcome early roadblocks of discrimination. I encourage you to consider how you might inadvertently reinforce gender stereotypes by separating boys and girls. Please share with us your thoughts about this – and other ways you’ve been successful at giving all children a positive view of gender equity. Visit The Positive Classroom and, blogs, boys, girls nonadult false Why Are We Separating Boys and Girls? text blog and,blogs,boys,girls 824 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 6102207 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Are-You-Working-Effectively-with-Teacher-Assistants/blog/6054877/127586.html This semester I have a wonderful group of college students, many of whom have spent years as assistant teachers or aides in early childhood and special education classrooms. I asked them this week to reflect on what they would want classroom teachers to know in order to work effectively with a teacher assistant in the future. Here are their suggestions: [image]  Set Clear Expectations. Don’t assume an assistant knows what you want her to do. Be clear and specific: “Could you sit next to Ryan during group time and help keep him on task?” or “While I’m reading to the children at the carpet, please set up the tables for the science project.”  Think through various parts of the day and divide up the tasks ahead of time so that you each know the role you’ll play.   Offer Respect. Treat the assistant like an equal. Your roles are different but both are important. The teacher assistant might have more experience in the school or with children than a new teacher does, so be sure to acknowledge this expertise. Speak in a way that is always professional. When there is conflict, clear the air and repair the relationship right away. Don’t let bad feelings fester. You don’t have to be friends, but you do have to be colleagues.   Communicate Frequently. Set aside regular times to meet together as a team and go over plans. Communicate appropriate school information, behavioral plans for children, curriculum goals, etc.   Empower Decision-Making. Give the assistant teacher the power to make decisions on her own. This helps keep the classroom running smoothly and also solidifies that team approach to teaching.  Many teaching assistants also pointed out how important it is to teach them how to do your role as the classroom teacher for when you are not there.   Balance Teaching and Non-Teaching Expectations.  Most teacher assistants enjoy taking on some teaching duties, such as leading small group activities, collecting anecdotal records, or working one-on-one with a child. However, remember that an assistant is not getting paid to be the teacher, and may not have the training or experience to take on teaching roles. Be sure to check what the school policies are. The best advice came from a long-time teacher who began her relationship with each assistant she’s had by asking her assistant teacher what she would like to do in the classroom. Over time she found that building on her assistant’s strengths was very effective, rather than trying to get her to do what she wasn’t comfortable with.   Use Positive Feedback. Most important of all, perhaps, is to provide high-quality, positive feedback. Just as children need to know when they are on the right track, adults do too. Give plenty of detail in your feedback: “Thanks so much for helping during circle time. When you sit next to Sheena she pays attention much better.” Or “I noticed that you got all the small group materials ready and organized today. That helped the transition to group activities go really smoothly!” This is especially effective when an assistant teacher is not doing as well as you’d like. Remember to focus always on the positive, make clear requests, and avoid getting caught in a negative-energy spiral. Remember that what you pay attention to you will get more of!   Do you have any suggestions for what has worked well in building a team with your assistant teacher? Or are you an assistant teacher who’d like to give more feedback? Please share with us in the comments!    This semester I have a wonderful group of college students, many of whom have spent years as assistant teachers or aides in early childhood and special education classrooms. I asked them this week to reflect on what they would want classroom teachers to know in order to work effectively with a teacher assistant in the future. Here are their suggestions: [image]  Set Clear Expectations. Don’t assume an assistant knows what you want her to do. Be clear and specific: “Could you sit next to Ryan during group time and help keep him on task?” or “While I’m reading to the children at the carpet, please set up the tables for the science project.”  Think through various parts of the day and divide up the tasks ahead of time so that you each know the role you’ll play.   Offer Respect. Treat the assistant like an equal. Your roles are different but both are important. The teacher assistant might have more experience in the school or with children than a new teacher does, so be sure to acknowledge this expertise. Speak in a way that is always professional. When there is conflict, clear the air and repair the relationship right away. Don’t let bad feelings fester. You don’t have to be friends, but you do have to be colleagues.   Communicate Frequently. Set aside regular times to meet together as a team and go over plans. Communicate appropriate school information, behavioral plans for children, curriculum goals, etc.   Empower Decision-Making. Give the assistant teacher the power to make decisions on her own. This helps keep the classroom running smoothly and also solidifies that team approach to teaching.  Many teaching assistants also pointed out how important it is to teach them how to do your role as the classroom teacher for when you are not there.   Balance Teaching and Non-Teaching Expectations.  Most teacher assistants enjoy taking on some teaching duties, such as leading small group activities, collecting anecdotal records, or working one-on-one with a child. However, remember that an assistant is not getting paid to be the teacher, and may not have the training or experience to take on teaching roles. Be sure to check what the school policies are. The best advice came from a long-time teacher who began her relationship with each assistant she’s had by asking her assistant teacher what she would like to do in the classroom. Over time she found that building on her assistant’s strengths was very effective, rather than trying to get her to do what she wasn’t comfortable with.   Use Positive Feedback. Most important of all, perhaps, is to provide high-quality, positive feedback. Just as children need to know when they are on the right track, adults do too. Give plenty of detail in your feedback: “Thanks so much for helping during circle time. When you sit next to Sheena she pays attention much better.” Or “I noticed that you got all the small group materials ready and organized today. That helped the transition to group activities go really smoothly!” This is especially effective when an assistant teacher is not doing as well as you’d like. Remember to focus always on the positive, make clear requests, and avoid getting caught in a negative-energy spiral. Remember that what you pay attention to you will get more of!   Do you have any suggestions for what has worked well in building a team with your assistant teacher? Or are you an assistant teacher who’d like to give more feedback? Please share with us in the comments!    Mon, 07 May 2012 18:57:36 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Are-You-Working-Effectively-with-Teacher-Assistants/blog/6054877/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-05-07T18:57:36Z Blogs ASCD EDge This semester I have a wonderful group of college students, many of whom have spent years as assistant teachers or aides in early childhood and special education classrooms. I asked them this week to reflect on what they would want classroom teachers to know in order to work effectively with a teacher assistant in the future. Here are their suggestions: [image]  Set Clear Expectations. Don’t assume an assistant knows what you want her to do. Be clear and specific: “Could you sit next to Ryan during group time and help keep him on task?” or “While I’m reading to the children at the carpet, please set up the tables for the science project.”  Think through various parts of the day and divide up the tasks ahead of time so that you each know the role you’ll play.   Offer Respect. Treat the assistant like an equal. Your roles are different but both are important. The teacher assistant might have more experience in the school or with children than a new teacher does, so be sure to acknowledge this expertise. Speak in a way that is always professional. When there is conflict, clear the air and repair the relationship right away. Don’t let bad feelings fester. You don’t have to be friends, but you do have to be colleagues.   Communicate Frequently. Set aside regular times to meet together as a team and go over plans. Communicate appropriate school information, behavioral plans for children, curriculum goals, etc.   Empower Decision-Making. Give the assistant teacher the power to make decisions on her own. This helps keep the classroom running smoothly and also solidifies that team approach to teaching.  Many teaching assistants also pointed out how important it is to teach them how to do your role as the classroom teacher for when you are not there.   Balance Teaching and Non-Teaching Expectations.  Most teacher assistants enjoy taking on some teaching duties, such as leading small group activities, collecting anecdotal records, or working one-on-one with a child. However, remember that an assistant is not getting paid to be the teacher, and may not have the training or experience to take on teaching roles. Be sure to check what the school policies are. The best advice came from a long-time teacher who began her relationship with each assistant she’s had by asking her assistant teacher what she would like to do in the classroom. Over time she found that building on her assistant’s strengths was very effective, rather than trying to get her to do what she wasn’t comfortable with.   Use Positive Feedback. Most important of all, perhaps, is to provide high-quality, positive feedback. Just as children need to know when they are on the right track, adults do too. Give plenty of detail in your feedback: “Thanks so much for helping during circle time. When you sit next to Sheena she pays attention much better.” Or “I noticed that you got all the small group materials ready and organized today. That helped the transition to group activities go really smoothly!” This is especially effective when an assistant teacher is not doing as well as you’d like. Remember to focus always on the positive, make clear requests, and avoid getting caught in a negative-energy spiral. Remember that what you pay attention to you will get more of!   Do you have any suggestions for what has worked well in building a team with your assistant teacher? Or are you an assistant teacher who’d like to give more feedback? Please share with us in the comments!    assistant, blogs, teacher nonadult false Are You Working Effectively with Teacher Assistants? text blog assistant,blogs,teacher 480 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 6054877 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_5-Great-Online-Professional-Development-Sites/blog/6006681/127586.html This week my college students have been submitting their own professional development plans for what they’d like to continue learning after they graduate in a few weeks. In light of that, I've been thinking about the ways that I learn new ideas and stay in touch with other educators. In the last few years many wonderful online learning opportunities have been developed for teachers. The best of these sites offer one or more of these characteristics:   [image] Great content (practical ideas based on research) Engaging multimedia formats A community of other teachers to connect to. Here are my favorite sites that I return to over and over again:   Edutopia is an amazing website devoted to transforming learning. It focuses on the core strategies of Project-Based Learning, Integrated Studies, Comprehensive Assessment, and Social and Emotional learning, Technology Integration, and Teacher Development. There are videos, blog, classroom guides and a section on Schools That Work. It’s a wonderful community of educators who share their talents and ideas. All age groups.   CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge provides free online modules in the following areas: Embedded Interventions, Transition, Communication for Collaboration, Family-Professional Partnerships, Assistive Technology Interventions, and Dialogic Reading Practices. They each have an interesting 5-step process with videos, audio, handouts, and training materials. This is a brand new website and they will be adding more modules soon. Also available in Spanish.   The IRIS Center provides an extensive array of interactive multimedia modules that focus on children with disabilities. They also have Case Studies, Activities, Information Briefs, and Podcasts. Also in Spanish. This is one of my favorite sites because of the wide variety of topics and the practical, commonsense way they put research into practice. All age groups.   The Teaching Channel is my newest favorite site. It’s hard to find high-quality free videos of exemplary teaching, but they do it! There is a wide range of videos, lesson plans and other resources. They are adding new videos all the time and if you sign up for a free membership you can get notified by email when there are new ones on topics you choose. All age groups.   The Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning is absolutely the best resource for helping teachers with behavior problems in preschool children. There are training modules for staff development and lots of practice resources for teachers. This is the best place to go for information on teaching children social and emotional skills. Although it is geared to preschool, many of the ideas are appropriate with elementary school children as well.   Please share in the comments your own favorite professional development sites!      This week my college students have been submitting their own professional development plans for what they’d like to continue learning after they graduate in a few weeks. In light of that, I've been thinking about the ways that I learn new ideas and stay in touch with other educators. In the last few years many wonderful online learning opportunities have been developed for teachers. The best of these sites offer one or more of these characteristics:   [image] Great content (practical ideas based on research) Engaging multimedia formats A community of other teachers to connect to. Here are my favorite sites that I return to over and over again:   Edutopia is an amazing website devoted to transforming learning. It focuses on the core strategies of Project-Based Learning, Integrated Studies, Comprehensive Assessment, and Social and Emotional learning, Technology Integration, and Teacher Development. There are videos, blog, classroom guides and a section on Schools That Work. It’s a wonderful community of educators who share their talents and ideas. All age groups.   CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge provides free online modules in the following areas: Embedded Interventions, Transition, Communication for Collaboration, Family-Professional Partnerships, Assistive Technology Interventions, and Dialogic Reading Practices. They each have an interesting 5-step process with videos, audio, handouts, and training materials. This is a brand new website and they will be adding more modules soon. Also available in Spanish.   The IRIS Center provides an extensive array of interactive multimedia modules that focus on children with disabilities. They also have Case Studies, Activities, Information Briefs, and Podcasts. Also in Spanish. This is one of my favorite sites because of the wide variety of topics and the practical, commonsense way they put research into practice. All age groups.   The Teaching Channel is my newest favorite site. It’s hard to find high-quality free videos of exemplary teaching, but they do it! There is a wide range of videos, lesson plans and other resources. They are adding new videos all the time and if you sign up for a free membership you can get notified by email when there are new ones on topics you choose. All age groups.   The Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning is absolutely the best resource for helping teachers with behavior problems in preschool children. There are training modules for staff development and lots of practice resources for teachers. This is the best place to go for information on teaching children social and emotional skills. Although it is geared to preschool, many of the ideas are appropriate with elementary school children as well.   Please share in the comments your own favorite professional development sites!      Mon, 23 Apr 2012 12:58:17 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_5-Great-Online-Professional-Development-Sites/blog/6006681/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-04-23T12:58:17Z ASCD EDge This week my college students have been submitting their own professional development plans for what they’d like to continue learning after they graduate in a few weeks. In light of that, I've been thinking about the ways that I learn new ideas and stay in touch with other educators. In the last few years many wonderful online learning opportunities have been developed for teachers. The best of these sites offer one or more of these characteristics:   [image] Great content (practical ideas based on research) Engaging multimedia formats A community of other teachers to connect to. Here are my favorite sites that I return to over and over again:   Edutopia is an amazing website devoted to transforming learning. It focuses on the core strategies of Project-Based Learning, Integrated Studies, Comprehensive Assessment, and Social and Emotional learning, Technology Integration, and Teacher Development. There are videos, blog, classroom guides and a section on Schools That Work. It’s a wonderful community of educators who share their talents and ideas. All age groups.   CONNECT: The Center to Mobilize Early Childhood Knowledge provides free online modules in the following areas: Embedded Interventions, Transition, Communication for Collaboration, Family-Professional Partnerships, Assistive Technology Interventions, and Dialogic Reading Practices. They each have an interesting 5-step process with videos, audio, handouts, and training materials. This is a brand new website and they will be adding more modules soon. Also available in Spanish.   The IRIS Center provides an extensive array of interactive multimedia modules that focus on children with disabilities. They also have Case Studies, Activities, Information Briefs, and Podcasts. Also in Spanish. This is one of my favorite sites because of the wide variety of topics and the practical, commonsense way they put research into practice. All age groups.   The Teaching Channel is my newest favorite site. It’s hard to find high-quality free videos of exemplary teaching, but they do it! There is a wide range of videos, lesson plans and other resources. They are adding new videos all the time and if you sign up for a free membership you can get notified by email when there are new ones on topics you choose. All age groups.   The Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning is absolutely the best resource for helping teachers with behavior problems in preschool children. There are training modules for staff development and lots of practice resources for teachers. This is the best place to go for information on teaching children social and emotional skills. Although it is geared to preschool, many of the ideas are appropriate with elementary school children as well.   Please share in the comments your own favorite professional development sites!      development, online, professional nonadult false 5 Great Online Professional Development Sites text blog development,online,professional 781 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 0 6006681 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Preparing-for-Testing-without-Stressing/blog/5953249/127586.html Are your children asking to go to the bathroom every ten minutes? Are they sharpening their pencils until they’re just stubs? Have you sent more kids to the nurse in the last week than you have all year? It must be close to testing time![image] In schools all over the country, teachers are preparing their students for standardized testing.  This past week, I’ve noticed an increase in the complaints about students’ “escape” behaviors like bathroom breaks and pencil sharpening. I’ve also noticed a big increase in teachers’ stress levels. This is a tough time for teachers who often recognize the limitations of the tests in showing how much their students have learned, and who are increasingly being evaluated based on student test performance. Needless to say, this pressure and anxiety will actually hurt student performance and make teaching exhausting. Here are some suggestions for taming the terror and keeping a peaceful climate while preparing your students for testing:   Take breaks. Plan short breaks frequently throughout the day, especially when children are doing seatwork or practice tests. Physical movement is important and can actually help children learn better. Stretch, jog in place, hold a few yoga poses, and breathe deeply. Set up a chime or timer to help you remember these short breaks.   Lighten the mood. Smile! Keep your own voice calm and assuring. Interject humor and help the children to laugh. Tell a few silly jokes, intersperse some funny comics into your seatwork, or use crazy character voices to give directions. Get out your “magic wand” and wave it around to transform the children into magical learners, or sprinkle confetti “pixie dust” around to provide learning energy. Shoot learning laser beams from your fingers. Have fun!   Stay positive. Point out that tests provide children the opportunity to show what they have learned. Avoid constantly mentioning how important the tests are, or threatening that children will not do well if they don’t work hard. One or two reminders – just to make sure children do their best – are plenty. More than that can cause stress and anxiety which will lower performance. Every five minutes acknowledge something positive that you notice a child doing to prevent misbehaviors.   Go outside. Take a walk around the school or around the block. Sing multiplication tables. Practice spelling patterns, chant compound words. Give yourself and the children some exercise, fresh air, and a chance to learn in a different environment.   Keep your perspective. Children need us to teach them that tests are only a small part of their learning experience. Take the time to show them how much they have learned this year – including their social and emotional skills such as being kind to others, working together in groups, calming themselves down, and staying focused, even when it’s hard! Take time to calm yourself if your own stress level is growing.   Plan special activities. Intersperse your hard work with special activities such as art projects, games, or reading a chapter of a special book. You all need something to look forward to and to reward yourselves with after long periods of focused work. What other ways have you found to keep your classroom a positive learning environment while preparing for standardized tests? Please share with us in the comments!   Visit The Positive Classroom  Are your children asking to go to the bathroom every ten minutes? Are they sharpening their pencils until they’re just stubs? Have you sent more kids to the nurse in the last week than you have all year? It must be close to testing time![image] In schools all over the country, teachers are preparing their students for standardized testing.  This past week, I’ve noticed an increase in the complaints about students’ “escape” behaviors like bathroom breaks and pencil sharpening. I’ve also noticed a big increase in teachers’ stress levels. This is a tough time for teachers who often recognize the limitations of the tests in showing how much their students have learned, and who are increasingly being evaluated based on student test performance. Needless to say, this pressure and anxiety will actually hurt student performance and make teaching exhausting. Here are some suggestions for taming the terror and keeping a peaceful climate while preparing your students for testing:   Take breaks. Plan short breaks frequently throughout the day, especially when children are doing seatwork or practice tests. Physical movement is important and can actually help children learn better. Stretch, jog in place, hold a few yoga poses, and breathe deeply. Set up a chime or timer to help you remember these short breaks.   Lighten the mood. Smile! Keep your own voice calm and assuring. Interject humor and help the children to laugh. Tell a few silly jokes, intersperse some funny comics into your seatwork, or use crazy character voices to give directions. Get out your “magic wand” and wave it around to transform the children into magical learners, or sprinkle confetti “pixie dust” around to provide learning energy. Shoot learning laser beams from your fingers. Have fun!   Stay positive. Point out that tests provide children the opportunity to show what they have learned. Avoid constantly mentioning how important the tests are, or threatening that children will not do well if they don’t work hard. One or two reminders – just to make sure children do their best – are plenty. More than that can cause stress and anxiety which will lower performance. Every five minutes acknowledge something positive that you notice a child doing to prevent misbehaviors.   Go outside. Take a walk around the school or around the block. Sing multiplication tables. Practice spelling patterns, chant compound words. Give yourself and the children some exercise, fresh air, and a chance to learn in a different environment.   Keep your perspective. Children need us to teach them that tests are only a small part of their learning experience. Take the time to show them how much they have learned this year – including their social and emotional skills such as being kind to others, working together in groups, calming themselves down, and staying focused, even when it’s hard! Take time to calm yourself if your own stress level is growing.   Plan special activities. Intersperse your hard work with special activities such as art projects, games, or reading a chapter of a special book. You all need something to look forward to and to reward yourselves with after long periods of focused work. What other ways have you found to keep your classroom a positive learning environment while preparing for standardized tests? Please share with us in the comments!   Visit The Positive Classroom  Mon, 09 Apr 2012 14:36:22 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Preparing-for-Testing-without-Stressing/blog/5953249/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-04-09T14:36:22Z Blogs ASCD EDge Are your children asking to go to the bathroom every ten minutes? Are they sharpening their pencils until they’re just stubs? Have you sent more kids to the nurse in the last week than you have all year? It must be close to testing time![image] In schools all over the country, teachers are preparing their students for standardized testing.  This past week, I’ve noticed an increase in the complaints about students’ “escape” behaviors like bathroom breaks and pencil sharpening. I’ve also noticed a big increase in teachers’ stress levels. This is a tough time for teachers who often recognize the limitations of the tests in showing how much their students have learned, and who are increasingly being evaluated based on student test performance. Needless to say, this pressure and anxiety will actually hurt student performance and make teaching exhausting. Here are some suggestions for taming the terror and keeping a peaceful climate while preparing your students for testing:   Take breaks. Plan short breaks frequently throughout the day, especially when children are doing seatwork or practice tests. Physical movement is important and can actually help children learn better. Stretch, jog in place, hold a few yoga poses, and breathe deeply. Set up a chime or timer to help you remember these short breaks.   Lighten the mood. Smile! Keep your own voice calm and assuring. Interject humor and help the children to laugh. Tell a few silly jokes, intersperse some funny comics into your seatwork, or use crazy character voices to give directions. Get out your “magic wand” and wave it around to transform the children into magical learners, or sprinkle confetti “pixie dust” around to provide learning energy. Shoot learning laser beams from your fingers. Have fun!   Stay positive. Point out that tests provide children the opportunity to show what they have learned. Avoid constantly mentioning how important the tests are, or threatening that children will not do well if they don’t work hard. One or two reminders – just to make sure children do their best – are plenty. More than that can cause stress and anxiety which will lower performance. Every five minutes acknowledge something positive that you notice a child doing to prevent misbehaviors.   Go outside. Take a walk around the school or around the block. Sing multiplication tables. Practice spelling patterns, chant compound words. Give yourself and the children some exercise, fresh air, and a chance to learn in a different environment.   Keep your perspective. Children need us to teach them that tests are only a small part of their learning experience. Take the time to show them how much they have learned this year – including their social and emotional skills such as being kind to others, working together in groups, calming themselves down, and staying focused, even when it’s hard! Take time to calm yourself if your own stress level is growing.   Plan special activities. Intersperse your hard work with special activities such as art projects, games, or reading a chapter of a special book. You all need something to look forward to and to reward yourselves with after long periods of focused work. What other ways have you found to keep your classroom a positive learning environment while preparing for standardized tests? Please share with us in the comments!   Visit The Positive Classroom  blogs, children, classroom, management, testing nonadult false Preparing for Testing without Stressing text blog blogs,children,classroom,management,testing 984 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 5953249 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Academic-Social-Skills-for-Young-Children/blog/5929921/127586.html In this past week the student teachers in my class have been sharing examples of the challenging behaviors they experience in their classes. There’s one thread that runs through all of their stories –the lack of social skills. This lack of skills leads children to use inappropriate behaviors to get their needs met. I also came across an online classroom management training program from the California State Department of Education that provides a great overview of social skills.             One of the important categories of social skills they present is Academic Survival Skills. These include: [image] Getting started on independent work Looking at the teacher while she is talking or leading a lesson Taking a short break and getting back to work Asking for help Raising one’s hand and waiting to respond Greeting the teacher Following what the teacher asks  Organizing one’s books and materials Nodding to show understanding Asking the teacher to give feedback These skills are often overlooked because many children learn them naturally without extra help. But other children need direct instruction. I’ve found that teachers are often angry and frustrated with children who lack these skills – and often make the assumption that the children just choose not to use them. The older the children get, the more difficult it becomes for them because these academic survival skills are building blocks for later learning. Children with disabilities are particularly likely to need support for developing academic survival skills – and especially in inclusion settings. Are you struggling with children who seem to lack these skills? Try out a simple skills training program. Pick one or two skills from the list above. Designate some time during the school day to model and support the child in practicing the new skill. And most importantly – be sure to give positive feedback when the child is successful at using the new skill. Practice this over the course of a few weeks, at least, because it takes time for children to develop new skills to the point where they can use them on their own. You can also use self monitoring charts to help children track their own progress. What have been your own experiences in teaching children these academic survival skills?  Which have you found are most important? What methods worked best? Please share with us in the comments!    In this past week the student teachers in my class have been sharing examples of the challenging behaviors they experience in their classes. There’s one thread that runs through all of their stories –the lack of social skills. This lack of skills leads children to use inappropriate behaviors to get their needs met. I also came across an online classroom management training program from the California State Department of Education that provides a great overview of social skills.             One of the important categories of social skills they present is Academic Survival Skills. These include: [image] Getting started on independent work Looking at the teacher while she is talking or leading a lesson Taking a short break and getting back to work Asking for help Raising one’s hand and waiting to respond Greeting the teacher Following what the teacher asks  Organizing one’s books and materials Nodding to show understanding Asking the teacher to give feedback These skills are often overlooked because many children learn them naturally without extra help. But other children need direct instruction. I’ve found that teachers are often angry and frustrated with children who lack these skills – and often make the assumption that the children just choose not to use them. The older the children get, the more difficult it becomes for them because these academic survival skills are building blocks for later learning. Children with disabilities are particularly likely to need support for developing academic survival skills – and especially in inclusion settings. Are you struggling with children who seem to lack these skills? Try out a simple skills training program. Pick one or two skills from the list above. Designate some time during the school day to model and support the child in practicing the new skill. And most importantly – be sure to give positive feedback when the child is successful at using the new skill. Practice this over the course of a few weeks, at least, because it takes time for children to develop new skills to the point where they can use them on their own. You can also use self monitoring charts to help children track their own progress. What have been your own experiences in teaching children these academic survival skills?  Which have you found are most important? What methods worked best? Please share with us in the comments!    Tue, 03 Apr 2012 01:35:39 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Academic-Social-Skills-for-Young-Children/blog/5929921/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-04-03T01:35:39Z Blogs ASCD EDge In this past week the student teachers in my class have been sharing examples of the challenging behaviors they experience in their classes. There’s one thread that runs through all of their stories –the lack of social skills. This lack of skills leads children to use inappropriate behaviors to get their needs met. I also came across an online classroom management training program from the California State Department of Education that provides a great overview of social skills.             One of the important categories of social skills they present is Academic Survival Skills. These include: [image] Getting started on independent work Looking at the teacher while she is talking or leading a lesson Taking a short break and getting back to work Asking for help Raising one’s hand and waiting to respond Greeting the teacher Following what the teacher asks  Organizing one’s books and materials Nodding to show understanding Asking the teacher to give feedback These skills are often overlooked because many children learn them naturally without extra help. But other children need direct instruction. I’ve found that teachers are often angry and frustrated with children who lack these skills – and often make the assumption that the children just choose not to use them. The older the children get, the more difficult it becomes for them because these academic survival skills are building blocks for later learning. Children with disabilities are particularly likely to need support for developing academic survival skills – and especially in inclusion settings. Are you struggling with children who seem to lack these skills? Try out a simple skills training program. Pick one or two skills from the list above. Designate some time during the school day to model and support the child in practicing the new skill. And most importantly – be sure to give positive feedback when the child is successful at using the new skill. Practice this over the course of a few weeks, at least, because it takes time for children to develop new skills to the point where they can use them on their own. You can also use self monitoring charts to help children track their own progress. What have been your own experiences in teaching children these academic survival skills?  Which have you found are most important? What methods worked best? Please share with us in the comments!    blogs nonadult false Academic Social Skills for Young Children text blog blogs 458 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 5929921 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_3-Tips-for-Sharing-Concerns-with-Parents/blog/5903571/127586.html One of the most difficult aspects of being a classroom teacher or administrator is opening discussions with parents or family members when you have a concern about a child. The first step is to remember the goal is to help the child. It is not to find blame, complain, or push the problem onto the family. Instead, our goals will include creating a team approach, treating family members with respect, and being treated with respect ourselves – while problem solving. This is a tough job!   Here are three powerful strategies that will help:[image]   1. Empathize. It is very difficult for parents to hear that their child is having problems, and if this is a repeated issue, the parents may very well be angry, defensive, and exhausted. Show caring, kindness, and understanding. How? The easiest way is to listen. Ask the parents what their experience has been, and how they are understanding the problem. Let them know you have heard what they are saying, even if you disagree with them. Understanding and agreeing are two different things. In order for the parents to listen to you, they must feel like they’ve been understood. You are both on the same team so don’t try to “make” a parent listen or see your points. Here's an example:  “I can see that it’s been very hard for you to deal with Daniel’s tantrums. It sounds like you feel that they are happening because other children are bothering him.” (Even if you know other children are not bothering him, you can address this later. The important issue is to build a team first!)   2. Share Information. Keep yourself calm and neutral while describing the behaviors you are concerned about. Do not use a judgmental tone, and give clear examples. Avoid drama in statements such as, “I can’t tolerate Daniel’s tantrums anymore – he’s disrupting the whole class!” This meeting is not about your problem or emotional needs, it’s about the child. Focus on when the behavior happens, when, and how often.  “Daniel has been throwing himself on the floor at the beginning of group time. He does this almost every day, and it takes him about 15 minutes to gather control again. We let him go to the quiet corner to calm down.”   If it’s an academic problem, show examples of the child’s work. Remember that the family may not be able to process this information if they are anxious, afraid, or emotionally agitated. Some denial is normal and works as a powerful coping strategy for us all when we are emotionally overwhelmed. You can offer the information again at a later time. Don’t push.   3. Offer Hope. The most important step is to offer hope. Share with the parents the strong belief that, working together, you can help the child. Let them know you have some ideas for what steps can be taken, and how you will get started. This is the part of the process that will solidify the team approach and help the parents to stop being defensive if they have been previously. If parents are very emotional and angry – you might want to start out with the hope step: “Mrs. James, I’d like to talk to you about Daniel’s behavior because I have some ideas for how to help him. Can you meet with me later this week?”   If you can’t offer any hope, then you should not be having the meeting with the family. First, do your homework and find out ways that the child can be helped – even if it is a referral. If you can’t offer hope because you are so angry, frustrated, and exhausted, then do not have a meeting with the family yet. Wait until you can pull yourself together and be professional. Teachers can often forget how damaging their angry words can be to a parent.   In a future post, I will discuss more ideas for working with parents who are angry, and take that anger out on you. But for now, I think you can prevent most of that kind of behavior by using the strategies above. Here are a few more resources for teacher-parent communication:   Communicating with Parents and Families   Tips for Talking with Parents when You Suspect a Developmental Delay   Sample Bad News Letter to Parents   Breaking Bad News to Parents   Please share with us what you have found is the best way to establish a team approach with families!  One of the most difficult aspects of being a classroom teacher or administrator is opening discussions with parents or family members when you have a concern about a child. The first step is to remember the goal is to help the child. It is not to find blame, complain, or push the problem onto the family. Instead, our goals will include creating a team approach, treating family members with respect, and being treated with respect ourselves – while problem solving. This is a tough job!   Here are three powerful strategies that will help:[image]   1. Empathize. It is very difficult for parents to hear that their child is having problems, and if this is a repeated issue, the parents may very well be angry, defensive, and exhausted. Show caring, kindness, and understanding. How? The easiest way is to listen. Ask the parents what their experience has been, and how they are understanding the problem. Let them know you have heard what they are saying, even if you disagree with them. Understanding and agreeing are two different things. In order for the parents to listen to you, they must feel like they’ve been understood. You are both on the same team so don’t try to “make” a parent listen or see your points. Here's an example:  “I can see that it’s been very hard for you to deal with Daniel’s tantrums. It sounds like you feel that they are happening because other children are bothering him.” (Even if you know other children are not bothering him, you can address this later. The important issue is to build a team first!)   2. Share Information. Keep yourself calm and neutral while describing the behaviors you are concerned about. Do not use a judgmental tone, and give clear examples. Avoid drama in statements such as, “I can’t tolerate Daniel’s tantrums anymore – he’s disrupting the whole class!” This meeting is not about your problem or emotional needs, it’s about the child. Focus on when the behavior happens, when, and how often.  “Daniel has been throwing himself on the floor at the beginning of group time. He does this almost every day, and it takes him about 15 minutes to gather control again. We let him go to the quiet corner to calm down.”   If it’s an academic problem, show examples of the child’s work. Remember that the family may not be able to process this information if they are anxious, afraid, or emotionally agitated. Some denial is normal and works as a powerful coping strategy for us all when we are emotionally overwhelmed. You can offer the information again at a later time. Don’t push.   3. Offer Hope. The most important step is to offer hope. Share with the parents the strong belief that, working together, you can help the child. Let them know you have some ideas for what steps can be taken, and how you will get started. This is the part of the process that will solidify the team approach and help the parents to stop being defensive if they have been previously. If parents are very emotional and angry – you might want to start out with the hope step: “Mrs. James, I’d like to talk to you about Daniel’s behavior because I have some ideas for how to help him. Can you meet with me later this week?”   If you can’t offer any hope, then you should not be having the meeting with the family. First, do your homework and find out ways that the child can be helped – even if it is a referral. If you can’t offer hope because you are so angry, frustrated, and exhausted, then do not have a meeting with the family yet. Wait until you can pull yourself together and be professional. Teachers can often forget how damaging their angry words can be to a parent.   In a future post, I will discuss more ideas for working with parents who are angry, and take that anger out on you. But for now, I think you can prevent most of that kind of behavior by using the strategies above. Here are a few more resources for teacher-parent communication:   Communicating with Parents and Families   Tips for Talking with Parents when You Suspect a Developmental Delay   Sample Bad News Letter to Parents   Breaking Bad News to Parents   Please share with us what you have found is the best way to establish a team approach with families!  Tue, 27 Mar 2012 05:48:59 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_3-Tips-for-Sharing-Concerns-with-Parents/blog/5903571/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-03-27T05:48:59Z ASCD EDge One of the most difficult aspects of being a classroom teacher or administrator is opening discussions with parents or family members when you have a concern about a child. The first step is to remember the goal is to help the child. It is not to find blame, complain, or push the problem onto the family. Instead, our goals will include creating a team approach, treating family members with respect, and being treated with respect ourselves – while problem solving. This is a tough job!   Here are three powerful strategies that will help:[image]   1. Empathize. It is very difficult for parents to hear that their child is having problems, and if this is a repeated issue, the parents may very well be angry, defensive, and exhausted. Show caring, kindness, and understanding. How? The easiest way is to listen. Ask the parents what their experience has been, and how they are understanding the problem. Let them know you have heard what they are saying, even if you disagree with them. Understanding and agreeing are two different things. In order for the parents to listen to you, they must feel like they’ve been understood. You are both on the same team so don’t try to “make” a parent listen or see your points. Here's an example:  “I can see that it’s been very hard for you to deal with Daniel’s tantrums. It sounds like you feel that they are happening because other children are bothering him.” (Even if you know other children are not bothering him, you can address this later. The important issue is to build a team first!)   2. Share Information. Keep yourself calm and neutral while describing the behaviors you are concerned about. Do not use a judgmental tone, and give clear examples. Avoid drama in statements such as, “I can’t tolerate Daniel’s tantrums anymore – he’s disrupting the whole class!” This meeting is not about your problem or emotional needs, it’s about the child. Focus on when the behavior happens, when, and how often.  “Daniel has been throwing himself on the floor at the beginning of group time. He does this almost every day, and it takes him about 15 minutes to gather control again. We let him go to the quiet corner to calm down.”   If it’s an academic problem, show examples of the child’s work. Remember that the family may not be able to process this information if they are anxious, afraid, or emotionally agitated. Some denial is normal and works as a powerful coping strategy for us all when we are emotionally overwhelmed. You can offer the information again at a later time. Don’t push.   3. Offer Hope. The most important step is to offer hope. Share with the parents the strong belief that, working together, you can help the child. Let them know you have some ideas for what steps can be taken, and how you will get started. This is the part of the process that will solidify the team approach and help the parents to stop being defensive if they have been previously. If parents are very emotional and angry – you might want to start out with the hope step: “Mrs. James, I’d like to talk to you about Daniel’s behavior because I have some ideas for how to help him. Can you meet with me later this week?”   If you can’t offer any hope, then you should not be having the meeting with the family. First, do your homework and find out ways that the child can be helped – even if it is a referral. If you can’t offer hope because you are so angry, frustrated, and exhausted, then do not have a meeting with the family yet. Wait until you can pull yourself together and be professional. Teachers can often forget how damaging their angry words can be to a parent.   In a future post, I will discuss more ideas for working with parents who are angry, and take that anger out on you. But for now, I think you can prevent most of that kind of behavior by using the strategies above. Here are a few more resources for teacher-parent communication:   Communicating with Parents and Families   Tips for Talking with Parents when You Suspect a Developmental Delay   Sample Bad News Letter to Parents   Breaking Bad News to Parents   Please share with us what you have found is the best way to establish a team approach with families!  nonadult false 3 Tips for Sharing Concerns with Parents text blog 1357 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 2 0 5903571 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_The-Seven-C39s-of-Effective-Teaching/blog/5876315/127586.html I recently attended an educational assessment conference in which Ronald Ferguson from the Harvard Kennedy School was the keynote speaker. He is an educational researcher who presented his work on teacher effectiveness. This research shows that there are seven C’s that make a difference in the learning environment:   Caring about students (nurturing productive relationships);   Controlling behavior (promoting cooperation and peer support);   Clarifying ideas and lessons (making success seem feasible);   Challenging students to work hard and think hard (pressing for effort and rigor);   Captivating students (making learning interesting and relevant);   Conferring (eliciting students’ feedback and respecting their ideas);   Consolidating (connecting and integrating ideas to support learning).   The most interesting part of his presentation was his work on the Tripod project with Cambridge University in which they survey children about their teacher to assess whether or not students agree with a variety of statements designed to measure these seven teaching practices.  Here are some examples of the questions. The children are asked whether or not these statements are true of their class:[image]   Caring about students: “The teacher in this class encourages me to do my best.” Captivating students: “This class keeps my attention – I don't get bored.” Conferring with students:  “My teacher gives us time to explain our ideas.” Controlling behavior : “Our class stays busy and doesn’t waste time.” Clarifying lessons: “When I am confused, my teacher knows how to help me understand.” Challenging students: “My teacher wants us to use our thinking skills, not just memorize things.” Consolidating knowledge: “My teacher takes the time to summarize what we learn each day.   The researchers have found that asking children about the effectiveness of their teacher is more reliable than observational ratings of teachers – primarily because the children see their teachers every single day, not just for an observational lesson. (In other words, the ratings of different classes of children with the same teacher are more similar than not, and student ratings from one year to the next are more similar than observational ratings). Here are some other interesting findings:  Teaching in some classrooms is much more effective than in others at fostering the Seven C’s learning conditions Student perceptions of classroom practice on Seven C’s dimensions can help in predicting learning outcomes The “Controlling behavior” learning condition (culture of cooperation and peer support) was most closely associated with student achievement So this made me think about how helpful it would be to ask children for feedback to help us improve. Even young children participated in the surveys, which were adapted to be done face-to-face using a simpler rating scale (such as happy and sad face pictures). This could be a great week to listen to your children’s voices and get their perceptions of the learning environment in your class! Have you formally surveyed your students about how things are going in your classroom? Please share your experiences with us!      I recently attended an educational assessment conference in which Ronald Ferguson from the Harvard Kennedy School was the keynote speaker. He is an educational researcher who presented his work on teacher effectiveness. This research shows that there are seven C’s that make a difference in the learning environment:   Caring about students (nurturing productive relationships);   Controlling behavior (promoting cooperation and peer support);   Clarifying ideas and lessons (making success seem feasible);   Challenging students to work hard and think hard (pressing for effort and rigor);   Captivating students (making learning interesting and relevant);   Conferring (eliciting students’ feedback and respecting their ideas);   Consolidating (connecting and integrating ideas to support learning).   The most interesting part of his presentation was his work on the Tripod project with Cambridge University in which they survey children about their teacher to assess whether or not students agree with a variety of statements designed to measure these seven teaching practices.  Here are some examples of the questions. The children are asked whether or not these statements are true of their class:[image]   Caring about students: “The teacher in this class encourages me to do my best.” Captivating students: “This class keeps my attention – I don't get bored.” Conferring with students:  “My teacher gives us time to explain our ideas.” Controlling behavior : “Our class stays busy and doesn’t waste time.” Clarifying lessons: “When I am confused, my teacher knows how to help me understand.” Challenging students: “My teacher wants us to use our thinking skills, not just memorize things.” Consolidating knowledge: “My teacher takes the time to summarize what we learn each day.   The researchers have found that asking children about the effectiveness of their teacher is more reliable than observational ratings of teachers – primarily because the children see their teachers every single day, not just for an observational lesson. (In other words, the ratings of different classes of children with the same teacher are more similar than not, and student ratings from one year to the next are more similar than observational ratings). Here are some other interesting findings:  Teaching in some classrooms is much more effective than in others at fostering the Seven C’s learning conditions Student perceptions of classroom practice on Seven C’s dimensions can help in predicting learning outcomes The “Controlling behavior” learning condition (culture of cooperation and peer support) was most closely associated with student achievement So this made me think about how helpful it would be to ask children for feedback to help us improve. Even young children participated in the surveys, which were adapted to be done face-to-face using a simpler rating scale (such as happy and sad face pictures). This could be a great week to listen to your children’s voices and get their perceptions of the learning environment in your class! Have you formally surveyed your students about how things are going in your classroom? Please share your experiences with us!      Tue, 20 Mar 2012 05:37:31 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_The-Seven-C39s-of-Effective-Teaching/blog/5876315/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-03-20T05:37:31Z ASCD EDge I recently attended an educational assessment conference in which Ronald Ferguson from the Harvard Kennedy School was the keynote speaker. He is an educational researcher who presented his work on teacher effectiveness. This research shows that there are seven C’s that make a difference in the learning environment:   Caring about students (nurturing productive relationships);   Controlling behavior (promoting cooperation and peer support);   Clarifying ideas and lessons (making success seem feasible);   Challenging students to work hard and think hard (pressing for effort and rigor);   Captivating students (making learning interesting and relevant);   Conferring (eliciting students’ feedback and respecting their ideas);   Consolidating (connecting and integrating ideas to support learning).   The most interesting part of his presentation was his work on the Tripod project with Cambridge University in which they survey children about their teacher to assess whether or not students agree with a variety of statements designed to measure these seven teaching practices.  Here are some examples of the questions. The children are asked whether or not these statements are true of their class:[image]   Caring about students: “The teacher in this class encourages me to do my best.” Captivating students: “This class keeps my attention – I don't get bored.” Conferring with students:  “My teacher gives us time to explain our ideas.” Controlling behavior : “Our class stays busy and doesn’t waste time.” Clarifying lessons: “When I am confused, my teacher knows how to help me understand.” Challenging students: “My teacher wants us to use our thinking skills, not just memorize things.” Consolidating knowledge: “My teacher takes the time to summarize what we learn each day.   The researchers have found that asking children about the effectiveness of their teacher is more reliable than observational ratings of teachers – primarily because the children see their teachers every single day, not just for an observational lesson. (In other words, the ratings of different classes of children with the same teacher are more similar than not, and student ratings from one year to the next are more similar than observational ratings). Here are some other interesting findings:  Teaching in some classrooms is much more effective than in others at fostering the Seven C’s learning conditions Student perceptions of classroom practice on Seven C’s dimensions can help in predicting learning outcomes The “Controlling behavior” learning condition (culture of cooperation and peer support) was most closely associated with student achievement So this made me think about how helpful it would be to ask children for feedback to help us improve. Even young children participated in the surveys, which were adapted to be done face-to-face using a simpler rating scale (such as happy and sad face pictures). This could be a great week to listen to your children’s voices and get their perceptions of the learning environment in your class! Have you formally surveyed your students about how things are going in your classroom? Please share your experiences with us!      effective, teaching nonadult false The Seven C's of Effective Teaching text blog effective,teaching 12110 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 5 0 5876315 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_How-to-Get-Children-to-Take-Care-of-Materials/blog/5834457/127586.html [image] I just got finished designing the costumes for a school play and I was so impressed with how well the children took care of their things during five days of busy chaos. This got me thinking about how we teach children to be respectful of their property – and classroom materials. Especially when working with young children, this can be a challenge since they have little impulse control, newly developing motor control, and only a rudimentary understanding of social rules.             Like so many behaviors we hope children will do, taking care of classroom materials needs to be taught. Here are some tips:  Be organized. Have a specific place to put things away – markers, books, papers, blocks, etc. Label the area, adding pictures to make it really clear for young children. The more organized you are, the more organized the children will be. This is the critical first step in teaching children to care for classroom materials.[image] Introduce Materials. Don’t let children use materials until you’ve introduced the procedures to use them appropriately. The Responsive Classroom calls this Guided Discovery. Be sure to model how you want children to care for the materials, whether it is how to make sure the tops of the markers click when you put them on correctly, or how to turn the pages of the class books so they don’t rip. There is almost nothing too simple to model – in fact, teachers typically don’t get specific enough. Next have the children practice what you’ve modeled. Then give them opportunities to try using the materials independently. Offer Reminders. Children will need many reminders to learn the proper care of materials. Be supportive by repeating the modeling as needed, or just reiterating things to remember, for example, “As you work on your drawings, remember to put the caps back on the markers and push until they click.” Or “When you are reading silently, remember how we learned to turn the pages in the books gently.” Give Positive Feedback. It is critically important that you acknowledge when children do take care of their things. “Bryan, I noticed you remembered how to turn the pages carefully when you were reading.” This way they will begin to pay attention to their own success and know when they are on track. Do this everyday! Use Logical Consequences. If you’ve followed these steps, and children repeatedly fail to follow your guidelines, it is important to set boundaries by using logical consequences. If a child does not put the caps back on the markers, then she can’t use them. If a child doesn’t turn the pages of the books gently, he won't be allowed to use them independently. When using logical consequences, your tone of voice must be calm, and the child should always get another chance to use caring behavior soon. If many children are not following the guidelines, then you can go back and have another group lesson on caring for the materials. Remember that children will make mistakes and will need time to learn to control their impulses and control of their bodies. With plenty of modeling, practice, and positive feedback, you should be able to develop a learning environment in which children care for the materials and use them properly. Please share with us other suggestions you have for what has worked in your classroom! [image] I just got finished designing the costumes for a school play and I was so impressed with how well the children took care of their things during five days of busy chaos. This got me thinking about how we teach children to be respectful of their property – and classroom materials. Especially when working with young children, this can be a challenge since they have little impulse control, newly developing motor control, and only a rudimentary understanding of social rules.             Like so many behaviors we hope children will do, taking care of classroom materials needs to be taught. Here are some tips:  Be organized. Have a specific place to put things away – markers, books, papers, blocks, etc. Label the area, adding pictures to make it really clear for young children. The more organized you are, the more organized the children will be. This is the critical first step in teaching children to care for classroom materials.[image] Introduce Materials. Don’t let children use materials until you’ve introduced the procedures to use them appropriately. The Responsive Classroom calls this Guided Discovery. Be sure to model how you want children to care for the materials, whether it is how to make sure the tops of the markers click when you put them on correctly, or how to turn the pages of the class books so they don’t rip. There is almost nothing too simple to model – in fact, teachers typically don’t get specific enough. Next have the children practice what you’ve modeled. Then give them opportunities to try using the materials independently. Offer Reminders. Children will need many reminders to learn the proper care of materials. Be supportive by repeating the modeling as needed, or just reiterating things to remember, for example, “As you work on your drawings, remember to put the caps back on the markers and push until they click.” Or “When you are reading silently, remember how we learned to turn the pages in the books gently.” Give Positive Feedback. It is critically important that you acknowledge when children do take care of their things. “Bryan, I noticed you remembered how to turn the pages carefully when you were reading.” This way they will begin to pay attention to their own success and know when they are on track. Do this everyday! Use Logical Consequences. If you’ve followed these steps, and children repeatedly fail to follow your guidelines, it is important to set boundaries by using logical consequences. If a child does not put the caps back on the markers, then she can’t use them. If a child doesn’t turn the pages of the books gently, he won't be allowed to use them independently. When using logical consequences, your tone of voice must be calm, and the child should always get another chance to use caring behavior soon. If many children are not following the guidelines, then you can go back and have another group lesson on caring for the materials. Remember that children will make mistakes and will need time to learn to control their impulses and control of their bodies. With plenty of modeling, practice, and positive feedback, you should be able to develop a learning environment in which children care for the materials and use them properly. Please share with us other suggestions you have for what has worked in your classroom! Mon, 05 Mar 2012 16:17:17 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_How-to-Get-Children-to-Take-Care-of-Materials/blog/5834457/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-03-05T16:17:17Z ASCD EDge [image] I just got finished designing the costumes for a school play and I was so impressed with how well the children took care of their things during five days of busy chaos. This got me thinking about how we teach children to be respectful of their property – and classroom materials. Especially when working with young children, this can be a challenge since they have little impulse control, newly developing motor control, and only a rudimentary understanding of social rules.             Like so many behaviors we hope children will do, taking care of classroom materials needs to be taught. Here are some tips:  Be organized. Have a specific place to put things away – markers, books, papers, blocks, etc. Label the area, adding pictures to make it really clear for young children. The more organized you are, the more organized the children will be. This is the critical first step in teaching children to care for classroom materials.[image] Introduce Materials. Don’t let children use materials until you’ve introduced the procedures to use them appropriately. The Responsive Classroom calls this Guided Discovery. Be sure to model how you want children to care for the materials, whether it is how to make sure the tops of the markers click when you put them on correctly, or how to turn the pages of the class books so they don’t rip. There is almost nothing too simple to model – in fact, teachers typically don’t get specific enough. Next have the children practice what you’ve modeled. Then give them opportunities to try using the materials independently. Offer Reminders. Children will need many reminders to learn the proper care of materials. Be supportive by repeating the modeling as needed, or just reiterating things to remember, for example, “As you work on your drawings, remember to put the caps back on the markers and push until they click.” Or “When you are reading silently, remember how we learned to turn the pages in the books gently.” Give Positive Feedback. It is critically important that you acknowledge when children do take care of their things. “Bryan, I noticed you remembered how to turn the pages carefully when you were reading.” This way they will begin to pay attention to their own success and know when they are on track. Do this everyday! Use Logical Consequences. If you’ve followed these steps, and children repeatedly fail to follow your guidelines, it is important to set boundaries by using logical consequences. If a child does not put the caps back on the markers, then she can’t use them. If a child doesn’t turn the pages of the books gently, he won't be allowed to use them independently. When using logical consequences, your tone of voice must be calm, and the child should always get another chance to use caring behavior soon. If many children are not following the guidelines, then you can go back and have another group lesson on caring for the materials. Remember that children will make mistakes and will need time to learn to control their impulses and control of their bodies. With plenty of modeling, practice, and positive feedback, you should be able to develop a learning environment in which children care for the materials and use them properly. Please share with us other suggestions you have for what has worked in your classroom! respecting, things nonadult false How to Get Children to Take Care of Materials text blog respecting,things 963 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 0 5834457 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_5-Tips-for-Managing-Learning-Centers/blog/5813499/127586.html Do you avoid using learning centers? Or struggle to get the children to work independently? Wish the children stayed on task better? You’re not alone. Managing centers or work stations can be quite complicated but today I’ll share some tips for making things go more smoothly:  [image] 1. Plan the Structure. Learning centers can range on a continuum from very structured to very open. At the open end of the continuum, children can choose their own center, how long they work there, and who they work with. This model is more common in preschool and kindergarten, and yet it helps children learn to make good choices, take responsibility, and learn to make social connections. (Here’s a review of research on preparing kindergarteners for learning centers.) On the other end of the continuum are structures in which children are assigned to a group which rotates through a sequence of centers that are assigned. The advantage of this model is that you can be sure all the children get the content exposure of each center. Here’s a video example of structured planning. The disadvantage is that children don’t get opportunities to learn to make choices. Many primary grade teachers use a combination of these models in which children are required to complete activities in one or two centers, but then get choices of other centers.     2. Prepare the Centers. Be sure all materials are ready and that there are directions for the activities (pictures for younger children, task cards for children who are readers). Centers don’t have to be separate locations around the room – most rooms are not big enough for this. Consider baskets or other containers to hold sets of materials. Groups of desks can be different centers, or children can work on small carpet squares.   3. Teach Procedures. Don’t assume the children know what to do or how you want them to work. Break down the steps and teach each step by modeling it and having the kids practice. Here are some guiding questions: Where does each child go? What do they do when they get there? What do they do if they need help? How do they know if it’s too noisy? Where do they put their work when they are done? What do they do if they finish early? How do they know where to go next? Here are a couple of great videos: one shows center time transitions in kindergarten and the other shows center time planning in fifth grade.   4. Set Boundaries. If you are planning to work with children during center time, such as guided reading groups, or one-on-one instruction, you need to set boundaries on your attention so you are not continually interrupted. First, be sure to plan activities at centers that children can do WITHOUT adult help. Teach children what to do if they need help. Here’s a great little video showing the “Ask 3 Before Me” rule in one classroom. You could also put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign to remind children not to interrupt. Be sure to teach the children what a real emergency is, however, so they know when it’s alright to get your attention. It is also helpful to have a specific spot in the room that is the “teacher table” so children learn to avoid that area when moving in the room.   5. Hold Children Accountable. Children will be more likely to stay on task if they know you will review their work, or that there is a purpose to their activities. You can collect their papers in folders, have children write their work in Center Time journals, or schedule a presentation time on Fridays during which time the children share the work they’ve done all week.   Using learning centers takes planning and preparation, however the payoff is worth it. Children get important opportunities for developing independence and task persistence, while teachers get invaluable time to individualize instruction. Let us know what techniques have worked the best for you in managing centers!  Do you avoid using learning centers? Or struggle to get the children to work independently? Wish the children stayed on task better? You’re not alone. Managing centers or work stations can be quite complicated but today I’ll share some tips for making things go more smoothly:  [image] 1. Plan the Structure. Learning centers can range on a continuum from very structured to very open. At the open end of the continuum, children can choose their own center, how long they work there, and who they work with. This model is more common in preschool and kindergarten, and yet it helps children learn to make good choices, take responsibility, and learn to make social connections. (Here’s a review of research on preparing kindergarteners for learning centers.) On the other end of the continuum are structures in which children are assigned to a group which rotates through a sequence of centers that are assigned. The advantage of this model is that you can be sure all the children get the content exposure of each center. Here’s a video example of structured planning. The disadvantage is that children don’t get opportunities to learn to make choices. Many primary grade teachers use a combination of these models in which children are required to complete activities in one or two centers, but then get choices of other centers.     2. Prepare the Centers. Be sure all materials are ready and that there are directions for the activities (pictures for younger children, task cards for children who are readers). Centers don’t have to be separate locations around the room – most rooms are not big enough for this. Consider baskets or other containers to hold sets of materials. Groups of desks can be different centers, or children can work on small carpet squares.   3. Teach Procedures. Don’t assume the children know what to do or how you want them to work. Break down the steps and teach each step by modeling it and having the kids practice. Here are some guiding questions: Where does each child go? What do they do when they get there? What do they do if they need help? How do they know if it’s too noisy? Where do they put their work when they are done? What do they do if they finish early? How do they know where to go next? Here are a couple of great videos: one shows center time transitions in kindergarten and the other shows center time planning in fifth grade.   4. Set Boundaries. If you are planning to work with children during center time, such as guided reading groups, or one-on-one instruction, you need to set boundaries on your attention so you are not continually interrupted. First, be sure to plan activities at centers that children can do WITHOUT adult help. Teach children what to do if they need help. Here’s a great little video showing the “Ask 3 Before Me” rule in one classroom. You could also put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign to remind children not to interrupt. Be sure to teach the children what a real emergency is, however, so they know when it’s alright to get your attention. It is also helpful to have a specific spot in the room that is the “teacher table” so children learn to avoid that area when moving in the room.   5. Hold Children Accountable. Children will be more likely to stay on task if they know you will review their work, or that there is a purpose to their activities. You can collect their papers in folders, have children write their work in Center Time journals, or schedule a presentation time on Fridays during which time the children share the work they’ve done all week.   Using learning centers takes planning and preparation, however the payoff is worth it. Children get important opportunities for developing independence and task persistence, while teachers get invaluable time to individualize instruction. Let us know what techniques have worked the best for you in managing centers!  Mon, 27 Feb 2012 15:21:57 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_5-Tips-for-Managing-Learning-Centers/blog/5813499/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-02-27T15:21:57Z Blogs ASCD EDge Do you avoid using learning centers? Or struggle to get the children to work independently? Wish the children stayed on task better? You’re not alone. Managing centers or work stations can be quite complicated but today I’ll share some tips for making things go more smoothly:  [image] 1. Plan the Structure. Learning centers can range on a continuum from very structured to very open. At the open end of the continuum, children can choose their own center, how long they work there, and who they work with. This model is more common in preschool and kindergarten, and yet it helps children learn to make good choices, take responsibility, and learn to make social connections. (Here’s a review of research on preparing kindergarteners for learning centers.) On the other end of the continuum are structures in which children are assigned to a group which rotates through a sequence of centers that are assigned. The advantage of this model is that you can be sure all the children get the content exposure of each center. Here’s a video example of structured planning. The disadvantage is that children don’t get opportunities to learn to make choices. Many primary grade teachers use a combination of these models in which children are required to complete activities in one or two centers, but then get choices of other centers.     2. Prepare the Centers. Be sure all materials are ready and that there are directions for the activities (pictures for younger children, task cards for children who are readers). Centers don’t have to be separate locations around the room – most rooms are not big enough for this. Consider baskets or other containers to hold sets of materials. Groups of desks can be different centers, or children can work on small carpet squares.   3. Teach Procedures. Don’t assume the children know what to do or how you want them to work. Break down the steps and teach each step by modeling it and having the kids practice. Here are some guiding questions: Where does each child go? What do they do when they get there? What do they do if they need help? How do they know if it’s too noisy? Where do they put their work when they are done? What do they do if they finish early? How do they know where to go next? Here are a couple of great videos: one shows center time transitions in kindergarten and the other shows center time planning in fifth grade.   4. Set Boundaries. If you are planning to work with children during center time, such as guided reading groups, or one-on-one instruction, you need to set boundaries on your attention so you are not continually interrupted. First, be sure to plan activities at centers that children can do WITHOUT adult help. Teach children what to do if they need help. Here’s a great little video showing the “Ask 3 Before Me” rule in one classroom. You could also put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign to remind children not to interrupt. Be sure to teach the children what a real emergency is, however, so they know when it’s alright to get your attention. It is also helpful to have a specific spot in the room that is the “teacher table” so children learn to avoid that area when moving in the room.   5. Hold Children Accountable. Children will be more likely to stay on task if they know you will review their work, or that there is a purpose to their activities. You can collect their papers in folders, have children write their work in Center Time journals, or schedule a presentation time on Fridays during which time the children share the work they’ve done all week.   Using learning centers takes planning and preparation, however the payoff is worth it. Children get important opportunities for developing independence and task persistence, while teachers get invaluable time to individualize instruction. Let us know what techniques have worked the best for you in managing centers!  blogs, centers, learning nonadult false 5 Tips for Managing Learning Centers text blog blogs,centers,learning 2140 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 5813499 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Turn-Around-Problem-Behavior-with-Better-Teacher-Comments/blog/5774159/127586.html Addressing problem behaviors starts by creating a positive learning environment that prevents misbehaviors.[image] This involves being aware of the type of comments we use to help children behave in appropriate ways. In observing classrooms, I’ve found a variety of types of language that teachers use in managing behaviors, some that lead to even more behavior problems and others that create a healthy learning environment:  Positive Feedback. “I see three children have their books out and open” “Marcia and Judy, you shared your materials well today.” “You mixed red and blue in your painting. How did you make these lines?” This is encouraging talk that describes the positive things your children are doing – whether it is good behaviors or academics. It shows that you are interested in their work and efforts. This language is effective because it provides clear feedback to the children – and other children, about what they are doing right. It is non-judgmental and non-manipulative. Here's a great video from the Responsive Classroom that gives examples of what they call "Reinforcing Language".                                                           Empty Praise. Short comments like, “good job” and “nice work” feel good and create a positive environment, however children don’t learn much from them about why they did a good job, or what aspect of their work is good. They are like junk food – they taste good, but are not very nutritious. Also, if you tell all the children that their pictures are “beautiful”, they quickly realize these comments have no real meaning.     Manipulative Praise. “I like the way David is sitting.” Children quickly learn that these statements are coercive and are not sincere. They pit one child against the others and can lead to resentment. Instead, try describing what children are doing that is appropriate in an anonymous way: “Some children are ready, sitting quietly on the rug with legs crossed.” This will probably take some practice to get used to!    Negative Nagging. “Jared, stop that.” “No calling out.” “You were all very noisy in the hall.” "Shhh" These statements draw attention to the behaviors you don’t want to occur. Why would you want to draw attention to inappropriate behavior? Even worse, they don’t let the children know what they should be doing. Instead, use positive feedback to focus the children’s attention on what your expectations are. If a child needs correction, it should be done privately.   Humiliation. “You’ll never make to 3rd grade if you keep that up.” “Who do you think you are?” “What’s wrong with you?” These statements are never appropriate and come from extreme frustration – a sign that a teacher needs extra support to turn things around – and plenty of work on her own emotional regulation. Needless to say, these comments encourage children to become defensive and act out, or humiliated and shut down. When I observe novice teachers, the most common mistake I see is a focus on negative nagging. The teachers too often point out every little inappropriate behavior, slowing down the transitions and lessons, and creating a negative climate. It’s a joy to see a teacher use plenty of positive feedback instead. Invariably, the classrooms using positive feedback are more calm, with more learning taking place. Try tape recording or videotaping yourself for a little while. Keep track of the types of comments you make and notice the children’s responses. Try practicing using more positive language throughout the day – and especially when things get chaotic. The higher on this scale of teacher talk you can stay, the better the learning environment will be!     Addressing problem behaviors starts by creating a positive learning environment that prevents misbehaviors.[image] This involves being aware of the type of comments we use to help children behave in appropriate ways. In observing classrooms, I’ve found a variety of types of language that teachers use in managing behaviors, some that lead to even more behavior problems and others that create a healthy learning environment:  Positive Feedback. “I see three children have their books out and open” “Marcia and Judy, you shared your materials well today.” “You mixed red and blue in your painting. How did you make these lines?” This is encouraging talk that describes the positive things your children are doing – whether it is good behaviors or academics. It shows that you are interested in their work and efforts. This language is effective because it provides clear feedback to the children – and other children, about what they are doing right. It is non-judgmental and non-manipulative. Here's a great video from the Responsive Classroom that gives examples of what they call "Reinforcing Language".                                                           Empty Praise. Short comments like, “good job” and “nice work” feel good and create a positive environment, however children don’t learn much from them about why they did a good job, or what aspect of their work is good. They are like junk food – they taste good, but are not very nutritious. Also, if you tell all the children that their pictures are “beautiful”, they quickly realize these comments have no real meaning.     Manipulative Praise. “I like the way David is sitting.” Children quickly learn that these statements are coercive and are not sincere. They pit one child against the others and can lead to resentment. Instead, try describing what children are doing that is appropriate in an anonymous way: “Some children are ready, sitting quietly on the rug with legs crossed.” This will probably take some practice to get used to!    Negative Nagging. “Jared, stop that.” “No calling out.” “You were all very noisy in the hall.” "Shhh" These statements draw attention to the behaviors you don’t want to occur. Why would you want to draw attention to inappropriate behavior? Even worse, they don’t let the children know what they should be doing. Instead, use positive feedback to focus the children’s attention on what your expectations are. If a child needs correction, it should be done privately.   Humiliation. “You’ll never make to 3rd grade if you keep that up.” “Who do you think you are?” “What’s wrong with you?” These statements are never appropriate and come from extreme frustration – a sign that a teacher needs extra support to turn things around – and plenty of work on her own emotional regulation. Needless to say, these comments encourage children to become defensive and act out, or humiliated and shut down. When I observe novice teachers, the most common mistake I see is a focus on negative nagging. The teachers too often point out every little inappropriate behavior, slowing down the transitions and lessons, and creating a negative climate. It’s a joy to see a teacher use plenty of positive feedback instead. Invariably, the classrooms using positive feedback are more calm, with more learning taking place. Try tape recording or videotaping yourself for a little while. Keep track of the types of comments you make and notice the children’s responses. Try practicing using more positive language throughout the day – and especially when things get chaotic. The higher on this scale of teacher talk you can stay, the better the learning environment will be!     Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:34:55 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Turn-Around-Problem-Behavior-with-Better-Teacher-Comments/blog/5774159/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-02-13T17:34:55Z Blogs ASCD EDge Addressing problem behaviors starts by creating a positive learning environment that prevents misbehaviors.[image] This involves being aware of the type of comments we use to help children behave in appropriate ways. In observing classrooms, I’ve found a variety of types of language that teachers use in managing behaviors, some that lead to even more behavior problems and others that create a healthy learning environment:  Positive Feedback. “I see three children have their books out and open” “Marcia and Judy, you shared your materials well today.” “You mixed red and blue in your painting. How did you make these lines?” This is encouraging talk that describes the positive things your children are doing – whether it is good behaviors or academics. It shows that you are interested in their work and efforts. This language is effective because it provides clear feedback to the children – and other children, about what they are doing right. It is non-judgmental and non-manipulative. Here's a great video from the Responsive Classroom that gives examples of what they call "Reinforcing Language".                                                           Empty Praise. Short comments like, “good job” and “nice work” feel good and create a positive environment, however children don’t learn much from them about why they did a good job, or what aspect of their work is good. They are like junk food – they taste good, but are not very nutritious. Also, if you tell all the children that their pictures are “beautiful”, they quickly realize these comments have no real meaning.     Manipulative Praise. “I like the way David is sitting.” Children quickly learn that these statements are coercive and are not sincere. They pit one child against the others and can lead to resentment. Instead, try describing what children are doing that is appropriate in an anonymous way: “Some children are ready, sitting quietly on the rug with legs crossed.” This will probably take some practice to get used to!    Negative Nagging. “Jared, stop that.” “No calling out.” “You were all very noisy in the hall.” "Shhh" These statements draw attention to the behaviors you don’t want to occur. Why would you want to draw attention to inappropriate behavior? Even worse, they don’t let the children know what they should be doing. Instead, use positive feedback to focus the children’s attention on what your expectations are. If a child needs correction, it should be done privately.   Humiliation. “You’ll never make to 3rd grade if you keep that up.” “Who do you think you are?” “What’s wrong with you?” These statements are never appropriate and come from extreme frustration – a sign that a teacher needs extra support to turn things around – and plenty of work on her own emotional regulation. Needless to say, these comments encourage children to become defensive and act out, or humiliated and shut down. When I observe novice teachers, the most common mistake I see is a focus on negative nagging. The teachers too often point out every little inappropriate behavior, slowing down the transitions and lessons, and creating a negative climate. It’s a joy to see a teacher use plenty of positive feedback instead. Invariably, the classrooms using positive feedback are more calm, with more learning taking place. Try tape recording or videotaping yourself for a little while. Keep track of the types of comments you make and notice the children’s responses. Try practicing using more positive language throughout the day – and especially when things get chaotic. The higher on this scale of teacher talk you can stay, the better the learning environment will be!     behavior, blogs, childhood, classroom, early, education, management nonadult false Turn Around Problem Behavior with Better Teacher Comments text blog behavior,blogs,childhood,classroom,early,education,management 2140 11 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 5774159 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Use-Classroom-Meetings-to-Problem-Solve/blog/5756843/127586.html             Do you problems that might best be solved by involving the whole class? Perhaps children are saying unkind things, using materials inappropriately, tattling, or rejecting certain children? Consider bringing the issues to a class meeting. Children at all ages are more likely to understand and adhere to rules, procedures and decisions that they have had a part in creating. Class meetings give children a sense of power over their lives and they develop a learning community. Class meetings also provide an opportunity to model and teach the problem solving process and other social skills that you want children to use on their own.[image]             The advantage to class meetings lies in the opportunity to have children participate in a modified form of democracy, learning to listen to others, and to think about meeting the needs of the whole group rather than just individuals. DeVries and Zan have written extensively on these benefits, such as When Children Make Rules and Moral Classroom, Moral Children.               Group Problem-Solving Strategies. When conflicts or behavior problems arise, class meetings can help the entire class use problem solving steps: Stating the problem so everyone can understand Asking for suggestions for solutions  Evaluating possible choices  Deciding on the best choice and implementing the strategy   Following up to make sure the decision is working  Here’s an example of a problem-solving meeting in a 1st grade classroom from a wonderful article on democratic classrooms by Rightmyer.   Problem Solving in a Whole-Class Meeting Routine In Practice 1.  A child experiencing a problem writes it on the agenda for discussion at a class meeting. Joshua writes “Blocks – Joshua” on the agenda 2. At class meeting, the teacher asks a class member to bring the agenda to the group. “Hope, would you please bring the agenda to the rug?” 3. The teacher reads the first problem on the agenda. “It says here “Blocks-Joshua.” Joshua, will you please explain what the problem is? 4. The student who listed the item explains why it is a problem for him or her. “Well, yesterday I had blocks for my cleanup job, and when I went in there, every block was on the floor and there was no one left to help me. I had to put all the blocks back by myself.” 5. If needed, the teacher helps the child clarify the problem and make it explicit for the other children. “Why is that a problem, Joshua” “It’s a problem because I had to do it by myself” “What’s the problem with that?” “Because it’s too much work for one person. I didn’t even play in blocks!” “So you don’t like it when you have to put away someone else’s blocks all by yourself, is that it?” “Yeah, that’s right.” 6. The children suggest solutions to the problem. “We should have four people clean up blocks.” “The people who play in blocks should clean them up.” “The people who play in blocks should clean them up for five minutes, and then one person should do the rest of the job.” “The people who play in blocks should clean them up for four minutes and then two people should finish the job.” “We should close blocks for a week.” “We should have two people clean up blocks.” 7. The person with the problem chooses one of the solutions. If none is acceptable, that person invents one. “What do you think we should do, Joshua?” “I think we should clean up our own spot for five minutes, and then four people do blocks.” 8. The teacher repeats the solution to check for accuracy and writes it in the solutions book. The solution is tried for a week. Written in the Book of Solutions: “January 30. At clean up time, first clean up your own spot for five minutes, then do your assigned job.”              A few words of caution are in order. For this problem solving process to work, you must be able to set aside blame for the problem and focus on positive changes to prevent future issues. Check out this helpful article on class meetings by Gartrell. This process can easily turn into a mean-spirited, negative, and humiliating experience if you spend time on accusations or resort to group punishments (“No playground time today because clean-up took too long”).  Move quickly past who-did-what statements and focus instead on what changes can be made. You might also need to be firm about not allowing children to accuse each other, use insults, or make disparaging comments of any kind. Set up these guidelines before any discussion begins and remind children as necessary to follow them. If children are still negative and upset, it might be better to stop the process and use the problem solving process alone with the individuals involved. Some topics may be too intense for the group to handle. Here’s another wonderful article from Discipline Without Stress that gives more details on how to run class meetings.             Are you using group meetings for problem solving? Share with us in the comments how you’ve made them successful!              Do you problems that might best be solved by involving the whole class? Perhaps children are saying unkind things, using materials inappropriately, tattling, or rejecting certain children? Consider bringing the issues to a class meeting. Children at all ages are more likely to understand and adhere to rules, procedures and decisions that they have had a part in creating. Class meetings give children a sense of power over their lives and they develop a learning community. Class meetings also provide an opportunity to model and teach the problem solving process and other social skills that you want children to use on their own.[image]             The advantage to class meetings lies in the opportunity to have children participate in a modified form of democracy, learning to listen to others, and to think about meeting the needs of the whole group rather than just individuals. DeVries and Zan have written extensively on these benefits, such as When Children Make Rules and Moral Classroom, Moral Children.               Group Problem-Solving Strategies. When conflicts or behavior problems arise, class meetings can help the entire class use problem solving steps: Stating the problem so everyone can understand Asking for suggestions for solutions  Evaluating possible choices  Deciding on the best choice and implementing the strategy   Following up to make sure the decision is working  Here’s an example of a problem-solving meeting in a 1st grade classroom from a wonderful article on democratic classrooms by Rightmyer.   Problem Solving in a Whole-Class Meeting Routine In Practice 1.  A child experiencing a problem writes it on the agenda for discussion at a class meeting. Joshua writes “Blocks – Joshua” on the agenda 2. At class meeting, the teacher asks a class member to bring the agenda to the group. “Hope, would you please bring the agenda to the rug?” 3. The teacher reads the first problem on the agenda. “It says here “Blocks-Joshua.” Joshua, will you please explain what the problem is? 4. The student who listed the item explains why it is a problem for him or her. “Well, yesterday I had blocks for my cleanup job, and when I went in there, every block was on the floor and there was no one left to help me. I had to put all the blocks back by myself.” 5. If needed, the teacher helps the child clarify the problem and make it explicit for the other children. “Why is that a problem, Joshua” “It’s a problem because I had to do it by myself” “What’s the problem with that?” “Because it’s too much work for one person. I didn’t even play in blocks!” “So you don’t like it when you have to put away someone else’s blocks all by yourself, is that it?” “Yeah, that’s right.” 6. The children suggest solutions to the problem. “We should have four people clean up blocks.” “The people who play in blocks should clean them up.” “The people who play in blocks should clean them up for five minutes, and then one person should do the rest of the job.” “The people who play in blocks should clean them up for four minutes and then two people should finish the job.” “We should close blocks for a week.” “We should have two people clean up blocks.” 7. The person with the problem chooses one of the solutions. If none is acceptable, that person invents one. “What do you think we should do, Joshua?” “I think we should clean up our own spot for five minutes, and then four people do blocks.” 8. The teacher repeats the solution to check for accuracy and writes it in the solutions book. The solution is tried for a week. Written in the Book of Solutions: “January 30. At clean up time, first clean up your own spot for five minutes, then do your assigned job.”              A few words of caution are in order. For this problem solving process to work, you must be able to set aside blame for the problem and focus on positive changes to prevent future issues. Check out this helpful article on class meetings by Gartrell. This process can easily turn into a mean-spirited, negative, and humiliating experience if you spend time on accusations or resort to group punishments (“No playground time today because clean-up took too long”).  Move quickly past who-did-what statements and focus instead on what changes can be made. You might also need to be firm about not allowing children to accuse each other, use insults, or make disparaging comments of any kind. Set up these guidelines before any discussion begins and remind children as necessary to follow them. If children are still negative and upset, it might be better to stop the process and use the problem solving process alone with the individuals involved. Some topics may be too intense for the group to handle. Here’s another wonderful article from Discipline Without Stress that gives more details on how to run class meetings.             Are you using group meetings for problem solving? Share with us in the comments how you’ve made them successful!  Mon, 06 Feb 2012 14:55:55 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Use-Classroom-Meetings-to-Problem-Solve/blog/5756843/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-02-06T14:55:55Z Blogs ASCD EDge             Do you problems that might best be solved by involving the whole class? Perhaps children are saying unkind things, using materials inappropriately, tattling, or rejecting certain children? Consider bringing the issues to a class meeting. Children at all ages are more likely to understand and adhere to rules, procedures and decisions that they have had a part in creating. Class meetings give children a sense of power over their lives and they develop a learning community. Class meetings also provide an opportunity to model and teach the problem solving process and other social skills that you want children to use on their own.[image]             The advantage to class meetings lies in the opportunity to have children participate in a modified form of democracy, learning to listen to others, and to think about meeting the needs of the whole group rather than just individuals. DeVries and Zan have written extensively on these benefits, such as When Children Make Rules and Moral Classroom, Moral Children.               Group Problem-Solving Strategies. When conflicts or behavior problems arise, class meetings can help the entire class use problem solving steps: Stating the problem so everyone can understand Asking for suggestions for solutions  Evaluating possible choices  Deciding on the best choice and implementing the strategy   Following up to make sure the decision is working  Here’s an example of a problem-solving meeting in a 1st grade classroom from a wonderful article on democratic classrooms by Rightmyer.   Problem Solving in a Whole-Class Meeting Routine In Practice 1.  A child experiencing a problem writes it on the agenda for discussion at a class meeting. Joshua writes “Blocks – Joshua” on the agenda 2. At class meeting, the teacher asks a class member to bring the agenda to the group. “Hope, would you please bring the agenda to the rug?” 3. The teacher reads the first problem on the agenda. “It says here “Blocks-Joshua.” Joshua, will you please explain what the problem is? 4. The student who listed the item explains why it is a problem for him or her. “Well, yesterday I had blocks for my cleanup job, and when I went in there, every block was on the floor and there was no one left to help me. I had to put all the blocks back by myself.” 5. If needed, the teacher helps the child clarify the problem and make it explicit for the other children. “Why is that a problem, Joshua” “It’s a problem because I had to do it by myself” “What’s the problem with that?” “Because it’s too much work for one person. I didn’t even play in blocks!” “So you don’t like it when you have to put away someone else’s blocks all by yourself, is that it?” “Yeah, that’s right.” 6. The children suggest solutions to the problem. “We should have four people clean up blocks.” “The people who play in blocks should clean them up.” “The people who play in blocks should clean them up for five minutes, and then one person should do the rest of the job.” “The people who play in blocks should clean them up for four minutes and then two people should finish the job.” “We should close blocks for a week.” “We should have two people clean up blocks.” 7. The person with the problem chooses one of the solutions. If none is acceptable, that person invents one. “What do you think we should do, Joshua?” “I think we should clean up our own spot for five minutes, and then four people do blocks.” 8. The teacher repeats the solution to check for accuracy and writes it in the solutions book. The solution is tried for a week. Written in the Book of Solutions: “January 30. At clean up time, first clean up your own spot for five minutes, then do your assigned job.”              A few words of caution are in order. For this problem solving process to work, you must be able to set aside blame for the problem and focus on positive changes to prevent future issues. Check out this helpful article on class meetings by Gartrell. This process can easily turn into a mean-spirited, negative, and humiliating experience if you spend time on accusations or resort to group punishments (“No playground time today because clean-up took too long”).  Move quickly past who-did-what statements and focus instead on what changes can be made. You might also need to be firm about not allowing children to accuse each other, use insults, or make disparaging comments of any kind. Set up these guidelines before any discussion begins and remind children as necessary to follow them. If children are still negative and upset, it might be better to stop the process and use the problem solving process alone with the individuals involved. Some topics may be too intense for the group to handle. Here’s another wonderful article from Discipline Without Stress that gives more details on how to run class meetings.             Are you using group meetings for problem solving? Share with us in the comments how you’ve made them successful!  behavior, blogs, childhood, classroom, culture, early, education, management nonadult false Use Classroom Meetings to Problem Solve text blog behavior,blogs,childhood,classroom,culture,early,education,management 1092 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 5756843 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Are-You-Meeting-the-Love-38-Belongingness-Needs-of-Students/blog/5741326/127586.html     "Ignore him--he just wants attention!" How many times have you heard a teacher say something like this? Attention-seeking behavior has a bad reputation in our schools, and it can often lead to difficult classroom management challenges. Yet Maslow, the often-forgotten humanistic psychologist, has helped us understand that seeking attention is a way of getting our love and belongingness needs met. The need for human interaction and affection is so strong that it is a kind of hunger--the more a child lacks these interactions, the harder he will try to get them. And any interactions, even negative ones, are better than none.   Some children, due to a lack of social emotional skills and competence, are hard to interact with. They might talk back, or whine. They may be pushy and demanding. They may lack manners, or constantly put others down.  Naturally, teachers and other children begin to avoid them, or push [image]them away. This reduces their chance to learn social and emotional skills, and thus begins a downward negative cycle. The result can be children who use challenging behaviors to achieve social interaction.   Notice what the consequences are when children act out inappropriately. Often the teacher gets close, touching the child (especially young children) by holding an arm, physically removing the child from the area, or even picking the child up. Often the teacher is at eye level, in very close proximity, and she is usually filled with strong emotions. In a way, the typical reprimand of a misbehaving child is intimate: close, physical, and emotionally intense. Often a child with frequent misbehavior is sent to a vice principal, center director, or other disciplinarian, where he gets additional one-on-one attention in a more peaceful environment. In any case, the typical result of attention-seeking behavior is, not surprisingly, attention!   So wouldn't it make sense to ignore these behaviors to stop reinforcing them? Well, yes, BUT only if you INCREASE the amount of positive attention the child gets at other times. The child is hungry for a relationship with you and it can be difficult to develop this if you are angry and frustrated with the child. It's natural (but unprofessional) to ignore him instead. (Which is why he is using challenging behavior that is hard to ignore). What to do?   Schedule time to spend with the child. Sit next to him at snack or invite him to read to you one-on-one. Greet him warmly when he arrives and spend an extra minute or two talking with him at the beginning and end of the day.   Directly teachthe child how to get your positive attention through modeling and practice. Make a list (or chart ) with photos) that can help the children remember these new skills. You can do this in small group if you have other children who would benefit.   Plan ways he can interact with other children in a successful way. Pair him up with a child who has excellent social skills for buddy activities.   Rather than trying positive reinforcement with praise or other tangibles like stickers, instead think of providing rich interactions. Remember he's hungry, so he needs healthy "meals" of interactions, not "junk food" like quick praise.   Have honest, authentic interactions. Find out more about his likes, habits, fears, hopes. Think about CONNECTING.   Give it time. As his hunger for relationship is fed, you should see a reduction in the attention-seeking behaviors, but it can take a while to change deeply engrained behaviors. Show him that he can get your attention more effectively with positive behaviors!   What other suggestions do you have for creating better relationships with children who are difficult to interact with? Please share in the comments!      "Ignore him--he just wants attention!" How many times have you heard a teacher say something like this? Attention-seeking behavior has a bad reputation in our schools, and it can often lead to difficult classroom management challenges. Yet Maslow, the often-forgotten humanistic psychologist, has helped us understand that seeking attention is a way of getting our love and belongingness needs met. The need for human interaction and affection is so strong that it is a kind of hunger--the more a child lacks these interactions, the harder he will try to get them. And any interactions, even negative ones, are better than none.   Some children, due to a lack of social emotional skills and competence, are hard to interact with. They might talk back, or whine. They may be pushy and demanding. They may lack manners, or constantly put others down.  Naturally, teachers and other children begin to avoid them, or push [image]them away. This reduces their chance to learn social and emotional skills, and thus begins a downward negative cycle. The result can be children who use challenging behaviors to achieve social interaction.   Notice what the consequences are when children act out inappropriately. Often the teacher gets close, touching the child (especially young children) by holding an arm, physically removing the child from the area, or even picking the child up. Often the teacher is at eye level, in very close proximity, and she is usually filled with strong emotions. In a way, the typical reprimand of a misbehaving child is intimate: close, physical, and emotionally intense. Often a child with frequent misbehavior is sent to a vice principal, center director, or other disciplinarian, where he gets additional one-on-one attention in a more peaceful environment. In any case, the typical result of attention-seeking behavior is, not surprisingly, attention!   So wouldn't it make sense to ignore these behaviors to stop reinforcing them? Well, yes, BUT only if you INCREASE the amount of positive attention the child gets at other times. The child is hungry for a relationship with you and it can be difficult to develop this if you are angry and frustrated with the child. It's natural (but unprofessional) to ignore him instead. (Which is why he is using challenging behavior that is hard to ignore). What to do?   Schedule time to spend with the child. Sit next to him at snack or invite him to read to you one-on-one. Greet him warmly when he arrives and spend an extra minute or two talking with him at the beginning and end of the day.   Directly teachthe child how to get your positive attention through modeling and practice. Make a list (or chart ) with photos) that can help the children remember these new skills. You can do this in small group if you have other children who would benefit.   Plan ways he can interact with other children in a successful way. Pair him up with a child who has excellent social skills for buddy activities.   Rather than trying positive reinforcement with praise or other tangibles like stickers, instead think of providing rich interactions. Remember he's hungry, so he needs healthy "meals" of interactions, not "junk food" like quick praise.   Have honest, authentic interactions. Find out more about his likes, habits, fears, hopes. Think about CONNECTING.   Give it time. As his hunger for relationship is fed, you should see a reduction in the attention-seeking behaviors, but it can take a while to change deeply engrained behaviors. Show him that he can get your attention more effectively with positive behaviors!   What other suggestions do you have for creating better relationships with children who are difficult to interact with? Please share in the comments!  Mon, 30 Jan 2012 17:47:14 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Are-You-Meeting-the-Love-38-Belongingness-Needs-of-Students/blog/5741326/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-01-30T17:47:14Z Blogs ASCD EDge     "Ignore him--he just wants attention!" How many times have you heard a teacher say something like this? Attention-seeking behavior has a bad reputation in our schools, and it can often lead to difficult classroom management challenges. Yet Maslow, the often-forgotten humanistic psychologist, has helped us understand that seeking attention is a way of getting our love and belongingness needs met. The need for human interaction and affection is so strong that it is a kind of hunger--the more a child lacks these interactions, the harder he will try to get them. And any interactions, even negative ones, are better than none.   Some children, due to a lack of social emotional skills and competence, are hard to interact with. They might talk back, or whine. They may be pushy and demanding. They may lack manners, or constantly put others down.  Naturally, teachers and other children begin to avoid them, or push [image]them away. This reduces their chance to learn social and emotional skills, and thus begins a downward negative cycle. The result can be children who use challenging behaviors to achieve social interaction.   Notice what the consequences are when children act out inappropriately. Often the teacher gets close, touching the child (especially young children) by holding an arm, physically removing the child from the area, or even picking the child up. Often the teacher is at eye level, in very close proximity, and she is usually filled with strong emotions. In a way, the typical reprimand of a misbehaving child is intimate: close, physical, and emotionally intense. Often a child with frequent misbehavior is sent to a vice principal, center director, or other disciplinarian, where he gets additional one-on-one attention in a more peaceful environment. In any case, the typical result of attention-seeking behavior is, not surprisingly, attention!   So wouldn't it make sense to ignore these behaviors to stop reinforcing them? Well, yes, BUT only if you INCREASE the amount of positive attention the child gets at other times. The child is hungry for a relationship with you and it can be difficult to develop this if you are angry and frustrated with the child. It's natural (but unprofessional) to ignore him instead. (Which is why he is using challenging behavior that is hard to ignore). What to do?   Schedule time to spend with the child. Sit next to him at snack or invite him to read to you one-on-one. Greet him warmly when he arrives and spend an extra minute or two talking with him at the beginning and end of the day.   Directly teachthe child how to get your positive attention through modeling and practice. Make a list (or chart ) with photos) that can help the children remember these new skills. You can do this in small group if you have other children who would benefit.   Plan ways he can interact with other children in a successful way. Pair him up with a child who has excellent social skills for buddy activities.   Rather than trying positive reinforcement with praise or other tangibles like stickers, instead think of providing rich interactions. Remember he's hungry, so he needs healthy "meals" of interactions, not "junk food" like quick praise.   Have honest, authentic interactions. Find out more about his likes, habits, fears, hopes. Think about CONNECTING.   Give it time. As his hunger for relationship is fed, you should see a reduction in the attention-seeking behaviors, but it can take a while to change deeply engrained behaviors. Show him that he can get your attention more effectively with positive behaviors!   What other suggestions do you have for creating better relationships with children who are difficult to interact with? Please share in the comments!  behavior, blogs, childhood, classroom, early, education, management nonadult false Are You Meeting the Love & Belongingness Needs of Students? text blog behavior,blogs,childhood,classroom,early,education,management 1678 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 5741326 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Are-You-Making-These-5-Management-Mistakes-During-Group-Time/blog/5730765/127586.html Are you struggling to keep the children engaged, especially during whole group activities? You might be making some of the following mistakes:   [image] Don’t talk over the children. Be sure you use your quiet signal to get all the children’s attention before your start. Use the signal again during the activity – especially if the children are actively moving or enthusiastically excited – to regroup and calm the children down. Avoid using the "I"ll wait..." strategy because you'll just lose the interest of more children. Instead, actively quiet the children down and then proceed.  You might also need a quick relaxation exercise like pretending to breathe in a flower's smell and breathe out like blowing out a candle. Young children need help self-regulating and often find it hard to have the self-control to stop talking, moving, laughing, and so on. Don’t rush around looking for things. Have all your materials ready, close to where you’ll use them. Think through everything you’ll need ahead of time, and make a list if you need to so you’re sure you are all set. Be organized! When I have student teachers videotape themselves, the most common reflection they make is that they needed to be better prepared and better organized. Don’t let children’s responses sidetrack you. Children are notorious for answering a question with a lengthy response that can often be completely off-topic. Practice polite, kind ways of setting limits on children’s responses. You might say to a very young child, “I’d talk to you more about that during lunch, Robert. Let’s get back to the story.” For elementary-aged children, you might want to start teaching children how to monitor their responses to make sure they are talking about the topic of the question. Either way, it can be appropriate to stop a child from rambling. This can hard for those of us raised in cultures where cutting someone off can be considered rude. Get over your reluctance – the other children need you to set limits.  Don’t rely only on handraising.  Expecting children to raise their hands to respond often leads to the same children speaking over and over again and others being passive and not interacting. Use alternatives to calling on children such as turn-and-talk, choral responses, or personal white boards. These strategies will also help if you have trouble with children’s long-winded responses.  Don’t keep the children still for too long. Children need to move frequently. They will find it hard to focus and concentrate for long periods of time without some breaks to move, talk, sing, or loosen up a bit. Research shows that physical activity increases children’s focus and attention! Try some of these new approaches and see if the children's engagement improves. Do you have other suggestions for managing your whole group activities better? Please share them in the comments!  Are you struggling to keep the children engaged, especially during whole group activities? You might be making some of the following mistakes:   [image] Don’t talk over the children. Be sure you use your quiet signal to get all the children’s attention before your start. Use the signal again during the activity – especially if the children are actively moving or enthusiastically excited – to regroup and calm the children down. Avoid using the "I"ll wait..." strategy because you'll just lose the interest of more children. Instead, actively quiet the children down and then proceed.  You might also need a quick relaxation exercise like pretending to breathe in a flower's smell and breathe out like blowing out a candle. Young children need help self-regulating and often find it hard to have the self-control to stop talking, moving, laughing, and so on. Don’t rush around looking for things. Have all your materials ready, close to where you’ll use them. Think through everything you’ll need ahead of time, and make a list if you need to so you’re sure you are all set. Be organized! When I have student teachers videotape themselves, the most common reflection they make is that they needed to be better prepared and better organized. Don’t let children’s responses sidetrack you. Children are notorious for answering a question with a lengthy response that can often be completely off-topic. Practice polite, kind ways of setting limits on children’s responses. You might say to a very young child, “I’d talk to you more about that during lunch, Robert. Let’s get back to the story.” For elementary-aged children, you might want to start teaching children how to monitor their responses to make sure they are talking about the topic of the question. Either way, it can be appropriate to stop a child from rambling. This can hard for those of us raised in cultures where cutting someone off can be considered rude. Get over your reluctance – the other children need you to set limits.  Don’t rely only on handraising.  Expecting children to raise their hands to respond often leads to the same children speaking over and over again and others being passive and not interacting. Use alternatives to calling on children such as turn-and-talk, choral responses, or personal white boards. These strategies will also help if you have trouble with children’s long-winded responses.  Don’t keep the children still for too long. Children need to move frequently. They will find it hard to focus and concentrate for long periods of time without some breaks to move, talk, sing, or loosen up a bit. Research shows that physical activity increases children’s focus and attention! Try some of these new approaches and see if the children's engagement improves. Do you have other suggestions for managing your whole group activities better? Please share them in the comments!  Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:33:57 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Are-You-Making-These-5-Management-Mistakes-During-Group-Time/blog/5730765/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-01-23T15:33:57Z ASCD EDge Are you struggling to keep the children engaged, especially during whole group activities? You might be making some of the following mistakes:   [image] Don’t talk over the children. Be sure you use your quiet signal to get all the children’s attention before your start. Use the signal again during the activity – especially if the children are actively moving or enthusiastically excited – to regroup and calm the children down. Avoid using the "I"ll wait..." strategy because you'll just lose the interest of more children. Instead, actively quiet the children down and then proceed.  You might also need a quick relaxation exercise like pretending to breathe in a flower's smell and breathe out like blowing out a candle. Young children need help self-regulating and often find it hard to have the self-control to stop talking, moving, laughing, and so on. Don’t rush around looking for things. Have all your materials ready, close to where you’ll use them. Think through everything you’ll need ahead of time, and make a list if you need to so you’re sure you are all set. Be organized! When I have student teachers videotape themselves, the most common reflection they make is that they needed to be better prepared and better organized. Don’t let children’s responses sidetrack you. Children are notorious for answering a question with a lengthy response that can often be completely off-topic. Practice polite, kind ways of setting limits on children’s responses. You might say to a very young child, “I’d talk to you more about that during lunch, Robert. Let’s get back to the story.” For elementary-aged children, you might want to start teaching children how to monitor their responses to make sure they are talking about the topic of the question. Either way, it can be appropriate to stop a child from rambling. This can hard for those of us raised in cultures where cutting someone off can be considered rude. Get over your reluctance – the other children need you to set limits.  Don’t rely only on handraising.  Expecting children to raise their hands to respond often leads to the same children speaking over and over again and others being passive and not interacting. Use alternatives to calling on children such as turn-and-talk, choral responses, or personal white boards. These strategies will also help if you have trouble with children’s long-winded responses.  Don’t keep the children still for too long. Children need to move frequently. They will find it hard to focus and concentrate for long periods of time without some breaks to move, talk, sing, or loosen up a bit. Research shows that physical activity increases children’s focus and attention! Try some of these new approaches and see if the children's engagement improves. Do you have other suggestions for managing your whole group activities better? Please share them in the comments!  group, time nonadult false Are You Making These 5 Management Mistakes During Group Time? text blog group,time 1234 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 0 5730765 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Get-Children-to-Pay-Attention-and-Achieve-More-Through-Exercise/blog/5714489/127586.html       The children in most of the primary grade classes I observe spend hours --yes, hours-- at their desks doing seatwork, or sitting on the carpet for teacher-directed lessons. I have often thought that most adults could not sit for this long and still be able to concentrate. I just came across a research study that confirms what seems to be common sense-- that physical exercise can improve children's attention and help their academic achievement.[image]        Researchers at the University of Illinois studied the effects of having 9 year-old children take a test after either resting or briskly walking for 20 minutes. The researchers measured the brain activity of the children and found that those who did the physical exercise were better able to filter out extraneous stimuli - in other words, better able to pay attention and act appropriately.        Next the researchers tested the same children on academic achievement tests in spelling, reading, and math. The reading results showed improvement after the exercise break - more than the math and spelling tests which were done after the reading test. Apparently, the closer the timing of the test was to the exercise break, the greater the benefit. The researchers plan to study more about the timing effects of physical activity. This research appeared in  the journal Neuroscience. You can read more about the study here.        In the current education environment in which children are pushed to learn more and more skills in less time, it can be tempting to just keep children working longer. Hopefully this study will help inspire you to try giving children more physical breaks. Here are some suggestions for integrating physical activity into the daily routine: Go for a walk: Take the children for a brisk walk around the school neighborhood. In addition to the benefit of the exercise, this can be a learning experience by stimulating language, observational skills, and content knowledge. Notice the leaves, trees, and other plants. Observe the environmental print. Take digital photos and create a neighborhood book. Count the cars. Make a map of the neighborhood and give children a printout to refer to during the walk. Visit neighborhood businesses that might be close enough to the school. Use Music and Movement: Check out classroom songs from the Mosaic Project or teaching tips for movement activities from Leah Davies. Check out the article on Movement and Dance in the Inclusive Classroom. Visit a preschool classroom or ask a preschool teacher for some ideas for incorporating songs and dance into your group times (when did we get the idea that only preschoolers should do songs and movement?) Integrate Physical Movement into Lessons. Here are some suggestions for activities from the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children. Ask your phys ed teacher for other suggestions, or to find out what activities the children have been doing in class. Advocate for Recess: Be sure your voice is heard when your school or district makes decisions about recess. Educate parents about the value of exercise and encourage them to speak up. Too many schools are keeping children inside the building during "recess" periods - they need to be outside moving. Here's an article from NAEYC on The Value of School Recess and Outdoor Play and a review of research on the importance of recess during the school day. Share in the comments your suggestions for other ways to incorporate physical exercise into the daily routine. What have you found that works?       The children in most of the primary grade classes I observe spend hours --yes, hours-- at their desks doing seatwork, or sitting on the carpet for teacher-directed lessons. I have often thought that most adults could not sit for this long and still be able to concentrate. I just came across a research study that confirms what seems to be common sense-- that physical exercise can improve children's attention and help their academic achievement.[image]        Researchers at the University of Illinois studied the effects of having 9 year-old children take a test after either resting or briskly walking for 20 minutes. The researchers measured the brain activity of the children and found that those who did the physical exercise were better able to filter out extraneous stimuli - in other words, better able to pay attention and act appropriately.        Next the researchers tested the same children on academic achievement tests in spelling, reading, and math. The reading results showed improvement after the exercise break - more than the math and spelling tests which were done after the reading test. Apparently, the closer the timing of the test was to the exercise break, the greater the benefit. The researchers plan to study more about the timing effects of physical activity. This research appeared in  the journal Neuroscience. You can read more about the study here.        In the current education environment in which children are pushed to learn more and more skills in less time, it can be tempting to just keep children working longer. Hopefully this study will help inspire you to try giving children more physical breaks. Here are some suggestions for integrating physical activity into the daily routine: Go for a walk: Take the children for a brisk walk around the school neighborhood. In addition to the benefit of the exercise, this can be a learning experience by stimulating language, observational skills, and content knowledge. Notice the leaves, trees, and other plants. Observe the environmental print. Take digital photos and create a neighborhood book. Count the cars. Make a map of the neighborhood and give children a printout to refer to during the walk. Visit neighborhood businesses that might be close enough to the school. Use Music and Movement: Check out classroom songs from the Mosaic Project or teaching tips for movement activities from Leah Davies. Check out the article on Movement and Dance in the Inclusive Classroom. Visit a preschool classroom or ask a preschool teacher for some ideas for incorporating songs and dance into your group times (when did we get the idea that only preschoolers should do songs and movement?) Integrate Physical Movement into Lessons. Here are some suggestions for activities from the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children. Ask your phys ed teacher for other suggestions, or to find out what activities the children have been doing in class. Advocate for Recess: Be sure your voice is heard when your school or district makes decisions about recess. Educate parents about the value of exercise and encourage them to speak up. Too many schools are keeping children inside the building during "recess" periods - they need to be outside moving. Here's an article from NAEYC on The Value of School Recess and Outdoor Play and a review of research on the importance of recess during the school day. Share in the comments your suggestions for other ways to incorporate physical exercise into the daily routine. What have you found that works? Mon, 16 Jan 2012 16:40:54 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Get-Children-to-Pay-Attention-and-Achieve-More-Through-Exercise/blog/5714489/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-01-16T16:40:54Z Blogs ASCD EDge       The children in most of the primary grade classes I observe spend hours --yes, hours-- at their desks doing seatwork, or sitting on the carpet for teacher-directed lessons. I have often thought that most adults could not sit for this long and still be able to concentrate. I just came across a research study that confirms what seems to be common sense-- that physical exercise can improve children's attention and help their academic achievement.[image]        Researchers at the University of Illinois studied the effects of having 9 year-old children take a test after either resting or briskly walking for 20 minutes. The researchers measured the brain activity of the children and found that those who did the physical exercise were better able to filter out extraneous stimuli - in other words, better able to pay attention and act appropriately.        Next the researchers tested the same children on academic achievement tests in spelling, reading, and math. The reading results showed improvement after the exercise break - more than the math and spelling tests which were done after the reading test. Apparently, the closer the timing of the test was to the exercise break, the greater the benefit. The researchers plan to study more about the timing effects of physical activity. This research appeared in  the journal Neuroscience. You can read more about the study here.        In the current education environment in which children are pushed to learn more and more skills in less time, it can be tempting to just keep children working longer. Hopefully this study will help inspire you to try giving children more physical breaks. Here are some suggestions for integrating physical activity into the daily routine: Go for a walk: Take the children for a brisk walk around the school neighborhood. In addition to the benefit of the exercise, this can be a learning experience by stimulating language, observational skills, and content knowledge. Notice the leaves, trees, and other plants. Observe the environmental print. Take digital photos and create a neighborhood book. Count the cars. Make a map of the neighborhood and give children a printout to refer to during the walk. Visit neighborhood businesses that might be close enough to the school. Use Music and Movement: Check out classroom songs from the Mosaic Project or teaching tips for movement activities from Leah Davies. Check out the article on Movement and Dance in the Inclusive Classroom. Visit a preschool classroom or ask a preschool teacher for some ideas for incorporating songs and dance into your group times (when did we get the idea that only preschoolers should do songs and movement?) Integrate Physical Movement into Lessons. Here are some suggestions for activities from the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children. Ask your phys ed teacher for other suggestions, or to find out what activities the children have been doing in class. Advocate for Recess: Be sure your voice is heard when your school or district makes decisions about recess. Educate parents about the value of exercise and encourage them to speak up. Too many schools are keeping children inside the building during "recess" periods - they need to be outside moving. Here's an article from NAEYC on The Value of School Recess and Outdoor Play and a review of research on the importance of recess during the school day. Share in the comments your suggestions for other ways to incorporate physical exercise into the daily routine. What have you found that works? nonadult false Get Children to Pay Attention and Achieve More - Through Exercise text blog 1352 0 0.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 1 Blogs 0 5714489 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Are-the-Children-Pushing-Your-Buttons/blog/5699352/127586.html         We all have our “hot buttons” that children push. Take a moment to think about the children’s behaviors that really bother you. For some of us it might be when a child lies. For others it is when a child talks back, whines, rolls her eyes, or doesn’t wipe his nose. We all have our pet peeves – those triggers which set us on edge. And once those buttons are pushed, we often react out of our frustration and anger, rather than think through a more professional response.[image]          Our Inner Story. Notice how you have an inner voice that runs through your head when a child pushes your buttons. It might sound something like, “What an obnoxious child to talk back to me! How could he do that? His parents haven’t even taught him to behave!” or “How disgusting! I shouldn’t have to put up with this constant runny nose. She’s too old to act like this.” Needless to say, when we have such thoughts, they lead to strong feelings of anger and frustration. It is then very hard to be caring or professional in our own behavior. The worst part is that we all have the tendency to believe this inner “story” is the truth! However, we can change our response by changing the “story” we tell ourselves about the child.          Instead of this negative internal narration, we can turn this around with more positive, productive thoughts.  First, recognize your strong emotional reaction and label it: “I’m feeling angry about this whining.” Next, take a deep breath and relax your shoulders. Force yourself to smile. Recognize that this is an opportunity to develop a better relationship with the child and help him or her learn a new skill. Then tell yourself a new story such as, “She must be very frustrated with the other children. This is a good chance to teach her how to ask for what she wants (or how to tolerate not getting what she wants). This child really needs my help.”           Reframe Your Thoughts. Of course, you might not believe this new story when you first start to reframe your thoughts. That’s okay. In the beginning, it doesn’t matter if you are not believing your new story – just pretend you do and you’ll be able to think through a better teaching response. Creating a positive story will also help you to stay calm and enjoy your teaching more. Here are some excellent examples of reframing from the Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations of Early Learning.          Reframing our thoughts to be more positive and professional takes plenty of practice. It is awkward at first, but with practice, it will become more natural and you’ll find yourself having a more positive outlook. And as you start to teach children the little skills they need to replace those annoying behaviors, you’ll have a more effective learning environment for all the children.          So remember, when you find your buttons being pushed, tell yourself a new story. “This is a good chance for me to _____________”          Share with us in the comments how you’ve reframed some of the behaviors that push your buttons!   Check out more classroom management tips at The Positive Classroom         We all have our “hot buttons” that children push. Take a moment to think about the children’s behaviors that really bother you. For some of us it might be when a child lies. For others it is when a child talks back, whines, rolls her eyes, or doesn’t wipe his nose. We all have our pet peeves – those triggers which set us on edge. And once those buttons are pushed, we often react out of our frustration and anger, rather than think through a more professional response.[image]          Our Inner Story. Notice how you have an inner voice that runs through your head when a child pushes your buttons. It might sound something like, “What an obnoxious child to talk back to me! How could he do that? His parents haven’t even taught him to behave!” or “How disgusting! I shouldn’t have to put up with this constant runny nose. She’s too old to act like this.” Needless to say, when we have such thoughts, they lead to strong feelings of anger and frustration. It is then very hard to be caring or professional in our own behavior. The worst part is that we all have the tendency to believe this inner “story” is the truth! However, we can change our response by changing the “story” we tell ourselves about the child.          Instead of this negative internal narration, we can turn this around with more positive, productive thoughts.  First, recognize your strong emotional reaction and label it: “I’m feeling angry about this whining.” Next, take a deep breath and relax your shoulders. Force yourself to smile. Recognize that this is an opportunity to develop a better relationship with the child and help him or her learn a new skill. Then tell yourself a new story such as, “She must be very frustrated with the other children. This is a good chance to teach her how to ask for what she wants (or how to tolerate not getting what she wants). This child really needs my help.”           Reframe Your Thoughts. Of course, you might not believe this new story when you first start to reframe your thoughts. That’s okay. In the beginning, it doesn’t matter if you are not believing your new story – just pretend you do and you’ll be able to think through a better teaching response. Creating a positive story will also help you to stay calm and enjoy your teaching more. Here are some excellent examples of reframing from the Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations of Early Learning.          Reframing our thoughts to be more positive and professional takes plenty of practice. It is awkward at first, but with practice, it will become more natural and you’ll find yourself having a more positive outlook. And as you start to teach children the little skills they need to replace those annoying behaviors, you’ll have a more effective learning environment for all the children.          So remember, when you find your buttons being pushed, tell yourself a new story. “This is a good chance for me to _____________”          Share with us in the comments how you’ve reframed some of the behaviors that push your buttons!   Check out more classroom management tips at The Positive Classroom Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:31:38 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Are-the-Children-Pushing-Your-Buttons/blog/5699352/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-01-09T07:31:38Z Blogs ASCD EDge         We all have our “hot buttons” that children push. Take a moment to think about the children’s behaviors that really bother you. For some of us it might be when a child lies. For others it is when a child talks back, whines, rolls her eyes, or doesn’t wipe his nose. We all have our pet peeves – those triggers which set us on edge. And once those buttons are pushed, we often react out of our frustration and anger, rather than think through a more professional response.[image]          Our Inner Story. Notice how you have an inner voice that runs through your head when a child pushes your buttons. It might sound something like, “What an obnoxious child to talk back to me! How could he do that? His parents haven’t even taught him to behave!” or “How disgusting! I shouldn’t have to put up with this constant runny nose. She’s too old to act like this.” Needless to say, when we have such thoughts, they lead to strong feelings of anger and frustration. It is then very hard to be caring or professional in our own behavior. The worst part is that we all have the tendency to believe this inner “story” is the truth! However, we can change our response by changing the “story” we tell ourselves about the child.          Instead of this negative internal narration, we can turn this around with more positive, productive thoughts.  First, recognize your strong emotional reaction and label it: “I’m feeling angry about this whining.” Next, take a deep breath and relax your shoulders. Force yourself to smile. Recognize that this is an opportunity to develop a better relationship with the child and help him or her learn a new skill. Then tell yourself a new story such as, “She must be very frustrated with the other children. This is a good chance to teach her how to ask for what she wants (or how to tolerate not getting what she wants). This child really needs my help.”           Reframe Your Thoughts. Of course, you might not believe this new story when you first start to reframe your thoughts. That’s okay. In the beginning, it doesn’t matter if you are not believing your new story – just pretend you do and you’ll be able to think through a better teaching response. Creating a positive story will also help you to stay calm and enjoy your teaching more. Here are some excellent examples of reframing from the Center for the Social and Emotional Foundations of Early Learning.          Reframing our thoughts to be more positive and professional takes plenty of practice. It is awkward at first, but with practice, it will become more natural and you’ll find yourself having a more positive outlook. And as you start to teach children the little skills they need to replace those annoying behaviors, you’ll have a more effective learning environment for all the children.          So remember, when you find your buttons being pushed, tell yourself a new story. “This is a good chance for me to _____________”          Share with us in the comments how you’ve reframed some of the behaviors that push your buttons!   Check out more classroom management tips at The Positive Classroom blogs nonadult false Are the Children Pushing Your Buttons? text blog blogs 738 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 5699352 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Maintain-a-Smooth-Running-Classroom-After-the-Holidays/blog/5686463/127586.html          [image] The children have just had a week or more off from school. Most likely, they are not used to any stable routine right now and may have a lot of energy. December seems like a long time ago and they might have “forgotten” the way the class runs. In many ways, coming back in January is similar to the beginning of the school year. Don’t assume the children will slide back into your routines – make sure you remind them with plenty of modeling, practice, and positive feedback when they get it right! Here are a few classroom strategies to focus on: Quiet Signal: Review the signal you use to get the children’s attention throughout the first week back. Be positive and give plenty of support to help them remember. Procedures: Review the basic procedures you established in the fall for lining up, cleaning up, transitioning from carpet to tables/desks, going to the bathroom, working independently, and so on. Build time into your schedule to practice these everyday for the first week back, and then once or twice a week afterwards until you are comfortable that the day flows smoothly. Community-Building: Start right away with reinforcing the children’s caring and cooperation with one another. Have a little party to celebrate having everyone back together again. Use morning greetings to make the children feel welcome. The Responsive Classroom has wonderful ideas for these:            Classroom Culture: Teach the children how to say kind words and acknowledge when you hear children say them. Point out when children help each other. Review your class rules and why they exist. For the first week or two after the holidays, be sure to give positive statements regularly – every few minutes or so is best for establishing a supportive learning climate. Organization: Have a cleaning party. Put on some fun music and help the children to clean out their desks, cubbies, or other personal space. Get rid of old papers, decide on a place for each item and tidy up the common areas of the room. Then take a photo of each child’s personal area and print it out. Laminate the photo and have each child tape it where they can refer to it as a guide for keeping themselves organized. Physical Activity: Alternate periods of work and concentration with energizing physical movement. Use musical games, take the children outside, or try some yoga. They will need regular breaks to be able to transition from the laid-back schedule of the vacation to the more intense structure of school. Take care of yourself, too! It is always a challenge to change our routines in life, so give yourself a special treat this week, too. Please share your ideas for what you’ve found works best in starting up your teaching again after the holiday break!             [image] The children have just had a week or more off from school. Most likely, they are not used to any stable routine right now and may have a lot of energy. December seems like a long time ago and they might have “forgotten” the way the class runs. In many ways, coming back in January is similar to the beginning of the school year. Don’t assume the children will slide back into your routines – make sure you remind them with plenty of modeling, practice, and positive feedback when they get it right! Here are a few classroom strategies to focus on: Quiet Signal: Review the signal you use to get the children’s attention throughout the first week back. Be positive and give plenty of support to help them remember. Procedures: Review the basic procedures you established in the fall for lining up, cleaning up, transitioning from carpet to tables/desks, going to the bathroom, working independently, and so on. Build time into your schedule to practice these everyday for the first week back, and then once or twice a week afterwards until you are comfortable that the day flows smoothly. Community-Building: Start right away with reinforcing the children’s caring and cooperation with one another. Have a little party to celebrate having everyone back together again. Use morning greetings to make the children feel welcome. The Responsive Classroom has wonderful ideas for these:            Classroom Culture: Teach the children how to say kind words and acknowledge when you hear children say them. Point out when children help each other. Review your class rules and why they exist. For the first week or two after the holidays, be sure to give positive statements regularly – every few minutes or so is best for establishing a supportive learning climate. Organization: Have a cleaning party. Put on some fun music and help the children to clean out their desks, cubbies, or other personal space. Get rid of old papers, decide on a place for each item and tidy up the common areas of the room. Then take a photo of each child’s personal area and print it out. Laminate the photo and have each child tape it where they can refer to it as a guide for keeping themselves organized. Physical Activity: Alternate periods of work and concentration with energizing physical movement. Use musical games, take the children outside, or try some yoga. They will need regular breaks to be able to transition from the laid-back schedule of the vacation to the more intense structure of school. Take care of yourself, too! It is always a challenge to change our routines in life, so give yourself a special treat this week, too. Please share your ideas for what you’ve found works best in starting up your teaching again after the holiday break!    Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:01:03 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Maintain-a-Smooth-Running-Classroom-After-the-Holidays/blog/5686463/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2012-01-02T20:01:03Z Blogs ASCD EDge          [image] The children have just had a week or more off from school. Most likely, they are not used to any stable routine right now and may have a lot of energy. December seems like a long time ago and they might have “forgotten” the way the class runs. In many ways, coming back in January is similar to the beginning of the school year. Don’t assume the children will slide back into your routines – make sure you remind them with plenty of modeling, practice, and positive feedback when they get it right! Here are a few classroom strategies to focus on: Quiet Signal: Review the signal you use to get the children’s attention throughout the first week back. Be positive and give plenty of support to help them remember. Procedures: Review the basic procedures you established in the fall for lining up, cleaning up, transitioning from carpet to tables/desks, going to the bathroom, working independently, and so on. Build time into your schedule to practice these everyday for the first week back, and then once or twice a week afterwards until you are comfortable that the day flows smoothly. Community-Building: Start right away with reinforcing the children’s caring and cooperation with one another. Have a little party to celebrate having everyone back together again. Use morning greetings to make the children feel welcome. The Responsive Classroom has wonderful ideas for these:            Classroom Culture: Teach the children how to say kind words and acknowledge when you hear children say them. Point out when children help each other. Review your class rules and why they exist. For the first week or two after the holidays, be sure to give positive statements regularly – every few minutes or so is best for establishing a supportive learning climate. Organization: Have a cleaning party. Put on some fun music and help the children to clean out their desks, cubbies, or other personal space. Get rid of old papers, decide on a place for each item and tidy up the common areas of the room. Then take a photo of each child’s personal area and print it out. Laminate the photo and have each child tape it where they can refer to it as a guide for keeping themselves organized. Physical Activity: Alternate periods of work and concentration with energizing physical movement. Use musical games, take the children outside, or try some yoga. They will need regular breaks to be able to transition from the laid-back schedule of the vacation to the more intense structure of school. Take care of yourself, too! It is always a challenge to change our routines in life, so give yourself a special treat this week, too. Please share your ideas for what you’ve found works best in starting up your teaching again after the holiday break!    blogs nonadult false Maintain a Smooth-Running Classroom After the Holidays text blog blogs 1745 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 Blogs 0 5686463 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250 http://edge.ascd.org/_Holiday-Teacher-Gifts-Pros-and-Cons/blog/5656262/127586.html      Mugs with “World’s Greatest Teacher” on them, note paper, bath sets, gift certificates….This is the time of year many families give holiday gifts to teachers. In some places, this is an unquestioned practice, but perhaps we should look more closely at this tradition.[image]      PROS: Teachers are under-appreciated and it is lovely to see and feel a family’s appreciation for your hard work. For many families, gift giving is a powerful way for them to express their thanks and to recognize how important you are to them. It is a festive time of year and gift-giving creates a climate of good-will. I still have gifts from students I taught 20 years ago that remind me of the children and make me smile.      CONS: The most obvious problem is that not all families can afford to give gifts. This may result in embarrassment in not being able to participate in this ritual. Imagine the child who silently watches other children carry brightly colored wrapped gifts to the teacher, knowing she won’t be able to bring one herself. Or the family might go ahead and spend money that they can’t afford in order to avoid this embarrassment. When a family has multiple children (and sometimes multiple teachers) this can become a great burden.      This gift-giving tradition can also be awkward for the families who have religious or cultural beliefs that don’t include gift-giving this time of year. Families who have recently immigrated to the United States may be confused by the process. As our country becomes more multicultural it is important to realize we won’t all share the same expectations. How do we let families know what is acceptable?      Finally, there is also the problem of what is an appropriate gift. How much money should one spend? In more affluent areas, gift giving can become competitive. How personal should the gift be? Is food acceptable as a gift? Money? Is accepting an expensive gift a conflict of interest?      School Policies. In the best case scenario, the school will develop a thoughtful policy to help guide families and teachers. In one school where my children attended, for example, no teacher gifts were allowed; however families could give a gift of a book to the school which was engraved with the child’s name and year. Here's another example from a school in Massachusetts. If gifts are encouraged or accepted, it would be helpful to have guidelines on their value. Perhaps the process for delivering gifts could be thought through and planned to avoid competition and embarrassment. A school-wide committee of parents and teachers could discuss the pros and cons and come up with suggestions.      As I hope I’ve made clear, this is a tricky, complicated subject --and I don't have the answers since it depends so much  on the context of your community and classroom. The December holidays are a wonderful opportunity for joyful celebration. Let’s think hard about what role gift-giving should play in our public schools.      Please share in the comments what the gift-giving policy is at your school (if you have one) or what suggestions you might have! Visit The Positive Classroom Blog      Mugs with “World’s Greatest Teacher” on them, note paper, bath sets, gift certificates….This is the time of year many families give holiday gifts to teachers. In some places, this is an unquestioned practice, but perhaps we should look more closely at this tradition.[image]      PROS: Teachers are under-appreciated and it is lovely to see and feel a family’s appreciation for your hard work. For many families, gift giving is a powerful way for them to express their thanks and to recognize how important you are to them. It is a festive time of year and gift-giving creates a climate of good-will. I still have gifts from students I taught 20 years ago that remind me of the children and make me smile.      CONS: The most obvious problem is that not all families can afford to give gifts. This may result in embarrassment in not being able to participate in this ritual. Imagine the child who silently watches other children carry brightly colored wrapped gifts to the teacher, knowing she won’t be able to bring one herself. Or the family might go ahead and spend money that they can’t afford in order to avoid this embarrassment. When a family has multiple children (and sometimes multiple teachers) this can become a great burden.      This gift-giving tradition can also be awkward for the families who have religious or cultural beliefs that don’t include gift-giving this time of year. Families who have recently immigrated to the United States may be confused by the process. As our country becomes more multicultural it is important to realize we won’t all share the same expectations. How do we let families know what is acceptable?      Finally, there is also the problem of what is an appropriate gift. How much money should one spend? In more affluent areas, gift giving can become competitive. How personal should the gift be? Is food acceptable as a gift? Money? Is accepting an expensive gift a conflict of interest?      School Policies. In the best case scenario, the school will develop a thoughtful policy to help guide families and teachers. In one school where my children attended, for example, no teacher gifts were allowed; however families could give a gift of a book to the school which was engraved with the child’s name and year. Here's another example from a school in Massachusetts. If gifts are encouraged or accepted, it would be helpful to have guidelines on their value. Perhaps the process for delivering gifts could be thought through and planned to avoid competition and embarrassment. A school-wide committee of parents and teachers could discuss the pros and cons and come up with suggestions.      As I hope I’ve made clear, this is a tricky, complicated subject --and I don't have the answers since it depends so much  on the context of your community and classroom. The December holidays are a wonderful opportunity for joyful celebration. Let’s think hard about what role gift-giving should play in our public schools.      Please share in the comments what the gift-giving policy is at your school (if you have one) or what suggestions you might have! Visit The Positive Classroom Blog Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:25:32 GMT http://edge.ascd.org/_Holiday-Teacher-Gifts-Pros-and-Cons/blog/5656262/127586.html Muriel_Rand 2011-12-19T16:25:32Z ASCD EDge      Mugs with “World’s Greatest Teacher” on them, note paper, bath sets, gift certificates….This is the time of year many families give holiday gifts to teachers. In some places, this is an unquestioned practice, but perhaps we should look more closely at this tradition.[image]      PROS: Teachers are under-appreciated and it is lovely to see and feel a family’s appreciation for your hard work. For many families, gift giving is a powerful way for them to express their thanks and to recognize how important you are to them. It is a festive time of year and gift-giving creates a climate of good-will. I still have gifts from students I taught 20 years ago that remind me of the children and make me smile.      CONS: The most obvious problem is that not all families can afford to give gifts. This may result in embarrassment in not being able to participate in this ritual. Imagine the child who silently watches other children carry brightly colored wrapped gifts to the teacher, knowing she won’t be able to bring one herself. Or the family might go ahead and spend money that they can’t afford in order to avoid this embarrassment. When a family has multiple children (and sometimes multiple teachers) this can become a great burden.      This gift-giving tradition can also be awkward for the families who have religious or cultural beliefs that don’t include gift-giving this time of year. Families who have recently immigrated to the United States may be confused by the process. As our country becomes more multicultural it is important to realize we won’t all share the same expectations. How do we let families know what is acceptable?      Finally, there is also the problem of what is an appropriate gift. How much money should one spend? In more affluent areas, gift giving can become competitive. How personal should the gift be? Is food acceptable as a gift? Money? Is accepting an expensive gift a conflict of interest?      School Policies. In the best case scenario, the school will develop a thoughtful policy to help guide families and teachers. In one school where my children attended, for example, no teacher gifts were allowed; however families could give a gift of a book to the school which was engraved with the child’s name and year. Here's another example from a school in Massachusetts. If gifts are encouraged or accepted, it would be helpful to have guidelines on their value. Perhaps the process for delivering gifts could be thought through and planned to avoid competition and embarrassment. A school-wide committee of parents and teachers could discuss the pros and cons and come up with suggestions.      As I hope I’ve made clear, this is a tricky, complicated subject --and I don't have the answers since it depends so much  on the context of your community and classroom. The December holidays are a wonderful opportunity for joyful celebration. Let’s think hard about what role gift-giving should play in our public schools.      Please share in the comments what the gift-giving policy is at your school (if you have one) or what suggestions you might have! Visit The Positive Classroom Blog nonadult false Holiday Teacher Gifts: Pros and Cons text blog 750 10 5.0 http://edge.ascd.org/service/displayKickPlace.kickAction?u=35469576&as=127586 http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/127586/photos/PHOTO_15432476_127586_35469576_ap_160X120.jpg false United States NJ Jersey City 0 0 5656262 35469576 ASCD EDge Member 250