megan

Chapter 10: How Does Marvin Marshall Establish Discipline by Activating Internal Motivation and Raising Student Responsibility Marvin Marshall’s internal motivation and raising student responsibility would probably fit will with the Wongs, because of its reliance on procedures. The overall theory is a good one, and internal motivation is the ideal for all students. I think teachers might have a hard time getting the most defiant students to use the Hierarchy of Social Development for reflection. I did connect with the Theory X and Theory Y. In past non-school jobs I have held, I have seen how Theory X creates a negative environment where people avoid work and distain authority. Theory Y is the ideal again, but I don’t think many school or jobs are managed that way. His advice to control conversations with students by asking questions is a good one, but it goes against what some other classroom behavior experts have advised, which is to avoid asking “why” questions. Overall, I think this is a good system of discipline, but I am not sure that I would have the patience to go through the many self-diagnostic referrals that Marshall suggests.

Chapter 11: How Does Craig Seganti Use Positive Teacher Leverage and Realistic Student Accountability to Establish Classroom Discipline? Craig Seganti’s methods might work well in an alternative school, but I can’t see administration and parents in most mainstream schools getting behind this very strict method of discipline. Unless the entire school was going to use and support this discipline plan, I don’t think I would use it. I would imagine my authority would be uncut by parents and administration not following with the plan. I do think the 15-minute detention is a good alternative to the traditional, longer detention. The 15-minute detention gets the point across without creating too much of a disruption to the student or teacher. I thought the management tactics were helpful, such as cultivating quite and keeping students busy.

Chapter 12: How Do Top Teachers Establish Personal Influence with Students Who Are Difficult to Manage? I found this chapter filled with a lot of helpful information. I think a lot of the experts had insights into how teachers can influence difficult students. I thought that it was Hinsburger points out that many teachers have misguided behaviors that are evident to others but not that teacher. This makes it harder to change without the help of other educators. Ginott’s comments to avoid are helpful to keep in mind. I think these (asking why questions and giving lectures) are the default behaviors for many people, so it is more difficult to avoid in the classroom than one might assume at first. The relationship builders are barriers were also something that would be helpful to reflect on throughout a teacher’s career. Barriers like rescuing/explaining, directing, and using adult –isms can be the kind of misguided behaviors that Hinsburger said so many teachers are not aware they are doing in the classroom. The Responsible Thinking Process sounds like a good reflection method for difficult students to follow when they are upset or acting out and not sure why. Overall, the chapter would be a helpful reflection tool for teachers.

Chapter 13: How Do Leading Experts Engender Respect and Civility in the Classroom? Chapter 13 is a very important one because it talks about respect and civility, which are very much needed in schools. While every generation thinks the next one is bringing about the end of polite society, I do think there is now a great increase in bossy, rude and ignorant behavior being glorified as entertainment in our lives. I liked the idea of having students role play the civil way to behave in different situations. I also think the classroom is a good place to teach moral intelligence. This could be worked into various subjects. The only thing I would have an issue with is Gossen’s least coercive road. It is important to pick your battles in the classroom, but it is also important to make sure that the rules aren’t so lax that the class slides into chaos. This is something teachers have to be careful of if they choose this method. Megan Doherty EDUC 531 Dr. Williams January 26, 2011 Reflections: Chapters 2-6

Chapter 2: How Can I Anticipate My Students’ Behavior and Deal With Factors That Promote Misbehavior? Chapter 2 offers many suggestions to deal with the factors that promote misbehavior, so many that task comes off as quite daunting at certain parts. I was struck by the section highlighting the difference between the values emphasized in school and the hidden values of poverty. I agree with and have witness much of what is described in the values of poverty. And I agree with Charles that teachers cannot give the impression that students’ culture is “wrong” or “low class.” At the same time, how do you do so when the cultural values are in conflict with the school values? Charles suggests teachers should “Emphasize the knowledge, skills, and values needed for school success and for a strong personal and cultural identity” and “Teach students how to speak and write in a formal manner.” My question is how do one without negating the other? How do you let students know a culture of informal speech is ok, but then not accept that on any school work? They can see the double standard, and as they get older they can see what speech is more highly valued by society. The other section of Chapter 2 I found very informative yet frustrating was the conditions that lead to misbehavior. I want to be aware of these conditions, yet at the same time some of the conditions seem overwhelming. When it comes to the unmet needs of students, I feel like the emotional needs might be the hardest to help. You can give a hungry kid a snack, but there is so little time in the day to give a kid dignity and power if they aren’t getting any at home. The other condition that struck me was the succumbing to personal frustration for teachers. I work as an aid in a Philadelphia school, and I feel so many teachers are frustrated with behavior, lack of support, and being made to feel like failures because of student performance. This leads to a cycle of personal frustration that spreads to the students. I hope it’s something I can avoid in the future, when I am in charge of a classroom.

Chapter 3: How Do I Recognize and Deal with Atypical Behavior That Is Neurological-Based? Chapter 3 offered a helpful overview of neurological-based behavior. Understanding how common these behaviors have become is essential, and classroom management calls for some understanding from the teacher and also the other students who might witness this uncontrollable behavior. I found the description of the Rage Cycle and how to respond to it helpful. I might try some of these steps, like using empathic verbal support and deflecting control elsewhere. I am not sure I have seen many violent rage episodes in the class, but I have seen students become unresponsive, whether they totally tune out the teacher or sit, cry and yell about what they perceive to be an unfair situation. I would have liked some more suggestions on how to cut down sensory disruptions for students with SID. Classrooms are so much more interactive today, it is hard to imagine how to keep that sensory input down when doing group activities. Overall, I found this chapter to be a good introduction into NBBs.

Chapter 4: What Are the Foundations That Underlie Today’s Best Systems of Discipline? I found Chapter 4 very helpful. Knowing the history of classroom behavior theory should come in helpful as I create my own classroom discipline philosophy and as I learn more about what types of classroom discipline are currently in vogue. The most common theme I saw in all the theories of discipline was the empowerment of the students. Most of the theories seek to give students the ability to control themselves, rather than be controlled by the teacher. Dignity and cooperation with the teacher were also components of several of the systems of discipline. I disagree with chapter’s statement that assertive discipline fell out of use around the turn of the century. From how Charles describes assertive discipline, I think I have seen this used in several classroom, where class rules and consequences for breaking those rules are clearly posted. I liked Barbara Coloroso’s responsibility and inner discipline and Alphie Kohn’s classroom learning communities, but I also thought they might take time that many schools or teachers are not willing to devote to building that kind of democratic classroom. At the same time, I can appreciate the irony that not putting in that time up front can lead to spending a lot more time correcting behaviors further down the road.

Chapter 5: How Does Ronald Morrish Use Purposeful Teacher Guidance to Establish Class Discipline? I agree with Ronald Morrish’s statement that some models of discipline have gone too far in letting students decide classroom rules and how they should behave. I can see how this would lead to a long year of negotiations and bargaining. Teachers need to set the classroom rules in place and then teach students why this is the proper way to behave. I also see that managed choices are needed for students. Threatening students with detention or a trip to the principal’s office does not seems to phase certain students. At the same time, I can see how Morrish’s requirement that students correct misbehaviors with the right action could also turn into a battle of the wills in the classroom. His instance on following rules and not crossing set limits reminded me of the Broken Window Theory in criminal justice, which basically says small infractions will lead to large ones. This is a good theory for the classroom, but it required a lot of vigilance an dedication on the part of the teacher. That might be harder to maintain than it sounds. But I do agree with Morrish that teachers see our bargaining and lenience in certain issues as things students will appreciate and then motivate them to behave better, when in reality it shows the students they have the power to alter class rules and decide what behavior will be accepted in their class. Overall, I think Purposeful Teacher Guidance is a practical and useful classroom management strategy.

Chapter 6: How Do Harry and Rosemary Wong Use Responsibilities and Procedures to Establish Class Discipline? Reading about the Wong’s methods of classroom management, I thought their procedures make for a good tactic for new teachers. The day and procedures are so planned out that it doesn’t leave much room for new teachers to make mistakes or let students push the limits too far. Giving students a very detailed schedule and set of expectations also leaves little room for students to say they did not understand what to do or how to do it. The Wongs’ plan is set up to not give students the chance to misbehave. I liked the suggestion of having students start on some class activity right away, before taking attendance. This is something small, but it sounds like a good idea, one I might not have thought of otherwise. The emphasis on planning and organizing is one I totally agree with. I plan to teach secondary English, and I was glad to see they addressed whether or not these procedures would apply to secondary classes at the end of the chapter. Though I do think it could come off as beneath some of the students, I also think that using these strategies would model for students how important it is to be prepare for every situation.

Chapter 7: How Does Fred Jones Establish Class Discipline by Keeping Students Responsibly Involved? Fred Jones was very on point when he identified the five major problems that create less-productive classrooms. Massive time wasting, student passivity, aimlessness, helpless handraising, and ineffective nagging are all things I have witnessed in classrooms. I have certainly more than witnessed ineffective nagging – I’ve done it, and I imagine I find it just as tiresome as the kids. I am a little wary of some of the solutions he proposes. They are all well-intentioned solutions, but I think some are easier on paper than in implementation. While I see the importance of room arrangement and teacher circulation, many classrooms have too many students and too little space to make this a reality. I work as an ESOL tutor in Philly, and many of the pull-out rooms, like ESOL, are little more than closets. I do think that class rules, chores and operating routines can be implemented in just about any situation. The concept of PAT sounds very complicated to track, but it would give students something that they felt they could control in the classroom. What I really wonder is how you get students to understand that independent work needs to be done with minimal help from the teacher. I see the importance of giving brief help and moving on, but how do you get the message across to the most unmotivated or troubled students – the ones who would rather stare at a wall rather than do work? I could prompt and walk away, but some students will still just sit rather than do work on their own.

Chapter 8: How Does William Glasser Use Choice Theory and Quality Education to Establish Class Discipline? I agree with many of the things William Glasser asserts about today’s schools, such as most students don’t put forth their best effort and that many students tune out or misbehave because they are bored with school work. Having students chose what topics to study in depth would raise motivation, but it seems very unrealistic in most schools, since so much of the curriculum is prescribed by powers higher than the classroom teacher. Also, it’s important to sometimes give students a little push in an educational direction they might not enjoy at first. Maybe students will never truly enjoy some topics, but I believe part of education is being exposed to a variety of topics, even ones we might not be thrilled about. The Seven Deadly Habits are things every teacher should keep in mind. These are pitfalls that every teacher falls into. The Seven Connecting Habits sound like important when interacting with most students, but I have my doubts about how effective they would be with the most defiant students. The best teachers I had in the past certainly displayed the Seven Connecting Habits. Not accepting work that is lower than a B also jumped out at me. I think this is a great policy, but not realistic in many schools that want teachers and student to race through the curriculum and test prep materials.

Chapter 9: How Does Spencer Kagan Use Structures and Teacher-Student Same-Side Collaboration to Establish Class Discipline? Many of the larger concepts in Kagan’s Win-Win Discipline, such as working with students to create rules, are found in other discipline theories. The overall system of Win-Win is a lot to process. There are so many components in this chapter, and it doesn’t even get into the details of all the structures. I think it can be helpful to think about where students’ positions are when they misbehave, but I don’t think the chapter explains how you are supposed to know. Being angry or control seeking can manifest differently in individuals. Should you ask the student? Is the student mature enough to realize the source of his or her behavior? It is important to get across that the position is ok but the behavior is not. Many students take any corrective discipline as a personal insult, when more often teachers are trying to help the student, the class and themselves. I like that this system of discipline gives structures for before, during and after disruptions, and that there is also a guide to when a personal improvement plan would be appropriate and when calling in parents and the administration would be appropriate. I feel other systems do a disservice when they say “befriend student” or “don’t accept misbehavior” and stop there, because that is not always going to work.

Chapter 10: How Does Marvin Marshall Establish Discipline by Activating Internal Motivation and Raising Student Responsibility Marvin Marshall’s internal motivation and raising student responsibility would probably fit will with the Wongs, because of its reliance on procedures. The overall theory is a good one, and internal motivation is the ideal for all students. I think teachers might have a hard time getting the most defiant students to use the Hierarchy of Social Development for reflection. I did connect with the Theory X and Theory Y. In past non-school jobs I have held, I have seen how Theory X creates a negative environment where people avoid work and distain authority. Theory Y is the ideal again, but I don’t think many school or jobs are managed that way. His advice to control conversations with students by asking questions is a good one, but it goes against what some other classroom behavior experts have advised, which is to avoid asking “why” questions. Overall, I think this is a good system of discipline, but I am not sure that I would have the patience to go through the many self-diagnostic referrals that Marshall suggests. Chapter 11: How Does Craig Seganti Use Positive Teacher Leverage and Realistic Student Accountability to Establish Classroom Discipline? Craig Seganti’s methods might work well in an alternative school, but I can’t see administration and parents in most mainstream schools getting behind this very strict method of discipline. Unless the entire school was going to use and support this discipline plan, I don’t think I would use it. I would imagine my authority would be uncut by parents and administration not following with the plan. I do think the 15-minute detention is a good alternative to the traditional, longer detention. The 15-minute detention gets the point across without creating too much of a disruption to the student or teacher. I thought the management tactics were helpful, such as cultivating quite and keeping students busy. Chapter 12: How Do Top Teachers Establish Personal Influence with Students Who Are Difficult to Manage? I found this chapter filled with a lot of helpful information. I think a lot of the experts had insights into how teachers can influence difficult students. I thought that it was Hinsburger points out that many teachers have misguided behaviors that are evident to others but not that teacher. This makes it harder to change without the help of other educators. Ginott’s comments to avoid are helpful to keep in mind. I think these (asking why questions and giving lectures) are the default behaviors for many people, so it is more difficult to avoid in the classroom than one might assume at first. The relationship builders are barriers were also something that would be helpful to reflect on throughout a teacher’s career. Barriers like rescuing/explaining, directing, and using adult –isms can be the kind of misguided behaviors that Hinsburger said so many teachers are not aware they are doing in the classroom. The Responsible Thinking Process sounds like a good reflection method for difficult students to follow when they are upset or acting out and not sure why. Overall, the chapter would be a helpful reflection tool for teachers. Chapter 13: How Do Leading Experts Engender Respect and Civility in the Classroom? Chapter 13 is a very important one because it talks about respect and civility, which are very much needed in schools. While every generation thinks the next one is bringing about the end of polite society, I do think there is now a great increase in bossy, rude and ignorant behavior being glorified as entertainment in our lives. I liked the idea of having students role play the civil way to behave in different situations. I also think the classroom is a good place to teach moral intelligence. This could be worked into various subjects. The only thing I would have an issue with is Gossen’s least coercive road. It is important to pick your battles in the classroom, but it is also important to make sure that the rules aren’t so lax that the class slides into chaos. This is something teachers have to be careful of if they choose this method.