Maura

Maura Costello March 20, 2011 Chapter Reflections 10-13  ** Chapter 10  ** Group Presentation  ** Chapter 11 ** How does Craig Seganti use positive teacher leverage and realistic student accountability to establish classroom discipline? Seganti has some very good approaches to classroom discipline. Some of his approaches I use in my classroom, such as establishing specific rules early in, leaving little to no extra free time to talk, greeting students at the door, and making students accountable for their own behavior and learning. Serganti gives four elements that he uses in his approach to classroom discipline. The four elements are teacher attitude, student accountability, leverage for obtaining compliance and management tactics that support desirable behavior. As I read the chapter, one of the things that I kept wondering was what grade will this work for, will it work for all grades or just some. I teach middle school and while some ideas and concepts would work for my students, I’m not sure they all would. I feel that all teachers should establish a relationship with their students so that the teacher and student are on the same page about what is expected in the classroom. One approach that may be too drastic that Seganti uses is his policy on detentions. Especially in a middle school or high school, telling a child they will have detention for every little thing that they do that is not in line with the rules, may not always work. Students do need to follow that rules but teachers, especially in inner city school need to pick their battles sometime. Also depending on the school district that you are in, you may not get back up of administration for telling a student they could get suspended over not throwing gum out, and also what if the student does not come to detention, what is the consequence for that?    ** Chapter 12 ** How do top teachers establish personal influence with students who are difficult to manage? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Teachers always form a personal relationship with their students but what if a student is difficult, what should a teacher do to establish communication and a good relationship with those types of students. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Some experts suggest that teachers need to be careful in the classroom and that they have a lot of power over their students and they need to be careful how they use that power. For example Ginott suggest that teachers need to show respect for their students while setting limits at the same time. He also suggests that teachers should not label students; teachers must remember that each student is an individual. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> Glasser takes a different approach and asks how to make the student happy and emphasizes making an interesting curriculum as well as establishing a relationship with the students. Glasser has a good approach to dealing with difficult students. Each teacher has their own personal way of dealing with their students in the classroom. Teachers should keep in mind that each student is different and sometime they need to be treated differently for the relationship between teacher and student to be a positive one. In my classroom, I try to have a clear understanding of all my students need. Sometime throughout the year I try to have one on one conversation with all my students, especially the student who tend to be more difficult. The students respond to you when you take a personal interest in what’s going on in their lives. It is a difficult balance though, and takes time to establish a personal relationship with the students and still keeping the respect between the teacher and the student. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';"> ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Chapter 13 ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">How do leading experts engender respect and civility in the classroom? <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Civility is something that should be taught in all classrooms no matter what age, civility is a way of behaving in which individuals show respect and consideration for other. The problem today is that more and more students are walking into classrooms with little or no respect for their teachers and administrators. Forni “explains that civility, politeness, and good manners are all things we do for other people.” Students and young people need to consider the needs of other people more. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">Character education should also be a key part in a teachers teaching. Students today need to be taught respect and responsibility. A teacher should also lead by example, not all students have good role models at home. In recent year it has become part of the teacher’s job to lead his or her students in the right direction in life. Students need to be taught manners, not just for school but for the world once the students are out of school. In my classroom, manners are a big part of how I teach, I use the words please and thank you and I expect my students to do the same, and they know that. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">I also require my students to be respectful to one another, any negative words to others in the class is not tolerated and is stopped immediately. Along with teaching the students good manners, my policy of zero negativity toward others also creates an all together positive classroom environment and no issues with classroom management involving arguing or fighting because it is stopped before it begins. Teachers have many roles in the classroom and it is our job to make sure our students become good citizens.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Maura Costello <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">February 9, 2011 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Education 538 <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Dr.Williams

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">How does Fred Jones establish class discipline by keeping students responsibly involved? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Fred Jones completed research to find out what was wrong with the public education system; he discovered many things that need to be changed. Through his data he was able to identify misbehaviors that occurred most frequently in the classroom, which include wasting time in the classroom, student passivity, aimlessness, helpless hand raising, and ineffective nagging. All of these misbehaviors lead to a classroom that is not conducive for teaching effectively, and Jones also details what effective teachers do in the classroom that works. Jones goes on to explain that good teachers don’t allow students to waste time, clearly communicate to students through not only verbal but body language and keep students actively engaged in learning. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">In today’s world these children are so over stimulated from video games and television that to sit in a classroom for hours on end does not interest most children, and in many cases when children are bored, they act out. A good teachers, does not give his or her students time to act out and knows how to keep her students actively engaged in the classroom. Jones also suggests that students should be given incentives to encourage student involvement and increase responsibility. Overall, time management and communication with the students is key to a properly working classroom.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">How does William Glasser use Choice Theory and Quality Education to establish classroom discipline? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">According to Glasser there are two types of teachers, one is the boss teacher and the other is the lead teacher. He defines boss teachers as “Teachers who dictate procedures, order students to work and berate them when they do not, and are increasingly ineffective with today’s students”. He also defines lead teachers as “Teachers who provide a stimulating learning environment, encourage students and help them as much as possible are most effective in today’s learners”. The most important aspect of teaching is not that a teacher can either be good or bad but that they are relatable to the students and the students can learn something. Teachers are people and cannot be classified into a good and bad category, they have many qualities and some work for the students and some qualities that teachers have do not always work for every student. A good teacher however takes their positive qualities and makes them work for the students in the classroom. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">An important point that Glasser makes is that when the school environment is kept safe the student’s survival needs are met. Glasser explains that students sense belonging when they receive attention from the teacher and others and participate actively in class concerns. It is the job of the school and the teacher to provide for the students a warm, supportive classroom climate.

**<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">How does Spencer Kagan use structures and teacher-student same-side collaboration to establish class discipline? **

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">When teachers and students work together it provides for a classroom that is well balanced. Kagan theory of same side collaboration involves teachers, students and parents to all work together to enhance the school experience. Kagan explains the goals of his Win- <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Win discipline is that all participants benefit from using it and it is used to develop a lifelong responsible behavior. The three pillars of win-win discipline include same side, collaborative solutions and learned responsibility. All of these pillars require students to work with teachers and their parents and parent with their children’s teachers. This theory does have the ability to improve the student’s education but for it to work the way it is supposed to, all parties need to be actively involved. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">Kagan explains that all disruptive behavior can be used as an opportunity to help students learn to behave responsibly. At the moment the misbehavior occurs the student needs to be reminded of the correct way to act in the classroom. The main goal of win-win discipline is to help students learn to control themselves responsibly in various situations. Today students have less and less responsibility and in many cases it is up to the teachers to show students how to act properly. In certain situations the student’s home life takes over and students have more responsibility at home with both parents working, in which case the student may be acting out in school because they have too much responsibility at home. Either way it is the job of the teacher to know and understand the reason for the student’s misbehavior.

Maura Costello Education 531 Dr. Williams Holy Family University Reflective Paragraphs

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Chapter 2 //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">How can I anticipate my students’ behavior and deal with factors that promote misbehavior. // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The first statement of the chapter says it all, “if your teaching becomes more effective, your students are more likely to behave”. Classroom management is the key to a successful classroom. The author goes in to good detail about what to expect at what grade level with discussion about when language best develops further, maturity, becoming independent, a growing sense of right or wrong and even when in high school the students develops into a young adult and the teachers can interact with their students and understand them better. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The needs of the student are also key factors that motivate behavior. As the author suggests, the more basic needs are met, such as safety, the misbehavior in class declines. The author gives a good well thought out list about what the students need from the teachers and the schools. Another important point from the chapter is the personal and environmental factors that promote misbehavior, and the fact that effective teachers do take these factors into account in their classroom and in dealing with individual students. Know the personal and environmental factors and very easily help the teacher anticipate misbehavior. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Chapter 3 //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">How do I recognize and deal with atypical behavior that is Neurological-Based? // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">The growing number of cases of students in schools with some type of learning disorder makes this chapter vital for any person that works with children on a regular basis. Each teacher needs to know and understand the needs of their students. As discussed in great detail the “overarching name for the behavioral condition these students exhibit is neurological based behavior. (NBB) <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">A teacher is not a doctor or psychologist by any means but a teacher is around various student behaviors on a daily basis, so it is imperative for a teacher to be able to recognize the different forms of NBB and how to deal with and work with students with any type of behavior impairment. The author does a good job of explaining what the impairment is, giving examples of students actions dealing with their disabilities and how as a teacher you could approach and best teach students with these various mental or behavioral issues.

<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Chapter 4 //<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif';">What are the foundations that underlie today’s best systems of discipline? // <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Discipline is a main ingredient to classroom and school success. Through the years many different scholars have had theories on how it works best. These theories have undergone many changes and modifications over the past 60 years. Some of the main goals focus on teaching students how to accept responsibility and develop self control. Much of the focus in this chapter was on the various scholars and their theories on discipline and behavior. <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-indent: 0.5in;">Lee and Marlene Canter introduced assertive disciple that centered on a students right to learn in a calm, orderly classroom and teachers had a right to teach without being interrupted by misbehavior. These ingredients make for a well managed classroom. Students have to be able to trust and know they are safe and if your classroom is the one where they can feel safe and have a calm learning environment then as a teacher you have done your job. A classroom such as that takes much time and effort and strictness in rules on the part of the teacher. No matter what chaos may be going on in other places around the building it is good for the students to be able to go into a classroom and know that they are able to learn without all of the other distractions that can often times occur.

Chapter 6 //How do Harry and Rosemary Wong use responsibilities and procedures to establish class discipline?// The reason Harry and Rosemary Wong’s approach to discipline is so widely used is because simply, it works. They take a realistic approach to classroom management of clarifying the responsibilities of teachers and students and teaching the procedures students are to follow in class. The First days of School, the book written by the Wong’s is a tool that every teacher should use. The focus in a class room should not necessarily by disciple but a bigger focus on classroom management. One of the most noticeable strategies that the book urges is to take the first two weeks to focus on classroom rules and procedures. Most teachers who use the approach that the Wong’s offer have a smooth run classroom with procedures put in place from the start so that when the students walk in at any grade level, they know what it expected of them and they don’t have to think about what they should be doing, they just do it. In addition to the procedures the other effective piece is to identify the responsibilities of the teacher and the students so that it is clear from day one what is to be expected from both parties. Another part of what makes the //First Days of School// so easily implemented for teachers is that it gets into a lot of clear cut detail, all the way down to what their students should do at their desk such as “push your chair in when you get up”, or what supplies are permitted at the desk. Organization is another key ingredient to a successful classroom, and the //First Days of School// is a roadmap of sorts for an organized classroom that works.