In the beginning of the book, he discusses discipline a lot. He says that great teachers focus on expectations not rules. As a teacher - especially an Ag teacher - you may not always get the "cream of the crop", but great teachers will adapt to everyone and have the same expectations for everyone. These can be simple: Be respectful, be prepared, and be on time. When we focus on expectations instead of rules, we are less likely to lead students to doing something against the rules. Most students are more fearful of the unknown. If they know what will happen when they break a rule - for example detention - they will weigh they costs and benefits. If they don't know, then they are more likely to meet expectations. Maybe more importantly, the teacher needs to remember to think before they react. Is it really worth arguing with or yelling at this student? Is that an appropriate reaction? All teachers have the same "bag of tricks", but the great teachers use their bag less often and choose the right reactions at the right times.
Mrs. Hoover said in her FFA program she expects students to behave in all school aspects to be able to go on field trips and participate in other activities. So if a student was kicked out of school or had another disciplinary action against them, they will probably not be allowed to go on a field trip with the FFA.
Furthermore, we need to remember as teachers that we may be the problem. That we are the variable in the classroom. If students aren't paying attention in class or succeeding, we need to make a change in what we are doing.
Lastly, one quote that stuck with me was from a teacher the author was observing. She had been teaching a long time and still had so much enthusiasm in the classroom, so the author asked her, how? She replied, "This may be my 38th year teaching 5th grade, but for these students it is their first time around." Really puts things in perspective!
Karlie,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for sharing!! As we continue this #TeachAg Experience, a couple of notes on blogging:
1) Be sure to use labels! I anticipate you having between 20-30 blog posts by May 2018, so you will want to be able to search by labels around concepts that you can easily find everything around a topic. Feel free to use as many labels as you wish. For example, for this one I would probably use the following AEE 295, Classroom Management, Professional Reading. Once you repeatedly use a label, you can click on say AEE 295 for example and everything for that class will come up or on classroom management, etc.
2) Don't be afraid to explore multimedia. This could be pictures, YouTube Clips or even videos of you talking. Remember, a picture is worth a thousand words.
3) Consider how you title posts...instead of part 1, maybe - Explorations of Classroom Management by Great Teachers! This will help you when you are looking back.
4) Be sure to share you posts over your Twitter/Social Media :)! Just use hashtag #psuaged18 or #TeachAg or #AEE295
Great job on summarizing our discussion! Remember you need to learn to SWERVE
ReplyDeleteEverything doesn't need to be a big discipline issue...just swerve and get them back on task!
Don't make a mountain out a mole hill!
Haha...I love SWERVE..."Get your swerve on"
ReplyDelete:)
I like the idea of adding some pictures to your blog. Great job, overall!
ReplyDeleteNice reflection! We actually had Whitaker present at our school a few years ago as part of a PD day. I especially liked his tips for giving students options ("You can either do A or B"). It empowers students and gives them a voice but enables you to ensure that your classroom atmosphere supports learning. I used to take the first day to talk with my students, learn why they chose to be in my classes, and then discuss the expectations. I had only 3 rules: 1) They had to support each other's safety; 2) They had to respect each other as people and ensure the classroom was inclusive; and 3) They had to support and encourage each other's learning. I explained that neither I nor they could be successful if these rules were ever broken. If a rule was broken, I would calmly remind the student, and if the behavior continued, I gave them the option of leaving the classroom (which came with its own consequences) or correcting their behavior. Reminding students why rules are necessary for their success and others' success is definitely a key to having a well-managed classroom :)
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