A month into the 2002-03 school year, we turned our attention once
again to the new teachers on the MiddleWeb Listserv. John Norton wrote:
I know we have a lot of new and fairly new teachers on the List. It
may be a bit early to ask this, but let's give it a try:
WHAT'S BEEN THE MOST DIFFICULT ISSUE FOR YOU SO FAR?
If possible, respond in such a way that our veterans on the List can lend
you at least a "cyber" hand. I know they're ready and willing
to help.
John
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Christine finds her age is a challenge.
I have found there to be many difficult issues - organization, time
management, lesson planning - but the biggest one I face is my age. I graduated
with a degree in El. Ed. last year at the age of 45. I am finding that my
team looks at me and forgets that this is my first year of teaching. They
think I know things when I am totally clueless.
I was a stay-at-home mom for almost 20 years and although I have great household
managing skills and time management abilities at home (can get my children
at different ends of town at the same time), I am in need of ideas/tricks
for managing/organizing my class responsiblities. I should also mention
that I have NO mentor, no curriculum guide, and my LA/Reading cohorts are
feeding me information on a need-to-know basis. We plan together for the
upcoming week, but even though I have asked many times during the past three
weeks about their reading list for novel units, they just keep putting me
off.
Feel like I'm rambling ........ please forgive me ....... it's Friday .........
just venting .........
Christine
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Ashli's discovering what they didn't tell her about in teacher education.
I have a list of frustrations, mainly things they don't teach you in
"teacher school,"
1. Copy machine 101
2. 7th and 8th graders can't walk quietly down the hall without grabbing
each other, but the preK-5th graders can. Why is that? Why didn't "teacher
school" prepare me for that?
3. How can you modify the curriculum so some students who need the challenge
can get it (I have some students with a 115% average), and other students
who need a slower paced class can have that. (I have students in the same
class with 11%)
4. How to read/comprehend different teacher manuals 101
5. how to have fun with a class and not letting them "cross the line".
6. How to make modifications when an assignment is due and they need that
skill to move on, but 2 were absent, 3 didn't attempt the HW, 3 left it
at home, and everyone else did it.
7. How to drink water when needed from talking all day, yet manage to hold
"yourself" until a convenient time.
8. how to organize students work that is:
late and graded
missing assignments
make up
graded and not in the grade book
graded and in the book, ready to go back
work that is needed to keep to work on at a later date
9. What do I do with all the memos that the school gives me?
10. It is the 4th week of school. I still don't' know everyone's name. They
all wear uniforms, so they don't look different. Luckily, I am learning
personalities quicker.
Well, that seems to be my 10 BIG frustrations. If anyone has idea, please
e-mail me.
-Ashli-
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Cossondra grabbed the 'grabbing" question.
I don't know why but frequently it seems that way - at our middle school
assembly this week, (long, hot , boring.... even to me as an adult) my homeroom
wiggled and squirmed thru the entire thing - they were sitting behind the
catergorical students who are emotionally impaired and/or mentally impaired
to such a degree they are in self-contained programs -those kids (The ones
who are isolated because they "cannot" make it in reg ed) were
quiet, still, and respectful.....hmmm.. so much for stereotypes.
Middle schoolers need time to move and be loud. Unfortunately, the school
day seldom provides this opportunity excpet in the halls.
Cossondra
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Someone else wrote:
If boy/girl hand holding is a problem - I walk up to the guilty couple
and jokingly offer to hold their hands if they need that security in the
hall. I told a mom about this once, and she said, "Tell him if he needs
a hug or kiss, I will gladly come in ANY time during the day and give him
one!" When I told the young man this the next time he as kissing his
girl, he blushed profusely, and it was never a problem again!
Humor almost always helps :-)
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Principal Chris Toy tackled several of Ashli's questions.
Ashli wrote -- 7th and 8th graders can't walk quietly down the hall
without grabbing each other, but the preK-5th graders can. Why is that?
What do you do about it?
I think we'd need to know a bit more about how things are set up at your
school and what the cultural expectations are there. It's pretty hard to
completely do away with chatter and touching such as high fives, etc. I
guess the staff and student government could come up with acceptable behavioral
standards in the school. Then the staff and administration would have to
be willing to do the work of supporting those standards. I think it's important
that teachers be visible and "hands on" in order to support whatever
is agreed to. It can't be a situation where everyone agrees to what is acceptable
and then simply complain that "the kids were terrrible in the halls
yesterday, I heard them yelling and running down the halls between classes.
The structure of the building and the schedule can help or hurt. If students
have to travel long distances in the building, through narrow, crowded hallways
with the whole school out at the same time it will be more difficult to
keep things calm and relaxed.
Conversely, if each team has a nice common area that they tend to stay in
there will be less of a problem. Also, if release times are slightly different
it could reduce crowding in the hallways. Architects don't think of what
traffic patterns look like when everyone is in the halls at the same time.
I learned this from experience. When our middle school was built it won
architectural awards for its design, but it did not work well as a middle
school building. We renovated it, providing more passing room, placed student
lockers in team areas, provided larger common areas, quadrupled the size
of the library, and many other updates. It's made a world of difference
for us.
Ashli wrote -- How can you modify the curriculum so some students who need
the challenge can get it (I have some students with a 115% average), and
other students who need a slower paced class can have that. (I have students
in the same class with 11%) AND: How to make modifications when an assignment
is due and they need that skill to move on, but 2 were absent, 3 didn't
attempt the HW, 3 left it at home, and everyone else did it.
This is a huge issue. It was put to me last year very clearly. Middle schools
want to group heterogenously but often they teach as if classes were grouped
homogenously. So there is a need to learn how to teach heterogenously, or
to differentiate instruction. I'm sure there's been an archived discussion
on differentiation of instruction.
There are lots of ways to see it, and even more ways to do it. To me it
means identifying what it is you want all the kids to learn and then finding
as many different ways to help kids learn what you want them to know. This
means different ways of teaching and assessing. There are ways to manage
this, but it is definitely harder than teaching to the middle and hoping
you can help the kids who can't of won't learn, or hoping you can let the
kids who are more able work ahead on their own so they won't be bored. It's
a huge discussion and perhaps the hallmark of an accomplished teacher. It
won't happen quickly, so be patient. Do it a little at a time. Beg, borrow,
and steal ways to differentiate, then make them your own and your students'
by making changes and adjustments to fit your style, your curriculum, and
the kids' needs.
Chris
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Angie is wrestling with the challenge all new teachers face p; classroom
managment.
I'm a brand spanking new teacher (8th Language Arts)...actually, I'm
classified as a long term sub until the teacher resigns (looong story),
so I have all the responsibilities of a teacher and very few of the benefits.
I don't have a peer teacher or a mentor, yet my department is incredibly
supportive...but sometimes I feel like a bother with all of my questions,
as they have classes to teach and software to wrangle (GradeQuick, ugh!)...
The biggest problem I'm having is classroom management. I realize that most
of it is trial and error, but I'm having a hard time judging the length
of activities so that there's always something on the desk. Compounding
that is the fact that I'm a roving teacher, and I wheel my little cart from
room to room--so I don't always have extra activities at my fingertips.
Quite a few of my classes are filled with talkies, and I just don't feel
like I'm giving enough work based on the amount of chatter I try to quash.
This is probably WAY more than anyone needed to know, but I've learned SO
much from this list in the short time I've been reading--maybe someone has
a magic answer or two for me! :)
Angie
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Angie wrote: "The biggest problem I'm having is classroom management.
I realize that most of it is trial and error, but I'm having a hard time
judging the length of activities so that there's always something on the
desk."
Angie -- There is no simple answer. I've been doing this for 36 years,
and if the lesson is new I still have a difficult time judging.
Charlie Lindgren
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Chris Toy had another thought for Angie.
A short answer....See if you can plan activities that use their desire
to talk together. Move between short activities that ask students to work
together in various size groups, individually, then whole class. The time
will fly by because processing is very time consuming. I bet the veterans
here can give you hundreds of ideas and as many resources.
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Ginny has some organizational ideas.
One of the most effective organization, get-them-seated and role-taken
strategies for me is having a series of warmups. I have one for each day
of the year and often come up with new ones. They learn to come in, sit
down, get out their materials and start doing the warmup on the overhead.
They each have a spiral notebook and know to write the date and answer starting
from the back of the notebook, for we start our notes from the front. Wednesday's
question for all classes "What is YOUR definition of terrorism?"
Sometimes we discuss the question, but often we don't.
My 7th grade geography classes have an atlas under every desk and most days
there is a geography question or two and they must use the atlas to find
the info.
Hope this helps. My first year in middle school became much easier when
an experienced middle school teacher passed this hint to me. By the way,
I did not start teaching middle level until I was 48. All I knew were "little"
ones and media.
Ginny Berkey
daVinci Middle School 850 Howard Ave Eugene, OR 97404
Teacher Consultant Oregon Geographic Alliance NGSI 98
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Carolyn is a second-year teacher with new-teacher concerns.
This is my second year, but I still classify myself as "new".
Of course, I have lost my mentor (you only get that the first year) and
I am a co-team leader this year. So my list of frustrations are still long...
1. New uniform policy - I feel like the uniform police and it is the same
kids over and over..
2. How to respond to a 13 year old when they say "Why you in my face?"
3. Managing the reams of dead trees.
4. What to do with a low level class who refuses (won't, can't) to do homework.
5. I still haven't figured out an easy, low maintenance, low time method
of keeping track of grades and attendance in one grade book.
6. I have two classes that constantly talk. They stop when I raise my hand,
but then they start right up again.
I could probably think of many more, but it is Fri and I am exhausted.
Carolyn Beitzel
8th Grade Social Studies
Beverly Hills Middle School PA
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Carolyn...
When a child says something like "why you in my face," they're
hoping for drama on your part. They're saying it to shock you or enrage
you or simply because they feel embarassed or threatened. They are most
likely trying to save face. I would say "because I care" or "because
I like you and want you to succeed" or something like that.
Leighann
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Ellen's responses to Carolyn:
1. New uniform policy - I feel like the uniform police and it is the
same kids over and over..
If your administration has no system to handle this and/or is not enforcing
policy, then there is little you can do. You time is much better spent on
other battles.
2. How to respond to a 13 year old when they say "Why you in my face?"
"Because it is just oh-so-cute and in front of me all of the time.
Now, can we return to our work, or shall we table this conversation for
a later time?"
3. Managing the reams of dead trees.
Your guess is as good as mine. Anything important IMMEDIATELY gets stapled
to the bulletin board behind my desk so I don't lose it. I HATE paper!!!
4. What to do with a low level class who refuses (won't, can't) to do homework.
Figure out WHY they aren't doing it, then create strategies to address it.
Is it too difficult? Is it not connected to in class activities? Do they
not realize the impact on their grades? Does it need to be more interactive,
creative, etc? And are they really low level, or are they just lacking basic
skills but thinking at a higher level? Sometimes we give these "low"
kids remedial work which does not really meet their intellectual needs;
challenge their mental ability, and address skills in context.
5. I still haven't figured out an easy, low maintenance, low time method
of keeping track of grades and attendance in one grade book.
COMPUTER GRADEBOOK!!!!!!! Seriously. It computes your grades for you, prints
out reports....if you aren't doing your grades on the computer, you are
not using a very valuable resource. Attendance can be kept on computer as
well especially if you have a laptop and your grading program has that option.
Otherwise, create a table in Word and do a quick ABS if they're not there.
Staple it to your grades at the end of the year when you have to turn them
into the office.
6. I have two classes that constantly talk. They stop when I raise my hand,
but then they start right up again.
What is working for me right now is, (1), my constant, daily reminder that
I promised not to waste their time with anything that isn't important, and
(2), the 10:00 club. Students/classes that waste my time must report for
additional instruction during their related arts (my prep) time. This week
each class has been listed on the board for the "club," but have
been erased as they became engaged and cooperative. What has also worked
has been remaining unemotional. It is not personal, just middle school.
Find a humorous way to redirect---that really works with some of my hard
core kids. I told one kid today that if he didn't stop talking and start
paying attention to what we were doing, I was going to make him a toe jam
sandwich. We all laughed, he got the point, and we got back to business.
This after seven years of trial and error...plus two years of subbing!!
Ellen Berg
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Carolyn responded to Brenda.
Brenda Dyck wrote: "The halls are 'electrical' at times. I know
there are schools that turn the activity and interaction into a huge issue-
where I am we try to not make it a big issue unless there is utter chaos.
If we did we,d be like the wardens in a jail. Teachers need to be visible
in the halls, not glaring, but mingling, chatting with kids and smiling.
Our presence seems to make a difference in the level of chaos and dramatics
found in the hallways at our school."
Brenda, can I clarify? In my school we have this same problem. Now I am
talking 8th grade. Except, that the halls are so filled with students (our
school was built for maybe 900-1000 and there are over 1600 kids) that when
we do not maintain some type of order either someone gets hurt or a huge
fight breaks out. It seems like it is more than adolescent developmental
behavior, some of it borders on hatefulness and intimidation. Teachers are
visible, but then they ignore misbehavior which sometimes escalates later
in the day or off the school grounds. I can't begin to tell you how many
times I have heard in passing (and cannot identify the student who said
it), "watch your back", "today is it for you" and comments
of the like.I do feel like a jail warden, but the climate is so volatile..We
are supposed to start an anti-bullying program in the late fall, ,but I
wonder how it will succeed. As admin. is not always the most supportive
of changes.
Carolyn Beitzel
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Carolyn responded to Ellen:
Ellen,
re: uniforms, yes, there is an administrative policy, however, the teachers
must implement it. So everytime I see someone not in compliance I am "expected"
to take the time and write a referral to the office and they are given after
school detention. The 5th referral is suspension. So what I experience is
my feeling of "policing" the kids. AND if the child is caught
by administration then they figure out what classrooms that child has been
in so far and we get a "talk" about how we have to be vigilant,
etc....I can see that this will start to escalate into written memos of
records in our files for US not complying with the policy.
Example: a child made it through the entire day (I had her last period)
wearing black pants (color complies), stretchy pullon (not in compliance)
with red sparkly thread running through the entire material - you had to
be right next to her to see (not in compliance), as well as her red polo
shirt (compliance) untucked (not in compliance). Options - there really
should not have been any. I should have written her up and sent her to the
office. BUT, there was 20 minutes left to the day, her mother does not have
a car so would not be able to bring her appropriate clothes, so she would
sit in the principal's office and miss class time, and I was just plain
tired of having to deal with it. SO what I did, was explain the policy to
her, pointed out where she was not in compliance, let her know what her
consequenes SHOULD have been and told her my expectations that we would
not have this kind of talk again. Had I seen her earlier in the day, yes,
I would have complied with the policy.
As a parent wrote to me : "The uniforms at our school are a joke. I
object to them and am sad that UD fell for that bullshit. It's a Band-Aid.
Don't fix what's wrong in the school, just do something so the public thinks
you know what you're doing. The guidelines are so vague. Once the kids realize
nothing happens, no one will really wear it the right way. Yesterday [my
child] said she tried to keep her shirt tucked in all day till she saw other
kids walking around with their shirts hanging out so she gave up trying."
This is what I am dealing with everyday.
Do you have any suggestions that I could politely give to administration
that might help the situation? What I would like to see off the bat, is
in the morning when the kids come into school, there are adult monitors
at the door. Shouldn't they keep kids from being admitted and then bring
them en masse to the office? Could the security guards (quite another joke)
walk around to every classroom and do a uniform check and then take the
culprits away? I dont' know...It sounded good, but is more of a hassle.
I don't want to put it in the wrong light. There are probably more kids
in compliance than not. They look great. They have nice behavior. Is it
the uniforms or their homes that are making them act that way? What came
first, the chicken or the egg theory. All of the teachers have commented
these first two weeks about how "good" the kids seem this year.
Carolyn Beitzel
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Carolyn followed up on Ellen's homework advice.
I wrote: "What to do with a low level class who refuses (won't,
can't) to do homework."
Ellen replied: "Figure out WHY they aren't doing it, then create strategies
to address it. Is it too difficult? Is it not connected to in class activities?
Do they not realize the impact on their grades? Does it need to be more
interactive, creative, etc? And are they really low level, or are they just
lacking basic skills but thinking at a higher level? Sometimes we give these
"low" kids remedial work which does not really meet their intellectual
needs; challenge their mental ability, and address skills in context."
Okay, Ellen, let's see.
Difficulty -
Take the course requirement paper home, get it signed and return. 48% not
returned
Cover your textbook. 44% not covered, even though I had covers in my class,
so money was not an issue.
Answer 13 questions about yourself. Started in class and asked to finish
at home. 33% did not return it
Now, I am not giving a grade for any of these, but the students are not
aware of that. If they won't turn in something so basic will they then not
turn in something of importance? Maybe it is too early to tell.
Level? I agree with you there. I don't think they all are really low, but
have not been taught basic skills. So here they are in 8th grade, the last
year with a team before being thrown to the wolves in HS. My question: what
basic skills should I really be focusing on? Truly, I could care less what
they learn about American history (don't hang me please), but I would like
them to be able to survive another 4 years of school and (gasp) maybe even
enjoy it a little. Is there a top 10 list somewhere? Basic higher learning
skills 101? There are 27 in class and 5 special ed inclusion. I don't have
actual math/reading scores, but I am sure they are at least 2 grade levels
behind if not more.
Carolyn Beitzel
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Ellen had several responses for Carolyn.
re: uniforms, yes, there is an administrative policy, however, the teachers
must implement it. So everytime I see someone not in compliance I am "expected"
to take the time and write a referral to the office and they are given after
school detention. The 5th referral is suspension.
I am guessing from what you wrote in your background diary entry that
many of the kids in your school have been suspended over the years, so perhaps
suspension is not really a consequence. Why does admin (and many other people)
always think suspensions are the only consequence?
Do you have any suggestions that I could politely give to administration
that might help the situation? What I would like to see off the bat, is
in the morning when the kids come into school, there are adult monitors
at the door. Shouldn't they keep kids from being admitted and then bring
them en masse to the office? Could the security guards (quite another joke)
walk around to every classroom and do a uniform check and then take the
culprits away? I dont' know...It sounded good, but is more of a hassle.
We have had spotty uniform-wearing the past two years. Admin did nothing
about it, so teachers gave up. Why bother when there is no good policy in
place? We had parents tell us point blank that, "My child will NOT
wear a uniform." So, this year we put the policy on the application
so we would be able to enforce the policy more effectively. (We are a magnet
school, but not like a traditional magnet school....we have mostly neighborhood
kids and "wrong side of the tracks (city)" kids.)
What seems to be working for us this year:
1. Some kids are being stopped at the front door. We have extra uniforms,
and students must immediately go and change clothes. We hold onto their
clothes until the end of the day.
2. Our parent liasons roam through each advisory and pick out the kids with
no uniform on. They must change as well.
3. Parent liasons are calling the homes of each student without a uniform
and strongly, but politely, telling them their students MUST be in uniform.
So far, we have had few problems. In my homeroom, I have two kids who are
waiting for their uniform shirts to arrive, so they may or may not be in
compliance on a given day. I have one little girl who only had one shirt
for the longest time, but her mom washed it every evening so she could be
in uniform until her other shirts arrived.
BTW, for my writing assessment my students had to write a letter to the
principal explaining why we should or shouldn't wear uniforms. To my surprise,
about half of them were in favor of the policy. It takes the pressure off
of the "have nots."
Hope that helps you!
Ellen
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Ellen followed up on an earlier note she wrote about classroom management.
In response to a new teacher's question about management, I included
a description of my 10:00 club where I hold students during their related
arts time for individual instruction and conferences. One list member rightly
emailed me off list to ask me about doing this and the possible message
it might send to students about the "value" of related arts. I
am thankful she did, because it made me aware that I did not provide the
whole picture of what actually transpires at Turner Middle. Following is
my complete explanation of the collaboration between our team of teachers
and the related arts folks (I am sure this list member will not mind if
I share this with all of you in the interest of clarification :-) ):
EXPLANATION FOLLOWS:
I do understand your position, so I would like to try to explain the "whole
picture". In our school, the core teachers and related arts teachers
work in a "give and take" environment. All of us collaborate and
work towards the success of our students. So, regularly, core teachers give
up time to the related arts teachers if they have special projects, events,
contests, etc. If a child on our team is having a problem with a related
arts teacher, the child has to deal with the team of teachers....we have
very active, open communication. We reinforce concepts taught in related
arts, and related arts teachers are integrating core concepts and team units
in their own classrooms.
Students struggling in our core classrooms are often struggling in the related
arts classrooms because they are integrating a large amount of reading and
writing. So far I have not had any "repeaters" in the 10:00 club
because they understand that at our school, time on task and learning are
the only options. Not to say they can't struggle, but that they must always
be in pursuit of figuring it all out through asking questions, completing
assignments, staying attentive, etc. Our team also collects the grades from
the related arts teachers periodically and every half- and full-quarter.
Students who are not performing at an acceptable level (C or higher) are
pulled aside and asked what is going on, how we can help, etc. No child
on our team could ever get the impression that the core teachers do not
value related arts; we constantly send the message that mastery in all classes
is essential, and no class is okay to "dog".
I realized I didn't provide folks with the whole picture. Our school is
really becoming ever more collaborative, and we are all focusing on the
same thing. I have had related arts teachers hold my students as well for
similar reasons, and I have no problem with that whatsoever. When Johnny
returns to my room with a note of explanation, Johnny and I have a conference
about what needs to change in gym or FACS or computer or art.
I really appreciate the work the related arts teachers do. They have helped
motivate many of my students and have figured out unique ways to teach concepts
some students have always struggled with. We are united in our idea that
all of our students MUST succeed, and we support one another in that quest.
If you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask them. I am terribly
sorry to have upset you or to have sent the message that I do not value
related arts classes. That is most certainly not the case, and I work really
hard to see that my students value and respect these classes.
I am always awed by our FACS teacher because she can orchestrate the kitchen
and table areas simultaneously, no one gets hurt or angry, and the food
comes out beautifully. I think she's got better management skills than any
of us!
Ellen
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Beverly had some questions about the 10 o'clock club.
Ellen's solutions for new teachers' questions is sound--I especially
like the 10:00 club. However, I've a couple of questions about that. How
do the related arts teachers respond to kids being pulled from their classes?
Also, if a kid has some sort of personality conflict with the related arts
teacher, would he/she act out so as to be pulled from that class? One of
our related arts teachers has two classes that are pretty chaotic and he
has resorted to very authoritarian, punitive "classroom management."
At least two kids have begged me to get them out of that class by requesting
they stay with me for extra help (which they don't need).
Regarding the quieting them down strategy--I've resorted to something Dee
Bench, a consultant and principal from a Colorado middle school demonstrated
this summer; I thought it was pretty lame, but it works.
She says, calmly and in a natural tone, "Quiet Please, One." Then
2 to 5 seconds later, "Quiet please, Two." Then, "Quiet Please,
Three." That gives kids a chance to finish a conversation and settle.
It takes at the most ten seconds. Kids do it, and understand the difference
between that system and "Quiet please," followed by the yelling
of "I said, 'QUIET!" It is a very civil, respectful way to call
the kids to attention or to make a transition from group work to whole-class.
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Brenda had more to say about homework assignments.
"Students are volunteers, whether we want them to be or not. Their
attendance can be commanded, but their attention must be earned. Their compliance
can be insisted on, but their commitment is under their own control."
-- Phillip Schlechty, president, Center for Leadership in School Reform
In response to Carolyn's question about what to do with a low level class
who won't do homework, Ellen suggested finding out "why" they
weren't doing it. I couldn't agree more. Identifying the "why"
will be key to finding a solution. I would like to suggest a problem solving
tool called an "Interrelationship Diagraph". This is an amazing
graphic organizer that provides a way to see beyond isolated events to the
deeper patterns, connections and root causes that explain many of the problems
that confront us in our classrooms. When you feel like old approaches aren't
working anymore, this is the time to use this tool. I've used it to isolate
"why" kids bully, and "why" the students leave the room
in disarray. Equipped with this understanding you can make changes and form
solutions (with your kids). Each time I've done this with a class I find
out "my" contribution to the problem. Taking ownership of that
seems to unleash the kid's to take ownership of "their" responsibility
in the problem.
Here's how the Interrelationship Diagraph works:
Gather kids together and write the question at the top of the board:
"Why Don't Students Do Homework?"
As kids name reasons, write them on cards and tape them to the board (under
the title). Try to have as many as possible. Here are a few that would likely
come out:
Dance Lessons/Hockey after school
I have to take care of my siblings after school
My parents aren't home to help me
Too much homework (2 hours plus)
I don't know what to do when I get home
Teacher assignments are unclear (so I don't know what to do when I get home)
Etc...
From here you will ask the kids to identify causes and effects. Draw an
arrow from the cause to the effect. So for example (using the examples above):
Because I have Hockey after school, 2 hours of homework is too much. You
would draw an arrow from "Hockey" to "Too much homework"
Or
Because Teacher assignments are unclear, I don't know what to do when I
get home. You would draw an arrow from "Teacher assignments" to
"Don't know what to do"
You can only have one arrow coming off a cause, many arrows can go to an
effect. Keep doing this until all cause/effects have been identified. Now
count how many arrows are coming off any cause. Some will have many arrows
coming off it. List them from the most to the least. The first four are
top root causes of "why kids don't do homework". These are the
driving forces that will have the greatest impact on the problem you are
trying to solve.
I have often been surprised by the root causes that come out of this exercise.
From here you can make a plan with your students. As I said before, the
teacher will usually have a role in the problem (in the example above, it
might be unclear homework assignment sheets so that when kids get home they
don't know what to do, or their parents can't figure it out to help them).
I have a few digital pictures of one of my Interrelationship Diagraph (the
bullying one, I think). If you'd like to see them I can email them to you.
Just let me know.
Here is a link to information about this problem solving tool:
http://relish.concordia.ca/Quality/tools/17interdiagram.pdf
http://www.questlearningskills.org/weblessons/definerelation.htm
Brenda Dyck
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brenda- Thanks so much for all your thought. I too am the most disorganized
person on the planet. I am trying to come up with a system that works for
me concerning all those papers! It is slowly but surely coming along.
-Ashli-
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Deborah Bova described her school's school uniform policy.
At Raymond Park Middle School, our policy is called "uniformly
dressed"-- no jeans or skimpy tops... and no shorts or capri pants,
etc.
In advisory, our homeroom, teachers are to note which kids are not uniformly
dressed... we write it down and give it to our grade level administor or
we call and leave a message. They track the kids down by the end of first
period and get them into different clothes (we have donated clothes and
they are always laundered and ready to go-- we have all sizes).
If we have to do that repeatedly, we go ahead and have an after school detention...
which is manned by the inschool suspension lady who comes to school about
45 minutes later each day in order to spend 45 minutes a day after school
with detainees.
Our kids look better than the kids in our sister schools who have fewer
kids on free lunch... by about 30 percent. Our kids act better -- noted
when the three schools are at jamborees or gatherings for all three middle
schools. Some of the high school teachers have commented on the fact that
they can tell the middle school from which the kids originate based on the
behavior
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laura is a first year special education teacher with several challenges
in the afternoon!
I'm frustrated. I am a first year teacher, teaching special education
to a VE (Varying Exceptionalities), multiage class. I team teach with my
mentor, who is wonderfully helpful, and we have an aide we share, but she
is usually in my classroom. We share 3 portables- one is for life skills
(primarily cooking), one is my mentor's classroom and the other is mine.
She teaches Language Arts & Social Studies, I teach Science & Math,
and we both teach life skills: so far school- to- work skills and cooking
on Fridays. We have 30 kids between us, and we switch classes about halfway
through the day. I'm pretty happy with my morning group. My afternoon group
is a different story!
Our school has a set of 5 rules, the basic ones: raise hand, stay in seat,
no teasing, hands etc to self, arrive on time. My afternoon kids are having
a really hard time following them. Namely- they talk and get out of their
seats a lot. I feel like my afternoon group is just a long a series of disruptions.
I find myself yelling- but I'm told by some teachers that I smile too much,
and my aide and kids say to me that I'm "so nice" and that I don't
really yell. But I do! It's awful!
We are using sort of a modified point and level system- using lottery tickets,
and the number each kid earns gets different reward activities each Friday.
Some of the kids are responding well, but others seem to shape up just long
enough to get a ticket, then they start talking again, and walking around,
poking each other. Certain things land them in time out, and if they can't
get it together in the room TO, I send them to the "Student Redirect
Center" which is a quiet room where they work on busywork and discuss
their behavior one-on-one with an adult. I haven't tried making parent phone
calls yet, but I think that is what I will be doing next week. We also have
an attention signal (like Harry Wong suggests), and sometimes it works,
sometimes it doesn't.
I really want to bring joy into the classroom, and teach kids in a way that
inspires and lifts them up. However it seems like a cycle has begun- they
misbehave, I become negative, then they have more reason to misbehave, then
I get more annoyed...
Does anyone have any tips on how I can break this cycle? I want to be more
positive!
Also, anyone want to share some behavior/classroom management tips with
me?
thanks!
Laura
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Brett had an idea for Laura.
I'd say the students who are using your system are the ones who can
handle more difficult assignments. Empower them through exploring Science/Math
in a deep and meaningful way (how...sorry I wish I had an answer for you)
which will challenge them. Once these students who might be misbehaving
because they're bored work hard to research, analyze, and find solutions
to their problems then you might see a change in the overall classroom behavior.
These students can play video games for 3 hours straight on end, how can
they focus in yours for 45 min?
I just read an article on flowers in National Geographic. Have these students
do a research project that answers, "Why are flowers so vital to our
survival?" Once they discover that flowers can also contain fruit then
they'll start to realize how important they really are. Just a thought.
Hope this helps.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Principal Chris Toy had some ideas for Laura.
A key to any plan is having the students AND their parents involved
and buying into the plan.
Based on your description of how some of the kids are responding, or rather
manipulating the token economy you've set up, there are some adjustments
that might help it to work better. It wasn't clear to me whether there are
both positive and negative consequences that are meaningful to the students.
You mentioned they will do what is necessary to get a reward, then, when
getting the reward, they act out. What does that tell you?
Take a look at the structure of the day, and of your program. Is it something
about the morning and afternoon? Maybe the kids are coming to you tired?
Can the days be flip flopped so you aren't getting them always at the same
time?
Then there's a more difficult thing to do. Step back from your instruction
and look at it. Is there anything you can change in what you do to anticipate
and head off unwanted behavior? Do you have any thoughts as to what is behind
it? Maybe it isn't working to do the same things in the AM and the PM due
to the time difference. Or maybe it's just that the needs of the kids are
different.
Chris Toy
Principal
Freeport Middle School
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
School director Naomi Smith got back to basics.
<< I really want to bring joy into the classroom, and teach kids
in a way that inspires and lifts them up. However it seems like a cycle
has begun- they misbehave, >>
Try an activity choice time. Key here is Choice by students and active.
Good instruction is the most important part of good management. Let them
learn your subject through art, crafts, group projects, computer, etc.
Naomi
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sharon had some additional advice for Laura.
Laura wrote: "My afternoon group is a different story!"
-- There's your first clue! My kids are wound up and tired at the same time
in the afternoons. Is it possible to take a ten minute break to have a snack
and chat time? The idea of flipping times with the other teacher is an excellent
suggestion. Have you asked her how the kids are for her? If they are the
same, no need to switch. If not, ask her what classroom management system
she has. Perhaps you could reshuffle the kids if that would help.
Laura wrote: "Our school has a set of 5 rules, the basic ones: raise
hand, stay in seat, no teasing, hands etc to self, arrive on time."
-- Sounds like those rules are generic to the whole population. Perhaps
your students need something different. Perhaps you could use a beanbag
toy or something as a symbol of who has permission to talk rather than raising
hands. The student must have the object to speak.
Laura wrote: "They talk and get out of their seats a lot."
-- Maybe you could divide up your teaching time so they have short activities
at their desks and other activities that involve movement and/or group work.
I feel like my afternoon group is just a long a series of disruptions. I
find myself yelling- but I'm told by some teachers that I smile too much,
and my aide and kids say to me that I'm "so nice" and that I don't
really yell. But I do! It's awful!
Laura wrote: "We are using sort of a modified point and level system-
using lottery tickets, and the number each kid earns gets different reward
activities each Friday."
-- Sounds like waiting until Friday is too long for a reward. There should
be some daily reward or even more frequenteg. ten minutes of free time,
computer time, etc. Canter has a book with a list of possible awards if
you need suggestions. If you are using a point or token system, it is not
horrible to take back a point or token if a rule is broken. I know we are
supposed to be positive but there are natural consequences for not following
rules.
Laura wrote: "Some of the kids are responding well, but others seem
to shape up just long enough to get a ticket, then they start talking again,
and walking around, poking each other."
-- Once again, if you plan your activites to involve talking and movement,
you will not set up the power struggle.
Laura wrote: "I haven't tried making parent phone calls."
-- Perhaps, in some cases, you could set up a daily progress report that
ties into a privilege at home.
Laura wrote: "yelling....doesn't usually do any good anyway (helps
ME sometimes).
-- I use a stop watch and say in a regular voice, I need your attention
at the count of three. Then at three I start the stop watch. The class loses
free time seconds or passing period seconds. I use the "teacher look"
at lot also.
Hang in there. Some classes are just difficult. Hope this helps.
Sharon in Seattle
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cy seized the moment.
WOW...what a great time to ask about problems!
I just started my second year teaching. I'm assigned to a team of 4 teachers
- two are new and the 3rd has been teaching for 6 years. I'm teaching, or
supposed to be teaching, a team of approx 80 6th grade retained students.
Some have been retained as many as 3 times. We can't offer alternative education
solutions until they turn 15 ( a year before they can legally drop-out).
My frustrations:
1. Motivating the students ( I'm so frustrated I can't even motivate myself
at this point!)
2. Classroom management
3. Curriculum modification
Teachers were told to modify the curriculum on an individual basis. I was
told to ditch trying to 'teach' science to them and just help them read
and write better as well as integrate math into the content. Math integration
is no problem for me but I have no idea how to begin with the 'hard-core'
reading that they want me to implement in my classroom. All middle schools
on our district are using the Achievement First model of literacy. We have
received no training or guidance on ways to implement this model. I they
say is, "You have to have a reading center, writing center, process
charts, etc.". What's the point of having all this if I don't know
how to implement them into my classroom.
There is so much more to my situation that I want to cry. After school,
I asked my principal if I could transfer or if he could 'switch' teachers
so that I could leave. Of course my request was out of the question. I feel
like our team was set up to fail. It has only been 2 weeks of school and
I have already determined that this will not be a successful year for me.
I really love teaching but when I'm in situations where I have no support
I often times fail. I'm trying to support myself but that's not helping.
I could go on complaining but that just makes me even more frustrated.
I had considered using the 'Layered Curriculum' approach to my classes but
I'm not sure if that will work with them. BTW, I teach in Baltimore City
School District. We are one of the largest school districts in the state
with the lowest test scores. Our district is concentrating so much on creating
new innovative schools that I feel like they have forgotten the students
in the low performing schools. I just don't know what to do to pick myself
up to return to work on Monday.
Cy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Laurie had some questions for Cy.
Cy, Are there specific reasons your students have been kept back so
many times? I think if you can focus on each reason aand address it that
way it might be easier to problem solve. For example, if it's frequent absences,
why are these kids out so much? Are they the main babysitter at home for
younger siblings while parents work? Are they school phobic? Are these kids
the ones that should have been cored but slipped through the cracks and
have learning disabilities that haven't been identified?
Do you have a mentor? I am a mentor in our school system and I give all
my mentees my home number and e-mail. We have all been trained how to problem
solve with our mentees; going into their rooms to observe and help trouble
shoot big problems with our mentees.
Asking a teacher to implement a program that they haven't been trained for
is not only professionally insulting, it's just not fair! Are there any
veterans in yur building who are familiar with these programs that they
want you to implement? Maybe you can visit their classroom when they are
utilizing it to show you how to model it.
I do know these first weeks, even the first month, is very stressful for
all of us (and I've been teaching 23 years). There is always something new
that the people above want us to do differently (my system wants me to test
3 kids by next month to see if they qualify for special ed. using a new
testing program, but won't even buy the required tape recorder ("you
can go to Radio Shack and buy it for $59!")
As for reading: I use novels that are about Gr. 4 reading level, but high
interest and buy study guides at teacher stores with activities for comprehension.
I find most kids that are at risk can decode but can't comprehend. Boookbag
magazine has great ideas for novels with questions and projects. I'm not
sure what grade you teach in Science but I can share tons of ideas that
the 2 mainstream teachers I co=teach with use depending on yur curriculum.
Most are project-based because the majority of our LD kids are mainstreamed
and don't do well with reading and comprehending type lessons (do most kids?!)
Hang in there. I was actually thinking of leaving my job this summer and
ironically teaching in either Annapolis or some of the other cities/towns
near you! (I had a bad year last year and didn't know if it would be better
this year).
Make sure you rent a funny movie, go out with friends, do something unrelated
to school this week-end.
Laurie
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cy responded to Laurie.
Most of the students that I'm teaching this year were held back because
they didn't make the district standard on the CTB/Terra Nova Reading and
Math. At the end of the school year, these students were identified and
were required to attend summer school. Even after attending summer school
and re-taking the test, they still did not fall within the 23rd percentile
as required in the promotion policy. This is the policy for grades 1-8.
There was a total of 20,000 students retained this year. Only about 20 of
the students I teach had problems with attendence, behavior, etc that would
have prevented them from being successful in previous years. It's almost
as if they have given up but come to school because they have to.
I had a mentor last year. I won't have her again this year. Only first year
teachers get a mentor. So since I'm in my 2nd year, I'm just out of luck.
I have spoken with my principal on several occasions over the past 2 weeks
and he keeps promising to try to remedy our teams situation. I'm still waiting.
Asking teachers to implement programs that they haven't been trained in
is typical Baltimore City. Then when the 'Big Guns' don't see any improvement,
they want to fire teachers. It's always the teachers fault. It's very discouraging.
I need ideas on how to get non to slow readers reading and comprehending
to at least make it to the 23rd percentile by spring. I think even the 23rd
percentile isn't on grade level. Ask your science teachers for good strategies
for those types of students. Thank would be a great help.
Maryland is a great state. Montgomery County is a great district to work.
They are very supportive of their teachers and take teaching quality very
seriuosly. The running joke in the Baltimore is that if you're out of work
with a college degree...apply for a job to teach in the city. They'll hire
anyone. Sad...sooo sad.
Cy
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Kate shared some of her difficult issues.
-- Providing instruction which is suitable, beneficial, and challenging
to a group of extremely different ability levels
-- Implementing active participation activities in classes where students
refuse to work with each other or out-and-out ridicule each other
-- Resonding to the above behavior in a way that WORKS! That's something
I have REALLy struggled with. The way these kids talk to each other is stunning
to me. There is so little empathy for others. I teach in a special ed cross-cat.
class (the first year the school has gone to this model), and you'd think
the BD kids would be the biggest management problem, but instead they're
the biggest targets. How can I deal with this in a productive manner without
further stigmatizing the targets? One on one, the kids are usually OK with
each other, but once one starts, we just have a pack mentality take over.
I feel like I spend the majority of those classes just dealing with the
behaviors (this is only a major problem with one group of students, but
I have them twice a day).
-- Figuring out how and what to grade. In my reading classes, we do a lot
of discussion-type activities. Other than chapter quizzes, I've had a hard
time developing "grade-able" instructional activities.
-- Developing a behavior management system that works for me. I know that
this is something that should have been in place for the past several weeks.
I share students with another special ed teacher, and in the interests of
consistancy (and in the absence of a better idea), I took on her behavior
management system (basically a Lee Canter, Assertive Discipline-type of
program). This works great for my teammate, but my problem is that I'm not
completely "bought-in" to the program. My leaning is away from
the rewards for good behavior systems, but I don't have any idea what to
replace it with. You know how they talk about how, in behavior mod, when
you extinguish a behavior you need to replace it with an alternate, more
appropriate behavior? Well, I need that more appropriate behavior! I have
Alfie Kohn's book, and I'm plowing through it. I guess I need to skip ahead
to the chapters where he suggests his "better way", but does anyone
have any other suggestions?
Thanks for any and all help...especially for letting me vent!
Kate
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cossondra had ideas about active participation.
Assign partners sometimes - let students choose others -Rotate seats
- choose numbers to assign partners - make it a game to choose partners
so it is fun - choose 1/2 kids on class to choose a partner. (I try to choose
all the difficult students or all the girls or all the popular kids or all
the non-popular kids...etc... - this way they cannot always work with another
trouble maker - girl - popular kid - etc...)
When they complain to me about the partners when I choose, I very unsympathetically
say, "He probably doesn't want you as a partner anymore than you want
him as yours. Good thing this partnership is for only one project."
Then I turn and walk away. It sounds somewhat cruel but it works! They are
so dumbfounded by my honesty and unsympathetic ear, they go sit and get
to work.
Cossondra George
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Toy took on Kate's grading question.
Many of my teachers have created a kind of checklist that they use to
assess kids during participation type activities. They identify three or
four key components they want to see from students as they participate in
the activity. THey let the students know what those components are. While
the activity is happening the teacher moves around the room with a clipboard.
Each student's name is on the clipboard along with the four criteria. The
teacher simply places some grading mark in each column as it is observed
during the activity. In a class of 20 students I've seen the teacher do
the whole class in about 20 minutes. I suppose you could tell the students
what the three or four criteria are that you are looking for, but only assess
one or two each time.
Chris Toy
Principal
Freeport Middle School
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
M. Vallarino shared some cooperative learning insights.
Kate -- One of the elements in cooperative learning teaches students
the social skills necessary to be part of team by having them review ahead
of time the expected behaviors before the activity begins by using a T chart.
On an overhead projector make a T chart with SEE and HEAR. Have students
come up with the expected behaviors. They should include:
See- students working, students helping one another, students facing one
another, students listening by looking at the speaker, students in their
seats and many more.
Hear- students discussing their work, 6 inch voices, students praising one
another, students disagreeing by saying I don't agree because..... and give
the reason why.
NO PUT DOWNS.( I usually give them examplesof this: You greasy slime ball!
You're so stupid, You four eyed blob, etc, etc, etc.
At the end of the activity you can have closure by asking them how they
worked as a group.( 5 is the best -1 the worst ) and what they can do to
improve.
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