Ch. 14 “How do C.M. Charles and Others Energize Their Classes?

Charles places a lot of emphasis on synergy (when two or more entities are brought together and begin feeding physical or psychic energy to each other, p.249).  He believes that when teachers take advantage of the natural synergy in the room and enhance it with exciting exercises and lessons, the students have less opportunity or desire to misbehave.  It is important to develop a classroom ethics and trust as a whole, and the teacher should spend time early on in the year to create a feeling of togetherness.  Charles also suggests making use of your natural charisma, or developing some if you’re a bit short on it.  Things like charm, friendliness and enthusiasm are contagious.  A synergetic teacher should also keep open lines of communication flowing between himself and the rest of the students as well as between the students individually.  Charles also uses the word “coopetition”.  As in, cooperating in competition.  I like this phrase a lot, and it always gets everyone in the class engaged and excited.  Another important aspect of synergetic teaching is solving problems that arise between teachers and students immediately through discussion and encouragement.  In the chapter, Charles even provides a 5 session process for developing a discipline plan with the students.  He goes on to say that working together to find a solution is most often better than using punishment in order correct misbehavior.

Marilyn Page suggests changing the language we use while teaching in order to promote more interesting teaching.  By changing the word teaching to learning the teacher can think in terms of “how can I best help Doug learn this” instead of “how can I teach this to Doug the best?”.  She also suggests changing lesson to learning plan, unit to investigation, cover to discover, and presentations to interactive learning experiences.  All of these changes are turning the attention to the student and away from the teacher, as well as making everything sound a little more exciting. 

Benna Golubtchik suggests creating a multisensory classroom, using colors and three dimensional models and problem solving questions to steer learning.  She suggests using kinesthetic activities in order to tap into all sensory modalities. 

Rosemary Shaw Is an advocate for multi-media technology, and uses the internet as a teaching tool in her classroom.  She suggests a six step process to help students conduct online research.  1. Questioning-students must understand the project.  2. Planning-students choose a topic and decide on resources needed.  3. Gathering-students get online and begin to siphon through primary and secondary resources.  4.  Sorting and sifting-students now start to assemble all the information they’ve gathered.  5. Synthesizing-students put everything together into a coherent report.  6. Evaluation-students review everything and make sure all requirements are met.

Nancy Powell suggests using marker boards to keep students engaged.  I read this section and the only thing I could see was using something like iPads instead of marker boards.  Sounds a little ‘80’s for a 2008 report.  The concept is still the same.  Each student is responsible for responding to a question or prompt and must answer individually. 

Ch. 13 How Do Leading Experts Engender Respect and Civility in the Classroom?

This chapter gives three examples of leading experts’ opinions on how to teach and cultivate a classroom environment that is based on respect and civility.   

The first expert, Dr. P.M. Forni believes that it is the teacher’s responsibility to promote and teach civility in the classroom.  He lists several values and behaviors that he believes are necessary in doing so, including politeness, good manners, tolerance, and helpfulness, among many others.  In his opinion, teachers can use what he terms “rules of considerate conduct” to create a respectful atmosphere.  In short, his theory is based on building mutual respect in the classroom by cultivating kindness, goodness, and self control.  I like to think of him as the “Fruits of The Spirit” guy.  

The next expert, Dr. Michele Borba, takes a similar approach in that she promotes building moral intelligence, stating that teachers should target and address specific behaviors that damage respect in the classroom.  She lists seven “Virtues of Goodness” that she claims are “universally” accepted by all societies (she should talk to some anthropologists  I know about universals in society).  They include empathy, conscience, self-control, respect, kindness, tolerance and fairness.  As a teacher, it is important to model these behavioral characteristics so that students learn them and put them into practice every day.

The final expert, Diane Gossen, believes that self-restitution is the solution to curtailing misbehavior and promoting a respectful classroom.  She created what she calls the “Restitution Triangle” which provides a visual representation for solving problems between students (which to me looks about as useful as flying a plane through the Bermuda Triangle).  Gossen’s Triangle starts out by “stabilizing” the students, moves on to making them feel better by pointing out what they didn’t do wrong, and then helps them decide what things they could have done differently in order to avoid the problem the next time.  I’d like to invite Ms. Gossen to teach in an inner city school in America instead of on a Native Canadian reservation in Saskatchewan to see if her plan works as well as she thinks.   

Sorry if this last bit comes off as rude, but I absolutely disagree with Gossen’s plan, due mostly to my experience with kids here and the ridiculous idea that sitting down and talking out problems with two kids who were just about to stab each other will make the slightest difference.  I like the first two expert opinions and agree that teaching respect is essential in maintain good behavior, but I can’t see any aspect of Gossen’s plan that would work where I teach.  I do believe that promoting the things listed in Galatians 5:22-23, the Fruits of The Spirit, is a great idea.  Unfortunately, it shouldn't take an "expert" to point out that these are things teachers should be doing on a daily basis anyway.  As a figure of authority, and perhaps the only consistent figure of authority a kid might have, teachers should be teaching kindness, goodness, self-control, and forgiveness all the time...without having to be reminded to do so. 

Ch. 12 “How do top teachers establish personal influence with students who are difficult to manage?”

Chapter 12 provides several examples of how teachers can effectively shape relationships with their students, particularly those who seem to have repeated behavioral problems.  The chapter explains eight different viewpoints from respected authorities.

Dave Hingsburger points out that teachers have enormous power over their students and that wielding that power appropriately can produce great results.  He urges teachers to understand that many times the students that misbehave have a different perspective on life, and in order to communicate and teach effectively the teacher must learn to accept students as they are, and to move forward from there.  While viewpoints might differ, teacher and student can still share emotions, thoughts and ideas with each other in a respectful way.

Stephen Covey, author of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, writes that a teacher must first understand the viewpoint of their students in order communicate with them effectively.  The teacher must appreciate that the student’s frame of reference is from that of a child, not of an adult.  He writes “seek first to understand, then to be understood”.  

Haim Ginott believes teachers must use what he calls “congruent language” in order to confer dignity upon the student.  He says “…I am the decisive element in the classroom.  It is my personal approach that creates the climate…In all situations it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated”.  He also reminds teachers to always be sure to teach in the present tense, moving forward while leaving previous interactions and situations behind.  Ginott also discouraged punishment as a deterrent of misbehavior.

Jane Nelson and Lynn Lott looked at teacher behavior as the main force for either nurturing or inhibiting 

relationships in the classroom.  They identified five pairs of behaviors and gave positive and negative aspects to each, called builders and barriers.  First, teachers should talk with students about expectations for the class instead of assuming the expectations.  Second, teachers should allow students to explore a situation in order to make a decision instead of being told the “right” way to do it.  Third, teachers need to encourage cooperation and self-guidance and should not dictate and direct every aspect of the classroom.  Fourth, teachers should celebrate students’ successes and encourage them to achieve instead of judging negatively for failure.  Fifth, and last, teachers and students need to work in a mutually respectful atmosphere, and teachers need to avoid being “parental” in their tone and instruction.

William Glasser believes that students that misbehave are probably unhappy in the classroom and with the type of instruction they receive.  He stresses positive influence over negative feedback, urging teachers to be caring, listening, encouraging and trustworthy.  He believes that all students are capable of competent work, and that it is the responsibility of the teacher to ensure a strong connection to the student.

Tom Daly recommends teachers look at themselves and consider adopting a different style or approach in order to stop misbehavior.  He believes that teachers should take the time to develop personal relationships with the most difficult students, and to put an end to habits that are controlling.  He contends that when a student likes his teacher he is much more likely to respect him as an authority figure.

Richard Curwin and Allen and Brian Mendler all worked together on several books that focus on behaviorally at risk students.  Their theory is that a student who misbehaves likely feels his dignity is being challenged, and therefore reacts negatively.  Teachers must instill in these students a feeling of hope for the future and interact with them in a way that promotes dignity and self-respect.  Teachers should also ensure the material and its presentation are attractive and exciting in order to promote success.

Ed Ford uses what he calls the Responsible Thinking Process in which students learn to conduct themselves effectively and responsibly.  The RTP helps students to “understand what they want for themselves and in life and learn how to develop plans for getting what they want, while not infringing on the rights of others”.  The intent is for students to develop a sense of responsibility for their own life, and to teach them to recognize that their behaviors affect those around them, either positively or negatively.  Ford believes that students who misbehave will continue to do so until this change takes place, and that punishments and rewards can only produce short term results, not permanent change. 

Seganti's Approach (CH.11)

Craig Seganti's approach to classroom management is relatively strict and structured, but given the area he's done most of his work in (inner city L.A.) I can see why his approach works so well.  He provides four elements that weave together to ensure an effective teaching and learning environment. 

Teacher Attitude
Seganti says that when dealing with students, teachers need to remember four key things.  Actions speak louder than words, so don't waste time arguing and explaining things to students.  Instead, have a well laid out set of rules and when students break them, immediately react and hand out whatever punishment fits the situation.  Second, he believes that warnings are a waste of time, just like arguing, and that the only warning a student has is on the first day of class when the rules are explained.  Any infraction after that is met with consequences.  Seganti also believes that rewarding students is just like bribing them to get an education and is ineffective in the long run.  Lastly, he emphasizes the importance of communicating with the students.  He doesn’t ask questions in disciplinary situations, instead, he states the rules and consequences and simply moves on.
Student Accountability
The teacher must establish effective rules and then make sure the students understand them clearly.  He lays out several recommendations on what the rules should entail, including procedures for entering and leaving the room and behavior expectations while under instruction.  I specifically like his point on student readiness.  He says that the rule should center on how students enter the room, what materials are necessary for the class, and how to move about the classroom during instruction.  While his examples are a good starting point, they are by no means the absolute law in creating classroom rules. 
Leverage
Seganti says that rules are ineffective if there are no set consequences for breaking them.  He recommends a short 15 minute detention after school as the first step in his consequences.  The teacher will most likely be in the school at least 15 minutes after the final bell rings anyway, and while it isn’t necessarily a long time, it inconveniences the  student in a way that he will not like to have to repeat.  There are other alternatives, he says, depending on the school system’s rules and guidelines for punishment.  However, most administrators will agree with a strict and consistent punishment.

Management Tactics

Seganti also emphasizes the importance of organizing and maintaining the type of classroom you wish to see every day.  His recommendations include dressing professionally, insisting on silence and compliance, using good organization, listening to students, speaking only in statements, holding students accountable, keeping them busy, and never give in to manipulation tactics. 

I like this approach to discipline, although I can see times when it would be hard for me to follow my own rules.  I like being sarcastic sometimes, I like being loud and laughing in the classroom, and especially don’t consider myself to be a strict disciplinarian like Seganti.  However, if his approach works so well in such a difficult place to teach, it should also work well everywhere.