I had a somewhat similar experience to what Marcos
Torres mentions in his video. I guess I had forgotten what
it was like to be a student as a child because I also expected the
students to sit down and listen to me lecture on. Of course it was a
disaster. It may have taken Mr. Torres a few months to correct his mistakes in
applying discipline but it definitely took me a lot longer.
I gradually learned that I was creating a me against them situation which
not benefiting anyone. Although I got a long with the students I was
having a real hard time creating an environment where students were listening
to the teacher and one another. Now I general will allow a certain level
of talk and goofing around among the students as long as the class is generally
working well and on task. One of the best ways ensure the class is behaved and
staying on task it to constantly walking around and interacting with the students.
This is key when giving a lecture or having a class discussion but it is especially
important the students are doing independent or small group work. If things are
getting out of hand I usually walk over and start talking to the students about
the task at hand or whatever they are talking about and they usually get the
hint and go back to work.
When introducing rules and expected classroom
norms I am a big fan of discussing what they should be with the students. By
doing so it gets the students thinking about what type of behaviour will be the
best for the classroom environment. If a student comes up with a crazy rule
that is inappropriate then questioning the student and talking about it will
allow you to eventually discard it when they realize how unfeasible the rule
is. In general it is possible to guide the rules and classroom norms to where
you want them to be but the students feel like they had a role in creating
them.
My non-negotiables
are definitely fewer that when I first started as a teacher. I
have definitely relaxed on a lot of rules that I would have had
at the beginning. As I said above, I was creating a we vs. them scenario and
I would take a lot of the little offences somewhat personal and
as a challenge to my authority as the teacher. It would have to
depend on the age level I was teaching but if I had to list the non-negotiables
that I expect now in my class my list would look like this:
·
Show
respect for others in the classroom. This of course means not
physical harm but also speaking to classmate and the teacher respectfully. Joking
around is ok as long as the playful intent is clear.
·
Do
your own work. No
cheating or copying.
·
Try
your best. I am willing
to let a lot slide in a classroom discussion if the students are participating
a engaged in the lesson.
·
No
cellphones. This is one
that I go back and forth on with my middle school students. While I would like
to respect their freedom and trust them to be responsible enough to control the
urge to use their phones for extended times during the lesson, the reality is
they can’t seem to control themselves. I can’t really fault them too much as I
just checked my phone as I was writing that last sentence.
Classroom meetings can be a valuable method to have the students reflect on the situations and behaviours that have happened the past week (or however often the meetings are scheduled). Like any subject that is being taught and learned, review and reflecting on what has happened or the class has learned can be helpful. The video from this activity is an excellent example of how classroom meetings can be effective and how the students are thinking about the concepts and it will make a lasting impression and more than likely affect their decision to act in a negative manner in the future.
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