MODULE 38i9
PREPARATION FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR AND MAINTAINING
STUDENT BEHAVIOR
Introduction: This module focuses on preparation for the school year and maintaining student behavior. As you read about and explore each of the topics found in Chapters 3-5, reflect and make connections to either your teaching practice or the practices of the teachers you believe have most influenced you.
Grading: This assignment is worth 90 points. Please see the rubric for the grading of this assignment. Keep in mind that excessive grammar, punctuation, spelling, and composition errors will result in a reduction of points for this assignment. Failure to submit the assignment by the due date may result in a reduction equivalent to a letter grade reduction.
Due Date: The due date for this assignment may be found in the course assignment link in Canvas or on the course calendar in the syllabus.
Format:
· Submit your assignment as ONE Word Document via the appropriate assignment function.
· You must use Microsoft Word, font TNR, size 12, single spaced
· Use headings (example – Section 1: Vocabulary), so that sections are clearly labeled.
· Be thorough in your responses to each section.
I. Vocabulary
Directions: In your own words, fully define each term/concept and provide an example from the real word of education, preferably your school setting. Make sure to label the definition and label the example. Follow the example included below with the term “Substitute folder.” (Worth 2 points each, for a total of 14 points)
a. Substitute folder
Definition:
Example:
b. Situational assistance
c. Dominance
d. Cooperation
e. Emotional objectivity
f. Desists
g. Satiation
Make sure to include the question when answering the short answer- question.
II. Short-Answer Questions (worth a total of 60 points)
Answer each of the following in approximately two or three sentences.
Chapter 3
SECTION 1. MAKING MANAGEMENT AND INSTRUCTIONAL PREPARATIONS
1.What are the reasons for stopping inappropriate behavior quickly?
SECTION 2. PREPARING FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR
2.Identify several guidelines for decisions in planning for the first day of school and briefly explain each.
SECTION 3. ORGANIZING YOUR CLASSROOM AND MATERIALS
3.What are the five keys to good room arrangement? Briefly explain each.
Chapter 4
SECTION 1. RULES IN THE CLASSROOM
1. Why is it helpful to discuss the reasons for each classroom rule? When teaching classroom rules, why is it helpful to provide specific examples of behaviors that meet or break a rule?
SECTION 2. PROCEDURES IN THE CLASSROOM
2.What are the advantages of the teacher demonstrating a procedure to students?
SECTION 3. HELPING STUDENTS ASSUME RESPONSIBILITY FOR THEIR BEHAVIOR
3.Identify several general classroom procedures that can enhance student responsibility for their behavior.
Chapter 5
SECTION 1. BUILDING POSITIVE TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIPS
1.Identify four ways that teachers can communicate caring and support to their students. Describe two ways that teachers can express a level of dominance with their students without being too negative.
SECTION 2. HAVING A MENTAL SET FOR MANAGEMENT
2.Identify two ways that teachers can express withitness in their classroom.
SECTION 3. MANAGING WHOLE-GROUP INSTRUCTION
3.Define momentum and identify several ways that teachers maintain momentum throughout a lesson.
4.Why would teachers try to maintain a group focus during instruction?
SECTION 4. MAINTAINING STUDENT ATTENTION AND INVOLVEMENT
5.Identify several guidelines for the effective use of using questions to maintain attention and promote learning. Briefly explain each.
SECTION 5. IMPROVING CLASSROOM CLIMATE WITH REINFORCERS
6.Define reinforcer and identify the main categories of reinforcers that can be used in the classroom.
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III. Assignments (worth a total of 10 points)
1. Read “VOICES FROM THE CLASSROOM – Three Tips for Teacher Talk” and complete the writing prompt.
Three Tips for Teacher Talk
By Cristina Fontana, first-grade teacher, Guilford, Connecticut
Using effective language in the classroom and when conversing with students is crucial. Below are some guidelines that I keep in mind when I converse with students.
Less is more. I have found that the less I address the whole class, the more students listen when I do address them. Less teacher talk allows for conversations to be more student directed. Student-led conversations foster agency and encourage sharing of ideas.
I have found that proper planning prior to a lesson is what has helped me to talk less. Before a lesson, I plan out the intended learning as well as possible prompting questions to allow students to get to the end goal.
Wait time. It is important to allow adequate wait time after posing a question or asking for student input. Extending my wait time has increased student participation. When we do not allow for proper wait time, the students who take longer to process or compose ideas may get discouraged. Students may also start to think, “I don't need to think of the answer, Johnny will answer for me.” Wait time slows down the conversation and allows students to process the ideas that are being shared.
Depending on the lesson, I may wait for every student to have an answer to share with the group. Asking students to put their thumbs up on their knees when they have an answer and waiting for each student to do so gives every student the amount of processing time he/she needs to arrive at an answer. This fosters student agency and teaches students that all of their ideas are important and valued.
Ask open-ended questions. When asking closed questions (i.e., yes or no responses) the conversation has nowhere to go. To help me realize when I was using closed questioning, I started audio recording my lessons. I then listened to the questions I asked and thought about how I could change the questions to be more open-ended. For example, rather than asking, “Did the character change?” I would ask, “How did the character change?” That small change can take the answer from a simple yes or no to a discussion or debate.
WRITING PROMPT: Summarize the “Three Tips for Teacher Talk” and how you might implement these strategies in your classroom. Name and explain a tip you might add to the list of three.
2. Read “WHAT WOULD YOU DECIDE? – Poor Guidance with Soft Limits” and answer the two questions that follow.
Poor Guidance with Soft Limits
Near the end of some seatwork, you give directions to the students to soon be ready for their next large group activity. After a couple of minutes, you see an idle student and you say, “Austin, you are supposed to be getting ready for the next activity. Okay?” Even after you leave Austin's area, you then notice that he is not moving. But you decide not to go back to him because he might complain about you nagging him.
Questions to ponder and answer:
1. What specific problems with soft limits are illustrated in this example? Explain what is meant by soft limits.
2. If you were the teacher, how specifically might you have used firm limits to better address the situation? Explain what is meant by firm limits.
IV. Case Study (worth a total of 6 points)
CLASSROOM CASE STUDY
Poor Monitoring, Unfortunate Results
Abby Leibowitz's middle-level social studies class was completing a unit on the branches of the government and the role of political parties. Since an election for the state's governor was coming up, they had examined the candidates as a way to see the distinction between the parties. To summarize that information, Ms. Leibowitz split the class into four groups and asked each group to display the parties' similarities and differences on big Post-it sheets with the use of a graphic organizer, such as a compare/contrast chart or a Venn diagram. After giving directions and forming the groups, Ms. Leibowitz was at her desk jotting some notes about a discipline incident from her last class period.
Some students were into the task; others were not. Some groups didn't know what a Venn diagram is or had disagreements about which graphic organizer to use. Some students started to doodle with the magic markers that were to be used on the poster paper. The students who wanted to get the poster prepared complained to the others who were off task. After a while, the noise increased, and most groups were not making much progress. Ms. Leibowitz had barely looked up during this time.
Focus Questions
1. How might Ms. Leibowitz improve her monitoring of the students' behavior and progress when they are in the groups? How could she show her withitness to the students during group work?
2. What problems might Ms. Leibowitz have foreseen with her plan? What adjustments might she have made before the lesson to have it work out better? (Foreseeing problems is part of withitness.)