A Need for Change

Ideas for Today and TomorrowEva J. Miano

11/07/09

The Big Picture/The Big Problem

My data is observable and confirmed by most everyone who walks into the building. Just imagine… It’s 10:25. First period is ending and second period begins at 10:30. 100 7th grade students pass pretty harmlessly in the lower hallway (science hall).

However, in the upper 7th grade wing, 200 students converge on a narrow hallway which quickly resembles thick pudding. Students stand and talk, push, wait, and get stuck in the gelatinous movement, or rather, non-movement of our hallways. The noise level increases 200 decibels. Teachers bang yard sticks on the floor like cattle prods. Students slink from corner to corner to avoid the duck calls and whistle blowing in their ears. Teachers are heard yelling “GET TO CLASS… NOW! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!”

The Big Picture cont…The eighth grade teachers look gloweringly at our rag tag

motley crew and send messages to our administrators about how unruly the 7th graders are, only for the 7th grade teachers to return the favor when their 8th graders unite in our hallways. Banging on lockers, singing loudly, dancing, flipping off teachers and, yes, I’m ashamed to say, even boys and girls kissing and embracing as they carousel to their classes.

Teachers stand by powerless and complacent, looking at each other and shaking their heads. Occasionally an ignorant, albeit courageous, teacher will rise up, only to realize that without the support of their fellow teachers, they are doomed to failure. Their nerves are wound dangerously tight as they enter their own classrooms, unleashing their emotional hallway battle on their poor, unsuspecting students.

Why Change?

Our 7th Grade Chaotic passing periods… Are hazardous to the students Promote school violence Encourages the spread of disease Frustrate teachers on a daily basis Increase student tardiness Do not align with the school’s vision Perpetuate a negative school culture

Chaotic passing periods Cause Teacher Burn-Out

Teachers report that overcrowding creates stressful and unpleasant working conditions, that these schools are noisier, create more non-instructional duties and paperwork, and inhibit teaching and learning.

Teacher burnout is more common in overcrowded schools.

Chaotic passing periods Conceals Bullies

Students are all aware of where the dangerous places are in the building and on the campus, and some take advantage of these opportunities to bully others. Children are particularly vulnerable in the hallways. (Gabarino)

Chaotic passing periods Cause Operating and maintenance problems

It is unquestionable that overcrowding has a direct and often severe impact on the logistics of the school day, forcing changes in schedules and making disruptions and noise part of normal operating procedure. (Earthman)

Finally, administrators must devote their time and energies to maintaining order, rather than undertaking the more important work of leading efforts to improve their schools. (Earthman)

Media Center

Computer Lab

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MP

Car pool

Art/ ISS

TheatreGymnasium

6th Grade Hall way 6th Grade Hallway

7th Grade Hall way 7th Grade Hallway Connections

connections

Health

7th Grade Hall way 7th Grade Hallway

8th grade Hallway 8th grade Hallway

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8th G

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Cafeteria

OutSideWalkway

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Cafeteria Hallway

Front Office

EntranceOffices

Media Center

Computer Lab

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MP

Car pool

Art/ ISS

TheatreGymnasium

6th Grade Hall way 6th Grade Hallway

7th Grade Hall way 7th Grade Hallway Connections

connections

Health

7th Grade Hall way 7th Grade Hallway

8th grade Hallway 8th grade Hallway

8th G

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8th G

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Cafeteria

OutSideWalkway

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Cafeteria Hallway

Front Office

EntranceOffices

TheProblem

The Solution1. A/C classes will need to leave 2 minutes before everyone else.

2. Currently, all 7th graders travel through the two 7th grade halls in a counter clockwise motion. Students go “up” the ramp and “down” the breezeway. I forget why this was adopted? I’m sure it was for a good reason, but I can’t think why. I will have to get a veteran to remind me. With that said, I think the “gelatin effect” that occurs in the upper hall will be alleviated if we allowed students to also travel down the ramp.

3. Because there is no bell system due to the fact that 6th, 7th, and 8th grades are all on different class schedule times, every teacher will need a synchronized timer routed on the T.V. The timer needs to buzz 5 minutes prior to class letting out and also when classes should be let out. This can be accomplished at no cost through close circuit T.V. via media center specialist.

The Solution Cont…4. For connections to band, chorus, orchestra and art,

students will travel outside instead of through the 8th grade hall. This should please our 8th grade teachers immensely!

5. Teachers will need to be reassigned a new duty post. Every once in a while, the administrator will need to make rounds to the duty posts to make sure teachers are at their stations

6. Hallway passing periods need to be shortened to 4 minutes between classes and 5 minutes between connections.

The Solution Cont…

7. Teachers will need to unite in their crack down on tardiness. I would like for teachers to physically close their doors at the buzz on their T.V. signaling class to begin.

8. Teachers will also need to unite on the consequence for a tardy violation. When a student if tardy, they should receive a warning. The second time, they will receive a discipline contract which must be signed by their parent. The third time, they will receive a detention and a phone call home. The forth time is an administrator referral and either ICS or ISS.

The Guiding Coalition for Change

Ms. W Mr. E Mr. T Mrs. B Mrs. M Mrs. T Ms. P

When interviewed, these are the teachers who desired change in our hallways. They pledged to be apart of the coalition for change and persevere through the obstacles.

Communication LetterDear parents and students, a growing concern about student

health and safety in our school hallways has prompted the following policy reform:

1. Students must pass through the hallways in a quiet and orderly manner – walking on the right side of the hallway.

2. Students are not allowed to display physical forms of affection such as, but not limited to, hugging.

3. Students are not allowed to show disrespect or threatening aggression towards any person.

4. Failure to comply with school hallway policy will result in a range of consequences moving from writing a hallway behavior contract, morning detention, Saturday administrative detention, ICS, ISS, to out of school suspension for chronic offenders.

Communication – To Teachers For unruly hallway behaviors, if a student is caught yelling,

pushing, or running, any of the 7th grade teachers can call the student over and give that student a hallway contract.

The teacher will simply talk to the student very briefly about appropriate hallway behavior and get the student’s name and homeroom teacher. The teacher will have to email that student’s homeroom teacher and let them know that a behavior contract needs to be given to that student.

The student will need to give the behavior contract to the homeroom teacher within 24 hours to avoid further action by the teacher. Further action can include detention, silent lunch, ICS with the teacher who caught the student, or an administrator recovery detention.

Communication – To Parents A task force of parents will be created to ensure

that we have parent buy-in to the new hallway policy.

Parents on the task force will commit to coming in to the school to help monitor the hallways and ensure student compliance.

All parents will be given a contract that they will sign, showing they have read and understand the new hallway behavior policy. Failure to sign will not excuse their student’s behavior.

Communication – To students A task force of students will be created to ensure

that we have student buy-in to the new hallway policy.

Those students will create posters, appear on close circuit T.V., and commit to speak positively about the change.

The student body will be given a contract that they will sign in homeroom concerning the new hallway behavior policy. Failure to sign will not excuse behavior.

Resistance

Teachers: I anticipate teachers who will not follow through, not be at their duty post, not let their students out of class on time, and not follow through on disciplinary measures for tardiness because they either have not bought in to the change or don’t want to do the extra paperwork.

Resistance

Students: I anticipate some rebellion from some of our 7th graders. They will push the limits and the boundaries, defy and deny the culture change, sabotage our system, and try to derail teachers from staying the course. They will try to harness strength in numbers and pull as many as they can to the dark side. (I know I’m being melodramatic, but I do teach middle school!)

Overcoming Resistance

It is important that administrators, teachers, and students buy-in to the change effort.

Continuous affirmation of why the need for change will be communicated via posters, close circuit T.V. and positive comments from all stakeholders.

Training for teachers is necessary to ensure that teachers fully understand the policy and procedures.

Fair, firm, immediate, united, and consistent responses will ensure success.

Administration must back teachers and follow through on consequences.

A Win-Win situation Students - Thanks to McDonalds, one of our

community sponsors, compliant students, every month, will receive a free ice cream cone or sundae coupon.

Teachers will be shown appreciation for their efforts by receiving either a jeans pass or a duty free lunch once each month.

$ Counting Up the Cost $

Paper to print the hallway behavior contracts We already have a detention system in place We already have TVs with cables The costs will include technicians coming to hook up

our TV’s again. They disconnected the TVs when they put in our new media systems.

Ice cream passes are being donated by McDonald’s Giving a Jeans pass or Free Lunch Duty is free

Evaluating the Change Effort

In the initial stages, evaluation should take place after one week to discuss what worked and what didn’t and to make immediate adjustments, then go back in with a winning attitude.

Then, we’ll try the needed changes for two weeks and discuss.

Finally, we can bring up successes or frustrations at our regularly scheduled team meeting sessions, usually once or twice a month.

We’ll know the change effort is achieved when…

Teacher job satisfaction increases. We can also survey teachers to see if they are gaining

instructional time which will result in increased student achievement.

Chaotic hallway infractions such as pushing, fighting, and yelling should greatly decrease as evidenced by teacher and student surveys.

New students to Floyd find an established school culture of order and respect, and they fall in line.

Students correct other students’ poor hallway behaviors.

7th grade, then… THE WORLD!

If it works well in 7th grade, 8th grade and other grade level administrators can see if they would like to adopt our change policy.

Sources

Earthman, G. I. (n.d.). School Facility Conditions and Student Academic Achievement. Google. Retrieved November 7, 2009, from http://74.125.113.132/search?q=cache:8YAJnlcIZfwJ:idea.gseis.ucla.edu/publications/williams/reports/pdfs/wws08-Earthman.pdf+http://www.idea.gseis.ucla.edu/publications/williams/reports/pdfs/wws08-Earthman.pdf&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us

Garbarino, J., Ph.D.., deLara, E., & Ph.D.. (n.d.). The Secret School Life of Adolescents, Part 2 : And Words Can Hurt Forever. eNotAlone Relationship advice and articles. Retrieved November 7, 2009, from http://www.enotalone.com/article/5452.html

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