classroom management by tracey tokuhama-espinosa 2010

Tracey Tokuhama-‐Espinosa, Ph.D for the American School of Quito

26 August 2010

Background of the presenter

Master’s from Harvard University in International Education and Development and doctorate (Ph.D.) from Capella University (cross-‐disciplinary approach comparing findings in neuroscience, psychology, pedagogy, cultural anthropology and linguistics).She also has her Bachelor’s of Arts (International Relations) and Bachelor’s of Science (Communications) from Boston University, magna cum laude.

•Director of the Institute for Research and Educational Development, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador and professor of Education and Neuropsychology.

•Teacher (pre-‐kindergarten through university) with 22 years of comparative research experience and support to hundreds of schools in 17 countries.

Today’s program

1. Today’s focus: “If I know my subject and know how to teach, why is it that I still am not as effective as I’d like to be in class?” The role of Classroom Management in effective teaching

2. Definitions: Two broad categories of problemsi. Logistical: Number of students or levels of abilities.ii. Discipline or distractions: Class clowns, bullies, the lazy kid,

etc.

3. (True) roots of disciplinary problems4. Possible solutions (shared vision?)

5. Recommended steps

Brainstorm

“If I know my subject and know how to teach, why is it that I still am not as effective as I’d like to be in class?”

What are the problems/circumstances/situations that distract from the teaching-‐learning experience?

What types of things can happen in class that cause diThculties is maintaining student attention (time on task)?

Today’s focus

☺ I know my subject.

☺ I have a good variety of methodological options and know how to teach.

Why aren’t I always as efficient as I’d like to be?

Subjectarea knowledge

Teaching methodology

knowledge

Good classroom

management

EThcient teaching

Classroom management: Vital aspect of good teaching?

A teacher’s ability to manage a class effectively has been recognized as a vital skill of effective teachers.

Journal for a Just & Caring Education (1996); Preventing School Failure (1996).

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L. Dee Fink (2003) Creating Significant Learning Experiences, p.22

Number of student pero classroom

Average class size (8-‐72).

Time is reduced with each student.

Quality: time spend managing not teaching.

Solution: “War tactic”

Oldest war tactic in history: Divide and conquer.

Three types of solutions for classes:

1. Physical design of classroom

2. Cooperative teaching

3. Small group activities

Physical design of classroom

“Corners” or “Centers”

“Islands” or groups of 3-‐6 people

Circles or semicircles

Coorperative teaching

Cooperative teaching involves two or more teachers with different skills sets who coordinate their efforts in the classroom to

manage heterogeneous groups.”

Bauwens & Hourcade, 1995, p.46 cited in Morocco & Aguilar (2002).

Coorperative teaching structures

1. Alternative leadership: One teacher presents the main information and the other monitors and helps; the teachers then change roles.

Rice & Zigmond (2000) cited in Morocco & Aguilar (2002).


2. Parallel teaching: Teachers plan the class together and then divide the class into two heterogeneousgroups. The subject is then taught using the same materials, but with different techniques.

Rice y Zigmond (2000) citado en Morocco and Aguilar (2002).


3. Flexible groups:The class is divided intosubgroups according to level or skills that need reinforcement and each teacher takes a different group.

Rice & Zigmond (2000) cited in Morocco & Aguilar (2002).


4. Teach alternatively: One teacher instructs thelarge group while the other reinforces contentor skills in smaller groups.

Rice & Zigmond (2000) cited in Morocco & Aguilar (2002)


5. Team teaching:Both teachers instruct theclass simultaneously. The teachers alternatively run the large group in different activities and intervene at any time.

Rice & Zigmond (2000) cited in Morocco & Aguilar (2002)

Who can be ‘co-‐teachers’?

Two teachers

A teacher and an assistant

A teacher and a student (e.g., a USFQ PASECC student)

A teacher and a parent

Small group activities?

Brain storm in groups of 3-‐4: (2 minutes)

Examples of small group activities that make classrooms more efficient (and increase critical thinking):

Peer teaching

Correct each others’ homework

Small group discussion

Collaborative writing (of a script) to explain concepts

Debate

Group mind maps

Respond to essential questions

Research projects (jigsaw)

One minute paper discussions.

Disciplinary problemas and Distractions

1. Class clown2. Bully3. Victim4. Lazy kids5. Know-‐it-‐all6. Whiner7. Anti-‐leader8. The who-‐careskid9. Chatter-‐box or talker10. Spaced-‐outstudent11. Irresponsible12. Gossip girl (boy)

Discipline comers from the Latin “to instruct”.

Discipline does not mean to punish, but rather to teach.

Discipline is a positive process that guides and instructs student on self-‐ control and leads to better learning situations for all.

Basado en parte de Amaya Guerra, Ph.D

What actions do we teachers punish?

Classroom distractions that distract or take time away from teaching, such as…

Tardiness or absences

Forgotten homework

Attention seekers

Lack of respect (students who bother others, use bad words, challenge authority, etc.)

Plagiarism and lying

Low achievers

Steps in dealing with classroom distractions:

1. Understand the true motivation behind the behavior

2. Understand why we as teacherspunish

3. Understand the options that

exist to avoid punishment and public humiliation in class

4. Follow the six guides and seven

principles of classroom discipline (to follow)

Understand the true motivation behind the behavior

Why do students misbehave?

Negative attention is

better than none at all

A misbehaving child is a

discouraged individual

→ Giving courage is the

best way to motivate

Attention from peers

(Congenital problems)

Adlerian psychology as quoted in Positive Discipline, p.1, 2001.

Four misinterpretations of student behavior

1. Attention seekers (Class clown, Know-‐it-‐all, Talker)

True message: “Look at me! Involve me!”

2. Misguided power (Anti-‐leader, Bully)

True message: “Let me help! Give me options.”

3. Revenge (Who cares, Lazy kid)

True message: “I feel bad. I don’t belong, but at least I can make you feel as bad as me.”)

4. Presumed ineThciency (Victim, Irresponsible)

True message: “Don’t lose hope in me. Give me some help.”

Nelsen, et. al (2001), pp.8-14. Positive Discipline.

Understand why we as teacherspunish

The psychology of punishment

Punishment (physical or verbal):

The easiest reaction to undesirable behavior.

Does not require much thought (motivated by emotion).

Normally makes us feel better, temporarily (after which there is a horrible feeling of guilt).

Teaches the student to avoid punishment, but not necessarily to change his behavior.

Paradigm shift in disciplinary procedures

Until around the 1970s the concept of a ridgid, autocratic teacher was normal (the teacher was always right)→

In the 1980s and 1990s there was a shift in discipline in schools (children’s rights) →

By 2000: Respect and firmness replaced physical punishment.

Basado en Amaya Guerra, Ph.D.

What alternatives exist in place of public humiliation or physical punishment?

“Firm and friendly” response (Nelsen, 2001)

Apply clear rules

Busy hands…

Class meetings where necessary.

Nelsen, et. al (2001), Positive Discipline.

Six guides and seven principles of classroom discipline

Six guides

1. Expect the best from your students. Teachers who expect the best from their students and have high

expectation get better results.

How to Create Discipline Problems: A number of strategies that a teacher can use to facilitate classroom discipline (Clearing

House, 1994).

Six guides

2. Makes the implicit explicit. Many problems occur when behavioral expectations are not clearly conveyed to students. Havingstudents participate in the rule making process gives them ownership and there is a greater likelihood of compliance.


House, 1994).

Six guides

3. Rewards, yes, punishment…? A reward calls attention to good behavior, whereas punishment calls attention to bad behavior. By calling attention to goodmodels, teachers make students feel better about themselves, the teacher and the class. Praise in public and punish in private.


House, 1994).

Six guides

4. In the worst case, take away privileges.In the event that there is no natural consequenceto a behavior, it is best totake away privileges as a consequence of bad behavior.

Six guides

5. Consistency is the best policy.Disciplinary problems emerge when there is a lack

of consistency. This also leads to a lack of credibilityof the teacher.

Six guides

6. Know your students. Punishment for one student might be a reward for another. If a teacher does not know her students well, then she could actually be giving a prize instead of inflicting a punishment.

Seven principles

1. Look for long-‐term changes in behavior instead of short term compliance. Effective discipline really just meanshelping students become more responsible for their actions.

©1994 National Educational Service, Discipline with Dignity.

Seven principles

2. Stop being ineThcient. If a solution does not work or makes thesituation worse, the solution itself might be part of the problem.


Seven principles

3. Being fair does not mean treating all students equally. Being fair means giving each student whatthey need, not treating them all alike. Just as different students need different reading strategies, different students need different discipline strategies.


Seven principles

4. Adopt only the most important rules. Students need to know how the rules benefit them.

Seven principles

5. Model the behavior you wish to achieve.What teachers do is moreimportant than what theysay.

Seven principles

6. Teacherresponsibility

instead of forced obedience.

Seven principles

7. Treat students with respect and dignity.No disciplinary action should reduce student selfesteem, but rather raise self-‐ knowledge and confidence.Avoid humiliation at allcosts.

Can a school environment impact student behavior? If so, does this impact academic results?

Studies show that students that don’t like school do not do well academically and have limited career options. Gottfredson (1989) found that schools with lower student delinquency and higher student involvement had higher academic achievement as well.

Joan Gaustad, “School Discipline”. ERIC Digest 78 December 1992.

In summary Classroom management has two main elements: Logistics

and discipline. Solutions to classroom management problems include the

following:1. Apply better physical classroom design.2. Use cooperative teaching and learning techniques.3. “Divide and conquer”: Apply small group activities

which are student-‐centered.4. Understand the four misinterpretations of behavior.5. Understand why we as teachers punish and the

alternatives.6. Follow the six guidelines and seven principles for

classroom discipline.

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Para más información:

Tracey Tokuhama-‐Espinosa, Ph.D. [email protected] www.traceytokuhama.com

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.traceytokuhama.com/