Creating a Positive Creating a Positive Learning EnvironmentLearning Environment

What Works in SchoolsWhat Works in Schoolsby Robert Marzanoby Robert Marzano

Classroom management is one of 11 factors Classroom management is one of 11 factors that influence student achievement.that influence student achievement.

Well articulated rules and proceduresWell articulated rules and procedures Disciplinary strategies that reinforce Disciplinary strategies that reinforce

appropriate behavior and provide appropriate behavior and provide consequencesconsequences

Responding to inappropriate behaviors quickly Responding to inappropriate behaviors quickly and assertivelyand assertively

Instills confidence and acceptance in studentsInstills confidence and acceptance in students Maintains emotional objectivity by staying calmMaintains emotional objectivity by staying calm Aware of problems and potential problemsAware of problems and potential problems

Do any of these look familiar?Do any of these look familiar?

Playing with objectsPlaying with objects TappingTapping Inappropriate noises Inappropriate noises Ignoring the teacherIgnoring the teacher Passing notesPassing notes Leaning back in Leaning back in

chairschairs TattlingTattling TeasingTeasing Reading during Reading during

instructioninstruction Whining/poutingWhining/pouting

Eating/gum chewingEating/gum chewing Sleeping/Sleeping/

daydreamingdaydreaming TalkingTalking ComplainingComplaining Off taskOff task Telling liesTelling lies Blurting outBlurting out Arguing with the Arguing with the

teacherteacher SwearingSwearing cheatingcheating

These are all student behaviors that every These are all student behaviors that every teacher encounters. Some are more easily teacher encounters. Some are more easily dealt with than others. Most of them can be dealt with than others. Most of them can be

eliminated with a good management plan that eliminated with a good management plan that

has rules and procedures in place.has rules and procedures in place.

Where it all begins…

Developing positive Developing positive relationships with your students relationships with your students can mean...can mean... Less work engaging students.Less work engaging students. Easier classroom management.Easier classroom management. Longer focus time.Longer focus time. Students will be willing to take risks.Students will be willing to take risks.

How do you build relationships?How do you build relationships?

Seek first to understand the students point of Seek first to understand the students point of view. view. Listen and communicate.Listen and communicate.

Honor your students as human beings worthy of Honor your students as human beings worthy of respect.respect.

Keep your promises.Keep your promises. Be kind and courteous. Caring is key.Be kind and courteous. Caring is key. Clarify your expectations.Clarify your expectations. Be loyal.Be loyal. Be fair.Be fair. Be consistent.Be consistent.

Ways to Build Positive Ways to Build Positive RelationshipsRelationships

Greet everyone at the doorGreet everyone at the door Calls on everyone equitablyCalls on everyone equitably Give specific praiseGive specific praise Listen attentivelyListen attentively Show personal interest in student activitiesShow personal interest in student activities Provide individual helpProvide individual help Respect your studentsRespect your students

How you communicate may How you communicate may be critical.be critical.Each person has their own unique way of Each person has their own unique way of interpreting life and the world. It is formed from interpreting life and the world. It is formed from experiences, genetic development, socialization, experiences, genetic development, socialization, and choices made. These realities act as and choices made. These realities act as communication filters. These filters affect how you communication filters. These filters affect how you say things and what you say. As groups form and say things and what you say. As groups form and become larger the potential for confusion & chaos become larger the potential for confusion & chaos rises.rises.

Did you know?Did you know?

7% of communication is composed of spoken words

38% tone of voice

55 % body language

Thomas Crane, The Heart of Coaching, FTA Press, 2005

Primary Communication Primary Communication FiltersFilters

Mental StateMental State -your frame of mind during the -your frame of mind during the communication (assumptions, intentions, hidden communication (assumptions, intentions, hidden agendas, beliefs, judgments)agendas, beliefs, judgments)

Emotional StateEmotional State -heavily affected by the quality of -heavily affected by the quality of thinking process (insecurities, threats, stress, thinking process (insecurities, threats, stress, fear, ego, unhealed wounds, joy, delight, etc.)fear, ego, unhealed wounds, joy, delight, etc.)

Current State of the Relationship – Current State of the Relationship – thethe quality of quality of the relationship affects student performance and the relationship affects student performance and successsuccessThomas Crane, The Heart of Coaching, FTA Press, 2005

You are the teacher, not a peer or a friend.

ManagementManagement Is proactiveIs proactive Anticipates skills Anticipates skills

and work habitsand work habits Teaches students Teaches students

to assume to assume responsibilityresponsibility

DisciplineDiscipline Is reactiveIs reactive Results from a Results from a

power strugglepower struggle Assumes students Assumes students

will not accept will not accept responsibilityresponsibility

Teacher behaviors can impact Teacher behaviors can impact student behavior in a positive or student behavior in a positive or

negative way?negative way?

Assumptions that teachers make and biases they have about students can actually contribute to misbehavior.

Failure to meet individual academic needs also impacts behavior.

How a teacher responds to misbehavior can impacts future behavior.

Tips to RememberTips to Remember

Always remain calm when dealing Always remain calm when dealing with issues involving behavior. with issues involving behavior.

Keep your emotions in check.Keep your emotions in check. Never let them see you sweat Never let them see you sweat

(or cry).(or cry).

Key Management Skills of Key Management Skills of Effective TeachersEffective Teachers

Stronge, J.H. (2002) Stronge, J.H. (2002) Qualities of effective teachers.Qualities of effective teachers. Alexandria, Va. ASCD.Alexandria, Va. ASCD.

Establish rules, routines and Establish rules, routines and proceduresprocedures

Maintain momentum and varietyMaintain momentum and variety Monitoring and responding to activityMonitoring and responding to activity

Define the expected behaviors and set limits. Student input is critical for by in.

Criteria for RulesCriteria for Rules

Clearly stated so students know what Clearly stated so students know what is expectedis expected

Reasonable- Can students follow Reasonable- Can students follow them?them?

EnforceableEnforceable Applicable to all situationsApplicable to all situations General- addresses several behaviorsGeneral- addresses several behaviors Written positivelyWritten positively

Appropriate behavior must be systematically taught. Do not assume students know how to behave in acceptable ways.

Teaching Appropriate BehaviorTeaching Appropriate Behavior

Goals:Goals: State the expected outcomes. State the expected outcomes. Rationale:Rationale: State why you want your students to State why you want your students to

behave this way.behave this way. Expected behaviors:Expected behaviors: Define how a “model” Define how a “model”

student would behavestudent would behave Demonstrate: Demonstrate: The right way, the wrong way, The right way, the wrong way,

and “almost- but- not- quite” wayand “almost- but- not- quite” way Provide Practice OpportunitiesProvide Practice Opportunities

Adapted from Time to Teach, The Center for Teacher Effectiveness, R. Dahlgren.

Consequences …are interventions Consequences …are interventions to try and change behaviorto try and change behavior

Organized in a hierarchyOrganized in a hierarchy Teach students that they have the Teach students that they have the

power of choicepower of choice Should “fit the crime”Should “fit the crime” Logical and fairLogical and fair Applied immediatelyApplied immediately

Types of ConsequencesTypes of Consequences

Warning- verbal (private)Warning- verbal (private) Isolation (time out in a specific Isolation (time out in a specific

location for a specific time)location for a specific time) Call parentsCall parents

Office as a ConsequenceOffice as a Consequence

DO NOT USE… unlessDO NOT USE… unless The infraction is so severe that it The infraction is so severe that it

puts the student or others in danger puts the student or others in danger (weapons, physical violence, threats, (weapons, physical violence, threats, bullying)bullying)

Once a student is in the office…Once a student is in the office…what what happens is out of your hands (you happens is out of your hands (you may not like the outcome).may not like the outcome).

Define the method or process for doing things

““Routines empower students to Routines empower students to be more responsible for their be more responsible for their own behavior and learning…”own behavior and learning…”

James Stronge, PhD.James Stronge, PhD.

Identify specific procedures for…Identify specific procedures for…

General classroom behaviorGeneral classroom behavior Beginning and end of the dayBeginning and end of the day Transitions and interruptions Transitions and interruptions

(entering/leaving room, bathrooms, (entering/leaving room, bathrooms, cafeteria, playground)cafeteria, playground)

Use of materialsUse of materials Group workGroup work Seat work and teacher-led activitiesSeat work and teacher-led activities

Procedures must be…Procedures must be…

TaughtTaught ModeledModeled RehearsedRehearsed

RehearsedRehearsed

RehearsedRehearsed

It takes seconds of rehearsal…

To save minutes or hours of instruction.

OrganizationOrganizationHelps students and teachers…

•Feel safe

•Prepare students for the day’s activities

•Learn more efficiently and effectively

•Maximizes instructional time

•Make clear and smooth transitions

•Focus on teaching and learning

•Limit distractions and interruptions

•Have the physical space to learn

Teachers need to organize…Teachers need to organize…

SpaceSpace TimeTime Routines and TasksRoutines and Tasks MaterialsMaterials Learning ActivitiesLearning Activities

The chief psychological The chief psychological determinant of learning is…determinant of learning is…

the social environment. the social environment.

When students are threatened or they perceived they are threatened, it impacts behavior and student achievement.

Real or Perceived Threats That Real or Perceived Threats That Cause MisbehaviorCause Misbehavior

Intellectual Threats-Intellectual Threats- cause students cause students

feel feel lessless Smart.Smart.

Intellectual ThreatsIntellectual ThreatsExamples of Intellectual Threats: Receiving unclear directions; not

understanding directions Not being able to hear because of noise

or other factors Being called on to answer a question Public displays of grades (posted or

announced) Feeling unable to complete an

assignment on time Fear of reading aloud Having to work in a group Not having the required skills- feeling

intellectually inferior

Strategies to Eliminate:• Provide printed copies of direction;

number the steps; ask questions about directions

• Change seats away from distraction• Prompt students;• Allow students to determine what work

to display; refrain from giving grades orally

• Reduce number of items required or number of items on a page

• Ask for volunteer readers; make sure oral reading for an audience is at the independent level

• Provide choice of working alone; teach group skills

• Teach required skills; set norms for appropriate behavior (no insults allowed)

Taken from: Cummings, C. Winning Strategies for Classroom Management. 2000. ASCD. Alexandria, Va.

Real or Perceived Threats That Real or Perceived Threats That Cause MisbehaviorCause Misbehavior

•EmotionalEmotional ThreatsThreats-- cause students to feel cause students to feel

lessless Safe.Safe.

Emotional ThreatsEmotional ThreatsExamples of Emotional Examples of Emotional

ThreatsThreats Negative language, put-Negative language, put-

downs, bullyingdowns, bullying Fear of being disciplined in Fear of being disciplined in

front of peersfront of peers Coping with family Coping with family

difficulties (divorce, difficulties (divorce, illness)illness)

Fear of looking different or Fear of looking different or not fitting innot fitting in

Difficulty making friendsDifficulty making friends

Establish norms for Establish norms for behavior; review Student behavior; review Student Handbook regularlyHandbook regularly

Discipline (and praise) in Discipline (and praise) in privateprivate

Be empathic; seek outside Be empathic; seek outside resources ( counselor)resources ( counselor)

Make positive comments Make positive comments as appropriate; reinforce as appropriate; reinforce inner rather than outer inner rather than outer qualitiesqualities

Encourage, make Encourage, make suggestions, assign tasks suggestions, assign tasks that create opportunities that create opportunities for students to work for students to work together successfullytogether successfully Taken from:

Cummings, C. Winning Strategies for Classroom Management. 2000. ASCD. Alexandria, Va.

Strategies to Eliminate:

• Physical Threats Physical Threats – cause – cause students to feel less students to feel less

Safe.Safe.

Real or Perceived Threats That Real or Perceived Threats That Cause MisbehaviorCause Misbehavior

Physical ThreatsPhysical Threats

Physical ThreatsPhysical Threats Being tired or not Being tired or not

feeling wellfeeling well Fear of being pushed, Fear of being pushed,

shoved, etc.shoved, etc. Fear of having personal Fear of having personal

items stolenitems stolen Verbal threatsVerbal threats Fear of being caught up Fear of being caught up

in a fightin a fight

Refer to nurse as Refer to nurse as appropriate; if done appropriate; if done often, contact homeoften, contact home

Establish clear norms Establish clear norms for behavior in and for behavior in and outside of classroom. outside of classroom. These may need the These may need the involvement of others involvement of others (nurse, principal, asst. (nurse, principal, asst. principal, parent) for principal, parent) for more in-depth more in-depth interventionintervention

Taken from: Cummings, C. Winning Strategies for Classroom Management. 2000. ASCD. Alexandria, Va.

Examples: Strategies:

Newport News Public Schools is about providing

Smart, Safe Schools

Smart Schools …

have a standards-based curriculum that provides all students with high quality learning activities.

Safe Schools…

nurture and encourage students to challenge themselves in pursuit of academic achievement. They are places where adults and students feel protected, valued, and important.