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Week 4 A2 Newsletter

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708 views1 page

Week 4 A2 Newsletter

Uploaded by

api-224842070
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Kirsten dos Santos

[email protected]

Ap r i l 2 5 , 2 0 1 3 Volume 1, Issue 1

College Writing Instructor Southwestern College, Kansas

Strategy 33-5: Conciliation Statement

Managing Behavior
Weve all been there. That moment when we hear a question from a student that tightens our grip around that No. 2 pencil so hard it almost snaps. You know, the question that comes right before a major assignment is due and you have explained it umpteen times before: Uh, wait...what do you want us to do again? But, before you fling that pencil at someone's head, Harmin and Toth (2006) have some excellent strategies that may alleviate these tensions as well as help students to achieve in the end. In their book Inspiring active learning: A complete handbook for todays teachers, the two authors provide tools for instructors to manage a cooperative climate with proactive disciplinary measures that promote high achievement and even emotions. A few of these strategies are as listed below. Give them a whirl. Save your pencils.

If previous strategies fall on deaf ears, Harmin and Toth recommend making the conflict a Win-Win situation. Preserve the needs of both parties by agreeing to disagree for now, and present an opportunity to carry on the discussion later. Strategy 29-3: Healthy Response to

Misbehavior

Strategy 32-4: Surprise Personal Notes

Sometimes students just need a little nudge. So, Harmin and Toth suggest giving them pick-me-ups here and there. Sending students a mass email aimed at jumpstarting their energy level, encourages success and discourages work avoiders. Let them know you see progress and remind them of the steps they need to get further. When teachers take time out of their busy day to tell their learners they care, students come to class wanting to learn and consequentially listen better. Strategy 33-1: Broken Record When a student tries to bully you into changing a grade or the objective of an assignment, Harmin and Toth recommend simply repeating your stance over and over until it sinks in. Develop some key phrases that explicate your procedures in the classroom and repeat them throughout the semester. If your students say you sound like a broken record, mission accomplished. Strategy 33-2: Calm Reminder Try your best not to resent those questions that tend to put us over the edge. Harmin and Toth ask us to remember that even the best of us miss important information here and there. Put a genuine smile on your face, maybe even laugh the question off a bit. Then calmly reiterate directions. (continued above right)

Sometimes as teachers we witness perfectly good students become cruel beasts. It is difficult to maintain an even head when this occurs. However, what Harmin and Toth emphasize as being important in these situations is to model an appropriate response. When tensions break out between peers divert that energy into more productive activities Strategy 33-13: Apologize Despite all good intentions, teachers are human. We are bound to lose our cool now and then. So, when all else fails, say you are sorry. Harmin and Toth point out that modeling this behavior teaches students that mistakes are part of growing and that as long as we ask for forgiveness and try our best to do better next time our relationships will become stronger. Strategy 8-9: Whole Class Solving When that one person asks a question that gets under your skin, enlist the whole class to find a solution. Most likely it isnt just the one student who has gaps in his or her understanding. Harmin and Toth explain that drawing on the ideas of everyone lessens the pressure to perform all while providing effective learning strategies that everyone can use. Strategy5-6: Class Leader Consider making those underachievers the ones in charge. Ask them to be the record keepers for class, for example. Harmin and Toth claim that when these students are put in leadership positions it reinforces their sense of pride and achievement and everything in between rises.

References:
Harmin, M. & Toth, M. (2006). Inspiring active learning: A Complete Handbook for Todays Teachers. 2nd Ed. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

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