Strategies for Acknowledging Adherence and Non-Adherence to Rules and Procedures

Setting classroom rules and procedures at the start of the school year is the foundation of good classroom management. When effective and consistently implemented, rules and procedures facilitate teaching and support learning. When lacking or ineffective, large amounts of time is wasted, student attention and interest wanes and teachers cannot conduct their instruction (Emmer, Wevertson, and Worsham 2004 p. 17). Setting meaningful rules and procedures which student agree on, clearly understand and can easily execute, sets the stage for effective teaching and learning. What follows, is the critical step of communicating to students that their behavior and attitude towards rules and procedure has consequences. Marzano notes the importance of acknowledging the adherence, and lack thereof, to rules and procedures, and warns “rules and procedures for which there are no consequences – positive or negative – do little to enhance learning” (p. 131). The following of rules should therefore never be taken for granted, and both adherence and lack of coherence should be routinely recognized.

Here are a few engaging ways I will acknowledge adherence and lack of adherence to classroom rules and procedures.

1. VERBAL POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT:

I will use simple, effective verbal positive reinforcement and use it often: “Thank you”, “That’s very helpful”, “That’s very thoughtful of you”.

I can increase the effectiveness of this step by reviewing the procedure when acknowledging the student: “Thank you Jane. You really did a great job quietly putting away the books on the appropriate shelf and not disturbing anyone in the process. This shows both me and your peers respect.”

2. BLURT BEANS:

The aim of this strategy it to curb excessive talking. Both adherence and lack of adherence to rules are recognized. The goal is to fill up the jar in order to earn a tangible reward. As the jar fills, the reward increases. Rewards are decided on with student input. How it works: At the beginning of a mini lesson, group work or other activity, students are each given a few beans, which they keep on their desks. Each time a student speaks out of turn, or is chatty, one of his beans is dropped in the “Blurt Bean” jar. At the end of the lesson, all ‘good beans’ are collected in the “Rewards Jar”, and students excitedly watch the level of beans inch their way up towards the rewards line. Students are incentivized as a whole class to play by the rules so they may reach a reward together.

However, Blurt Beans can also be used to incentivize one individual student or a particular group of students who are having trouble keeping quiet. In this scenario, the jar is filled with beans only according to this student or group’s adherence to ‘no talking’ rules. However, the rewards from their ‘good beans’ jar are shared by the whole class. In this scenario, peer pressure to behave strongly influences one’s actions.

3. BEHAVIOR CLIP CHART

The aim of the behavior clip chart is to allow students to self-monitor their behavior with the goal of motivating them to adhere to, or improve their adherence to, rules and procedures. Watching their behavior improve positively reinforces them. How it works:

Each student has a clip with his name on it. Clips are moved up and down the chart to the action which best reflects student behavior. Clip charts are a flexible and fun behavior management strategy which can be tailored to a particular class or group of students, and which reflect classroom rules and procedures. Actions can be regularly added or modified to keep things new and interesting for students.

Examples for which student clips are moved up the chart are:

- Working hard

- Helping a friend or the teacher

- Working hard

-Breaking into groups quietly

-Being respectful

-Completing work on time

- Lining up correctly

Examples of when clips are moved down:

- Hitting

- Kicking

- Showing disrespect to a peer or the teacher

- Not cleaning up

The ultimate goal is to reach the top of the chart. Those who land here by the end of the day earn a tangible reward decided on previously with class input (sticker, coupon for the cafeteria etc.).

The Behavior chart can also be used to motivate and acknowledge individual students, or to motivate and acknowledge the whole class collectively. In this case only one “class” clip or "individual" clip is moved up and down the chart.

4. SHOUT OUTS

The purpose of Shout Out awards is to acknowledge and positivity reinforce good behavior. How it works: At the end of the day, the teacher selects three students to give a SHOUT OUT to. I write down an activity or action for which the student deserves a shout out. Example: A) Claire is recognized for setting a good example by lining up neatly and quietly after lunch. B) Tom is recognized for raising his hand to speak each time he volunteered ideas today.

Students take the Shout Out reward home to show their parents. I keep a roster with tally marks is kept to track how many shout outs each student has received. When a students gets 10 shout outs they either earn a tangible reward, or a special note is sent home to parents informing them of their child’s achievements. This strategy is a daily celebration of good behavior with delayed rewards. Home involvement is an extra student motivator.

5. GOOD DEEDS JAR

The purpose of the good deeds jar is to encourage and recognize positive deeds throughout the day and to reinforce the Golden Rule (“do unto others…”).

How it works: I quietly drop a small, soft pom pom in the jar each time I notice a student doing something mindful, helpful or kind. This is a discreet action by me and is not meant to draw attention. However, students are excited and motivated by watching the jar fill up and understand what kind of actions help to achieve this. Once full, students earn a class reward, such as extra recess time, extra choice time, or a class picnic.

Examples of good deeds are:

-Helping others or the teacher

-Being respectful

-Thinking of others first

-Listening attentively

-Being quite while others are speaking

Example in action: A) Jane finishes her work early. Without making a stir, she proceeds to help her peers with their work.

B) At cleanup time, John brings not only his own paint pan to the sink, but also those from his table.

*There’s a catch: only good deeds that were executed on the volition of the student (without explicit direction from the teacher) will be rewarded. The goal here is to get students to think and act independently, proactively and conscientiously.

6. OFF-TRACK JAR

Similar to the Good Deeds Jar, the Off-Track Jar strategy is used to acknowledge a lack of coherence to rules and procedures. The goal is to regain student attention and check their behavior. How it works: I drop coins or other metallic, hard pieces (screw bits, marbles) into a tin or metal jar each time students are not listening, distracting others, interrupting, not on task etc. The noise of the clinking metal dropping into the metal tin jar will alert everyone and will communicate to them that they or a peer is off-track. Example in action: A) during transitions, students are moving about in non-directed, non-purposeful ways. B) During group work, students are too chatty and off-task. When the jar is full, the class loses a privilege, such as recess, choice time or rug reading time.

7. THINK SHEET

The aim of the Think Sheet it to have students reflect on their bad behavior, on why they made that choice and how their choice affected others. They are asked to come up with hypothetical alternate actions they could have taken.

Example: Josh pushed and shoved a peer during recess to get to the top of the slide first.

How it works: when a student breaks class rules or commits an act, which negatively affects or hurts a peer, he is handed the Think Sheet. He must reflect on his actions and fill out the sheet. Reflecting on one’s behavior helps students contextualize their actions and think about conflict resolution and problem solving, while coming up with alternative actions encourages students to align themselves with class rules.  The sheet is signed by the students and is then brought home for a parent signature. Involving parents (Home Contingency) can be a powerful tool to help reinforce class rules and procedures.

8. BEHAVIOR ALERT

Aim of the behavior alert sheet is to inform parents when a student has repeatedly not adhered to rules that day. The goal is to get parents involved in addressing the child’s misbehavior. How it works: After several warnings, the student is handed the Behavior Alert Sheet. The student reflects on how he misbehaved, fills in the appropriate box, signs it and brings it home for a parent signature. 

Consequences Flowchart

Flowchart showing positive and negative consequences of adhering and not adhering to classroom rules and procedures
For a larger image click here 

-Marzano, Roberto (2007). The Art and Science of Teaching: A Comprehensive Framework for Effective Instruction. Virginia, USA: ASCD.-Evertson, C. M., Emmer, E. T., & Worsham, M. E. (2003). Classroom management for elementary teachers (6th ed.). Boston: Allyn & Bacon.

-Thank you image: https://t3.ftcdn.net/jpg/00/94/52/40/160_F_94524072_uPTfGmSIzdhqoj6yRXiOsthiS41uGPO0.jpg

-Behavior Alert image: Retrieved August 2016 from http://floatingdowntheriverontheohio.blogspot.de/search/label/Behavior%20Management

-Think Sheet image: https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Think-Sheet-1072379

-Positive Reinforcementin the Classroom. Clip chart and Shout Out images: Retrieved November 17, 2015 from http://www.theprimarypeach.com/2015/11/helpful-harvest-positive-reinforcement.html

-Miss Giraffe, 25 Chatty Class Classroom Management Strategies for Overly Talkative Students.  Blurt Beans image, Retrieved October 21, 2016 from http://missgiraffesclass.blogspot.de/2016/10/25-chatty-class-classroom-management.html

High Performance Learning 3 Ways

Teaching styles vary enormously accordingly to time and place. Some styles have a brief history, born and bled much like any other popular fashion. Others are tried and tested, and continue strong with a thousand year history behind them. Others are experiments, which fail in short order. No matter what the staying power, teaching styles have a strong relationship with cultural norms and expectations. American teaching and Chinese teaching, for example, could hardly be more different. Yet both styles have their benefit and both can lead to high performance results.

The three teaching styles studied this week differ enormously in their approach, yet they all deliver on a performance level. Let’s take a closer look.

The first video, Roller Coast Physics: STEM in Action (watch it here) is an example of Project Based Learning. In Ms. Migdol’s STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) class, middle school students are working on a 2.5-week engineering design project and are tasked with building a safe and effective roller coast using various materials. They are fully engaged and active in their learning. Students work in groups on their design, problem-solving every step of the way. Ms. Migdol gives them limited materials at the start of the project and a fixed budget, which forces them to think about what modifications and trade-offs need to be made in order to reach their goals – this is problem-solving in action. Within groups, students each choose a job according to their talents and interest, which not only encourages equal participation and active engagement in the project, but it also speaks to students personally since jobs align with their interest. The groups regularly meet for whole-class discussions regarding project progress and setbacks. This “real-life” collaboration, discussion and sharing of ideas prepares students for professional life where this type of communication is an integral aspect of the work force, partially in the sciences and engineering fields. Students use technology to record their work and results.

It is clear that the teacher holds students to very high academic expectations. All students are actively and equally engaged. They are expected to continually take notes and write predictions, analyses, and conclusions of their experiments using technical vocabulary. The use of technology not only makes learning more engaging but also prepares them for life and work in the 21^st Century. Through this type of project-based learning students become risk-takers, problem-solvers, collaborators and truly engaged in and passionate about their learning.

Ms. Migdol achieves excellent student behavior by virtue of truly engaging students in their learning. It’s a self-fulfilling prophecy that because of their strong involvement, interest and participation in their learning, there is no behavior ‘problems’.  Respect and recognition for the work and input of peers is facilitated through group work, whole-class discussions, and the division of labor within groups.

Procedurally, the teacher has achieved a flow which is guided by her but which is determined by students. She checks in with groups, asks questions, distributes materials and organizes discussions, but it’s the students who give life and momentum to their learning in this project-based learning model.

The second video, 3^rd Grade Chinese-Math Class (watch it here) is a very different approach to teaching.  The math lesson is teacher-led and students are made to repeat in unison numbers and charts. This type of whole-class chanting, rhyming and repetition invariably leads to effective memorization but it’s questionable who and how deeply students are learning. It’s unclear how learning in taken to a deeper level, i.e., how are skills connected to practical or ‘real-life’ learning. While this method quite certainly creates strong test-takers it very unlikely produced independent thinkers and problem-solvers. In China, this method of teacher-led teaching and collective student-repetition dates back centuries. Clearly, it has tried and tested historical value and is a venerable cultural tradition. This type of teaching, however, would be a hard sell in cultures where independent thinking is highly valued and encouraged.

The teacher undoubtedly has high academic expectations of her students. This is proven by China’s status among the top ranking school systems in the world in terms of academic achievement. However, I would venture to say that academic achievement is about all that is achieved through this method of teaching. Whole-child education, in other words independent thinking, collaborative ‘real-life’ learning, critical thinking, problem solving and individual exploration of ideas and interests seem to be an afterthought, if at all. It’s also unclear how the teacher checks for comprehension. She regularly calls on students for responses, but there is not guarantee that student responses are not more memorized and automated than deeply and consciously understood.

Behaviorally, the teacher has high expectations of her students. Her teaching method is highly controlled and authoritarian, which requires full student submission.  Students are orderly and attentive, respond when prompted and do as told. Additionally, it’s likely that students are unwilling to ‘act out’ as it is deemed culturally unacceptable in China, and therefore a gamble of losing face.  

Procedurally, the teacher is fully successful. Her students clearly understand the norms and procedures of their lessons, as they are all neatly seated and chanting in unison. Teacher expectations are thoroughly understood, as is evident by the student’s quick and effective responses to her cues.

The third video, Whole Brain Teaching Richwood High – The Basics (watch it here) exemplifies yet another method of teaching, “Whole Brain Teaching”. This method is teacher-led and uses highly animated gesturing, clapping and individual key word repetition to focus students and make them attentive. Students are expected to respond to teacher cues instantly and in a strictly prescribed fashion.  Student response time and tone are constantly checked, quickened, and corrected. Gesturing, tonal repetition and response on cue is an integral part of this teaching methodology, as it is believed that this facilitates whole brain learning and leads to better focus and concentration.

The teacher using this teaching method may have high student expectations but it’s unclear what these expectations are and how students are assessed, nor is it unclear how deeply and thoroughly they are learning content. I would venture to say that in this authoritarian approach, there is less value on personalized learning and creative thinking. I also feel this method comes with the message that students are in need of military style control. This method may snap students into attention but its questionable how long students can remain at this level attention, and it begs the question what it does to their psyche in the long-term. How will these students function in a society that strongly values independent and creative thinking and flexibility? Aside from a career in the army, I’d be concerned about the value that this method brings to the students in regards to full and effective preparation for the future.

The teacher clearly has very strong behavioral expectations. Miming and responding to gestures in timed sequences has student very much controlled. The teacher’s authority is undeniable. Student clearly understand norms and procedures in the classroom, as in indicated by their unified, immediate and nearly flawless response to teacher cues and gestures.

As a private art teacher I teach mixed-age groups of international children who attend either the International School (IB school) or local German schools. My students are highly motivated learners at excellent academic standing at their schools. In my own classroom, the only method out of these three which I currently use, and foresee using going forward in the first, project-based method. Neither the second nor third teaching method would be acceptable teaching methods for me personally, and for my students purely out of cultural norms. There are, however, elements of the Chinese method that I do occasionally tap into, such as whole-class repetition of a new vocabulary term, or repeating teaching instructions back to me to check for understanding. As an art teacher, however, this method has little value for my work. My art classroom, by definition, is a project based learning environment because the art-making process is about developing a piece of art, taking risks, problem solving and thinking creatively. Absolutely by no means would I ever use the whole brain learning method. On a personal level, its methodology is far too theatrical and exaggerated for my taste. I could never ‘be’ that teacher. The approach is almost painful to watch, as I feel it demeans the individual and sends a dangerous and condemning message about the need to control her. On a pedagogical level, it doesn’t suit my student’s learning styles or cultures, nor does it make sense for art teaching.  

In the future I hope to teach art at International Schools where the 21^st Century skills of problem solving, collaborations, knowledge sharing, use of technology, and critical and creative thinking are highly valued. Therefore, it is only the project-based learning method that I foresee using in my teaching.

  Sources:
Roller Coaster Physics: STEM in Action. Retrieved from https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/teaching-stem-strategies
Whole Brain Teaching. Retrieved from http://wholebrainteaching.com/beginner/
3^rd Grade Chinese-Math Class. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7LseF6Db5g
Whole Brain Teaching Richwood High – The Basics. Retrieved May 2011, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iXTtR7lfWU&feature=youtu.be
Image: https://cdn0.iconfinder.com/data/icons/back-to-school/90/school-learn-study-teacher-teaching-512.png