“I’ve come to a frightening conclusion that I am the decisive element in the classroom. It’s my personal approach that creates the climate. It’s my daily mood that makes the weather. As a teacher, I have a tremendous power to make a child’s life miserable or joyous. I can be a tool of torture or an instrument of inspiration. I humiliate or humor, hurt or heal. In all situations, it is my response that decides whether a crisis will be escalated or de-escalated and a child humanized or dehumanized.” Ginott
¨ Students attain optimum learning by being focused. Although students are expected to be attentive to a teacher’s instruction or to other speakers in class, s/he is seldom taught that skill. Some students are not good listeners, and some are not strong auditory learners, but students can be taught those skills just like other skills are taught.
Skill to be taught: Respond to a signal for attention to instruction
The student will be able to respond to a signal given by the teacher to listen, will look at the speaker while listening, will be able to determine when notes should be taken while listening, will be able to evaluate his/her understanding while listening, and will be able to replay the listening in his/her own words.
Purpose of the skill (given in terms of benefits to the student):
¨ Increase learning,
¨ Increase the productive use of time.
¨ Improve students’ listening skills.
¨ Maintain respect for the students’ dignity, i.e. avoids singling out students.
Anticipatory Set: “When a camera focuses what does it do? It makes the scene clear. If it’s out of focus, the picture is not clear, and it may be difficult to determine what things are. Sometimes students miss important information in a lesson because they are “out of focus”, i.e., they are not paying attention to the lesson.” (Give a sample explanation of something simple and turn away so part of it can’t be heard, then ask questions of the steps, etc.)
“You want to be an effective learner. To do that there are guidelines that will help you.”
Input: Hold up sign “Focus”
When I want your attention, I will say, ‘Focus’. When a camera focuses what does it do? It makes the scene clear. In order for instruction to be clear, you must focus. What does that look like? You are looking at the speaker, you are not communicating with others verbally or non-verbally, you are not playing with objects at your desk, and you are thinking to yourself, ‘Am I understanding?’”
The following is what it means to “Focus” in this class.
· You are not communicating with others verbally or non-verbally. You stop talking.
· You are looking at the speaker – if I can’t see you, you can’t see me.
· You are listening.
· You are thinking, “Am I understanding what the speaker is saying?”
STOP Talking, LOOK at the speaker,
LISTEN to the speaker,
and THINK – “Am I understanding?”
Model: Give examples and/or role-play. Have students talk to each other for a while and then say, “Focus, please.” Also, take the role of a student in a variety of classroom situations and model what the student does when the teacher says, “focus”. The teacher NEVER singles out one student that is not paying attention. Proximity might be used coupled with the admonition, “I need EVERYONE to focus, please.”
Methods for checking students’ understanding of the input and purpose of the skill:
Students write what focus means to them
Write reasons why focus is important
Guided/Monitored practice: Throughout the day, practice the new skill.
Evaluate: Daily reinforce & review – More modeling and input as necessary. Soon it will become second nature for students to focus on the speaker.