READER RESPONSE #10
Domain II, Competency 006
Subcompetencies 6, 7, 8
Reading Response #10
Kathy Hainey
Chapter 10 of Jacobsen’s text is a continuation of the discussion classroom management begun in Chapter 9, with a focus on intervention. The list of common management problems listed on page 284 includes:
1. disruptive conversations
2. passing notes
3. refusing to comply with a request
4. hostility between individuals or groups
5. one student’s overdependence on another
6. fighting among students.
Believe it or not, numbers 1 and 2 are seen in adult education just as they are in K-12. It is usually the youngest of my students who pass notes, but all ages engage in disruptive behavior at times, however unconsciously.
Most management problems generally come from teachers, student’s emotional problems, or ‘kids-will-be-kids’ behaviors (pg 284). I wish the book had offered more than one sentence examples of the differences between these three causes. It was difficult to generalize the concepts to the degree exercise 10.1 expected off of these sparse examples. Also, many of the behaviors listed in exercise 10.1 can have a number of causes and were too vague for us to know what the expected answer was. I’m glad we get a ‘redo’ on the exercises!
At last, we find withitness! Withitness and overlapping were also qualifications for parenthood, in my opinion! These are the ability to know what is going on with all of your students at once and the ability to multitask effectively (pgs. 285-286). With adult learners, a glance or holding up a finger to indicate "one moment" is almost always sufficient to maintain a well managed classroom. Proximity does come in handy, too.
Consistency and follow-through are a must for teachers. If you are not consistent with your expectations, and then follow through to make sure the expectations continue to be met, you have lost whatever credibility you ever hoped to have. Children can be marvelous manipulators if they want to be, but to maintain a positive learning environment there must be consistency. I liked that the text differentiated between dealing with disruptive behaviors and being so by the book that inconsequential things are confronted, also.
Being brief, firm, and clear makes sure that all the students in the class are informed of the expectation when the teacher needs to redirect someone. This provides reinforcement for the expectation for all of the students in a concise manner which includes stating the desired behavior. Simply telling a student to stop doing something is not enough; the correct action also needs to be reiterated. My son has a two-year-old daughter and I have expressed to him the importance of telling her what the alternative to her present behavior is if she is being corrected. Telling her "no" is not enough information for her. She needs to be told what the correct thing to do would be. If this is done consistently, clearly, and with caring, then she, or a student, can make an informed decision whether or not to meet the behavioral expectation. Being firm and clear can also limit any attempted arguments that a student might introduce into the equation. Avoid arguments by welcoming a quiet discussion when class is not being conducted (pg. 287).
A discussion of cognitive interventions involving congruent communications, "I" messages, and logical consequences began on page 288. Cognitive interventions presume that the student is aware of the expectation. This is another good reason to be clear in stating the expectation every time it is mentioned. Cognitive interventions contain more than just verbal restating of the desired behavior. Some nonverbal tools to use are: proximity, eye contact, body orientation, facial expression, gestures, and vocal variation (pg. 289). One day in my GED class recently, things were spiraling out of control due to new students joining the class that day and the extra 1:1 time it takes to bring a new student into the class. The third time I had to ask for the students to stop talking and get back on task, I believe I used vocal variation as my communication tool. I did not yell, but everyone heard me and believed that I really expected quiet, independent study time. I have had very few instances of disruptive, private conversations attempted during class since then.
Congruent messages simply mean that the expectations of and behaviors in the classroom need to make sense to the students. "I" messages focus on the behavior, the problem cause by the behavior, and any feelings associated with these for the speaker. "I" messages allow a teacher to express what needs to change and why, without denigrating the student in any way. Logical consequences are always one of my favorites! No one likes it when their behavior sneaks up and bites them from behind, but often logical consequences can’t be argued with by even the best arguer. When logical consequences catch up with a student, I find they usually have some, small sense of humor about the silliness of it all by the time the consequence is over. Not always, of course!
I’m sorry I’m writing so much. I enjoy this psychological stuff.
Page 292 introduces the behavioral approach to classroom management. The goal here is to address the inappropriate behavior immediately with the minimal amount of effective consequences. I remember Daddy (the retired English teacher) bemoaning the fact that so many teachers used "Write an essay on …" as punishment in their classes. (This was long ago, in the 60’s and 70’s, before enlightenment.) No wonder students hated essays! The same concept applies to using additional work as punishment. Just as in parenting, do not implement a punishment/consequence when angry. Assertive discipline, done properly, puts the onus right back on the student for their behavior and its consequences.
An intervention continuum was introduced on page 296 in which teacher responses range from praise to ignoring to indirect cues to desists to consequences. These are really self-explanatory and we do them every day.
Violence and aggression are scary, but the person in charge of everyone’s safety, i.e., the teacher, needs to remain calm above all else if violence erupts. Deal with the situation matter of factly, but immediately. Don’t be afraid to send for aid from another teacher or administrator. In my former life as a social worker in a residential placement for adolescents, restraining students was, unfortunately, all too common. I understand that teachers do not restrain the students here, which is fine with me. In order to prevent or stop a fight in the residential setting, staff had to step in to restrain one or more residents. Aggression was the typical reason for the boys’ placement. Even with fully trained staff out numbering the resident 4 to 1 and performing the restraint correctly, someone besides the resident always was bruised, bitten, spit on, sat on, bashed into the wall, etc. The point is, do not intervene physically unless there is no danger to you. Page 299 mentioned teaching students to express feelings in productive, positive ways to help prevent conflict. This works as a prevention, rarely as part of a consequence for fighting. If a student has ongoing anger/violence issues, a lot more needs to be addressed than can be handled in a school classroom, but having other students around who have a familiarity with this concept can be helpful in deescalating a volatile situation.