The teacher chose the shyest student in the class to draw a piece of paper, and if it was blank, the whole class would get a free lesson to play.
But all the papers were blank, and she did this to help him socialize and alleviate his shyness.
Parents…
If you send an encouraging email to your child’s teacher, please know there is a good chance they will print it out and save it in a file. They will reread it when they are feeling down. Your encouraging words will go a long way.
P.S. It’s Teacher Appreciation Week.
A while back I tweeted about how example-rich, self-checking worksheets can reduce and even eliminate misbehavior in math classrooms, and I was met with quite a bit of (understandable) disbelief. Here’s another crack at how self-explanatory, self-paced worksheets get at the actual roots of misbehavior, and why they should be taken far more seriously by educators seeking orderly classrooms.
Self-checking worksheets with a pre-worked example for every practice problem prevent misbehavior by:
Increasing Engagement: When students all have self-explanatory work they can do, they’re far less likely to act up. When they all have constant access to detailed feedback, they’re far more likely to stay on task.
Reducing Frustration: Many behavioral issues stem from lack of understanding and the frustration that follows. Example-rich worksheets provide clear models and guidance, making it easier for students to grasp concepts and taste success. The decreased frustration decreases the likelihood of acting out; the increased success increases the likelihood of plugging in.
Personalizing Learning: Self-paced classwork prevents students from feeling rushed or left behind, both major drivers of disengagement and disruption. Students who are challenged appropriately are far more likely to stay focused - and far less likely to require behavior management.
Making Mistakes Less Mortifying: Self-checking allows students to identify and correct errors without embarrassment, and, in time, view mistakes and corrections as natural parts of the learning process itself. Lack of embarrassment equals lack of compensating misbehavior.
Providing Positive Reinforcement: Successfully completing tasks in an ongoing feedback loop boosts self-confidence. Students who feel good about themselves are simply less likely to be bad.
Reducing Boredom (Dramatically): Boredom commonly triggers bad behavior. Self-paced materials allow students to move at a pace that keeps them all challenged and engaged at all times, eliminating downtime and off-task shenanigans.
Creating a More Focused Learning Environment: When students are all doing and checking their work, the mood of the room changes. Focus and concentration improves overall, producing a far more serious and stimulating classroom learning environment.
Students who feel smart, respected, included, and rewarded for their hard work have fewer reasons to act out, plain and simple. Individual, for-real achievement is the way to produce these feelings.
Without it, we’re just asking for trouble.
#YouTeachYou #Reproducible #MathWorksheets #InexpensiveMathSolutions #ClassroomManagement #StudentBehavior
A Hard Truth for Parents.
“If you do too much for your children, you are increasing your self-esteem by stealing theirs.”
Let them struggle. Let them figure it out.
The best gift you can give your kids is the belief that they can handle hard things.
https://t.co/NIX0ZH8Ecv
We always had SEL in schools. It was called recess, play, Music, Art, Physical Education, etc. But now we limit or take them away & then we wonder why students lack social/emotional skills, resiliency, and the ability to connect with others.
Elementary students should not be taking standardized tests. Because testing becomes the focus of education instead of learning. We take away the fun and excitement of learning, playing, exploring, & creating. We create test takers instead of problem solvers and innovators.
Did You Know?
Nearly 80% of teachers report feeling moderate to substantial pressure to ensure students perform well on these standardized tests.
Additionally, only 25% of teachers find state-mandated standardized tests to be useful in the classroom, highlighting a disconnect between testing practices and instructional utility.
There are a lot of middle school students wasting their time in Math class because no one is brave enough to say that the complete absence of math fact mastery is crippling them every day. They could probably learn them in a week if we really cared.
My son told me his 5th grade homeroom teacher was coming to his hockey game tonight. I told him it was a Friday night and she might have plans so not to be disappointed if she didn’t make it. When I got to the stands to my surprise she was there!! I was so happy to see her. When my son was on the ice and saw her, the look on his face was one of pure joy and pride. Sometimes a really great caring teacher makes all the difference.