Positive and Negative Reinforcement

I co-taught with another teacher in an overflow situation.  She had four kids enroll the last three weeks of school and was able to get another teacher in so she can get some help managing the class while she finish testing/preping for the end of the school year.

It was a rare opportunity to observe a peer's different classroom management style.  When there is a conflict or accusation, she would bring the kids to the fore of the class and discipline publicly.  Dispensing justice like a the Queen, the class would watch as she make an example of the accused.

I tend to abstract the process.  With a conflict, I would ask for volunteers to stand in for the culprits and use them to act out what they should do to resolve the problem.  I want to ensure the kids also know what they CAN do, not just what they cannot do.  I would talk to the accused in private.  My goal is to acknowledge that I am aware of the conflict and doing something about it but also to minimize attention to the kids involved.

When I first saw her style of management, I started to consider changing mine.  I felt so good to see justice served so publicly!  Then I noticed lots of tattling - telling on someone just to get them into trouble.  The kids also expected the teacher to solve all the problems.  Then I remembered why I choose positive discipline.  By focusing on behavior, I don't give negative attention; I rather have kids strive for positive attention on their positive behavior.  I also train them to think of solutions and empowering them to be problem solvers. 

Did the classroom (especially the victim) feel a greater sense of justice when the accused was judged publicly?  Yes, I did feel that in the room.  However, I saw kids respond to the positive discipline style with more self sufficiency and more focus on earning praise for their own behavior rather than satisfaction at getting someone else in trouble.  In the long term, that counts for more.

Sophomore Sub - what worked and what didn't

After establishing a reputation from my first year, I found myself getting 50% of my jobs via pre-arrange assignments and 50% from the system.  My unscientific gut feel tells me half the jobs from the system is from me being on a preferred sub list at certain schools.

Most effective practices:

• Visiting schools the week before school started to pass out business cards and introducing myself.  I booked September this way. 
• Freely distributing my business card and writing my notes to teachers I subbed for on my matching stationery.  I came back to some classrooms and found they kept my notes.  I also found other subs would write notes on post its, scratch paper, etc.  I believe mine is more memorable.
• Sending an e-mail beginning and mid year to all the teachers I subbed for + secretaries listing my recent professional development with the notice I'm improving myself to serve them better.  It worked as a reminder and a way to differentiate myself.  I received several calls for jobs in response to that note.
• Introducing myself to my neighboring teachers and asking for help as needed, especially when it shows flexibility and initiative.
• Being flexible in the classroom and adapting the lessons as needed.  I always try to include some independant work.

Not so effective practices:

• Coming into a classroom tired and not mentally prepared for what may go wrong.  Those were the days when I was weakest as a teacher which makes for a worse experience for me and the kids.  Even when it is a class I know and have subbed for regularly, I need to be alert as losing my temper benefits no one.
• Working all five days, including two half days on the same day.  I get too tired and the grades/names/schools mixed up.  It was not fair to the kids when I can't focus on them in the moment.
• Not having a separate classroom management plan for the last hour of class, especially near the end of the school year.  The kids would be tired and I would be out of intermediate + powerful incentives like giving/taking minutes away from recess that day or sending them to the office.  I'm still trying to figure this one out. 
• Being too much in love with the written lesson plan to flex.
• Not offering independant work time during the day.

Sixth Grade vs Kindergarten - sometimes there is not that much difference

Some sixth graders were helping me set up the room for a Chinese Brush Painting Class placing ink, paper, and brushes on each table.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw my helper raise the ink and sniff it.  Then to my disbelieving eyes, he tilted the ink toward his open mouth!

"It's toxic!" I yelled in horror (which was true as I was using real sumi ink).  He stopped and looked haplessly at me.  "Really?".  Sigh.

Expect everything.

Why am I exhausted after some classes but not others?

Scenario 1 - I taught a Chinese Brush Painting class to two sixth grade classes today as a guest artist.  There were lots of set up and tear down so I ended up there from 9:45-3:00pm.  The kids were lovely and helped me set up and clean up.  The two sessions were 80 minutes long and I was "on" the whole time.  They loved the class and I received lots of hugs afterwards.  I felt rewarded but I was and am exhausted.

Scenario 2 - I taught as a substitute in a sixth grade classroom where I had a regular scheduled day yesterday.  The morning was fabulous with the kids engaged and productive during instruction AND independant work time.  The afternoon was OK too until the last hour.  During the instruction (explaining using background knowledge to formulate topical questions for expository prose), the kids just would not stop talking.  I took forever to settle down to quiet so I can be heard and then it would not last more than a few minutes.  It took so long to get through the lesson and they ended up with no independant work time. 

This happens somewhat regularly where the last hour of the day was  much more difficult than the rest.  My theory is that the kids know you won't be back the next day and can mess around some more.  After all, the sub no longer have recess to keep them in or be less likely to send them to the office as it was the end of the day.  Sure they can tell the teacher but that is tomorrow which doesn't impact them today.  Although I had mostly a great day, the last hour exhausted me.

Scenario 3 - Medium days classroom where  it was OK all day with slight ups and downs in behavior.  I go home not exactly refreshed but definitely not exhausted.

I wonder what other teachers do to have good days consistently without feeling exhausted. 

A letter to a friend about making a difference

I wrote this note to a friend who was discouraged about the state of teaching.  I thought it was worth sharing here:

I can honestly say I know I’m making a difference every day I teach. Yes, even as a substitute. Sometimes I know it because I could see the lightbulb light up on top of their heads, sometimes the kids tell me, sometimes they write me, sometimes the teacher communicate that , and sometimes, the parent would come forward. Perhaps we don’t dwell on that in our communications as often as we should. With limited time, we tend to vent our frustrations. Because, the rewards outnumber the frustrations so much.

I believe everyone want the best outcome for the kids in the education system. However, we all have different ideas on how to go about it. And wherever or whatever industry we end up working, we will always encounter differences of opinion. Understand and be confident in your worth. If your gift is of genuine value, no one will be able to take it away from your students. If you focus on them, I don’t believe you can go wrong.

I bow to special ed teachers

Because they work their butts off every day.  When I first started subbing for special ed, especially for the elementary grades, it was nice to be able to work one on one or in small groups with the kids.  However, in just two short years, I saw an incredible increase in work load.

When I sub now, my day is measured in minutes of time with the kids.  Moving from one room to another is calculated by seconds or I will short someone's time.  I talked to a sub recently whose teacher forgot to build in time for lunch in the sub plans because SHE doesn't take lunch time.

I mentioned this as an interesting vignette in conversation with another special ed teacher I was going to sub for this coming week.  When he heard me, he thanked me for reminding him to block out some lunch time aside for me when I come in.  Do any of them eat?

"She said she came this close to committing suicide..."

"...and then she showed me her scars," said my son.  His classmate had confided in him and his whole sixth grade class about how she felt after her parents yelled at her for poor grades on her report card.  He assured me that she had been depressed lately and this was the tip of the iceberg.  She had also been cutting herself to inflict pain.  Of course, she told him and the rest of her friends not to tell.  It took him a week to gather up the courage to inform an adult.

I'm glad he did and I reported to the school.  As I know her parents personally, I called her parents as well.

Her mother was initally glad I told her.  However, she became very upset and angry when she learned I also informed the school.  It was their private business and it was inappropriate of me to tell on them.

I know I did the right thing, both as a friend and as a mandated reporter.  But, it sometimes sucks to do the right thing.