Please join fellow WBT educators in a lively discussion of Chris Biffle's latest book, "Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids"! Earn WBT Certification points in the Official WBT Book Club! Points will be awarded to Whole Brainers who regularly post thoughtful, energetic posts, 700 points possible during the summer session! Book Club Guidelines 1. Become a member of this site. Scroll down on the right and click "Join this site". Only members are able to post. 2. Enter your email address in the box on the right (just below the Members section). This will allow you to receive messages from Coach B regarding new discussion topics and important info. 3. Click on the Chapter links on the right to see questions related to each chapter of the book and post a comment with a thoughtful reply. Try not to exceed 250 words. 4. Feel free to ask questions and answer others' questions using the "Questions Page" on the right. Don't hold back! But dress appropriately; the weather in Teacher Heaven is electrified with funtricity so it can sizzle. 5. Please sign all of your posts with your real first and last name. 6. Big Important Note! Please use college level literacy in your assignments. Avoid spelling errors, typos, awkward sentences, incomplete answers. Sorry, no rewrites!
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Chapter 19: The Guff Counter
Write a note to an administrator explaining why you believe the Guff Counter will be an effective classroom management technique. Pages 124-129 Full credit: 25 WBT Certification Points Partial credit: 10 WBT Certification Points
Thank you for allowing me the freedom to practice Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom this year! Student learning and participation is at an all time high! As the year progresses, I plan to continue these techniques. Whole Brain Teaching moves forward in levels to address changing management needs. We are now ready for Level 4, which includes a technique called the “Guff Counter.” As you have observed, we are currently using the Scoreboard in my classroom. The “guff counter” will be used to target disrespectful behavior such as talking back, eye rolling, groaning, etc. The idea is to separate rebellious students from the backing of their friends. Often, when disrespectful behavior is met with silent support, this backing fuels rebellious actions. If this silent support is taken away, disrespectful behavior will decrease. Here’s how it works. After adding a Guff Counter to the current Scoreboard, I will explain “guff” as any comment that makes a teacher unhappy. We will act out examples in class, such as the teacher asking someone to start working and the student replying, “I AM working.” For each word of guff, students will receive a negative point on the “guff” section of the Scoreboard. (“I AM working” would be three negative guff marks.) Each mark in the Guff Counter counts for one minute of lost recess for the class. Students will be given a chance to cancel out these negative marks by saying, “Please, stop!” as a class. I will explain that this response will help remind everyone that we are a team working toward a common goal. Students don’t always realize that silence is viewed as support. The Guff Counter will help teach this valuable lesson, which is useful in real life situations also. Students need to learn to stand up for what is right rather than sit by in silent acceptance. Now, here’s the most important part: the Guff Counter is the one technique that I will never carry through with. Students won’t know this, of course, but making a mark for each word of guff would not follow the +/-3 rule of the Scoreboard (students should never be ahead or behind more than 3 points). Given the opportunity, students will call out, “Please, stop!” in order to avoid losing recess. To avoid students yelling out, “Please, stop!” at all points of the day, I will instruct students to only do so if they hear me say, “That sounds like guff! Where’s my marker?” This will help students recognize guff as nonverbal and verbal, and to recognize when guff occurs between students. This is a well-researched technique. Whole Brain Teachers have found that challenging students’ strongest supporters are often the first to challenge their behavior when given a chance. By making it a game, the behavior is dealt with quickly and then moved on from. Given a fun and safe opportunity (like “Please, stop!”) allows challenging students to turn on each other. As always, I will take individual student needs into account. There are other levels and techniques to handle students who are not affected by the guff counter. Thank you for your continued support as I venture into new areas of Whole Brain Teaching. As always, you are welcome to observe at any time. I will keep you informed of the success of this technique as well as future levels of the Scoreboard. Sincerely, Madeline Mahan
Madeline, This is a very informative letter and I'm sure your administrator would be thankful for this detailed description of how the Guff Counter works! Isn't it a wonderful technique to have in our back pocket? Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for allowing me to use Whole Brain Teaching methods in my classroom. As I am sure you have noticed during your observations in my room, we work a little differently than other classrooms. We have worked through levels 1, 2 and 3 of the Scoreboard game already and have had great success.
We will be implementing our newest level in the classroom behavior management system, level 4, which is called the Guff Counter. I would like to explain to you how this system works so that you will be aware of what is going to happen in my classroom. “Guff” is a term I will teach my students that refers to disrespectful behaviors such as groaning, eye rolling or verbal disrespect of any kind. As we do with every new element of Whole Brain Teaching, we will practice using “guff” so students get examples of the kind of behavior I expect them not to engage in. Then I will teach the entire class to say, “Please, stop” each time “guff” is demonstrated in the classroom. We will practice this skill as well.
The idea is that by uniting the entire classroom behind me and the rule of the Guff Counter, disruptive students will be “peer pressured” into compliance with the rules. This technique not only provides me with a more compliant classroom full of students, but also allows the students to be responsible for creating social change. They can pay attention to interactions among myself and them, as well as interactions between themselves and peers, and determine which behaviors are disrespectful. Further, this method teaches them a way to deal with disrespectful behavior which allows them to stand up for themselves without creating additional conflict.
If a student gives me “guff” during the class period, they will receive one tally mark on the Guff Counter for each word of “guff” they offered. These quickly add up and the student’s peers will learn quickly to help keep the student in line in the classroom. Further, if a student presents a non-verbal form of “guff,” like rolling their eyes, I will say, “That sounds like guff, where is my marker?” This will signal to students that they need to act to keep the balance in the classroom and avoid receiving any more negative marks on the Guff Counter.
The beauty of this system is that it eliminates conflict between myself and students and focuses the non-negative feedback onto the “guffer” without singling them out and disrupting the classroom learning opportunities. Once the “guffer” learns that everyone is against their negative behaviors, and will call them on it, they will be less likely to engage in these behaviors. Further, research has shown that the “guffer’s” close friends are usually the first ones to turn on them and call them out! This method will have amazing success on reigning in problematic behaviors in my classroom.
As always, thank you for your continued support in my Whole Brain Teaching journey this year. If you have any questions, please let me know.
First of all, I want to thank you for the support you have shown me in implementing the Whole Brain Teaching methods in my classroom. I have had a huge amount of success, and I am delighted with the results I am seeing in my students’ academic engagement. As you have witnessed during formal and informal observations, I have been using the Scoreboard classroom management system since the beginning on the school year. I am now ready to implement the fourth level of the Scoreboard, the Guff Counter. The Guff Counter is a technique that targets disrespectful behaviors. I have a couple of students with challenging behaviors, and I want to take away the support they are getting from their peers. The Guff Counter works like this. For each “Guff” (eye roll, talking back, groaning, etc.) the class receives a tally mark. Each tally mark will be a minute off of recess; however, if the class says, “Please Stop!” they will not get a tally mark. Thank you so much for your continued support in the implementation of the Whole Brain Teaching methods. I look forward to sharing my success with the “Guff Counter.”
Carrie, The Guff Counter is such a wonderful way to help students recognize disrespectful behavior! You may want to add more detail to how this works and about how you will avoid it being a group punishment by making sure the Guff never really gets marked. Here are 20 certification points to save in a word document to submit later.
I am excited about implementing the Guff Counter. Guff Counter is the fourth level of Whole Brain Teaching Scoreboard which targets disrespectful behavior. I really believe that it will be effective in our classroom because Guff Counter places the responsibility for extinguishing unwanted behaviors on the students.
Here is the plan: If a student is in any way disrespectful to another student or me, the students will say “please stop” quickly and with conviction. If the words “please stop” are weak or spoken slowly, or if the classmates don’t respond “please stop,” I will make a tally mark for every word of guff under the Guff Counter frownie face. Each mark results in lost recess time. If the class responds correctly, I will not give a tally mark.
The class and I will role play and practice the procedure Whole Brain style. Dr. Cagle, I am confident I that Guff Counter will work because the students will know what is at stake, and they want our place of learning to operate smoothly.
Kay, The Guff Counter does work. Remember, your role play and practice of this technique is to make sure the class is not punished as a group. The Guff Counter is never really meant to be marked, as it would skew the +/- 3 Rule of the Scoreboard. Nice job! Here are 25 points for you!
Dear Administrators, The Whole Brain Teaching Method is a wonderful tool that has brought basic order and attentiveness to my classroom this year. However, as you know, I have had several problems with disrespectful and rebellious students. Despite implementing the use of the Scoreboard, the Super Improvers Team, and Practice Cards, I have still experienced problems such as talking back, eye rolling, and groaning, to name a few. My next step is to introduce the “Guff Counter”, which is Level Four of the Scoreboard, to my students.
“Guff” is any remark or behavior that breaks Rule # 5 and makes the teacher unhappy. The Guff Counter system is based on the fact that without friends or allies, a rebellious child’s behavior will be stifled and eliminated. I plan to turn the majority of the class not against the child himself, but against his inappropriate behavior. The class as a whole is never punished as a result of the Guff Counter. By rehearsing correct and incorrect behaviors, students are taught that it is their responsibility to say, “Please Stop!” each time a rebel says something that is “Guff”. If the class doesn’t say something, then they are silently supporting the remarks of the rebellious student. Each time a Guff is silently supported, the class is given a mark on the Guff Counter, and one minute of recess is lost.
This system helps to break down allies and causes disruptive students to separate and support the goal of the entire class rather than rally behind the “leader” out of fear or being ostracized. They soon realize that behind the class is the place to be, and hopefully the leader will also see the light.
This is a well-researched technique. The Guff Counter enables teachers to make dealing with the behaviors of challenging students into a game. “Please Stop!” gives the majority of the class the power to express an opinion and hopefully eliminate the inappropriate behaviors of the rebels.
I appreciate your commitment as I continue to delve deeper into the practices of Whole Brain Teaching. I will keep you informed about the success of the “Guff Counter”. Thank you for your continued support.
I want to let you know I’ve added a new behavior management technique to my yearly behavior plan. A few months have gone by and I still have several challenging students rolling their eyes, and making sarcastic remarks to the teacher and peers. I want to get this behavior under control immediately, so our class time is being used wisely. I believe the Guff Counter; (it is a level 4 scoreboard), will be very beneficial at this time to correct my few behavior problems. Let me explain briefly. A “Guff” is any remark that makes a teacher unhappy. If students give me “Guff”, and the class does not respond, then that means everyone silently supports the “Guff” remark! On the “Guff” Counter, I will add a mark for every word of “Guff”. This means everyone will lose a minute off a reward (recess, reading time, or free time). I want to emphasize the ‘Guff Counter’ is the only technique we threaten with, but never carry out. If a classmate says something about the “Guff” remark and firmly says “Please Stop!” that means the class does not silently support the “Guffer”, and no penalty is given. Of course students will began to instantly silence the “Guffer (s)”. Basically, the “Guff” Counter should turn the majority of the class against their disruptive behavior. Once again, I should never carry through unless I would be breaking the Plus/Minus Three rule (the difference between reward and penalties should never exceed three). By picking up a marker and saying ‘I heard a ‘guff’, the students should be ready to say, “Please Stop!” The real purpose is to silence the misbehavior immediately. I will be reviewing with the class what is considered disrespectful, and the appropriate response the class should say. I hope I have your support with the new scoreboard behavior plan. You are welcomed to come observe first hand how this technique will be used. Please fill free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you once again for your continued support using Whole Brain Teaching throughout the year.
Chapter 19 Guff Counter Bethany Kirkland Dear Mrs. Moore, I appreciate the support you have given to the teachers and students who are implementing Whole Brain Teaching strategies. In an effort to increase respect towards other students and themselves, I want to explain a new WBT technique that I will be implementing. The new technique is called The Guff Counter. The Guff Counter will be added to our class scoreboard. "Guff" is defined as talking back, deep sighs, eye rolling, etc. For each "guff", a point is added to the frown side of our scoreboard. Each point equals a minute of lost recess time. Students may stop points from being added by politely and firmly saying, "Please Stop" to the guffer. My rationale for this strategy is that it will make students pay more attention to words and actions towards others. Secondly, most guffers do so because they are reinforced by their peers. Without this reinforcement and with classmates asking them to stop, the rude and disrespectful behavior should end. Lastly, my students will learn not to tolerate rude, disrespectful behavior from others, a life long skill. Through teaching and modeling, students will be able to quickly correct guffers with "Please stop", when I cue them by saying, "Where's my marker? Sounds like guff to me!" Recess will never be a total loss!
Bethany, Nice post on the Guff Counter. Your comment..."Through teaching and modeling, students will be able to quickly correct guffers with "Please stop", when I cue them by saying, "Where's my marker? Sounds like guff to me!" ...is very important. The Guff Counter is never really meant to be a group punishment, as we want to make sure it never actually gets marked. Here are 25 points for you!
As you have observed, I am continuing to implement new Whole Brain Teaching techniques not only in my lessons but in my behavior management as well. I am writing to inform you of the latest technique I will be using: The Guff Counter.
The Counter is level 4 of the WBT Scoreboard management system and since the success of my Practice Cards I will implementing the next step to deal with students who present different challenges. It will help me with students who “talk back” by removing the support they receive from doing it.
The Counter will be added to my scoreboard which I have been using with students since the beginning of the year. On the bottom of the chart I will draw a line which I will designate as The Guff Counter. Unlike the Scoreboard, I will attach consequences to marks I make under this counter (such as lost minutes of recess or free time.)
When a student gives me “guff” I will go to make a mark on the counter. Before I do, I will say, “That sounds like guff, where’s my marker?” This will signal to my other students that they need to ask the student to stop by saying, “Please, stop!” and I will not make a mark. By having my other students say this phrase it will show that they don’t like what the student is doing, which will remove the offender’s support system. In reality I will never actually make a mark on the counter. The reason being is that it would throw off my Scoreboard system which I keep within a three point range (so they are never too far ahead or behind.) I will only threaten to make a mark to encourage students to respond quickly to the “guff” behavior.
This technique will allow me to manage my class more efficiently by derailing students who are determined to assert themselves by talking back or employing other passive aggressive strategies to compromise the order of my classroom. It will show that I am not the only one who does not tolerate their behavior.
The technique teaches the class the lesson that their silence is viewed as support. This offers a way for students to stand up for what is right in a safe way that makes them feel empowered.
Of course there are other levels of the Scoreboard to address students who don’t respond well to this technique which I will introduce later. Thank you again for allowing me to pursue these techniques in the classroom and, as always, you are welcome to come by and observe it in action.
Josephine, Excellent letter to your principal. Your admin will love how effective the Guff Counter is in behavior management! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Thank you for encouraging and allowing me to promote Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom. I have had wonderful successes with these techniques and strategies. Students are learning in a fun and engaging way. They are able to remember and recall information easier as well.
I will be applying our newest behavior level known as the “Guff Counter” very soon and wanted to inform you of its purpose and benefits. “Guff” is any disrespectful behavior a student displays, such as, rolling eyes, groaning, talking back, etc. The Guff Counter is added to our current scoreboard where we implement “Oh Yeah!” and “Oh Man” for good and bad behavior. Underneath this scoreboard, the guff counter will target challenging students and turn the majority of the class, including their friends, against this disruptive behavior.
When a “guff” is being displayed by a student, the remaining classmates respond by stating “Please stop!” in order to back up their teacher against the behavior. When this happens, students are given an Oh Yeah! on the Guff part of the scoreboard. However, when students do not back up their teacher and say nothing, they are given an Oh Man! under the guff scoreboard. By students not responding, they are saying that the disruptive behavior is acceptable. The Oh Yeah’s and Oh Man’s affect the class recess. When an Oh Yeah happens(Smiley face), the class gets a minute of recess. When the class gets an Oh Man (Sad face), they lose one minute of recess. This method is incredible when you envision friends against friends who show disrespectful behavior for the simple goal of receiving recess!
The goal is that eventually the challenging students will understand the rules that apply in the classroom and will see that disrespectful behavior gets them the wrong type of attention. When they see their friends against them, the goal is that they will want to stop the bad behavior.
Thanks again for your support this year in implementing these techniques. If you have any questions regarding any of it, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
Liz, Just to clarify, the Guff is never actually marked as a negative on the scoreboard. The teacher will say "Is that Guff I hear?" (or something similar) and the class is then to respond with "Please Stop!". This keeps you from marking the negative. (You don't want to have ONE child be responsible for a negative on your scoreboard - that is a WHOLE class thing). The Guff Counter is motivational but not actually a "punishment". Here are 20 certification points!
Mrs. Moore, After spending last weekend reading my Whole Brain Teaching textbook, I found a wonderful classroom tool for managing those students who tend to take over a classroom. Using the Guff Counter, students who disrupt your classroom can easily be quieted by their classmates. Even students who would normally be cheering on the mutinous student will join the rest of the class to support the teacher. Your first step is to add a Guff Counter to your Scoreboard. Next, you practice the procedure with your class to make sure they understand what constitutes a “Guff”. Then, practice the class response to the “Guffer”. When a classmate talks back or gives the teacher Guff, the class will in unison, and forcefully say, “Please stop!” Each time you have a “Guff” you will make a mark or marks on the Guff Counter. Each mark is advertised to be a loss of one minute of recess, realistically though you won’t need to deduct recess. Students will make sure that the Guffs stop very soon. I can’t wait to install this management technique in my class.
Steve, Nice job! The Guff Counter is very effective and makes for a more pleasant classroom environment! Remember, this technique is to make sure the class is not punished as a group. The Guff Counter is never really meant to be marked, as it would skew the +/- 3 Rule of the Scoreboard. In the future, you might include a few more details in your posts. Here are 20 certification points!
As you are well aware there are as many different classroom management techniques as there are teachers on campus. I would like to inform you of one that will be implemented in my classroom very soon. I have been using a system so far this year called ‘The Scoreboard’. The Scoreboard currently consists of a happy face column and a sad faced column. When student behavior is positive they earn points on the happy face column. Behavior that is not acceptable earns points on the other side. Ultimately more points on the happy face column wins the whole class certain incentives.
We are coming off of spring break and it is that time of year where individual students really begin making a case for themselves in trying to disrupt the classroom. When they are disruptive and the rest of the class says nothing it really becomes a “win” for the disruptive student. I am implementing the next level of the scoreboard called the “Guff Counter”. Guff is really any remark that makes the teacher unhappy (which is a direct violation of Rule #5: Keep Your Dear Teacher Happy!).
The “Guff Counter” gives the class a platform to indicate that they do not appreciate the disruptions and are by default “on the teacher’s side”! How it works is really quite simple. When a student is being disrespectful, disruptive, and/or talking back the class will respond with “please stop”. There are a few different sub levels within the Guff Counter that delineate how much of the class is behind me on the Guff Counter. Really I just wanted to let you know what techniques I have been using and will be continuing to use the rest of the year!
As you are aware, I have been implementing Whole Brain Teaching techniques in the classroom, and I have been successively adding to the levels in the Whole Brain Teaching classroom management system. You have observed our scoreboard, you helped me by giving our classroom the chart stand for our Super Improvers Team, and you have seen our practice cards. We are ready to begin using Level Four: “The Guff Counter.”
The Guff Counter is an interesting classroom management technique because it is the only strategy in Whole Brain Teaching with which we don’t actually follow through. The Guff Counter is displayed on the scoreboard (on the “frownie” side toward the bottom). Here is an example of how it works. I will tell the students that I feel they are finally ready to add a new level to our scoreboard, “Level 4.” “Give me an ooooh!” Students will respond with excitement and anticipation. I will share with students that we are going to add the “Guff Counter.” I will explain to students that “guff” is an old-fashioned word for back talk, eye-rolling, sighing, and so forth. Once I have provided several examples of guff to students, I will role play examples of guff with several student volunteers for the benefit of the class. I will further explain that they score a “frownie” point for each word of guff (Again, I won’t actually follow through with this).
Here is a sample script for a role play:
Teacher: Mary, please sit down and finish your writing.
Student: But I am doing my writing!
Teacher: That sounds like guff to me. Where’s my marker?
I explain to students that this example would result in six points being immediately added to the negative side of the scoreboard, one point for each word of guff. We don’t actually follow through with this because it would upset the + or – 3 scoreboard rule: you want to keep the plus and minus side of the scoreboard within three points at all times. Everyone loves a close game, and a three-point difference (maximum) allows students to feel they can “catch up,” if they have more negative points, and prevents them from “resting on their laurels,” should they find themselves ahead by more than a three-point margin.
I expect some students will gasp, when they realize that multiple points may be added to the negative side of the scoreboard for an instance of guff, however, I am prepared for this. I will further explain to students that they do not have to get any points for guff, if, when they hear me say, “That sounds like guff to me. Where’s my marker?” they turn to the student who is calling out (eye rolling, sighing, etc.) and, as a group, say, “Please stop!” and hold up their open palm as a symbol for stop. I will explain to the class that if they do this, I will not give them any points for guff, and they may even earn a point on the "smiley” side of the scoreboard. The class will rehearse this several more times.
The guff counter is a wonderful resource for the rebellious student who frequently disrupts the class. It eliminates the “audience,” when the audience turns to the “guffer” and asks him or her to please stop. Please note: students are not permitted to randomly call out, “Please stop,” but instead, they must wait for my cue: “That sounds like guff to me!” Only then can the class address the guff.
I believe the Guff Counter will be an effective classroom management technique. This technique has been shown to successfully separate the disruptive student from his or her peers. The disruptive student can interpret silence as a form of peer support, and this silence can further fuel disruptive and rebellious actions. If the silence (and the support from peers) is removed, the disruptive, rebellious behavior tends to decrease.
I will keep you apprised of our efforts in implementing the Guff Counter. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please let me know. Thank you for your continued support of Whole Brain Teaching.
Jacqueline, The Guff Counter does exactly what you pointed out..."This technique has been shown to successfully separate the disruptive student from his or her peers. The disruptive student can interpret silence as a form of peer support, and this silence can further fuel disruptive and rebellious actions. If the silence (and the support from peers) is removed, the disruptive, rebellious behavior tends to decrease." Nice post! Here are 25 points and a 5 point Bonus!
Dear Dr.Cagle, In implementing the Whole Brain Teaching method there is a technique that targets disrespectful behavior/remarks called the Guff Counter. The Guff Counter is the fourth level of the Whole Brain Teaching scoreboard. I believe that this technique will work great considering the class actively participates in "shutting down" the disrespectful talk/behavior of a student that exhibits this negative behavior. It holds the entire class accountable and it lets the "guff talker" realize that this behavior is unacceptable and irritating not only to the teacher but to his/her peers as well. Whenever a student says anything disrespectful or "guff" his/her peers say, "Please stop!" It lets this student know that they have no back up, no one thinks their remarks are cool and no one is impressed! I absolutely love it as I know you will as well! It is important to remember that the respect has to go both ways, so if students hear another speaking disrespectfully to another classmate they all can still respond, "Please stop!" I feel that this technique is great and will hopefully reduce disruptive behavior. Sincerely, Karlyn Davis
Karlyn, We recommend that you initiate this tool by stating, "That sounds like Guff to me! Where's my marker?" Students would then be expected to call out, "Please stop!" Your administrator will aprectiate the unified effort of the class to maintain respect and order in the classroom. It is important to note that the Scoreboard is never actually marked at this level. Here are 20 points for you.
I wanted to take some time to thank you for continuing to support me as I implement the strategies I am learning as I gain knowledge about Whole Brain Teaching. I continue to be excited about each new tool that I obtain and I feel that I am becoming a stronger teacher with each new strategy I implement. One of these strategies is an addition to the score board known as the Goff counter. While most of the students have been excited and engaged by my regular scoreboard I have a couple students that need just a bit more. They want desperately to “follow the crowd” and this strategy will get them to do just that, they just don’t know that the crowd will be pulling them in the direction I want them to go. At the bottom of the scoreboard will be the Goff counter section. Each time the student breaks Rule #2 (Raise your hand to speak) or Rule #3 (Raise your hand to leave your seat) the rest of the class will say “Please, stop!” When the student breaks Rule 2 or 3 the Goff section on the scoreboard gets a tally BUT if the students say their phrase before I put up the tally then I will not put the tally on the scoreboard. This system of management will keep students involved with ensuring that our class rules are followed, they will be developing leadership skills and my “follow the crowd” students will fall in right behind my students who follow the rules. I am very excited to beginning using this new strategy and I thank you for your continued support!
Nichole, The Guff Counter is a tool that is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. Model and practice the Wrong way/Right way several times so students understand your expectations. When you hear or see disrespectful behaviors (backtalk, eyerolling, etc.) say, "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then quickly respond, "Please stop!" For a student who is getting out of their seat without permission, you can say, "Rule 3!" The class will then raise their hands like a stop sign and say firmly, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Yes, you will be building teamwork and leadership skills in your classroom! Here are 20 points for you.
Dear Administrator, The Guff Counter is a classroom management technique meant to reduce disrespectful behavior and remarks by students. Teachers give students examples of both appropriate and inappropriate behavior so that they understand when they are behaving in a way that does not make the teacher happy. The technique is simple to use because the teacher only needs to say “that sounds like a guff to me” and all the other students in the class tell the offending student “please stop” if they do not want to receive a frownie point and possibly lose recess time. This technique will be successful because it deprives offending students of the peer support they want. It also keeps the majority of students on the teacher´s team rather than turning against her. It can be used to reinforce appropriate behavior and classroom rules. Adrienne
I would like to take a moment to thank you for allowing our school to use the Whole Brain Teaching techniques in our classrooms. I have received a huge amount of positive feedback from parents and I am delighted to say that there has been an improvement in my student’s academic achievement. In the classroom I have been using the Scoreboard to help motivate my student and to help them stay focused and on task. This has worked well and through the year we have progressed through different levels of the Scoreboard. Now, I think it is time for us to go even further, to the fourth level of the Scoreboard, the Guff Counter. The Guff Counter is one of the many techniques mentioned in Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids by Chris Biffle. The Guff Counter is designed to single out students that are continuously being rude or disrespectful to their peers or, in some cases, myself. The Guff Counter will single out the most challenging students and strip them of their peer support when acting inappropriately. The purpose of the Guff Counter is not meant to punish the whole class. Instead, when a student decides to act out or be rude, (some examples of this include: eye rolling, talking back, groaning, beating on desks, etc.) the student causing the disruption will be called out by the class. The class has been instructed to point to that students and say “Please Stop!” to whatever misbehavior is occurring. If the class can say “Please Stop!” before I get to the board to mark under the frownie face, the class will have no repercussions. However, if the class does not say “Please Stop!” fast enough, a mark will go under the frownie face. For every tally mark under the frownie face, a minute of recess will be taken away. I sincerely hope that this help eliminate disruptions in the classroom. Thank you so much for your continued support in the implementation of the Whole Brain Teaching. I look forward to sharing my results with you.
Brandi, Nice post! There was a tiny error "motivate my student and to help them stay focused and on" (students). As a reminder,the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Dr. Cagle, I am excited to implement the Guff Counter. I have been using the scoreboard with great success. This is the fourth level on the scoreboard and my students are ready for it! The Guff Counter will discourage backtalk to both me and the students. Here's how it works: Guff is any remark that makes me, the teacher, unhappy. For instance, when I ask a student to fix an error on their paper and they give me "guff" I will expect the other students to chime in with a hearty "Please stop!" If they do, then they do not receive a frowny face. However, if they do not respond or respond weakly then I will make a tally mark for every word of guff. Naturally, this shows the student that gives the guff that the rest of the class doesn't support his guff. After a time of practicing with the teacher, the students will be ready to use the Guff Counter with each other. When a student says something unkind to another student and class will be prepared to say "Please Stop" to the student that is saying something unkind. The same consequence will follow not he scoreboard. This is great way to break up any unhealthy or unkind hierarchy in the classroom. Especially the boys that are so vulnerable to a bully. What a great idea and I am ready to use it!
Danah, You are right, this is very effective in stopping the class bullies! Remember, the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Administrator, As we pursue our initiative of Leadership at RRA, respect for others should be a top priority. With that in mind, I would like to suggest a method to address the disrespectful behavior of our students. It is called The Guff Counter. It is part of the Scoreboard behavior system for Whole Brain Teaching. The teacher instructs the class that guff is any remarks that make the teacher unhappy. Any time the teacher hears guff, the class will get a tally mark on the Guff Counter for each word spoken. This equates to minutes lost at recess time. The class is instructed that they can prevent this if they say in a loud voice, “Please stop!” as soon as they hear guff. Then the class might even get a tally mark on the smiley side of the Scoreboard for showing leadership qualities. The class then practices several times so that everyone knows what to do. The teacher then tells the class that they can prevent any tallies on the Guff Counter if they respond ‘”please stop!” when the teacher says, “I think that sounds like guff. Where’s my marker.” The object is to make everyone very aware of guff and create a culture of intolerance towards it. When their classmates turn away from them, those that are disrespectful will soon stop. They have lost their audience. As you can see, this method will help stop disrespectful behavior with the help of the students. There is no need for teachers to yell or imposed punishment on students. Their classmates will do all the work for you!
Liz, The Guff Counter is a fun, but effective way to stop the Guff and restore the classroom to a comfortable community! Remember, the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Jennifer, I am working on classroom discipline so that all my students can learn in a safe and fun environment. As you know, I have implemented the scoreboard and practice cards to get all the students on board with following the 5 rules and being respectful. As you know, sometimes these things are not enough for a student or two so, I plan to implement the guff counter. I will introduce the guff counter by explaining to the students that guff is talking back to the teacher, groaning or even rolling their eyes at the teacher. I will then add to the scoreboard a guff level and explain that for every word, eye roll, or other disrespectful behavior, I will add a frownie to the scoreboard. The rest of the class can prevent any marks on the board by quickly pointing at the student and saying “Stop, please!”. Next, I would have the students model the correct and incorrect way to do this. However, the only time the students can do this is when I say “That sounds like guff. Where is my marker?”. This would prevent the students from being rude to each other and I would pick when it is used. I believe that this will help to eliminate challenging behavior because most of the time, these students believe that they have the support of other students. I think that once these challenging children know that the class is not supporting them, the behavior is most likely to decrease. I would not actually mark anything on the scoreboard (but the kids don’t know that) because it would go against the scoreboard rule of never having more than +/- 3 points and I do not believe in punishing the entire class for the behavior of one student but it does give the students a chance to correct the behavior of a classmate in a low-key way only when I give them permission to do it. I appreciate your support as I continue to implement many new Whole Brain Teaching techniques. Mary Carlson
Mary, Great letter! You really have a strong understanding of the Guff Counter. Here are your 25 certification points! It is so helpful to have many tools in your toolbox for dealing with challenging students.
I am excited about implementing the Guff Counter to my Whole Brain Scoreboard. Guff Counter is the fourth level of the Scoreboard and targets disrespectful behavior. I really believe it will diminish unwanted behavior in the classroom because it puts the responsibility on the students.
If a student is in any way disrespectful to myself or even another student, the students who here the remark will say “please stop” quickly. If that happens the issue will be over and the students will receive a tally on the smiley side of the Scoreboard under the new Guff Counter column. If the words “please stop” are not spoken, or are weak, or spoken too slowly, the students will receive a tally on the frownie side of the Scoreboard. Frownie marks result in a loss of one minute of recess and smiley marks results in a gain of one minute of recess.
The class and I will role play and practice the procedure for a week to ensure students know the procedure and that they are not punished as a group. I am confident that the Guff Counter will work because the students will know what is at stake and it puts the responsibility on the students to have a say in disrespectful behavior.
I will keep you informed of our success with the Guff Counter.
Tonya, The Guff Counter can be a quick and easy way to restore peace and harmony to your classroom! Remember, the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points! You had a small spelling error "who here the remark" (hear). Here are 20 certification points.
Chapter 19 Dear Ms. Mullen: The Guff Counter is a behavior management tool that allows instructors to closely monitor disrespectful behavior from students with the help of other students. The instructor demonstrates correct and incorrect Guff monitoring by using examples and incorporating the students in the examples. The Guff Counter is a way of reducing the silent support that rebellious students tend to feel from other students in the classroom when making rude and disrespectful remarks towards the teacher. Its main purpose is to remove the sense of satisfaction a student feels when acting in a challenging way and receiving negative feedback only from the teacher. The threat of losing recess time according to how many Guff points are accumulated is a perfect incentive for students to band together to eliminate classroom Guff. They can do so by simply stating, “please, stop”, to the offending student after being prompted by the teacher who states “that sounds like Guff to me.” After awhile, students will learn to recognize Guff on their own and ask the offender to stop in their uniform fashion independently of a prompt from a teacher. However, the key to making sure this technique works is to thoroughly model the correct and incorrect behaviors. Students who become confused about what constitutes Guff and what does not can hinder the process of eliminating the disrespectful behavior and can confuse other students. Thank you for your support! Anne Corrigan
Nicely done! You are right, it is crucial that the Guff Counter is rehearsed with the students to make sure they all have a clear understanding. Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Dr. Cagle, The Whole Brain Teaching classes are incredibly effective and amazing! I am learning so much. Thank you for giving us this training! I learned about a technique called the Guff Counter. I feel we should add this to our Scoreboard because it is a proven technique in effective classroom management. The Guff Counter stops any remarks that make teachers unhappy. We have plenty of Guff in our school! The way to stop Guff is to get the students to turn on the Guffers by having the students say “Please Stop!” in unison every time Guff is heard. The Guff counter is just one additional line under the scoreboard to document if Guff is heard and stopped by the other students (positive Guff counter) or Guff is heard and not stopped by the other students (negative Guff counter). This will not cost any additional money. This proven technique works in my room! I have 95% less Guff in my room. I have increased student engagement and my classroom is back on track to being a great team once again! Respectfully,
Krissa, I agree, with the Guff Counter you will have increased student engagement and your classroom will be back on track! Remember though, the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Administrator, My class and I are implementing the fourth level of the Whole Brain scoreboard called the guff counter. The guff counter encourages students to have a positive attitude about learning and to show respect to each other in class. Students who attempt to display disrespectful behavior in class will have their behavior rejected by their peers. During class as a student acts out or becomes disrespectful, many others back or support that student’s behavior. With the use of the Guff Counter the class earns a point if they do not support or encourage the negative behavior. However, if the class does choose to support that behavior the entire class loses one minute of recess time. The class will discourage negative behavior by telling the student who is acting out to “please stop.” I am confident that the Guff Counter will work effectively in our classroom to curve unwanted attitudes and behavior. We will spend some time practicing the Guff Counter during class. With practice I believe this system will work to curve unwanted behaviors. Sincerely, Mrs. Brown Irish Brown
Irish, The Guff Counter is a simple way to hold students accountable for their own behavior! Remember though, the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
Dr. Cagle, I’m writing you today to explain to you a new classroom management technique that I have discovered. It is called the “Guff Counter.” I’ve been using it in my classroom in correspondence with the Whole Brain Scoreboard. This is a very effective technique because it is ensuring a positive classroom environment. One of our school rules is to treat others with kindness and respect. Too often, I see that the students who are disrespectful are often the popular students. This causes more of my students to tend to be on their “side” and often begin to imitate their actions. The Guff Counter keeps track of any remark that would make the teacher unhappy. This includes disruptive behavior and disrespect. When a student makes a “Guff”, it is counted on the counter and the class remains silent. This will result in a loss of recess time. If the students respond to the Guff by saying “please, stop!” they are demonstrating that they do not agree with the behavior being displayed and therefore will not lose any recess time. This strategy is proving to be very effective in my classroom in creating a more positive learning environment.
Kasey, The Guff Counter is a fun but effective way to maintain a pleasant atmosphere in your classroom! Remember though, the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
You have seen the Whole Brain scoreboard working in many classrooms in our school. Whole Brain has helped to keep students, as well as teachers, on their toes. I feel that it has made learning fun due to the game aspect of it.
I am now ready to take the scoreboard game to another level. I will now implement the Level 4 “Guff Counter”. Guff is any negative remark or attitude towards me, the classroom teacher. When a student shows these “Guff” behaviors, for example, eye rolling, groaning, mumbling, talking back, the students will tell the student to “please stop”. This will prevent a mark for “Guff” from going on the scoreboard. Each mark is a minute off recess. The intention is to never have to mark the “Guff” minutes. If “Guff” is not addressed immediately from the class then I will remind the class by saying “Did I just hear Guff?” This will trigger the students to say “please stop” and will prevent the “Guff” mark from going on scoreboard.
I need the support of the class to help put a stop to inappropriate behavior. I will also tell the class that you are supporting the “No Guff Rule” and will stopping by from time to time to check on our “Guff” scoreboard.
Write a note to an administrator explaining why you believe the Guff Counter will be an effective classroom management technique.
Please know my administrator participates in WBT training each Monday so, she understands the GUFF COUNTER. By keeping track of the Guff Counter I can prove to students how much more time we have for fun things because we do not waste time on all the silly behaviors that drain classroom instruction time.
Dr. Cagle,
Just wanted to share… The Guff behavior I am currently focused on is verbal and nonverbal inappropriate student responses when students are asked to do something. If you see us rolling our eyes, grumbling, talking back, or saying I do not care we are identifying the behaviors we need to change. By modeling the behavior I want my children to identify as Guff behavior we will be able to make the necessary changes to ensure a smoother running class with more time on task.
On Wednesday, we will begin to keep an accurate count of Guff Behavior, to prove its effectiveness as a classroom management tool.
So, when you see us out side on Friday, please make a point of asking why we are wasting instruction time. I will be able to respond by telling you how much more instructional time we actually have when we use the Guff Counter. Hope to go outside Friday, at 1:15 right after special area.
Thanks for the support,
Isert PS If it is raining we will be in the classroom coloring!
Dian, I love that your administrator is so supportive. It seems that you have a great way of knowing exactly how to use WBT in your classroom with your kids. Here are your 25 certification points and 5 bonus for such a positive outlook on the Guff Counter.
I will use the Guff for two reasons. The first will be as a behavior management tool. The second would be to let the students know what is or is not acceptable behavior. Just because he or she says something at home does not mean it it acceptable to do in public, with other people, or in a school setting. I hope this will be effective in turning around negative behavior.
Karen, You may want to include what the Guff Counter is, and how it is implemented. It is quite effective, but does need some explanation. You had a minor editing error, "I will use the Guff for two reasons" (Counter). Here are 10 certification points.
I am writing this letter to let you know how well the Whole Brain Teaching techniques are going in my classroom. I have had an amazing turnaround in the behavior of my students using these WBT strategies. We are now moving into the next phase of the behavior management system. It is called the Guff Counter and it is designed to stop backtalk in the classroom. I begin by adding a section to our scoreboard called the Guff. This is where I will tally each word of backtalk or guff. The students are going to be the ones to stop the backtalk, not me. When I say that I hear guff from someone, the students will respond, “Please stop!” This reply of please stop will delete the tally marks off the scoreboard. The tally marks are not meant to stay on the scoreboard, they are just an incentive for the students to say please stop. Having the students correct the backtalk instead of me shows that they are supporting me and not the person that is backtalking. Peer correction silences the backtalk quickly. This is a very effective method and I can’t wait to begin using it. I will explain the Guff to the students and then we will practice using guff and correcting guff. The practice will help them to know exactly how to identify guff and what to do when I say “I hear guff! Where’s my marker?” I would love for you to see it in action when you have time. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. I am so thrilled to have such a wonderful behavior management system in my class. Sincerely, Jackie Rabin
Jackie, Great post! Way to show your admin that you are using this as a way to correct behavior without being punitive. Keep in mind you will never mark a tally on the Guff Counter. It is just a way to get your kids to respond with, "Please, Stop!" Here are your 25 Certification points!
As you already know, Whole Brain Teaching has been very successful in my room. The Scoreboard, Super Improvers Team, and Practice Cards have helped to create a very positive learning environment in which all students are engaged. I do, however, have a couple of students who have trouble with back talking, eye rolling, and other disrespectful behaviors. For this reason, I have decided to implement the Guff Counter, which is the fourth level in the Whole Brain Teaching's management system.
Guff simply refers to any behavior that would be considered disrespectful, such as back talking or eye rolling. When I hear or see a student engage in one of these disrespectful behaviors, I will simply say, "That sounds like Guff to me." I will then quickly explain to the students why it is Guff, and count each word of Guff that the offending student used. For example, if he said, "I don't want to," that would be four words of Guff, which would translate into four negative points on the scoreboard.
The great part, however, about the Guff Counter is that other students can stop the negative points from going on the scoreboard by saying out loud, "Please stop." What none of my students know is that I will never actually add Guff points to the negative side of the scoreboard. This is because those negative points would throw off the +/-3 rule of the scoreboard. When I hear Guff I will simply say, "That sounds like Guff to me." I will then pretend to find my marker. This will be my students' cue to respond.
The beauty of this system is that it fosters teamwork and allows me to avoid getting into a power struggle with one of my students. I am letting the other students take care of the situation. Please let me know if you have any questions or require any further explanation.
Joyce, You did a nice job detailing the most important aspects of the Guff Counter! It is very effective, and a perfect way to resume order in the classroom! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
I wanted to let you know that my class is approaching level four of our WBT scoreboard. This new level is called the Guff Counter. While you are conducting your classroom walkthroughs you may see or hear “guff”, also known as backtalk, complaining, or disrespectful disruptions. Then you may hear me say, “That sounds like guff. Where is my marker?” As soon as I say this, you may also hear many of the other students politely, but firmly say, “Please stop!”
I want you to know that I believe this will be an effective classroom management technique because it targets challenging students and turns the majority of the class against their disruptive behavior. It also demonstrates to the disruptive child that the dynamic is NOT students vs. teacher, but one student vs. all of the students, backed by their teacher.
I believe that the Guff Counter will eliminate lost instructional time by stopping the challenging student in their tracks. It will also help the student become less and less disruptive because he/she will know that the rest of the class is against this disruptive behavior. If you have any questions please let me know so I can explain more or model for you how the Guff Counter works.
Heidi, I love your statement "It also demonstrates to the disruptive child that the dynamic is NOT students vs. teacher, but one student vs. all of the students, backed by their teacher." That is really what makes this strategy so effective! Here are 25 certification points!
I am writing this letter to share more exciting and effective Whole Brain Teaching techniques with you. My students are following rules and using their whole brain to help them learn concepts and new information. We are having fun and learning at the same time!
At times, as in every class, there are a few students, or times when students who normally make good choices, disrespect the teacher or others. This is supported by groups of students who think the behavior is cool and other students who silently witness the behavior. They may not approve of the student’s choice but since they stay silent they show content. This unfortunate incidence no longer happens in my classroom due to the Guff Counter!
The Guff Counter is a way to stop disrespectful behavior right in its tracks. When a student says something disrespectful, rolls their eyes, or shows any defiance the class will lose one minute of recess per word said. For example if I ask a student to work harder and they respond by saying “I am working hard!” The class will lose four minutes of recess. The class, however, has an opportunity to save their recess. The class will not be punished if they say, “Please stop!” This shows the student making the disruption that the class does not agree with the behavior because it disrupts their learning. The student who chooses disrespectful behavior no longer has power through numbers.
I will be sure to discuss this part of the Whole Brain Teaching Scoreboard with my class so the students understand how The Guff Counter works. I will have the students practice making “Guff” comments and practice saying “Please Stop!” to others. Together our class can create a safe and respectful learning environment for all students to succeed and better themselves.
Joel, I’m excited about a book I read this summer called Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids. You've seen me use some of the techniques from this book like the scoreboard and paired teaching. Next week I’ll be implementing a new management tool called The Guff Counter. It will target disrespectful behavior.
The beauty of the guff counter is that it turns the class against the disrespectful behavior. For each disrespectful word, eye roll, or other disrespectful action, the class loses a minute of recess. But, if the class responds to guff by saying, “Please don’t,” the penalty is cancelled. A key element is that students only say, “Please don’t,” on the teacher’s cue, “That sounds like guff, where’s my marker?” This takes away the class’s implicit support of the disrespectful behavior. Recess is not actually lost.
After a few weeks, when students have their response down, the Guff Counter will be used against inter-peer disrespect also.
As with all of the Whole Brain techniques, we will practice correct and incorrect responses by peer teaching. Refresher practices will happen on a regular basis.
I hope you get a chance to see the Guff Counter in action soon. Or rather, I hope you never have to see it because disrespectful behavior in my classes becomes so rare.
Sheryl, You touched upon a very important aspect of WBT in your statement "As with all of the Whole Brain techniques, we will practice correct and incorrect responses by peer teaching." Nice job! Here are 25 certification points!
You have seen how well the Whole Brain Scoreboard is working in my classroom. I have been amazed at how well it has worked and how fun it can be since it is like a game.
Since we have returned from Spring Break, some students are beginning to show disrespectful behavior toward me or other students in the classroom. I feel it is the time to take to the Scoreboard to the next level. Next week I will introduce Level 4 of the Scoreboard, “The Guff Counter.” Guff is any negative remark or attitude towards me or other children in the classroom. “Guff” behaviors include disrespectful behaviors such as eye rolling, grunting, groaning, mumbling, talking back. Any time a student shows these “Guff” behaviors, the other students will tell the student to “please stop.”
When the class responds to the “Guff” with “please stop”, it prevents a mark going on the Guff counter on the scoreboard. Each mark is a minute off recess or free time. The intention is to never have to mark “Guff” minutes. If the class does not address the “Guff” immediately, I will say, “Did I just here Guff?” This will remind the class to say “please stop” and will prevent the “Guff” mark from going on the scoreboard.
What I love is that “The Guff Counter”, promotes teamwork and a positive, safe learning environment. When students intervene to stop disrespectful behavior, they help build a community where learning and having fun are the most important things.
I hope you will stop by soon to see “The Guff Counter” in action. Please let me know if you have any questions,
Kim, Your last sentence right on target! A sense of community, learning and fun make for a wonderful day! Watch for the spelling errors "Did I just here Guff" (hear). Here are 20 certification points!
We are progressing nicely with our Whole Brain Teaching Class Management System. As you know, we have been using Level 3 – Practice Cards for a couple of months now. The majority of the class is doing very well with this, but I still have a couple of challenging students. I feel it is time for Level 4 - The Guff Counter. This is an effective classroom management technique as we will demonstrate to the ‘rebel’ student, that it is not the students versus the teacher, but the rebel student vs. the rest of the students backed up by the teacher.
I will be adding a Guff row to my scoreboard. Guff is any comment or behaviour that does not make the teacher happy (remember Rule 5 – Make your Dear Teacher Happy!). This could be backtalk, rolling of eyes, inappropriate behaviour, etc. I will instruct the class, through lots of practice, that for every word of guff, there will be one tally mark unless the class holds out one hand and says, ‘Please stop!’. If this doesn’t happen, I prompt them by saying, “That sounds like guff; where’s my marker…” Since every tally mark means one minute lost of recess I foresee full participation. And, without the support of their peers, some of this rebel behaviour will be stopped.
(Just to let you know, this is the only technique that WBT threatens with but never follows through. The prompting ensures response.)
Thank you for your continued support. Please come and visit our class to check it out. Our class always has a lot of fun learning!
Bonnie, What a great way to explain this to your administrator. This was my favorite part of your post: "This is an effective classroom management technique as we will demonstrate to the ‘rebel’ student, that it is not the students versus the teacher, but the rebel student vs. the rest of the students backed up by the teacher." You hit the nail right on the head! We need the majority of our kids to create a place where our rebels can't control the classroom environment. Here are your 25 certification points!
Dear Administrator, As you know I continue to use Whole Brain Teaching as a learning and behavior tool in my music classes. While you did classroom visits at the beginning of the year you were able to witness how powerful this has become for the students and myself. When you were in the last few times you were able to see the Scoreboard system which has rewards and penalties based on student behavior. I have implemented levels 1-3 and feel that it is time to implement level 4 of the Scoreboard system. The name of this level is called the Guff Counter. This level is a necessity to combat the negative behavior of those students who speak or act disrespectfully to their classmates or myself. I feel the best part of this level is that the other students quickly learn to regulate each other and the student who is talking back is quickly isolated. This is how the level works. When a student talks back the teacher says "That sounded like guff! Where is my marker?" As soon as the students hear that they say "Please, stop!" If the students follow through, then a point is not marked on the guff counter. I believe this level will alleviate wasted instructional time and will help make the students more aware of their behavior. I look forward to hearing your feedback after your next classroom visit!
Mitzi, You may want to include a little more detail about the actual process to make it clear to your administrator. The Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Administrator, You have seen the ring leader in a classroom before. This is the one student who is disrespectful or inconsiderate to the teacher or students. When they speak or act badly, other kids usually laugh, smile or say nothing. I have had several students like this in my class at one time or another. I have tried a number of things that worked with a range of success. However, I have never been completely satisfied with any particular strategy.
As I have been finding success with many aspects of Whole Brain Teaching, I believe there is a strategy to create an atmosphere in which a ring leader cannot rise. You have seen the scoreboard in my classroom and witnessed the students’ enthusiastic response. The scoreboard is set up in levels like a video game. We are about to enter level 4, entitled The Guff Counter.
Here’s how it works. I will teach them that any time a student speaks disrespectfully or talks back, and the class says nothing, they are approving. The class will earn a mark in the guff counter. Everyone would lose one minute of recess. But, if one student makes guff, and everyone else says “Please Stop!” there is no penalty. There may even be an extra minute of recess. Now, instead of having a silent support system, our ring leader has the whole class urging him to change his ways.
I’m looking forward to seeing the effects of the guff counter. As always, I welcome you to spend time in the room to see students thrive with Whole Brain Teaching, now at level four of the scoreboard. Sincerely, Jim
Jim, Nice job! Make sure you reinforce the fact with your administrator that there are never actually any negative "guff points" given on the scoreboard. The whole idea is to get the students to stop you by using the "please stop" before you make the mark. Here are 25 certification points.
Chapter 19 The Guff Counter Dear Administrator I think you should consider encouraging all your students to use the Guff Counter. Let me explain what that means. As you know in Whole Brain Teaching teachers use a scoreboard to encourage appropriate behavior and participation. You know how well that technique works for 80%-90% of the students. But we still have some problems with disrespectful attitudes and talking to the teacher. Often one or two rebellious students engage in this behavior and have the silent support of many of their classmates. Amazing! The Guff Counter is an excellent technique to turn that support into opposition. According to Coach B, “We will demonstrate to the rebel that the dynamic is not students vs. teacher, but one rebel student vs. all the students backed by the teacher.” To implement this strategy, the teacher adds a section to the bottom of the scoreboard and labels it “Guff”. The teacher lets the class know that guff is any disrespectful word or tone and that a mark will be put in the guff frowny section for every word of guff unless the class tells the rebel student, “PLEASE STOP!” If the class confronts the disrespectful behavior no negative marks are made, indeed they may receive a mark on the smiley side. This is an amazingly effective technique to allow the students to have a voice in stopping disrespectful and disruptive rebellious behavior. It is the only wbt technique that we threaten but don’t carry through. When the teacher says, “That sounds like guff, where’s my marker?” students will learn to turn to the rebel student and say, “PLEASE STOP!” If they get carried away with this idea, the teacher explains that they should only do this when prompted by the teacher saying, “That sounds like guff.” This can also apply to guff students give each other. Please support this at every opportunity. Carl Rust
Carl, This is a very thorough explanation! The Guff Counter is a fun way to keep our students on their toes and learn the importance of respect! Here are 25 certification points.
As you know, our class has been working on Whole Brain Teaching this school year. This system has allowed me to see tremendous growth in my students academically as well as behaviorally. There are a couple of children in my classroom who are struggling with doing things with a good attitude. They have begun to waste valuable teaching time with their back talk and negative attitude, to help alleviate this I would like to introduce something called the Guff Counter. The way the Guff Counter works by addressing the “guffer” while getting the class behind you for support, and removing support from the offending student. I will explain to my students that when someone is disrespectful and the class silently stands by, they are giving silent support to the “guffer.” If they chose to support the “guffer" instead of the teacher the class will be penalized with a mark for every guff word that is said on the frowny side of the scoreboard, which could result in losing playtime outside. If the class chooses to support me, and they tell the offender “please stop”, then there will be no penalty. We will then practice what I consider guff. There may be times that the students do not hear the guff. In that case I will state, “That sounds like guff to me,” and I will pick up my marker. This is the students clue to tell the “guffer" to please stop. This encourages the students to come together and shut down guff. No actual points are ever given for guff because it will mess up the +/- 3 rule on our scoreboard, but the students do not know that. Thank you for your support, Melissa Blackmore
Melissa, Great job describing the Guff Counter! It's so helpful to have the students supporting you as you work to eliminate negative behaviors. Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
I appreciate the support and feedback you have given me while using Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom. I am ready to begin a new level of our scoreboard and wanted to tell you more about it. This level is called The Guff Counter.
As you know, I use the scoreboard daily to help remind students of our classroom rules. You will now see a new change to the scoreboard with a section called Guff. Guff is any comment, gesture, or facial expression that makes a teacher unhappy. I will begin this level by practicing Guff in my classroom and modeling what might happen if Guff takes place without the support of the students in my classroom.
If Guff takes place in my classroom, my students will learn that a frowny for each word of Guff may be put under the frowny section of the scoreboard and that would mean a loss of that many minutes from recess. However, if the students in my classroom firmly say “Please stop!” to the students who gave me Guff, I will reward the class with a tally mark under the smiley section of the scoreboard. They need to respond quickly in order to earn the smile. If I notice Guff and it was too quiet for others to hear or notice, I will say, “That sounded like Guff! Where is my marker?” I will then head toward the scoreboard to pretend to mark a frowny for each word of Guff that took place. When I say the words “that sounded like Guff!” the students should quickly respond with “Please stop!” Smileys will then be recorded on the scoreboard. Please note that frownies will never be recorded because my students will respond quickly to the Guff that takes place.
This new level allows my students to take responsibility for their learning. Time is wasted when students are misbehaving and challenging behavior has to be addressed in the middle of the lesson. This new level will also show that I am focusing on becoming distinguished in domain 2a ( Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport) and 2d (Managing Student Behavior) in Charlotte Danieslon’s book, Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching. My students will show respect for one another and their learning when this level is in place. They will monitor their own behavior as well as their peer’s behavior by correcting one another respectfully.
Suzanne, Nice job! Isn't it wonderful that we have these great strategies that align so easily to our district requirements? They really help when we need to provide evidence in our teaching practices! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
I'd like to tell you about a free, effective way to combat rude behavior that goes along with all of the Whole Brain Teaching techniques that I've been doing in my classroom. I think you will really like it!
As you have seen, I use a scoreboard to keep my class on track with their behaviors, which has proved to be extremely effective! Through the use of tally marks on the "smilies" and "frownies" sides of the board, I try to keep the points within 3 apart so that the game is close- everyone loves a close game! However, there comes a time in every teacher's career that you have one student who is really trying to wear on your patience and sanity! This brings me to The Scoreboard's Level 4- The Guff Counter!
"Guff" refers to any behavior that is unwanted, rebellious, and/or rude; in other words, the behaviors that I would like to see my students avoid doing! I would brief my class with this knowledge, and we would practice what guff looks like, so they are well aware which behaviors are not acceptable. Then I would let them know that if I see or hear any guff in my classroom, I will give them a tally mark on the “frownie” side of our scoreboard for every word or action of guff. These tallies would result in that many minutes of recess missed. At this point, the students will look like they are going to panic! I then let them know that they can prevent this from happening. If they ever hear the teacher say something like, "That sounds like guff to me! Where did I put my marker?" at that time the students take the cue and rush to say, "Please, stop!!" to their peer in order to let their peer know that they are not okay with that rude behavior. Do note that I will never, ever actually give the tally marks or loss of recess for bad behavior on The Scoreboard. I will not give a "frownie" and punish the entire class for the bad behavior of one student alone. This method takes the rebellious student and singles them out in a quick, constructive way that results in the immediate recognition that every student plus the teacher is not okay with whatever it was they were doing. They are surrounded by people that are not going to put-up with that nonsense and therefore, removes the feeling of power that rebel student may be seeking.
So, what do you think?! If any teacher in our building is having some trouble with kids in their room, I would be happy to go over this or any other of Whole Brain Teaching’s techniques! Have a great day!
Brianne, Excellent letter! The Guff Counter is a fun and non-threatening way to help the sweet rebels correct their behavior quickly! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus.
As you know I am continuing to incorporate Whole Brain Teaching (WBT) in my daily teaching practices to increase classroom management and student engagement. As I move through the school year I am noticing a few of my students showing an unwanted behavior in my classroom. This particular behavior has set these students a part from many others. However, some students have chosen to side with the students who are choosing the wrong behavior. This wrong behavior I am referring to is the need (or want for some) to talk back in a disrespectful manner when given a set of directions.
To address this issue, I have chosen to incorporate the Guff Counter as a means to encourage a more positive atmosphere between all of my students. The Guff Counter is attached to the Scoreboard and is level 4 of this WBT component. When a student is talking back and/or talking in a disrespectful manner a mark will go under the scoreboard in the “Guff” section. This tally mark will be in reference to the student who was being disrespectful. In order to create student allies on the teacher side and not on the student side, the teacher says, “That sounds like guff. Where’s my marker?”. This will be a clue for the rest of the class (not including the student being disrespectful, at least not yet) to say, “Please stop!” to that student. By doing this, the tally mark will be removed (or in some cases never marked) from the scoreboard thus taking away a consequence, like loss of recess for the entire class. This method will make the disrespectful student(s) soon realize they no longer have allies on their side because the rest of the class is working along side the teacher to diminish the unwanted behavior.
The reason I believe the Guff Counter will be a strong technique for classroom management is because it will completely take the control of disrespect from the few students who show it and shift the control over to respect for and from peers and teachers, eventually encompassing 100% of the students in the classroom. As learned through assignments and first-hand practice with WBT, I quickly realized nothing is going to work unless I have complete buy-in from all of my students. The Guff Counter is just another piece of data indicating the importance of strong classroom management that will increase student engagement when allies are formed for the greater good of the classroom.
Ellen, Your last paragraph is very powerful! If is so true, we need to shift the control from the rebel students and have 100% buy in from the class. It is a goal that is attainable and the result is Teacher Heaven! Nice job! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Thank you for taking the time to read about this awesome variation of the Scoreboard. I know you will find it as appealing as I do. I will explain the method and discuss how it can drastically change the classroom environment.
There are so many office referrals for discipline. Unfortunately, not all teachers in our building use Whole Brain Teaching like me. Because they don’t use this classroom management method, they have different behavioral outcomes. I have not sent a child down to the office this year because the Scoreboard and the Guff Counter saved me!
As I mentioned previously, the Guff Counter is a variation of the Scoreboard. As a reminder, the Scoreboard is the idea of teacher vs. students. The elementary grades use smiles vs. frowns. When a child is misbehaving, making poor choices, or off task, the teacher will get a point on the Scoreboard. When all of the children are on task, working hard, and are keeping their teacher happy, the students get a point. The idea of teacher vs. students has altered the classroom dynamic drastically. There is a push for positive peer pressure when students are acting up because they do not want the teacher to get a point. Students that are surrounding the misbehaving child make it known that the child needs to make smarter choices before a point is awarded to the teacher. If, of course, the students beat me one day, they will receive extra minutes towards either recess or free time on their iPads during advisory time.
With the Guff Counter, my most misbehaved students are challenged to watch how they speak to adults. The book mentions that a guff is a remark that does not make the teacher happy. If a student is talking back, being sarcastic, or using bully language, I will put a mark next to the Guff Counter. Students will know that there was disrespectful language and will hopefully use positive peer pressure to silence the disrespectful student.
The awesome thing about the Guff Counter is that a point on the Guff Counter results from a student giving me guff, and also results from students sitting silently without telling the child to make smarter choices. If children around the student tell that student to be respectful and be quiet, then I will not put any points on the Guff Counter.
This is by far one of the most effective classroom management techniques. I have seen a drastic change in negative language from my students and I have seen a change in students speaking up instead of being bystanders. I hope that we can agree that this is such an effective classroom management tool! If you are interested in seeing this approach used in the classroom, please stop by my room and take a look!
Hannah, Your administration will appreciate your detailed letter! It's always wonderful to hear a success story! You may want to include a little more detail about the actual Guff Counter process to make it clear to your administrator. The Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is ever put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Administration, With the implementation of PBIS school-wide at our school within the last two years, I wanted to share an effective Whole Brain Teaching management strategy called “The Guff Counter”. The goal of the Guff Counter is to “target disrespectful behavior, talking back, eye rolling, groaning”; thus, promoting a positive learning environment.
A Guff is any comment or disrespectful behavior that makes the teacher unhappy. For example, if a child says something unpleasant to another student or adult, rolls his/her eyes, uses a disrespectful tone, or makes a disrespectful noise. If those behaviors go unrecognized by classmates, they are supporting those actions via their silence. In the initial phases of PBIS, you emphasized the importance of explaining to students the role of a silent supporter and bystander.
When a teacher or students hear a “guff”, students reply “please stop” in order to let everyone know that type of behavior is completely unacceptable. It is explained to children prior to the guff counter, that if a guff is heard and no one says “please stop”, then a negative point for each word of the guff will be added to the scoreboard. This is merely a threat, because if no one says anything, the teacher can give a verbal cue such as “is that a guff I heard” or "where is my marker", in which students will then reply by telling the guffer to stop. Disrespectful behavior and comments are no longer tolerated by peers, and those unwanted behaviors will decrease.
PBIS promotes a positive learning environment and is mandatory school-wide based on our School Improvement Plan. I believe implementing the Guff Counter will reduce disrespectful behavior, because it eliminates students from supporting negative and disrespectful behavior from their classmates.
Shila, Excellent job making connections between the Guff Counter and PBIS! The Guff Counter is one tool that can quickly eliminate the negativity that certain students try to bring into our classrooms. Here are 25 certification points!
I am writing to update you on my progress with Whole Brain Teaching techniques and to share our newest addition. I have found so much success in student achievement and behavior management using Class Yes, Mirrors, Teach Okay, the Scoreboard, Practice Cards, and the Super Improvers Ladder. We are now ready to introduce a twist to the Scoreboard, the Guff Counter. The purpose of the Guff Counter is to use the entire class to decrease undesired behaviors such as eye rolling or talking back, otherwise known as guff. When one student uses guff, the teacher reaches for the marker to mark the Guff Counter Scoreboard. The teacher simply states, “That sounds like guff. Where is my marker?” Before the teacher has the chance to mark the Guff Counter Scoreboard, the rest of the class has been trained to respond with, “Please stop.” The idea is to have the entire class extinguishing undesired behaviors. When the class acts as bystanders, they are silently condoning undesired behaviors. When students act as up-standers and take a proactive approach to standing up the behavior, they own the positive learning environment in the classroom. I am eager and excited to embark on this journey and look forward to share our progress. Thank you!
Kindly, Megan Copeland
Megan Vescio Copeland Goldfarb Elementary School Las Vegas, NV
Thank you for coming to visit our class. With Whole Brain Teaching, this year is amazing! You know all about our first three levels and the importance of our scoreboard. Today, we are beginning Level 4, the Guff Counter.
This level targets “guffs”. These are disrespectful actions such as eye rolling, talking back, groaning, or any remark that makes me unhappy. I added another row to the scoreboard, the Guff Counter, to place tallies for smileys or frownies. If a student guffs, a frownie will be added for each word used in the guff. Each tally stands for one minute of recess! This can be reversed if the class shows universal disapproval by pointing to the guffer stating, “Please stop!” The class will be signaled by the teacher saying, “That sounds like guffing. Let me get my chalk.” The students respond quickly. Disrespectful behavior and comments are not tolerated by peers.
Our class will thoroughly practice and rehearse this new level. Also, I will use the Plus/Minus Three Rule (the difference between the two will never be more than three). The entire procedure takes a few seconds and allows everyone, even the disrespectful student, to continue learning. It is important to know we never actually mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student repeatedly breaks a rule, that student rehearses the rule at recess for 2 minutes. The Guff Counter keeps the discipline in my classroom!
Regina, Excellent description of the Guff Counter! This is such an effective method to allow the students to make corrections and allow the class to continue moving along. Here are 25 certification points!
I know how interested you are in my Whole Brain class therefore I am writing you to inform a new method for handling backtalk, eye rolling, and general guff. I am inviting you into my room this week to see this amazing tool in action and would be willing to share with the staff at the next professional development meeting.
I have believed the power of peer pressure is amazing and now I have harnessed it’s magical power with the Guff Counter. This is level 4 on my scoreboard. This method is used as a group motivation to help all our students stay positive and on track in class.
When you come in here’s what you should see. The scoreboard now has four levels. We have practiced so if you see or hear guff you should hear from the students “Para, por favor” which is Stop please. If I don’t get the response stop please I will prompt the students by walking over to the scoreboard and ask “Dónde está mi marcador”? Where is my marker? The students should quickly correct the guffer. What I have taught them is that I would put a tally on the frowny side for every word of guff. I will never mark the board because I must maintain the +-3 rule on my scoreboard. It is just enough to ask where is my marker.
With the overwhelming success of Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom, we are ready to introduce another phase in classroom management, called the “Guff Counter.” The “guff counter” will be used in addition to the scoreboard. You have had the opportunity to observe how wonderfully effective the scoreboard is. The main goal of the Guff Counter is to target disrespectful behavior, such as talking back, groaning, or eye rolling, and to unite the class in maintaining a positive learning community.
Just as I have introduced other Whole Brain techniques, we will model “guff” behavior and how the Guff Counter will be used to extinguish unwanted classroom behavior and to unite the class to one common goal. The counter puts the power in the hands of the children to control the type of learning atmosphere they want. If a student gives me “guff” during the class period, whether it be verbal or non-verbal like eye rolling, I will say, “That sounds like guff, where is my marker?”. This will signal to students to respond “Please stop!” as I move toward the Guff Counter threatening a tally. Each mark on the Guff Counter counts for one minute of lost recess for the class. I will never follow through with the Guff Counter, however, as it upsets the +/- 3 scoreboard rule. The students are unaware of this strategy. All in all, the Guff Counter, targets challenging, rebellious learners and takes away peer support. The power to control the classroom dynamic is the responsibility of the majority of students and eliminates any conflict between myself and problematic students.
Thank you for your continued support and interest in Whole Brain Teaching. Please feel free to come in and observe at any time.
Bethann, Eliminating that peer support really does change the classroom dynamic. The students do appreciate the opportunity to take over some of the responsibility of having a pleasant classroom environment! Here are 25 certification points!
In all the years I have worked with you, your support of new methods and strategies has been unwavering. You were one of the reasons I felt completely comfortable implementing WBT in my classroom. The strategies I have introduced so far have been extremely beneficial for my students. They are so engaged that my classroom practically runs itself! However, there are some small issues I would like to “clean-up”. It is with this in mind that I would like to have your support in implementing the next step in my scoreboard management, the Guff Counter.
The Guff Counter will allow me to use peer pressure to guide students toward making better behavior choices. It will squash any disrespectful words, actions, or tones students may use when responding to teacher requests and instruction. By holding the whole class responsible for each other, students will strengthen their ability to make better choices when responding. The premise is simple, when students hear another student giving the teacher “guff”, they will promptly and respectfully say, “Please stop” to the offending student. If the “guff” is not detected by the students, I will say, “Was that guff I just heard? Where is my marker?” This will prompt students to respond appropriately with the “Please stop.”
The consequence for “guff” remarks is marks on the frownie side of the scoreboard. One mark for each word of “guff” will subtract minutes from their recess. Students do not want to lose recess, so they will be diligent in reminding students not to be disrespectful to the teacher or each other.
Please visit the classroom and see this practice in action. My students do love to show off their WBT techniques to visitors! Again, I appreciate your support in this endeavor. I couldn’t do it without you!
Elisabeth, Nice job! Make sure you reinforce the fact with your administrator that there are never actually any negative "guff points" given on the scoreboard because we never want to point out just one student as a negative mark. The whole idea is to get the students to stop you by using the "please stop" before you make the mark. Here are 25 certification points!
Dear administrator, As you are aware, I am using Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom. I have seen much success, not only in my students’ behavior but in their academic performance as well. I wanted you to be aware of the next level of Whole Brain Teaching that I will be introducing next week. It is called the Guff Counter, targeting disrespectful behavior, talking back, eye rolling, and groaning. When a student gives me guff (any of the previously mentioned behaviors) and the class does not say anything, it is telling me that the class supports that student’s behavior. For every word or action of guff, I will add 1 mark to the Guff Counter. This translates into minutes missed of recess. However, if students reply with “Please, stop!” the recess time will not be decrease and it may even earn the class a mark on the positive side. If the students do not hear the guff, I can say “that sounded like guff! Where is my marker?” and I would expect students to say “Please, stop!” before I could notate the point on the Guff Counter. Just know that there are never any negative guff points added to the Guff Counter so that we never point out just one student as a negative mark. The Guff Counter allows challenging students to lose the support from their peers. In Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids, Chris Biffle writes, “A rebel student’s friends are among the quickest and loudest to say ‘Please, stop!’ Isn’t that amazing?” It really is amazing! This strategy would allow students to readily recognize this disrespectful behavior and keep each other accountable. Based on the research presented and the possible positive interactions with my students that this will create, I am certain that this will be an effective classroom management technique. I look forward to discussing this will you further. Thank you for your continued support! -Courtney Wood
Courtney, Creating those positive interactions is quick and easy withe the Guff Counter! The rebel's group is quick to jump on the "please stop" and support your mission! Oops, you had one minor typo "will not be decrease and" (decreased). Here are 25 certification points!
You asked me to keep you posted on how things were progressing in my classroom this year. Well, I cannot believe how well things are going! I am convinced that it is due to the changes I have made because of Whole Brain Teaching!
You know how I have been using the Scoreboard – the smilies and the frownies – in my classroom to help reinforce positive behaviour. It is working well. I have noticed a lot of positive changes. However, I still have a few students who are regularly talking back and being disrespectful.
Last night, I referred back to my book “Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids” and discovered the “Guff Counter”. I truly believe that this will help me. Before starting, however, I will need to make sure that everyone understands what “guff” is in my classroom. We all need to be on the same page!
Now, according to Biffle (2013), “[v]irtually all disruptive students are nourished by the understanding that key allies in their class endorse their conduct” (p. 124). The purpose of the “Guff Counter” is to undermine, if not eliminate, this belief!
When other students in the class hear a student give me “Guff”, they are encouraged to firmly say “Please stop!”. If this is done in an appropriate time and fashion, the students may even earn a point on the smilie side of the Guff Counter! A “Guff” smilie point indicates 1 extra minute of recess.
If, on the other hand, the rest of the class remains silent when a student gives me “Guff”, this will be interpreted as supporting the comment and they will receive one “Guff” tally mark for EACH WORD SPOKEN on the frownie side. A “Guff” frownie point indicates 1 minute lost from recess!
Thanks to the “Guff Counter”, the students have complete control over the reward (+/- minutes of recess). To earn it, they simply need to speak out when they hear something that is inappropriate or “Guff”. In this way, it is not me, the teacher, who is reprimanding the student who is giving “Guff”. It is the offending student’s peers who are gently reprimanding him/her. Instead of intentionally or unintentionally providing silent support for the behaviour, they will now be encouraged to vocally denounce it.
Since I already use the Scoreboard, it will not be adding much to my plate to add the Guff Counter. I believe that it will be a very effective technique to address the back talk and disrespectful behaviour that I am still getting from a few of the students.
Christina, Nice job! Make sure that you never actually make a mark on the Guff Counter, the key is to get them to say "Please Stop" before the marker hits the scoreboard. Here are 25 certification points!
I cannot believe we have the first week of school already under our belt! My students LOVE Whole Brain Teaching and are quickly catching on to the incredible strategies I have introduced them to thus far.
I have already discovered two of my students, brand new to our school, that are going to require me to advance to Level 4 on the Scoreboard quicker than I had imagined. Level 4 on the Scoreboard is referred to as the Guff Counter. I would like to explain to you how this level operates.
The word “Guff” will be added on the negative side of my current scoreboard. I will explain to my students that Guff is any comment that is disrespectful and breaks Rule #5. Therefore, if a student gives me guff by making a rude comment, rolling his/her eyes, huffing under their breath, etc., I will announce to the class, “That is amazing guff!” If the class remains quiet, they are communicating to me that they actively support this rebellious behavior. Because of this undesired support, I will then place a tally mark in the Guff area for each word of guff that was given. For example, if I said, “Bryce, please stay on task.” and Bryce rudely replied, “I am on task.”, if the class remained quiet, I would then place four tally marks in the Guff area. The entire class would then lose four minutes of recess. However, if the class looked at Bryce the moment he gave me guff and said, “Please stop.”, I would not add any tally marks on the Guff side. As a matter of fact, I would add a tally mark on the positive side. Because they are communicating to Bryce that they do not support his impolite behavior, the class would have an extra minute added to their recess time.
Prior to putting this strategy in place, I will model the correct and incorrect way that this level of the Scoreboard will be played. Please understand that the purpose of this approach is for the rebellious student to realize that they do not have the support of their peers when behaving in this manner. This tactic is also not intended to scold the disrespectful student. Instead, the objective is that once the student realizes his/her peers are not going to tolerate their disrespectful behavior, the student will cease the discourteous behavior.
I will keep you posted on the success of this strategy, and look forward to sharing it with our staff at our next faculty meeting.
Sincerely, Kelly Avery 2014-15 Whole Brain Teaching Intern
Kelly, Your principal will love this positive method of eliminating Guff! Remember, your role play and practice of this technique is to make sure the class is not punished as a group. The Guff Counter is never really meant to be marked, as it would skew the +/- 3 Rule of the Scoreboard. Just make sure that you prompt them if needed so that they call out "please stop" before your marker hits the board. Nice job, here are 25 certification points!
I just learned about an innovative classroom management technique. I am excited because it is powerful, effective and fun! Part of the WBT that I have been incorporating in my classroom, it is designed to “target disrespectful behavior, talking back, eye rolling, (and) groaning.” WBT believes that one of the major causes of challenging behavior is the perception by rebellious students that they have strong support from their friends and the silent support of most of their other classmates. The Guff Counter is the perfect tool to silence this disruptive behavior.
Guff is defined as any remark or behavior that makes a teacher unhappy. When implementing the Guff Counter, a teacher defines guff and uses a responsible student to model some guff, creating a lighthearted, fun atmosphere. The class discovers that the student’s guff results in a loss of recess - one minute per word of guff. This really gets their attention! The teacher then reveals how to avoid losing recess: the class must promptly show their disapproval by pointing at the rebellious student and saying, “Please stop!” Role-play and practice teaches the class not to hold back, but to respond as soon as they detect any guff.
This technique will transform the class culture and perfectly complement what I am already doing in my classroom! If you know of any other teachers who may be interested, I would be happy to share with them what I have learned.
Traci, The students will quickly learn to recognize and stifle the guff in the classroom! Make sure that there are never really any negative points recorded on the scoreboard for the guff, we don't want to pinpoint one student on the negative side of the board. Just make sure the class chants "please stop" before you get the marker on the board. Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Administrator, I am thankful to have your support as I implement the Whole Brain Teaching Method in my classroom this year. Our classroom is excited and engaged in learning like never before. I have introduced four of the classroom management techniques in Whole Brain Teaching: the Scoreboard, Super Improvers, and the Practice Cards. These methods have been very successful in helping students manage their behavior and set goals. I still have several students who need additional help. For this reason, I will be introducing the Guff Counter. I will explain to my students that any action that makes the teacher unhappy may be “guff.” I will give examples, such as when a student talks back, eye rolls, or argues with the teacher. When this type of behavior occurs I will pick up my marker and say, “Oh that sounds like guff.” Before I can put a mark on the Scoreboard, the class will turn to the child who has made the “guff” and say, “Please stop.” If the student has made a verbal remark, I will count the words and say, “Oh that sounds like __marks on the scoreboard.” If the class says, “Please stop” before I make the marks, the marks are not put on the board. The purpose of the Guff counter is not to punish the class. The idea is to allow the students to take control of the learning environment by working together to follow the rules. The purpose of the Guff Counter is to have the class, as a unit, work to help the student who is misbehaving. As the misbehaving student sees that everyone is expected to follow the rules, and that the class is supporting the teacher, less “guff” behavior will occur. I would love to discuss this further with you if you have any questions or concerns. Please stop by and observe first hand whole brain teaching in action.
Susan, You are right on target! We never punish the whole class for one student's actions. The Guff Counter solves that problem! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Administrator, Thanks for coming in last week and watching the WBT techniques I implemented so far. The scoreboard is really going well, we are coming up with new ideas for their reward all the time. I have decided to add a level 4 piece to it that is called the Guff Counter. The Guff counter ties in perfectly with our Oelweis Anti-Bullying curriculum. We teach kids to use their words and if someone is doing something they don't like to say' Please stop!" They learned this the 2nd week of school with the implementation of the bully circle lesson. The Guff Counter is the exact same thing in the classroom during whole group. I have taught the kids what respectful effective listening is and what is looks like. If I have someone not being respectful and displaying behaviors like backtalk, eye rolling, deep breathes etc. this is called GUFF. If I am teaching and a child is choosing to display these behaviors I will pick up my marker for the scoreboard and say, "this sounds like GUFF to me" . The rest of the kids have a choice. They can choose to ignore the behavior and be silent, (which would be a point on the frownie) or they can say please stop to the GUFFER. (point on the smiley) This shows that they want the Guff to stop so they can learn. The kids all want to learn and will feel empowered to tell the Guff to stop. Usually if kids use Guff they want to impress peers and get attention. This system nips that right away. Please come back in and watch anytime I am in whole group time. I look forward to reinforcing positive behavior and respect to all my students. Thanks !!!
Wendy, It's nice that this goes so well with your school Anti-Bullying curriculum! This is one of the most important things that we can teach our students, and a life long skill! Oops, there was one small typo (deep breathes-breaths). Here are 25 certification points!
I appreciate your support while I have implemented the Whole Brain Teaching practices in my classroom this year. Students are learning and progressing nicely through the curriculum as well as socially. As you already know, Whole Brain Teaching travels through various levels according to the needs of students. Our class is now entering level 4 which includes “The Guff Counter.”
The Guff Counter will become a part of our scoreboard and used to target disrespectful behavior such as insolent remarks, groaning, attitude, eye rolling, etc. It will serve well to detach the wayward student from their supportive backing. Whether this backing is silent or spoken, the unruly student feels that they are supported and accepted by others. If this support is taken away, the behaviors will cease.
I will first add the Guff Counter to the Scoreboard then instruct the class that a “Guff” is anything that would not keep the teacher happy and how this new level works. I will provide role playing situations in which we act out scenes of disorderly behaviors. For instance, I would ask a student to line up quickly, to which they would reply “Gees, I’m going!” For each word, a mark will be placed on scoreboard under the Guff Counter. Thus reply “Gees, I’m going!” would earn 3 marks. Each mark equals 1 minute of missed recess for the entire class.
The most wonderful part of the Guff Counter is that students have the ability to quickly cancel the negative effects of the Guff. Students do not realize that their silence is actually support for the undesirable behavior. We will have a lengthy discussion about this fact. Students are given the opportunity to say “Please stop!” to the other student before I mark the scoreboard. If they do, the marks will not be applied. Students also often are not aware of what an adult considers a guff. In an attempt to avoid students yelling out “Please stop!” all day, I will instruct them that they can only say it when I give the que “That sounds like a guff, where’s my marker!?!” This will also help distinguish verbal and non-verbal guffs.
This teaches both the rebellious student and the other students very valuable lessons. First, that the class is a team that works together to accomplish a communal objective. Second, students will learn that they are able to stand up for what is right instead of being a silent bystander. The Guff Counter technique provides a safe environment to practice this essential skill. Finally, the rebel will learn that they are not supported and even their friends do not enjoy their behavior.
Although I never plan to actually take away recess from the entire class, I truly believe that this technique will provide a fun and safe way to teach my students the incredibly important lessons above. As always, I have more techniques in my “back pocket” that can be pulled out if this technique is not successful for all my students. With any classroom management technique, my individual students needs will always be my top priority. As I utilize this technique, I will monitor each student to ensure the ability to continuously provide the safe, educational environment they are accustomed to.
Again, thank you for your continued encouragement and support.
Geni, Very well worded letter! Remember, your role play and practice of this technique is to make sure the class is not punished as a group. The Guff Counter is never really meant to be marked, as it would skew the +/- 3 Rule of the Scoreboard. Nice job! Here are 25 points for you!
I am so excited to share a new classroom management technique with you! With my continued research and implementation of Whole Brain Teaching, I started using the Guff Counter. The Guff Counter is the Fourth Level of the classroom scoreboard. Previously you have been in to observe the first three levels, the classroom scoreboard, the Super Improvers, and the Practice Cards. Now we are new and improved yet again!
The beauty of the Guff Counter begins with the fact that it really is just another level to what is already in place. It is not a whole new classroom management system. Even better, it is a management technique that is run by the students. You see, this level is geared toward students who are vocally disrespectful. What happens is, when a student begins to “give guff,” or be disrespectful, the rest of the students must immediately respond with “Please, stop!” If they don’t, a point for every word of guff goes into the negative column of the classroom scoreboard. As you witnessed previously, every negative point that is not balanced by a positive point results in loss of recess time for the whole class. So, if a student’s guff sentence is seven words long, seven negative marks are put on the scoreboard. No one wants to lose seven minutes of recess!!
Now, because the fundamental framework of the classroom scoreboard requires no more than plus or minus three points on either the positive or negative side, these negative points are only ever threatened. The idea is not to punish the classroom. The idea is the second thing of beauty.
The basis of this level is to undermine the feelings of camaraderie among disrespectful students. If the student giving guff is immediately shut down by the entire class, they are less likely to believe they have the support of their peers. Without peer support, they don’t have an audience. Without an audience, well, being disrespectful is just a lot less fun. WBT writes that “most challenging kids will turn on each other in a flash.” Therefore, by motivating their peers to provide negative reinforcement to their behavior, there is eventually less negative behavior to reinforce. Even better, the teacher isn’t the negative reinforcer. In fact, the teacher never actually has to give a consequence at all!
As you know have implemented Whole Brain Teaching techniques not only in my lessons but also in my classroom behaviour management. I am writing to inform you of the latest additional technique I will be using: The Guff Counter.
The Guff Counter is level 4 of the WBT Scoreboard management system and is designed to eradicate the silent approval a back talking student can receive from the class. This back talk is ‘guff’.
The Guff Counter is simply an extra row added to the bottom of the scoreboard. I would introduce it by using the following script with the class:
“Guff is any remark that makes a teacher unhappy. For example, if I ask Chris to, ‘Please work harder,’ and she says, in an irritated voice, ‘I am working harder!’...that is guff. I am asking him to do something that will improve his work in class, and he is refusing. Guff is not acceptable in my class. If a student gives me guff and the rest of the class is silent, then that means that everyone supports that remark! I will add one tally mark to the guff counter for every word of guff I hear! The marks in the Guff Counter mean that everyone loses one minute of Break Time for each mark! However, if someone says something that is guff and everyone turns to the guilty student and firmly says, ‘Please stop!’ then that tells me that the rest of the class does silently not support the guff... and no break time will be lost.”
When a child gives me “guff”, I will make a show of looking around for a marker pen and say, “That sounds like guff, where’s my marker?” This signals to the rest of the class that I expect them to show their disapproval of the guff by turning to the culprit and saying, “Please, stop!” When I hear this I will not make a mark. This will remove the offender’s silent peer support.
Here is the most important part - I will never actually make a mark on the Guff Counter! I will only ever threaten to make a mark in order to encourage students to quickly voice their disapproval of the “guff” behaviour.
This technique will disarm students who wish to assert themselves by talking back. It will show that not only do I not like the behaviour, but the rest of the class does not condone it either.
It also communicates to the class that their silence is viewed as support, and gives them permission to stand up for what is right from a safe and empowered platform.
Thank you for allowing me to implement these techniques in the classroom and I hope you can see their effectiveness.
Quentin, This is a very thorough and clear explanation of the Guff Counter! The students are so surprised when they realize that their peers aren't supporting their poor behavior, making this a very effective tool! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
As you know, I have been using Whole Brain Teaching strategies in my classroom for more than two years. These amazing teaching strategies help me to maintain a smoothly run and efficient classroom. I would like to share with you one strategy that I use called “The Guff Counter” to help eliminate rude talk or gestures.
“The Guff Counter” is part of the classroom Scoreboard. I use this tool within my classroom to either award points for energetic participation or to deduct points for participation that is not quite up to par. I have just recently added “The Guff Counter” to the bottom of our Scoreboard. Whenever a student demonstrates guff by either a rude gesture (eye rolling or sighing) or rude words when they are asked to do something, guff points are added to the Frownie side of our Scoreboard. For example, if I ask a student to sit down and the student replies “I am sitting in my seat!”, then six tally marks would be made on the Guff Counter, one point for each word of guff. If a student rolls his eyes after directions are given, then two tally marks would be made, two points for each gesture. Here is where this amazing strategy really proves its strength, though. Since students who frequently give guff enjoy an audience, the rest of their classmates have the opportunity to cancel out the guff points their friend has just earned the class by immediately saying “Please, stop!” Once a student no longer has an audience cheering him or her on, they aren’t as willing to risk everything to make a “guff” comment.
I welcome you into our classroom to observe the use of our Scoreboard. It continually challenges us to reach higher and to aim for new goals. Thank you so much for your continued support as I reach to perfect new teaching strategy goals.
Nicole, Nice letter! Also remember, Guff is never actually marked as a negative on the scoreboard. The students responding with "Please Stop" keeps you from marking the negative, and keeps one student from earning the class a negative mark. Here are 25 certification points!
Madeline Mahan Chapter 19: The Guff Counter
ReplyDeleteDear administrator,
Thank you for allowing me the freedom to practice Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom this year! Student learning and participation is at an all time high! As the year progresses, I plan to continue these techniques. Whole Brain Teaching moves forward in levels to address changing management needs. We are now ready for Level 4, which includes a technique called the “Guff Counter.”
As you have observed, we are currently using the Scoreboard in my classroom. The “guff counter” will be used to target disrespectful behavior such as talking back, eye rolling, groaning, etc. The idea is to separate rebellious students from the backing of their friends. Often, when disrespectful behavior is met with silent support, this backing fuels rebellious actions. If this silent support is taken away, disrespectful behavior will decrease.
Here’s how it works. After adding a Guff Counter to the current Scoreboard, I will explain “guff” as any comment that makes a teacher unhappy. We will act out examples in class, such as the teacher asking someone to start working and the student replying, “I AM working.” For each word of guff, students will receive a negative point on the “guff” section of the Scoreboard. (“I AM working” would be three negative guff marks.) Each mark in the Guff Counter counts for one minute of lost recess for the class. Students will be given a chance to cancel out these negative marks by saying, “Please, stop!” as a class. I will explain that this response will help remind everyone that we are a team working toward a common goal. Students don’t always realize that silence is viewed as support. The Guff Counter will help teach this valuable lesson, which is useful in real life situations also. Students need to learn to stand up for what is right rather than sit by in silent acceptance.
Now, here’s the most important part: the Guff Counter is the one technique that I will never carry through with. Students won’t know this, of course, but making a mark for each word of guff would not follow the +/-3 rule of the Scoreboard (students should never be ahead or behind more than 3 points). Given the opportunity, students will call out, “Please, stop!” in order to avoid losing recess. To avoid students yelling out, “Please, stop!” at all points of the day, I will instruct students to only do so if they hear me say, “That sounds like guff! Where’s my marker?” This will help students recognize guff as nonverbal and verbal, and to recognize when guff occurs between students.
This is a well-researched technique. Whole Brain Teachers have found that challenging students’ strongest supporters are often the first to challenge their behavior when given a chance. By making it a game, the behavior is dealt with quickly and then moved on from. Given a fun and safe opportunity (like “Please, stop!”) allows challenging students to turn on each other. As always, I will take individual student needs into account. There are other levels and techniques to handle students who are not affected by the guff counter.
Thank you for your continued support as I venture into new areas of Whole Brain Teaching. As always, you are welcome to observe at any time. I will keep you informed of the success of this technique as well as future levels of the Scoreboard.
Sincerely,
Madeline Mahan
Madeline,
DeleteThis is a very informative letter and I'm sure your administrator would be thankful for this detailed description of how the Guff Counter works! Isn't it a wonderful technique to have in our back pocket? Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Administrators,
ReplyDeleteI would like to take this opportunity to thank you for allowing me to use Whole Brain Teaching methods in my classroom. As I am sure you have noticed during your observations in my room, we work a little differently than other classrooms. We have worked through levels 1, 2 and 3 of the Scoreboard game already and have had great success.
We will be implementing our newest level in the classroom behavior management system, level 4, which is called the Guff Counter. I would like to explain to you how this system works so that you will be aware of what is going to happen in my classroom. “Guff” is a term I will teach my students that refers to disrespectful behaviors such as groaning, eye rolling or verbal disrespect of any kind. As we do with every new element of Whole Brain Teaching, we will practice using “guff” so students get examples of the kind of behavior I expect them not to engage in. Then I will teach the entire class to say, “Please, stop” each time “guff” is demonstrated in the classroom. We will practice this skill as well.
The idea is that by uniting the entire classroom behind me and the rule of the Guff Counter, disruptive students will be “peer pressured” into compliance with the rules. This technique not only provides me with a more compliant classroom full of students, but also allows the students to be responsible for creating social change. They can pay attention to interactions among myself and them, as well as interactions between themselves and peers, and determine which behaviors are disrespectful. Further, this method teaches them a way to deal with disrespectful behavior which allows them to stand up for themselves without creating additional conflict.
If a student gives me “guff” during the class period, they will receive one tally mark on the Guff Counter for each word of “guff” they offered. These quickly add up and the student’s peers will learn quickly to help keep the student in line in the classroom. Further, if a student presents a non-verbal form of “guff,” like rolling their eyes, I will say, “That sounds like guff, where is my marker?” This will signal to students that they need to act to keep the balance in the classroom and avoid receiving any more negative marks on the Guff Counter.
The beauty of this system is that it eliminates conflict between myself and students and focuses the non-negative feedback onto the “guffer” without singling them out and disrupting the classroom learning opportunities. Once the “guffer” learns that everyone is against their negative behaviors, and will call them on it, they will be less likely to engage in these behaviors. Further, research has shown that the “guffer’s” close friends are usually the first ones to turn on them and call them out! This method will have amazing success on reigning in problematic behaviors in my classroom.
As always, thank you for your continued support in my Whole Brain Teaching journey this year. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Sincerely,
Amanda Blum
Amanda,
DeleteGreat job, this looks like it will be useful to refer to when any questions arise!
Here are 25 certification points!
Carrie Wood
ReplyDeleteWBT Ch. 19
Dear Administrator,
First of all, I want to thank you for the support you have shown me in implementing the Whole Brain Teaching methods in my classroom. I have had a huge amount of success, and I am delighted with the results I am seeing in my students’ academic engagement.
As you have witnessed during formal and informal observations, I have been using the Scoreboard classroom management system since the beginning on the school year. I am now ready to implement the fourth level of the Scoreboard, the Guff Counter.
The Guff Counter is a technique that targets disrespectful behaviors. I have a couple of students with challenging behaviors, and I want to take away the support they are getting from their peers.
The Guff Counter works like this. For each “Guff” (eye roll, talking back, groaning, etc.) the class receives a tally mark. Each tally mark will be a minute off of recess; however, if the class says, “Please Stop!” they will not get a tally mark.
Thank you so much for your continued support in the implementation of the Whole Brain Teaching methods. I look forward to sharing my success with the “Guff Counter.”
Sincerely,
Carrie Wood
Carrie,
DeleteThe Guff Counter is such a wonderful way to help students recognize disrespectful behavior! You may want to add more detail to how this works and about how you will avoid it being a group punishment by making sure the Guff never really gets marked. Here are 20 certification points to save in a word document to submit later.
Kay Spencer
ReplyDeleteChapter 19
Dear Dr. Cagle,
I am excited about implementing the Guff Counter. Guff Counter is the fourth level of Whole Brain Teaching Scoreboard which targets disrespectful behavior. I really believe that it will be effective in our classroom because Guff Counter places the responsibility for extinguishing unwanted behaviors on the students.
Here is the plan: If a student is in any way disrespectful to another student or me, the students will say “please stop” quickly and with conviction. If the words “please stop” are weak or spoken slowly, or if the classmates don’t respond “please stop,” I will make a tally mark for every word of guff under the Guff Counter frownie face. Each mark results in lost recess time. If the class responds correctly, I will not give a tally mark.
The class and I will role play and practice the procedure Whole Brain style. Dr. Cagle, I am confident I that Guff Counter will work because the students will know what is at stake, and they want our place of learning to operate smoothly.
I’ll be in touch to share our success with you.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Spencer
Kay,
DeleteThe Guff Counter does work. Remember, your role play and practice of this technique is to make sure the class is not punished as a group. The Guff Counter is never really meant to be marked, as it would skew the +/- 3 Rule of the Scoreboard. Nice job! Here are 25 points for you!
Dear Administrators,
ReplyDeleteThe Whole Brain Teaching Method is a wonderful tool that has brought basic order and attentiveness to my classroom this year. However, as you know, I have had several problems with disrespectful and rebellious students. Despite implementing the use of the Scoreboard, the Super Improvers Team, and Practice Cards, I have still experienced problems such as talking back, eye rolling, and groaning, to name a few. My next step is to introduce the “Guff Counter”, which is Level Four of the Scoreboard, to my students.
“Guff” is any remark or behavior that breaks Rule # 5 and makes the teacher unhappy. The Guff Counter system is based on the fact that without friends or allies, a rebellious child’s behavior will be stifled and eliminated. I plan to turn the majority of the class not against the child himself, but against his inappropriate behavior.
The class as a whole is never punished as a result of the Guff Counter. By rehearsing correct and incorrect behaviors, students are taught that it is their responsibility to say, “Please Stop!” each time a rebel says something that is “Guff”. If the class doesn’t say something, then they are silently supporting the remarks of the rebellious student. Each time a Guff is silently supported, the class is given a mark on the Guff Counter, and one minute of recess is lost.
This system helps to break down allies and causes disruptive students to separate and support the goal of the entire class rather than rally behind the “leader” out of fear or being ostracized. They soon realize that behind the class is the place to be, and hopefully the leader will also see the light.
This is a well-researched technique. The Guff Counter enables teachers to make dealing with the behaviors of challenging students into a game. “Please Stop!” gives the majority of the class the power to express an opinion and hopefully eliminate the inappropriate behaviors of the rebels.
I appreciate your commitment as I continue to delve deeper into the practices of Whole Brain Teaching. I will keep you informed about the success of the “Guff Counter”. Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Julia Simons
Julia Simons
Julia,
DeleteWell stated! The Guff Counter does rally a class behind the teacher! Here are 25 points for you!
Julia Berry / Chapter 19 / January
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs. Moore,
I want to let you know I’ve added a new behavior management technique to my yearly behavior plan. A few months have gone by and I still have several challenging students rolling their eyes, and making sarcastic remarks to the teacher and peers. I want to get this behavior under control immediately, so our class time is being used wisely. I believe the Guff Counter; (it is a level 4 scoreboard), will be very beneficial at this time to correct my few behavior problems. Let me explain briefly. A “Guff” is any remark that makes a teacher unhappy. If students give me “Guff”, and the class does not respond, then that means everyone silently supports the “Guff” remark! On the “Guff” Counter, I will add a mark for every word of “Guff”. This means everyone will lose a minute off a reward (recess, reading time, or free time). I want to emphasize the ‘Guff Counter’ is the only technique we threaten with, but never carry out.
If a classmate says something about the “Guff” remark and firmly says “Please Stop!” that means the class does not silently support the “Guffer”, and no penalty is given. Of course students will began to instantly silence the “Guffer (s)”.
Basically, the “Guff” Counter should turn the majority of the class against their disruptive behavior. Once again, I should never carry through unless I would be breaking the Plus/Minus Three rule (the difference between reward and penalties should never exceed three). By picking up a marker and saying ‘I heard a ‘guff’, the students should be ready to say, “Please Stop!” The real purpose is to silence the misbehavior immediately. I will be reviewing with the class what is considered disrespectful, and the appropriate response the class should say.
I hope I have your support with the new scoreboard behavior plan. You are welcomed to come observe first hand how this technique will be used. Please fill free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. Thank you once again for your continued support using Whole Brain Teaching throughout the year.
Have A Great Day,
Julia
Julia,
DeleteWell written letter to your admin about the Guff Counter! Here are 25 points for you!
Chapter 19 Guff Counter Bethany Kirkland
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs. Moore,
I appreciate the support you have given to the teachers and students who are implementing Whole Brain Teaching strategies. In an effort to increase respect towards other students and themselves, I want to explain a new WBT technique that I will be implementing.
The new technique is called The Guff Counter. The Guff Counter will be added to our class scoreboard. "Guff" is defined as talking back, deep sighs, eye rolling, etc. For each "guff", a point is added to the frown side of our scoreboard. Each point equals a minute of lost recess time. Students may stop points from being added by politely and firmly saying, "Please Stop" to the guffer.
My rationale for this strategy is that it will make students pay more attention to words and actions towards others. Secondly, most guffers do so because they are reinforced by their peers. Without this reinforcement and with classmates asking them to stop, the rude and disrespectful behavior should end. Lastly, my students will learn not to tolerate rude, disrespectful behavior from others, a life long skill.
Through teaching and modeling, students will be able to quickly correct guffers with "Please stop", when I cue them by saying, "Where's my marker? Sounds like guff to me!" Recess will never be a total loss!
Bethany,
ReplyDeleteNice post on the Guff Counter. Your comment..."Through teaching and modeling, students will be able to quickly correct guffers with "Please stop", when I cue them by saying, "Where's my marker? Sounds like guff to me!" ...is very important. The Guff Counter is never really meant to be a group punishment, as we want to make sure it never actually gets marked. Here are 25 points for you!
Dear Principal,
ReplyDeleteAs you have observed, I am continuing to implement new Whole Brain Teaching techniques not only in my lessons but in my behavior management as well. I am writing to inform you of the latest technique I will be using: The Guff Counter.
The Counter is level 4 of the WBT Scoreboard management system and since the success of my Practice Cards I will implementing the next step to deal with students who present different challenges. It will help me with students who “talk back” by removing the support they receive from doing it.
The Counter will be added to my scoreboard which I have been using with students since the beginning of the year. On the bottom of the chart I will draw a line which I will designate as The Guff Counter. Unlike the Scoreboard, I will attach consequences to marks I make under this counter (such as lost minutes of recess or free time.)
When a student gives me “guff” I will go to make a mark on the counter. Before I do, I will say, “That sounds like guff, where’s my marker?” This will signal to my other students that they need to ask the student to stop by saying, “Please, stop!” and I will not make a mark. By having my other students say this phrase it will show that they don’t like what the student is doing, which will remove the offender’s support system.
In reality I will never actually make a mark on the counter. The reason being is that it would throw off my Scoreboard system which I keep within a three point range (so they are never too far ahead or behind.) I will only threaten to make a mark to encourage students to respond quickly to the “guff” behavior.
This technique will allow me to manage my class more efficiently by derailing students who are determined to assert themselves by talking back or employing other passive aggressive strategies to compromise the order of my classroom. It will show that I am not the only one who does not tolerate their behavior.
The technique teaches the class the lesson that their silence is viewed as support. This offers a way for students to stand up for what is right in a safe way that makes them feel empowered.
Of course there are other levels of the Scoreboard to address students who don’t respond well to this technique which I will introduce later. Thank you again for allowing me to pursue these techniques in the classroom and, as always, you are welcome to come by and observe it in action.
Thanks,
Mrs. Brown
Josephine,
DeleteExcellent letter to your principal. Your admin will love how effective the Guff Counter is in behavior management! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteThank you for encouraging and allowing me to promote Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom. I have had wonderful successes with these techniques and strategies. Students are learning in a fun and engaging way. They are able to remember and recall information easier as well.
I will be applying our newest behavior level known as the “Guff Counter” very soon and wanted to inform you of its purpose and benefits. “Guff” is any disrespectful behavior a student displays, such as, rolling eyes, groaning, talking back, etc. The Guff Counter is added to our current scoreboard where we implement “Oh Yeah!” and “Oh Man” for good and bad behavior. Underneath this scoreboard, the guff counter will target challenging students and turn the majority of the class, including their friends, against this disruptive behavior.
When a “guff” is being displayed by a student, the remaining classmates respond by stating “Please stop!” in order to back up their teacher against the behavior. When this happens, students are given an Oh Yeah! on the Guff part of the scoreboard. However, when students do not back up their teacher and say nothing, they are given an Oh Man! under the guff scoreboard. By students not responding, they are saying that the disruptive behavior is acceptable. The Oh Yeah’s and Oh Man’s affect the class recess. When an Oh Yeah happens(Smiley face), the class gets a minute of recess. When the class gets an Oh Man (Sad face), they lose one minute of recess. This method is incredible when you envision friends against friends who show disrespectful behavior for the simple goal of receiving recess!
The goal is that eventually the challenging students will understand the rules that apply in the classroom and will see that disrespectful behavior gets them the wrong type of attention. When they see their friends against them, the goal is that they will want to stop the bad behavior.
Thanks again for your support this year in implementing these techniques. If you have any questions regarding any of it, please don’t hesitate to let me know.
Liz Cheney
Liz,
DeleteJust to clarify, the Guff is never actually marked as a negative on the scoreboard. The teacher will say "Is that Guff I hear?" (or something similar) and the class is then to respond with "Please Stop!". This keeps you from marking the negative. (You don't want to have ONE child be responsible for a negative on your scoreboard - that is a WHOLE class thing). The Guff Counter is motivational but not actually a "punishment". Here are 20 certification points!
Mrs. Moore,
ReplyDeleteAfter spending last weekend reading my Whole Brain Teaching textbook, I found a wonderful classroom tool for managing those students who tend to take over a classroom. Using the Guff Counter, students who disrupt your classroom can easily be quieted by their classmates. Even students who would normally be cheering on the mutinous student will join the rest of the class to support the teacher. Your first step is to add a Guff Counter to your Scoreboard. Next, you practice the procedure with your class to make sure they understand what constitutes a “Guff”. Then, practice the class response to the “Guffer”. When a classmate talks back or gives the teacher Guff, the class will in unison, and forcefully say, “Please stop!” Each time you have a “Guff” you will make a mark or marks on the Guff Counter. Each mark is advertised to be a loss of one minute of recess, realistically though you won’t need to deduct recess. Students will make sure that the Guffs stop very soon. I can’t wait to install this management technique in my class.
Thank you,
Steve Sublett
Steve,
DeleteNice job! The Guff Counter is very effective and makes for a more pleasant classroom environment! Remember, this technique is to make sure the class is not punished as a group. The Guff Counter is never really meant to be marked, as it would skew the +/- 3 Rule of the Scoreboard. In the future, you might include a few more details in your posts. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear administrator,
ReplyDeleteAs you are well aware there are as many different classroom management techniques as there are teachers on campus. I would like to inform you of one that will be implemented in my classroom very soon. I have been using a system so far this year called ‘The Scoreboard’. The Scoreboard currently consists of a happy face column and a sad faced column. When student behavior is positive they earn points on the happy face column. Behavior that is not acceptable earns points on the other side. Ultimately more points on the happy face column wins the whole class certain incentives.
We are coming off of spring break and it is that time of year where individual students really begin making a case for themselves in trying to disrupt the classroom. When they are disruptive and the rest of the class says nothing it really becomes a “win” for the disruptive student. I am implementing the next level of the scoreboard called the “Guff Counter”. Guff is really any remark that makes the teacher unhappy (which is a direct violation of Rule #5: Keep Your Dear Teacher Happy!).
The “Guff Counter” gives the class a platform to indicate that they do not appreciate the disruptions and are by default “on the teacher’s side”! How it works is really quite simple. When a student is being disrespectful, disruptive, and/or talking back the class will respond with “please stop”. There are a few different sub levels within the Guff Counter that delineate how much of the class is behind me on the Guff Counter. Really I just wanted to let you know what techniques I have been using and will be continuing to use the rest of the year!
Till Next Time,
Sincerely,
~Jason McKinney
Jason,
DeleteThe Guff Counter is a wonderful tool to have in your back pocket! Here are 25 certification points!
March 19, 2014
ReplyDeleteDear Administrator,
As you are aware, I have been implementing Whole Brain Teaching techniques in the classroom, and I have been successively adding to the levels in the Whole Brain Teaching classroom management system. You have observed our scoreboard, you helped me by giving our classroom the chart stand for our Super Improvers Team, and you have seen our practice cards. We are ready to begin using Level Four: “The Guff Counter.”
The Guff Counter is an interesting classroom management technique because it is the only strategy in Whole Brain Teaching with which we don’t actually follow through. The Guff Counter is displayed on the scoreboard (on the “frownie” side toward the bottom). Here is an example of how it works. I will tell the students that I feel they are finally ready to add a new level to our scoreboard, “Level 4.” “Give me an ooooh!” Students will respond with excitement and anticipation. I will share with students that we are going to add the “Guff Counter.” I will explain to students that “guff” is an old-fashioned word for back talk, eye-rolling, sighing, and so forth. Once I have provided several examples of guff to students, I will role play examples of guff with several student volunteers for the benefit of the class. I will further explain that they score a “frownie” point for each word of guff (Again, I won’t actually follow through with this).
Here is a sample script for a role play:
Teacher: Mary, please sit down and finish your writing.
Student: But I am doing my writing!
Teacher: That sounds like guff to me. Where’s my marker?
I explain to students that this example would result in six points being immediately added to the negative side of the scoreboard, one point for each word of guff. We don’t actually follow through with this because it would upset the + or – 3 scoreboard rule: you want to keep the plus and minus side of the scoreboard within three points at all times. Everyone loves a close game, and a three-point difference (maximum) allows students to feel they can “catch up,” if they have more negative points, and prevents them from “resting on their laurels,” should they find themselves ahead by more than a three-point margin.
I expect some students will gasp, when they realize that multiple points may be added to the negative side of the scoreboard for an instance of guff, however, I am prepared for this. I will further explain to students that they do not have to get any points for guff, if, when they hear me say, “That sounds like guff to me. Where’s my marker?” they turn to the student who is calling out (eye rolling, sighing, etc.) and, as a group, say, “Please stop!” and hold up their open palm as a symbol for stop. I will explain to the class that if they do this, I will not give them any points for guff, and they may even earn a point on the "smiley” side of the scoreboard. The class will rehearse this several more times.
The guff counter is a wonderful resource for the rebellious student who frequently disrupts the class. It eliminates the “audience,” when the audience turns to the “guffer” and asks him or her to please stop. Please note: students are not permitted to randomly call out, “Please stop,” but instead, they must wait for my cue: “That sounds like guff to me!” Only then can the class address the guff.
I believe the Guff Counter will be an effective classroom management technique. This technique has been shown to successfully separate the disruptive student from his or her peers. The disruptive student can interpret silence as a form of peer support, and this silence can further fuel disruptive and rebellious actions. If the silence (and the support from peers) is removed, the disruptive, rebellious behavior tends to decrease.
I will keep you apprised of our efforts in implementing the Guff Counter. If you have any questions, concerns, or suggestions, please let me know. Thank you for your continued support of Whole Brain Teaching.
Sincerely,
Jacqueline Nessuno
Jacqueline,
DeleteThe Guff Counter does exactly what you pointed out..."This technique has been shown to successfully separate the disruptive student from his or her peers. The disruptive student can interpret silence as a form of peer support, and this silence can further fuel disruptive and rebellious actions. If the silence (and the support from peers) is removed, the disruptive, rebellious behavior tends to decrease." Nice post! Here are 25 points and a 5 point Bonus!
Dear Dr.Cagle,
ReplyDeleteIn implementing the Whole Brain Teaching method there is a technique that targets disrespectful behavior/remarks called the Guff Counter. The Guff Counter is the fourth level of the Whole Brain Teaching scoreboard. I believe that this technique will work great considering the class actively participates in "shutting down" the disrespectful talk/behavior of a student that exhibits this negative behavior. It holds the entire class accountable and it lets the "guff talker" realize that this behavior is unacceptable and irritating not only to the teacher but to his/her peers as well.
Whenever a student says anything disrespectful or "guff" his/her peers say, "Please stop!" It lets this student know that they have no back up, no one thinks their remarks are cool and no one is impressed! I absolutely love it as I know you will as well!
It is important to remember that the respect has to go both ways, so if students hear another speaking disrespectfully to another classmate they all can still respond, "Please stop!" I feel that this technique is great and will hopefully reduce disruptive behavior.
Sincerely,
Karlyn Davis
Karlyn,
DeleteWe recommend that you initiate this tool by stating, "That sounds like Guff to me! Where's my marker?" Students would then be expected to call out, "Please stop!" Your administrator will aprectiate the unified effort of the class to maintain respect and order in the classroom. It is important to note that the Scoreboard is never actually marked at this level. Here are 20 points for you.
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to take some time to thank you for continuing to support me as I implement the strategies I am learning as I gain knowledge about Whole Brain Teaching. I continue to be excited about each new tool that I obtain and I feel that I am becoming a stronger teacher with each new strategy I implement. One of these strategies is an addition to the score board known as the Goff counter.
While most of the students have been excited and engaged by my regular scoreboard I have a couple students that need just a bit more. They want desperately to “follow the crowd” and this strategy will get them to do just that, they just don’t know that the crowd will be pulling them in the direction I want them to go.
At the bottom of the scoreboard will be the Goff counter section. Each time the student breaks Rule #2 (Raise your hand to speak) or Rule #3 (Raise your hand to leave your seat) the rest of the class will say “Please, stop!” When the student breaks Rule 2 or 3 the Goff section on the scoreboard gets a tally BUT if the students say their phrase before I put up the tally then I will not put the tally on the scoreboard. This system of management will keep students involved with ensuring that our class rules are followed, they will be developing leadership skills and my “follow the crowd” students will fall in right behind my students who follow the rules.
I am very excited to beginning using this new strategy and I thank you for your continued support!
Mrs. Monroe
Nichole,
DeleteThe Guff Counter is a tool that is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. Model and practice the Wrong way/Right way several times so students understand your expectations. When you hear or see disrespectful behaviors (backtalk, eyerolling, etc.) say, "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then quickly respond, "Please stop!" For a student who is getting out of their seat without permission, you can say, "Rule 3!" The class will then raise their hands like a stop sign and say firmly, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Yes, you will be building teamwork and leadership skills in your classroom! Here are 20 points for you.
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteThe Guff Counter is a classroom management technique meant to reduce disrespectful behavior and remarks by students. Teachers give students examples of both appropriate and inappropriate behavior so that they understand when they are behaving in a way that does not make the teacher happy. The technique is simple to use because the teacher only needs to say “that sounds like a guff to me” and all the other students in the class tell the offending student “please stop” if they do not want to receive a frownie point and possibly lose recess time. This technique will be successful because it deprives offending students of the peer support they want. It also keeps the majority of students on the teacher´s team rather than turning against her. It can be used to reinforce appropriate behavior and classroom rules.
Adrienne
Adrienne,
DeleteNice post! Modeling the appropriate and inappropriate behaviors is so important! Here are 25 points!
Brandi Young Ch. 19 The Guff Counter
ReplyDeleteDear Dr. Cagle,
I would like to take a moment to thank you for allowing our school to use the Whole Brain Teaching techniques in our classrooms. I have received a huge amount of positive feedback from parents and I am delighted to say that there has been an improvement in my student’s academic achievement.
In the classroom I have been using the Scoreboard to help motivate my student and to help them stay focused and on task. This has worked well and through the year we have progressed through different levels of the Scoreboard. Now, I think it is time for us to go even further, to the fourth level of the Scoreboard, the Guff Counter.
The Guff Counter is one of the many techniques mentioned in Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids by Chris Biffle. The Guff Counter is designed to single out students that are continuously being rude or disrespectful to their peers or, in some cases, myself. The Guff Counter will single out the most challenging students and strip them of their peer support when acting inappropriately.
The purpose of the Guff Counter is not meant to punish the whole class. Instead, when a student decides to act out or be rude, (some examples of this include: eye rolling, talking back, groaning, beating on desks, etc.) the student causing the disruption will be called out by the class. The class has been instructed to point to that students and say “Please Stop!” to whatever misbehavior is occurring.
If the class can say “Please Stop!” before I get to the board to mark under the frownie face, the class will have no repercussions. However, if the class does not say “Please Stop!” fast enough, a mark will go under the frownie face. For every tally mark under the frownie face, a minute of recess will be taken away.
I sincerely hope that this help eliminate disruptions in the classroom.
Thank you so much for your continued support in the implementation of the Whole Brain Teaching. I look forward to sharing my results with you.
Sincerely,
Brandi Young
Brandi,
DeleteNice post! There was a tiny error "motivate my student and to help them stay focused and on" (students). As a reminder,the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Dr. Cagle, I am excited to implement the Guff Counter. I have been using the scoreboard with great success. This is the fourth level on the scoreboard and my students are ready for it! The Guff Counter will discourage backtalk to both me and the students. Here's how it works: Guff is any remark that makes me, the teacher, unhappy. For instance, when I ask a student to fix an error on their paper and they give me "guff" I will expect the other students to chime in with a hearty "Please stop!" If they do, then they do not receive a frowny face. However, if they do not respond or respond weakly then I will make a tally mark for every word of guff. Naturally, this shows the student that gives the guff that the rest of the class doesn't support his guff. After a time of practicing with the teacher, the students will be ready to use the Guff Counter with each other. When a student says something unkind to another student and class will be prepared to say "Please Stop" to the student that is saying something unkind. The same consequence will follow not he scoreboard. This is great way to break up any unhealthy or unkind hierarchy in the classroom. Especially the boys that are so vulnerable to a bully. What a great idea and I am ready to use it!
ReplyDeleteDanah,
DeleteYou are right, this is very effective in stopping the class bullies! Remember, the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteAs we pursue our initiative of Leadership at RRA, respect for others should be a top priority. With that in mind, I would like to suggest a method to address the disrespectful behavior of our students. It is called The Guff Counter. It is part of the Scoreboard behavior system for Whole Brain Teaching. The teacher instructs the class that guff is any remarks that make the teacher unhappy. Any time the teacher hears guff, the class will get a tally mark on the Guff Counter for each word spoken. This equates to minutes lost at recess time. The class is instructed that they can prevent this if they say in a loud voice, “Please stop!” as soon as they hear guff. Then the class might even get a tally mark on the smiley side of the Scoreboard for showing leadership qualities. The class then practices several times so that everyone knows what to do. The teacher then tells the class that they can prevent any tallies on the Guff Counter if they respond ‘”please stop!” when the teacher says, “I think that sounds like guff. Where’s my marker.” The object is to make everyone very aware of guff and create a culture of intolerance towards it. When their classmates turn away from them, those that are disrespectful will soon stop. They have lost their audience.
As you can see, this method will help stop disrespectful behavior with the help of the students. There is no need for teachers to yell or imposed punishment on students. Their classmates will do all the work for you!
Liz Howard
Liz,
DeleteThe Guff Counter is a fun, but effective way to stop the Guff and restore the classroom to a comfortable community! Remember, the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Jennifer,
ReplyDeleteI am working on classroom discipline so that all my students can learn in a safe and fun environment. As you know, I have implemented the scoreboard and practice cards to get all the students on board with following the 5 rules and being respectful. As you know, sometimes these things are not enough for a student or two so, I plan to implement the guff counter. I will introduce the guff counter by explaining to the students that guff is talking back to the teacher, groaning or even rolling their eyes at the teacher. I will then add to the scoreboard a guff level and explain that for every word, eye roll, or other disrespectful behavior, I will add a frownie to the scoreboard. The rest of the class can prevent any marks on the board by quickly pointing at the student and saying “Stop, please!”. Next, I would have the students model the correct and incorrect way to do this. However, the only time the students can do this is when I say “That sounds like guff. Where is my marker?”. This would prevent the students from being rude to each other and I would pick when it is used.
I believe that this will help to eliminate challenging behavior because most of the time, these students believe that they have the support of other students. I think that once these challenging children know that the class is not supporting them, the behavior is most likely to decrease. I would not actually mark anything on the scoreboard (but the kids don’t know that) because it would go against the scoreboard rule of never having more than +/- 3 points and I do not believe in punishing the entire class for the behavior of one student but it does give the students a chance to correct the behavior of a classmate in a low-key way only when I give them permission to do it.
I appreciate your support as I continue to implement many new Whole Brain Teaching techniques.
Mary Carlson
Mary,
DeleteGreat letter! You really have a strong understanding of the Guff Counter. Here are your 25 certification points! It is so helpful to have many tools in your toolbox for dealing with challenging students.
Dear Mrs. LaBounty,
ReplyDeleteI am excited about implementing the Guff Counter to my Whole Brain Scoreboard. Guff Counter is the fourth level of the Scoreboard and targets disrespectful behavior. I really believe it will diminish unwanted behavior in the classroom because it puts the responsibility on the students.
If a student is in any way disrespectful to myself or even another student, the students who here the remark will say “please stop” quickly. If that happens the issue will be over and the students will receive a tally on the smiley side of the Scoreboard under the new Guff Counter column. If the words “please stop” are not spoken, or are weak, or spoken too slowly, the students will receive a tally on the frownie side of the Scoreboard. Frownie marks result in a loss of one minute of recess and smiley marks results in a gain of one minute of recess.
The class and I will role play and practice the procedure for a week to ensure students know the procedure and that they are not punished as a group. I am confident that the Guff Counter will work because the students will know what is at stake and it puts the responsibility on the students to have a say in disrespectful behavior.
I will keep you informed of our success with the Guff Counter.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Shoupe
Tonya,
DeleteThe Guff Counter can be a quick and easy way to restore peace and harmony to your classroom! Remember, the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points! You had a small spelling error "who here the remark" (hear). Here are 20 certification points.
Chapter 19
ReplyDeleteDear Ms. Mullen:
The Guff Counter is a behavior management tool that allows instructors to closely monitor disrespectful behavior from students with the help of other students. The instructor demonstrates correct and incorrect Guff monitoring by using examples and incorporating the students in the examples. The Guff Counter is a way of reducing the silent support that rebellious students tend to feel from other students in the classroom when making rude and disrespectful remarks towards the teacher. Its main purpose is to remove the sense of satisfaction a student feels when acting in a challenging way and receiving negative feedback only from the teacher. The threat of losing recess time according to how many Guff points are accumulated is a perfect incentive for students to band together to eliminate classroom Guff. They can do so by simply stating, “please, stop”, to the offending student after being prompted by the teacher who states “that sounds like Guff to me.” After awhile, students will learn to recognize Guff on their own and ask the offender to stop in their uniform fashion independently of a prompt from a teacher. However, the key to making sure this technique works is to thoroughly model the correct and incorrect behaviors. Students who become confused about what constitutes Guff and what does not can hinder the process of eliminating the disrespectful behavior and can confuse other students.
Thank you for your support!
Anne Corrigan
Nicely done! You are right, it is crucial that the Guff Counter is rehearsed with the students to make sure they all have a clear understanding. Here are 25 certification points!
DeleteDear Dr. Cagle,
ReplyDeleteThe Whole Brain Teaching classes are incredibly effective and amazing! I am learning so much. Thank you for giving us this training!
I learned about a technique called the Guff Counter. I feel we should add this to our Scoreboard because it is a proven technique in effective classroom management.
The Guff Counter stops any remarks that make teachers unhappy. We have plenty of Guff in our school! The way to stop Guff is to get the students to turn on the Guffers by having the students say “Please Stop!” in unison every time Guff is heard. The Guff counter is just one additional line under the scoreboard to document if Guff is heard and stopped by the other students (positive Guff counter) or Guff is heard and not stopped by the other students (negative Guff counter).
This will not cost any additional money. This proven technique works in my room! I have 95% less Guff in my room. I have increased student engagement and my classroom is back on track to being a great team once again!
Respectfully,
Krissa White
Krissa,
DeleteI agree, with the Guff Counter you will have increased student engagement and your classroom will be back on track! Remember though, the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteMy class and I are implementing the fourth level of the Whole Brain scoreboard called the guff counter. The guff counter encourages students to have a positive attitude about learning and to show respect to each other in class. Students who attempt to display disrespectful behavior in class will have their behavior rejected by their peers.
During class as a student acts out or becomes disrespectful, many others back or support that student’s behavior. With the use of the Guff Counter the class earns a point if they do not support or encourage the negative behavior. However, if the class does choose to support that behavior the entire class loses one minute of recess time. The class will discourage negative behavior by telling the student who is acting out to “please stop.”
I am confident that the Guff Counter will work effectively in our classroom to curve unwanted attitudes and behavior. We will spend some time practicing the Guff Counter during class. With practice I believe this system will work to curve unwanted behaviors.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Brown
Irish Brown
Irish,
DeleteThe Guff Counter is a simple way to hold students accountable for their own behavior! Remember though, the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
Dr. Cagle,
ReplyDeleteI’m writing you today to explain to you a new classroom management technique that I have discovered. It is called the “Guff Counter.” I’ve been using it in my classroom in correspondence with the Whole Brain Scoreboard. This is a very effective technique because it is ensuring a positive classroom environment. One of our school rules is to treat others with kindness and respect. Too often, I see that the students who are disrespectful are often the popular students. This causes more of my students to tend to be on their “side” and often begin to imitate their actions. The Guff Counter keeps track of any remark that would make the teacher unhappy. This includes disruptive behavior and disrespect. When a student makes a “Guff”, it is counted on the counter and the class remains silent. This will result in a loss of recess time. If the students respond to the Guff by saying “please, stop!” they are demonstrating that they do not agree with the behavior being displayed and therefore will not lose any recess time. This strategy is proving to be very effective in my classroom in creating a more positive learning environment.
Sincerely,
Kasey Wicker
Kasey,
DeleteThe Guff Counter is a fun but effective way to maintain a pleasant atmosphere in your classroom! Remember though, the Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
The Guff Counter Chapter
DeleteDear Mrs. Mullen,
You have seen the Whole Brain scoreboard working in many classrooms in our school. Whole Brain has helped to keep students, as well as teachers, on their toes. I feel that it has made learning fun due to the game aspect of it.
I am now ready to take the scoreboard game to another level. I will now implement the Level 4 “Guff Counter”. Guff is any negative remark or attitude towards me, the classroom teacher. When a student shows these “Guff” behaviors, for example, eye rolling, groaning, mumbling, talking back, the students will tell the student to “please stop”. This will prevent a mark for “Guff” from going on the scoreboard. Each mark is a minute off recess. The intention is to never have to mark the “Guff” minutes. If “Guff” is not addressed immediately from the class then I will remind the class by saying “Did I just hear Guff?” This will trigger the students to say “please stop” and will prevent the “Guff” mark from going on scoreboard.
I need the support of the class to help put a stop to inappropriate behavior. I will also tell the class that you are supporting the “No Guff Rule” and will stopping by from time to time to check on our “Guff” scoreboard.
Thanks for your support!
Lori Crigler
Lori,
DeleteExcellent job! Here are 25 certification points!
Chapter 19: The Guff Counter
ReplyDeleteWrite a note to an administrator explaining why you believe the Guff Counter will be an effective classroom management technique.
Please know my administrator participates in WBT training each Monday so, she understands the GUFF COUNTER. By keeping track of the Guff Counter I can prove to students how much more time we have for fun things because we do not waste time on all the silly behaviors that drain classroom instruction time.
Dr. Cagle,
Just wanted to share… The Guff behavior I am currently focused on is verbal and nonverbal inappropriate student responses when students are asked to do something. If you see us rolling our eyes, grumbling, talking back, or saying I do not care we are identifying the behaviors we need to change. By modeling the behavior I want my children to identify as Guff behavior we will be able to make the necessary changes to ensure a smoother running class with more time on task.
On Wednesday, we will begin to keep an accurate count of Guff Behavior, to prove its effectiveness as a classroom management tool.
So, when you see us out side on Friday, please make a point of asking why we are wasting instruction time. I will be able to respond by telling you how much more instructional time we actually have when we use the Guff Counter. Hope to go outside Friday, at 1:15 right after special area.
Thanks for the support,
Isert
PS If it is raining we will be in the classroom coloring!
Dian,
DeleteI love that your administrator is so supportive. It seems that you have a great way of knowing exactly how to use WBT in your classroom with your kids. Here are your 25 certification points and 5 bonus for such a positive outlook on the Guff Counter.
Chapter 19: The Guff Counter
ReplyDeleteDr. Cagle,
I will use the Guff for two reasons. The first will be as a behavior management tool. The second would be to let the students know what is or is not acceptable behavior. Just because he or she says something at home does not mean it it acceptable to do in public, with other people, or in a school setting. I hope this will be effective in turning around negative behavior.
K. Fleming
Karen,
DeleteYou may want to include what the Guff Counter is, and how it is implemented. It is quite effective, but does need some explanation. You had a minor editing error, "I will use the Guff for two reasons" (Counter). Here are 10 certification points.
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteI am writing this letter to let you know how well the Whole Brain Teaching techniques are going in my classroom. I have had an amazing turnaround in the behavior of my students using these WBT strategies. We are now moving into the next phase of the behavior management system. It is called the Guff Counter and it is designed to stop backtalk in the classroom. I begin by adding a section to our scoreboard called the Guff. This is where I will tally each word of backtalk or guff. The students are going to be the ones to stop the backtalk, not me. When I say that I hear guff from someone, the students will respond, “Please stop!” This reply of please stop will delete the tally marks off the scoreboard. The tally marks are not meant to stay on the scoreboard, they are just an incentive for the students to say please stop. Having the students correct the backtalk instead of me shows that they are supporting me and not the person that is backtalking. Peer correction silences the backtalk quickly. This is a very effective method and I can’t wait to begin using it. I will explain the Guff to the students and then we will practice using guff and correcting guff. The practice will help them to know exactly how to identify guff and what to do when I say “I hear guff! Where’s my marker?” I would love for you to see it in action when you have time. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know. I am so thrilled to have such a wonderful behavior management system in my class.
Sincerely,
Jackie Rabin
Jackie,
DeleteGreat post! Way to show your admin that you are using this as a way to correct behavior without being punitive. Keep in mind you will never mark a tally on the Guff Counter. It is just a way to get your kids to respond with, "Please, Stop!" Here are your 25 Certification points!
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteAs you already know, Whole Brain Teaching has been very successful in my room. The Scoreboard, Super Improvers Team, and Practice Cards have helped to create a very positive learning environment in which all students are engaged. I do, however, have a couple of students who have trouble with back talking, eye rolling, and other disrespectful behaviors. For this reason, I have decided to implement the Guff Counter, which is the fourth level in the Whole Brain Teaching's management system.
Guff simply refers to any behavior that would be considered disrespectful, such as back talking or eye rolling. When I hear or see a student engage in one of these disrespectful behaviors, I will simply say, "That sounds like Guff to me." I will then quickly explain to the students why it is Guff, and count each word of Guff that the offending student used. For example, if he said, "I don't want to," that would be four words of Guff, which would translate into four negative points on the scoreboard.
The great part, however, about the Guff Counter is that other students can stop the negative points from going on the scoreboard by saying out loud, "Please stop." What none of my students know is that I will never actually add Guff points to the negative side of the scoreboard. This is because those negative points would throw off the +/-3 rule of the scoreboard. When I hear Guff I will simply say, "That sounds like Guff to me." I will then pretend to find my marker. This will be my students' cue to respond.
The beauty of this system is that it fosters teamwork and allows me to avoid getting into a power struggle with one of my students. I am letting the other students take care of the situation. Please let me know if you have any questions or require any further explanation.
Joyce,
DeleteYou did a nice job detailing the most important aspects of the Guff Counter! It is very effective, and a perfect way to resume order in the classroom! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Chapter 19: The Guff Counter
ReplyDeleteMrs. Roth,
I wanted to let you know that my class is approaching level four of our WBT scoreboard. This new level is called the Guff Counter. While you are conducting your classroom walkthroughs you may see or hear “guff”, also known as backtalk, complaining, or disrespectful disruptions. Then you may hear me say, “That sounds like guff. Where is my marker?” As soon as I say this, you may also hear many of the other students politely, but firmly say, “Please stop!”
I want you to know that I believe this will be an effective classroom management technique because it targets challenging students and turns the majority of the class against their disruptive behavior. It also demonstrates to the disruptive child that the dynamic is NOT students vs. teacher, but one student vs. all of the students, backed by their teacher.
I believe that the Guff Counter will eliminate lost instructional time by stopping the challenging student in their tracks. It will also help the student become less and less disruptive because he/she will know that the rest of the class is against this disruptive behavior. If you have any questions please let me know so I can explain more or model for you how the Guff Counter works.
Thanks,
Mrs. Baird
Heidi Baird
Heidi,
DeleteI love your statement "It also demonstrates to the disruptive child that the dynamic is NOT students vs. teacher, but one student vs. all of the students, backed by their teacher." That is really what makes this strategy so effective! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteI am writing this letter to share more exciting and effective Whole Brain Teaching techniques with you. My students are following rules and using their whole brain to help them learn concepts and new information. We are having fun and learning at the same time!
At times, as in every class, there are a few students, or times when students who normally make good choices, disrespect the teacher or others. This is supported by groups of students who think the behavior is cool and other students who silently witness the behavior. They may not approve of the student’s choice but since they stay silent they show content. This unfortunate incidence no longer happens in my classroom due to the Guff Counter!
The Guff Counter is a way to stop disrespectful behavior right in its tracks. When a student says something disrespectful, rolls their eyes, or shows any defiance the class will lose one minute of recess per word said. For example if I ask a student to work harder and they respond by saying “I am working hard!” The class will lose four minutes of recess. The class, however, has an opportunity to save their recess. The class will not be punished if they say, “Please stop!” This shows the student making the disruption that the class does not agree with the behavior because it disrupts their learning. The student who chooses disrespectful behavior no longer has power through numbers.
I will be sure to discuss this part of the Whole Brain Teaching Scoreboard with my class so the students understand how The Guff Counter works. I will have the students practice making “Guff” comments and practice saying “Please Stop!” to others. Together our class can create a safe and respectful learning environment for all students to succeed and better themselves.
Thank you,
Amber Hartzler
Amber,
DeleteExactly! The Guff Counter does stop disrespectful behavior right in its tracks! here are 25 certification points!
Joel,
ReplyDeleteI’m excited about a book I read this summer called Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids. You've seen me use some of the techniques from this book like the scoreboard and paired teaching. Next week I’ll be implementing a new management tool called The Guff Counter. It will target disrespectful behavior.
The beauty of the guff counter is that it turns the class against the disrespectful behavior. For each disrespectful word, eye roll, or other disrespectful action, the class loses a minute of recess. But, if the class responds to guff by saying, “Please don’t,” the penalty is cancelled. A key element is that students only say, “Please don’t,” on the teacher’s cue, “That sounds like guff, where’s my marker?” This takes away the class’s implicit support of the disrespectful behavior. Recess is not actually lost.
After a few weeks, when students have their response down, the Guff Counter will be used against inter-peer disrespect also.
As with all of the Whole Brain techniques, we will practice correct and incorrect responses by peer teaching. Refresher practices will happen on a regular basis.
I hope you get a chance to see the Guff Counter in action soon. Or rather, I hope you never have to see it because disrespectful behavior in my classes becomes so rare.
Sheryl
Sheryl,
DeleteYou touched upon a very important aspect of WBT in your statement "As with all of the Whole Brain techniques, we will practice correct and incorrect responses by peer teaching." Nice job! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Administration,
ReplyDeleteYou have seen how well the Whole Brain Scoreboard is working in my classroom. I have been amazed at how well it has worked and how fun it can be since it is like a game.
Since we have returned from Spring Break, some students are beginning to show disrespectful behavior toward me or other students in the classroom. I feel it is the time to take to the Scoreboard to the next level. Next week I will introduce Level 4 of the Scoreboard, “The Guff Counter.” Guff is any negative remark or attitude towards me or other children in the classroom. “Guff” behaviors include disrespectful behaviors such as eye rolling, grunting, groaning, mumbling, talking back. Any time a student shows these “Guff” behaviors, the other students will tell the student to “please stop.”
When the class responds to the “Guff” with “please stop”, it prevents a mark going on the Guff counter on the scoreboard. Each mark is a minute off recess or free time. The intention is to never have to mark “Guff” minutes. If the class does not address the “Guff” immediately, I will say, “Did I just here Guff?” This will remind the class to say “please stop” and will prevent the “Guff” mark from going on the scoreboard.
What I love is that “The Guff Counter”, promotes teamwork and a positive, safe learning environment. When students intervene to stop disrespectful behavior, they help build a community where learning and having fun are the most important things.
I hope you will stop by soon to see “The Guff Counter” in action.
Please let me know if you have any questions,
Kim Kirkpatrick
Kim,
DeleteYour last sentence right on target! A sense of community, learning and fun make for a wonderful day! Watch for the spelling errors "Did I just here Guff" (hear). Here are 20 certification points!
Chapter 19 – Guff Counter
ReplyDeleteDear Mr. Brooks,
We are progressing nicely with our Whole Brain Teaching Class Management System. As you know, we have been using Level 3 – Practice Cards for a couple of months now. The majority of the class is doing very well with this, but I still have a couple of challenging students. I feel it is time for Level 4 - The Guff Counter. This is an effective classroom management technique as we will demonstrate to the ‘rebel’ student, that it is not the students versus the teacher, but the rebel student vs. the rest of the students backed up by the teacher.
I will be adding a Guff row to my scoreboard. Guff is any comment or behaviour that does not make the teacher happy (remember Rule 5 – Make your Dear Teacher Happy!). This could be backtalk, rolling of eyes, inappropriate behaviour, etc. I will instruct the class, through lots of practice, that for every word of guff, there will be one tally mark unless the class holds out one hand and says, ‘Please stop!’. If this doesn’t happen, I prompt them by saying, “That sounds like guff; where’s my marker…” Since every tally mark means one minute lost of recess I foresee full participation. And, without the support of their peers, some of this rebel behaviour will be stopped.
(Just to let you know, this is the only technique that WBT threatens with but never follows through. The prompting ensures response.)
Thank you for your continued support. Please come and visit our class to check it out. Our class always has a lot of fun learning!
B. Marvin
Bonnie,
DeleteWhat a great way to explain this to your administrator. This was my favorite part of your post:
"This is an effective classroom management technique as we will demonstrate to the ‘rebel’ student, that it is not the students versus the teacher, but the rebel student vs. the rest of the students backed up by the teacher."
You hit the nail right on the head! We need the majority of our kids to create a place where our rebels can't control the classroom environment. Here are your 25 certification points!
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteAs you know I continue to use Whole Brain Teaching as a learning and behavior tool in my music classes. While you did classroom visits at the beginning of the year you were able to witness how powerful this has become for the students and myself. When you were in the last few times you were able to see the Scoreboard system which has rewards and penalties based on student behavior. I have implemented levels 1-3 and feel that it is time to implement level 4 of the Scoreboard system. The name of this level is called the Guff Counter. This level is a necessity to combat the negative behavior of those students who speak or act disrespectfully to their classmates or myself. I feel the best part of this level is that the other students quickly learn to regulate each other and the student who is talking back is quickly isolated.
This is how the level works. When a student talks back the teacher says "That sounded like guff! Where is my marker?" As soon as the students hear that they say "Please, stop!" If the students follow through, then a point is not marked on the guff counter.
I believe this level will alleviate wasted instructional time and will help make the students more aware of their behavior.
I look forward to hearing your feedback after your next classroom visit!
Sincerely,
Mitzi Emblidge
Mitzi,
DeleteYou may want to include a little more detail about the actual process to make it clear to your administrator. The Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteYou have seen the ring leader in a classroom before. This is the one student who is disrespectful or inconsiderate to the teacher or students. When they speak or act badly, other kids usually laugh, smile or say nothing. I have had several students like this in my class at one time or another. I have tried a number of things that worked with a range of success. However, I have never been completely satisfied with any particular strategy.
As I have been finding success with many aspects of Whole Brain Teaching, I believe there is a strategy to create an atmosphere in which a ring leader cannot rise. You have seen the scoreboard in my classroom and witnessed the students’ enthusiastic response. The scoreboard is set up in levels like a video game. We are about to enter level 4, entitled The Guff Counter.
Here’s how it works. I will teach them that any time a student speaks disrespectfully or talks back, and the class says nothing, they are approving. The class will earn a mark in the guff counter. Everyone would lose one minute of recess. But, if one student makes guff, and everyone else says “Please Stop!” there is no penalty. There may even be an extra minute of recess. Now, instead of having a silent support system, our ring leader has the whole class urging him to change his ways.
I’m looking forward to seeing the effects of the guff counter. As always, I welcome you to spend time in the room to see students thrive with Whole Brain Teaching, now at level four of the scoreboard.
Sincerely,
Jim
Signed Jim Hobley, Wholebrainer
Jim,
DeleteNice job! Make sure you reinforce the fact with your administrator that there are never actually any negative "guff points" given on the scoreboard. The whole idea is to get the students to stop you by using the "please stop" before you make the mark. Here are 25 certification points.
Chapter 19 The Guff Counter
ReplyDeleteDear Administrator
I think you should consider encouraging all your students to use the Guff Counter. Let me explain what that means. As you know in Whole Brain Teaching teachers use a scoreboard to encourage appropriate behavior and participation. You know how well that technique works for 80%-90% of the students. But we still have some problems with disrespectful attitudes and talking to the teacher. Often one or two rebellious students engage in this behavior and have the silent support of many of their classmates. Amazing!
The Guff Counter is an excellent technique to turn that support into opposition. According to Coach B, “We will demonstrate to the rebel that the dynamic is not students vs. teacher, but one rebel student vs. all the students backed by the teacher.” To implement this strategy, the teacher adds a section to the bottom of the scoreboard and labels it “Guff”. The teacher lets the class know that guff is any disrespectful word or tone and that a mark will be put in the guff frowny section for every word of guff unless the class tells the rebel student, “PLEASE STOP!” If the class confronts the disrespectful behavior no negative marks are made, indeed they may receive a mark on the smiley side.
This is an amazingly effective technique to allow the students to have a voice in stopping disrespectful and disruptive rebellious behavior. It is the only wbt technique that we threaten but don’t carry through. When the teacher says, “That sounds like guff, where’s my marker?” students will learn to turn to the rebel student and say, “PLEASE STOP!” If they get carried away with this idea, the teacher explains that they should only do this when prompted by the teacher saying, “That sounds like guff.”
This can also apply to guff students give each other.
Please support this at every opportunity.
Carl Rust
Carl,
DeleteThis is a very thorough explanation! The Guff Counter is a fun way to keep our students on their toes and learn the importance of respect! Here are 25 certification points.
Dear Mr. Administrator,
ReplyDeleteAs you know, our class has been working on Whole Brain Teaching this school year. This system has allowed me to see tremendous growth in my students academically as well as behaviorally. There are a couple of children in my classroom who are struggling with doing things with a good attitude. They have begun to waste valuable teaching time with their back talk and negative attitude, to help alleviate this I would like to introduce something called the Guff Counter.
The way the Guff Counter works by addressing the “guffer” while getting the class behind you for support, and removing support from the offending student. I will explain to my students that when someone is disrespectful and the class silently stands by, they are giving silent support to the “guffer.” If they chose to support the “guffer" instead of the teacher the class will be penalized with a mark for every guff word that is said on the frowny side of the scoreboard, which could result in losing playtime outside. If the class chooses to support me, and they tell the offender “please stop”, then there will be no penalty. We will then practice what I consider guff. There may be times that the students do not hear the guff. In that case I will state, “That sounds like guff to me,” and I will pick up my marker. This is the students clue to tell the “guffer" to please stop. This encourages the students to come together and shut down guff. No actual points are ever given for guff because it will mess up the +/- 3 rule on our scoreboard, but the students do not know that.
Thank you for your support,
Melissa Blackmore
Melissa,
DeleteGreat job describing the Guff Counter! It's so helpful to have the students supporting you as you work to eliminate negative behaviors. Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate the support and feedback you have given me while using Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom. I am ready to begin a new level of our scoreboard and wanted to tell you more about it. This level is called The Guff Counter.
As you know, I use the scoreboard daily to help remind students of our classroom rules. You will now see a new change to the scoreboard with a section called Guff. Guff is any comment, gesture, or facial expression that makes a teacher unhappy. I will begin this level by practicing Guff in my classroom and modeling what might happen if Guff takes place without the support of the students in my classroom.
If Guff takes place in my classroom, my students will learn that a frowny for each word of Guff may be put under the frowny section of the scoreboard and that would mean a loss of that many minutes from recess. However, if the students in my classroom firmly say “Please stop!” to the students who gave me Guff, I will reward the class with a tally mark under the smiley section of the scoreboard. They need to respond quickly in order to earn the smile. If I notice Guff and it was too quiet for others to hear or notice, I will say, “That sounded like Guff! Where is my marker?” I will then head toward the scoreboard to pretend to mark a frowny for each word of Guff that took place. When I say the words “that sounded like Guff!” the students should quickly respond with “Please stop!” Smileys will then be recorded on the scoreboard. Please note that frownies will never be recorded because my students will respond quickly to the Guff that takes place.
This new level allows my students to take responsibility for their learning. Time is wasted when students are misbehaving and challenging behavior has to be addressed in the middle of the lesson. This new level will also show that I am focusing on becoming distinguished in domain 2a ( Creating an Environment of Respect and Rapport) and 2d (Managing Student Behavior) in Charlotte Danieslon’s book, Enhancing Professional Practice: A Framework for Teaching. My students will show respect for one another and their learning when this level is in place. They will monitor their own behavior as well as their peer’s behavior by correcting one another respectfully.
Thank you again for your support,
Suzanne
Suzanne,
DeleteNice job! Isn't it wonderful that we have these great strategies that align so easily to our district requirements? They really help when we need to provide evidence in our teaching practices! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteI'd like to tell you about a free, effective way to combat rude behavior that goes along with all of the Whole Brain Teaching techniques that I've been doing in my classroom. I think you will really like it!
As you have seen, I use a scoreboard to keep my class on track with their behaviors, which has proved to be extremely effective! Through the use of tally marks on the "smilies" and "frownies" sides of the board, I try to keep the points within 3 apart so that the game is close- everyone loves a close game! However, there comes a time in every teacher's career that you have one student who is really trying to wear on your patience and sanity! This brings me to The Scoreboard's Level 4- The Guff Counter!
"Guff" refers to any behavior that is unwanted, rebellious, and/or rude; in other words, the behaviors that I would like to see my students avoid doing! I would brief my class with this knowledge, and we would practice what guff looks like, so they are well aware which behaviors are not acceptable. Then I would let them know that if I see or hear any guff in my classroom, I will give them a tally mark on the “frownie” side of our scoreboard for every word or action of guff. These tallies would result in that many minutes of recess missed. At this point, the students will look like they are going to panic! I then let them know that they can prevent this from happening. If they ever hear the teacher say something like, "That sounds like guff to me! Where did I put my marker?" at that time the students take the cue and rush to say, "Please, stop!!" to their peer in order to let their peer know that they are not okay with that rude behavior. Do note that I will never, ever actually give the tally marks or loss of recess for bad behavior on The Scoreboard. I will not give a "frownie" and punish the entire class for the bad behavior of one student alone. This method takes the rebellious student and singles them out in a quick, constructive way that results in the immediate recognition that every student plus the teacher is not okay with whatever it was they were doing. They are surrounded by people that are not going to put-up with that nonsense and therefore, removes the feeling of power that rebel student may be seeking.
So, what do you think?! If any teacher in our building is having some trouble with kids in their room, I would be happy to go over this or any other of Whole Brain Teaching’s techniques! Have a great day!
Sincerely,
Brianne Betz
Third grade, New Jersey
Brianne,
DeleteExcellent letter! The Guff Counter is a fun and non-threatening way to help the sweet rebels correct their behavior quickly! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus.
Dear Ms. Moppin,
ReplyDeleteAs you know I am continuing to incorporate Whole Brain Teaching (WBT) in my daily teaching practices to increase classroom management and student engagement. As I move through the school year I am noticing a few of my students showing an unwanted behavior in my classroom. This particular behavior has set these students a part from many others. However, some students have chosen to side with the students who are choosing the wrong behavior. This wrong behavior I am referring to is the need (or want for some) to talk back in a disrespectful manner when given a set of directions.
To address this issue, I have chosen to incorporate the Guff Counter as a means to encourage a more positive atmosphere between all of my students. The Guff Counter is attached to the Scoreboard and is level 4 of this WBT component. When a student is talking back and/or talking in a disrespectful manner a mark will go under the scoreboard in the “Guff” section. This tally mark will be in reference to the student who was being disrespectful. In order to create student allies on the teacher side and not on the student side, the teacher says, “That sounds like guff. Where’s my marker?”. This will be a clue for the rest of the class (not including the student being disrespectful, at least not yet) to say, “Please stop!” to that student. By doing this, the tally mark will be removed (or in some cases never marked) from the scoreboard thus taking away a consequence, like loss of recess for the entire class. This method will make the disrespectful student(s) soon realize they no longer have allies on their side because the rest of the class is working along side the teacher to diminish the unwanted behavior.
The reason I believe the Guff Counter will be a strong technique for classroom management is because it will completely take the control of disrespect from the few students who show it and shift the control over to respect for and from peers and teachers, eventually encompassing 100% of the students in the classroom. As learned through assignments and first-hand practice with WBT, I quickly realized nothing is going to work unless I have complete buy-in from all of my students. The Guff Counter is just another piece of data indicating the importance of strong classroom management that will increase student engagement when allies are formed for the greater good of the classroom.
Thank you for your time and support,
Ellen Tucker
Ellen,
DeleteYour last paragraph is very powerful! If is so true, we need to shift the control from the rebel students and have 100% buy in from the class. It is a goal that is attainable and the result is Teacher Heaven! Nice job! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear administration,
ReplyDeleteThank you for taking the time to read about this awesome variation of the Scoreboard. I know you will find it as appealing as I do. I will explain the method and discuss how it can drastically change the classroom environment.
There are so many office referrals for discipline. Unfortunately, not all teachers in our building use Whole Brain Teaching like me. Because they don’t use this classroom management method, they have different behavioral outcomes. I have not sent a child down to the office this year because the Scoreboard and the Guff Counter saved me!
As I mentioned previously, the Guff Counter is a variation of the Scoreboard. As a reminder, the Scoreboard is the idea of teacher vs. students. The elementary grades use smiles vs. frowns. When a child is misbehaving, making poor choices, or off task, the teacher will get a point on the Scoreboard. When all of the children are on task, working hard, and are keeping their teacher happy, the students get a point. The idea of teacher vs. students has altered the classroom dynamic drastically. There is a push for positive peer pressure when students are acting up because they do not want the teacher to get a point. Students that are surrounding the misbehaving child make it known that the child needs to make smarter choices before a point is awarded to the teacher. If, of course, the students beat me one day, they will receive extra minutes towards either recess or free time on their iPads during advisory time.
With the Guff Counter, my most misbehaved students are challenged to watch how they speak to adults. The book mentions that a guff is a remark that does not make the teacher happy. If a student is talking back, being sarcastic, or using bully language, I will put a mark next to the Guff Counter. Students will know that there was disrespectful language and will hopefully use positive peer pressure to silence the disrespectful student.
The awesome thing about the Guff Counter is that a point on the Guff Counter results from a student giving me guff, and also results from students sitting silently without telling the child to make smarter choices. If children around the student tell that student to be respectful and be quiet, then I will not put any points on the Guff Counter.
This is by far one of the most effective classroom management techniques. I have seen a drastic change in negative language from my students and I have seen a change in students speaking up instead of being bystanders. I hope that we can agree that this is such an effective classroom management tool! If you are interested in seeing this approach used in the classroom, please stop by my room and take a look!
Thank you for your time,
Hannah Meacham
Hannah,
DeleteYour administration will appreciate your detailed letter! It's always wonderful to hear a success story! You may want to include a little more detail about the actual Guff Counter process to make it clear to your administrator. The Guff Counter is never actually tallied on the Scoreboard. When disrespectful behaviors occur, the teacher will say "That sounds like Guff to me. Where's my marker?" Your students should then respond, "Please stop!" No mark is ever put on the Scoreboard. We never mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student is repeatedly breaking a rule, have the student rehearse that rule later at recess for 2 minutes. Here are 25 certification points!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDear Administration,
ReplyDeleteWith the implementation of PBIS school-wide at our school within the last two years, I wanted to share an effective Whole Brain Teaching management strategy called “The Guff Counter”. The goal of the Guff Counter is to “target disrespectful behavior, talking back, eye rolling, groaning”; thus, promoting a positive learning environment.
A Guff is any comment or disrespectful behavior that makes the teacher unhappy. For example, if a child says something unpleasant to another student or adult, rolls his/her eyes, uses a disrespectful tone, or makes a disrespectful noise. If those behaviors go unrecognized by classmates, they are supporting those actions via their silence. In the initial phases of PBIS, you emphasized the importance of explaining to students the role of a silent supporter and bystander.
When a teacher or students hear a “guff”, students reply “please stop” in order to let everyone know that type of behavior is completely unacceptable. It is explained to children prior to the guff counter, that if a guff is heard and no one says “please stop”, then a negative point for each word of the guff will be added to the scoreboard. This is merely a threat, because if no one says anything, the teacher can give a verbal cue such as “is that a guff I heard” or "where is my marker", in which students will then reply by telling the guffer to stop. Disrespectful behavior and comments are no longer tolerated by peers, and those unwanted behaviors will decrease.
PBIS promotes a positive learning environment and is mandatory school-wide based on our School Improvement Plan. I believe implementing the Guff Counter will reduce disrespectful behavior, because it eliminates students from supporting negative and disrespectful behavior from their classmates.
Very Respectfully,
Shila Heeter
Shila,
DeleteExcellent job making connections between the Guff Counter and PBIS! The Guff Counter is one tool that can quickly eliminate the negativity that certain students try to bring into our classrooms. Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Jackie,
ReplyDeleteI am writing to update you on my progress with Whole Brain Teaching techniques and to share our newest addition. I have found so much success in student achievement and behavior management using Class Yes, Mirrors, Teach Okay, the Scoreboard, Practice Cards, and the Super Improvers Ladder. We are now ready to introduce a twist to the Scoreboard, the Guff Counter. The purpose of the Guff Counter is to use the entire class to decrease undesired behaviors such as eye rolling or talking back, otherwise known as guff. When one student uses guff, the teacher reaches for the marker to mark the Guff Counter Scoreboard. The teacher simply states, “That sounds like guff. Where is my marker?” Before the teacher has the chance to mark the Guff Counter Scoreboard, the rest of the class has been trained to respond with, “Please stop.” The idea is to have the entire class extinguishing undesired behaviors. When the class acts as bystanders, they are silently condoning undesired behaviors. When students act as up-standers and take a proactive approach to standing up the behavior, they own the positive learning environment in the classroom. I am eager and excited to embark on this journey and look forward to share our progress. Thank you!
Kindly,
Megan Copeland
Megan Vescio Copeland
Goldfarb Elementary School
Las Vegas, NV
Megan,
DeleteGreat explanation! Here are 25 certification points (and hopes that you never have any guff in your classroom!!)
Dear Mrs. Ferguson,
ReplyDeleteThank you for coming to visit our class. With Whole Brain Teaching, this year is amazing! You know all about our first three levels and the importance of our scoreboard. Today, we are beginning Level 4, the Guff Counter.
This level targets “guffs”. These are disrespectful actions such as eye rolling, talking back, groaning, or any remark that makes me unhappy. I added another row to the scoreboard, the Guff Counter, to place tallies for smileys or frownies. If a student guffs, a frownie will be added for each word used in the guff. Each tally stands for one minute of recess! This can be reversed if the class shows universal disapproval by pointing to the guffer stating, “Please stop!” The class will be signaled by the teacher saying, “That sounds like guffing. Let me get my chalk.” The students respond quickly. Disrespectful behavior and comments are not tolerated by peers.
Our class will thoroughly practice and rehearse this new level. Also, I will use the Plus/Minus Three Rule (the difference between the two will never be more than three). The entire procedure takes a few seconds and allows everyone, even the disrespectful student, to continue learning. It is important to know we never actually mark the Frownie side for an individual student. If a student repeatedly breaks a rule, that student rehearses the rule at recess for 2 minutes. The Guff Counter keeps the discipline in my classroom!
We look forward to your next visit,
Respectfully,
Regina-Champagne Babin
Regina,
DeleteExcellent description of the Guff Counter! This is such an effective method to allow the students to make corrections and allow the class to continue moving along. Here are 25 certification points!
Tara:
ReplyDeleteI know how interested you are in my Whole Brain class therefore I am writing you to inform a new method for handling backtalk, eye rolling, and general guff. I am inviting you into my room this week to see this amazing tool in action and would be willing to share with the staff at the next professional development meeting.
I have believed the power of peer pressure is amazing and now I have harnessed it’s magical power with the Guff Counter. This is level 4 on my scoreboard. This method is used as a group motivation to help all our students stay positive and on track in class.
When you come in here’s what you should see. The scoreboard now has four levels. We have practiced so if you see or hear guff you should hear from the students “Para, por favor” which is Stop please. If I don’t get the response stop please I will prompt the students by walking over to the scoreboard and ask “Dónde está mi marcador”? Where is my marker? The students should quickly correct the guffer. What I have taught them is that I would put a tally on the frowny side for every word of guff. I will never mark the board because I must maintain the +-3 rule on my scoreboard. It is just enough to ask where is my marker.
See you soon!
Becky
Becky,
DeleteNice job, and great idea to use the Spanish words to guide them! Here are 25 certification points!
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs. Fuhring,
With the overwhelming success of Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom, we are ready to introduce another phase in classroom management, called the “Guff Counter.” The “guff counter” will be used in addition to the scoreboard. You have had the opportunity to observe how wonderfully effective the scoreboard is. The main goal of the Guff Counter is to target disrespectful behavior, such as talking back, groaning, or eye rolling, and to unite the class in maintaining a positive learning community.
Just as I have introduced other Whole Brain techniques, we will model “guff” behavior and how the Guff Counter will be used to extinguish unwanted classroom behavior and to unite the class to one common goal. The counter puts the power in the hands of the children to control the type of learning atmosphere they want. If a student gives me “guff” during the class period, whether it be verbal or non-verbal like eye rolling, I will say, “That sounds like guff, where is my marker?”. This will signal to students to respond “Please stop!” as I move toward the Guff Counter threatening a tally. Each mark on the Guff Counter counts for one minute of lost recess for the class. I will never follow through with the Guff Counter, however, as it upsets the +/- 3 scoreboard rule. The students are unaware of this strategy.
All in all, the Guff Counter, targets challenging, rebellious learners and takes away peer support. The power to control the classroom dynamic is the responsibility of the majority of students and eliminates any conflict between myself and problematic students.
Thank you for your continued support and interest in Whole Brain Teaching. Please feel free to come in and observe at any time.
Bethann Barneman
Bethann,
DeleteEliminating that peer support really does change the classroom dynamic. The students do appreciate the opportunity to take over some of the responsibility of having a pleasant classroom environment! Here are 25 certification points!
Mrs. Moga,
ReplyDeleteIn all the years I have worked with you, your support of new methods and strategies has been unwavering. You were one of the reasons I felt completely comfortable implementing WBT in my classroom. The strategies I have introduced so far have been extremely beneficial for my students. They are so engaged that my classroom practically runs itself! However, there are some small issues I would like to “clean-up”. It is with this in mind that I would like to have your support in implementing the next step in my scoreboard management, the Guff Counter.
The Guff Counter will allow me to use peer pressure to guide students toward making better behavior choices. It will squash any disrespectful words, actions, or tones students may use when responding to teacher requests and instruction. By holding the whole class responsible for each other, students will strengthen their ability to make better choices when responding. The premise is simple, when students hear another student giving the teacher “guff”, they will promptly and respectfully say, “Please stop” to the offending student. If the “guff” is not detected by the students, I will say, “Was that guff I just heard? Where is my marker?” This will prompt students to respond appropriately with the “Please stop.”
The consequence for “guff” remarks is marks on the frownie side of the scoreboard. One mark for each word of “guff” will subtract minutes from their recess. Students do not want to lose recess, so they will be diligent in reminding students not to be disrespectful to the teacher or each other.
Please visit the classroom and see this practice in action. My students do love to show off their WBT techniques to visitors! Again, I appreciate your support in this endeavor. I couldn’t do it without you!
Elisabeth Thompson
Elisabeth,
DeleteNice job! Make sure you reinforce the fact with your administrator that there are never actually any negative "guff points" given on the scoreboard because we never want to point out just one student as a negative mark. The whole idea is to get the students to stop you by using the "please stop" before you make the mark. Here are 25 certification points!
Dear administrator,
ReplyDeleteAs you are aware, I am using Whole Brain Teaching in my classroom. I have seen much success, not only in my students’ behavior but in their academic performance as well.
I wanted you to be aware of the next level of Whole Brain Teaching that I will be introducing next week. It is called the Guff Counter, targeting disrespectful behavior, talking back, eye rolling, and groaning. When a student gives me guff (any of the previously mentioned behaviors) and the class does not say anything, it is telling me that the class supports that student’s behavior. For every word or action of guff, I will add 1 mark to the Guff Counter. This translates into minutes missed of recess. However, if students reply with “Please, stop!” the recess time will not be decrease and it may even earn the class a mark on the positive side. If the students do not hear the guff, I can say “that sounded like guff! Where is my marker?” and I would expect students to say “Please, stop!” before I could notate the point on the Guff Counter. Just know that there are never any negative guff points added to the Guff Counter so that we never point out just one student as a negative mark.
The Guff Counter allows challenging students to lose the support from their peers. In Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids, Chris Biffle writes, “A rebel student’s friends are among the quickest and loudest to say ‘Please, stop!’ Isn’t that amazing?” It really is amazing! This strategy would allow students to readily recognize this disrespectful behavior and keep each other accountable.
Based on the research presented and the possible positive interactions with my students that this will create, I am certain that this will be an effective classroom management technique. I look forward to discussing this will you further.
Thank you for your continued support!
-Courtney Wood
Courtney,
DeleteCreating those positive interactions is quick and easy withe the Guff Counter! The rebel's group is quick to jump on the "please stop" and support your mission! Oops, you had one minor typo "will not be decrease and" (decreased). Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Leslie,
ReplyDeleteYou asked me to keep you posted on how things were progressing in my classroom this year. Well, I cannot believe how well things are going! I am convinced that it is due to the changes I have made because of Whole Brain Teaching!
You know how I have been using the Scoreboard – the smilies and the frownies – in my classroom to help reinforce positive behaviour. It is working well. I have noticed a lot of positive changes. However, I still have a few students who are regularly talking back and being disrespectful.
Last night, I referred back to my book “Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids” and discovered the “Guff Counter”. I truly believe that this will help me. Before starting, however, I will need to make sure that everyone understands what “guff” is in my classroom. We all need to be on the same page!
Now, according to Biffle (2013), “[v]irtually all disruptive students are nourished by the understanding that key allies in their class endorse their conduct” (p. 124). The purpose of the “Guff Counter” is to undermine, if not eliminate, this belief!
When other students in the class hear a student give me “Guff”, they are encouraged to firmly say “Please stop!”. If this is done in an appropriate time and fashion, the students may even earn a point on the smilie side of the Guff Counter! A “Guff” smilie point indicates 1 extra minute of recess.
If, on the other hand, the rest of the class remains silent when a student gives me “Guff”, this will be interpreted as supporting the comment and they will receive one “Guff” tally mark for EACH WORD SPOKEN on the frownie side. A “Guff” frownie point indicates 1 minute lost from recess!
Thanks to the “Guff Counter”, the students have complete control over the reward (+/- minutes of recess). To earn it, they simply need to speak out when they hear something that is inappropriate or “Guff”. In this way, it is not me, the teacher, who is reprimanding the student who is giving “Guff”. It is the offending student’s peers who are gently reprimanding him/her. Instead of intentionally or unintentionally providing silent support for the behaviour, they will now be encouraged to vocally denounce it.
Since I already use the Scoreboard, it will not be adding much to my plate to add the Guff Counter. I believe that it will be a very effective technique to address the back talk and disrespectful behaviour that I am still getting from a few of the students.
Christina,
DeleteNice job! Make sure that you never actually make a mark on the Guff Counter, the key is to get them to say "Please Stop" before the marker hits the scoreboard. Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Mrs. Burns,
ReplyDeleteI cannot believe we have the first week of school already under our belt! My students LOVE Whole Brain Teaching and are quickly catching on to the incredible strategies I have introduced them to thus far.
I have already discovered two of my students, brand new to our school, that are going to require me to advance to Level 4 on the Scoreboard quicker than I had imagined. Level 4 on the Scoreboard is referred to as the Guff Counter. I would like to explain to you how this level operates.
The word “Guff” will be added on the negative side of my current scoreboard. I will explain to my students that Guff is any comment that is disrespectful and breaks Rule #5. Therefore, if a student gives me guff by making a rude comment, rolling his/her eyes, huffing under their breath, etc., I will announce to the class, “That is amazing guff!” If the class remains quiet, they are communicating to me that they actively support this rebellious behavior. Because of this undesired support, I will then place a tally mark in the Guff area for each word of guff that was given. For example, if I said, “Bryce, please stay on task.” and Bryce rudely replied, “I am on task.”, if the class remained quiet, I would then place four tally marks in the Guff area. The entire class would then lose four minutes of recess. However, if the class looked at Bryce the moment he gave me guff and said, “Please stop.”, I would not add any tally marks on the Guff side. As a matter of fact, I would add a tally mark on the positive side. Because they are communicating to Bryce that they do not support his impolite behavior, the class would have an extra minute added to their recess time.
Prior to putting this strategy in place, I will model the correct and incorrect way that this level of the Scoreboard will be played. Please understand that the purpose of this approach is for the rebellious student to realize that they do not have the support of their peers when behaving in this manner. This tactic is also not intended to scold the disrespectful student. Instead, the objective is that once the student realizes his/her peers are not going to tolerate their disrespectful behavior, the student will cease the discourteous behavior.
I will keep you posted on the success of this strategy, and look forward to sharing it with our staff at our next faculty meeting.
Sincerely,
Kelly Avery
2014-15 Whole Brain Teaching Intern
Kelly,
DeleteYour principal will love this positive method of eliminating Guff! Remember, your role play and practice of this technique is to make sure the class is not punished as a group. The Guff Counter is never really meant to be marked, as it would skew the +/- 3 Rule of the Scoreboard. Just make sure that you prompt them if needed so that they call out "please stop" before your marker hits the board. Nice job, here are 25 certification points!
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteI just learned about an innovative classroom management technique. I am excited because it is powerful, effective and fun! Part of the WBT that I have been incorporating in my classroom, it is designed to “target disrespectful behavior, talking back, eye rolling, (and) groaning.” WBT believes that one of the major causes of challenging behavior is the perception by rebellious students that they have strong support from their friends and the silent support of most of their other classmates. The Guff Counter is the perfect tool to silence this disruptive behavior.
Guff is defined as any remark or behavior that makes a teacher unhappy. When implementing the Guff Counter, a teacher defines guff and uses a responsible student to model some guff, creating a lighthearted, fun atmosphere. The class discovers that the student’s guff results in a loss of recess - one minute per word of guff. This really gets their attention! The teacher then reveals how to avoid losing recess: the class must promptly show their disapproval by pointing at the rebellious student and saying, “Please stop!” Role-play and practice teaches the class not to hold back, but to respond as soon as they detect any guff.
This technique will transform the class culture and perfectly complement what I am already doing in my classroom! If you know of any other teachers who may be interested, I would be happy to share with them what I have learned.
Traci Katz
Traci,
DeleteThe students will quickly learn to recognize and stifle the guff in the classroom! Make sure that there are never really any negative points recorded on the scoreboard for the guff, we don't want to pinpoint one student on the negative side of the board. Just make sure the class chants "please stop" before you get the marker on the board. Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteI am thankful to have your support as I implement the Whole Brain Teaching Method in my classroom this year. Our classroom is excited and engaged in learning like never before. I have introduced four of the classroom management techniques in Whole Brain Teaching: the Scoreboard, Super Improvers, and the Practice Cards. These methods have been very successful in helping students manage their behavior and set goals.
I still have several students who need additional help. For this reason, I will be introducing the Guff Counter. I will explain to my students that any action that makes the teacher unhappy may be “guff.” I will give examples, such as when a student talks back, eye rolls, or argues with the teacher. When this type of behavior occurs I will pick up my marker and say, “Oh that sounds like guff.” Before I can put a mark on the Scoreboard, the class will turn to the child who has made the “guff” and say, “Please stop.” If the student has made a verbal remark, I will count the words and say, “Oh that sounds like __marks on the scoreboard.” If the class says, “Please stop” before I make the marks, the marks are not put on the board. The purpose of the Guff counter is not to punish the class. The idea is to allow the students to take control of the learning environment by working together to follow the rules.
The purpose of the Guff Counter is to have the class, as a unit, work to
help the student who is misbehaving. As the misbehaving student sees that everyone is expected to follow the rules, and that the class is supporting the teacher, less “guff” behavior will occur.
I would love to discuss this further with you if you have any questions or concerns. Please stop by and observe first hand whole brain teaching in action.
Sincerely,
Susan Abrahamse
Susan,
DeleteYou are right on target! We never punish the whole class for one student's actions. The Guff Counter solves that problem! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteThanks for coming in last week and watching the WBT techniques I implemented so far. The scoreboard is really going well, we are coming up with new ideas for their reward all the time. I have decided to add a level 4 piece to it that is called the Guff Counter. The Guff counter ties in perfectly with our Oelweis Anti-Bullying curriculum. We teach kids to use their words and if someone is doing something they don't like to say' Please stop!" They learned this the 2nd week of school with the implementation of the bully circle lesson. The Guff Counter is the exact same thing in the classroom during whole group. I have taught the kids what respectful effective listening is and what is looks like. If I have someone not being respectful and displaying behaviors like backtalk, eye rolling, deep breathes etc. this is called GUFF. If I am teaching and a child is choosing to display these behaviors I will pick up my marker for the scoreboard and say, "this sounds like GUFF to me" . The rest of the kids have a choice. They can choose to ignore the behavior and be silent, (which would be a point on the frownie) or they can say please stop to the GUFFER. (point on the smiley) This shows that they want the Guff to stop so they can learn. The kids all want to learn and will feel empowered to tell the Guff to stop.
Usually if kids use Guff they want to impress peers and get attention. This system nips that right away. Please come back in and watch anytime I am in whole group time. I look forward to reinforcing positive behavior and respect to all my students. Thanks !!!
Wendy,
DeleteIt's nice that this goes so well with your school Anti-Bullying curriculum! This is one of the most important things that we can teach our students, and a life long skill! Oops, there was one small typo (deep breathes-breaths). Here are 25 certification points!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDear School Director,
ReplyDeleteI appreciate your support while I have implemented the Whole Brain Teaching practices in my classroom this year. Students are learning and progressing nicely through the curriculum as well as socially. As you already know, Whole Brain Teaching travels through various levels according to the needs of students. Our class is now entering level 4 which includes “The Guff Counter.”
The Guff Counter will become a part of our scoreboard and used to target disrespectful behavior such as insolent remarks, groaning, attitude, eye rolling, etc. It will serve well to detach the wayward student from their supportive backing. Whether this backing is silent or spoken, the unruly student feels that they are supported and accepted by others. If this support is taken away, the behaviors will cease.
I will first add the Guff Counter to the Scoreboard then instruct the class that a “Guff” is anything that would not keep the teacher happy and how this new level works. I will provide role playing situations in which we act out scenes of disorderly behaviors. For instance, I would ask a student to line up quickly, to which they would reply “Gees, I’m going!” For each word, a mark will be placed on scoreboard under the Guff Counter. Thus reply “Gees, I’m going!” would earn 3 marks. Each mark equals 1 minute of missed recess for the entire class.
The most wonderful part of the Guff Counter is that students have the ability to quickly cancel the negative effects of the Guff. Students do not realize that their silence is actually support for the undesirable behavior. We will have a lengthy discussion about this fact. Students are given the opportunity to say “Please stop!” to the other student before I mark the scoreboard. If they do, the marks will not be applied. Students also often are not aware of what an adult considers a guff. In an attempt to avoid students yelling out “Please stop!” all day, I will instruct them that they can only say it when I give the que “That sounds like a guff, where’s my marker!?!” This will also help distinguish verbal and non-verbal guffs.
This teaches both the rebellious student and the other students very valuable lessons. First, that the class is a team that works together to accomplish a communal objective. Second, students will learn that they are able to stand up for what is right instead of being a silent bystander. The Guff Counter technique provides a safe environment to practice this essential skill. Finally, the rebel will learn that they are not supported and even their friends do not enjoy their behavior.
Although I never plan to actually take away recess from the entire class, I truly believe that this technique will provide a fun and safe way to teach my students the incredibly important lessons above. As always, I have more techniques in my “back pocket” that can be pulled out if this technique is not successful for all my students. With any classroom management technique, my individual students needs will always be my top priority. As I utilize this technique, I will monitor each student to ensure the ability to continuously provide the safe, educational environment they are accustomed to.
Again, thank you for your continued encouragement and support.
Sincerely,
Geni Ainge
Geni,
DeleteVery well worded letter! Remember, your role play and practice of this technique is to make sure the class is not punished as a group. The Guff Counter is never really meant to be marked, as it would skew the +/- 3 Rule of the Scoreboard. Nice job! Here are 25 points for you!
Dear Mr. Principal,
ReplyDeleteI am so excited to share a new classroom management technique with you! With my continued research and implementation of Whole Brain Teaching, I started using the Guff Counter. The Guff Counter is the Fourth Level of the classroom scoreboard. Previously you have been in to observe the first three levels, the classroom scoreboard, the Super Improvers, and the Practice Cards. Now we are new and improved yet again!
The beauty of the Guff Counter begins with the fact that it really is just another level to what is already in place. It is not a whole new classroom management system. Even better, it is a management technique that is run by the students. You see, this level is geared toward students who are vocally disrespectful. What happens is, when a student begins to “give guff,” or be disrespectful, the rest of the students must immediately respond with “Please, stop!” If they don’t, a point for every word of guff goes into the negative column of the classroom scoreboard. As you witnessed previously, every negative point that is not balanced by a positive point results in loss of recess time for the whole class. So, if a student’s guff sentence is seven words long, seven negative marks are put on the scoreboard. No one wants to lose seven minutes of recess!!
Now, because the fundamental framework of the classroom scoreboard requires no more than plus or minus three points on either the positive or negative side, these negative points are only ever threatened. The idea is not to punish the classroom. The idea is the second thing of beauty.
The basis of this level is to undermine the feelings of camaraderie among disrespectful students. If the student giving guff is immediately shut down by the entire class, they are less likely to believe they have the support of their peers. Without peer support, they don’t have an audience. Without an audience, well, being disrespectful is just a lot less fun. WBT writes that “most challenging kids will turn on each other in a flash.” Therefore, by motivating their peers to provide negative reinforcement to their behavior, there is eventually less negative behavior to reinforce. Even better, the teacher isn’t the negative reinforcer. In fact, the teacher never actually has to give a consequence at all!
Like I said, beautiful, right?
Foreman
Catherine,
DeleteYou are right, without their peers cheering them on, the GUFF is much less exciting! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Administrator,
ReplyDeleteAs you know have implemented Whole Brain Teaching techniques not only in my lessons but also in my classroom behaviour management. I am writing to inform you of the latest additional technique I will be using: The Guff Counter.
The Guff Counter is level 4 of the WBT Scoreboard management system and is designed to eradicate the silent approval a back talking student can receive from the class. This back talk is ‘guff’.
The Guff Counter is simply an extra row added to the bottom of the scoreboard. I would introduce it by using the following script with the class:
“Guff is any remark that makes a teacher unhappy. For example, if I ask Chris to, ‘Please work harder,’ and she says, in an irritated voice, ‘I am working harder!’...that is guff. I am asking him to do something that will improve his work in class, and he is refusing. Guff is not acceptable in my class. If a student gives me guff and the rest of the class is silent, then that means that everyone supports that remark! I will add one tally mark to the guff counter for every word of guff I hear! The marks in the Guff Counter mean that everyone loses one minute of Break Time for each mark! However, if someone says something that is guff and everyone turns to the guilty student and firmly says, ‘Please stop!’ then that tells me that the rest of the class does silently not support the guff... and no break time will be lost.”
When a child gives me “guff”, I will make a show of looking around for a marker pen and say, “That sounds like guff, where’s my marker?” This signals to the rest of the class that I expect them to show their disapproval of the guff by turning to the culprit and saying, “Please, stop!” When I hear this I will not make a mark. This will remove the offender’s silent peer support.
Here is the most important part - I will never actually make a mark on the Guff Counter! I will only ever threaten to make a mark in order to encourage students to quickly voice their disapproval of the “guff” behaviour.
This technique will disarm students who wish to assert themselves by talking back. It will show that not only do I not like the behaviour, but the rest of the class does not condone it either.
It also communicates to the class that their silence is viewed as support, and gives them permission to stand up for what is right from a safe and empowered platform.
Thank you for allowing me to implement these techniques in the classroom and I hope you can see their effectiveness.
Kind regards,
Quentin Dalrymple
3/4th grade
Perthshire, Scotland.
Quentin,
DeleteThis is a very thorough and clear explanation of the Guff Counter! The students are so surprised when they realize that their peers aren't supporting their poor behavior, making this a very effective tool! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Nicole Desrosiers Weare, NH
ReplyDeleteDear Mrs. Potter,
As you know, I have been using Whole Brain Teaching strategies in my classroom for more than two years. These amazing teaching strategies help me to maintain a smoothly run and efficient classroom. I would like to share with you one strategy that I use called “The Guff Counter” to help eliminate rude talk or gestures.
“The Guff Counter” is part of the classroom Scoreboard. I use this tool within my classroom to either award points for energetic participation or to deduct points for participation that is not quite up to par. I have just recently added “The Guff Counter” to the bottom of our Scoreboard. Whenever a student demonstrates guff by either a rude gesture (eye rolling or sighing) or rude words when they are asked to do something, guff points are added to the Frownie side of our Scoreboard. For example, if I ask a student to sit down and the student replies “I am sitting in my seat!”, then six tally marks would be made on the Guff Counter, one point for each word of guff. If a student rolls his eyes after directions are given, then two tally marks would be made, two points for each gesture. Here is where this amazing strategy really proves its strength, though. Since students who frequently give guff enjoy an audience, the rest of their classmates have the opportunity to cancel out the guff points their friend has just earned the class by immediately saying “Please, stop!” Once a student no longer has an audience cheering him or her on, they aren’t as willing to risk everything to make a “guff” comment.
I welcome you into our classroom to observe the use of our Scoreboard. It continually challenges us to reach higher and to aim for new goals. Thank you so much for your continued support as I reach to perfect new teaching strategy goals.
Sincerely,
Nicole Desrosiers
Nicole,
DeleteNice letter! Also remember, Guff is never actually marked as a negative on the scoreboard. The students responding with "Please Stop" keeps you from marking the negative, and keeps one student from earning the class a negative mark. Here are 25 certification points!