Pick two of the errors described in Chapter 3, pages 9-13, of "Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids" and write yourself a letter of advice about how you're going to avoid these mistakes in the coming year. Include one or two useful quotes from the chapter.
Pages 9-13
From here forward in our book club, we will give partial credit to comments that are incomplete (i.e. that don't provide all the details requested in the assignment) or that contain wacky writing errors (like misspellings, missing words or awkward sentences). Sorry, but no rewrites! 25 WBT Certification Points possible; 10 points partial credit.
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Reminder: Please sign your post with your real first and last name.
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ReplyDeleteDear Self,
ReplyDeleteAs we prepare for a new school year in a new district and new building, I hope to offer you some advice. Who better to offer you advice than yourself? No one else knows you better, right? You have never been a "yeller" or a "screamer" when it comes to addressing student behavior. However, you can lose your temper. Remember the last time the lawn mower wouldn't start? (Enough said) It is important to remember to "keep calm and teach on". Yelling and screaming at the students is completely ineffective because students with challenging behavior often come from homes and classrooms where that is the norm. They do not know any better so they will not act differently. To combat this the solution is simple: good teaching. You have said before that "the number one deterrent for bad behavior is good teaching". Now it is time to take your own advice. You know what good teaching is, and with the help of Coach B's book, you know how to take that to great teaching. The students have been allowed to develop some pretty bad habits by though. You have been "warned" about their behavior on more than one occasion. So when those difficult situations arise, remember not to be confrontational with an audience. You know how the function of many inappropriate behaviors is attention from peers. How many functional behavior assessments have you written to address attention maintained behaviors? The solution again is simple: remove the audience. Flood them with positive attention for appropriate behaviors and address the inappropriate behaviors in a non-attention maintaining way. So, this year don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution. Keep calm and teach on!
Best wishes for a fabulous school year,
Megan Hunter
Megan,
DeleteYou have chosen 2 items that are crucial for a WBT classroom! Yelling and confronting students can cause many problems to escalate! Make sure you always address the whole prompt (You didn't include a quote or two from Coach). Here are 20 certification points.
Dear Beth,
ReplyDeleteAfter only a few weeks of school it is evident there will be challenges this year with student behaviors that are sure to push your buttons! One of your teaching mistakes is that you do not work hard enough at teaching when you’re not in class. You can avoid this mistake by committing more time to preparation. Your students will reap the benefits of better planning by being engaged and using their entire brain to learn. You will reap the benefits by engaging your students so there is no time left for challenging behavior. “Outstanding instruction involves huge, truly mountainous amounts of labor, preparing, practicing, researching, thinking through, refining instructional units.” Biffle, 2013.
A second teaching mistake of yours is grow or die. Professional growth is an area that should never become stale and by growing, you can improve your teaching and your student‘s learning. “Grow, learn, transform yourself, or die by ossification.” Biffle, 2013. The Whole Brain Teaching Book Club is an excellent opportunity for professional growth that will be of great benefit to you and your students.
Work on these two areas by shuffling some of your priorities, continuing with your professional growth through WBT and plan, plan, plan!
Yours Truly,
Beth
Beth,
DeleteNice job! Working and preparing outside out class will create a smooth and FUN classroom! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Joy,
ReplyDeleteThe new school year is in full swing and it is time for a few words of advice. Remember that just because you have high standards, it does not mean that your students will learn exactly the way you think they should. Their schema is varied and they have different learning styles. Delight in the difference! How boring your job would be if they were robots! Embrace the challenges of addressing each young child from his/her individual starting point. Take him/her as far as possible in learning this school year. In the words of Chris Biffle, "Invite your students into your world; don't expect to find them already there." Don't forget that your world is new to them! They are discovering it while you are discovering how each of them learns best.
The joy of delighting in the differences in your students is the opportunity to learn and expand your teaching techniques. "Here is the great law that governs the universe. And the classroom. Grow or die." Chris Biffle, 2013. As your own growth increases, your classroom problems will decrease. Embracing the Whole Brain Teaching techniques and practicing them daily will help you to avoid the expectation for each student to be at an exact skill level at a specific point in time. WBT and continual daily reflection, organization, and hard work, will empower you to empower them to master the skills you teach. You will stay in love with teaching because you will always have challenges ahead.
Joy,
DeleteYou are so right! We all need to delight in the differences of all of our students! Here are 25 certification points!
Julia Berry / Chapter 3 / September
ReplyDeleteDear Julia,
I want this year to be the very best teaching experience you have ever encountered. Every morning, as you look over your lesson plans, always take a few minutes to read this letter so you do not make two common mistakes that can interrupt your teaching. The first is confronting rebellious students when they have an audience. You may not know why they choose this behavior. It could be because previous years, the teacher unknowingly approached the behavior inappropriately. It could also be related to adverse situations in the home setting. You hold in your hands the chance to turn this disruptive behavior around. Always remember to not reprimand a student in front of his or her peers. This is just adding “fuel to the fire”. They become the spotlight and will rebel even more. When this type of behavior occurs, use body language (a frown or gentle sigh) to let them know you are disappointed. I believe this can be beneficial. You might want to call the student into your office by saying “Beth, I need some help moving the cart of materials out, could you help me please.” This allows for an opportunity to talk to the student privately and be told he or she is not making smart choices. Recess is also an opportunity talk to the student for a few seconds in calm firm voice and let the student know it is up to them to make the right choices to make their teacher happy.
The second common mistake to watch out for is what I call Grow or Die. Think of teaching as a seesaw. You are on one end and your challenging students on the other end. As your growth declines, your challenging behaviors skyrocket! Keep your students engaged to the max and be super organized. At the end of the day, reflect and jot down techniques, which worked, and techniques that failed. Positive reinforcement for good behavior is a must! Always remember that bad teaching breeds challenging students. Pretty soon consistency in responding to good behavior will out weigh the negatives.
Fall In love with your profession and your heart will lead you in the right direction.
After all, you choose this profession to help children grow and succeed in life!
Sincerely,
Julia
Julia,
DeleteThis is a very insightful answer! You have given good ways to reflect upon your own behaviors as a teacher, and good strategies to address the problems! Make sure you always address the entire prompt (we needed a "quote" or two from Coach). Here are 20 certification points and a 5 point bonus for the details!
Dear Liz,
ReplyDeleteIn order to make this a smooth year with less behavior issues and using an entire school day to its full academic potential, remember these two important things: “The less work you do outside the class, the more work your classes will be” and that the “disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms.” The more prepared you are and the more you plan for each school day, the more you end up creating an effective environment for learning. These effective ways become more creative and enjoying for both yourself and the students. When you don’t plan ahead and have materials and activities readily available, you create a confused and disoriented room of students. Behavior issues arise and students have more time to make poor choices when there is down time. Always be prepared! You can also be better equipped when certain habits die and you continue to always “grow, learn and transform yourself.” Educate yourself on the newest techniques and tools. Attend various training workshops or learn from other fellow teachers in order to always grow with your changing students. So when you feel the desire to meet up with friends after work, first consider whether you have your next school day fully prepared and ready to go before making the choice!
Liz Cheney
Liz,
DeletePlanning ahead really does help provide a smooth running classroom! You had one small editing error in this sentence: "These effective ways become more creative and enjoying for both yourself and the students". Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Amanda,
ReplyDeleteAs the new school year begins, I would like to point out a couple of mistakes that were made in the past. I also want to give some advice about ways to avoid them this year.
One of the common errors I have made is confronting rebellious students in front of their peers. As stated in the book, “confronting rebellious students when they have an audience of their peers will make them braver, more rebellious.” My usual reaction is to correct the behavior when it happens and reinforce to the entire class that the behavior is unacceptable. Instead of helping myself, though, I am hurting myself by giving the rebellious student the “spotlight” that he or she is seeking. This year, try to confront the rebellious student privately. He or she will no longer have an audience and will not gain the attention that he or she is seeking.
A second common error I have made is to keep trying the same methods over and over. I need to grow or die. As the book states, “As your growth declines, their challenging behavior skyrockets. “ If I don’t utilize new ideas, then I am dooming myself to failure. Therefore, this year I suggest trying a new method in my classroom. Try using the Whole Brain teaching techniques to manage behavior in the classroom.
By avoiding these two common mistakes, student behavior will improve. The classroom will be a more enjoyable place to learn!
Sincerely,
Amanda Conley
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteGreat job! Confrontation is a tough but powerful key to work on! Here are 25 certification points!
Kris,
ReplyDeleteYou work in a challenging school and you love every minute of it! Here are two mistakes you need to avoid this year. First, remember that when you confront rebellious students when they have an audience of their peers, it will make them braver and more rebellious. Your inner-city students have enormous challenges every day! Your students may not be able to cope with all that they face. You are an important part of their life and what you say and do matters to them! So, deescalate their behavior as much as possible. If students come in late, it may be that they had a horrible morning and did not even eat breakfast. If you give them that breakfast bar that you stashed in your desk, they will remember this act of kindness and they will be able to learn better. We do not have time to waste on rebelliousness! Remember, “Many teachers are afflicted by rebellious students and engage in teaching activities that make their classrooms more toxic.” Chris Biffle, 2013.
The second mistake you need to avoid is to “Grow or die.” Embrace learning new techniques and keep on learning! Take that class that you have been putting off. Attend that workshop to help you become a better teacher. Every act of growing, either personally or professionally, will help you become a better teacher. This is your goal, so go for it!!!
Krissa White
Krissa,
DeleteYou are so right, YOU are a very important part of the lives of your students! WBT will help you help them! Here are 25 certification points!
Deborah Gardner
ReplyDeleteChapter 3 Seven Common Teaching Mistakes
Dear Debbi,
As you begin a new school year, there are two common mistakes that you must avoid in order to keep your instruction smooth, coherent, and current as well as your classroom considerably more manageable. Remember Chris Biffle’s premise that “Bad teaching breeds challenging students”. Teachers choose to create a positive or a negative classroom environment depending on the choices made when engaging or disciplining students.
Initially, “If you don’t pay the price before you step into the classroom, you will pay the price as you fumble through shoddy lessons.” Outstanding instruction requires outstanding preparation. I promise myself to be a diligent scholar investing my time and energy into research, lesson planning, and classroom preparation. Since I do not accept mediocrity in my students, I cannot accept mediocrity in myself. Teaching is a LABOR of love, and “labor” means exertion!
“Grow or Die”—Life is one or the other and I would prefer to grow! As a teacher I must try new things and embrace the challenge of a new class with unique individuals. This often means that I will have to change some outmoded ways of teaching that are in my comfort zone. Each year brings new challenges and that often means that longstanding methods of teaching and discipline may not be the best ways of handling a current situation. As Chris Biffle states, “If you’re afraid to try new teaching techniques, you are petrifying yourself to death”. That is why I am adopting Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids.
Deborah Gardner
Deborah,
DeleteI appreciate your comment "Since I do not accept mediocrity in my students, I cannot accept mediocrity in myself"! WBT help you learn and grow and both you and your students will benefit! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Tami,
ReplyDeleteAs you approach the coming year with excitement, I would like for you to remember that it is imperative for you to remain organized and prepared. In the beginning, when everything is new, your prepared lessons are obvious. But as the months begin to roll by, the laziness may start to kick in and your lessons will reflect that. Remember, as Chris Biffle states, "The less work you do outside of class, the more work your classes will be." I would also like for you to ponder the fact that, "Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms." How true!!! If you have ever decided to just "wing it" for a day, then you know exactly what I am talking about! You are giving your students free rein to "goof off" and become disengaged while you are busy counting out 20 paper plates or cutting 20 strips of paper for an art project in your Kindergarten classroom. This is not conducive to learning and will inevitably breed a chaotic classroom in a matter of minutes. Be prepared, be organized and be consistent!! You can do this! The rewards far outweigh the laziness that takes place when you aren't willing to do the work and stay in this mindset.
Another aspect of teaching I feel you need to continue to strive for is continuing to grow as a professional. Getting "stuck in a rut" and not wanting to branch out in your field is stifling to your growth as an educator. The world is constantly growing and changing. We have got to grow and change with it, challenging ourselves to reach the next level. As Chris Biffle states, "You're a teacher. Grow, learn, transform yourself, or die by ossification." Do not EVER be afraid to step out of your box and try some new teaching techniques! Always challenge yourself, and you will inspire your students to challenge themselves, in the process!! Have a productive year full of student engagement and learning!!
Sincerely,
Tami
Tami,
DeleteYou chose two very important areas of focus! Enjoy your journey with WBT! Here are 25 certification points!
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
ReplyDeleteBecky,
Remember how tough last year was? Next year you will definitely do two things differently to maintain student motivation, increase student learning and lessen challenging behavior.
First, do not confront students when they have an audience. “Your worst students are geniuses at rebellion. They know exactly what to say in defiance and exactly how to get up to but not over the line.” This makes you crazy, so don’t even create the situation. Use your rules, plan your WB lessons and talk to your students privately.
Second, you need to be more than organized. You need to be SUPER organized. This year, because of all the distractions, you would schedule quizzes and then put them off because the planned material wasn’t covered. The students weren’t ready. Use your WB lessons and strategies to ensure efficient time management and productivity. Say only what you mean.
Always keep in mind Chris Biffle’s words from Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids, “if you aren’t willing to invest hours of preparation in what will turn into minutes of classroom teaching, your challenging students or worse still, far worse still, your best students will present you with the bill."
Rebecca Murphy
www.wbteaching.blogspot.com
Rebecca,
DeleteI love your comment "You need to be SUPER organized"! How true! Preparation is crucial. Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Kay,
ReplyDeleteI’m really not one to offer advice, but I do want to help you avoid a couple of very costly mistakes.
One mistake that many educators make is refusing to grow and learn. You can avoid this by taking advantage of the many professional development opportunities that are offered in our district. I have personally found that the most powerful and life changing study is Chris Biffle’s book on Whole Brain Teaching. If you learn about this teaching system, and implement it in your classroom, you and your students will grow and learn. WBT can literally transform your teaching. As Chris Biffle states, “If you’re afraid to try new teaching techniques, you are petrifying yourself to death.”
Another piece of advice is to avoid thinking that your challenging students should be like you. Unrealistic expectations encourage challenging students to be even more challenging. Make sure that you avoid this serious mistake by “inviting students into your world; don’t expect to find them already there.” If you’ll implement the Whole Brain Teaching strategies, you’ll be able to accept students where they are and move them where they need to be.
Kay, if you will take this advice to heart, you will be the teacher you were meant to be. Be encouraged!
Kay,
DeleteI agree, WBT CAN literally transform your teaching! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Tonya,
ReplyDeleteAs this school year moves on there a few mistakes I want to advise you to avoid. Who better than yourself to remind of you a few things you might struggle with and help be prepared to avoid. This year is surely going to have some challenges with all the new Common Core curriculum and programs being initiated in the classroom. Remember to confront rebellious students privately, when they have an audience they become more rebellious. Take them aside and speak with them, see if you can figure out the really issue going on with that student. Mr. Biffle would remind you “Our worst students are geniuses at rebellion”. I remind you, those students know which buttons to push first, do not let them. They love the spotlight, take a breather, and do not let them take charge. You are the queen in the room, you have the crown to remind you.
Also remember, “Grow or die”. You are a teacher, if you yourself do not continue to grow, learn, and transform you way of teaching, you will die by ossification. Your students need you to continue personal growth. The Whole Brain Teaching Community you are in has already proven it can help your students. You are learning all these great techniques to help engage your students, limit behavior problems, and have your students learn from each other. Keep working hard towards your master’s degree, and everything else. You are a leader at school. Manage your time, and remember you are helping yourself and others, especially your students. Keep calm and teach on!!!
Best wishes for a fantastic school year,
Me
Tonya,
DeleteTaking rebel students aside does make a difference when confrontations occur! Watch out for those pesky editing errors "figure out the really issue going..." and "transform you way of teaching". Here are 10 certification points!
Dear Ms. Young,
ReplyDeleteI realize last year was your first year teaching and I know how quickly things can get out of hand when you go looking for materials. I’ve seen you checking everywhere around your room while your students impatiently wait on directions. I have also seen you sitting at your desk frantically trying to log into a website to display on the smartboard. “Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms”. Try reorganizing your personal work area and logging in to your websites in the morning before the students come in. If the website times you out try a “Teach-Okay” moment. Having your students practice the “Teach-Okay” will give them something to talk about that you want them to be talking about and allow you enough time to log in. Using the “Switch” could also give you an extra few seconds.
I noticed last you had exceptionally high expectations right from the start. I respect that. Setting the bar high and pushing your students to be the best that they can be is admirable. However, many of the students in your class come from broken homes. Before you start setting those goals too high take some time to really get to know your students and what they are capable of achieving. “Invite your students into your world; don’t expect to find them already there.”
Good luck and best of wishes to you on this year’s adventure.
Brandi Young
Brandi,
DeleteHaving everything ready before the classroom day begins will be an amazing time saver! I like your plan to have the websites up and ready to avoid losing those students while you look for one! Watch out for small editing errors "I noticed last you had exceptionally high expectations...". Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Karlyn,
ReplyDeleteAs you know you have chosen an honorable profession to be a part of. Being an educator can be very rewarding and also very challenging. With anything there will be good days and not so good days. Being human, you are bound to make mistakes. Mistakes are good because they always give one the opportunity to learn. I know that you've told your students this many, many times. However, I would like to warn you about some common mistakes that you need to avoid if you want to experience more good days and avoid the not so good days that could possibly be a result of your own poor choices/decisions.
The first two that come to mind can actually be combined into one and they are not to lose your temper with difficult kids and not confronting rebellious students when they have an audience. Okay, you told me before that you've been here and done that. The result, it only made matters worse. Karlyn, on those days when a student may be on your last good nerve, always remember not to lose your temper. Count to ten (maybe twenty), take a deep breath and regroup. Whatever you do, do not engage in behavior that would make the student even more rebellious. When the time is right, because timing IS everyting, call the child over and discuss the situation quietly with them out of earshot of the entire class. Chances are the child isn't feeling well or something else is going on. You never know until you ask and chances are that child does want to make the right choices and do the right thing.
Remember what Chris Biffle says," We make challenging students more challenging,we nourish their rebellion,by confronting them when they have onlookers." Don't give them an audience.
Another common mistake is being disorganized. According to Mr.Biffle,"disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms." Whenever you step foot inside your classroom always remember "game on." Be consistent with what you tell your students, let your "yes" be "yes" and your "no" be "no." Say what you mean and mean what you say. Always have well prepared lessons and be consistent. If you follow this advice Karlyn you will be successful and have a GREAT time doing what you love and have chosen to do. TEACH!!!
Best wishes
Karlyn Davis
Karlyn,
ReplyDeleteGreat job! I agree, it is so important to be well prepared and consistent. That can make or break the entire day! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Kasey,
ReplyDeleteNow that this year is in full swing, I want you to stop and take a minute to reflect. You have a good class this year but just like in any class, you’re going to have bad days. Please remember that every thought that goes through your mind can be easily read by a student sitting in front of you. “The happier you are as an instructor, the unhappier your classes will make you.” This is absolutely true, remember that you love your job and you chose it because you love your kids. Also, take some time to sit down in your room and organize! Biffle says that “disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms”, and that is absolutely true! Be sure to have everything ready to go and have a place to put everything. If you are organized, your mind will be clearer, your class will run smoother, and you will find much more daily success.
You’re doing a great job, keep it up and have fun!
-Kasey Wicker
Kasey,
DeleteYou've chosen some excellent points to work on. You will be amazed at what you will accomplish in your classroom once you meet your goals. Watch out for those pesky editing errors "The happier you are as an instructor, the unhappier your classes will make you.” (should be the Unhappier you are as an instructor...). Here are 20 certification points for you! Save and date this post in a word processing file.
Dear Kelty,
ReplyDeleteAs we’ve talked about common teaching mistakes, I want to highlight a couple of the ones that are especially important for you to remember. First, never lose your temper. Keep in mind that many of your disruptive students come from families with “superbly experienced, high volume yellers.” It hasn’t helped. So, try another tactic.
Second, remember that if you confront the rebellious students when they have an audience, it will cause them to become “braver” and “more rebellious.” Don’t forget what Chris Biffle says, “We make challenging students more challenging, we nourish their rebellion, by confronting them when they have onlookers.” Deal with their behavior privately, so you can address the issue(s) without giving them the spotlight in front of their peers.
Kelty, I want to encourage you to keep doing what you’ve learned to do with the Whole Brain Strategies. Take care of these two issues, and you’ll be doing even better!
Sincerely,
Kelty Barber
Your Whole Brain Teaching Coach
Kelty,
DeleteI love your name! Good letter to yourself. In the future, give us a little more substance about your ideas. We are eager to hear what you have to say! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Cheyanne,
ReplyDeleteOh what a year it has been! You have had many “teaching moments” that have left memories of every kind in your heart! There were many things that you did well this year and I know that the students are grateful for the school that they are a part of and the teacher that was selected for them.
My only advice for next year is to reflect on your teaching experience with an open mind. Think about the things that you did well and that worked for your students. At the same time, think about some of the mistakes that were made and focus on what you can do better. You have to remember that not every student is like you. “If you think that disruptive students should be like you, you’ll make them even more disruptive.” See the good in each child and expand on their strengths. Each child is an individual and should be treated as such. Remember this when you temper and patience is tested. “If you lose your temper with difficult kids and yell at them, you don’t fix your teaching problem, you make it worse.”
So again, look for the little spark of goodness in each child and find ways to help it grow. Your efforts will be rewarded for you and your students!
Yours truly,
Mrs. Forbes
Cheyanne Forbes
Cheyanne,
DeleteThis is a good letter to yourself with some important ideas to remember. In the future, give us a little more of your thoughts. We are eager to hear what you have to say! Here are 25 certification points for you! Save and date this post in a word processing file.
Advice
ReplyDeleteDear Dian,
As you walk in another person’s shoes, you must remember it will be of no use to confront a student in front of an audience. You must respect the child’s privacy and avoid painting the student into a corner. When a distressed child is confronted in front of an audience the child has little to lose. To many children, saving face is more important than consequences. Why not step into your office, kneel down, and listen to the child’s problem? Chances are your results will be more positive when you use kindness. Be firm, hold your ground, but do not put the child on the defensive. Remember, as Chris Biffle puts it, “Highly skilled rebels relish the spotlight.”
In addition, Dian, go ahead and take that classes you wanted to take at Pensacola State College. You love literature, and you love to write about what you read. You so enjoy world history; take that class as well. Knowing you are learning just for fun can be such an inspiration to your students. “Grow, learn, transform yourself or die by ossification,” the choice is yours. Believe that you are as worthy as your students are.
Take my advice; I know you better than anyone does.
Love,
Me
P.S.
I am proud to be your best friend.
Dian,
DeleteYou have chosen 2 very good aspects of teaching to focus on. Here are 25 certification points for you! Save and date this post in a word processing file.
Dear Kim,
ReplyDeleteNow that the school year is well on its way, you know that the challenging students you had last year are still your challenging students this year. There have been no surprises this year. It is a fact that we have rebellious students at our school, and they love being rebellious. They swim in their rebellion, wrap themselves up in their warm rebellion blankets because that is how they show their independence and value to their peers. My advice to you is to not give our rebels a stage. They know exactly what disruption in music class will get a reaction from you. Please do not give them that stage by confronting their behavior and giving them the audience they crave. Remember, “…we nourish their rebellion, by confronting them when they have onlookers.” Instead, take a deep breath, smile, be consistent with consequences and do not lose your temper.
Secondly, I want you to remember to love your job on the bad days. Teaching music to young children is a valuable and worthwhile mission. These children will benefit from your part in their education in many ways. Have faith. Go to the Kodaly National Conference and learn from your peers the best methods to teach music. Soak in their energy and good attitudes and bring it back to your students. It is true that, “The unhappier you are as an instructor, the unhappier you classes will make you”. Growing and feeling valued as an effective educator will make you happy. You have always believed in the value of music education, always strive to be the best music teacher and your students will reap the rewards.
Love,
You know who….
-Kimberly Gandrup
Kimberly,
DeleteThank you for sharing your thoughts and goals for next year! I love your description of the rebels with their warm rebellion blankets! You earned 25 WBT Certification Points! Save and date this post in a word processing file.
Dear Lori,
ReplyDeleteAs you start out this school year, don’t forget these things: You love teaching and you are a great teacher! There are a few things that get in the way of this, however. And those things are: disruptive students and getting behind on the paperwork and feeling disorganized!
If all you had to do was teach, and create a fun, but engaging environment for students to learn and enjoy learning, everything would be perfect! But that’s not how it works,
In order to eliminate these two interferences away from our love of teaching and learning, keep these things in mind.
1. “Our worst students are geniuses of rebellion”. These students relish the opportunity to have an audience to entertain, but don’t give them one. Talk to these students when no one is looking, when they don’t have an audience to entertain. If this doesn’t work, call their parents. And then sometimes, parents cannot help either. These are the most challenging students. Keep trying, but whatever you do, do not give them a chance to further their “tough” reputation in front of their peers.
2. Stay organized! “Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms.” Think about the days that, for whatever reason, you were not organized and your “withitness” was “notwithit”. Those were they days when those challenging students seized the opportunity to take full advantage of the lack of structure. On those days, the lesson did not go as smoothly, because you just couldn’t quite get it together. But on the days you are organized and well prepared, everything runs smoothly, the students are well behaved, and you are free to do what you love…teach!
Lori Hahn
Lori,
DeleteI can't wait for you to read chapters 17-22! They address everything you mentioned in your 1st point. Here are 25 certification points for you! Save and date this post in a word processing file.
Carrie Wood
ReplyDeleteChapter 3
7 Common Teaching Mistakes
Dear Carrie,
You’ve made it through the first month of teaching kindergarten and you’ve done a good job of implementing several of the Whole Brain Teaching techniques. However, you still have a lot of work to do. You need to focus on keeping those challenging students from becoming more challenging.
First of all, losing your temper with those challenging students doesn’t fix the problem. It only makes things much worse. So many children are exposed to this type of parental behavior at home, and they just learn to tune it out. If you will consistently keep the children busy and engaged, there will be no time left for inappropriate behaviors.
In addition, thinking that disruptive students should be like me will make them even more disruptive. We all come from different families, ways of being raised, etc. I should not punish a student for not doing it they way I would do it.
I know that this is a lot to take in and the truth hurts; however, I also know that you can do it!
Keep Working Hard,
Carrie
Carrie,
DeleteYou have a great list of things to focus as your year progresses! In your future posts, please try and give more detail to fully answer the prompt, (include one or two useful quotes from the chapter). Here are 20 certification points! Save and date this post in a word processing file.
Dear Michelle,
ReplyDeleteOne common mistake you make is confronting and reprimanding students in front of the class. You have learned that this only feeds the fire and causes challenging students to be more challenging. In order to diminish negative behavior, you need to talk to these particular students in private so that they do not get attention from their peers.
Also, with your disruptive students, you need to practice more understanding. You need to embrace the fact that they are not like you and you should not expect them to be exactly how you are. Rather, acknowledge that your students “are round pegs that won’t fit into your square hole.” Understand that they are still learning and being formed into their own individual mold.
Michelle Fernandez
Michelle,
ReplyDeleteGood letter to yourself. In the future, give us a little more substance about your ideas. We are eager to hear what you have to say! Here are 25 certification points for you! Save and date this post in a word processing file.
To Danah from September 4, 2013 at 7:00 PM...Great job on your post! Sorry there was such a delay in having it reviewed! You needed to include a quote or two from the chapter, but you have a nice reflection on this to work on for this year! Here are 10 more CP for you!
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ReplyDeleteDear Liz,
ReplyDeleteThis year I want you to remember two little things that are going to make a huge difference in your year, the way you deal with rebellious students and the attitude you have when you are in the classroom.
You’ve always known that addressing an individual’s negative behavior in front of the classroom was not a successful tactic. However, it’s never been explained so clearly before. “Confronting rebellious students when they have an audience of their peers, will make them braver, more rebellious…we make challenging students more challenging, we nourish their rebellion, by confronting them when they have onlookers.” The logistics of speaking to students privately may seem laborious or time consuming but it stops challenging students from gaining any support or respect from fence sitters, keeping the majority of your students supporting you and your class rules.
“The unhappier you are as an instructor, the unhappier your classes will make you.” Your students are nine and ten years old. If you are unhappy with administration, policies, or coworkers, it has nothing to do with them. There is no other option but to put your unhappiness on hold between the hours of 8:45-3:15. You’re going to be at school, everyday, and everyday it’s your choice if you will make your circumstances more enjoyable while you are there. Simply put, if you’re unhappy, your classroom will be unhappy; better still, if you’re happy, your classroom will be happy! Happy makes happy! Make a smart choice!
Keep yourself happy, Liz. In turn your classroom will be a happy place. When you face an unhappy, rebellious student remember to diffuse their power by not giving them an audience to impress. You’ll be denying the student the opportunity to gain support from peers, keeping the majority of your classroom united. Have a happy year!
Elizabeth Ross
Elizabeth,
DeleteYou made a great point "If you are unhappy with administration, policies, or coworkers, it has nothing to do with them."! Nice job! Here are 25 certification points!
Hi Michelle, I noticed that you told other people to save a copy of this in their google docs. Should I do the same? Is it just a copy and paste? Thanks for your help!
DeleteHi Libby!
DeleteYes, make a copy and save it in a document folder. You will submit this later for certification when you have accumulated 500 points. Good luck, and don't hesitate to contact us anytime! My address is nancystoltenberg@wholebrainteaching.com
Thanks, Nancy!
DeleteDear Suzi,
ReplyDeleteThe new school year has started and you have done well teaching and reviewing the 5 classroom rules. You have modeled many gestures to go with the concepts you have taught and your students really enjoy spending time in your classroom. You use teach okay and switch! You should be so proud of yourself!
As the year progresses; it’s really important for you to remember a few things Chris Biffle has taught you. First and foremost, “grow, learn, transform yourself, or die by ossification.” You have learned so much about this form of teaching and have tried many techniques throughout the past few years, but there is so much more you can do! This year you need to focus more on critical thinking while you teach and use more of the Five Step WBT Lesson Template. This template will help you become a better instructor and allow you to receive immediate feedback from your students. Be sure to continue to do independent reading in areas you feel you need more support with as well.
You also need to remember that “the less work you do outside of class, the more work your class will be.” Be prepared for the lessons you teach. Make your lessons fun and energetic. Remember to show your kids how much you love what you do! Plan with your colleagues weekly and share your ideas. Most of all… have fun!
Sincerely,
Suzanne St. Laurent
Suzanne,
DeleteNicely stated! The Five Step Lesson covers so many bases in instruction and critical thinking skills. And yes, enjoy what you do! Here are 25 points for you!
Suzanne,
ReplyDeleteNice job! I love your statement "Remember to show your kids how much you love what you do"! A happy teacher makes a happy classroom! Here are 25 certification points! Save these in a word document to submit later.
Wow, Michelle! We are in tandem on this one! Love it! Suzanne, grab your 25 from one of us!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDear Self,
ReplyDeleteThe year is in progress and you've done a great job implementing Whole Brain routines. This year is markedly better than last year- students are happy, you are happy, and learning is happening alongside fun. You are enjoying your job more than ever! As the year continues, be sure to exemplify a love of learning for your students. Don't forget that teaching is like a seesaw, with you on one end and challenging students on another: "As your growth declines, their challenging behavior skyrockets." Try new things constantly! Never settle. You and your students deserve better than that.
Lastly, especially as testing season approaches, be mindful of your stress level and your temper. "When we lose our temper with difficult kids and yell at them, we don't fix our teaching problem, we make it worse." Be sure to stay calm and trust the techniques. On rough days, evaluate yourself. How often are you using the scoreboard? What about the Super Improver wall? Are you utilizing Teach-Ok techniques often enough? Whip out your tally chart and up your game! It's ok for you to have fun too! Trust the techniques and yourself.
Sincerely,
Madeline Mahan
Madeline,
ReplyDeleteWell stated! I'm pleased to see you are using the tally chart to track your WBT usage! Here are 25 points for you!
November 11, 2013
ReplyDeleteDear Jackie,
The school year has begun, and I know you are excited about implementing the Whole Brain Teaching classroom management system! Chris Biffle talks about the “Seven Common Teaching Mistakes,” and I would like you to pay close attention to two of the ways we can avoid making our most challenging students even more of a challenge.
We know “Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms.” Please continue to maintain the organization and structure you have in the classroom (and don’t forget the “funtricity!”). With Whole Brain Teaching, we can be organized and we can make learning fun! Remember, as Chris Biffle says, “At minimum, there should be a place for everything in your classroom, and everything should always be in the same place.” Be sure to heed his sage advice.
Remember, although teaching is fun, it is also mountains of work! Do not become discouraged, though. Mr. Biffle reminds us, “The less work you do outside of class, the more work your classes will be.” You need to be willing to invest all those hours of preparation in order to have a classroom that becomes the orderly, magical world where learning occurs. Good teaching should be seamless; those endless hours of preparation and planning will make your efforts appear effortless. You reap what you sow, so get out there and plant and nurture these Whole Brain Teaching tenets! Have a terrific Whole Brain Teaching year!
Sincerely,
Jackie
Jacqueline Nessuno
Jacqueline,
ReplyDeleteAhhhh, you chose my favorite quote “At minimum, there should be a place for everything in your classroom, and everything should always be in the same place.”!! I can't imagine teaching any other way! Great job! Here are 25 certification points!
Dearest Amanda,
ReplyDeleteStarting a new year in a new school district with a new grade level is hard enough; let’s do everything we can to make sure your time with your students runs as smoothly as possible. Remember what Chris Biffle (2013) says, “The less class structure you have, the less structured your class will be.” (pg. 10) Wow, that’s a mantra to live by! Just remember, set up your procedures and stick to them. Do not deviate! If those students see you relaxing on your organization, they will think that they can too. This cannot happen as your students need more organizational help than most. You have to be the model of good skills so they will generalize them. “At minimum, there should be a place for everything in your classroom, and everything should always be in the same place.” (Biffle, 2013, pg. 11) This consistency is so important for your special education students. Be sure to also share these principles and ideas with your co-teachers. Instill these values in your students as they need to develop the organizational skills to be successful themselves.
Also, keep in mind all the work you will have to do over the summer and on your own time at home to keep a step ahead of the students. Remember that you do not have time to sit at home doing nothing; you have to plan your lessons! Teaching is not a nine month job! “If you don’t pay the price before you step into the classroom, you’ll pay the price as you fumble through shoddy lessons.” (Biffle, 2013, pg. 11) You are not a lazy teacher and you love teaching. You love those kids and you cannot afford to be unprepared. Remember to not only plan those meaningful lessons, but also to differentiate what you will expect of all your students on an individual or group level, in advance, so you are not trying to think of it on the spot in your classroom. This always disrupts the flow of your lessons and allows the students to get off track. Be sure to document, in detail, all your plans and rehearse what you need to do to make sure you are fully prepared so your students can benefit from your planning.
Amanda, read this note every morning when you come in to school and every afternoon when you leave. Read it between classes if you need to. Live by these principles and make the most of this year.
Amanda Blum
Amanda,
DeleteYou have a great plan for staying organized in and out of the classroom! I appreciate your decision to keep this letter handy for daily review! Here are 25 points for you!
Dear Self,
ReplyDeleteAs we embark on a new school year I would like to challenge you. We haven’t always had the easiest go at things. Now I am not saying it is for lack of trying, but I think we should try a few things differently this year. Remember last year when you let your first graders push you over the edge? When you let them get you to the point that you were shouting, “I have never in all of my years of teaching had children still practicing the hallway rules in November!”? Now I think they understood that you were upset. However, I think it is important you know, “When we lose our temper with difficult kids and yell at them, we don’t fix our teaching problem, we make it worse.” Biffle, 2013. Let’s try to control our emotions this year. Let’s try to soften our voice instead of raise it and let’s remind ourselves that they are only kids. Let’s give them the opportunity to be successful in our classroom, and sometimes that means giving them a loving environment to make mistakes in.
Another thing that I think we need to talk about before we get this year going is that, “The less work you do outside of class, the more work your classes will be.” Biffle, 2013. Let’s try to stay on top of things this year and let’s try not to hit that slump like we have in years past. Let’s avoid leaving the room with books and papers spread all over the place and instead get it ready to go for the next day before leaving in the afternoon. Let’s prioritize our planning time and not get angry and resentful when we have to go to work on a Sunday. Let’s try to remember that staying organized will help our students and that after all is why we went into education.
I am looking forward to an awesome year!
Love,
Candice Phipps
Candice,
DeleteYou have recognized some areas that many of us as teachers need to revisit often! Here are 25 certification points! Save a copy of this in a word document to submit later.
January 12, 2014
ReplyDeleteDear Self,
As you embark on this school year here a few reminders of how you can help yourself, as well as your class be much more successful. First of all, DO NOT lose your temper when a student challenges you! Doing so only gives the student the power, and if you lose the battle you also lose the respect of the rest of your class! “When we lose our temper with difficult kids and yell at them, we don’t fix our teaching problem, we make it worse,” Chris Biffle, 2013. This year I will remember to instead of breeding challenging behaviors I will engage my students more by using the Whole Brain Teaching system which will involve students emotionally, physically, and mentally leaving less room for challenging behavior! This year I will also be as organized as I can possibly be. I will prepare myself for the daily lessons I give, practice them have any materials needed done and ready for class, and there will be a place for everything in my classroom and students will be aware of where these places are! By taking the time to be organized and prepared I am leaving less room for any kind of chaos which will cause me to lose instructional time. I will also remember to follow-through as part of my organized classroom. Students will know that I mean what I say and I will not make promises I cannot keep, or threats that I cannot fulfill because I do not want a class that is “headed for CHALLENGING STUDENT HEAVEN!” This year I promise to challenge and engage my students positively and make instruction and learning fun!
Sincerely,
Angela Marin
Angela,
DeleteYou have set some very important goals for the new school year. You need to be more careful when editing your post. 'As you embark on this school year here a few reminders of how you can help yourself, as well as your class be much more successful.' 'I will prepare myself for the daily lessons I give, practice them have any materials needed done and ready for class, and there will be a place for everything in my classroom and students will be aware of where these places are!' Here are 10 points.
Dear Anthony,
ReplyDeleteYou are about to enter your 7th year of teaching (does the 7 year itch only apply to marriage?). Looking back on those years, it is so easy to focus on all of the things that you’ve done wrong. There are so many mistakes, that sometimes you don’t even know that you are doing something that is backfiring and creating a discordant, stressful environment unconducive to fun and learning.
Luckily you found Whole Brain Teaching. And there they are, right there in Chapter 3: 7 common mistakes that you have made and keep on making. Well, maybe this year we can turn that around! I’d like you to focus on the following 2 mistakes, to eliminate them permanently from your teaching repertoire:
Mistake 2: Because of your small class size (you currently have 6 students), and because of the nature of your school population (students with behavior disorders), you have far too frequently singled out students in front of their classmates, inadvertently strengthening and reinforcing their courageous misbehavior. Cut it out! Like Coach B says, don’t “nourish their rebellion by confronting them when they have onlookers”. Instead, be patient and look for an opportunity to discuss the matter privately with the student. If needs be, consider playing the Bull’s-eye game with them.
Mistake 6: Not all students (and certainly very few of mine) share the love of learning and the wonder of this incredible world that we call home. You should not expect them to be enthusiastic about plant cells unless you give them a reason – or even better – help them to discover a reason for themselves. In other words, show them, let them experience, taste, touch, hear and grow. Whatever the case, stop feeding them answers and doing the work for them! They will meet your expectations.
No matter what, remember old habits die hard. This will take repetitions, practice and hard work. But, believe you me; this work will be much easier than cleaning up all of the mess you keep making when you try those sorry, broken techniques. Grow or die and enjoy the journey to teacher heaven.
Anthony,
DeleteYou chose two very important areas, and two that I'm trying to focus on this year as well! It is so important to remember to address students privately to avoid those onlookers! Nice job! Here are 25 certification points. Save this post in a word document to submit later.
Dear LaWanda,
ReplyDeleteI would like to give you a few words of advice on how to avoid two common mistakes that will make your job more difficult. This first mistake I want to discuss with you is disorganization. “Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms.” That simple means “The less structure you have, the less structured your classes will be.” Challenging students love to see lack of structure. Please don’t make promises you don’t keep. If you do, your class is doomed. Another thing you need to do is make sure you keep your classroom organized and everything in its place at all times. Kids need structure and organization.
Another common mistake to avoid is “The less work you do outside of class, the more work your classes will be.” This means you need to prepare your lesson before you teach it. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. You must plan your lesson in advance. You have to stay at least one chapter ahead of the class. Make sure you invest time in preparing your lesson because failure to do so will show and the kids will act out. You owe it to your students to provide them with a fun-filled lesson so they can be college-ready for math. Plan, Plan, Plan. You have to make time to plan for instruction and reflect on your lessons. Always try to make every lesson better and engaging.
Lawanda,
Delete(I just realized your name isn't Taylor-from Chapter 1 ha!) You might want to go back and add your full name to each post so you will receive your certification points under your real name. You chose some of my favorites from this chapter! Organization and planning are so important as we work toward "teacher heaven"! Watch for those editing errors "That simple means" (simply). Here are 20 certification points to save in a word document to submit later.
Dear Me,
ReplyDeleteAs the year begins, I would like to give you some helpful reminders. First, yelling at students will only make their behaviors worse. As Chris Biffle stated, “Many of our most disruptive students come from families that are filled with superbly experienced, high volume yellers.” You can’t compete with that and you wouldn’t want to. It simply won’t work.
Next, start the year off organized and keep it that way! A helpful reminder from Chris Biffle is, “Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms. Your class will be a challenging student heaven!” Make sure you spend enough time preparing your classroom for organization and simple routines. Spend a day reorganizing files, dumping things you don’t need, and preparing student work areas for easy access. If you don’t model organization, your students won’t follow. If you don’t spend time teaching your students how to keep the room organized, they won’t. Make your classroom organization predictable so that every student knows exactly where things should go. Good luck!
Megan Gunter
Megan,
DeleteOrganization is so important! That coupled with Coach's tips on meeting with the challenging child alone rather than yelling in front of an audience can really move your classroom closer to "teacher heaven"! Good job! Here are 25 certification points to save in a word document and submit later.
Dear Nichole,
ReplyDeleteAs a human we all make mistakes and we will grow and learn. This year there are two things to focus on, mistakes to avoid. First and foremost maintain control of your temper. Your most challenging students will most likely, come from chaotic, loud homes where there is lots of yelling. Clearly yelling does not work, if it did “then children from crazed families would be our model pupils.” Secondly be organized and have an organized classroom. Make sure that every item has a place and that students know where it is. This will eliminate chaos getting supplies which minimizes the opportunity for disruptive behaviors, “challenging students thrive, adore, explode into wonders of rebel behavior, with loosey-goosey” environments. When you set an expectation stick to it, consistency is the key.
Here’s to a great year!
Nichole,
DeleteDon't you love the quote "“then children from crazed families would be our model pupils" ? It is one of my favorites - it really hits the nail on the head! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Adrienne,
ReplyDeleteYou know that “when we lose our temper…we don´t fix our teaching problem, we make it worse.” You have very little patience with certain behaviors like when you have to repeat the same instructions ten times or hear a student in the corner saying “teacher, teacher, TEACHER!” trying to get your attention. When these things happen take a deep breath and respond to students in a calm voice. Write instructions on the board and simply point to them when a student asks what they´re supposed to be doing for the tenth time.
In addition, “Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms”. You´ve implemented a class routine that has been working wonders for your class management. Be consistent! A little more organization can fix many problems.
I know you don´t like to hear it, but “the less work you do outside of class, the more work your classes will be.” You should spend some more time planning out lessons more thoroughly, including what you will write on the board. Create a back-up plan for when there is no internet, the computer is not working or the lights go out.
Please take my advice because you and your students will notice a huge difference!
Love,
Your conscience
Adrienne,
DeleteThe "teach/okay" system is a perfect solution for those students that say they don't know the instructions! You might try using the WBT lesson plan template, it is so helpful as you plan daily lessons, and helps you remember to use all 5 steps on the lesson plan (including teach/ok, mirrors, praise etc.). Great job! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Amber,
ReplyDeleteYou did it again. You lost your cool in front of your students. You were unprepared, so you improvised by flapping your jaws too long. Your students got tired and you got angry. That is not okay. I want you to shake it off and move on. Tomorrow will be a new day. There are a few things you can remember and prepare yourself with from Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids. Keep reading and I will remind you of those. Also remember Chris Biffle’s words of advice, “There are no shortcuts to excellence.”
You broke mistake number one in Chapter 3 of Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids. As the book states, “When we lose our temper with difficult kids and yell at them, we don’t fix our teaching problem, we make it worse.” The kids did not learn from you today. They just figured out how to make you tick and can use that in the future. Next time, just be cool, calm and collected. Use the scoreboard more. They should be following rule #5 by making you happy. You should also be following the Whole Brain Teaching Law of talking less and letting your students interact more.
Please also remember mistake number 5. Chris Biffle states, “The less work you do outside of class, the more work your class will be.” If only you would have made sure all materials were ready and accounted for. If only you would have thought through exactly what you wanted your students to walk away with. If only you would have figured out your motions and sayings before there were forty little eyeballs staring at you.
The “if only” statements could go on for a long time. Let’s just stop thinking of them for now and remember to be prepared and “grow or die.” So choose right now to grow from this day and this experience. Get ready for another day. Get ready for tomorrow. You can be an excellent teacher. You can put in the hard work to help those little ones be successful. You can and you will.
Love,
Amber Hartzler
Amber,
ReplyDeleteYou are on the road to excellence as a teacher! Can't wait to hear more about your journey with WBT! Here are 25 points! Be sure to save this post and points in a document to submit later for certification.
Dear Caroline,
ReplyDeleteAs you go into your first year teaching, there are some things I want you to remember. The first year is going to be a whirlwind; it may be nothing like the first grade class you took over for last year. Think about why you want to be a teacher in the first place. You love children, you have a passion and a drive to make learning fun again! You may face children this year with difficult personalities that may know just the right things to push your buttons, but you cannot forget who you are and how you manage your classroom. “You are a teacher, grow, learn, transform yourself or die by ossification.” Chris Biffle, 2013.
When a student begins to exercise his or her limits in the classroom, you have to remember: when confronting rebellious students, you must not do it in front of their peers; doing this will make them braver, and more rebellious. It will become a game in a sense. What can I do to push Miss Karp’s buttons? Another way to handle a situation like this would be to speak with them one on one without an audience. Take away the spotlight that is created when reprimanding a child in front of the entire class.
Another thing to remember is that embracing each of your student’s differences (whatever they may be) is of the utmost importance. Each child is different, and the lower level learners cannot be “written off” just because they don’t learn as quickly as the rest of the class. This is where falling in love and putting in the prep work walk hand in hand. If you love your job, you won’t mind putting in the mountainous amounts of labor, preparing, practicing, researching, thinking through, refining instructional units, and differentiation instruction for those learners. If you ever lose that passion and drive, you are in trouble. “Here is the great law that governs the universe. And the classroom. Grow or die.” Chris Biffle, 2013. As a teacher, if you are not growing, learning yourself, and enjoying your job. Your distain for your job will be tangible and you can expect the children to pick up on that.
Overall, fall in love with teaching. If you love your job, everything will fall into place.
I know you’re going to rock this year!
Love,
Caroline Karp
Caroline,
DeleteThis is a great letter! You touched on some powerful points that can help you have a smooth and successful year! Here are 25 certification points! Keep a copy of all of your posts and the awarded points to turn in later.
Dear Jackie,
ReplyDeleteAs you enter another new year of teaching, you are always looking for new areas to improve upon. This year instead of looking at a particular subject area in academics, you should really focus on yourself and the way you react to your students’ behavior. It will change your perspective entirely. As teachers, we are constantly being tested and challenged by our students. Sometimes, we lose our “cool” and mishandle situations with them. I’ve been reading a fantastic book called “Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids” by Chris Biffle. One of the chapters is focused on common teaching mistakes. It turns out that the most common mistake made by teachers is losing your temper and yelling at your problematic or challenging students. I know that you rarely lose your temper, but keep in mind that Chris Biffle states, “If being addressed by screaming, out of control adults made our challenging kids better, then children from crazed families would be our model pupils.” You know that this is not the case. It is these exact children that have the problematic behaviors. These kids hear yelling so often at home, they are pros at tuning it out. You’re not going to have anything productive come out of it and you will have successfully let them know that they have gotten to you. At all times, you MUST stay calm and whatever you do, DON”T confront them in front of the class! Difficult students love having an audience. This is mistake number two. Even if you are not yelling at them, correcting them when they have onlookers only increases their defiance. According to Biffle, “Our most difficult kids, given the opportunity to increase their reputation for toughness, will cunningly defy us, if they are surrounded by their classmates.” This is what they know. This is what they have learned from the adults in their personal lives. Be different from them. Pull the student aside quietly, give them the respect that you are looking for, and discuss the issue in private. Remember that many of them have home lives that you couldn’t even imagine, a life where there are no decent examples, and no respect given, no matter what. Be the example in your classroom. These kids are not like you. I know that you are going to have a great year and I want to leave you with one last quote from Chris Biffle, “Invite students into your world; don’t expect to find them already there.”
Take Care,
Jackie Rabin
Jackie,
DeleteYou are so right, these kids ARE pros at tuning out yelling. That's why it is so wonderful to have all of our WBT techniques in our back pocket! Nice job! Here are 25 certification points. Save all of your posts and points awarded in a word document to turn in later for certification.
Dear Self,
ReplyDeleteWe are coming to the end of this year. Thank you for your great effort in teaching. I know how a dedicated teacher you are, which I appreciate very much. However, I’m sure you will have more peace and less trouble in your classrooms which help you teach more effectively, if you take my advice to heart.
Pınar, I can see you work a lot in the classroom but this overwork within the classroom exhausts you very much. I’m very sorry to see that you look as if you were out of a war when the bell rings and you walk out of the classroom. Things may not go very well on the track. To make it worse, your challenging students try to do their best to tear every single hair of yours on the head when you are not well prepared. This isn’t their fault, though. It’s ‘us’; our ‘bad teaching’, which make the problems worse. As Chris Biffle says, “Teachers, by their teaching choices, create environments that nourish rebel behaviour.” The secret of having all these chaotic classrooms behind is ‘to be superbly organized’. Just an ordinary planning isn’t enough. You should always have Plan B, C or even Plan D! You should get to know your students better than everyone else. You need to analyse their different needs and different learning styles to come up with effective activities according to your student profiles. You can try Power teaching methods which appeal to multiple intelligences.
Secondly, ignoring the fact that “our students aren’t our clones” (Chris Biffle, 2013) is another common mistake which we all must avoid. You might have been a very hardworking, well-behaved or genius student in the past but it doesn’t mean that your students have to be the same. Ignoring students’ real potentials may result in even more rebellion. They can feel that you have got very high expectations about them and this might end up either with failure by the fear of not reaching your expectations or with anger as they are not accepted as individuals. Always remember that each student is an individual and accept them as they are. Instead of expecting them waiting there for you, attract them to your world naturally. If you try to discover the unique essence of each child that will help you appreciate and connect with the distinctive nature of each child so that you will have more peaceful classrooms.
Pınar, I know you are meant to be a teacher; please don’t let these weaknesses of you to interrupt and take the soul of your teaching away. I’m sure you will make the most of the coming year with this advice in mind.
Sincerely,
Pınar Boynikoğlu
Pinar,
ReplyDeleteVery insightful letter! I really like your statement, "If you try to discover the unique essence of each child, that will help you appreciate and connect with the distinctive nature of each child so that you will have more peaceful classrooms." Here are 25 points for you!
Dear Self,
ReplyDeleteAs a teacher of more than 10 years, you know many of the pitfalls of teaching: never lose your temper and yell at the students, don’t give the rebel-rouser an audience, be prepared and super organized.
I am writing to you today to let you know about some other pitfalls that I have been reading about in Chris Biffle’s book ‘Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids’. I will address two issues today.
First off, it is a mistake to think all the students should be like you. I know, I know, this is very hard for you because you love school so much. Everyone does not feel the same. It can be very discouraging when you spend hours and hours planning, what you feel, are exciting lessons, and then to hear groans from your students, and complaints. You need to remember that your students come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences. Their parents may not have had positive experiences in school and may have passed this sentiment on to their own children. Coach B says, “Invite students into your world; don’t expect to find them already there.” Learn to accept and love children where they are at right now.
“Grow or die”, is another quote from the book. Some teachers can get stuck in a rut, teaching the same thing year after year. Please don’t ever let this happen to you. Reading this book and watching the WBT videos is a good start to keeping things fresh and lively. Attending the technology conference was another great move. You must keep up with cultural trends to keep your students motivated. For example, Chris encourages leveling up as a strategy (ie. Super Improver Wall, Super Speed Reading) because kids love video games. Using ipads and netbooks in the classroom also keep students current in the latest styles of teaching and learning.
Keep on networking with other teachers at school and on the WBT network.
Happy teaching!
Bonnie Marvin
Bonnie,
ReplyDeleteI love your choice of "Grow or die." It is so very true in education. Many teachers forget that we are educating children for their future and not for our past. Here are your 25 certification points. Save all of your posts and points awarded in a word document to turn in later for certification.
Dear self,
ReplyDeleteI am busy reading chapter 3 and thinking about the mistakes that teachers make and several really resonate with me. The first one is that disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms. I know this is true because I am generally very organized but I know that when things are hectic, I sometimes can’t find the copies I made or find the technology I need and the longer that I take to find things, while the students are waiting, the classroom gets noisier and more off-track. In the coming year, I will continue to organize things so that I am ready for the entire day. For computer activities, it helps me to have everything in the bar at the bottom rather than pulling up each program on the Promethean board while the kids are waiting.
The other mistake that teachers often make is to grow or die. I truly believe that teachers need to be always learning new things or die. Chris Biffle says “If you’re afraid to try new teaching techniques, you are petrifying yourself to death.” (p.13). In the next year, I will continue to read teacher blogs, belong to associations like International Reading Association and reading their journals. I am also starting this journey to learn about and try out WBT in my classroom. I am very new to this and have only learned about the book and website in the last few months. I am slowly watching the webinars, reading the book and trying things out in my classroom. I know that in the coming year, I will put up a super improvers wall and try out lots of new things.
Mary Carlson
Mary,
ReplyDeleteI like that you chose the quote from Coach B about petrifying yourself to death if you don't try new things. You are on the road to trying one of the most incredible classroom revolutions! Here are your 25 certification points. Make sure you copy your posts into a document and save a running total of your points.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDear Self,
ReplyDeleteIn order to avoid some of the pitfalls of teaching, you must remember two things. First, use your tally sheet to prevent yelling at students. Second, spend time preparing how you will teach each lesson. These simple suggestions will help you to become a more productive teacher.
By using the tally sheet with the techniques for Whole Brain Teaching, you will remember to use the class as the disciplinarians rather than yourself. Chris Biffle states, “When we lose our temper with difficult kids and yell at them, we don’t fix our teaching problem, we make it worse.” You will only need to say a rule number and the rest of the class will remind the rule-breakers to shape up. You will not feel the need to yell at the rabble-rousers. You can let the rest of the class do it. The scoreboard will become your best friend for class behavior. Remember to use it often to keep the class on their toes.
You need to spend time figuring out how you will present lessons. By lining each lesson up before you present it to the class, you will ensure that you are touching on all 5 points of the Whole Brain Teaching lesson plan. This planning will also help to ensure that you keep your lessons to 10 minutes or less. Plan what gestures you will use and the exact words you will use to define each concept. Be sure to have several examples for each concept and to make time for the critical thinking part of the lesson. Biffle comments, ”If you don’t pay the price before you step into the classroom, you’ll pay the price as you fumble through shoddy lessons.” Use the resources available on the website in order to aide you in this. You can do it!
Liz Howard
Liz,
ReplyDeleteYou are right! setting goals for yourself is one of the best models for your students. By using the WBT strategies and lesson planning tools you will foster an environment that creates happy/busy/ready to learn students and happy a teacher. Here are your 25 certification points.
Dear Fabiola,
ReplyDeleteAs you find yourself starting on a new stage of your life, new school, new staff and new technique, I know you are very fortunate that this Whole Brain Teaching book has come into your hands, specifically pointing out possible mistakes you could have committed, like losing your temper and yelling to the students. Knowing that most of them know exactly your weak spots, being as intelligent and perceptive as they are , and as Coach B states:” our students are geniuses at rebellion”, the way to stop that, is to get their attention in a new fun and interesting way, taking away their ability to rebel and improving your teaching. There is no better way to do that than to work more outside the classroom, planning every step of your class, preparing, organizing and exploiting that great creativity and passion I know you possess.
All of this can only be achieved with great organizational skills, you have a responsibility to be a good teacher and have the privilege to have fun with it and ripe the rewards, when you do, you can see the joy of your students when they come into the classroom , instead of watching boredom and mischief already set in their eyes, you will see enthusiasm and positivism.
I am sure , that when every step of the system is implemented, and you see how great everyone´s goals have come about, it will make you adore your profession, but it will make you step up in your career and in the pursuit of personal achievements, because you will be implementing habits, organization, planning and control in your life which will make grow in all areas. As Biffle says: “grow or die”
My best of lucks my dear! You can make it!
Fabiola Macias
Fabiola,
DeleteI love to see that you recognize your strengths in creativity and passion in the classroom! Don't forget, we are looking for college level writing, so watch out for those run on sentences (there were several in this essay). Here are 10 certification points. Save this document and points to turn in later for certification.
Dear Ashley,
ReplyDeleteI know that you are excited about the startup of a new year. You have been given a lot of new and exciting responsibilities for this school year. Your principal has assigned you a student teacher for the first time. This is your year to shine and shape our upcoming educators. I would like to give you a few words of wisdom before you start the year.
First, I would like to state the obvious. You are not the most organized teacher. We all joke about this, but I know that you can get overwhelmed when you misplace a lesson, data or a note. Chris Biffle states, “Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms.” The good news is that becoming organized can be easier than you believe. You have had your eye on that pretty lesson plan book. This book has pockets for important documents, calendars and pages for notes. The book will help you organizes your lessons and important dates all in one place. I also suggest placing labeled bins around the room for supplies. This will help the students become organized, too.
You have always had a passion for learning new strategies for your classroom. You are always quick to jump on board when your principal sends a task your way. You agree with Coach Biffle that teachers must “grow, learn, transform, or die.” The problem is that you get easily overwhelmed by taking too much on. Always remember to become an expert at one strategy at a time. There is always time to focus on new strategies.
I challenge you to focus on becoming a Whole Brain Teaching expert. You will be surprised how everything else in your classroom will fall into place.
Love,
Ashley
Ashley,
DeleteI am so happy that you have chosen these two areas to focus. You are very right, disorganized teachers lead to chaotic classrooms. With the up and coming expectations for education, any wasted time in the classroom is a disservice to your students. I also respect your choice for "grow, learn, transform, or die" quote. This is so very true in education!
Here are your 25 certification points. Please keep a running document with your posts and points for certification!
Dear Self,
ReplyDeleteAs the new school year begins I would like to point out to you the crucial mistakes that many teachers make. These are the mistakes that YOU will try to avoid during this upcoming school year. The first of which is being prepared for your lessons. As you may have already realized the more prepared for each of your lessons the better the lesson carries out. In order for your students to get every detail out of your lesson you need to put in the work ahead of time. This classroom preparation begins in mid-July. Instead of “taking it easy” as the book describes in the last month of summer, begin to plan the new years classroom climate and culture. Plan any new systems of teaching, what your walls are going to look like, how your tables, chairs, and desk will be situated. Summer prep for the first day of school is critical and will take more than just the week before school starts to successfully plan and set-up. Another key of preparing your classroom and lessons for students is being able to adapt for change. Which leads to our next mistake.
Even our best-laid plans are going to need some revising. However if you going into this next school year make the common teaching mistake of not growing and adapting to your new classroom and students you will fail (or as the book says die). “As your growth declines, their challenging behavior sky rockets”. Assuming that what you plan at the beginning of the school year will last you the entire long ride is foolish. Every student you educate grows and his or her personalities are always changing. Your school climate changes every year and even your own personality is changing over time. Be prepared to change and grow with your students, adapting to their needs and behaviors. Without the ability to do this your school year will not be successful. So self, please take these warnings seriously,
Sincerely,
Grand Master T,
Thomashefsky Enterprises LLC.
Jason Thomashefsky
Jason,
DeleteNice job! You chose some strong points to focus on! Planning ahead is crucial to a successful year! Here are 25 certification points. (Save all posts and points awarded in a word document to submit later for certification)
Dear Mrs. Brown,
ReplyDeleteNext school year please avoid the assumption that all students are going to be like you were in school and speak respectfully to their teacher. You will make the students more disruptive. Get to know the most challenging students and “invite them into your world” (Biffle 2013). Your most challenging students will be less challenging and more cooperative. Also, make sure you are participating in all of the professional development activities that you can. Remember, you will “grow as a teacher or die by ossification” (Biffle 2013). If you do not grow as a teacher your students will suffer and your will have behavior issues in your class. Teaching is a “seesaw” (Biffle 2013). You are on one end and your students are on the other end. If you decline to grow as a teacher your students’ behavior will grow higher.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Brown
Mrs. Brown,
DeleteInviting challenging students "into our world" makes a huge difference! Nice job! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Carl,
ReplyDeleteAs you begin the new year as a coach and administrator of teachers, it is important to address the seven common teaching mistakes that makes our lives miserable. I say "ours" because you are no more than the head teacher (or second head teacher) and the school will rise and fall on the efforts of the entire staff. Be sure to model and emphasize the importance of not losing your temper. Many rebellious students are used to people yelling at them. They may even find it amusing and entertaining to have you jump up and down and get red in the face while you read them the riot act. It may be exactly the reinforcement they are looking for. As Coach B says "If being addressed by screaming, out of control adults made our challenging kids better, then children from crazed families would be our model pupils."
Also make sure to model and emphasize not confronting rebellious students in front of their peers. This is a recipe for disaster. They know exactly how to push your buttons and entertain their followers using their expertise in rebellion gained over years of practice. Instead, confront them at a time when they don't have an audience. It will give you time to consider your approach and will rob them of their audience. Coach B puts it this way, ". . . these highly killed rebels relish the spotlight."
These two points can be useful to all adults in the school, not just the teachers, including the head teacher (or second head teacher). Don’t forget to study and avoid the other five common teaching mistakes.
Carl Rust
Carl,
DeleteYou chose two very important points to focus on in your new position! Your students will thrive with these small changes (and so will your staff)! Here are 25 certification points! Save all of your posts and points awarded to turn in later for certification.
Chapter 3: Seven Common Teaching Mistakes
ReplyDeleteDearest Karen,
I hope you are of good health. I just wanted to give you some advice for the upcoming year. First, I would like to tell you to let yourself learn. You do not know everything and there is always more to out there to soak up. Get out there and do more, be more, and you and your students will thrive in all directions. You must remember “Grow or Die.” Next, I would like to remind you that you love your job. You are good at what you do and that is why God put you here. Every day is not going to be a walk in the park. There are going to be challenges and you must take them on with a vengeance. “The unhappier you are as an instructor, the unhappier your classes will make you.” Enjoy your profession and have fun and the students will have fun also.
Sincerely,
Karen
Karen,
DeleteAdding that positive outlook and an element of fun can really turn your year around! Nice job - here are 25 certification points. Save your posts and points awarded in a word document and submit them later for certification.
Dear Joyce,
ReplyDeleteThis year is all about change. You are taking the plunge into Whole Brain teaching, and your classroom is not going to look or feel the same. After 24 years of teaching this can be a scary thing, but change is also a good thing. This is especially true when it is change for the better, and you know that this is exactly what Whole Brain teaching is. There will be challenging days, but if you do not grow, you will die as a teacher. So have fun. Don't expect perfection from yourself. You are going to make mistakes along the way, but this is how you will learn, and become an even better teacher.
Of course, you know that with anything new, there is going to be a huge amount of preparation. You can only do so much over the summer. The real work begins as you plan your lessons each week. Teaching is your ministry, and it deserves all the time necessary to make it a successful ministry. Remember the quote you read by Chris Biffle: "Outstanding instruction involves huge, truly mountainous amounts of labor, preparing, practicing, researching, thinking through, refining instructional units." So do not get lazy about putting in the time that Whole Brain teaching will take. Your kids deserve your very best every day of the school year, and this is exactly what you are going to give them. It is going to be an awesome year!
Joyce Ray
Joyce,
DeleteChange is difficult, but I feel confident that you will be very pleased with the results! WBT is so amazing, you will wish you had used it the entire 24 years! Here are 25 certification points! Save all of your posts and points awarded in a word document to submit later for certification.
Dear Heidi,
ReplyDeleteThere are a few errors you have been making in your classroom and I want to offer you some advice about avoiding these mistakes in the future.
First of all, confronting rebellious students when they have an audience will just make them braver and more rebellious. As Coach B says, "We make challenging students more challenging, we nourish their rebellion by confronting them when they have onlookers." Please try to avoid confronting these students with others around.
The second error that I've noticed is that you haven't changed any of your practices in quite awhile. You haven't even used what you've learned from your professional development to help you grow. "Grow or die." Everything has to grow to keep on living; plants, nations, businesses, and even teachers. "You're a teacher. Grow, learn, transform yourself, or die by ossification."
I hope you find my advice useful and will use it immediately to avoid the errors that I have been noticing in your classroom.
Love,
Heidi Baird
Heidi,
DeleteAlthough it does take concentrated effort to change our habits in teaching, these strategies will produce such wonderful results that you will be in Teacher Heaven! Nice job! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Kelly,
ReplyDeleteBefore the 2014-15 school year begins, I would like to remind you of a couple of mistakes that are made in many classrooms today. If you will remember these and avoid them at all cost, you will be giving the greatest gift you could ever give yourself!
One mistake that many teachers, including you, make is to allow yourself to get angry with defiant, rebellious students. Although you might be tempted to want to raise your voice at students that behave like this, please do not. As Chris Biffle stated, “If being addressed by screaming, out of control adults made our challenging kids better, then children from crazed families would be our model pupils.”
Another mistake that is common in classrooms across our nation is for teachers to think that every student is going to be a model student just like they were. Like Coach B. said, “Your kids are round pegs that won’t fit into your square hole.” It is important to remember that challenging kids will show you the most unimaginable behaviors (especially when you are getting observed by your principal) when they are not invited into your world. So remember to have a passion for ALL students and you just might find yourself in “teacher heaven”. ☺
By implementing and using the Super Improvers Wall in your classroom this year, I think you will have these common mistakes whipped!
Hugs,
Kelly
Kelly,
DeleteGreat post to yourself! I put a card with my name on it up on the Super Improvers Team Wall too! I don't tell my students what my goals are, but they love to see me earn a Star. Here are 25 points for you!
Dear Self,
ReplyDeleteI'm about to start my 34th year of teaching. My, how I have grown. But, in this business there is always room for more growth. Here are two mistakes where I can improve.
First, I need to improve my organization. After so many years in the classroom, I've become lax about having everything needed for a lesson at my finger tips. I always feel prepared, but the first class often sees me digging for a file, model, or stack of papers. I need to tighten up the ship. Coach B wrote, " Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms." I don't want breaks in the flow of the class that not only waste time, but allow time for misbehavior to brew.
The second area is related to mistake number 6: wanting your students to like you. I'm ashamed to admit that I teeter on the edge of this one. It's isn't so much that I want them to like me, but I want to be more popular than the other teachers on my team. (teen angst throw back). I am my unique self and will not compare myself to other teachers (none of whom use WBT). "Invite students into your world: don't expect to find them already there," advises Coach B. It would be pretty boring if all of the fifth grade teachers were clones. We each have strong and weak points. Engaging students in active learning is one of my strong qualities. I welcome all students to my world.
I'm going to be in teacher heaven this year!
Sheryl Larson (aka teacher sd)
Sheryl,
ReplyDeleteNice self-evaluation! Congratulations on your contributions to children through the years!! Be careful of minor edits: "It's isn't so much..." Here are 25 points for you!
Dear Arlene,
ReplyDeleteThis year brings forth many challenges as you begin teaching a new grade! You've taught first grade for seven years and this year you’re moving up in the world and teaching third grade! I’m so excited for you and a little nervous. If you want to have an outstanding year, then do not fall prey to these two mistakes: Thinking you don’t have to work at home to prepare fabulous lessons and thinking you can set up an organized classroom by shooting from the hip.
You’re reminded by Coach B that the less work you do outside of class, the more work your classes will be. Your goal is to have an outstanding year which requires huge amounts of labor of preparing, practicing, researching, and refining instructional units. Remember Arlene, you won’t save yourself work by taking it easy at home; you must invest hours of preparation at home to be in the realm of teacher heaven!
Also, you've always been a stickler for making sure “Everything Has Its Place.” Now is the time to set up your new classroom to support your motto, “E.H.I.P”. Coach B says disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms. If you’re driven to have a peaceful, yet engaging and enthusiastic classroom then you must set up an organized classroom where each student knows where to go and look for specific items.
You can do this Arlene!! PREPARE and E.H.I.P!
Warm Regards,
Arlene Snyder
Dear Arlene,
ReplyDeleteThis year brings forth many challenges as you begin teaching a new grade! You've taught first grade for seven years and this year you’re moving up in the world and teaching third grade! I’m so excited for you and a little nervous. If you want to have an outstanding year, then do not fall prey to these two mistakes: Thinking you don’t have to work at home to prepare fabulous lessons and thinking you can set up an organized classroom by shooting from the hip.
You’re reminded by Coach B that the less work you do outside of class, the more work your classes will be. Your goal is to have an outstanding year which requires huge amounts of labor of preparing, practicing, researching, and refining instructional units. Remember Arlene, you won’t save yourself work by taking it easy at home; you must invest hours of preparation at home to be in the realm of teacher heaven!
Also, you’ve always been a stickler for making sure “Everything Has Its Place.” Now is the time to set up your new classroom to support your motto, “E.H.I.P”. Coach B says disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms. If you’re driven to have a peaceful, yet engaging and enthusiastic classroom then you must set up an organized classroom where each student knows where to go and look for specific items.
You can do this Arlene!! PREPARE and E.H.I.P!
Warm Regards,
Arlene Snyder
Arlene,
DeleteYou just hit two huge challenges for many educators! I love the EHIP! Nice job! Here are 25 points for you!
Dear Kim,
ReplyDeleteOne school year has ended and another one is about to begin. Last year was a very hard and challenging year. Looking back, you did so many things right. I am proud of you for doing the best you could under very difficult circumstances. Reflection is an important part of being a lifelong learner. There are two things to work that you should work on next year.
Chis Biffle said, “Confronting rebellious students when they have an audience of their peers, will make them braver, more rebellious.” You know that! As the year progressed, you did not always practice it. The students in your class are confronted, embarrassed, yelled at, and put down at home. Confronting students in front of their peers will only escalate the problem. Your classroom must be a safe and nurturing environment for them to grow and learn.
As the year wore on, you focused all your time and energy on these four students with behavior challenges. As a result, your joy and passion for creating inventive, creative, and fun lessons dwindled. You felt as though you were letting down the others in your classroom. As that happened, you began to become frustrated and you started to lose your joy for teaching. Chis Biffle, 2013, said, “Teachers who don’t like teaching have the most challenging students. The unhappier you are as an instructor, the unhappier your classes will make you.” This year, get back to one thing you do very well. Create the lessons that will inspire your students to want to know more and grow more as learners. Have fun creating the lessons. Get “giddy” over finding something new or an out of the box idea you have come up with. Have fun, remember your mission, fall in love with teaching again, and the rest will fall in place. Chris Biffle said, "Here is the great law that governs the universe. And the classroom. Grow or die." It is time for you to blossom again!
I have complete faith in you!
Kim Kirkpatrick
Kim,
DeleteI appreciate your statement "Your classroom must be a safe and nurturing environment for them to grow and learn." Using WBT strategies, you will be able to provide just what they need! Here are 25 certification points! Save your posts and points awarded in a word document to submit later for certification!
Note to self:
ReplyDeleteThere are 2 teaching mistakes that I want you to be aware of.
Number 1: When we lose our temper with difficult kids and yell at them, we don’t fix our teaching problem, we make it worse.
At any time you feel like you are about to lose your temper, think about the end result. Who are you kidding? This sends a message to the students that you don’t have control over the class. The kids love to see a teacher lose their cool. Just avoid the negatives and stick with the positives. Coach B provides you with many alternatives when it comes to discipline problems.
Number 2: Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms.
We both know that being disorganized is your downfall. Before the school year begins, make it a point to become clutter free and organize your classroom to avoid making this mistake. You will save yourself time and enjoy the school year a lot more.
As stated in the book, “Teachers, by their teaching choices, create environments that nourish rebel behavior.” Since you know what not to do, avoid doing it. I really hope you take my advice because you deserve a school year that isn't so stressful! Best wishes!
Love,
Self
Sherry Thompson
Sherry,
DeleteThese are two very important points! Isn't it wonderful that we have a little bit of summer time to reorganize and get a fresh start?! Here are 25 certification points.
My letter of advice:
ReplyDeleteAnother year has passed and it is time to start thinking about the next school year and all the changes I need to make.
My first change is organization. Chris Biffle made a great point, “Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms.” This is very true. I sometimes find myself spending a few minutes trying to locate supplies for the next lesson. While I am digging around for everything, my students are becoming bored sitting on the carpet. They start playing each other and goofing off while I am desperately getting things together for them. This year I will have some sort of daily management system for all my lesson materials. If I can get everything organized and together before my day starts, will not have any wait time on the carpet and have disruptive behavior.
My second change is to grow! Chris Biffle says, “If you’re afraid to try new teaching techniques, you are petrifying yourself to death.” I am very set in my teaching ways. Do I want to attend professional developments about new learning styles or teaching techniques? No! But after looking back at my last several years of teaching, I noticed that something needed to change. My same behavior chart that I have been using for 6 years is not working for many of students. This is going to be the biggest change for me but once I learn the new whole brain teaching techniques, I know I will not regret it. I challenge myself take on this new task and have a wonderful new school year.
Elizabeth Ivy
Elizabeth,
DeleteI love your statement "...but once I learn the new whole brain teaching techniques, I know I will not regret it." That's right! When you approach your day with organization and a back pocket full of WBT strategies, you will love the difference it makes! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Amanda,
ReplyDelete"Grow or die." (Biffle, 2013) Teaching today is more than just showing up on those contracted days and maintaining a status quo for the allotted hours you are required to be teaching. Chris Biffle said it best, "You're a teacher. Grow, learn, transform yourself, or die by ossification. If you are afraid to try new teaching techniques, you are petrifying yourself to death." The U.S. Census Bureau reports that 30% of of students are struggling and average one or more grade levels behind in their education. Many teachers feel overwhelmed with behavior issues and lay blame on out of control classrooms as the reason. According to Biffle, here are seven ways to avoid exacerbating those challenging behaviors:
1. control your temper
2. confront challenging students when they don't have an audience
3. be organized
4. fall in love with your profession
5. work hard at teaching, when you are not in class
6. understand that your students are not your clones
7. grow or die
Before the start of another school year, it is important to reflect on your own experiences and plan a way to avoid some of these mistake in the upcoming year. You know that you are less than perfect and could use a little behavior modification every now and again. In the next year, choose to focus on two of the common mistakes: Confronting challenging students and being organized.
"Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms." (Biffle, 2013) An organized classroom does not mean that at a quick glance around the room, there is a place for everything and everything has its place. Although this is a start, it is deeper than that. Planning and preparation are key to your survival as a teacher. You will do yourself a significant injustice if you teach on a whim or have a loose idea of what you will be doing. Your students deserve well thought out carefully orchestrated lessons that provide unique and engaging learning experiences. Acknowledging that "idle hands are the devil's playground" (Haziq Hamid) is key to the acceptance that it is your duty to keep your students on task and focused.
"Our worst students are geniuses at rebellion." (Biffle, 2013) In the heat of the moment, when the proverbial straw has broken the camel's back, it is important to appropriately choose the time and place to challenge that rowdy and defiant student. Realizing their ultimate goal is attention, it is vital to accept that they are seeking their peers attention more than yours. By confronting them in the moment, you are essentially giving them the stage. Not only does it thwart the intended learning goal, it creates an tug of war for audience control. Simply using the Whole Brain Teaching techniques will often redirect the challenging ones into compliance. If you can maintain center stage with engaging, interactive and entertaining teaching, most of the students will want to follow you. More often than not, the challenger will often succumb to the peer pressure and follow the teacher as their leader. Following up with this student in a less public arena is key to not only gaining that student's respect but also keeping your calm and focused demeanor.
As you continue on this Whole Brain Teaching journey, take the time to reflect on your past challenging students. Keep growing!
Amanda Dierking
Fantastic post Amanda! I can tell that you are really internalizing the WBT process. My favorite quote from your post was the geniuses at rebellion. It is so true. Man these kids have practiced and grown IQ points in attention seeking behaviors. To bad there isn't a test for that. But you are the master at seeing this test and you will create a room where this is not okay! Here are 25 certification points. Keep these points and your posts in a document for certification purposes. Welcome!
DeleteMeredith,
ReplyDeleteOver the years you have made many mistakes when confronted with challenging students. One mistake you have made is showing your temper when those challenging students push your buttons. When we lose our tempers, Chris Biffle states, “we don’t fix our teaching problem, we make it worse”. This year you will not lose your temper, you will use the techniques and strategies that Whole Brain has taught you to control the situation.
Another mistake that has been made over and over is not being prepared. I know that you always have your lesson plans completed but you do not always have your materials ready. Each day after school you need to gather all of the materials you will need for the next day. When you have all of your materials together those challenging students will not have the time to present their challenging behaviors. This will lead to a more engaged class and more motivated students.
Just by following these simple rules your class will be behaving better and ready to learn.
Meredith Benthall
Meredith,
DeleteUsing the WBT to help you with preparation and temper control will help you have a fabulous year! Here are 25 certification points! Save your posts and points awarded to submit later for certification.
Dear Ms. Goldberg (I sound so formal addressing my Teacher-self),
ReplyDeleteAs I read through Chapter 3 – Seven Common Teaching Mistakes, I could resonate with several of these common teacher errors. Thankfully, Error #1 is not my issue. In fact, my most challenging classes told me that one of the reasons that they liked me so much was because I never yelled at them no matter how “bad” they were. I explained if I yelled, I would get upset for yelling and they would be upset for being yelled at. It just wasn’t worth it to have that many people upset.
However, it was that same challenging group of students that had me making mistake #4. I always loved my job….always until this group entered my room in September and stayed until the end of June. I was also pregnant from October until June and dealing with this group was me “getting by” until I could start my full year maternity leave. I see now that even though I never yelled at this group of students, I was often making “facial expressions” and having “that little edge in my tone of voice, my sighs and small groans.” (Chapter 3, page 11). I’m sure the students were able to detect just how frustrated I was by their behaviour as a whole. I know I am returning from maternity leave to another challenging group. This year, I will face them with WBT right from the start, keeping my attitude positive and fun, and keeping the sighs and groans for the privacy of my car or my home.
Another mistake I have made in the past is #2. I always thought there were certain students who I needed to speak privately with about behaviour and work habits, while the more disruptive students would benefit from being spoken to in front of their peers. Mistake #2 clearly shows that “confronting rebellious students when they have an audience of their peers, will make them braver, more rebellious.” (Chapter 3, page 10). This year, those challenging students will not be made more challenging. I will not be “confronting them when they have onlookers.” (Chapter 3, page 10).
I look forward to heading back into work in September, after my full year maternity leave, with WBT in my pocket and the knowledge of the Seven Common Teaching Mistakes – and how to avoid making them.
Sincerely,
Me, Ms. Goldberg (Lisa Rebecca Goldberg)
Lisa,
DeleteIt looks as though you know yourself well! Try making weekly check-ins with yourself on how often you do this. Through the year, if I had something I was working on, I made it my goal and as I progressed, I would give myself Super Improver Stars. The kids occasionally knew what I was awarding myself for, other times it was personal. It is great to model for the kids how we all are working on improvement for certain things in our lives. Keep it up! Here are your 25 certification points.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDear Self,
ReplyDeleteYou have just a few more weeks and then you'll be back to school. You have worked hard this summer studying and reviewing Whole Brain Teaching. I know you are very excited to continue growing as a second year Whole Brain Teacher. There are a few topics that I wanted to remind you about to ensure that you have a great year from beginning to end. First, remember that your future disruptive students are "round pegs that won't fit into your square hole" as Coach Biffle said. You need to be willing to choose those students as part of my leadership team as you have the class rehearse the procedures.
Another key idea to having a wonderful school year is to "invite students into your world; don't expect to find them already there," as Coach said. Many of your students will need differentiated lessons regularly and have varied interests from you. Please take the time to get to know each student and what topics are important to them in their lives and what their learning styles are. Yes, it will take time and your schedule will already be full, but you will have to make the time. It may work for you to have one student per day read and talk with you for a few minutes when the class comes back from special while the rest is the class reads silently. Be brave and keep working hard as a teacher. You learn more and become a better each year. Keep it up and it will be a year full of enjoyable learning for you and your incoming third graders.
Sincerely,
Hannah Palmer
Hannah,
DeleteYou pointed out a very important aspect of WBT, focusing on each student as an individual and making time to prepare for these individual needs. Nice work! Here are 25 certification points.
Dear Self,
ReplyDeleteI know you are very excited to begin this school year but I want you to step back and make sure to keep a few key items in the forefront of your mind. You definitely don't want to start off on the wrong foot with your 5th. graders! I will tell you two key ways that make our challenging kids more challenging, and how to avoid them.
As Chris Biffle states in "Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids", "Our worst students are geniuses at rebellion." These kids love an audience and we deliver one to their table when we confront them in front of their peers. My best advice to you is to wait, allow both yourself and said student to cool off, then at the appropriate "no audience" time, address the issue.
The second mistake I don't want you to do is to be unorganized! You are usually very organized at the beginning of the year but taper off around Christmas or after. Make sure to keep up the organization pattern consistently throughout the year. We don't want to head for what Biffle calls a "challenging student heaven!"
Lacy Rhoton
Lacy,
DeleteYou have chosen two great goals for yourself! Our challenging kids thrive on chaotic environments and use this to breed chaos in other students. Keeping yourself organized and creating an environment where kids meet high expectations will create a place where everyone is happy, and learning! Here are your 25 certification points!
Dear Mitzi,
ReplyDeleteLet me start by telling you that you are a great Music teacher and have a passion for your students, which was evident in your performances and the relationships with your students last school year. There is always room for improvement. The area I would like you to focus on this year is classroom management.
The first thing I want you to do is use a WBT strategy instead of confronting rebellious students in front of their peers. Always remember that, "Our worst students are geniuses at rebellion." Sometimes you are in such a rush to deal with the misbehavior that you are creating a bigger problem and a welcome challenge for your "high flying" students who could win an Oscar for some of their performances.
The second thing to always remember is to not be afraid to try new things. As a teacher you must "grow or die". You cannot continue to do the same techniques day after day if you do not see positive results. Chris Biffle writes that "the more you practice our strategies, the more power you will have to change your student's lives, and the more power your students will have to master the learning tasks you set before them." You are a great teacher. Think about what you tell your students when they practice a song or their instrument: Practice makes permanent! Don't forget to apply this to your WBT strategies!
Love you,
Mitzi Emblidge
Mitzi,
DeleteI love your statement about our 'high flying' students who could win Oscars for performances, this is so very true. As the professional it is our job to disarm the student rather than to arm them with more power over our emotions and the classroom attention. Great post! Here are your 25 certification points.
Dear Jannelle,
ReplyDeleteIn four days you will begin the school year. All those mixed emotions will come rushing back as you start to piece together your classroom. There are a couple of things I want you to remember as you stare out into the overwhelming abyss of dusty furniture and boxes you forgot to label.
I need you to remember where you work. This isn't just a Title 1 school filled with challenging students. This is a safe haven for children who come from broken homes, where food is scare, parents are incarcerated or deported and clothing and books are luxuries. It's very important you remember this when your students start to act up because I know the first instinct is to yell them into submission. Chris Biffle said, "When we lose our temper with difficult kids and yell at them, we don't fix our teaching problem, we make it worse." Some children come to school not only to learn but to be loved.
Another mistake I want you to avoid is displaying any displeasure with teaching. Your students have absolutely NOTHING to do with your lack of supplies or added work load. There is a reason you chose to be a teacher and it wasn't because it was lucrative. You wanted to empower children to grow and discover the world. You need to learn how to "fall in love with your profession" again. "Teachers who don't like teaching have the most challenging students. The unhappier you are as an instructor, the unhappier your classes will make you." "Even if you think you are careful to mask your job dissatisfaction, your facial expressions, that little edge in your tone of voice, your sighs and small groans say it all." Do something for yourself to ignite that spark again! Do something fun with your students to help them love to learn again! The more you practice WBT strategies, " the more power you will have as an instructor to change your students' lives, and the more power your students will have to master the learning tasks you set before them."
Stick to this advice and you're going to have an AMAZING year! Oh yeah!!
Jannelle Davila
Jannelle,
DeleteGreat job at finding those quotes that 'spoke' to you as you read this chapter. You have identified some great ways to help yourself and your students to feel successful this year! One small typo, "where food is scare" (scarce). Here are your 25 certification points.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteDearest Patsy,
ReplyDeleteI am so proud of the time you have taken from your summer, to learn and grow as an educator. You have contributed greatly to your effort of "being the change you want to see," by recognizing that in order to teach your students the love of learning and growing, you must model this love of learning by learning and growing yourself. (ohh-yeah!!) I think now, you must begin to focus and visualize, yourself a week from today, mincing into the Teacher Heaven (choir of angels singing in the background) that awaits. The days of darkness in the 3rd level of Dante's hell are over!! Love, love, love your job, go back to the first day you stepped into your classroom as a first year teacher, as you realized and thought, "this is where I belong."
Over the last years, you have realized that students will learn when they are actively engaged. You have learned, on your own that bringing in games greatly contributes to the climate of the classroom in a positive way. WBT has now organized a genius system of tools and techniques to assist you in your craft. But, beware if you let your guard down you will slowly and surely begin to die. So, in order to keep you from slowly getting caught up on the other unimportant distractions of this world, you will wake up every Saturday morning, and after your prayers (of course) look up to the ceiling, focus on one of the many popcorns glancing down on you and murmur the following words, “grow, grow, grow.” At this point, you will open up your laptop and watch another of the many videos Coach B has on his website, read an article or reread your WBT book and comment on one of the chapters.
Remember to keep a firm grip on the handles of your “teaching seesaw” and
Keep in mind that in this world, you have two choices, to “grow or die.” You have chosen to “invite students into your (new) world,” or schema you are now blessed to have created for yourself and for them! You have chosen the right career path and you have earned yourself a point on your scoreboard, (mighty oh-yeah!) so love, learn and “grow, grow, grow.”
Yours truly,
Patsy Flores
Patsy,
DeleteYou found some spectacular ways to keep yourself growing! Your post was pumped full of fun and right on target! Here are your 25 certification points and 5 bonus points! Keep it up!
Welcome back to a new and exciting school year!
ReplyDeleteI want to talk with you about possibilities and promises. What if I told you that, this year, there is the possibility of “Teacher Heaven?” Take a second to let that sink in. Could it be possible to engage all students in active learning that is also fun? Could it be possible to wrangle those disruptive behaviors to your advantage and at the same time promote core concepts and the personal growth of each and every child? I’m here to tell you, no promise you, my dear staff, that this is possible!
In my 15 years of teaching, I have many challenging students. They come in different costumes: unruly students, disengaged students, and students who, despite their efforts, “just don’t get it.” Five years ago, I discovered Whole Brain Teaching. The stars aligned and my students were simultaneously learning and having fun. How is that possible?
WBT uses countless hours of teaching experience combined with brain research to create classrooms that are full of orderly fun. Rub your hands together, please, and beg for secrets of Whole Brain Teaching. I promise you will not be disappointed. I can also promise that this year:
You will talk less, and your students will learn more. You see, WBT is based on the golden rule, “the longer you talk, the more you lose them.”
Your students’ challenging behaviors will melt away. How is this possible, you ask? “If a student’s whole brain is involved in learning, there isn’t any mental area left over for challenging behavior.”
Your students will “follow your rules, because your rules are fun to follow.” Your classroom will look and sound like a “large and lively game” because what student doesn’t like a good game?
Welcome to Whole Brain Teaching, the “Teacher Heaven” of possibilities and promises.
Cheryl McCarty
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteGraded on Chap 1-2.
DeleteDearest Cheryl,
ReplyDeleteThe new school year is upon you. You can smell it in the crisp fall air. You LOVE what you do! How fortunate that every day is a new and exciting adventure in learning and relationships. You chose a profession that makes an immense difference in this world. There are some days, however, when you walk out of your classroom feeling less than stellar about the job that you do. Here are some tips to keep your passion burning bright.
Remember, “confronting rebellious student when they have an audience of peers, will make them braver, more rebellious.” This is a trap that you have fallen into and it never feels good. It’s time to break the cycle. You have secret weapon and that weapon is Whole Brain Teaching. Don’t lose your cool, not even for a second, because this type of reaction fuels the fire and will send you straight to Dante’s teaching hell. Instead, put on your WBT armor and use the tools and weapons that you have been trained to use!
Also, I beg you to stay organized! I know you have come a LONG way in this area. Keep your desk space free of clutter. Make your room a place you love to walk into each morning, not a place that makes you groan when you see the mountain of paperwork and supplies scattered across your classroom. Take the advice of you mother (amazing and organized teacher for 36 years) and put things away after you use them! Take the advice of Coach B. “At minimum, there should be a place for everything in your classroom, and everything should always be in the same place.”
Lastly, I want to compliment you, Cheryl. Coach B. says “Grow or die.” You haven’t died yet. You continuously seek opportunities to be a life long learner in your profession. You love learning. It is one of the reasons you became a teacher. Continue to surround yourself with others that love to grow and learn as much as you do. Those people will continue to challenge you.
Love,
Cheryl
Cheryl,
DeleteI agree, surrounding yourself with people that will challenge you to grow and learn is crucial! Oops, watch out for those little editing errors "Take the advice of you mother" (your). Great thoughts! Here are 20 certification points!
Dear Missy,
ReplyDeleteIt is so important that you remember that, “Bad teaching breeds challenging students.”(WBT p. 9) As a teacher, I want to encourage you to create a classroom environment that does not nourish rebellious behaviors. Do not forget these two very important tips as you implement WBT in your classroom.
1. Yelling or losing your temper with your students does not fix problems, it makes them worse. As Chris Biffle says, “If being addressed by screaming or out of control adults made our challenging kids better, then children from crazed families would be our model students.” (WBT p.10) That is profound and something to keep in mind each day as you teach those challenging little friends. One way to avoid losing your temper is to be prepared and keep those children engaged at all times.
2. As a teacher, you need to either grow or die. As you adopt WBT, be prepared to grow, learn, and transform yourself, so that your classroom is a living a vibrant environment. No one wants to learn with someone who is uninspired and not willing to grow and change to meet the needs of the students. You expect your children to grow and learn, so practice what you preach. Your goal each year should be a better teacher than you were the year before.
This year will be filled with new and exciting opportunities to make your classroom the best it has ever been. You can do this! Your students deserve it.
Sincerely,
Your old self
Melissa,
DeleteCreating a classroom that is a vibrant learning environment is entirely possible with WBT! I the quotes you chose, they are so powerful! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Holly,
ReplyDeleteWhen you are implementing Whole Brain Teaching in your class this year, please avoid making these common mistakes. First, try to remember that when you are staying late at work and prepping you are doing the right thing. Putting in the work outside of class time is important because you will be more prepared and more organized and the class will, in turn, be less chaotic. Try to remember that, “you don’t save yourself work by taking it easy at home” (Chris Biffle, 2013). This doesn’t mean that you cannot ever take a break, but work hard and spend some of the extra hours after your contract time because doing so pay off in the long run.
Second, try to remember that it is important to constantly grow as a teacher. This doesn’t mean that trying new things is always perfect or that you will get it right the first time. Trying new techniques and implementing activities outside your comfort zone can reap big rewards. If you lose sight of this, remember the picture of a seesaw: “ As your growth declines, their challenging behavior skyrockets” (Chris Biffle, 2013). When your growth increases, your challenging behaviors will decrease. Try to take these risks because big risks can have big rewards. Be a little uncomfortable. Teach outside of the box.
If you can remember avoid to these two common teaching mistakes along with keeping the other five in mind, you will create a “teaching heaven” instead of a “challenging student heaven” (Chris Biffle, 2013).
Good luck,
Holly Gorman
Holly,
DeleteGreat choices! Spending a little bit of extra time to prepare will prove to be one of the most valuable tips you can give yourself! Great job! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Amy,
ReplyDeleteThis year has been one of the most challenging yet. Just remember that with the most challenges come the most rewards! You have been doing a good job of keeping your cool and not yelling at those rebels in the classroom. Even when they show the most resistance, you have remained calm, yet firm. Try to remember to confront the rebels when they don’t have an audience – “confronting rebellious students when they have an audience of their peers, will make them braver, more rebellious.” You haven’t had a lot of choice when it comes to the chaos of the classroom, from banging construction crews to technology and electrical issues, you have seen a lot of disorganization in the classroom. Keep a good attitude and show the kids how exciting change can be! Like the book says, “Grow or die.” – This is going to be a year of phenomenal growth: for your students; for your student teacher; for yourself. Embrace this year and all that you will gain from it!
Sincerely,
Your teaching heart that still shines brightly
Amy Gilmer
Amy,
DeleteGreat letter! It sounds like you are having a "fun" year! Keeping your cool may not always be easy, but it sure does pay off in the long run! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Maestra: I have two errors for you to avoid this year. First. you need to put more effort into planning your lessons. Down to the inth degree. “The less work you do outside of the class, the more work your classes will be.” You have excellent lesson plans and SMARTboard slides but you haven’t broken down the nitty gritty details. Like goals: you need to shorten them, make them more comprehensible to the students. Re-write them into I can statements and no more than 7 words. Think of the gestures that can go with each learning target. I am not saying you are a lazy teacher, you need to refine your work to match the whole brain teaching way. You need to incorporate storytelling, embedded grammar lessons and whole brain, making the class more comprehensible and retainable. Second, don’t lose your temper! “Many of our most disruptive students come from families that are filled with superbly experienced, high volume yellers.” Which is why you need to remember to keep it cool at all times. Your students are depending on you to show them how to behave and how to treat others with respect and kindness. Remember to use rule number 5: Keep your dear teacher happy! The other errors to avoid are equally as important and strike a nerve with me but I am happy to say that you do love your job and everything about it, so keep on growing!
ReplyDeleteBecky Loftus
Spanish
Oberon Middle School
CCFLT President Elect
Becky,
DeleteYou have chosen some great goals to start working toward in 2015! I like your idea to shorten your goals. Small bites of information with gestures really do "stick" so much better than large chunks of information. Nice job! Here are 25 certification points! (Save the post/points awarded for future certification)
Of the seven common teaching mistakes I struggle with number 4 the most and sometimes number 6. “The unhappier you are as an instructor, the unhappier your classes will make you.” (p. 11, Biffle) I have now been teaching for eight years. Most of those years have been highly enjoyable. However, there are always years that present more of a challenge. For me those years were year 4 and year 7. This year I began the year with a positive outlook. I started from day 1 of classroom setup maintaining a positive attitude. Even when there have been struggles this year, I have focused on the optimistic outcomes rather than the disappointments. Don’t discuss the problem, discuss the solution! So far this school year I have had a wonderful year and absolutely adore my current class. I need to repeat this optimism every year!
ReplyDelete“Your kids are round pegs that won’t fit into your square hole.” (p. 11, Biffle) I believe I have struggled with some individual students because I don’t understand them and how their brain functions. I need to focus this year on getting to know my students brains’ better. I want to identify how each individual learns and teach in methods based on those individual needs. This strategy can help my students succeed far more than past students have been able.
Veronica,
DeleteIt is hard to know that we will have those difficult years, and those "different" students, but it is so wonderful to have the WBT strategies to help see us through those tough times! Keeping the positive outlook and meeting those student needs will help you feel better about the impact you are having on their lives! Here are 25 certification points. Save your posts and points awarded in a word document to submit later for certification.
The first error from chapter three that I know I will need to avoid is confronting rebellious students when they have an audience. Biffle states that, “Our worst students are geniuses at rebellion” (pg. 10). Starting around January, I have noticed that some second grade students no longer worry about the act of getting in trouble rather they initiate it in various ways. They seem to enjoy the negative attention because at least it is attention. I need to give these students attention in manners that don’t promote the negative behavior but foster good behavior (therefore increasing their learning and their peer’s learning).
ReplyDeleteThe second error from the chapter that I know that I will need to avoid is losing control over the classroom or students. Children need to know that their teacher is always in control over the classroom and themselves. When teachers lose their cool, the students lose respect for them. This loss of respect from students welcomes more disruptive students and extreme situations. Another problem with teachers losing the control could be best summed from Biffle when he states, “When teacher’s lose their temper with difficult students and yell at them, they don’t fix the problem, yelling at the student only makes the situation worse” (pg 10). Teachers need to be proactive in their discipline approach so that negative tendencies that the students have can be refocused so that extreme situations can be avoided. Teachers need to fix the problem not react to the problem. Laurisa Fling
Laurisa,
DeleteI love your statement "Teachers need to be proactive in their discipline approach so that negative tendencies that the students have can be refocused so that extreme situations can be avoided". Students crave attention and using this method allows us to focus on providing it in positive ways (thus ensuring our own day is much more pleasant)! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Amy,
ReplyDeleteAs you prepare for this new school year, let me take a few minutes of your time to offer some crucial advice. This is a fresh start to lay the foundation for the most successful year ever. Do you need a new bag of tricks? Are you tired of constantly trying to teach while disciplining challenging students? Whole Brain Teaching is a wonderful way to engage your students and make your life easier. With WBT, every area of the students’ brain is engaged, which minimizes their time to cause havoc. In Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids, it reminds us, “We make challenging students more challenging, we nourish their rebellion, by confronting them when they have onlookers.” It is so easy to be reactive when a student is being defiant. Instead, we need to be intentional, calm, and purposeful when dealing with our challenging students. This will help us to convert our challenging behavior students to students that seek attention in positive ways. A plan of action is needed so that when we are faced with difficult situations we already have a game plan and know how we will respond.
When we are in the middle of the chaos of the year, it is very easy to get apathetic about teaching and just try to survive. What if we purposed to thrive? “Grow, learn, transform yourself, or die by ossification.” This quote from WBT is a good reminder that teaching is a life long journey of learning. Teachers are learners. Now is the time to decide if this is a year to grow or to merely survive. Check out Whole Brain Teaching! It will be time well spent. I wish you a year filled with happiness, growth and success.
Sincerely,
Amy Ehmann
Amy,
DeleteYou are right, this is a great way to move from survival mode and transform yourself into a teacher with passion! Great job! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Elisabeth,
ReplyDeleteAs you prepare for the upcoming year, there are two things you should keep in mind to make this the best year possible. First, your students are “round pegs that won’t fit into your square hole.” I know you spend much of your personal time researching and preparing lessons that will motivate and enable your students to bloom and grow, but the truth is, they don’t know that and some of them don’t care! Expecting them to “mimic your values” will only lead to you disliking your more challenging students. Invite and entice your students into your world. Don’t just expect them to open the door, walk in, and make themselves at home. They may not be comfortable there. It is your job to make what you want to share irresistible to them. Engage them through effective management practices and orderly fun!
The second reminder is closely related to the first. There will be days that even your most effective management won’t be enough to engage your most challenging student(s). DO NOT give in to baser instincts and confront them in front of their peers. Students are often “braver and more rebellious” when they have an audience. Disruptive students “relish the spotlight” and become more disruptive when you “nourish their rebellion” by confronting them in front of their peers. Instead, breathe, speak calmly, and listen. Try to understand where they are coming from. Understanding is the key to learning.
By keeping these things in mind, you will have a great year!
Elisabeth Thompson
Elisabeth
DeleteBig yes to your comment, "It is your job to make what you want to share irresistible to them." WBT gives teachers lots of tools to help keep that learning irresistable! Here are 25 points!
Dear Hannah,
ReplyDeleteLet’s be real. Teaching is hard and having challenging students in your classroom makes it even harder. But you know what to do and what not to do! So don’t get too discouraged! In the book, you read about the seven common mistakes that teachers make. You know better than anyone else that you have made these mistakes in your teaching. I want you to remember, though, that there are ways to avoid making these mistakes and alternatives you can take. I know you can name exactly what students you have in the classroom that push your buttons. They make you want to scream into a pillow. But fear not! I am going to tell you how you can effectively confront these issues and fix my mistakes.
You have got to control your temper. Nothing good is going to come from you raising your voice. Remember, you teach in a high poverty district where most of the parents have little to no interaction with their child’s teacher. You may be the only positive person in their life. School may be the only safe place in their life. So talk to them with positive, encouraging language that doesn’t diminish them. Use choice language as often as you can so that you are staying positive. Remind them what the expectations are instead of telling them what they are doing wrong. These things will make an incredible impact on your challenging students!
When using choice language and talking calmly with students, pull them aside or out into the hall so that you can have an honest conversation with them. You know that those kids you decide to talk with openly are going to freak out. Just avoid the situation all together and remove yourselves from the room!
Stay organized! You know how to keep everything together! Whether its books, pencils, promises, assignments, and even expectations. Remember your first year when you promised someone they could eat lunch with you but then you had a meeting and had to cancel on the student? They were disruptive and misbehaved the rest of the day. Sometimes, the promises you make are the things that those kids look forward to the most in life! Don’t let them down!
Always love your job. You know why you do this. You know what difference you are making. I hope that you never lose that hope and that love for teaching that you’ve always had. Also, don’t forget to SHOW that you love your job to your students! Remember that they are always watching you and they know if you are happy or sad.
Like I said earlier, teaching is hard, but it’s worth it. All this work you do at home is worth it. All the hours you spend after school, over the weekend, and on break are worth it. All the planning you do to make learning fun and educational is worth it. Don’t lose sight of what is worth it in teaching.
Although you were a star student and teacher’s pet, all of your students are not like that. Yes, there are a select few that will carry the torch, but most of your students will not. “Your kids are round pegs that won’t fit into your square hole.” You have to be patient with them and show them how leaning can be awesome! You must also continue to love and support those students who aren’t exactly like you!
Professional development is one of those inevitable teacher things. But don’t we all need it? Can’t we all continue to grow? Can’t we all learn more strategies that will help us professionally? If you answered yes to all those questions, which you will, then you know that professional development is the key to a successful classroom and successful students. “If you’re afraid to try new teaching techniques, you are petrifying yourself to death.” Please don’t be scared of change and growth. It may be the one thing that completely transforms your classroom.
Sincerely,
Hannah
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteYou made a powerful point in your comment "You may be the only positive person in their life. School may be the only safe place in their life." WBT gives us the tools to not only teach content, but to also connect with our students in a personal and meaningful way. Nice job! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Self,
ReplyDeleteAs you are finishing the last few weeks of the current school year and looking forward to next years class, I just wanted to give you two pieces of advice. Who better to give you advice than someone who knows you best, yourself. First, I want to remind you that your students are not your clones. You may want them to be the reading wiz, math answering, rule following, smart second grader you were, but you have to remember that not all students take things in the same way. Instead of telling students how to act, “invite students into your world; don't expect to find them already there.” Think of your students as pieces to a puzzle that have to work together to fit in a place rather than everyone being a “square peg fitting into a square whole.” Remember Whole Brain Teaching is a great way to invite students into the learning process while keeping control of your classroom at the same time.
Second, remember you are empowering students with knowledge that will last them a life time. The time you devote outside of school preparing lessons will provide your student’s with a greater chance of mastering the object. Chris Biffle says, “Outstanding instruction involves huge, truly mountainous amounts of labor, preparing, practicing, researching, thinking through, refining instructional units.” You can continue to share lesson writing duties with your team, but just make sure you are preparing yourself for your classroom.
Continue to improve upon yourself as an educator because it will only make your student’s better in the long run.
Sincerely,
Megan Sowers
Megan,
DeleteWell stated! Self-reflection is so important as we evaluate what our next step will be for improving the learning of each individual student! Here are 25 more points!
Dear Melissa,
ReplyDeleteRemember how every year you would be so anxious about your classroom management? You didn’t worry about whether you could teach the content but whether you had control over those challenging students. The founder of Whole Brain Teaching states,
“We know how to teach reading. We know how to teach writing. We have wonderful materials for teaching math, social studies and history. But we don’t know how to get our classes under control; we don’t know how to keep bullying, disruptive students from changing learning environments into war zones.” (Biffle, 2013, p. 13)
Two hot, summer days at Walsh University in Ohio changed your teaching from then on. So exhausted from all the gestures you did all day for those two days really helped to solidify your choice to teach the WBT way. You knew that being brave to change your way of teaching was also to be brave with those challenging students every year. “The less work you do outside of class, the more work your classes will be.” (Biffle, 2013, p. 11) From then until the beginning of the next school year you worked so hard to ready your classroom for WBT. You told your principal how excited you were for that next year of teaching. You rehearsed over and over the WBT lesson plan technique.
I’m writing all of this to remind you that next year you need to have the same fervor to ready your next class for WBT. This year, there were times where you felt too tired, too preoccupied or just too lazy to stick to the WBT guidelines. Yes, for the most part you stuck with the rules, mirrors, teach-ok, class-yes, scoreboard and the super improver wall but don’t forget the brainies, switch, and the power pix; don’t slack off on displaying those power pix! Work hard so you can play the game of learning! Your students will love you for it!
Melissa Williams
Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI love that quote from Coach B. It really does make a huge difference when we prepare and then prepare even more! You will love the addition of power pix to your lessons. Your students will find themselves glancing up at your posters more often than you'd think. Adding in the brainies will also elevate your students' writing in a matter of days! You will love them! Here are 25 certification points!
My Dearest Shila,
ReplyDeletePlease remember that “when we lose our temper with difficult kids and yell at them, we don’t fix our teaching problem, we make it worse.” I know sometimes you can get frustrated, but just BREATH! Our students hear yelling at home; they are habituated to it. Yelling won’t get them to listen any better and it’s going to give you high blood pressure. Take a step back, breath, calm down, and approach the situation with a “class, yes” or a “hands and eyes”. Those strategies ALWAYS work, so take advantage of them.
Also, remember that “confronting rebellious students when they have an audience…will make them braver [and] more rebellious.” You know who I am talking about. They want to be the center of attention and want to cause a show. Don’t play into it! Even if one person is paying attention, the show will go on! They only gain power. Praise publicly, but remember to reprimand privately.
Will you make mistakes? Of course, but just make it a point to reflect and revisit your beliefs frequently to keep yourself on track. You are getting better and better every year.
Love,
You
Shila,
DeleteThese are two extremely important tactics that work wonders in the classroom! When we control our own behavior and responses, the class benefits from a teacher that is more able to handle the situation at hand. Oops, you had one small spelling error "I know sometimes you can get frustrated, but just BREATH" (breathe). Here are 20 certification points! Save your posts and points awarded to submit later for certification!
Dear Megan,
ReplyDeleteAs you begin the new school year, please remember some of the most common teaching mistakes that create disruptions and headaches. Dealing with disruptive behaviors requires patience, respect, organization, and advanced planning. Remember the role that you plan in either prohibiting or advancing disruptive behaviors and take a proactive approach to creating a healthy environment for teaching and learning.
First, remember that when you lose your temper and yell at students, you glorify the problem. Anger begets anger and volume begets volume. "Many of our most disruptive students come from families that are filled with superbly experienced, high volume yellers." You must be their model for rational and respectful behavior. Firm does not equal yelling. In fact, it’s mean quite the opposite. Firm means consistent and rational. Coach B once said at a Whole Brain Teaching training in Las Vegas, “School should be the happy place.” Your classroom will not always be filled with rainbows and sunshine, but you must maintain a calm and organized approach to undesired behaviors. Your students will learn to follow your lead.
Second, remember that the less outside preparation you do, the less success you’ll have. You should never be preparing while students are in the classrooms. "If you don’t pay the price before you step into the classroom, you’ll pay the price as you fumble through shoddy lessons." Everything needs to be ready to go and organized as they walk through the door. The more time you spend trying to prepare while students are in class, the more you lose their attention and instructional time. This doesn't mean mountains of work every night, but the longer you put things off, that’s what it will become. Spend some time every morning and evening preparing your lessons and organizing your classroom and you will remain ahead of the game.
Don’t stress, you can do it! If you stick to this advice in the beginning, you will continue to be encouraged by the results. You are the only constant that some kids have. Don’t take it lightly. You are building our future. Never forget that!
Love,
Megs
Megan Vescio Copeland
Goldfarb Elementary School
Las Vegas, NV
Megan,
DeleteYou are right, we are often the only constant that some of our students have. That's why using these techniques can be so helpful as we navigate through those difficult days to come out with a smile on our faces! Here are 25 certification points. Save your posts and points awarded in a word document to submit later for certification.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNote to Self:
ReplyDeleteSelf,
I know how you hate to take advice, but beside the fact that you like my company and that I am the smartest person you know, you must admit that I know you as well as you do. Therefore, I want to give you tips on steering around a couple of the quicksand bogs that may loom ahead.
1. As Chris Biffle says in Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids, "Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms." (p. 10) Do not let the fact that your tutoring activities presently involve only one or two students lull you into a sense of self-satisfied, false security. Yes, you're familiar with the material, but you still need to plan your sessions. Each student will know whether or not you have invested yourself in teaching them. Especially as you seek to adapt WBT to the tutoring environment, you must avoid winging it at all costs. Continue preparing scripts for ALL your lessons.
2. At age 68, you believe that some of your most significant work lies ahead. Just remember that Chris Biffle is right when he says, "Grow or die." (p. 12) Yes, you can almost feel your neurons pushing out new dendrites as you assimilate WBT. You sense the synaptic paths becoming deeper and stronger. However, the growth must not stop with mastering the techniques of the method. You must continually search for the best way to present information to students. The best methods will never compensate for an unclear presentation. Likewise, you must also break down each presentation into palatable chunks for your students. In other words, you will always have room to grow and improve. You only coast when you're going downhill.
Well, that's it for now I hope you receive this advice in the same spirit in which I gave it.
C.M.
Reply to Note to Self:
I knew you were going to say that.
C.M.
Craig,
DeleteI have a feeling I'm going to really enjoy your posts! You get the award for the best first sentence ever! You are right, the kids can feel it when we start to coast, so it is imperative that we come prepared and ready to engage! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus just because you made me laugh tonight!
Thanks, Michelle.
DeleteWith all you have to do, I am glad to have brightened your evening, though it were for but a moment. The bonus points are great, but don't think I don't know what you're doing. You are using positive reinforcement to motivate me. (And it's working!)
Grace and peace.
Dear Kara,
ReplyDeleteYou just completed your second year of teaching. Please be proud of the growth you made this year, but don’t stop! Continue to be the teacher who isn’t afraid to try new things. As coach B says, “You’re a teacher. Grow, learn, transform yourself, or die by ossification. If you’re afraid to try new teaching techniques, you are petrifying yourself to death.”
You tried WBT attention-getters and mirror words this year after attending a short WBT session at a conference. This was new to you and your students. It may have felt uncomfortable at first but your students loved it and you all got better at it. Remember the engagement you and your students had?
As it is summer break now and you have time to re-focus, you have big plans for WBT next school year. You have done a lot of research and are full of excitement. Don’t lose that. You may not get it right away, and you may have to practice, practice, and practice! Isn’t that what you expect your students to do? Why wouldn’t you do the same? However, don’t forget to have confidence in yourself. You can do this!
On that same note, not all of your students will come in with your same drive, commitment, or passions. Coach B explains, “You were a good student, you turned in your work on time, you spoke respectfully to your elders. Of course you did. At least that’s how you remember it. Your kids are round pegs that won’t fit into your square hole. Face it.” Each student brings their own background knowledge, skills, and personality into the classroom. That’s what you want! That’s what our classrooms and world needs.
-Kara Christensen
Kara,
DeleteNice job! You are right, having confidence in yourself as you begin the WBT makes a real difference. Even though these are new techniques, it is worth the effort and really pays off in the long run! Here are 25 certification points!
Dearest Gricelda,
ReplyDeleteLack of discipline is a frequent complaint among teachers, and one of the main reasons teachers leave their profession. One of the many things I admire about you is that you have always persevered as a proactive classroom manager, regardless of the obstacles you have faced. Many times you contemplated whether or not you were meant to be a teacher because of the disorderly students in your classroom. However, your success can be attributed to your dedication to your students from day one. Do you remember how you used pull 12-hour days at school planning, decorating, researching, grading, collaborating with colleagues, and maintaining parent/teacher communication on a daily basis, when you first started teaching? Your students noticed and demonstrated their gratitude by working hard and maintaining positive behavior. You kept your students actively involved in their education; you did not give them a chance to be off task. You were successful because, as Chris Biffle states, “Outstanding instruction involves huge, truly mountainous amounts of labor, preparing, practicing, researching, thinking through, and refining instructional units.” However, years later, your passion was not the same as it once was due to reasons beyond your control. Classroom behavior became a challenge once again.
Chris Biffle states, “If you aren’t willing to invest hours of preparation in what will turn into minutes of classroom teaching, your challenging students, or worse still, far worse still, your best students will present you with the bill.” Due to a negative school environment and low teacher morale, you lost your focus, which should have been on your students, regardless of the circumstances. You began running copies at recess and lunch to avoid going in early or staying in late. You took student work home, yet it rarely got graded. That stress eventually made you short-tempered. Your students fed off of your energy and began acting out. You spent more time dealing with behavior than teaching amazing lessons. My advice to you is to work hard this summer on fine-tuning your classroom routines and procedures, rules and expectations, and be ready to empower your students to collaborate, lead, and succeed in your classroom by continuing to use the Whole Brain Teaching strategies you have learned so far, that have been proven successful in the past year.
With that said, let me just say you are human and you will have those days that no matter how well you planned or prepared, your day will just not flow in the direction you anticipated. Nevertheless, if you start the beginning of the school year teaching routines and procedures and organize every aspect of your school day, your students will take over and begin to lead the classroom, as they will know what is expected of them, whether you are having a good day or not. Chris Biffle states, “Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms.” In order to stay organized next school year and maintain an orderly classroom, make sure you have planned your lessons thoroughly on a weekly basis by using the WBT lesson plan template, while using formative and summative assessment to guide your instruction, and do not forget to teach, rehearse, and reinforce procedures. “Practice makes permanent.”- Bobby Robson
In closing, I wish you a successful school year, full of laughter and fun! Please avoid being a disorganized teacher, and do not avoid investing time into your classroom preparation. Remember, you were born to teach!
Love,
Gricelda Pelayo
Gricelda,
ReplyDeleteYou made several excellent points! Putting in that little bit of extra time and energy before we meet with the students can completely change the end results, both academically and emotionally! You deserve the peace of mind that comes with feeling confident and happy, and these strategies can help you! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Dear Regina,
ReplyDeleteI am your friend and want you to enter into Teacher Heaven. After reading the seven common teacher mistakes from Chapter 3, I know how I can help you. We have to clean out your room. Mr. Chris Biffle states the third popular teaching error. “Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms.” I will restate that for greater emphasis and clarity. “DISORGANIZED TEACHERS BREED CHAOTIC CLASSROOMS.” Regina, it is time to purge and simplify. He also states “At minimum, there should be a place for everything in your classroom, and everything should always be in the same place.” Do you really need seven staplers? I know you have been a teacher for twenty years, so let us celebrate and PURGE! I love that new castle theme you have for your Knights of Knowledge. Let us really make your students feel like kings and princesses. Let us become as Mr. Biffle states, “superbly organized.”
Finally, Mr. Biffle’s beautiful boldness states as his final teacher error, error number seven. He says, “This is the great law that governs the universe…and the classroom. Grow or die.” We will grow together to incorporate our new Whole Brain Teaching (WBT) methods. Taking this advice will enable us to have the greatest and happiest year ever! Holding onto this advice will enable us to have the greatest future ever! I am so glad you are excited as I am. We may be the oldest teachers in the district, but our youth will be renewed as we enter Teacher Heaven.
We will avoid these errors in the coming years by never looking back at the unpurged classroom and always keeping abreast of our whole brain teaching community- especially using the popular webinars and blog spots, !!!!
Love from your closest friend
Regina,
DeleteThese are two powerful points! Your students will love it when they see your new and improved (organized/purged) room! Nice job, here are 25 certification points!
Dear Mollie,
ReplyDeleteI know that you’re worried about the upcoming year. I know you’re praying that it will be better than last year. I want you to remember that you have a plan and that you now know how WBT works. The first mistake you made last year was losing your temper. It was the first time you raised your voice with a student and you didn’t like the way it made you feel. Remember, “When we lose our temper with difficult kids and yell at them, we don’t fix our teaching problem.” Chris Biffle, 2013.
Another thing you are working on is staying organized all year. I know that requirements can over take your planning time but organize what has to be done first. Remember, “Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classroom.” Chris Biffle, 2013. This summer you dedicated a lot of time to learning how to implement WBT in your classroom. You are at a new school and in a new district but, your there because they want teachers that are strong and fun.
This year don’t sweat the small stuff and stick to the Super Improver Team. This is going to transform your classroom. Stick to your goals and remember you made this move to have the freedom to teach whole brain style. Have a fantastic year and rock on!
Your Friend,
You
~ Mollie Clark
Mollie,
DeleteYour new school will love to see your fantastic WBT skills! You had one small error "your there because they want teachers that are strong and fun." (you're) Here are 20 certification points! Save your posts and points awarded to turn in later for certification.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteDear Bethann,
ReplyDeleteYou have made it through the first day of the new school year. Give me an OH YEAH! What will help you establish and maintain a culture of respect in the classroom for the remainder of the year? Continue to grow and learn with your students, stay passionate about your teaching, be superbly organized and confront challenging students when they are not in front of an audience.
Your students will often become a product of their environment, so lead by example. Be energized and excited about the day’s lessons and activities. It is easy to be enthused with what the day has in store when you have spent the time outside of the classroom planning and preparing. Have extension activities ready for early finishers and be equipped to support struggling students. Know your material and think outside of the box, giving the children choices to make the learning their own. “Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms”. Introduce new attention getters and WBT techniques to keep your students thinking critically and engaged.
“We make challenging students more challenging, we nourish their rebellion by confronting them when they have onlookers.” It makes sense, doesn’t it? If you back someone, a child nonetheless, into a corner, they are going to come out swinging. Take the time to get to know your students. What makes them tick? How do they succeed? What kind of learners are they? Using WBT will appeal to all of your students’ abilities. We will celebrate advancement and effort. Focus on the positive. Make the challenging students your leaders. After all, attention and praise is what all of your students want anyway. Stay in control of your ultimate goal. Be positive, be polite, and be prepared so you can have fun while learning.
Bethann Barneman
Bethann,
DeleteNice work! I love your comment "Take time to get to know your students. What makes them tick? How do they succeed? What kind of learners are they?" That is so important and definitely helps us as teachers when we try to provide the absolute best learning environment! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Charisse,
ReplyDeleteWith the upcoming school year approaching, I want you to try and avoid confronting behavior problems when the child has an audience. You know you can address the problem when the class goes to centers or you can provide some quick activity for the rest of the class before you call attention to the bad behavior. According to Chris Biffle, “We make challenging students more challenging, we nourish their rebellion, by confronting them when they have onlookers.” Make sure you wait until the rest of the class is occupied before you confront the student on their behavior.
“The less work you do outside of class, the more work your classes will be.” One of your coworker’s got into your head that you need to leave work at work and Andrew is only eight month old right now. You can do it! Your class will be a better place and you will help make well-behaved, smart students. Make your copies on your planning time, grade fast finisher papers while everyone else is finishing, go back to your room immediately after school instead of talking, make yourself work at least 30 minutes after the bell, and keep up your good organization skills. You are already on the right track by preparing for five step lesson plans for the first week of school.
Love,
Charisse Norton
Charisse,
DeleteYou chose two excellent points! You will feel so much better about your day when you have been able to put in that extra time in organization and preparation! The outside work really does make the class time more effective and enjoyable for both you and your students. Be careful editing, you had a sentence in the second paragraph that was a little unclear. "One of your coworker’s got into your head that you need to leave work at work and Andrew is only eight month old right now." Here are 20 certification points! Save your posts and points awarded to submit later for certification!
Dear Ms. Gray,
ReplyDeleteI know you are more than excited to begin your second year teaching in just a few short weeks but its time to stop and think. We must mentally prepare our selves for what is about to walk through those doors. Last year was your first year teaching and as you know there are many challenges that you may and can possibly be faced with. I have watched you panic as your smart board crashed, walked around the room frustrated because your students wont stop talking, and frustrated because you don’t know what to do. Now, no matter how many years you are teaching you will always face these types of challenges but you must remember the words of Chris Biffle, “Outstanding instruction involves huge, truly mountainous amounts of labor, preparing, practicing, researching, thinking through, refining instructional units.” So even though you will face many problems and have those frustrating moments it will all be worth it in the end and never forget that! So lets think about the mistakes you made your first year teaching and think about how we can prevent them from occurring again.
One mistake you have made last year was that you were not working hard enough at your teaching outside the classroom. You spent hour after school working on organizing and cleaning but not the teaching. It is important to put in the time and do what is needed to reach you students and make an impact on their education and their lives. You must set aside time for yourself but you must also set-aside time devoted to your students. So when it comes to those moments and you think you cant do it anymore think about all the impact you have made and the impact you will make by putting in the extra time. Continue your professional development and keep growing as an educator, your work is never done and most importantly don’t let yourself think you know it all! Education and teaching is an ever changing career and there is always something new to learn and in the words of Chris Biffle, “Grow, learn, transform yourself, or die by ossification.” The Whole Brain Teaching Book Club and Community is there to help you learn and grow. You will benefit greatly through your experiences and so will your students! Continue to work on your areas of weakness and keep up the hard work, never give up, and stay positive. You’ve got this!
Love,
Nicole
Nicole,
ReplyDeleteYou made a great point, it is so easy to get caught up in the organization and cleaning after school, but we really do need to allow that important bit of time for lesson preparation. It really does make the day go so much better for both you and your students! Be careful when editing your posts, you had a few minor errors "You spent hour after school" (hours), "prepare our selves " (ourselves), and a few words missing apostrophes (won't, let's, can't). Here are 10 certification points for a thoughtful post though, keep it up, you will learn so much through this book study! Save your posts and points awarded in a word document to submit later for certification!
Dear Christina,
ReplyDeleteAs you prepare yourself for the upcoming school year, I would like to offer you two pieces of advice.
First of all, hold on to your love of teaching! Let each day begin with a blank slate. At the end of the day, take the time to sit down and highlight at least one thing that went well, one thing that put a smile on your face. Then, go home and make sure that you carve some time out for yourself, your husband and your family. Your attitude will affect the entire class. “The unhappier you are as an instructor, the unhappier your classes will make you” (Biffle, 2013, p.11). The flip side of that is the fact that “[t]eachers who love teaching, teach children to love learning” (a quote by anonymous that I saw on a poster).
Secondly, take the time now, before school starts, to plan out your year. Create a year overview even though you know that the chances of actually following it to the letter are slim! (Life has a funny way of interrupting our plans, as you well know!) As the first day of school approaches, take the time to plan the first hour, the first day, the first week and the first month in detail! This planning gives you structure. I am not talking about the kind of structure that causes you to say, “Time’s up! I don’t care if you are not finished, we need to move on to something else now!” Rather, I am talking about the kind of structure that let’s you say, “What? You are already finished that activity? Well, I thought it would take you much longer than that! Why don’t we try this since we have the extra time?” The structure that I am referring to is the kind that you can fall back on when you get overwhelmed with the twenty-odd little bodies that are all demanding your attention. As you progress in your teaching career, you will learn that “[d]isorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms” (Biffle, 2013, p.10). A lack of structure causes “[c]hallenging students [to] thrive, adore [and] explode into wonders of rebel behavior” (Biffle, 2013, p.10).
To sum up, I guess that I could have simply said: Love your job and plan for it. If either of these ever becomes too much and/or you discover that you no longer have the drive or the desire to follow these two pieces of advice, I would strongly urge you to consider a change of careers! I am not saying that to scare you! I have always been a firm believer in the fact that you should love what you do and do what you love. Everything else is secondary.
Please know that I have faith in you and your abilities. I will always be here for you. I am your biggest fan!
Love,
Christina
Christina,
DeleteGreat post. Your two messages of wisdom seem to be a great reminder for new and 'well seasoned' teachers alike! Here are your 25 certification points. Keep these posts and a count of your points in a file to submit for certification.
Dear Courtney,
ReplyDeleteThe new school year is right around the corner and I know you could not be more excited. Last year was a rough year for you but I know that this year will be a lot better. While reading “Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids” by Chris Biffle, I was reminded of a few things that I wanted to share with you. Hopefully, these will be things that will help you have a much better year!
First I want you to remember that you are going to have to do work outside of the classroom. I know that this is not a problem for you but it is just nice to hear sometimes. You are going to need to be prepared each and every day, especially since you are changing to 3rd grade this year. Chris Biffle wrote, “Lazy teachers create classes that could care less about what is being taught and thus, are lovely breeding grounds for rebellion.” The more prepared you are, the better your class will run.
Next I want you to remember that every student is not going to be like you. You were the “perfect student” but you cannot get upset when your students are not performing just like you did. If you decide to dislike those students who are not acting like you did when you were in school, the challenging behaviors will increase. You must remember a quote from Biffle: “Invite students into your world; don’t expect to find them already there.” Good luck this year!
-Courtney Wood
Courtney,
DeleteNice work! These are such important points, and really do make a huge difference! Here are 25 certification points. Save your posts and points awarded in a word document to submit later for certification!
ReplyDeleteDear Melissa,
I know you are so excited for school to start. Last year was good, but this year will be even better. Fully implementing whole brain teaching will add so much to your classroom. As you get ready for the new school year, here are some important things to remember.
In his book, Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids, Chis Biffle talks about how teacher preparation is so important. He says, “The less work you do outside of class, the more work your classes will be.” You need to make sure the time you spend working outside of class is productive. Don’t forget to prepare for quality lessons that will be engaging and effective for your students. You want your instruction to be outstanding!
It will also be very important to stay organized this year. Biffle points out, “Disorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms.” Consistency is the key to a successful year. You usually start off the year really strong, and then get more relaxed as time goes by. Challenge yourself to stay consistent all year long. It will build trust with your students and lead to a wonderful learning environment.
This will be a great school year if you continue to remember to “grow or die.” After 16 years of teaching, it can be easy to become stagnant. However, it is vital to keep growing. Whole brain teaching has been a refreshing boost to your teaching, and it will be exciting to see your growth in the future.
Melissa Coate
Melissa,
DeleteIsn't it exciting that after 16 years you can find a way to be energized and excited to implement such a wonderful technique? WBT really does work wonders in our classrooms! Here are 25 certification points!
Dear Virginia,
ReplyDeleteThe new school year is fast approaching. You have worked hard this summer studying Whole Brain Teaching and that is a great start. I would like to offer you some advice to help make your school year go more smoothly.
First, please realize that you must do more work outside of the classroom. I know you are tired after a long day, but your weeks will go much smoother if you will just look over your lesson plans nightly, or rise a little early as you know you are best in the morning. As Mr. Biffle states, "If you don't pay the price before you step into the classroom, you'll pay the price as you fumble through shoddy lessons." It really won't take you that long to look through the plans, as you are a seasoned veteran teacher of 20 years. You don't want to be a "lazy teacher" which is a breeding ground for student rebellion. You and your students will benefit.
The second piece of advice has to do with confronting rebellious students. Whole Brain Teaching has several strategies for you to use like The Practice Cards, The Guff Counter, The Independents, The Bull's Eye Game and The Agreement Bridge. So remember to bite your tongue and know you have better tools in your tool belt. Remember, when we confront rebellious students we make them "braver and more rebellious." Do not give these students an audience to increase their rebellion.
It looks like you are off to a great start. I know Whole Brain Teaching will create a wonderful school year.
Sincerely,
Virginia Boney
Virginia,
DeleteIt is wonderful that after 20 years in the classroom you are willing to make these simple but profound changes! Your students will reap the benefits of your efforts! Nice job, here are 25 certification points!
Dear Traci,
ReplyDeleteI know how excited you are to begin the new school year! As much as you enjoyed last year, I know that you also experienced significant frustration with your challenging students. You were ready to receive Mrs. Counselor’s suggestion to look into WBT strategies when she approached you just before spring break. She thought that you might find the strategies helpful. Helpful was an understatement. Transformational would more accurately describe WBT’s impact on your classroom. Almost immediately your class was energized with fun and cooperation. The ripple effects were seen throughout the building. Your encouraged enthusiasm even inspired your team teacher to begin implementing WBT.
As you begin training your new class, remember that enthusiasm alone won’t bring success. As Chris Biffle noted, “The greatest mistake we make as instructors is making our classes more difficult to teach.” There are two teaching mistakes that I want you to be very cautious to avoid. First, do not lose your temper. As you’ve noted in the past, anger and increased volume are common occurrences in too many homes. Mirroring that in the classroom encourages students to either rebel or tune out. To engage, you must control your temper. This includes body language! Secondly, disorganization creates an environment where “challenging students thrive, adore (and) explode into wonders of rebel behavior…” The physical space of your classroom is very organized. Good job! An area that you need to focus on is making your word the gold standard in your classroom. Don’t set expectations for student effort or work and then accept anything less that what you’ve asked for.
If you keep these common errors in mind, you will be on your way to another successful year!
Best Wishes,
Traci Katz
Traci,
DeleteI love your last point! It really makes a huge difference when we hold our students consistently to higher standards. Here are 25 certification points! Save your posts and points awarded in a word document to submit later for certification.
Dear Jana,
ReplyDeleteI wanted to write this letter to remind you that you are the leader in your classroom. You have control to change things up. You don’t have to continue to do things you know won’t benefit your students just because you’ve always done it that way. Change, grow and learn and so will your students.
Remember that “(d)isorganized teachers breed chaotic classrooms.” Be willing to spend the time to remain organized each day. It can prevent a ton of chaotic moments inside your room when your students won’t be learning.
Also, “(g)o into class with a negative, burned out attitude toward your profession, and your students will be waiting with pitchforks.” Take time this year to rejuvenate yourself. Find things outside of work that can provide a break from the stress of the year. Each moment with your students is a blessing and a teaching opportunity and it’s your job to find a way to keep things in prospective so you can take advantage of these moments.
Make this a year of greatness.
Sincerely,
Jana Greer