Imagine next year is completed. Using the system described in Chapter 4, you've faithfully charted your own behavior, as an instructor and your students’ progress. Looking back, what did you learn?
Pages 14-17
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This school year I focused on managing my behavior in the classroom. My goal was to improve classroom management and improve the students who tended to be disruptive. I used a system of grading myself at the end of each week with a 1-10 grading scale. I assigned myself a number based on my control when reacting to challenging students and my classroom management. This personal, honest reflection at the end of each week was constructive because I learned that I was able to immediately improve my instruction the following week. It made my classroom more engaging because I was able to constantly try new ideas.
ReplyDeleteThis school year I gave each child a weekly behavior score. I averaged them to see how my methods were progressing. It was helpful because I learned that I could focus on immediate improvements systematically. I was able to discover what methods work for each child and for the classroom as a whole. The time I spent keeping track of individual behavior each week was well worth it because it taught me to work on more concrete strategies in reaching our goals. I like that I was able to stay on top of behavior rather than just worry and constantly think about them.
Joy,
DeleteReflection really does help us become better teachers! I'd like to hear more about your plans with your students (Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, Challenging, Leaders). Here are 20 certification points!
I have charted my behavior for the last year. I have given myself grades of 1-10 on my ability to control my emotions and my ability to consistently follow my classroom management plan. The rating has caused me to reflect on my behavior weekly. It has helped me to stay focused on where I need to improve.
ReplyDeleteI have also tracked my students. At the beginning of the year, I divided my class into four groups: Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, and Challenging Students. I assigned each student points based on their group level. I totaled the points and got the average. This gave me my initial score. I scored my students’ behavior each week. I was able to see how much progress I was making.
This has been a simple way to figure out my weekly progress. I have been able to see if my behavior management was working. The weekly reflection has caused me to stay on track with my goals. I learned that by keeping track of my behavior and my students’ behavior weekly, I was able to stay focused on what I needed to do to get my students to improve their behavior.
Amanda,
DeleteI agree, keeping track will help you as a teacher stay focused on their needs! Here are 25 certification points!
Looking back on this challenging year, I note several points. First, I had 90% in the “challenging students” group at the beginning of the year. I managed to move 80% of my students up at lease one level except for my two most challenging students. I also note that my students had better behavior as my own behavior improved throughout the year. I plotted my scores and my students' scores on a chart, and both increased. Thus, there appears to be a direct correlation between student behavior and teacher behavior. There is room for improvement for next year starting from day one. Use whole brain teaching earlier and at a “deeper level” to reach those most challenging students! I will try new techniques to bring out the best in each student. Even though this Whole Brain Teaching course is completed, I will sign in often and check out new solutions and updated methods! Last, I will help fellow teachers start "Whole Brain Teaching" next year!
ReplyDeleteKrissa White
Krissa,
DeleteI agree, there is a correlation between student and teacher behavior! You had a couple of minor editing errors"...students up at lease one level" (least), and "I also note that my students had better" (noted), and I'd love to hear more about your student groups (Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, Challenging Students and Leaders). Here are 10 certification points.
Julia Berry / Chapter 4 / September, 2013
ReplyDeleteAnother year has come and gone, and what an amazing year it was with Whole Brain Teaching! Part of my Professional Development Plan was to implement WBT, focus on the Five Class Rules and The Big Seven throughout the school year.
The most challenging task ahead was charting teaching strategies and student progress. I taught a different class each day of the week, and in one day I taught three different classes. The easiest way to do my charting was to have my students (at the end of class) write in their reflecting journal what they learned, wanted to learn, what they enjoyed and what challenged them the most. I allowed them five to eight minutes to write in their journals. As they were writing, I would do the same and chart my teaching and student behaviors for the day. This way I wouldn’t be overwhelmed at the end of the week trying to remember which class or student did what. I could change a strategy that did not work for a particular class, and focus on something new for the next class session that would be more effective. WBT is all about being simple, and this was the easiest way for me to accurately chart.
In reflection, I learned some valuable lessons. When I focused on controlling my emotions, (tone and voice) and followed my classroom management plan, my students were on track and making smart choices to keep their dear teacher happy. We were completing all of our lessons, and even had some time to spare at the end of the day for reward activities!
I realized that I was handling my challenging students’ behavior in a more positive manner as opposed to ridiculing him or her in front of their peers. By sticking to my management plan, I began to see positives changes in some of my challenging students. As a result of my consequences, the students clearly knew my expectations! Each six weeks I continued to see more and more positive changes. The challenging students were beginning to accept and follow the Five Class Rules. Yes, they were actually “buying in” to WBT!
At the end of the year, many Alphas end up as Leaders and some of my challenging students began acting more like Alphas. I still have some Go-Alongs and Fence Sitters to get moving next year. Luckily, I have the unique opportunity to continue teaching the same students next year. I will continue to go back and read my WBT book for new ideas and approaches to motivate my students. I will also continue charting my progress to prepare myself for many more adventurous and successful teaching years to come. Thank you WBT!
Julia,
DeleteWonderful post! I appreciated your comment "When I focused on controlling my emotions, (tone and voice) and followed my classroom management plan, my students were on track and making smart choices to keep their dear teacher happy"! That's the goal! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Chapter 4 Charting Progress - Bethany Kirkland
ReplyDeleteTeaching in an ESE classroom, I have taken data on student behaviors for years. I admit that I have never before thought of charting data on my own behavior! This year I wanted to control my response to challenging students. I set up a system to evaluate my ability to control my tone of voice and my emotions. Like Mrs. Maestra’s system described in Chapter 4, I gave myself a ranking each week of 1-10, (1 being the lowest, 10 the highest) on my ability to control my emotions and tone of voice. Within this rating system I also scored myself for consistency in maintaining classroom management.
I also charted my student’s behavior by keeping track of each student’s progress in a tier system like the one Mrs. Maestra used for her students; challenging, fence sitters, go-alongs, and alphas. Each week throughout the school year, I met one on one with each student to talk about their progress. We also talked about areas in which they could improve their behavior and move from challenging to fence sitters, from go-alongs to alphas.
After looking back on the data I collected, it was obvious that by controlling my reactions to students and controlling the tone of voice I used, my student’s classroom behavior improved. Each student moved up at least one level during the course of the year!
There were definite trends in both my progress and my student’s progress. For example, weeks when I had extra meetings during school, and/or added responsibilities, deadlines, etc. scores fell for my students and for me. This was an indicator that I needed to work harder to control my emotions during high stress periods throughout the year.
Charting behavior for students and myself was a very enlightening experience that helped me track and evaluate progress with classroom management. This is an area of teaching that I need to continually improve as I continue to track my own behavior and the effect on my student’s behavior.
Bethany,
DeleteNice job! Charting our own progress can really be revealing! But, it is so helpful! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Looking back on the year, I learned that students sense many things from the teacher, such as, the tension in my voice. When this would happen, it only seemed to fuel the fire as students saw this as an opportunity to create more problems. I remembered to keep calm and when I controlled my emotions, my classroom seemed more manageable and pleasant. However, my largest goal this year was staying consistent. I wanted to be as dependable as possible with enforcing my rules. Being consistent also meant being fair to all students. If one student was not following one of the rules, the consequence was made the same for another student who presented the same action. I used a grading scale for myself from 1-10 based on this. Each week I would reflect on my behavior in order to find areas of success or improvement. I also evaluated students weekly based on their progress with following the five classroom rules, staying on task and listening. I awarded or deducted points based on the ranking of each student (alphas, go-along, fence sitters and challenging). One of my biggest successes this year was surrounding my challenging students with my alpha students so they continuously made excellent role models and leaders. It drove the challenging students to make wiser choices.
ReplyDeleteLiz,
DeleteSurrounding your challenging students with alphas is a great idea! Here are 25 certification points!
I love this concept of a personal evaluation system!!! Evaluating myself and taking responsibility for the proper management of student behavior, is an excellent idea!
ReplyDeleteI decided to implement this self-evaluation program last school year. The lessons I learned were invaluable! I charted my progress weekly and did a lot of reflection about everything from consistency with classroom rules, to figuring out exactly what my students need to be productive in a student-owned classroom. I thought it was imperative to determine exactly what I was dealing with in the beginning, so I divided my students into 5 groups. The Alphas, go-alongs, fence sitters, challenging students, and the leaders. I made it my personal goal to move each student up a level by the end of the school year. I rated myself using a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest. I decided that consistency was what I was striving for every week, so I began the program by rating myself mainly in this area. As my consistency with the rules improved, I decided to use the rating scale to reflect on my use of classroom management. My goal in this area was to create a classroom full of leaders that were basically self-managed. This "student-owned" classroom flourished by the end of the school year because of my deep reflection that was taking place on a weekly basis. My students all moved up a level over the course of the school year! My students' success was due to the continued focus that was placed on my classroom management and personal evaluation system!
Tami,
DeleteWhat a great statement: "This "student-owned" classroom flourished by the end of the school year because of my deep reflection that was taking place on a weekly basis"! Here are 25 certification points!
I was totally sold on implementing Whole Brain Teaching into my classroom, but I knew that I needed a plan in which I could chart my progress and the progress of my students. It required work and discipline that really paid off. I learned a great deal about myself as an educator, and how my diligence in implementing WBT strategies affected my students’ progress.
ReplyDeleteMy primary goals for this past year were to be consistent in implementing WBT techniques, and to respond to challenging students with respect and kindness. I used a 1-10 point system in order to evaluate myself. When I first began the evaluation system, I received a grade of 15. 7 points for implementing WBT techniques and 8 points for responding to challenging students with kindness and respect. That was not good enough for me. I was challenged to do better. Seeing my grade on paper helped me to set a goal of l8 points for the next week.
I also evaluated myself based on my students’ progress. I measured made smart choices and followed directions quickly.
I grouped my students into four groups. I made certain that my students were unaware of the grouping.
I named the groups:
1. Alpha
2. Go-Along
3. Fence Sitters
4. Challenging Students
My Alpha group followed directions quickly and made smart choices. I received 4 points for each Alpha.
My Go-Along group did fairly well, but did not always make smart choices. I received 3 points for each Go-Along.
My Fence Sitter group struggled with consistency. It was a daily challenge. I received 2 points for each Fence Sitter.
My Challenging group lived up to their name. Following directions quickly and making smart choices was nearly impossible at the beginning, but I found that as I consistently implemented WBT techniques and responded to misbehavior quietly and respectfully, these students made progress. I gave myself 1 point for each challenging student.
I determined my average score by totaling the number of my points and then dividing by the number of students.
All of my groups made really good progress. My points increased most weeks. I’m convinced that charting my progress was a key factor. Each week I had a new personal goal. My children and I were the winners!
Kay,
DeleteNice job! I appreciated the details in your post! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
For this school year I chose to monitor my implementation of Whole Brain teaching. It is always difficult when introduced to a new program or way of teaching to then turn around and implement it into your classroom with faithfulness. Every afternoon I gave myself a rating of 1-10 on how much I implemented the strategies in my room, I also noted the behavior of my students that day, and a note of how much I thought my student’s learned that day. Looking back through my charting records I realized my student’s behavior reflected my implementation of Whole Brain Teaching strategies. The days I rated my implementation an eight or higher my student’s behaved better in class, they learned more and we accomplished more both academically and socially because of that. On days where I let other things take over, and did not implement the strategies, I found I had more disruptive students and they began to take over. When those students took over, I did not teach as well as I should have, and my students did not learn as much as they did when my implementation of Whole Brain Teaching strategies was higher. The proof is Whole Brain works. This leaves me wishing I had been introduced to this program thirteen years ago when I started teaching.
ReplyDeleteTonya,
ReplyDeleteCharting does help us to reflect upon our own classroom behavior doesn't it? Watch out for those small grammar errors "how much I thought my student’s learned that day...", and "I realized my student’s behavior..."(the word "students" is both plural and possessive so should be students'), and there are a couple of awkward sentences. But, that's cool! Here are 10 certification points.
This year was a year for a lot of reflection on my part. I had several students who were very challenging and other students who were beginning to catch onto their effective attention-gaining techniques. I decided to use the Whole Brain Teaching technique for charting my performance as an educator on a weekly basis.
ReplyDeleteAll of my students deserved to have a good day where they flourished as learners, so I labeled them according to how consistent they were in following directions. Based on these labels, students earned points that I would average at the end of the week.
Alphas were "model students" who always followed directions. They earned 4 points.
Go-alongs usually followed directions but went astray every-so-often. They earned 3 points.
Fence sitters were a mixed bag. They could be almost perfect one day and the next they'd act like they just fell off the turnip wagon when it came to following the rules. These students earned 2 points.
The challenging students students were those who never followed directions and often made me reconsider my career path. These students earned 1 point.
I also rated myself on a 1-10 scale on my ability to control my emotions. On the days that "flowed" where I felt calm and my students learned both academically and socially, I would give myself a 7 or higher. For those days I couldn't wait to end because I felt as though I had little control of myself and therefore my students, I gave myself less than a 5.
I would then add my score to the average score of my class (using the points they earned according to their labels.) My goal each week was to gain more points than the week before. By the end of the year my score improved from about an 8 to a 13 and both my students and I were better people for it!
Josephine,
DeleteVery well done! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Deborah Gardner
ReplyDeleteChapter 4/Charting Progress
“You cannot manage student behavior if you cannot manage your own behavior.” What a powerful concept and insightful statement this is. It is also quite a reality check for any teacher having challenging students who might evoke a passionate response. This year I decided to embrace this perspective and chart my emotional control and consistency in classroom management. I gave myself a weekly score of 1 to 10. By maintaining a realistic and quantitative value for my own behavior, I soon found myself being more consistent as I reflected on my voice tone and emotional reactions. I assessed my behavior and then corrected it on a weekly basis. This kept me focused and put a quantifiable value on my progress—I could show my progress, not just “think” I was making progress.
I also began the year dividing my students in four groups: Alphas (model students/4 points), Go- Alongs (usually “OK” students/3 points), Fence Sitters (inconsistent students/2 points), and Challenging Students (students who do not follow the standard rules/1 point). My goal was to move each student to the next higher level by using the point system to chart student movement to a higher standing. (Additionally, I added a “Leaders” group in order for the Alpha students to also become the “best” he or she could be/5 points.) The classroom behaviors I desired were: following directions quickly, completing assignments in a timely manner, maintaining focus /on task, and turning in legible/neat work. Each student‘s points were added/recorded/averaged. As both the individual and the class average increased, it was easy to check to see if progress was being made.
By using this method I was able to see if my behavior management was successful. It helped me to be focused and aware of what I needed to do in order to help my students make “smart choices” and improve not only behavior, but their academics as well. WBT works for everyone!
Deborah Gardner
Deborah,
DeleteNice job! I like your statement "...put a quantifiable value on my progress—I could show my progress, not just “think” I was making progress"! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
This school year I focused more on keeping a running record of my own behavior/choices. I did this for the sole reason of keeping myself accountable and on track. I have to admit it was very eye opening because I had never really done this before.The addage stands true,"You can't tell where you're going, without a chart of where you've been." I really though about the past and was determined to change the way I went about things. I focused this year on controlling/managing my reaction and emotions to challenging kids as well as having a consistent classroom management plan. Rather than grading myself weekly, I decided to grade myself on a daily basis. Every day after school I gave myself a grade 1-10 (10 being the highest) on my ability to control my reactions and tone of voice when faced with challenging situations. Also, I graded myself on the consistency of following my classroom management plan as well as implementing WBT methods on a daily basis.There were days when I was on point and days that I was a bit off. What did I do?? Reflected, planned and started fresh again. I realized that 2 of the 5 WBT rules are just as important for teachers to follow along with the kids. They are Rule #4-- make smart choices and rule #5--keep your dear teacher happy. I realized that purposeful planning and consistency with classroom management plans are smart choices and will indeed keep me happy!!
ReplyDeleteKarlyn Davis
Karlyn,
ReplyDeleteI agree, purposeful planning will definitely keep you happy! I'd like to hear more details about how you will chart the kids (alphas etc.). Watch out for those little editing errors "really though about the past" (thought) and "controlling/managing my reaction and emotions to challenging..". Here are 10 certification points.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIt is hard to sit down and think about whether or not I’ve been an effective teacher. This year, while implementing whole brain teaching for the first time, I sat down and charted my own progress as the year progressed. Every day after school, I would give myself a score of 1-10 on how much whole brain teaching that I did that specific day. After a few weeks, I started to notice something. On days that I gave myself a low rating, I realized that I also had worse behavior from my students. It became very evident that using whole brain teaching clearly affected the way my students behaved. It was very eye opening to see this. I don’t think I would have been able to see this so quickly had I not been charting and reflecting my own teaching.
ReplyDeleteKasey Wicker
Kasey,
DeleteOur teacher behaviors really do make a difference! In your future posts, please try and be a bit more specific. Give examples to explain the prompt more fully. Here are 10 certification points.
Is sarcasm an emotion? No, but it certainly is a reaction to one. In the past, sarcasm has often been a means of putting challenging student behavior on hold but never effective for diminishing it all together. This year, I wanted students to be responsible for making good decisions on his/her own and not just as a reaction to my sarcastic remarks. This meant I had to learn to manage my own behavior before I could help them manage theirs. Therefore, I focused on changing two elements of my behavior. First, I needed to learn to control my emotions by controlling my tone of voice. Second, I needed to consistently follow through with my classroom management plan. At first, I assessed myself on a scale of 1-10 daily (I’m pretty sarcastic) and then weekly. As the year progressed and my behavior improved, I recognized that patience and practice were essential to my progress. This was important. If I needed patience and practice for make progress, students were also going to need patience and practice to experience success. Overtime, redirecting behavior didn’t feel like a chore anymore. It became easier for each student to accept the redirection. More importantly, they were taking responsibility for their choices.
ReplyDeleteTo chart student behavior and progress, I evaluated each student using 5 criteria;
• Follows directions quickly
• Raises hand for permission to speaks
• Stays on task
• Hands in neat work
• Applies practiced skills independently
Then, I divided students into 4 groups. The groups were established by considering the frequency in which each student demonstrated the 5 measurable behaviors. The goal was to move each student up 1 group by the end of the school year. During this process, I learned that the Super Improver’s Wall was the perfect place to chart student progress and could help students to establish personal goals. The Super Improver’s Wall was a place each student had access to, so they could watch and monitor his/her own success. As the year progressed students could establish smarter goals by determining appropriate frequencies for the measurable behaviors.
Charting both my behavior and student behavior created a very positive environment. Our classroom was a place where everyone was working for something. Beyond the academics, we were all experiencing personal growth. This was so rewarding for all of us because it went beyond innate ability and was more about character and resilience; two very important traits of lifelong learners.
Rebecca Murphy
www.wbteaching.blogspot.com
Rebecca,
DeleteYour post is a good reflection on your personal goals as a teacher and the goals you set for your students. I like your statement, "This was so rewarding for all of us because it went beyond innate ability and was more about character and resilience..." Here are 25 Certification Points for you and a 5 point bonus! (p.s. I love your WBT blog!)
This past year I have spent much of my time engaging students in “Teach-Okay”. This has greatly influenced all of my students in the classroom. At the beginning of the year I took the time to get to know all of my students on an individual level. I conferenced with my students about ways to improve and ate lunch with them daily. I also had them write about what makes a good friend and how friends should treat others. All of this was done to figure how I wanted my seating chart to look. I know that just having the students pick where they wanted to sit and who they wanted to sit by was not a question I was going to ask.
ReplyDeleteTaking the time to get to know my students allowed me to identify who the “Alphas” were. These students made the best of choices and new the difference between right and wrong. These students also understood what it means to be a good friend. These students sat by some of the most “Challenging Students”. They provided a positive influence and brought out the best in some of worst. Before long, I could see the changes taking place. My most challenging students began to shine by showing others what it means to be a good friend and in the process befriended many other students. It was like watching a spiral unfold.
I had some students that just went “Along” with whatever everyone else was doing. These students sat right across from my “Alphas” and next to the students who are considered “Fence Sitters”. My “Go Along” students tried their best and worked hard to be an “Alpha”. Helping their partner, the “Fence Sitters”, encouraged them to do better, to be better.
Using “Teach-Okay” allowed my stents to converse about what they were learning, which is something they all shared. It was common ground. For one to succeed the other had to be listening and vise-versa. Over the year using this method of “Teach-Okay” positively engaged all of my students and brought out the best in them. They taught each other everything from the 5 Class Rules to the types of soil found on Earth. This brought out confidence in some and triggered the light bulb for others.
I monitored my own behavior by remembering to ask these three questions when I became frustrated or discouraged with a student: What are you doing? What are you supposed to be doing? How can you make it right? I gave myself a point for every time I asked any of these questions. By the end of some days I had up to fifteen points! I was happy and my students were too. Some days this was not the case. Sometimes I would find myself raising my voice in frustration and arguing back with a student. On these days I would only receive two or three points. Eventually, the routine set in and it has been very rewarding. This helped me control my emotions. Thankfully the reminders did not just come from me. My students had been instructed to “help” one another. If it was time for math and their neighbor did not have the right book out or didn’t have a book out at all, the students knew that it was okay to politely, whisper “Wrong book.” Or “Hey, get your math book out.” Everyone worked together for a mighty “Oh, Yeah!”
Brandi Young
Brandi,
DeleteI appreciate the specific goals you set for yourself, and then for your students. Reflection helps us see patterns in our own behavior as well as our students, and these charts really help with that reflection! Watch out for those small editing errors "and new the difference between right and wrong" (knew), and "Using “Teach-Okay” allowed my stents to converse" (students). Here are 10 Certification points for you. Save and date this post in a word processing file.
Charting Progress
ReplyDeleteI have charted my behavior over the last year, awarding myself grades from 1-10, on my ability to follow and enforce the five classroom rules from WBT. As I reflected on my behavior weekly, I realized I inconsistently enforced the rules. This reflection has encouraged me to focus on consistently enforcing the rules. In the past, I have allowed children to violate the rules because I believed what the student said was worthy or meaningful. This, however, does not foster an equal opportunity for children who follow the rules to speak. I discovered that by consistently enforcing the rules many more children had wonderful insight and knowledge to share with classmates.
This was not a pleasant task, yet it required me to focus my energy and become more productive. At the beginning of the year, I divided my class into four groups Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, and Challenging Students. I assigned students points based on his/her group. I totaled the points and found the mean, which provided my initial score. As I recorded and charted student behavior each week I discovered a direct coloration between my ability to consistently enforce the rules and the management issues I faced in the classroom. While this sounds like a simple way to monitor weekly progress, I found it to be cumbersome, but necessary. The weekly reflection encouraged me to stay on track and meet my goals. The process of personal accountability was beneficial to all.
Dian Isert
Dian,
DeleteCharting may seem like one more chore to do at the end of the day, but your post shows why the extra effort is so important! Here are 25 certification points for you! Save and date this post in a word processing file.
This year I did something I’ve never really done before. I “charted progress” for myself and for my students every week. At the beginning of the year, I recognized that there were two critical areas I needed to focus on as a teacher. One, I needed to learn to better control my emotions by controlling my tone of voice. Two, I needed to be sure to be consistent with my classroom management plan.
ReplyDeleteI developed a system to track my progress. I graded myself on a scale of 1-10 (10 was the highest). At the end of each week, I rated myself on the two “critical areas” mentioned above. My main focus was not managing my students, but myself. If my combined score in these categories was at least a 16, I felt I had a successful week.
I did also want to look at my students’ behavior. I considered Rule #1 (follow directions quickly) and Rule #2 (raise your hand for permission to speak) as well as their ability to stay on task and to complete work neatly. Based on this criteria, I organized them into four groups:
1. The Alphas. They basically did everything on the list I just described. I gave myself 4 points for each student in this group.
2. The Go-Alongs. These students would usually “go along” with me, but would occasionally forget Rule #1 or Rule #2. They usually stayed on task and generally turned in neat work. I gave 3 points for each of them.
3. The Fence Sitters was the group that was sitting on the fence. They could go on either side. This group was basically inconsistent. I gave myself 2 points for each of them.
4. The Challenging Students were those who rarely met the criteria I had established. I gave myself 1 point for each of them.
Ultimately, I wanted my Alpha group to develop even further to become class Leaders. I gave myself 5 points for every Alpha who truly became a Leader.
I found it very helpful to take a look at my scale each week. Since teaching is a profession where you tend to look at long-term progress, it was beneficial to have a system that helped me evaluate short-term progress. It really encouraged me because, even though I still struggled with some behaviors, it helped me focus on the areas that were changing and the progress we were making. It helped me not to focus too much on the challenging students.
With my behavior, I realized that I had the most trouble managing myself when I had a lot of meetings or deadlines. So, I recognized that during those times, I needed to make a conscious effort to control my tone of voice and to be consistent with my management system. Charting Progress was a great experience for me!
Kelty,
DeleteNice reflection on the results of your charting project. Your comments show the value of your efforts during the past year. Here are 25 Certification points for you and a 5 point bonus! Save and date this post in a word processing file.
My goal this year was to control my emotions in the classroom by controlling my voice and being consistent with classroom management. This year I decided to evaluate my own performance towards these goals after each class I taught. I know that in the past I have raised my voice to challenging students who love to distract other students and rebel during instructional time. So I gave myself the following ratings after each class:
ReplyDelete3 points – minimal student disruptions, pleasant speaking voice
2 point – moderate student disruptions, intense teacher voice
1 point – many student disruptions, raised voice
The point system coincided with the point system for the students:
3 points – they have more positive points than negative on the scoreboard
2 points – they tied or had more negative points on the scoreboard
1 point – they tied or lost and students needed calendars marked or be removed from class.
Since I teach 30 classes a week, I found this method effective and easy to maintain. At the end of each week, I added both my points and the students’ points and compared them. I found that the weeks that I had the most 3’s per class, the number of classes with a 3 were also high. I found that even in cases where classes received a 2 or 1 yet I gave myself a 3, when the class came back the next week they usually received a higher score. In the cases where the classes received a low score and I also received a low score, the next week was also low scoring. This was evidence that the key to success from week to week was controlling my tone of voice during challenging situations. I learned that the best way to have a successful class was to control my behavior.
-Kimberly Gandrup
Kimberly,
DeleteCharting takes time for 30 classes, but it's worth the time! Nice job! Here are 25 points for you!
Carrie Wood
ReplyDeleteChapter 4
Charting Progress
I decided to chart my own behavior as a teacher as well as my students’ progress. I discovered that I couldn’t manage my students’ behavior if I cannot manage my own.
I had two goals for myself: 1. Follow my classroom management plan consistently. 2. Control my emotions by paying attention to my tone. My goals for my students were: 1. Follow directions quickly. 2. Raise your hand for permission to speak.
I gave myself a score of 1-10 each day and reflected how I could improve daily. It was hard to evaluate myself at first, but it became easier. Charting my own behavior made me a better, more efficient teacher.
I also looked at the data I collected on my students’ behavior charts each day. If a student had a good day he got a green light. Yellow or red lights were given for misbehaviors. I analyzed why they were getting those yellow and red lights and focused on moving them all to green. Reflecting on why students were misbehaving provided a lot of insight into my own teaching habits.
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DeleteCarrie,
DeleteSeeing our students improve is a great motivator for us! Try some of the WBT techniques such as the practice cards, the Super Improver Team, and the Guff counter rather than the colored lights. You will be pleasantly surprised at the results! In the future, we'd love to have more details in your posts about the prompts. Here are 10 points for you. Save this in a word document to submit later.
My goals were to not reprimand students in front of peers and to be more understanding of where my students currently are while challenging them to progress. I have also been implementing more positive reinforcement with the scoreboard system. Looking back, I have learned that negative behaviors have decreased and positive behavior has increased. This has created a more positive classroom environment and has promoted learning and engagement for all of my students. I have seen my challenging students go from not being able to stay on task, not following directions, and speaking out of turn to becoming alphas of the classroom. These students are now engaged, staying on task, following directions quickly, and raising their hand for permission to speak. These, once challenging students, have become role models for other students and are turning into leaders.
ReplyDeleteMichelle Fernandez
Michelle,
DeleteIt sounds like your classroom has become an engaging place to learn. That's a great thing! In chapter 4, Mrs. Maestra charts her own progress by categorizing her students into Alphas, Go Alongs, Fence Sitters, and Challenging Students. Throughout the year, she revisits these groups to see if students have moved between groups. Her goal is to have students move up and this will tell her if her techniques are working. What could you learn by using this sort of charting method? Here are 10 certification points for a good attempt at this question..
Wow, Liz! Look how your class has grown!
ReplyDeleteYou were so intrigued when you read about Mrs. Maestra’s own behavior tracking chart, you put one in place for yourself right away. You kept the premise the same as Mrs. Maestra’s but you thought it was important to add to the idea of controlling your tone of voice; you wanted to be sure you were not using sarcasm in response to frustration. You also agreed wholeheartedly with Mrs. Maestra about the importance of consistently using your class behavior plan. You know how easy it is to forget to give “smileys” when things are going well and how all too tempting it can be to pile on the “frowneys” when they are not. A behavior plan for the class cannot be successful if it is only used when negative classroom behavior occurs. Positive behaviors must be reinforced at the same rate. Monitoring your own behavior and writing down a weekly score kept yourself accountable and made you a better teacher. Monitoring the consistent use of your behavior plan made your classroom a better place.
You quickly learned that monitoring your own behavior makes monitoring the behavior of others not only easier, but arguably, more fun! Realizing that Mrs. Maestra had another great approach you did not reinvent the wheel, and used her categories to sort your classroom into groups. You took on the challenge to move every student up a level. You also knew that by the end of the year you wanted to have more Alphas and Go-Alongs combined than you did Fence Sitters and Challenging Students combined. You know that when you have a long term, attainable goal it makes what may appear to be an insurmountable task, to some, seem quite possible to you, and it motivates you to achieve that goal all the more. Not expecting yourself to eliminate all Challenging Students from your class roster or challenging behaviors from your classroom, gave you the freedom to forgive yourself for infractions made by your students. The graphs you made to chart your own growth and your students’ growth, satisfied your visual need and really proved to you that you were successful in making a positive impact in your students’ behavior!
Now that you’ve made it through one year scoring your own behavior and tracking student behavior, you know that it is something you want to continue to do each year. This year you’ll add new challenges for yourself, (to avoid habituation, of course) move more than half of students up a level before Christmas break and more Leaders and Alphas combined than all other groups combined by the end of the year. Good luck!
Elizabeth Ross
Elizabeth,
ReplyDeleteNice job! You made a good point when you stated "You quickly learned that monitoring your own behavior makes monitoring the behavior of others not only easier, but arguably, more fun!" You can't beat a classroom filled with Funtricity! Here are 25 certification points!
You’ve had quite a year Suzi! You’ve done very well using Mrs. Maestra’s charting progress system throughout the year. You have graded yourself weekly on being able to control your emotions by controlling your tone of voice.
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of the year, one third of your class was considered Fence Sitters. One day they were enthusiastic model students; the next day, it was almost as if a group of new students walked into your class that morning! As the year progressed you were able to guide them to the next level: Go-Alongs! They only needed slight reminders to follow your classroom rules.
You had an interesting group of Alphas this year. The alphas were the quietest and shyest group of students. They followed all class rules quickly and with enthusiasm. They always used complete sentences when answering questions and constantly used gestures and mirroring without being asked. Even though these students were timid and sometimes not very confident in themselves, they eventually became Leaders of your class with guidance from you!
You only had two Challenging Students this year. You had a hard time deciding whether they were Fence Sitters or Challenging Students, but in the end put them in the Challenging Students group because of their lack of enthusiasm, lack of participation with gestures, and inconsistency with following classroom rules. At the end of the year these children moved to the Fence Sitters group. They were better at using gestures without reminders and became much more enthusiastic about their learning.
In addition to charting your progress with the students, you informed parents of their progress through a behavior update that went home biweekly. This helped to reinforce your classroom rules and class participation with families at home. There was a lot of parent support and communication that allowed you to meet your yearly Whole Brain Teaching goal!
Suzanne St. Laurent
Suzanne,
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you have a great class! Taking the time to chart student behavior as well as our own behavior can help us create an inviting classroom atmosphere! Here are 25 certification points!
Chapter 4: Charting Progress
ReplyDeleteThis chapter has taken me the longest to complete, because I know that with the students I teach, there is constant change and I did not know how this would work with my students.
1. I teach Gifted resource students, and new students enroll every week, and
2. I change units every 9 weeks. These units are challengin and appeal to different types of students. I see students in a different setting than their regular classroom. So, to “predict” what will happen was difficult for me, because I anticipate change on a constant basis. However, as I have waited to write this, I have the following to report.
This has been quite a year. My students were very enthusiastic about the Whole Brain Teaching methods. They were eager to learn to and participate. I was skeptical at first, because of the constant changes in my classroom, in terms of new students, transferring students, and different curriculum unit every nine weeks.But as it turns out, controlling my emotions, particularly with the challenging students made a tremendous difference in the whole class dynamics.
My own behavior was addressed first. I gave myself a score of 1-10, with 10 the highest. This was my own reactions, my emotions, and the ability to control by emotions by controlling the tone of voice, and stop yelling.
Second, my students’ classroom behavior was addressed. Behavior being defined as:
1. following directions quickly
2. raising hands for permission to speak,no interrupting
3. staying on task
4. turning in neat and completed work
My Gifted Resource groups were as follows:
1. Alpha: The gifted student, who always raises his/her hand, completes his/her work and makes his/her “dear teacher happy”. These students always make smart choices, and behave in class.
I gave myself 4 points for each Alpha.4 points for these students.
2. Go-Along: The Go-Alongs are good students, who generally make Smart Choices, but not always. I gave myself 3 points for each Go-Along student.
3. Fence Sitters: These are the Gifted Ed students who are not behavior problems, but who often have difficulty staying focused. I gave myself 3 points for each Fence Sitter.
4. Challenging Students: These are the ones who are often Twice Exceptional, for example, Gifted and Learning Disabled, or ADHD, and so on). Many believe that all Gifted students are perfect students. This is far from reality, as many gifted students are quite challenging!
I gave myself 1 point for each challenging student.
5. New Students: Because staffings take place throughout the year, we enroll new students each week. This is challenging, because of the rigorous and stimulating content we teach in Gifted Resource. It is sometimes difficult for the new students to catch up to the material. Sometimes, this can create disciplines problems, if the student has hard time getting adjusted to the material. New Students will be considered as Fence Sitters, until they emerge as one of the other groups.
7. The Leaders: The highest level of the Gifted Learner. The leaders are students who are consistently on task, complete their work, understand all material, are extremely well-behaved, and can also help the lower students and are a huge help for the teacher, especially in a larger class with many different levels of gifted learner. Even within a Gifted Class, we have to differentiate our curriculum greatly to allow for the age range and giftedness, as well as other learning disabilities.
I gave myself 5 points for every Alpha who became a leader.
As I continued to implement WBT techniques and quietly respond to the students, who were challenging, away from others, these students made much more progress towards one of the other categories. Additionally, keeping track and scoring my own behaviors truly helped me to keep those emotions under control and not let those challenging students get the best of me. Who knew this would work in such as constantly changing classroom, with different students every day, and a weekly changing classroom dynamic?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteLori,
DeleteI can see that you are very passionate about your class! You enthusiasm for WBT shines through your post and it is easy to see how much thought you put into your answer! You had one minor typing error (challengin and appeal), but this was a very well thought out and informative post! Here are 25 points and a 5 point bonus!
It’s difficult to believe I’ve reached the end of another school year. This year has been especially rewarding because, in addition to managing the behavior of my students, my primary goal was to manage my own behavior! Each week, I would score myself from 1-10 for my ability to control my emotions in the classroom, and another 1-10 points for implementing my classroom management system with consistency. Over many weeks my score fluctuated plus or minus one or two points, however, by the end of the school year, my average combined self evaluation score was an admirable eighteen! By managing my own behavior, I was better equipped to manage my classroom in a competent and consistent manner.
ReplyDeleteTo monitor my students’ behavior, at the beginning of the year, I grouped my class of eighteen students accordingly:
4 Alphas: students who are always on task, follow directions quickly, and turn in neat work in a timely manner.
6 Go-Alongs: students who usually follow my directions, turn in their work regularly, and are often on task.
5 Fence Sitters: this group of students can go either way; their performance and behavior is somewhat inconsistent.
3 Challenging: students who rarely follow directions quickly, raise their hand for permission to speak, or turn in neat work.
There is one more group, “Leaders,” and at the beginning of the year, we had none. Leaders are above Alphas; they are a reliable, consistent group that is, for the most part, self managing.
At the end of each week, I scored my students: each Alpha had a value of four points; each Go-Along earned three points; I awarded each Fence Sitter two points, and each challenging student received a score of one point. I then totaled the points and divided by the number of students in my classroom. The progress was slow, but consistent: by year’s end, the student score had climbed from a 2.5 in the early months to a staggering 3.45 in June! Not only did each student move up one level, but now we also had three Leaders in our midst! Thank you, Whole Brain Teaching, for helping me to examine and observe our progress!
Jacqueline Nessuno
Jacqueline,
DeleteCongratulations on the positive results with your class! You just illustrated the power of the charting system! Here are 25 points for you!
During the past year in which I used Whole Brain Teaching and charted my own behavior and my student’s progress, I have learned many things. First, I had to identify the ways in which I could tell when my emotions were changing so I could be sure to manage those changes. I also had to develop a solid classroom management plan. This was more difficult for me as I co-teach and had to work out details with my co-teachers to ensure everyone could be consistent in follow through. I then monitored my behavior each day, grading myself on a numbered scale for how well I was able to control my emotions and stick to the agreed upon classroom management plan. I consulted with my co-teachers as well to get their opinions on how it worked out and we offered each other a grade as well. This worked out well to complete this task daily during the first few minutes of our planning period so we could talk about it, then move on to planning. We also found that doing it daily allowed us to reflect on successes and failures daily so as not to forget by waiting an entire week. We found a great deal of success in being able to reflect in detail on our behaviors and felt that our students noticed the difference as well. It also allowed us to ensure that our thoughts on how class went were voiced and that we talked about individual student’s strengths and weaknesses for each lesson we taught.
ReplyDeleteRegarding charting the progress of students, we first identified in each co-taught class those behaviors we felt were most important to track. The behaviors we decided were important in our math classes were: following directions easily, asking for help when needing clarification, staying on task and completing assignments on time. We then grouped our students into their current performance level groups (alphas, go alongs, fence sitters and challenging students). After we completed this process, we chose which students we felt would be the easiest to make progress with and get them to change a group first. While we were working on those students we felt would be easy to make marked progress with using the WBT intervention, we worked especially hard to elicit a behavior change in those students we felt would be harder to reach. We worked diligently to plan for ways in which we could be successful in this. We kept record weekly of how the students were scoring and reflected on ways we could gain more progress with those students. We collaborated and communicated back and forth frequently to make sure we were keeping accurate records, not just trying to remember and making a guess. Keeping track of progress is critical so we could tell how far individual students had come during the course of the classes.
Amanda Blum
Amanda,
DeleteVery insightful post! I love that you are working closely with your coworkers to make sure there is continuity in your method! Here are 25 certification points!
Oh my word! Another year has come and gone. Let me just say that they were not kidding when they said, “time flies when you’re having fun!” This year I made it a point to include the implementation of Whole Brain Teaching into my PDP. After reading Chris Biffle’s book, Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids, I realized I had found my answer for my classroom management issues. I also realized that it was not going to be easy. I had always struggled with every aspect of classroom management in the primary classroom. I didn’t understand why they couldn’t remember after I told them or showed them one time. I always had kids off task in my observations and my classroom was disorganized.
ReplyDeleteEnter, Whole Brain Teaching. I knew if I was going to do it I had to do it right. I started by implementing the 5 class rules and then covering the basics with “Class! Yes” and “Teach, Okay”. My students immediately bought into it but I grew tired of the research and the continuous lesson plans. I found that my students were still able to push me over the edge to. While I was being more effective, I was not being the most effective I could be.
My district uses standards based grading so I quickly came up with some key points that would make me a 4, 3, 2, or 1 in whole brain teaching. Each week I gave myself a score for controlling my emotions. I developed a score for the number of times I put my lessons in the WBT format. I also gave myself a score for how I felt the student engagement was in my room.
While it was difficult in the beginning, having to give myself many 1’s and 2’s at first, it quickly became better. Having experienced whole brain teaching at its’ finest and learning much about myself- I will not be returning to my old ways ever again!
Candice Phipps
Candice,
DeleteWatch out for those tiny errors- "I found that my students were still able to push me over the edge to" (too). In chapter 4, Mrs. Maestra charts her own progress by categorizing her students into Alphas, Go Alongs, Fence Sitters, and Challenging Students. Throughout the year, she revisits these groups to see if students have moved between groups. Her goal is to have students move up and this will tell her if her techniques are working. I'd like to hear how you could implement this in your own classroom, Here are 10 certification points for a good attempt at this question..
Over the course of the year, I charted my own behavior alongside student behavior. I rated myself from 1-10 (10 being the best) on how well I controlled my frustration and how many times I used WBT techniques. Charting my behavior gave me something tangible to look at over periods of time. Before, it was easy to assume that I was improving, but honestly ranking myself kept me accountable to myself and to my students. I quickly noticed improvement in my teaching.
ReplyDeleteI also ranked student behavior. I divided my students into four groups: Alphas, Go Alongs, Fence Sitters, and Challenging Students. At the end of the week, I would rate students and evaluate if any had moved groups. This practice helped me to be realistic and hopeful for my students. Before WBT, I focused all my energy on the Challenging Student group. I realize now that this was exhausting because each day I was trying to move students from Challenging Students to Alphas! Focusing on progress from one group to the next was more realistic. This method also allowed me to focus on the Go Alongs or Fence Sitters. These students moved to Alphas more quickly and soon I had more students in the upper levels than lower!
Tracking behavior kept me accountable and allowed me to realistically focus on progress. Not only was I able to set goals for myself—I was also able to celebrate when there was more progress than I had noticed! I will continue this technique throughout my teaching career.
Madeline,
DeleteGreat post on the value of charting in a WBT classroom! You should celebrate your progress! Here are 25 points for you!
As I have read in Chapter 4, charting my own progress can be just as important as charting my students’ progress. Looking back on this year, I reflected on my grading system for myself. I gave myself a grade 1-10 on my ability to consistently follow my classroom management plan. I also gave myself a grade 1-10 on my ability to control my emotions with my tone of voice. I averaged these two grades together each week. My goal was to get at least a 16. In the beginning, I was surprised to see how low my score was. Controlling my tone of voice was surprisingly difficult, but easy to correct since I had identified it as a problem with a solution.
ReplyDeleteNext, I identified my Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence-Sitters, and Challenging Students with point values. My goal was to move each student up at least one level by the end of the year. Many of my Alphas became Leaders and many Go-Alongs became Alphas. Next year, I would like to put even more emphasis on the Fence-Sitters and Challenging Students. Reflecting on myself and my students’ behavior each week has been a powerful tool in my classroom management system. Though time-consuming, this grading process has awarded me more valuable instructional time.
Megan Gunter
Megan,
DeleteTaking the time to reflect not only on our students' behavior, but on our own as well is a major component in a well run classroom. Making those small tweaks really makes a difference in the overall scheme of things! Here are 25 certification points to save in a word document.
Over the past year I have learned three things about classroom management: the teacher´s attitude has a huge effect on class management, students are not ideal and cannot be expected to act like I supposedly did when I was in their shoes, and class management improves very slowly and almost unnoticeably.
ReplyDeleteMy attitude toward my lessons and towards students determined the way students behaved in class. With a positive attitude, I was more likely to motivate students to participate in lessons. Teachers often unintentionally tell students that they have done a mediocre job with our negative attitudes. No wonder they are frustrated and give up being “model” students. So, I tried to take a deep breath, smile and say, “that was a good attempt, let´s do it again and see if we can do even better!”
In addition to attitude, my expectations also determined how students behaved in class. If I expected them to act like the “perfect” student I was in school, they would not live up to my expectations. If I maintained high academic expectations and pushed them to do their personal best, they succeeded.
Finally, although I thought that I had changed my attitude and altered my expectations to make them more realistic, some of my class management problems seemed to persist. By the end of the year, however, I noticed that students were behaving better than they had been at the beginning. Without realizing it, class management had improved. I was able to go back to my class management scores and realize that scores had slowly but gradually improved.
Adrienne,
DeleteThese are three wonderful goals to work on in your classroom! In your next post, make sure you fully address the prompt, this one asked you to refer to the charting system discussed in this chapter and what you learned from it (alphas, fence sitters, go alongs etc.). Here are 10 certification points for your effort!
To be a good leader you must be able to “maintain self-control and make wise decisions.” This year I spent a lot of time focusing on my behavior and my ability to control it in stressful classroom situations. When I first began thinking about my classroom management I felt like I was in a good place. My classroom had consistent routines and procedures and they were repeatedly followed. Then I started to think about my emotions. I never felt like I lost my temper however as I charted my progress I noticed that it was my tone of voice was my signal that I was losing control of my emotions.
ReplyDeleteI had variety of students and moving along with our learning was relatively easy when working with my “fence sitters” (the students who had inconsistent behaviors but were trying) and the “go-alongs” (the students that usually went along with what I said). I noticed that I was able to control my emotions much easier when I felt that the students were trying, even if their attempts were inconsistent. Then I started to think about my rebellious students, the ones that were not quick to jump on board with my routines and procedures. I wondered how much of my time was being spent in verbal altercations reprimanding their behaviors instead of in academic conversations with them. These were the students I need to chart my progress with the most, they were my challenging students, and the ones I was most likely to lack self-control with.
I set a goal to get all my students to move up at least one level by the end of the year. Achieving this goal was important to me because not only were my students improving but some of my students would be great models for the other students!
Nichole,
DeleteSetting goals to move those students to Alphas and even Leaders helps us keep ourselves in check as well as making sure we have a good understanding of what behavior trends are happening in our classroom! Here are 25 certification points for a great post!
This past school year was a new experience for me. Through the ideas presented in Whole Brain Teaching, I began to not only make a behavior plan for my students, but a behavior plan for myself. I created my very own professional development plan. It was to focus and follow the classroom rules myself, and controlling my own emotions.
ReplyDeleteWorking in first grade can be exhausting, constantly leaning over children and assisting, meeting with small groups, sounding out simple words, it can become very tiring! When you become tired and are surrounded by 24 six year olds, it can be very easy to lose your temper with a challenging student.
I realized I must adhere to my own classroom management plan. I had to handle situations with a clear, calm mind. In order to manage my own behavior, I had to put in a system to monitor the student’s progress as well as my own. I divided the class into groups based on how well they followed the classroom rules:
1. Followed directions quickly.
2. Raised their hands for permission to speak.
3. Stayed on task.
4. Displayed effort.
5. Turned in neat work.
The groups were The Alphas, The Go Alongs, The Fence Sitters, and The
Challenging Students. Each group was awarded a different amount of points, and were either rewarded points, or deducted points based on their behavior. I also evaluated myself. I awarded myself daily points up to 10 based on how I kept the tone of my voice, how I handled challenging students, and how I stayed on track with my classroom management plan.
Each week I would reflect on my own score, as well as the score generated from the students. I did notice similar trends in my progress and my student’s progress! When I focused on controlling my emotions as well as my management plan, the students were on track and they were making smart choices! When they were happy, I was happy, and they were happy because I was happy. It was all around a happy classroom!
Using this rating scale, I was able to stay on top of behavior rather than focusing all of my time and energy correcting it! It is very important to realize that YOU are a member of your own classroom community as well.
Caroline,
DeleteI love your last sentence! This sounds like you had a fantastic plan in place to monitor your students as well as yourself! Teaching can be so much more rewarding when we take a step back and really look at what is going on in our classrooms. Here are 25 certification points!
Well, the year has come and gone and I have used many WBT techniques to increase my skills as a teacher. One of the things that I think helped me the most was charting my own ability to control my behavior with my students. I was very curious to see how my emotional highs and lows in the classroom affected my students’ behavior and productivity. I knew that we all react off of each others’ behaviors and tone of voice. I also knew that I sometimes have trouble with being consistent. Charting my progress was helpful in controlling this. I also needed to chart my students’ progress with their classroom behaviors to get an accurate score of effectiveness.
ReplyDeleteI started by using the weekly evaluation system set up by Mrs. Maestra in Ch. 4 of “Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids.” I gave myself a grade of 1-10 (10 being the best) on being able to control my tone of voice. This was very important for me because this is where my true feelings leaked out. I was great at not yelling, but my tone of voice always gave me away.
I also charted my students’ progress with their behaviors based on these tasks: following directions quickly, raising their hands for permission to speak, staying on task, and turning in neat and completed work. I divided the students into four groups and established a point system for each group. The groups and points are as follows: the Alphas (4pts), Go-Alongs (3pts), Fence Sitters (2pts), and Challenging Students (1pt). The Alphas are my model students that always completed the four tasks correctly. My Go-Alongs completed the tasks correctly most of the time. The Fence Sitters were hard to figure out. I never knew when they were going to follow my tasks correctly or not. Then there were the Challenging Students. These kids rarely followed any directions.
Every week I totaled all of our points. I found my students’ average and I recorded all of my information in my reflection journal. Sometimes, I also made notes of more “active” days, when my students’ or my behavior was undesirable. My goal was to move my students up at least one whole level by the end of the year. This also meant that my Alphas needed somewhere to go. I created the Leaders level for those kiddos. They could earn 5 pts as a Leader.
I also split my groups up evenly so that my Fence Sitters and Challenging Students sat with my Alphas and Go-Alongs. Having better role models as their partners helped the Challenging Students and Go-Alongs to meet higher expectations in the classroom. When I stayed calm and in control, we all had a better day and my students performed better. Therefore, we had higher scores. This evaluation system was an inspiration to us all. It not only helped me become more consistent, but it also gave me physical proof that attitude changes everything.
Jackie Rabin
Jackie,
DeleteAttitude does change everything! WBT gives us so many strategies to help the kids, but I love that it also gives us strategies to monitor ourselves as well! Here are 25 certification points, keep up the good work!
I absolutely love the idea of charting the behavior of the students to really see where they have improved this year. It helps me to see at the end of the year where I need to really refine my teaching. I can answer questions such as how many students moved up a level, for example from fence-sitters to go-alongs. I can see where I am having the most difficulty moving students from one group to a higher group. I can answer how many leaders do I have at the end of the year. This allows me to look ahead to next year and see where I need to improve. I am also excited about charting my own behavior – I agree that it is so important that teachers control their own behavior. When I chart my own behavior, I can see and celebrate improvements in my own behavior and that is usually reflected in the behavior of my students.
ReplyDeleteI believe that it is important as educators to reflect on our teaching and by having a record of how we and our class did – not just fuzzy memories, then we can continue to improve. As I am starting on the WBT journey, I am planning on using weekly charts to mark my progress, to celebrate the successes and reflect on how to improve in different areas.
Mary Carlson
Mary,
DeleteI agree, when we use this system we aren't relying on our "memories" to guide us, but on actual facts. It is so easy to think "Oh I will never forget this day", but somehow they all seem to blend together after a while! This is a great strategy to help us better ourselves and our classroom! Here are 25 certification points!
It is the end of another year, with this year being so very different from years past. By charting my behaviors within the classroom and those of my students, I can see how the system works.
ReplyDeleteI followed the guidelines from Chapter 4 and graded myself accordingly. I noticed that the weeks I got sidetracked and forgot to monitor my behaviors in the classroom, my students were usually more difficult. When I started to yell, the class was at first puzzled but then took it to mean that my class was like every other they had attended in the past. This, they thought, gave them permission to act out. When I didn’t follow through with the behavior management part of the Whole Brain Teaching program, they became lax and less focused. On those weeks when I was able to keep my emotions in check and follow through with behavior management, the class was better behaved. I was able to present more content to the class with fewer disruptions.
At the beginning of the year I was very curious to see if this program worked with correcting the behaviors of my more difficult students. I divided my class into groups from Alphas to Challenging and charted their behaviors each week. I used the scoreboard, practice cards, and Super Improvers Wall to direct their behaviors. I am happy to report that several of my students were able to move up a step on my chart. This has made my classroom a much more enjoyable place to work! The children left my room feeling proud of their accomplishments and aware that they could receive positive reinforcement from teachers- something rarely seen in the past.
I have learned that I will never go back to my old ways that did not work. I will continue to monitor my students and myself in order to create the best environment I possibly can for all of us.
Liz Howard
Liz,
DeleteOnce you enter Teacher Heaven, you will not want to go back. The more you use the core 5 of the WBT system, the better behaved your students will be. Keep up the great work, here are your 25 certification points.
Here’s to the end of my best year of teaching! Oh, I will miss it. But I look forward to future years, using WBT. Discovering Whole Brain Teaching has dramatically changed my classroom – the students’ outlook and mine.
ReplyDeleteHalf way through my year, I discovered a WBT tracking system for student behaviour and my progress on engaging them. Using a clipboard, I created a chart. I used the categories from Chapter 4 of ‘Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids’: Leaders, Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, and Challenging Students. I put each student’s name on a small post-it note and placed them in the category they fit into. (Of course, the students did not know about this chart.) I gave myself points based on which category students were in. For Leaders I received 5 points, Alphas – 4 points, Go-Alongs – 3 points, Fence Sitters – 2 points, and Challenging Students – 1 point. I had 20 students in my class, so the perfect score would be 100 (Teacher Heaven extraordinaire!!). I knew that was not realistic. My realistic goal was very similar to Mrs. Maestra’s in the book. I wanted to move my students up one group from where they started. For my Alphas, I wanted to move half of them up to Leader status. No one started as a Leader. How students were placed depended on their ability to follow the Success Criteria:
1. Raise hand to speak.
2. Follow directions quickly.
3. Stay on task.
4. Hand in neat work.
Each day after school, I would look at my clipboard and move the students as observed that day. I took pictures with my tablet to keep track of movement. Occasionally a student or two would back-slide, but for the most part, my students rose to my high expectations and moved up a category; some even two! And two of my Alphas even became leaders.
This system helped me to reflect as an educator. It helped me to see how monitoring progress changed my classroom. The visual of the clipboard helped me to see who was struggling and motivated me to help them along. I was determined to not have any lost sheep in my class. It made me accountable, which in turn, motivated me. My classroom management issues decreased and student learning increased. To quote the start of Chapter 4, "You can't tell where you're going, without a chart of where you've been."
WBT has changed my way of teaching and my students’ way of learning!
Bonnie Marvin
Bonnie,
DeleteGreat job with this post. I hope that as you reflect at the end of this year and the following years, you will feel this elated when you finish! Here are you 25 certification points.
As the school year has ended , I can now clearly see my charting progress and will be able to make some improvements where I felt some things needed to get better and those that worked wonderfully.
ReplyDeleteI used a teacher´s charting journal where I wrote the students groups: Alphas, go–alongs , fence-sitters, challenging students, new students and leaders and their seating plan. Next to that column I had my own teaching chart, where I noted with some colored stars which gave me clues of my behavior; for instance, if I noted I was losing my temper by the tone of my voice or my breathing, I would go back to my desk and stick a red star to my column, that gave me time to control and observe myself but I found that it would also give time and perspective to my challenging student to stop the disruptive behavior, because by that moment, they were all engaged in the Guff Counter Game. I was using positive peer pressure with the Guff and the Big Seven. “Sticking to the rules” has become my number one “rule”.
Because I have different classes and grades, I would check my chart daily to check myself up and gave myself 1 to 10 points according to the number and color of the stars I had, by the end of the week and on my weekend shift (work hard in teaching, when you are not in class!) I took decisions whether to consider changing students to a different group or let them stay for one more week. I would also grade myself on the quality of my lesson plans and the given results on task achievements.
I liked this system very much because it helped having my classes and grades superbly organized and always updated and in hand, it was an incredible aid to work on habits like temper control and self-observation and keep top of the line organizational skills , that certainly makes me go to teacher heaven when I start my classes knowing they followed directions quickly, raised their hands for permission to speak, stayed on task and finally turned in neat work!
Fabiola Macias
Fabiola,
DeleteIt sounds like the charting has really helped you see your strengths and weaknesses in the classroom! The habits you charted of controlling your temper and organization are ones that are so important in a well run class. Make sure you edit your writing (and watch for those long, run on sentences). Here are 20 certification points!
This year, I have learned more about my classroom management thanks to Whole Brain Teaching. I have always felt confident in my classroom management skills, but this year was a challenge. I found that calling out the WBT 5 rules were not enough, and I was easily getting frustrated with my students and myself.
ReplyDeleteI sat back and knew that I was letting my emotions take control, and I was not following through with my classroom management plan. I knew these two downfalls were breeding chaos in my classroom. I realized that if I could not reflect on my classroom management skills then I would not be able to control my classroom. I decided to grade myself every Friday based on my two main areas of concern: controlling my tone of voice and being consistent with my classroom management plan.
At the end of each day, I would write a few notes about the day. These notes helped me grade myself on Friday. I took my two areas of concern and rated myself 1-10 (with 10 being the highest). I then graphed my weekly scores so I could easily see my progress throughout the year. The hardest obstacle for me was not penalizing myself if my class did not have a stellar week. I based my scores on my tone of voice and consistency in classroom management.
As I looked over my graphs, I was ecstatic to see the growth in my scores. When I began this process, my average score was a five. At the end of the year, my average score was a nine in both areas. I accounted this jump to dividing my class into five groups: leaders, alphas, go-alongs, fence setters and challenging students.
After I divided my students into the five groups, I was able to rate them weekly. My goal was to move them up to the next higher group. I met with each student and we set a goal to work on. The students were unaware that I had them in different groups, but I knew that if I challenged them to work on focusing that they would work hard to meet their goal. I used the Super Improver Wall as an incentive to achieve their specific behavior opportunities. This approach also helped me control my emotions and follow through with my classroom management plan.
In May, I was blown away with how many of my fence sitters became alphas. This was my biggest area of growth. I attributed that growth to making my students take control of their behaviors. I was also proud that I no longer had any challenging students at the end of the year. I was proud that I achieved my goals and it was achieved with the help of my students.
Ashley,
DeleteIt is powerful to be able to say "I no longer had any challenging students at the end of the year" isn't it!! How wonderful! A little extra effort to chart our growth and needs really pays off. Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
WOOHOOO!! Thank you!!
DeleteBy tallying up the points on the scoreboard and keeping notes of how students improved their behavior I learned that if I stay consistent with my classroom management system, my students would increase their positive behavior and decrease their negative behaviors. When the negative behaviors are decreased students are more engaged in learning and pay more attention in class. On the weeks that I did not stay as consistent with the classroom management system I noticed that the students were moving their clips more often and they were not as engaged during whole group instruction.
ReplyDeleteIrish Brown
Irish,
DeleteYou are so right, consistent behavior management is key. In WBT we don't use the clip method, we use the Scoreboard and the charting system described in this chapter. In chapter 4, Mrs. Maestra charts her own progress by categorizing her students into Alphas, Go Alongs, Fence Sitters, and Challenging Students. Throughout the year, she revisits these groups to see if students have moved between groups. Her goal is to have students move up and this will tell her if her techniques are working. I'd like to hear more about how this system would work in your classroom (the prompt for this chapter). Here are 10 certification points for your effort.
Chapter 4: Charting Progress
ReplyDeleteUsing this system I found that the hardest thing for me was to be consistent with my classroom management. Consistency is very important when students are being defiant. If you do not follow through and stand behind what you say the students will pick up on this and use it their advantage. I also needed to remember to use all whole brain regularly. My biggest mistake is in keeping up with my scoreboard. I don’t really have a problem with the rules, teach-okay or class-yes. These things seem to come naturally. The students are also very good at mirror and hands and eyes.
Karen,
DeleteIt will become second nature to use these strategies with just a little practice- and you will be amazed with the results! In chapter 4, Mrs. Maestra charts her own progress by categorizing her students into Alphas, Go Alongs, Fence Sitters, and Challenging Students. I'd like to hear more about how you would use those (the prompt for this chapter). In the future, try to give a little more detail in your posts - we love to hear what you have to say! Here are 20 certification points.
This has been an exciting school year for me. I decided in August I would begin to chart two types of behavior data: my behavior and the student’s behavior. I based this decision on this “Great Truth of Whole Brain Teaching”, “You cannot manage student behavior if you cannot manage your own behavior.”
ReplyDeleteEach week I rated myself on 1-10 on how well I controlled my behavior. I made a goal to be positive, reasonable, and enthusiastic in my instruction. Throughout the week I made little comments on my plan book about how I did each day – sometimes a few words, sometimes just a “plus” or “minus” sign. On Friday before I left for the weekend I rated myself on the week in the three areas I had chosen. Another way I evaluated myself was how closely I stuck to my plan for student engagement. I was already pretty proficient in using “Class/Yes”, “Mirror Words”, and “Teach/OK”. I wanted to improve in my use of the “Scoreboard” Again on a 1-10 scale I rated my week on how well I used the scoreboard. I added the two scores together and weeks I was a 16 or higher I gave myself an extra scoop of ice cream for dessert.
For my students I watched to see how they performed with the classroom rules. Did they follow directions quickly? Did they raise their hand? Did they stay on task? Did they complete their work? Based on the answers to these questions I put them in one of four categories: Alphas, students who were good at following the rules, Go-Alongs, students who usually did what I asked, Fence-Sitters, who could go either way, Challenging Students, who actively resist following the rules. My ultimate goal was to move the students in each group up at least one, so that Challenging Students improved to Fence-Sitters, and Fence-Sitters move to Go-Alongs, and Go-Alongs moved to Alphas.
But what about the Alphas? Where could they grow to? My ultimate goal was to see the Alphas improve to be Leaders. Leaders are like junior teachers who love to go above and beyond the normal role of a good student. Leaders of a class that is largely self-managing. Teacher Heaven!!!!!
By the end of the year, I found that I had improved my scores as a teacher and that most of my students had moved up at least one level. A few grew past two levels! My use of the scoreboard improved immensely and teaching was more fun than ever. I had 3 good Leaders at the end of the year, which made me proud of my progress. Next year will be even better. I wonder how this system could be applied to the teachers in my school? How many of them would fall into the 5 categories?
Carl Rust
Carl,
DeleteAn extra scoop of ice cream for 16 points or higher...what a great idea! :)
I like the idea of challenging the other teachers in your school! Nice work, here are 25 certification points!
This has been an amazing year! I can not believe the difference that charting both mine and my students' behavior has made. I can easily get frustrated when lessons do not go the way that I want them to, or when my students' behavior does not meet my expectations. My voice becomes firmer, my inner peace quickly evaporates, and my students are quickly aware of my change in mood. The fun is basically sucked out of the room. Charting my tone of voice and my emotions allowed me to not only be more aware of when this was happening, but it also helped me to reflect on the reasons why it happened. What I discovered was that it was almost always tied to my consistency with classroom management. When I scored myself low in this area, it was almost certain that my score for control of voice and emotions would be low as well. As a result, I began to focus each day on my management score. My goal was to earn a ten, which meant that I was consistent with all of my routines and procedures, and that I fairly enforced our five classroom rules. Every time I earned a ten here, I would usually earn a ten for voice and emotions. It was a very big "ah-ha" moment for me.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found most beneficial about identifying my students as challenging, fence sitters, go-alongs, and alphas was that it helped me to change my attitude towards the behaviors in my room. It became a personal goal of mine to move all of my students up one level. Instead of lamenting the fact that I had challenging students in my room, I began to ask myself what I could do to help these students move to the next level. To assist me in keeping track of my students' progress, I would sit down at the end of each day and score them as well. Of course, they never knew this. The biggest truth that I discovered was that when my scores were high, a majority of my students' scores were high as well. This reminded me of something that I had learned years ago, but had not given much thought to until beginning this charting system. I am the driving force within my classroom. My words, attitudes, and actions set the tone for the entire class. I am now going to school every day with the attitude that a good day begins with me.
Joyce,
DeleteDon't you just love those bit "ah-ha" moments? You are so right, your words, attitudes, and actions really do set the tone for the entire class. That is why this charting method is so beneficial! Here are 25 certification points!
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ReplyDeleteDuring this school year I concentrated on my own behaviors with my class. I knew there were some things I needed to change and focus on before I could get my students to improve their behaviors. Therefore I set two focus goals for myself.
ReplyDelete1. Pay attention to and control my emotions.
2. Continuously follow through with every aspect of my classroom management
plan.
To meet these focus goals I created a plan by first placing each student into a group and assigning point values to each group. The students are unaware of the groups. This is just for my own data and progress purposes. The Alpha group (model students) would give me 4 points each. The Go - Alongs, students who go along with the teacher but sometimes fall short of being a model student, would give me 3 points each. The Fence Sitters, students that could go one way or the other, would give me 2 points each, and the Challenging Students, the students who rarely follow any directions, would give me 1 point each. I would evaluate myself at the end of each week with this system. The main goal is to move challenging students to Fence Sitters, Fence Sitters to Go - Alongs, Go - Alongs to Alphas, and Alphas to Leaders! By achieving this goal, I would also be receiving more points each week to prove my personal progress.
By consistently charting this progress each week I was able to see if each student progressed, how much improvement was going on over time, and how many students were moving up into higher groups. My progress chart also allowed me to see if there were any students not making progress. When these students were quickly identified I would check my own progress as well. Had I been making improvement? Was I concentrating on my focus goals at all times? Had I let my emotions start getting the best of me? When I noticed myself "slipping" and not making the appropriate progress, I had to step it up! When my chart showed that I had not progressed, I knew it was time to take the plan to the next level with the challenging students who were not making the gains I was hoping for.
This charting progress process gave me immediate data as to the "whys" that myself and other teachers always have. Why are the kids talking out of turn so much lately? Why had little Johnny made so much progress and suddenly he is taking over the classroom again? Why is it taking so long for the students to line up correctly? If I'm not progressing with my focus goals, the behavior in my classroom will certainly not progress either. This is why it is so important to make a plan for charting your progress each week!
Heidi Baird
Heidi,
DeleteWonderful job! Taking the time to chart our progress helps us see how the "little things" really do make a difference in our overall classroom environment. Here are 25 certification points!
Wow…. I can’t believe another year has come and gone! I beg to differ with anyone who says, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I can honestly say that after 18 years of teaching, this old dog has been taught a new trick.
ReplyDeleteThis past year, I used the following measures to evaluate my students’ behavior:
• followed directions quickly
• raised their hands for permission to speak
• stayed on task
• turned in neat work
The first step was to divide my students into four groups unbeknownst to them:
• Alphas: These were my model students that always followed directions, raised their hands to speak, stayed on task, and turned in neat work. I gave myself 4 points for each student in this category.
• Go-Alongs: These students generally followed directions quickly, raised their hands to speak, stayed on task, and submitted neat work. Every now and then, they fell short of the Alphas. I awarded myself 3 points for each student in the Go-Along category.
• Fence Sitters: These students were the ones that were “on” one day and “off” the next. Their behavior was inconsistent and unpredictable from day to day. I gave myself 2 points for each Fence Sitter. (New students were always added to this group.)
• Challenging Students: These students seldom followed directions, raised their hands to speak, stayed on task, or turned in neat work. I gave myself 1 point for each student in this group.
• Leaders: As the year progressed, I gave myself 5 points for each student that strived to be above the Alphas. This group consisted of students that were able to self-manage themselves.
At the end of each week, I totaled all of the points and then divided by the total number of students. This average was the score for the behavior in my classroom. My goal was to move every student up at least one level by the end of the year.
It was not until this year that I discovered that the success of my students’ behavior actually started with ME and not THEM! I realized the importance of controlling and managing my own emotions when faced with a rebellious, challenging student. In most situations, the outcome was a more desirable behavior from the student; therefore, I can truly attest that charting student behavior in your classroom will lead you to "Teacher Heaven". #missionaccomplished
Kelly Avery
Intern 2014
Kelly,
DeleteIsn't it amazing how much we learn about our students, and ourself, through this process? Nice job! Here are 25 points and a 5 point Bonus!
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ReplyDeleteFinally, after 31 years of teaching, I have a concrete way to document that the classroom manage system I'm using is working! A few minutes every day and some computing at the end of the week was all it took.
ReplyDeleteThe data is gathered in 3 scores every week.
1. Daily, I reflected on my self-control. My goal was not to react negatively to students' behavior. When I lose my cool, challenging students are given reinforcement for their behavior. I had to be disciplined about reflection because I know I can be easily distracted. At the end of the week, I graded myself control from one to ten.
2. It is also vital that I consistently apply the management plan. Sometimes I tend to let less than ideal behavior slide because I'm busy teaching. Again I scored myself 1-10. This score and the self-control score were averaged so I could see how I was meeting these goals.
3. Finally, I analyzed how my students were progressing in compliance with targeted behaviors. Weekly, students were sorted into 4 groups and points were assigned dependent on the group they were in.
Leaders: (5 pts. each) consistently met expectations and showed leadership in the classroom.
Alphas: (4 pts. each) consistently met expectations.
Go Alongs (3 pts. each) usually met expectations, but had lapses.
Fence Sitters: (2 pts. each) inconsistently met exceptions. New students were put into this group.
Challenging Students: (1 pt. each) never or rarely followed rules.
At the end of the week, I averaged the points to get on overview of how my students were growing within the plan.
I had avoided this type of structured accountability system for many years. But, now I am glad that I followed through and have the satisfaction of knowing that I grew as an effective teacher and my students grew towards being leaders.
Sheryl Larson
Great post, Sheryl! Yes, it takes effort to chart, but the rewards of learning more about your students and about yourself is so worth it! Here are 25 points!
DeleteWhat a great year it’s been, with Whole Brain Teaching at the core of it! After using the Whole Brain Teachings system of charting my behavior, I learned that I couldn’t manage my challenging students, if I couldn’t control my reaction to them. Two crucial things I learned was to control my emotions by controlling my tone of voice and to consistently follow through with my classroom management plan. I’d give myself a grade between 1-10 (10 being the highest) on my ability to control my emotions by controlling my tone of voice and I gave myself a grade between 1-10(10 being the highest) on my ability to consistently follow my classroom management plan. Any week that my combined self evaluation score was 16 or higher was a success despite a large group of rebellious students. This kept me positive and enthusiastic! If my score was lower than 16, I knew I had to be aware of my tone of voice and my consistency in following through with my class management plan.
ReplyDelete- I also charted my students’ behavior. I grouped them into four groups. Every week I totaled all the points for my kids and calculated the average score. I learned that if I could raise the average score for the behavior of all my students by only.1 per month, then by the end of the year every student in my class would have moved up, on average, one level in classroom behavior. This was my goal and I’m happy to say I reached it even without pulling my hair out! Thank You Whole Brain Teaching for getting me closer to the realm of Teacher Heaven!
Arlene Snyder
Nice work, Arlene! I have the feeling the scores were consistently higher as time went on! Great job! Here are 25 points for you!
DeleteI can’t believe this year is over already! At the beginning, I thought it would be one of the most difficult years I have ever had due to my large class size and energetic students. However, I found a new way to evaluate my behavior management and keep my attitude in check. According to Coach B, author of Whole Brain Teaching for Challenging Kids, “You cannot manage student behavior if you cannot manage your own behavior.” I realized this year that I have to keep my responses and reactions in check if I want to have my students’ attitudes and responses in check. I needed a system to evaluate my own behavior, which in turn helped my students manage theirs.
ReplyDeleteHow did I score myself you ask? Well, let me tell you! I started by giving myself two scores ranging from 1-10. I graded myself depending on how well I followed my behavior management plan and how well I controlled my emotions. At first I was all over the place but as I kept track of my progress I consistently followed my plan. This helped my students to consistently follow it as well. Even though I had a difficult class I still made progress when my score was 16 or above.
I also kept track of my students’ individual progress. Based on the criteria of who followed directions quickly. I divided my class into four groups including the Alphas, the Go-Alongs, The Fence Sitters, and Challenging Students.
For each type of student I had in my class I awarded myself points and then divided the total number of points by the number of students in my class. The Alphas always follow directions and are worth 5 points, the Go-Alongs follow directions consistently but not always and are worth 3 points, the Fence Sitters sometimes follow directions but sometimes don’t and they are worth 2 points, and the Challenging Students rarely follow directions and are worth 1 point. Of course there is always room for improvement and if some of my Alphas improved to student Leaders and then I get 5 points! The ultimate goal is to have my students move up one level by the end of the year. As Coach B pointed out, that is possible by only increasing my average score by .1 per month.
I never realized that classroom management started with the ways I react to certain situations. If I manage my behavior and tone of voice I can help my class to manage theirs. The best part is, this system is like a game! Even I get to participate in the fun and try to beat my score!
Amber Hartzler
Well done, Amber! WBT is meant to create learning and fun in tandem! The teacher's Limbic system needs to be activated to feel the joy of teaching! Here are 25 points!
DeleteAfter the previous year, I knew I needed to take more ownership of my own behavior. As Coach B. says, “You cannot manage student behavior if you cannot manage your own behavior.” So this past year, I decided to take action and monitor both my own behavior and my student’s behavior in a different way.
ReplyDeleteI set two goals this past year:
• I want to control my emotions by controlling the tone of my voice
• I want to consistently follow through my classroom management plan
Each week, I gave myself a score from 1-10 for each goal and averaged the two scores for a weekly “grade.”
I also divided my students into four groups and gave points to help chart their progress.
1. Alphas – These students followed directions quickly and made smart choices. I received 4 points for each Alpha student.
2. Go-Alongs – These students did fairly well, but did not always make smart choices. I received 3 points for each Go-Along student.
3. Fence Sitters – These students struggled with consistency. It was a daily challenge. I received 2 points for each Fence Sitter student. I also put my new students in this group.
4. Challenging Students – These students have a very difficult time following directions quickly and almost never raised their hand to speak. It was almost impossible for them to stay on task and/or turn in neat work. I gave myself 1 point for each challenging student.
As the year progressed, I created another group called Leaders. These students were self-managing. They were clearly above the Alpha Group. I received 5 points for each Alpha student.
I determined my average score by totaling the number of my points and then dividing by the number of students.
Reflecting on last year’s numbers, one thing clearly jumped off the page. As my teacher score went up, my student score went up. If my teacher score went down, my student score went down. There was a direct correlation between the two scores. WOW! In my head, I always knew there was a correlation. But, putting it on paper made it real! I feel that giving myself a grade each week helped me direct my path for the following week and helped me to prepare my students to move up a level.
Overall, I was pleased with my progress. Most of my students moved up at least one level and many moved two or three levels. Weekly reflections clearly made a difference. Watching the grades go up over the year helped me see that even though progress was slow at times, there was still progress.
Kim Kirkpatrick
Kim,
DeleteReflecting with this technique really helps keep us on our toes! It is so rewarding to look back and see the progress we (and our students) have made! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
I can honestly say that consistency is a craft that needs to be developed. In the past, my classroom management plan was not consistent and it showed in the number of discipline reports I had to write. I treated this particular assignment as if I were doing lesson plans. After charting my progress weekly, I learned that my numbers were lower when holidays were near. The same is true for my students. During the middle of the year, I had a point to prove to myself. I began to chart my progress alongside my students’ progress and it made a difference in remaining consistent with my classroom management plan. As the end of the year came, I noticed that my ability to deal with my tone of voice and my emotions improved. The students fed off of the energy that I was creating in the classroom. When I remained positive and in control, their behavior stayed on the right track. What I have learned from this year is to make a note of students’ progress and compare it to their academic status. I’m hoping that there will be some correlation with positive behavior and academic success. I can use these findings to share with future classes and encourage them to be Alphas all year long!
ReplyDeleteSherry Thompson
Sherry,
DeleteReflection really does help us become better teachers! I'd like to hear more about your plans with your students (Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, Challenging, Leaders). Here are 20 certification points!
In order to continue to grow and refine your craft as a teacher, you should track your own progress as well. I chose two behaviors that I wished to improve: prepares well thought out and organized lessons in all subject areas and confronts disruptive students calmly and away from a peer audience. Each week, as part of an evaluation system, I gave myself a score of 1-10 (with 10 being the highest) on my ability to be organized and control my emotions. (Biffle, 2013) By adding these two together, I got a teaching score.
ReplyDeleteAs an additional layer of the evaluation system, I charted my student's classroom behavior. Using the Whole Brain Teaching rules, I created criteria: followed directions quickly, raised their hand for permission to speak, raised their hand for permission to leave their seat, and remained on task during independent work. I divided my students into four groups and assigned points: Alphas (4 points), Go-Alongs (3 points), Fence Sitters (2 points), and Challenging Students (1 point). As a goal, I established a "Leaders" (5 points) group for those who rose above the Alpha rank. By also keeping a weekly log of student behavior performance, I tracked my progress, especially those challenging students. Then I took the class average and tracked this along with my personal behavior.
The goal was to get each group to move up at least one behavior group. Considering the data, I could tell how effective I was. In addition, I could draw a correlation between my behavior and student behavior. At times, I discovered a connection between the days where my organization was not at its maximum effort and my challenging student's erratic behavior. Through this, I realized "you cannot manage your own student behavior if you cannot manage your own behavior." (Biffle, 2013) I considered this idea of tracking my own behavior and correlating it to my own student's. In effect, I realized that if I can consistently increased my score while bringing up the student score, I would see a significant improvement in student behavior.
I also looked back at more specific data pertaining to a targeted group. I asked myself, do I have too many "Fence Sitters"? I could easily evaluate that I had a significant group of students who inconsistently demonstrated on task work habits. I decided that perhaps my personal behavior goal was not in line with the expected student behavior. Emerging from this data was a need to practice the rules and model expected behavior more often. This discovery would mold my personal behavior goals for the following school year.
Amanda Dierking
Amanda,
DeleteI charted progress for an entire year. Each month I went back and checked in with my progress as well as my students progress. I only chose a select few to start moving each month. This allowed me to really spend time with each student and see what their motivation was. Success was evident each month, but looking back at the end of the year...monumental. Set small goals for yourself and really focus on what you can do, and do full force. WBT can be a little overwhelming if you try it all at once. Master the core, then add onto this as you feel comfortable! Here are 25 certification points for your work!
Chapter 4: Charting Progress
ReplyDeleteWhen I first heard about tracking progress of students and myself, it sounded overwhelming. So, my brain went to work right away finding a way to make it consistent, easy to do and easy to interpret. I made a spread sheet in Excel with each student. After the first week, I rated the students as Alphas, Go Along, Fence Sitter and Challenge. I gave each a number alpha=4, go along=3, etc. This made it easy to tabulate an average of the class for the week. It also made it easy to see growth among students from week to week.
I admit that after the first week, I was a bit nervous to see my challenge students move up the chart. I also wasn’t sure that I would have a clear sense of how to rank myself based on the week. I know that when I have a “good day” on Friday, it makes it more difficult to accurately assess the week. So, I decided to jot two scores a day on a clipboard and then glance at those on Friday. One score was for following my classroom management plan; the other was for managing my emotions my controlling my voice. I was happy with the results. I felt like I was able to accurately assess myself by reflecting daily. Once a week I plugged it into a page of the same spreadsheet which I used for students. I color coded the numbers for quick and easy review, but this comment box will not do color. Sorry.
Week # 1 2 3 4 5
Joe 1 1 1 1.5 2
Sally 3 3 3 3.5 4
One of the most satisfying things I experienced was watching challenging students grow from a Challenge Student to a Fence Sitter and beyond. I also learned that by tracking the progress of myself and my students, I am able to make adjustments to improve the operation of the classroom. I became much more aware of how my behavior affects student behavior.
jhobley(name please for scoring purposes),
DeleteExcel has made a great way for you to see your students growth and your personal growth. The ability to track the changes yearlong will be a great thing for your classroom! Here are your 25 certification points.
I love the idea or charting my own behaviour and improvement. I especially like the idea of doing it publically on the Super Improvers Wall for my own students to see that I work towards goals like they do.
ReplyDeleteBy privately rating myself on my abilities to manage my tone of voice and my classroom management skills, I made myself more accountable for putting my own goals into place. Without the tracking, there is no accountability and I could continue to make excuses for not following through. Therefore, I found my scores to be steadily increasing as I became more accustomed to my new behaviour plan. Obviously, I had some weeks where I was “off” due to personal issues – maybe the kids were sick in the night causing me to be more irritable at school. However, for the most part it was amazing to see how simply charting my own behaviour could make me a better teacher. By this same understanding, tracking my students helped me easily see which students followed the behaviour plan, and which students needed a little more attention and encouragement.
Overall, I think tracking both the teacher’s individual behaviour and those of the students is a terrific way to make the teacher accountable for his or her goals and to help recognize how some students can improve classroom behaviour.
Lisa Rebecca Goldberg
P.S. Please don't mark me down for the spelling of "behaviour". I am Canadian and we spell it with a "u". :)
Lisa,
DeleteRating your tone of voice and classroom management will help you provide a pleasant classroom environment and you will be happy, happy, happy! Here are 25 certification points!
Charting myself and my students seemed like it was going to be a time consuming task. I was glad that I took this time because in the end it really helped me target the students that would be my "special project" students.
ReplyDeleteI started this task like I start all tasks, I started by looking at what I needed as my end goal and then moved forward. My goals were to not confront students in front of their peers and consistently practicing WBT strategies each day. I then moved to the computer and created an excel document with drop down boxes 1-3. (1 if I didn't do it at all. 2 if I did it sometimes. 3 if I met the goal) The difficult part of this task is that I see 6 different classes a day and a total of 30 different classes a week, therefore, the spreadsheet has a class name on each line. This also helped me see if I was more consistent with one grade level than another.
The next spreadsheets I created was for each of the 30 classes that I taught in a week with every child's name listed. Each student had drop down boxes for each of the student goals. The goals I focused on were: follows directions quickly, raised their hands for permission to speak, responded respectfully to peers and teacher, and stayed on task. Each of these goals was given a value 1-4 to evaluate compliance. Since I only saw the students once a week, I continued this process for four class periods so I could get a general idea which group the student belonged in.
The students were placed into groups based on a 4 week average of their points. The groups and their average values were as follows:
* Alphas always followed the goals (13-15 point average)
* Go-Alongs would usually go along with the goals (11-12 point average)
* Fence Sitters could go either was with the goals (8-10)
* Challenging Students rarely followed the goals (below 8)
* New students were put into the Fence Sitter group until I figured out which group they fit into.
Of course my goal was to have every student achieve a 16 which would put them in a group of their own, the Leader group!
I continued this on a weekly basis so I could see the positive change in the students as well as keep up with my own consistency.
In the end I was very happy that I completed this task. It helped me self evaluate as well as pinpoint the "high flyers" in the music classroom so I could spend added time working towards a positive behavior plan for then and ultimately an increase in their success in learning!
Mitzi,
DeleteYou found a great way to accommodate your many classes (and numerous students)! Keeping these records really keeps us on our toes! Here are 25 certification points!
Chapter 4: Charting Progress
ReplyDeleteI finished another year of teaching third graders and this year was more successful due to my improved classroom management. I've faithfully charted my own behavior through weekly reflections as an instructor. I also charted my students’ progress. Looking back, I learned that I made a progressed in the areas of controlling my emotions by controlling my tone of voice throughout the year. I also worked hard to consistently follow through with my classroom management plan. In the coming year, I am looking for my own continued improvement with consistency in classroom management as this is a struggle at times for me.
I used the following measures to evaluate each student's classroom behavior- followed directions quickly, raised their hands for permission to speak, stayed on task, and turned in neat work on time. I also divided the students into four groups: Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, and Challenging Students. My goal was to raise the average score for all students' behaviors by .1 per month. Many students did achieve this level bringing them up a full level in classroom behavior by the end of the school year. I did have a few challenging students with whom I had to help them (and myself mentally when evaluating them) to focus on one area at a time such as turning neat work on time. After seeing the child show improvement in that area, I would help the child focus on another area. This helped the student to not feel overwhelmed and assisted me in staying consistent with my classroom management plan.
Next year, the principal suggested having the students chart their own behavior (as that is part of the evaluation program we are using.) I am thinking of having each child use a calendar in a folder to self-score him/herself each day out of 4 points before getting ready to go home at the end of the day. I will have the students help me make a rubric (with my own ideas/goals already in mind) for what behaviors they should show in order to receive the points for behavior for the day. This will help them to take ownership of their behavior and show both of us their progress or areas they need improvement.
Hannah,
DeleteYour goal of consistency in classroom management will be very attainable as you use the WBT program! I love your idea of having the students chart their own behavior with points to work with you in reaching goals! Watch out for those pesky editing errors "Looking back, I learned that I made a progressed in the areas...". Here are 20 certification points!
Wow, what an exciting year it has been! This is the first year I have ever charted my own progress in my teaching in a measurable way. What an eye opener! This will be a technique that I will use for the rest of my teaching career, because of all of the growth I saw in myself which correlated to my students growing exponentially.
ReplyDeleteEach week I rated myself on how well I managed my emotions and my tone of voice. This is not only a concept that is taught in WBT, but it is Biblical. Proverbs 15:1 states, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Ecclesiastes 9:17 states, “ The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.” I want to be a wise teacher who encourages self control. This system has made me accountable to growing into who God has designed me to be, and who my students deserve as a teacher. I am blessed to say that this is an area that I improved in significantly this year, and look forward to continual growth with each new year.
On Fridays I also rated my students on our 5 class rules. I discovered that the more self control I showed, the better my students did. This was such an encouragement to me to keep working and growing. By the end of the year, each of my students had moved up at least one level on my behavior skill groups. It was astonishing to see that my most difficult students made the most progress over the year. I am please to say that several of my students are now class leaders, one being one of my most challenging students at the beginning of the year.
Melissa,
DeleteIsn't it rewarding to see how much our students can improve behaviorally when we challenge them to uphold higher standards? I love the correlation you made with the Bible verses! Here are 25 certification points.
Hard to believe that the school year is already over. It feels like just yesterday I was ready to throw in the towel because of my unruly classroom of students. Thank goodness I didn't! I was able to change my outlook by incorporating WBT. Not just for my students, but most importantly for me.
ReplyDeleteFirst I started by tracking student behavior. I placed them into 4 categories: Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, and Challenging Students. This helped me not to lump all the students into the same group. Based on which group each student belonged to, I was able to assign points per each level. I scored their behavior at the end of the day to see how much progress they were making. Doing this daily helped me remember more clearly the behavior I wanted to do away with.
The students' behavior wasn't the only one being reflected on. I charted my own behavior as well. Classroom management is also based on my reactions to situations. I would give myself points based on how well I was able to control my tone and my emotions as well as how consistent I was in following my class management plan.
What a game changer this strategy became! Now I was able to isolate what wasn't working and focus on what I needed to improve for myself and my students. I could alter my strategy, think of a more effective approach all while staying on track with my goals. And yes!, we were reaching those goals. There were positive changes abound. Challenging students began to meet and exceed expectations. I began to handle their behavior in a more positive and constructive way and they were responding to it all! My students began to shift up in the groups I had outlined for them. I was elated to end the year with not a single student in the "challenging behavior" group.
Pretty soon it will be the start of another school year. With WBT on my side I know not to dread it but anxiously await all the strategies I can introduce to inspire my students.
Jannelle,
DeleteGreat job! Keeping records of the students' behavior is so beneficial as we reflect upon what is working and isn't working in our classrooms! Here are 25 certification points! Keep a copy of your posts and points awarded in a word document to submit later for certification.
I spent 11 years as an officer in the army,so it makes sense that I am a swift decision maker, but sometimes my tone of voice and sarcasm can get in the way of managing my own classroom behavior. Reflecting this years progress I feel I have come a long way from controlling and ruling by intimidation to playful rules that engage and promote participation. Another goal that I linked with my tone of voice and temper was to maintain 90% in the target language. I would have my “Leaders” tally if I spoke English and have them make a star if I seemed agitated, or they thought my tone of voice was harsh and they were very honest.
ReplyDeleteI also divided my students into four groups and gave points to help chart their progress.
*Alphas – Los Genios, 4 points: The geniuses, my dream students.
*Go-Alongs – Los Seguidores, 3 points: It’s funny how honors students want to talk ALL the TIME! This is them.
*Fence Sitters – Los Traviesos, 2 points: The ones that require my absolute attention to tone of voice and sarcasm, these are my button kids. As recommended, I also put my new students in this group.
*Challenging Students – Los Locos, 1 point: These are very few in my classroom.
*Leaders - Los Jefes: these are Alphas who have volunteered to be leaders for the week. I have leaders track our progress as well as teach the class the warm up and goal for the day.
In the end, I did make progress but in reality I still need work. I feel I need to be aware of my tone of voice and staying in the target language at all times. Having my leaders keeping track has helped me stay aware of both.
Becky Loftus
Spanish
Oberon Middle School
CCFLT President Elect
Becky,
ReplyDeleteI love that you are sharing your own weaknesses with your students and allowing them to help hold you accountable to a higher level of achievement! Keeping these simple records on ourselves and on our students makes it so easy to pinpoint areas that we need to focus on, as well as be able to see our/their great improvements! Here are 25 certification points!
What a great year it was! The students weren’t the only ones that learned and grew. As I journeyed through this school year, utilizing Whole Brain teaching strategies, I realized how amazing teaching can be. When teachers give the students the tools to becoming purposeful, engaging and respectful people, the teacher is then just there to assist, scaffold, provide resources and determine comprehension of the students’ learning. Behavior management is a breeze when students are held to high expectations that Whole Brain teaching establishes. As I look back on my school year’s progress, I learned that each child can be separated into 6 groups. There are the alphas, go-alongs, fence sitters, challenging students, new students and leaders. Using these titles helped me to identify where each of the kids stood at the beginning of the school year so that I could increase each student’s title (all of my students could no longer be considered a challenge by the end of the school year). I truly feel that I made a difference in the students as Whole Brain teaching set the structure for a safe and fun learning environment. My students are a family because of it. Laurisa Fling
ReplyDeleteLaurisa,
DeleteTaking the time to chart our progress as well as our students' progress makes it easy to see areas that need improvement, and also areas that we are succeeding in! In the future, we'd like to hear more of your thoughts, (provide more details on the prompt). Here are 20 certification points.
This was a year of change for me. The past few years have been very trying. With my district’s new teacher evaluation system using student performance as a key factor, the stress levels have been high. I know that my stress level trickles into my classroom management and directly affects my students. I decided that I need a way to build relationships with my students that would encourage motivation to reach their full potential. I began to collect data to show the relationship between teacher and student behaviors. I knew going in that if I could be more consistent in my management, they would be more consistent in their behavior and academic performance, making all of us winners! I had no idea how much I would learn.
ReplyDeleteI began to monitor my consistency in following my classroom management plan. At the end of each day, I would rate myself using a 10 point scale. My overall goal was to identify and stabilize the relationship between my management and my students’ performance. With this in mind, I also collected data on my students. I secretly divided the students into groups based on behavior and academic motivation. I wanted to rely on my most consistent students to be role-models for behavior and academic performance, especially for my most challenging students. To guide them into this leadership role, I knew I had to model the behaviors they would need to make the jump.
As I look at the data, I am pleased with the results. I was able to stabilize the relationship between my management and student performance. My students bloomed with 3 of 4 becoming the leaders I knew they could be. With two exceptions, all of my students progressed into the next performance level. I am writing this prior to receiving final testing results, but I am not sure I really care what those results will be. I have proof that I made a difference. Whether my students pass the test or not, I have been successful in using my classroom management techniques effectively to support their motivation and guide their learning.
Elisabeth Thompson
Elisabeth,
DeleteWe spend hours collecting and analyzing student data. Your personal data collection does make a difference! Here are 25 points! Enjoy reading your posts!
Teachers should constantly be asking themselves, “How am I modeling behavior to my students?” Charting student behavior and my own behavior helps me to ask that question and really focus on what I can do to better my classroom environment. Being a sixth grade teacher, I have chosen three of the same measures mentioned in the book and one different measure I feel is fitting for me:
ReplyDelete• followed directions quickly
• raised their hands for permission to speak or leave their seat
• stayed on task
• worked to the best of their ability
As I have mentioned in previous blog posts, I teach sixth grade inclusion. Some of the students in my class are allowed extra time, have handwriting issues, are read to in small groups, and have very detailed IEPs. Although I think turning in neat work is incredibly important, I also believe that the students that work as hard as they possibly can to turn in neat work are the real winners!
My Alphas know that they excel in my classroom! They turn their work in on time, are trustworthy, can help other students when asked, and are always on task. Even Alphas, however, can grow into leaders. One student in particular has gone from an Alpha to a Leader this year. She has shown me that, in life, a person can continue getting better and better at what they do. She has also shown me that even teenagers can have huge impacts on their peers in and out of the classroom. I am constantly providing opportunities for my Alphas to turn into Leaders by giving them more responsibilities in the classroom, allowing them to work with other students that may be struggling, and positivity motivating them to pursue their dreams.
My Go-Alongs follow my lead. They are asking good questions, taking the time to work hard, and creating goals for themselves. I want my Go-Alongs to become Alphas so I make sure that I ask them thought-provoking questions, remind them of the expectations so that they stick with them, and point out how important it is to make positive choices because their peers are always watching!
My Fence-Sitters are so smart! I know that events may have occurred at home the day or night before that may lead to some misbehavior in the classroom. My Fence-Sitters know that if something is going on at home, they need to tell me. I don’t want to place blame on a child for misbehaving if that child is having an off day. With these students, I am always providing positive support and reminding them how smart and courageous they are. Sometimes positive support is what these students need in order to succeed in the classroom. If I remind these students what the expectations are daily, then they will remember what I am looking for in the classroom.
Who could forget my challenging students? They are one of the reasons I am a teacher. Offhand, I can name eight students who challenge me every single day. That doesn’t stop me from working as hard as I possibly can to remind these students why they are here. These students get out of their seats whenever they want, talk constantly, are always off task, and are impolite to their teachers and other students. They just want someone to listen to them! I like to pair these students with my Alphas so that the Challenging Students can have a positive role model to talk to and so that they can get some work done. I am redirecting behavior constantly, but I am doing it in a positive way. The Teacher vs. Students Scoreboard is an awesome way to keep my Challenging Students engaged. They are always wondering who will win and it is something that can distract them from negatively behaving.
I am continuously modifying the ways I can help my students move up in classroom behavior. I know that researching and testing out strategies is going to be the way that I can accomplish this!
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteExcellent post on charting your students! It is always revealing to see data that details the individual progress of our students, but the Power comes in how we use that data to drive instruction! Great job! Here are 25 points and a 10 point Bonus!
After attending a Whole Brain Teaching conference last year, I was sold and ready to implement it in my classroom. However, I knew I needed a plan to show improvement in my classroom. I decided to chart the progress of my students along with myself. It required work and discipline that paid off in the end. I learned a lot about myself as an education, and how implementing While Brain Teaching strategies affected my students' learning.
ReplyDeleteMy primary goals for this past year were to be consistent in implementing WBT system, and to respond to challenging students controlling my tone. I used a 1-10 point system to evaluate myself. When I first began the evaluation system, I received a grade of 15 points for implementing WBT system, and 7 points for responding to challenging students while controlling my tone. That was not good enough for me. I was challenged to do better for myself as well as my students. I set an end goal of l8 points.
I also evaluated myself based on my students’ progress. I measured two things, smart choices and followed directions quickly.
I grouped my students into four groups (alphas, go-alongs, fence sitters, and challenging students). I made certain that my students were unaware of the grouping.
My Alpha group were my model students. They were the ones that followed directions quickly and made smart choices. I received 4 points for each Alpha in the group.
My Go-Along group were the students striving to be a model student, but did not always make smart choices. I received 3 points for each Go-Along.
My Fence Sitter group were students that struggled with consistency. This group was a daily challenge. I always put new students into this group. I received 2 points for each Fence Sitter.
My Challenging group was just that challenging. These students had constantly had trouble following directions quickly and making smart choices. It was nearly impossible at the beginning with these students, but I found that as I implemented the WBT system and responded to misbehavior quietly one-on-one, these students made progress. I gave myself 1 point for each challenging student.
I determined my average score by totaling the number of my points and then dividing by the number of students.
My groups all made really great progress. Most students were able to move up a group. I could see my points increase over the year. I’m believe that charting my progress, being consistent, and setting goals were the key factors. I feel my students and myself finished the year as winners.
Megan Sowers
Megan,
DeleteGreat job detailing how to chart your students and measure their growth while also keeping data on yourself! It really is amazing as we notice the difference in the classroom environment when we monitor our tone and our responses to those challenging students. Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus. Save your posts and points awarded in a word document to submit later for certification. (P.S. I watched your circles and cones video- great job!)
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI began the year with 18 first grade students. Throughout the year, one student moved back to kindergarten after 2 weeks, 1 student withdrew in November, 2 other students enrolled in November and then March. I ended the year with 18 students, 10 boys and 8 girls.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning, I had 7 Challenging students, 8 Fence-sitters and only 3 Go-Alongs. My average class started with a mean score of 1.77 on the WBT behavior scale. I, myself, charted my own weekly progress (scale of 1-10) on consistently using WBT and keeping my tone of voice to a level that was in control. At first, I averaged 12 points weekly with 20 possible points.
At the end of the year, there were zero Challenging students, 6 Fence-sitters, 8 Go-Alongs, 3 Leaders and 1 Alpha. All students moved up at least 1 level, with 2 students up by 2 levels and 1 student up by 3 levels by the end year. The class average ended as 2.94, an increase of 1.17! I consider this a successful year, considering each student grew at least one whole level in behavior. For my own score, I ended the year with an average of 17; though an increase of 5 points, I would like to see that score higher next year. I need to control my voice more and continue to be consistent in teaching the WBT method daily…hourly.
Overall, I’m glad to have this data to reflect upon my own WBT, and I can share this data with my principal and colleagues interested in how WBT has positively transformed my classroom.
Melissa Williams
Melissa,
DeleteIt must have felt amazing to end your year with ZERO challenging students! The data shows that the process works! And, you have shown great growth as a teacher as well! Nice job! Here are 25 certification points!
It is imperative to monitor your own behavior in order to determine the needs of your students.
ReplyDelete“You cannot manage student behavior if you cannot manage your own behavior.”
These are words to live by for classroom management. I set the tone for what happens and doesn't in my own classroom. By monitoring my behavior using defined parameters (self-control and classroom management consistency); I can determine my areas of strength and those in need of growth.
I divided my students in the groups described by Ms. Maestra in order to be able to assess their needs and determine their growth. I used the groups: Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, Challenging Students, New Students, and Leaders. Creating these behavior intervention groups allowed me to better meet the needs of each group and assess my own interaction with each group.
To begin, I tallied my own behavior for the week on a scale of ten. I also monitored the behavior of each student group to determine my best practices and areas in need of improvement. In doing so, I found that my paraverbal communication was the most important aspect in my classroom management. I used many verbal techniques to get the attention of the students: Class-Yes, Five Rules, Mirrors, and Teach Okay. The Scoreboard serves as an excellent means of nonverbal management and proved effective for many of the groups, but not always for the Challenging Students and Fence Sitter groups. How do I target these groups of students? While monitoring my own behavior, I found that my paraverbal communication was the biggest component in managing my grouping of challenging students. The more variations I used with my tone, cadence, and volume, the more the Challenging Students and Fence Sitters groups were on task. I found the most success beginning with a loud and vigorous Class-Yes, then ending with a whisper to begin the next learning session. This practice had a calming effect on my Challenging Students and Fence Sitter groups. I was able to use these observations to tailor my Mirrors and Teach Okay to maximize productivity for these most challenging groups.
I will spend time this summer researching and practicing different Class-Yes techniques to be able to target all groups. I can only begin teaching if I have students in ready position with all eyes on me. Variations on Class-Yes using paraverbal techniques are the best way and I will begin my class next year with a bag filled with tricks, ready to go!
Megan Vescio Copeland
Goldfarb Elementary School
Las Vegas, NV
Megan,
DeleteNice job! It is exciting to see that we can make small simple changes in our own approach to teaching and yield great results! Here are 25 certification points!
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAs a tutor, I have an unusual situation. Right now, I have three students. I meet with 10 year old Spot (not his real name), a basic literacy student, twice a week. I meet once a week with brothers Rover and Fido (10 & 11yrs, real names withheld). Because they fell behind in the classroom, their mother now home-educates them and enlisted me to help them catch up in language arts and to augment instruction in other areas, as well. Both moms attend & observe my tutoring sessions. With that in mind, let me project what my records reveal a year from now.
ReplyDeleteIn light of the dictum, "If the student hasn't learned, the teacher hasn't taught," my records of the past year tell me a lot more about me than they do about my students.
First off, since Spot came to me as a ten-year-old non-reader who manifested signs of moderate dyslexia, I knew that any little hurdle or setback could prove overwhelmingly discouraging to him. Therefore, tracking my own emotions during each class session helped me immeasurably. If he did not remember some sight words, did I get frustrated? disappointed? Evaluating my emotions and recording them has helped me control my feelings so that I always communicate optimism to Spot. ("Good boy!")
Spot came as a compliant but defeated student, so he fell into the category of Go-Along. As I engaged him in mirroring and teaching portions of the lessons back to me, his confidence increased along with his quickness to follow directions and his "entering into the moment". Now, he shows the characteristics of an Alpha more than 50% of the time.
Rover and Fido are energetic pups who need a constant outlet for their energy. Rover came to me with focus problems: he would get off the track -- his gift of gab only reinforced this tendency -- or lose himself in daydreams. Although he was not at all defiant, I would have to classify him as a Challenging Student.
Over the year, I have treated Rover and Fido more like a class than as individual tutoring students. As I tracked Rover, I found that the more I used "Class-Yes", "Hands and Eyes" and "Teach-Okay" the better his focus became. Frequent reviews of Rule 2 kept his talkativeness in check. I also noticed that the longer I talked, the more likely I would lose his attention. (Imagine that.) Thus, tracking his responsiveness led me to more effectively break material up into chunks that a pup can digest. He has now moved to mostly Go-Along status, although he is starting to cross over into Alpha territory more frequently.
A couple of years ago, I spent a summer catching Fido up on his reading. I interspersed time on the lesson with directions for him to stand up, walk around the room, etc. because of his constant physical movement. This time, I have had WBT to help me keep him engaged the whole class, every class.
I would have to say that Fido came to me as a Fence-Sitter. Although he often outperformed his older brother in class activities, he remained skeptical of anything new I might introduce, which meant that I had to win his confidence and his co-operation over and over. This took me back to monitoring my own reactions. Did I remain energetically positive? Did I register even the least resentment or even disappointment at his skepticism? Did I balance carrot and stick with the Scoreboard?
Speaking of the Scoreboard, I noticed an uptick in both pups' performance when I introduced level 2. Now, Fido, like his brother, performs at Go-Along, although he crosses over to Alpha status more consistently.
After a year, I know I may not have these three of students much longer. As I look ahead to new students and new challenges, I can see the immense value in tracking both my performance and my students' in order to improve both.
Craig,
DeleteNice work! We haven't had any posts so far referencing using the charting technique with small groups so this was very interesting! Isn't it wonderful that WBT is so versatile? Here are 25 certification points! (love the names of your students!)
“You cannot manage student behavior if you cannot manage your own behavior.” This quote from WBT was a light bulb moment for me. It is difficult to not change your tone of voice or facial expression when a student is being exceptionally challenging. If I could learn to control my response, I would have a greater likelihood of improving student behavior. I decided to chart my students’ behavior and my behavior using the WBT method. I used Mrs. Maestra’s example and awarded myself points as follows:
ReplyDeleteAlphas 4 points
Go-alongs 3 points
Fence sitters 2 points
Challenging students 1 point
B onus level: Leaders 5 points
I sat down with a class roster and placed the students in four groups: alphas, go-alongs, fence sitters, and challenging students. As the year went on I saw a few go-alongs become alphas, many fence sitters become go-alongs, and several challenging students become fence sitters. The group of challenging students dwindled down to two! This was a huge success for our class. Another exciting thing that happened was several of the alphas became leaders. The leaders encouraged other students to be successful. Charting my behavior and the behavior of my students put me in a positive mind set. I was checking for students that had reached the next level. It helped me to consciously look for the good. It also was a way to see how far we’d come from the beginning of the year. I can truly say that by managing and controlling my own behavior, I became a much more effective teacher.
Amy Ehmann
Amy,
DeleteIsn't it refreshing when the "dreaded data" can actually put you in a positive mind set?! Keeping track of our own behaviors is just as important when trying to have a comfortable classroom environment! Here are 25 certification points!
You were warned for a whole year that this school year would be challenging. All you heard about was the disrespect and behavior of this group. You didn’t let the warnings scare you. You decided you could make a difference, but you’d have to try new strategies and techniques. If you were going to see improvements in your students, you had some improving to do yourself.
ReplyDeleteYou decided to try something new. How about managing your own behavior? Each week you gave yourself a grade (1-10) on your ability to control your emotions and tone of voice. Even though you started out with a large group of rebellious students, every week that you saw improvement in yourself, you were assured that you were also helping your students.
You knew it was also important to track the behavior of your students and their improvements. You implemented the super improvers wall to celebrate the improvements of your students. You also secretly split your students into different groups to evaluate their classroom behavior. The groups you assigned were alphas, go-alongs. fence sitters, challenging students, new students, and leaders. You assigned points to each group and found the average score for behavior in your classroom on a weekly basis. Your ultimate goal was to move every student one level higher by the end of the year.
You quickly learned that the two scores seemed to correlate. When the teacher score was low, the student score was low. You took it week by week and saw improvements from all. When you had a difficult day, you looked back and saw the progress that had been made. Just as your students were motivated by the super improvers wall, you were motivated by the improvements you were tracking week to week.
-Kara Christensen
Kara,
DeleteKeeping these records can make the difference between a frustrated teacher (and students) and a satisfied teacher. Here are 25 certification points!
You were warned for a whole year that this school year would be challenging. All you heard about was the disrespect and behavior of this group. You didn’t let the warnings scare you. You decided you could make a difference, but you’d have to try new strategies and techniques. If you were going to see improvements in your students, you had some improving to do yourself.
ReplyDeleteYou decided to try something new. How about managing your own behavior? Each week you gave yourself a grade (1-10) on your ability to control your emotions and tone of voice. Even though you started out with a large group of rebellious students, every week that you saw improvement in yourself, you were assured that you were also helping your students.
You knew it was also important to track the behavior of your students and their improvements. You implemented the super improvers wall to celebrate the improvements of your students. You also secretly split your students into different groups to evaluate their classroom behavior. The groups you assigned were alphas, go-alongs. fence sitters, challenging students, new students, and leaders. You assigned points to each group and found the average score for behavior in your classroom on a weekly basis. Your ultimate goal was to move every student one level higher by the end of the year.
You quickly learned that the two scores seemed to correlate. When the teacher score was low, the student score was low. You took it week by week and saw improvements from all. When you had a difficult day, you looked back and saw the progress that had been made. Just as your students were motivated by the super improvers wall, you were motivated by the improvements you were tracking week to week.
-Kara Christensen
(duplicate post)
DeleteMy students’ achievement this school year was beyond impressive, and this was due to the Whole Brain Teaching strategies I learned this past summer and implemented throughout the school year such as The Big Seven, The Super Improver Team, Practice Cards, and a series of amazing games. However, my area of difficulty was to develop the habit of ongoing reflective practice. Reflective practice is not as commonly acknowledged in schools, but it is one of the most effective practices we can develop as teachers and critical to our profession. As Chris Biffle states, “You cannot manage student behavior if you cannot manage your own behavior.” Therefore, I knew it was essential for me to evaluate myself, on a daily basis, on my ability to control my emotions when facing difficult situations. My primary goal was to manage my own behavior.
ReplyDeleteThe first week, I quickly learned that my behavior had a direct correlation to my students’ behavior. When certain students would break my rules, I began thinking, “What am I doing (or not doing) that is encouraging this behavior?” This involved an examination of my own strengths and weaknesses. Hence, I began charting my students’ progress as well.
Before getting started, I began setting growth goals. My plan of action was to think with the end in mind. What do I want to see out of my students at the end of my school year, and how will I accomplish this? I envisioned my Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, Challenging Students, and Leaders moving up to the next level. So, on a daily basis, I received focused feedback from my students through a reflection sheet where they would rate themselves on their behavior and work habits. If they broke classroom rules that day, I had them reflect on what influenced them to break those rules and how they would try their best not to break them again. I would take the reflection sheets home, read them, and later reflected on my day and what I could have done differently.
Needless to say, all my hard work paid off. My students are excelling in all areas, and they have met my high expectations because their opinions are valued and appreciated. Behavior interventions have declined; therefore, allotting me more time to teach. I will continue to reflect on my teaching for as long as I teach! The results speak for themselves.
Gricelda Pelayo
Gricelda,
DeleteUsing this tool in combination with envisioning the end result is a perfect union! Having those goals set, and reflecting upon how our own behavior changes the climate of the classroom both make a harmonious classroom a real possibility! Here are 25 certification points!
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ReplyDeleteMy goal for this year was to continuously, faithfully follow through on my management plan for myself and my students. It worked so well!
ReplyDeleteRegarding my students, my year started off with four alphas, six go-alongs, six fence sitters, and three challenging students. After the first nine weeks, all my students understood that becoming alphas gave them special benefits and life was daily becoming so much better when they received stars. Becoming leaders was the best of the best! One challenging student became an important class helper and moved up to the alphas. His eyes were set on becoming a leader. I kept weekly charting. I kept seeing improvements. Photographing my students on the back of the white sheet enticed them to strive harder.
Charting myself gave me great awareness that I did not have in years past. I was extremely patient with my challenging students. This was my best year ever as a calm teacher, always smiling from deep inside. I charted my tone of voice and my fulfillment of my management plan on a scale of 10(high) to 1 (low). WBT works! I usually had 90-100 percent.
Looking back, I learned that consistency pays off well. The children notice it too. They want to see the charting completed every week. This was very important for my challenging students. I used an Excel sheet to assist me. Their dear teacher was happy. I sent notes and calls home whenever student behavior was “golden”. It was amazing how they changed! By the end of the year, the entire class was an alpha or a leader! Wow, looking back, I realized that consistent management is vital to successful teaching and also to teacher happiness! Yes, 2015-2016, my year of management, was also my year of greatest happiness.
Regina-Champagne Babin
Regina,
DeleteI love your statement "Charting myself gave me great awareness that I did not have in years past. I was extremely patient with my challenging students. This was my best year ever as a calm teacher, always smiling from deep inside."! That's what it is all about! Here are 25 certification points!
At the end of each year, I ask my students to reflect on their personal learning portfolios. We review their goals and progress throughout the year, selecting the work they are most proud of, area(s) in need of improvement, and work that shows evidence of growth. As part of my own Professional Development Plan, I have decided to track the progress of my own classroom management in correlation with WBT’s core techniques.
ReplyDeleteAs a Spanish teacher, I have limited instructional time with my students. In order to help students self assess, the children complete exit slips upon the completion of stations/center activities, whole group lessons, or group work. It is during this time that I am able to reflect upon and evaluate my own behavior and classroom management for that particular class. It is evident that the more time I spent focused on being consistent and positive, the children followed my lead. I provided clear, fun expectations that offered rewards and praise. I chose to focus on positive reinforcement. As a result, the challenging students became eager to please and used their energy in more appropriate ways, such as completing work, following directions, and staying on task. What excites me most is that my students who generally struggle in the content areas, otherwise known as fence sitters, became my shining stars, or alphas. Instead of being reluctant to participate, they were eager to be involved and take on leadership roles among their peers. The children knew what to expect in a safe, inviting classroom community. The children knew my goal was advancement. The same children were not always getting the praise. Classroom management was a breeze and as a result, learning was happening naturally.
Bethann,
DeleteEven with the limited time you have with the students, it will be so helpful to have this data to reflect upon and help tweak certain areas to help them be more successful! Nice job, here are 25 certification points!
This year moving to a new grade level was a challenge within itself. However, it was a perfect time to dig deeper and work harder in reflecting on my own behavior by utilizing the teacher rating system and the classroom average. Change can be messy, but along with the mess comes a ton of growth and learning. As mentioned in Chapter 4, being consistent is the key. We have routines and if those routines are not followed there are consequences. My focus was on participation and improvement. Improvement with students and improvement with the teacher was essential. As a result, we all learned and we held each other accountable.
ReplyDeleteAt the end of the very first week I was excited to put my students into the following groups using the five classroom rules: alphas, go-along, fence sitters and challenging. I had a large group of alphas so I was able to easily surround the challenging students with the alphas. The continuous positive model encouraged the challenging students to stop and think about their choices. It truly became teacher heaven!
Now, I can say that every day was not always teacher heaven, but I was able to look at my data and determine “hot spots”. For me it was if I had over extended myself by saying yes to too many people and to too many home or school activities. Because of the data, I was able to reflect, redirect myself, and learn from my mistakes. Practice makes better and I continued on with fidelity. Baby steps are OK. Focusing on baby steps gave me a high but reachable goal! I am excited to continue on with the WBT adventure this coming school year.
Angie,
DeleteYou really hit the target with your statement "Because of the data, I was able to reflect, redirect myself, and learn from my mistakes." You are right, baby steps are the perfect way to approach changes in our behavior, and can be very effective! Keep up the great work! Here are 25 certification points. Save your posts and points awarded in a word document to submit later for certification.
I cannot believe the school year is already over. Using WBT allowed for my instruction to flow and each day was quicker than the next! Throughout the year I used a weekly evaluation system. It allowed me to be reflective and see how my own actions were impacting my classroom. Each week I would give myself a grade of 1-10 on my ability to control my emotions by controlling my tone of voice. This was difficult in the beginning because “old habits die hard.” Isn’t that the saying? I discovered that if my emotions and tone of voice were in check, it was easier to control my students. They seemed to be in check as well. Not only did I evaluate my weekly performance but I was also able to evaluate my students’ performance. On a chart, I separated my students into four groups: alphas, go-alongs, fence sitters, and challenging students. I received points for each category that my students were in. I noticed that the majority of my students fell into the fence sitters and challenging students. My goal was to use the alphas (and sometimes the go-alongs) as examples for the others. If I surrounded my challenging students and fence sitters with the alphas and go-alongs, and separated them as much as possible, then I had much better control. Students were more likely to move up a level when they had positive influences around them. I also found that the better my own score was, the better my students’ scores were as well.
ReplyDelete-Courtney Wood
Courtney,
DeleteKeeping these records is a great way to make sure that our own emotions/voice are in check, and also helps us create a fantastic classroom environment! Here are 25 certification points, nice job!
I had no idea how much the simple fact of tracking behaviour, both mine and my students, would impact my teaching and my outlook!
ReplyDeleteIn the past, I have often felt defeated by THAT student. The one I felt I was simply unable to reach, despite trying every single strategy in my arsenal! At the end of the year, I would be happy if I could at least say that he/she hadn’t gotten any worse!
However, this year that is not the case! Thanks to the system of charting progress, I have been able to see the minute improvements that have been made by even my most recalcitrant students! This realization alone has influenced how I interact with these students. The fact that I am seeing progress, small as it might be, makes me feel encouraged and as a result I have a more positive attitude towards these students. AND because my interactions have been more supportive and positive, their negative behaviours have decreased even more! It’s like a positive “vicious circle” thus confirming the statement that a teacher “[can’t] manage her challenging students, if she [can’t] control her reaction to them” (Biffle, 2013, p.15).
Now, I must admit that the system was rather time consuming when I first started using it because I wasn’t used to “rating” my students, or myself for that matter, in this manner. But once I got into the routine, I really enjoyed reflecting upon each child’s “group status” (Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, and Challenging Students) as well as my own ability to consistently display self-control and follow the classroom management plan. Instead of the negative feedback that I was expecting, this system provided me with weekly “pick-me-ups” by concretely showing me the improvements being made by all as far as behaviour is concerned.
Christina Morgret
Christina,
DeleteThis method of keeping records is a solid way to help us see needs quickly and allows us to make quick adjustments! It is so helpful and makes for a happy classroom! Here are 25 certification points!
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ReplyDelete
ReplyDelete“You can’t tell where you’re going, without a chart of where you’ve been.” (Chris Biffle) Over the past year I have done something that I never thought I would, I charted my own progress as an educator! After beginning my Whole Brain Journey I thought about my areas of necessary growth and decided to give myself a grade a grade of 1 to 7 at the end of each week based on my areas of chosen focus. The areas that I chose to focus on were controlling my emotions, consistency when it came to my classroom management plan, and organization. My goal was to create a safe and fun learning environment where my students could thrive, one that wasn’t overwhelming with piles of papers everywhere, and one that was consistent. Now the first week of school I gave myself the following scores: 2 for consistency, 4 for organization, and 3 for controlling my emotions. After my calculation I realized that a passing score to show mastery would be 14 and for the first week I only gave myself a 9. I struggled to remain consistent and often forgot to remind the students of the rules. I had stacks of papers in bins and on my desk as well as raising my voice in order to get students attention when they didn’t respond to class attention grabbers. I started to reflect on my goals and where I wanted to see my class. After that I realized that in order to create the environment I wanted for my students, I needed to fix my areas of growth. I started writing myself notes and giving the students jobs of reminding me when I forgot to follow through with something. I started focusing on one goal a day and by the end of week two I grew from a combined score of 9 to a combined score of 12. I still did not reach my goal however I was showing growth. I also got to the point where I knew my students enough to assign them to groups. I placed 6 of my students in the fence sitters group, 8 in the go along, and 4 in the challenging students. Once each student was assigned to a group I created a chart to assess them on their goals. I focused on how well the students followed directions quickly, completed their work neatly, and how well the students remained on task. At the end of each day I gave the students a score of 1 to 4 based on how well they did with each goal. My goal for them was to see each student move up a level by the end of the year, I wanted my challenging students to move to go along, I wanted my go along to move to fence sitters, and I wanted my fence sitters to move to alphas. But in order to achieve my goals for my students I needed to achieve my goals for myself. As the year progressed and I continued to chart my own behaviors as well as my students I began to see growth. Every five to six weeks I saw the scores continue to grow and students move up in the groups. With only three months left of school I had finally reached my goal of 14 points and decided to set a new goal for myself of 19. I also saw my students groups drastically change with 1 student remaining in the challenging group, 5 in the go along group, 4 in the fence sitters group, and 8 in the alphas group! With the help of Whole Brain Teaching, remaining consistent, and remaining organized I created the environment that I wanted for my students. I saw drastic changes in students who went from not completing work to completing neat exemplar papers! I saw students following directions quickly, being respectful, and being responsible. I saw neat work being completed and I saw students completing their work in a timely manner while remaining on task! As a teacher this year taught me how to control my voice and my emotions, how an organized environment promotes neat work, and how consistency promotes a well-managed classroom! By the end of the year all of my students had gone up at least one level and my classroom went from chaotic to a well-managed learning environment thanks to whole brain teaching! I can honestly say by the end of the year all my student had met my goals for them and definitely kept their dear teacher happy!
Nicole,
DeleteGreat job! I like the fact that you allowed your students to help keep you accountable! Here are 25 certification points!
Each year I see all of my students improve –behaviorally, socially, and academically. This year, by using the charting system, I could easily pinpoint the students that I needed to focus on and the behaviors that I was doing that could help them move from being a ‘beloved rascal’ to a fence sitter or even higher. This charting process allowed me to reach goals and personal improvements and faster than in previous years.
ReplyDeleteI could also see that the higher my average was throughout the week, the more teaching I got done. I focused on those behaviors that would improve my classroom and instruction, such as tone of voice and time spent lecturing. Additionally, the kids loved it when I revealed that I was the ‘Mysterion’ person from the Super Improver Wall. They enjoyed seeing me set goals and earn stars for improving myself as well. I love the openness that this created within the classroom. I have always told my students that I wasn’t perfect, but to include myself on the S.I.T. was a way to show them that I meant it. I can’t wait to start the new year and improve even more!
Amy,
ReplyDeleteIsn't it great to feel as if you are already setting yourself up for success by writing down what you plan to do and what it will feel like when you get there next year! The students love to see you setting and breaking your own personal goals! They get so excited to know that what you are asking of them is the same that you ask for yourself. Here are 20 certification points, (that I was the ‘Mysterion’ person).
Self-reflection is one of my biggest weaknesses. I have a hard time stopping and evaluating how things are really going. I tend to just think everything is fine and move on. Charting my growth as a teacher has been wonderful this year. I have been able to focus on the areas in need of improvement. I have loved seeing my growth. I like being a super improver just like the kids!
ReplyDeleteCharting the growth of the students has also been so helpful. In the past, it has been hard for me to pinpoint areas of growth for my students. In subjects like reading and math, it was easier for me to track growth with the data from tests and assessments. Behavior has been difficult without a tangible system. The WBT practice of rating and charting the students has been amazing.
I have assigned each student a rating based on his or her behavior. There are Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, and Challenging students. Each category was assigned a number: the alphas 4, the go-alongs 3, the fence sitters 2, and the challenging students 1. Then I totaled the score and came up with our class average. Each week, I re-evaluated the students and adjusted the ratings. This gave me a chance to really see the progress my class was making. I was able to adjust my actions based on the behavior needs of the students. It was also a great way for me to quickly identify the leaders in the classroom and to let them lead!
I am so proud of my students’ behavior this year. Each one of them improved and felt successful. I know that this method works, and I look forward to continuing charting behavior each year. Whole brain teaching has been life changing!
Melissa Coate
Melissa,
DeleteCharting behavioral data is so much more difficult than academic data. If you continue this all year, you will see what a great improvement your students will make! Celebrations all around. Here are 25 certification points.
Wow! what a great year. I have enjoyed charting my progress as a classroom manager. And to think a year ago I was looking for a new classroom management plan and thought it would be some kind of a poster.
ReplyDeleteI never considered that managing my own behavior would be such an integral part of successful classroom management success. Yes, I have been guilty, for the past 20 years, of "inventing teaching strategies on the fly."
This journal I have kept has become my friend. The point system guides me to be at my best. In addition to having the management plans set up physically, I must use them in order to get the results. I have longed dreamed of the day that I could keep my emotions at bay, and simultaneously have a classroom management system that works.
I am so proud of my students. They rose to the challenges that were presented to them in the WBT management plan. The opportunity for my students to become leaders cannot be overstated. Even my most challenging students moved up this management spectrum. How exciting it was to see the results of the point system when these students performed. And I can't wait to see the test score data.
Where was Whole Brain Teaching when I was in college? I hope it is being offered in education colleges now.
Virginia Boney
Virginia,
DeleteWhen you recognize which area the students fall in, whether it be fence sitters or alphas, you are then able to focus more on their specific needs. You mentioned WBT in college; Coach B. is currently working on a graduate class that will soon be offered! Nice job, here are 25 certification points!
As I look back at this year, I am so glad that I made a shift in my focus. Rather than focusing primarily on managing student behavior, I have embraced one of WBT’s Great Truths, “You cannot manage student behavior if you cannot manage your own behavior.”
ReplyDeleteThis dovetails nicely with Cline and Fay’s Love & Logic approach to parenting, which I have used for years.
The first priority of Biffle’s maxim is the need to manage self. This had two components for me. The first of which was rating my ability to maintain a pleasant tone of voice. Secondly, I rated my effectiveness in enforcing my classroom management plan. Collecting data in these two areas taught me so much. I was reminded not to confuse feelings with facts. Using a point system to rate myself in these areas proved to be an encouragement, and helped me to focus on affecting change in areas over which I actually had control.
Biffle suggests addressing student behavior as a secondary focus. I found that after focusing the bulk of my energy in managing myself, I was able to relax a little. It was easier to deal with my challenging students. Seeing student achievement at the individual level, I realized how much progress I was actually making. I could see a direct correlation between my efforts and the results I was achieving. So often in my teaching past I felt that my efforts were for naught. But that is in the past. From here I can see teaching heaven!
Traci Katz
Traci,
DeleteI agree, we often try so many things in our classrooms that we feel were in vain. This is a proven program that produces wonderful results - what a fantastic feeling! Good job! Here are 25 certification points!
As the saying goes, time flies when you’re having fun. Whole Brain Teaching made this past year a fun experience for both my students and I. At the beginning of this year, I made the commitment to chart not only each of my student’s progress, but also my own performance. While it wasn’t always easy to reflect on mistakes or short comings, it allowed me to grow as a professional. This documentation had two parts to it.
ReplyDeleteFirst, at the end of each week, I would give myself a grade on a scale from 1-10 on my ability to control by emotions and a grade on the same scale for follow my own classroom management plan. After grading myself in those two areas, I would add them together in order to get my weekly teaching score.
Second, I gave an initial score to each of my students based upon the four measurements that I chose at the beginning of the year. I used these initial scores to divide my students into four different categories: Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, and Challenging Students. I did the same thing at the end of each week after that. Then, I took the scores for each student and divided that number by the total number of students. This gave me my average score for student behavior.
This process allowed me to see how my teaching score correlated with by students behavior score. It also allowed me to determine a baseline for both my students and myself and track progress and understand what was working with my students and what wasn’t.
Jana Greer
Jana,
DeleteStaying consistent with this is the key. We can see quickly when we need to improve upon as a teacher, and the targets we need to address with our students. Nice work, here are 25 certification points!
Jana,
DeleteI didn't skip your previous chapter, we are having a computer glitch. Will score it as soon as it is fixed! Thanks!
During this school year, I was able to reflect on my behavior as a teacher and the behavior of my class. I gave myself a weekly score of 1 to 10 (with 10 being the highest) on my ability to consistently follow my classroom management plan and to control my emotions. I would get a weekly score for each area at the end of the week to determine if I was successful or not. I used my score to have an honest reflection on my ability as a teacher. I didn’t start out high but I did show improvement by the end of the school year. I found that my behavior management slacked off right before school breaks, when I came back to work after an absence, and when I had higher work stress. This helped me to see where I needed to make improvements and when I needed to work harder.
ReplyDeleteIt’s hard to feel successful, if you don’t know your baseline. If you give your individual students a starting score then you will know if you see improvement or not. I grouped my students into Alpha (4 points), Go-Alongs (3 points), Fence Sitters (2 Points), and Challenging students (1 Point). At the beginning of the week, I gave each student a score based on what category they were in at that time. I learned that even some of my challenging students moved up to the fence sitter category. I had some fence sitters become alphas and I produced a few leaders. Overall, my class showed improvement. I feel that this was a great way for me to see the progress that our entire class made this year. I know that personal reflection helped make myself a better teacher in the end.
Charisse Norton
Charisse,
DeleteIt seems as if you know exactly what your behavioral targets for yourself. Knowing when you and your students need the most stability will help you keep your classroom management consistent! Here are 25 certification points!
Wow! My first exciting year teaching using the whole brain method is complete. I have been able to teach my students in a new way and document the progress we made. I put children in groups: the Alphas, the Go-Alongs, the Fence Sitters, and the Challenging Students. By the end of the year I was even able to add another group: the Leaders. It was so rewarding to see students make progress and move up in my group levels. I was especially proud of the progress my challenging students made.
ReplyDeleteI was very cognizant of Chris Biffle’s quote, “You cannot manage student behavior if you cannot manage your own behavior”. I began to track my own behavior and reactions to students on a daily basis using the suggested scale of 1-10. I also kept track of my progress in classroom management. This gave me an unbiased look at how I was doing, and helped me zero in on the areas I needed to improve. It helped make me set goals for improvement and inspired me to become a better teacher.
This has been an inspiring year. I can hardly wait to start again next year and improve even more! Teaching has become a joy again!
Susan,
DeleteYou will love having the ability to quickly see the improvement that your students make as you are able to move them through the levels during the year! It really helps validate what you are working so hard to do in your classroom! Here are 25 certification points!
Reflection Entry #3
ReplyDeleteChapter 4
Juliann Caveny
If I could foresee into the future and glimpse the last weeks of this school year, I would hope that I would see that I was able to stick to my plans and be more consistent throughout the year. By holding myself accountable for my actions and words and by adopting a regular practice of reflective journaling, I will have insight into my day-to-day successes and failures. I am adding the rating of 1-10 to my entries to give a standard to how I am proceeding (and improving) daily. Hopefully, I’ll notice patterns that occur and be better equipped to address issues that might arise later in the year that I dealt with earlier on. Also, by using my own goal setting as a model for my students, they will be able to learn how to control and direct their learning with a greater sense of purpose and motivation. By the end of the year, they will be able to recognize that goal setting is a journey of ups and downs that leads to success.
One of the more complicated goals I have set for myself this year, involves personal growth. As the mother of three older boys (young men), I still find that my schedule often must be set aside to meet their immediate and often unscheduled needs. This doesn't’ mean my goals can not be accomplished. I’m keeping a tight calendar and enlisting help to hold me to it! It is my hope that by the end of this year, I have learned to ask for help and say “NO” more often in efforts to help make my goals a higher priority than they have been in the past.
Juliann,
DeleteYou have set some great goals for yourself this year! I'd like to hear more about your plans with your students (Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, Challenging, Leaders). Here are 20 certification points! **The website has a glitch on Chapter 3, if you want to email me your Chapter 3 post I'll score it there: MichelleShelton@wholebrainteaching.com.
Whew! Thanks, Michelle! I tried posting it several hundred times. I'll send it right away.
DeleteTeachers need grades too! If I reflect on my teaching this past year, I find myself looking at my 'challenging students'. What did I do with them? I remained calm, did not stray from our plan, and remained consistent . I gave them 'teachable" moments where they could model positive behaviors to other kinders when I caught them being good. This is important. Let the Alphas see the Challenges as good examples too. This is a fixed mindset that we want to get out of. 'Grow or Die' is what Awesome Biffle said in the last chapter. Every kiddo can be a super improver and I can improve too. I also think it important that every one in your class thinks that they are your favorite (Alphas, Fence Sitters, Go-Alongs and the Challegers)!!!! If I do this I am KNOW I moving up the Imporover Wall too.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteWee3850,
Delete(Please make sure you sign your name to your posts so that we can keep track of points) Teachers will be pleasantly surprised at the results when using this charting strategy! In the future, we'd love to have more details in your posts about the prompts. I'd like to hear more about your plans with your students (Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, Challenging, Leaders). Here are 20 certification points!. Save this in a word document to submit later for certification.
Over the past year, I have devotedly tracked my classroom management progress. I gave myself scores based on the amount of control I exhibited over my own behavior, provided scores for my student’s behaviors and created an additional score for myself based on my student’s behaviors. These scores have taught me where I am strongest and showed my many weaknesses.
ReplyDeleteI was able to distinguish patterns in my behaviors from week to week in order to take corrective actions to improve those behaviors. In turn, this greatly affected both my professional and personal relationships and efficiency. As I analyzed the data, I noticed various times of the weeks and months where my management was lacking and where it was the strongest. This helped me to determine what procedures I was needing to revise during those times, replacing the weaker with the stronger.
I believe that this activity made my classroom run smoother and allowed me to become a better teacher due to constantly trying to improve the classroom environment.
Geni,
DeleteIt's always a great idea to track not only our students' progress, but our own as well! In your next post, make sure you fully address the prompt, this one asked you to refer to the charting system discussed in this chapter and what you learned from it (alphas, fence sitters, go alongs etc.). Here are 20 certification points!
I think it is really important for educators to monitor not only their student’s behavior in the classroom but also their own behavior and emotions. I tried something new this year to hold me accountable for my attitude towards my students. At the end of each week I gave myself a rating on a scale of 1-10 on my use of whole brain teaching, and keeping calm when reacting to challenging students. I was very honest with myself about how the week went, and during these reflections I thought about ways it could have gone better. For example, there was one week where there was a half-day, and I realized I hadn’t used the scoreboard all day. During my reflections I thought about all of the ways I could have incorporated the scoreboard to make the students more motivated.
ReplyDeleteI also used the system of “Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, Challenging students, and leaders” with my students. With 15 students it was very easy for me to divide them up into these categories. I had 5 alphas, 6 go-alongs, 2 fence sitters, and 1 challenging student. I used the same 1-10 scale that I used with myself, but rated them on the five classroom rules. My goals were to get each child to move up a level, and at least half of my Alphas to become leaders. It was a slow process, but I was absolutely honest with our progress. By the end of the year, with careful monitoring, goal setting, and reflection I was able to reach this goal.
Brooke,
ReplyDeleteKeeping these records will really be helpful as you reflect upon your teaching practices! Here are 25 certification points!
Over the past year, it has been my intention to help each student in my classroom be a better learner. In order to do so, I charted not only my student’s behavior management level, but my own as well.
ReplyDeleteOn a personal scale, I rated my interactions with students and my implementation of WBT from 1-10. Because the rating scale spoke to my competitive side, I made intentional decisions most days to monitor my voice level and body language as well as to incorporate WBT throughout the day. I saw drops in my scores surrounding holiday breaks and, surprising, spikes in scores when a new student arrived. (Due to the high transient rate of our school, this turned out to be almost monthly this year.)
On a student scale, I rated myself for types of students: Leaders (5), Alphas (4), Go-Alongs (3), Fence-Sitters (2), Challenging Students (1). At the beginning of the year, I had no Leaders, 3 Alphas, 8 Go-Alongs, 3 Fence-Sitters, and 3 Challenging Students. Through the course of the year, I had six students move out of the class and seven students move in, so my data became slightly convoluted. However, in my core group of kids, I realized the student data, as well as my own data, showed me I had a student who was devolving. Maybe worse still, my kids were stagnant. Cue competitive side and the patience that is my daily personal goal, and I began coaxing the students up the scale. I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy process because I knew that if I, at 28, still needed WBT as a wake up call to remind me to monitor myself, my 5 and 6 year olds were going to need the same kind of learning-curve grace that I was giving myself daily.
However, if there’s one thing that motivates me, it is results. By the end of the year, almost everyone had moved up a management level and I can honestly say, I had no Challenging Students left. It seemed, through personal reflection of my own data, that I only had Challenging Students as long as my own behavior and WBT weren’t monitored and implemented correctly. When I was able to provide consistency through WBT and respond in kindness and patience, my Challenging Students rose to the occasion and happily settled into the Fence-Sitter category.
Catherine,
DeleteExcellent job! Keeping these records will be helpful as you review them periodically to see what works and what needs some tweaking in your classroom! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
Over the past year, I have reflected on my teaching by keeping track of the effectiveness of my classroom management. I divided my students into 4 groups depending on how well they stay on task in class and whether they raise their hands before speaking. As a result, I have come to learn three things. The first is that there is no such thing as always having a perfect 10. Because I am human, it is certain that I will make mistakes. However, there is nothing wrong with not having a perfect 10. It simply means that I am working towards becoming a better teacher for my students.
ReplyDeleteThe second thing that I have learned is to not become discouraged over a low score for the day. It is easy to feel disheartened about not achieving a high score, but that should never become an influence on how I perform the next week. Each day is a new day and must be treated as such.
The last thing that I have learned through this experience is to pause and reflect over what I am going to say before I respond to a challenging student. It is easy to become angry and full of emotions when responding to a student, however, I must always remember to speak with love and patience. Chris Biffle says, “You cannot manage student behavior if you cannot manage your own behavior” (p. 14). If I cannot be patient with my students, I cannot manage my own classroom. I must always strive to manage my classroom with love and patience rather than with fear and anger.
Hannah,
DeleteUsing the charting method for our students is very helpful as we reflect on methods to become a stronger educator. Using the breakdown "Leaders (5), Alphas (4), Go-Alongs (3), Fence-Sitters (2), Challenging Students (1)" will help you easily identify strengths and weaknesses. Nice job! Here are 25 certification points.
**Note: 25 points were also awarded for Chapter 3 through email. MS
Nicole Desrosiers Weare, NH
ReplyDeleteIt has been an amazing school year! I have directed my class through an entire year of Whole Brain Teaching methods for the first time and I have learned many things that will help me to plan for the new school year ahead.
This year, I graded myself each week on my ability to maintain voice control during my school day, despite moments that contained challenging behaviors. I also gave myself a weekly grade on the consistency of my management of the behavior program. As the leader within my classroom, these personal grades were very important to reflect on because I have learned that I “cannot manage student behavior if [I] cannot manage [my] own behavior”. While I assigned a grade of 1-10 for each of my teaching categories, I was most gratified when I received a weekly score of 16 and above. Reviewing my grades for the year, I noticed that when challenging situations prevailed at home, my emotions would very often control my behaviors throughout the day, thus lowering my score at school that week. Having this knowledge will help me to become more cognizant of when I need calming moments before a teaching day begins.
Once I had brought my own behaviors to the forefront of my teaching days, I was then able to focus on my students’ behavior goals. I assessed how each student was progressing with the following class rules: followed directions quickly, raised a hand for permission to speak, remained on task, and handed in neat work. I grouped students into the following categories based on their ability or inability to follow the aforementioned rules: the Alpha Group (model students who followed directions all of the time), the Go-Along Group (followed the rules most of the time), the Fence Sitter Group (followed directions half of the time), and the Challenge Group (almost never followed the rules). At the beginning of the school year my groupings resembled a true bell curve, with most of my students falling within the “Go-Along” and the “Fence Sitter” group. Added to my own teaching score, I allocated points to each student according to which group they were in; four points to the top group down to one point for the challenging group. As my consistency in managing my behavior program improved, I was able to move students to more independent levels. While there were some bumps in the road, for example, transitioning back to school after vacations, my consistency led my students back to familiar ground. My bell curve at the end of the year was top-heavy as I had more students within the “Alpha” and the “Go-Along” groups. I was even able to move my top students to leadership roles within the classroom, bestowing five points to students in this elite group. Reflecting on this year of recording my growth and my students’ growth has given me renewed energy for the year to come. With each new school year, I will need to focus first on my own teaching behaviors before I can begin to help my students manage their own.
Great job, Nicole! The CEA is a powerful cue system to highlight the strengths and needs of our students, and ourselves. It is definitely worth the effort to quickly mark it each week! Here are 25 points and a 5 point Bonus!
DeleteAs a 58 year-old first year teacher who entered the teaching profession via an Alternate Routes program, I recognize that I still have much to learn. I feel blessed to have discovered Whole Brain Teaching at the start of my career. Following the example of Mrs. Maestra, I measured my own performance each week, specifically in the areas of my energy level and my patience. I recognized early in the year that I was often flat and monotonous in my lesson delivery. I also, sadly, recognized that I frequently became impatient with the students during the times they interrupted my lesson with numerous questions. While both of my concerns about my teaching were important, I was most disappointed in myself about how the questions from the kids bothered me. These questions reflected their genuine interest in the lesson material and the connections they were making to their lives. I had hit teaching gold but I did not see it. My method of self-reflection was very informal. I selected an area of my white board, and every time I recognized either of the two negative behaviors in myself, I made a tally mark. As the kids noticed this and asked what the tally marks meant, all I told them was that they were about me and not anything bad about them. They quickly became accustomed to this and it became a quiet routine. Initially, my tally mark score was over ten every day. As time progressed, my daily tally mark score became lower and lower. Eventually, there were days where I received no tally marks at all. As my experience in general teaching and in Whole Brain Teaching grew, I found myself more energetic in my presentations and I started enjoying long, impromptu question and answer sessions. With regard to monitoring the students, I focused on two strategies. First, I selected Rule 4 (Make Smart Choices) as the class motto. Eventually, they became comfortable with reminding each other to make smart choices in a warm and supporting way. Secondly, without explaining anything to the class, I would pick up litter as I led the class during transitions. It didn’t take long for the entire class to compete with each other in picking up litter during our transitions. There was no formal, numerical grade associated with either of these, just my pride in them as their social skills grew over the year. I am far from perfect, and I still have days where I pick up the dry erase marker for a few tally marks. However, I feel that I am a much better teacher as a result of my self-reflection and my implementation of WBT. I learned that you can lead and teach by quiet example and that even transient, poverty stricken first graders can learn and have good hearts.
ReplyDeleteKen Dukes
Ken,
DeleteIt sounds like the reflection you have done has helped you reach your students even more! Keeping records of our own behavior as teachers is crucial if we want to make self improvements. I'd love to hear more about your student groups (Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, Challenging Students and Leaders) that were described in this chapter~ here are 20 certification points! Keep a copy of your posts and points awarded in a word document to submit later for certification. **Chapter 3 has a glitch, so you can email your response to MichelleShelton@wholebrainteaching.com
Great post, Ken! FYI Michelle, Ken emailed me Chapter 3 earlier and was awarded 25 points. Thanks!
DeleteChapter 4: Charting Progress (pages 14-17) Tonya Hackett
ReplyDeleteSchool Year Reflection
My personal weekly evaluation came from two parts; my two crucial features of managing my behavior and my students’ classroom behavior.
My two crucial features of managing my behavior were controlling my emotions by controlling my tone of voice and giving student feedback in a timely manner; either by conferencing or returning graded work. I gave myself a weekly grade by using the following point system: I started with 10 points each week. For each time I lost control of my emotions, I docked a point. I also docked a point for each missed student conference and/or missed grading deadline.
My students’ classroom behavior was focused around the following measures:
• Followed directions quickly
• Raised their hands for permission to speak
• Completed station assignments
• Stayed on task
After each week, a student could change his/her behavior category (Alpha, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, or Challenging Students) based on his/her behavior choices for the week. I placed a tally mark next to each student’s name under the specific behavior measure if I needed to remind the child of the rule # s/he broke. At the end of each day, I totaled each student’s number of tallies. After each week, a child would fall into a grouping by the following rubric: 0 tallies = Alpha, 1-2 tallies = Go-Alongs, 3 tallies = Fence Sitters, 4 or more tallies = Challenging Students. If a student went 4 weeks in a row with 0 tallies, they became “Leaders”.
My weekly student score would then come from the total “quads” points; 4 points for each Alpha, 3 points for each Go-Along, 2 points for each Fence Sitter, 1 point for each Challenging Student. I’d also get 5 points for any Leaders I might have.
I created a line plot showing the progression of my weekly evaluation. Through this tracking, I learned a great deal about how both my teaching and my students’ behaviors are very much aligned. When my first score (teacher behaviors) went up, my second score (students’ behaviors) went up. I also learned that in the beginning of the year, I didn’t have it “all together” like I imagined I did. My overall evaluation score progressed throughout the year. I also liked seeing specific measure patterns with specific students. I was able to have a private conversation with several students (sometimes even over lunch in the classroom) regarding these patterns I was observing. I learned that after taking the time to have these special talks, the students were more likely to either continue the positive behavior(s) or to wipe-out the negative behaviors. I was also able to learn that it isn’t wise for me to skip lunch as my teacher behaviors would often dip during my afternoon classes. ☺
Tonya,
DeleteAgreed, you need to meet your own needs so that you have the energy to meet theirs (eat your lunch!!!) :) Most of us are in the same boat, we don't have it as "together" as we think we do! That's why this is so effective! Nice job! Here are 25 certification points. (I also awarded you 25 for Chapter 3 through email in May). Keep up the good work!
This past school year I charted my progress as a teacher both daily and weekly. I decided I needed to work on managing my stress level and response to student’s rebellious behaviors, so I charted my ability to use a consistent level and tone of voice and my energy level while teaching. Each day I gave myself up to 10 points for managing voice level and tone and up to 10 points for energy of my lessons. At the end of the week I totaled my points and divided by days of the week to find my teaching score.
ReplyDeleteI also wanted to chart my student’s behavioral progress. I assigned each student a group (without the students knowing, of course). My point system was simple. Each Leader received five points. These are students who follow all my rules consistently and go above and beyond to encourage their classmates. Each Alpha received four points. These students followed all the rules almost all of the time. My Go-Alongs, who usually went along with what I said but sometimes forgot, received a score of three. Fence Sitters were scored with a two and Challenging Students received a one. I added all of my scores together at the end of each week, averaged them, and then charted the results on a bar graph.
I found my data interesting. My student’s scores consistently went up with the exception of a few weeks during the year. The amount of increase was consistent with the average of my teaching score most weeks. The weeks my energy score increased, all of my scores increased. The weeks my energy didn’t increase or went down, my student’s scores also stayed near the same or went down. This shows me the importance of taking care of myself, planning engaging lessons, and being consistent.
Kimberley Nixon
2nd grade
Kimberly,
DeleteIt really does help when we look at the connections between our own behavior and the behavior of our students doesn't it! Nice job, here are 25 certification points! **25 points were also awarded for chapter 3 through email.
I took time once a week (it only took 5 minutes of truthful self-reflection) to give myself two scores out of 10: one for my self control and one for my classroom management consistency. This gave me a weekly ‘teaching score’ out of twenty, and helped me focus on my primary classroom goal of managing my own behaviour.
ReplyDeleteI learned that even on those weeks where the rebellious students were really challenging, if I shone a spotlight on my own teaching score, I often found I had been relatively successful in the one thing I could truly control –my own behaviour.
My students’ progress I monitored through a grading system they knew nothing about. I divided the pupils into groups according to their behaviour when measured against 4 criteria. My model students always:
• followed rule 1
• and rule 2,
• they always folded their hands and looked at me for ‘Class: Yes’,
• they always handed in neat work.
I called these model students my Alphas and I gave myself 4 points for each one.
The next group, the’ go-alongs’ usually did all the things I looked for in my Alphas. I gave myself 3 points for each Alpha. Group 3, the Fence Sitters, could go either way and I gave myself 2 points for each one. Finally, the Challenging Students rarely did any of the things my model students did and I gave myself 1 point for each one of them I had in the class.
I learned that by training my alphas to be classroom leaders (5 points) who modelled to the rest of the class, and implementing Star Cards as a motivational tool to boost behaviour with my 3s, 2s, and 1s, I was able to ever so slowly improve the classroom engagement average (CEA) over the course of the year. If I had not kept a note of the students’ progress each week, I may have lost heart as improvements in behaviour and attitude can be almost glacial in their slowness.
Quentin Dalrymple
3/4th grade
Perthsire, Scotland.
Quentin,
DeleteHow right you are, sometimes the progress is slow, but even small improvements show that you and your students are moving in the right direction! Here are 25 certification points and a 5 point bonus!
July 3, 2016
ReplyDeleteChapter 4: Charting Progress
My 2016-17 year was an amazing year for teaching WBT! Giving each of my students a behavior goal was challenging. However, giving my students goals to reach, in turn, made me work harder as a teacher to help them reach these goals. It was a challenging year as a teacher for both me and my students but the outcome was worth it!
At the beginning of the year I assigned each of my students a group according to their behavior in class. I used the 5 rules in WBT to determine what groups they were in and graded them at the end of each week according to their behavior. I also did the same for me. I graded myself on voice control and the consistency of my classroom management. Charting both I and my students throughout the year was eye opening!
I quickly figured out that if I failed as a teacher when correcting an issue both I and the student lost. For both of us to excel, both of us had to work together. If I wanted my students to go up a level I needed them to learn how to follow directions quickly or to raise their hand for permission to speak. But how will they learn? Hello…the teacher! (that’s me)
With my voice control and consistent behavior management they improved…little by little we both did.
At the end of the year with charting both teacher and student behavior in the classroom we both won! I believe that I became a better teacher and my students that improved one level are all ready for the next grade!
P.S. They all went up a level! Your welcome first grade teachers!
Britta Hartman
Britta,
DeleteI agree, it takes cooperation from both the student and the teacher for a classroom to be successful and this type of evaluation really helps us see what needs we have. I'd love to hear more about how you used the method described in this chapter (alphas, fence sitters, go alongs etc.). Oops, you had a small grammatical error in paragraph 2. Here are 20 certification points!
2016-2017 school year is completed and it was an amazing year. My two main goals for the school year were being consistent in my classroom management and students following directions quickly. I did a weekly chart of my progress, as well as my students growth and progress.
ReplyDeleteWhat I noticed about my classroom management was that I started out great, but around December I began to fall short. I was so grateful for my weekly charting to notice that I was declining on my classroom management. So after Christmas I made sure I was back on track and making progress. Without the weekly charting I would never have seen that I was slacking on my classroom management.
Tracking my students weekly progress was very beneficial to see. It allowed me to see who was moving up in the groups: Alphas, Go-Alongs, Fence Sitters, Challenging Students, and Leaders. I loved how I could see where they started and where they ended. I also used this information for Parent-Teacher Conferences as well as for our SIT meetings.
I feel like the weekly tracking of my classroom management and student behavior helped me in all areas of my teaching. Charting progress is something I will definitely do in the years to follow.
Katlen Downey