Classroom Management Update
I want to talk about discipline and rewards separately, so I'll split this blog into two sections:
Discipline:
Taking Ben's advice, I reviewed classroom management and discipline with my freshmen last week. I don't know if it was the review, or that I've tried to stay consistent with discipline, but in these past two days I have seen positive dividends paid. I still have to give out writing assignments willy-nilly, but the kids are now starting to link the cause and effect of behavior and punishment. To wit, on Wednesday I had to give out seven (seven!!!) writing assignments in my 4th period, but for all of Thursday they were angels. This is the dramatic improvement from the daily kangaroo zoo 4th period used to be.
My real improvement has come in managing behavior. I can now look at a kid, catch his eye, and stare hard enough so as to make him stop misbehaving. This has been 10 weeks in the making, and it's probably the best classroom management tool i have, because freshmen can't help but laugh when I say, "XYZ, that is your warning" or "XYZ, that is a writing assignment." By quietly controlling them with my eyes, I don't draw attention to their bad behavior. And if they don't get verbal recognition from me, they don't get attention from their friends.
I win. They lose. They learn.
Rewards:
Big success. Originally, I thought a Ticket Policy for-things-well-done was too kitschy. I stand corrected. It has been a resounding success. Kids will shoot each other for tickets. Kids will jump around naked for tickets. Mirabile dictu, kids will even participate in class for tickets.
I have a varied rewards list that goes from 1 ticket (tissue to blow your nose - this keeps kids from asking for tissue so as to have something to do besides take notes) to 500 tickets (5 ppl x 100 tickets - Mr. Walker shaves his head). The kids are nuts for this stuff. I have some seniors who are saving blocks of tickets, refusing to use 10 to buy a bathroom pass, doing their homework so they won't have to buy a 5 ticket homework pass, all so that they can see me shave my head.
I even have freshmen who don't like participating in class, but will try to find ingenious ways to win a ticket (Mr. Walker, let me clean your board. Mr. Walker, please let me read the overhead. Mr. Walker, can I write the bellringer on the main board?). I don't tell them that they are actually engaging the subject of English, and they don't realize that they are being duped into being energetic and staying awake in class.
I win. They lose. They learn.
Now a disclaimer: This is only a partial representation of my classroom management status. I also have at least 3 freshmen over whom I have no control. This is mostly due to the weak-kneed nature of the school board, the total lack of support from particular parents, and the dearth of community resources to deal with chronic delinquents.
Any of the three can take a class straight to hell. Trying to control the rest of the class while finessing a touch-and-go policy with them is a harrying experience. If only I had a paddle...
I think, overall, this should be the summation of my feelings on classroom management: If only I had a paddle...
