"That's not how my teacher does it!"

While every time I hear this it makes me cringe a little on the inside, it also makes me crave being a full time teacher.  My message to full time teachers: No matter how much grief students give you, or how challenging behavior management becomes, your students love you and depend on your systems, expertise, and constancy.  You are the leader of a small little world of people who love, depend on, and look up to you.  In your students' eyes you are irreplaceable.

New Challenge

As I have said before, I think it is critical as an elementary educator to know and love children's literature.  After all, there is a correlation between student success and number of books experienced (see article by ALA).  Thus, I have set out on a new endeavor:  Finish reading one children's or education related book per day.  See my reading journal to check up on my success :)

To use tangible rewards, or not to use tangible rewards?

While I am against the consistent use of tangible rewards--pencils, stickers, stamps, bookmarks, etc.--as a behavior management system in a full-time teaching situation (see research on motivation by Harter (1981), Lepper, Greene and Nisbett (1973), Cordova and Lepper (1995), and Whyte (1979), as well as others) because I feel it sends the wrong message about learning and decreases student motivation in the long run and eventually becomes ineffective as a behavior management strategy, I can't argue the practicality of using tangible rewards as a substitute.  In a full-time teaching situation (during student teaching) I would occasionally and sporadically reward students with tangible rewards for showing improvement, which I didn't feel harmed the students' intrinsic motivation.  Following this logic, utilizing tangible motivators as a substitute should not affect student motivation in the long run, and should not become less effective because of the short term in which they would be utilized, but still I don't feel right about it.  I know substitute teaching is sort of an artificial situation, but I still feel like I'm going against my beliefs as an educator.  It has been effective along with my other behavior management techniques, though.

Behavior Management

Behavior management has not been a problem yet for me as a substitute, which I found surprising as a new teacher.  I think it is because I clearly state my expectations (as well as post a copy on the wall) and consistently use these steps: 

8 Behavior Management Steps

1. Gentle reminder.  (Say student’s name, tap student on the shoulder, or other verbal or gestural reminder).
2. Remind student of expected behavior. I.e. “Bob, eyes up here.”
3. Ask student which expectation/ground rule they are breaking.  (If the student does not answer or know, show the student with fingers or point).
4. Ask the student to visit the peace place, exercise dots or similar spot to calm down or think about his or her actions or get out energy, depending on the problem.
5. Have individual meeting.  Ask what is going on.  If the student may not be telling the truth ask: “Is that the truth?”
6. Use “I message.”
1. Specific behavior
2. The tangible result
3. Feeling
7. Ask the student to visit another classroom with a buddy teacher to cool down.
8. Complete a behavior contract that describes the behavior, a more appropriate response, and how he or she will make up for the behavior.

If these steps are ineffective in a full time classroom setting, create a behavior plan for the student with parents, other teachers, specialists and principal.  In substituting I would contact the office.

Thank you to Ken Peterson for all of your brilliant advice and strategies.

Enlightenment from Day 1

A few weeks ago I had my first day of substitute teaching, and despite all the build up it was rather peaceful and enjoyable.  The joys of being prepared.  Here is the advice I gleaned for myself after day 1.

Use the teacher's behavior management system.  I was totally confused by the teacher's behavior management system (there were sticky notes involved, a chart, red, white, blue, and green cards in little pockets, and a jar with marbles...).  In her notes it said: "look at the behavior chart, it's pretty self-explanatory."  While I was familiar with some of the elements, this system took it to a-whole-nother level.  I found it cumbersome and decided, whether consciously or unconsciously I'm not sure, not to use it.  While this class had relatively good behavior, they kept encouraging me to use the class system and made it clear that they would appreciate it if I would.  Lesson learned.

Learn names, when possible.  Classes that switch for multiple subjects makes this very difficult!  This class switched for reading, and math, and many of the kids come and go for Spanish or other special classes.  While I really like the seating chart idea I used (below), it was not practical in this situation.  With students coming and going and new students entering and sitting in different desks, the seating chart was ineffective.  In this situation I should have had the students wear name tags.

Intercept the first misbehavior, and react with consistent and sensible behavior management.  When students see that others are getting away with misbehavior they will join in.  Start with the first act, react quickly, firmly and sensibly.

Enjoy the small things in life.

Student gem of the day: "Are you our guest teacher!?  You're too pretty to be a substitute!"  While her assumption that substitute's aren't pretty was troubling, it was a nice gesture, none-the-less.

Attention, Please!

I've found that ways of getting the students attention is one of the most important tools a teacher can have.  That being said, here is the list of ways to get attention that I have compiled (remember to explicitly teach the expectations for each technique):

• Use a rain stick, music, bell, chimes, whistle (at recess) etc. (Can be especially effective if specific to the activity, unit or routine--i.e. an instrument from a particular culture)
• Clap a pattern and have students repeat the pattern or designated response
• Sing a song (establish the expectation that the students will sing with you and join you wherever you are in the room).
• Play music (Establish the routine that your will play music for a certain amount of time and this is the amount of time students have to clean up or get ready to begin workshop, when music stops students need to stop, look, and listen).
• Excuse students by telling them the “magic word” and then whispering words that start with the same letter, rhyme, or have some other common theme and finally the magic word releases them (with this transition students will get excited, be sure to establish the expectation that there is no running).
• Give students group or table names and use the sign language sign to release their group.  Wait until all groups are quiet and their eyes are up before signaling.
• Raise your hand and have students raise theirs when their mouths are quiet and their minds are ready (stop, look, listen)
• Flick the lights on and off. NOTE: This may induce seizures, be cautious of the use of this signal.
• Say: One, Two, Three, Eyes on me
• Say: Give me five (Explain what the five mean, and post a poster:

               1.    Eyes on me

          2.    Hands and feet still

          3.    Mouth quiet

          4.    Ears listening

          5.    Ready for instructions

• Above, Pause, Whisper: (Get the students attention with a sound—chime, or other sound louder than their voices, stand still and wait for “pregnant pause,” then whisper instructions.
• Choral response: Sing or chant a phrase, i.e. "Who lives in a Pineapple Under the Sea," students chorally respond, i.e. "Spongebob Square Pants!" ("Peanut, Peanut Butter," "and Jelly").
• Say: "If you can hear my voice..." i.e. "put your finger on your nose."  Add new instructions but keep saying them in an increasingly quiet voice.

Always wait until students are quiet and giving you their attention.  Never raise your voice above theirs, they will only talk louder.  Talk quietly and enthusiastically.