WAY TO GO!

PURPOSE 

How do you praise a student? Seems like a silly question but how often do you give it any thought?

We all praise our kids, right? Or do we sometimes get so wrapped up in the day to day that we forget to look for those opportunities? Like anything else, praise is a skill and if we don't practice this skill we might forget how to do it effectively and with meaning. The first thing we have to do when thinking about praise is to think about why we are praising in the first place. What is our goal? What effect do we want to see the praise have on our students? 

IN-SERVICE

Ben Bissell (1992, July) has described 5 things that help praise work. These are important elements in order for praise attempts to have the most positive effect possible.

Some elaboration on Ben’s ideas:

Authentic – Means that we are praising people for something genuine, recognizing them for something that is true. No one ever feels that they are praised too much for something genuine. So catch students doing things right, and grab the opportunity to give authentic praise.

Specific – The behavior we acknowledge often becomes the behavior that will be continued. Identify the specific improvement or progress made by your child and acknowledge them through praise. If we can recognize students’ positive efforts with specific recognition then we can help them see the specific areas of value

Immediate – Recognizing positive efforts and contributions in a timely manner. And the more often we do this, the more praise becomes a habit. This is especially true when we think of the more challenging students.

Clean – Clean means a couple of different things. Praise is not clean if you are issuing it to get someone to do something in the future. It is important to complement students because their efforts are authentic, not because you are hoping they will do something different tomorrow. For praise to be clean, it cannot include the word “but”. “billy did a great job on his Math homework today, but his Science homework was very poorly done.” In most case anything before the word but is usually forgotten to quote Benjen Stark “Nothing someone says before the word “but” really counts."

Private – Recognizing someone publicly may seem reinforcing, but statistics have shown that many people would rather receive private recognition.

Praise, when used correctly, can be an amazing experience for the student and for the adult giving the praise. However, praise just to praise is ineffective and almost counterproductive. 

IMPLEMENTATION

How do you use praise in the classroom? What is your goal and is it having the desired affect? Are you just doing it to get the desired outcome or is it authentic and genuine? Respond in the comments section with answers to these questions and share a few examples. Explore the implications for adults as well. Do we do a good job in recognizing each other? Your response is worth an hour of PD credit as always so join the conversation. 

Thanks for reading and enjoy the long weekend!

Brad

Bissell, B. (1992, July). The paradoxical leader. Paper presented at the Missouri Leadership Academy, Columbia, MO.

Whitaker, T. (2017). Dealing With Difficult Parents. S.l.: ROUTLEDGE.

You've Got Mail!

PURPOSE

E-mail.

It instantly makes communication easier but not necessarily less complicated. Sending an effective and professional e-mail takes practice and effort and is a skill for which most people have not received training. We write a lot of e-mails. Some are short, some are long some are emotional, and some are matter-of-fact, but they all have one thing in common. The purpose of every e-mail we send is to convey a message and to get some point across. As educators, communicating is the most important thing we do every day. Giving and receiving information is the crux of what makes us productive and the ability to do so well, is directly related to the proficiency with which we do our job. So with all of the importance placed on effective communication, why is there so much conflict and misunderstanding? It’s because most of us do not take the time necessary to get better at email. 

There is hope, however. With a little practice and attention to detail, you can learn how to send a perfect e-mail in almost any situation. 

IN-SERVICE

Below is an excerpt from a blog post by Sarah Wessling- who is a high school English teacher in Iowa and a 2010 National Teacher of the Year:

1. You can’t take back what you’ve written. 

2. Our first impression most often comes through what and how we write. 

3. Our haste can cause us to suggest a tone or meaning we didn’t intend. Educators aren’t immune to these oversights, especially as our inboxes are more and more crowded.

1. Don’t get defensive. It never fails that we’ll get the toughest emails on the days that we’re the most exhausted or have exercised the greatest patience. It can be so easy to get defensive when our practice, our grading, or our attention to students is questioned. But these are the moments that we have to be the most empathetic. A hastened response with a defensive cloud can quickly stifle a conversation and send a parent straight for a CC to the principal. Instead, we have to take a breath and put the email into context.

2. We’re teaching all the time. Yep. All the time. We’re even teaching parents when we respond to their emails or questions. We’re teaching them about the culture of our classroom, about the way we’ve seen their child learn, about the way we make deliberate instructional decisions.

3. No one is perfect. In the same way that we teachers are fully aware of our imperfections, parents will make mistakes, too. Approaching a parent with curiosity or empathy can go a long way in creating a strong partnership. This means that instead of leading with accusation, a start of thanks (I appreciate the way you’ve been following up at home), empathy (I know how important your child’s success is to you), or curiosity (I’ve been curious about how the homework process is going with “Zoe” and am anxious to hear more about it), will open lines of communication.

4. Turn these communications into opportunities. Whether you’re responding to a parent or initiating the conversation, our email communications can be incredibly powerful. Seeing even the most difficult messages as an opportunity can help us all work towards the same goal: creating a better opportunity for students to learn.

5. Use the phone, too. Sometimes the email’s tone will tell you just how frustrated the sender is, and in such cases, a phone call can be much more productive. Don’t hesitate to use it as an opportunity to listen and put the concern in context.

Here is another excerpt: 

• One of the toughest responses to craft can be the ones where our decisions about the classroom and how or what we teach are being questioned. I've fielded questions ranging all the way from why I grouped students in a particular way, to why I gave homework over a break, to why our department had chosen to teach Maya Angelou. Curiosity is the key here. Sometimes the real question underlies the complaint, and we can make a lot of progress by understanding the difference
• We have to know when our instructional decisions are sound and shouldn't be changed, versus when we may have overlooked something and we have room to revise

Here is an example:

There are many things to consider when writing an email. Having the wherewithal to understand what type of response is needed to a particular situation and audience is the key to communicating effectively and thoroughly. Understanding that sending an e-mail is also a skill that needs to be practiced and reflected upon is also the key more productive communication. 

IMPLEMENTATION

This month, the implementation is easy. Write an email or look at an old e-mail and then reflect on it and ask yourself if you have done the following: 

• Were you too emotional
• Were you too short
• Were you defensive
• Were you professional 
• Did you thank the recipient
• How was the tone of the email and would it be better to pick up the phone

Share your thoughts in the comments section and if you are bold, maybe even share an email you have written. Below are some resources I have found with tips and tricks along with the link to Sarah Westling’s post. As always, your comment is worth an hour of PD. 

Thank you for reading. 

Sarah Wessling

Vicky Davis

Kevan Lee

Make a Connection First and Everything Else Will Follow

Welcome back to ThreeFiftyMainStreet! Like last year I will post at least once a month and the posts will be short professional development sessions for you to read and think about. You will earn 1 hour of PD credit if you read the post and leave a response. This month’s post has to do with “Making Relationships with Kids” I spoke briefly about this during our first faculty meeting. So let’s get the conversation going with this first post. 

PURPOSE

We are a week or so into the new school year. How many kids have you “connected with?” How many kids have you started a random conversation with to set the groundwork for some type of relationship as the year progresses? Every moment spent with someone either strengthens or diminishes relationships.  We all deal with a lot of different kids with a lot of different backgrounds and they all have different motivations for doing what they do. One size does not fit all when dealing with children and we know this to be true when talking about instruction but it just as true when talking about fostering relationships. In fact, I would say that it is even truer given the age of our students and the fact that they are skeptical of adults by default. 

What we tend to forget is that the work on the front end makes our jobs easier. The efficiency with which you can deliver instruction and deal with the crisis in the classroom is directly related to the type of relationships you foster with your students. There are not many “returns on your investment” that are better than that in education. In fact, taking the time to establish a connection with a student will pay you dividends long after that student is out of your class and whether or not that students forget about your subject matter and never thinks about the content of your class again, he or she will absolutely remember you as someone who took the time to make a connection. 

INSERVICE

Full credit goes to Chase Mielke, author of "What Students Really Need to Hear,” but here are four tips for building relationships with your students. 

1. Make first impressions count.

For students who don’t like school, our first impression is already fighting a negativity bias. Our opening moments with students, therefore, matter a great deal. I’ve learned the following first-impression trifecta for connecting with new students:

• Shake hands with everyone. Even though students give odd looks, making the effort to shake hands with each person shows a willingness to connect on a personal level. It also gives me an initial read on their receptiveness and personality.
• Give respect. Showing students—explicitly and implicitly—that we respect them is key. Many students today don’t give respect without getting it first. (We can complain all we want about that shift in culture, but that won’t get us anywhere). It is my job to be the bigger adult and model giving respect.
• Lead with positive emotion. As a speaker, I know that the first few minutes of any talk should be building rapport, using humor, and learning about the listeners. I also know that my resume means nothing to kids—they care more about my authenticity than my accolades. My goal as a speaker is to get as many smiles as I can in the first 30 seconds.

Bringing it into the classroom:

Every day, every lesson, begin by building connections before getting into content. For example:

• Provide sincere gratitude that they made the choice to show up to class today.
• Do something playful, like asking for random facts or corny jokes.
• Do a quick round of “speed dating” in which they talk to a peer about a random question you pose.

2. Know who’s a “cat” and who’s a “dog.”

 Using “cats and dogs” as an analogy to consider interactions with different personalities. It is not meant to stereotype students; it is simply a starting point for being more intentional with our efforts

• Traits of “Dog” personalities: Forgiving of errors, value attention, responsive to praise, social, playful, expressive facial expressions
• Traits of “Cat” personalities: Skeptical, observant, warm up to others on own terms, loyal when trust is established, neutral facial expressions when around groups, not as responsive to praise or overt positivity

Bringing it into the classroom:

Take a moment to consider whether a certain student seems more like a cat or a dog. Then, experiment with these approaches:

Strategies for Dog Personalities

• Provide opportunities for dogs to model, demonstrate, or share whole-group whenever possible.
• Think quality of positive interactions over quantity, such as a longer, positive conversation one-on-one.
• Ask them questions to give them a chance to share about their world, their interests, their expertise.
• If behavior needs to be managed, opt for one-on-one pre-briefing or after class conversations.

Strategies for Cat Personalities

• Give quick, low-key compliments but don’t linger for a response.
• Ask him/her for thoughts in one-on-one situations.
• Use written or after-class praise instead of public praise.
• Think quantity of positive interactions over quality, but space out interactions over time.
•  Be particularly attentive and curious when a cat does approach you or open up.

3. Making time for non-academic conversations

Every moment either strengthens relationships or diminishes relationships. As a speaker, if I only have 8 hours at a school, I need to utilize every second, no matter how much I want to check-out during my downtime. I eat lunch with students. Between sessions, I ask them about their school, community, and hobbies. I ask them to teach me things, like how to do a trending dance or about the video games they play. Every interaction I have is through the lens of, “How am I strengthening a relationship?”

Bringing it into the classroom:

As we teach the whole period, it can be challenging to find time for non-academic discourse. However, even a 30-second interaction can build relationships. Give yourself a simple goal: Learn one new thing about a student each day. Start be being more intentional with your questions. Rather than “How is your day?” or “How’s it going?” ask:

• What is something I don’t know about you?
• What’s been the highlight of your week?
• I noticed you ________, tell me more about that.

4. Assume nothing, learn everything.

Just as students are sizing me up as a speaker, I am sizing them up as people. I use basic categories, like “cat or dog personality” as a starting point for interaction; however, I’ve learned to never make sweeping assumptions about students. And I’ve seen interesting things in my travels, such as students spitting on floors, a kid asking me to fight, and major meltdowns just to name a few. As much as I want to assume certain things about these kids I know one thing: Every reaction is a symptom, not a cause.

Doctors know to investigate symptoms to understand causes. Teachers must do the same. No matter how many versions of a “type” of student I’ve seen, each life is different. Out of all the rapport-building strategies I’ve learned, one encompasses them all: Curiosity.

Bringing it into the classroom:

Try what I call “obser-questions.” The obser-question involves describing an observation but following up with a question to learn more. They work best in one-on-one conversations. And, remember that vocal tone can make or break the interaction: Make sure your vocals display true curiosity rather than judgment or condemnation. Examples:

• I noticed you slam your books on the desk when you walked in. What was on your mind?
• You seem to pay attention really well, but when I ask you to work independently, you talk more than work. Help me understand why that is.
• I’m noticing you’ve written words all over your arm, including the F-word, big and bold. Talk to me about that a little bit.

IMPLEMENTATION 

This part is easy. Use the strategies above or use anything else you are comfortable with and make some connections with kids. Post about your experience below to receive an hour of PD to record in your summative paperwork. 

As always, thanks for reading!

DON'T PUSH MY BUTTONS

Professional Development:  Session 4

PURPOSE

The biggest mistake teachers make, consistently, is that they let students know they have gotten to them emotionally by losing their cool and that they have pushed their buttons. We’ve all done it and we’ve all seen what it looks like: 

Raising your voice in anger, speaking through clenched teeth, saying things like “I’ve had enough,” or “go to the office, I can’t deal with you anymore” are examples of things we might say or do in the classroom that shows the kids we have lost our cool. Students are aggravating at times, and we are all human, but there is a difference between being disappointed in someone’s behavior and being personally affected by that behavior. 

INSERVICE

Consider the following questions:

• Have you ever felt aggravated by a student?
• Have you ever been guilty of “taking the bait” with a student
• Have you ever let your students know that they have upset you on a personal level?
• What happens when a student knows he or she has succeeded in pushing your buttons? 

The biggest mistake we make consistently is that we let students know they have gotten to us. We show our frustration and the students know that they won. They are now controlling our emotions. It is okay to let a student know you are disappointed by their actions, but there is a big difference between being disappointed and being emotionally affected. 

Remember that it is always okay to hold students accountable for their actions. They key is to hold them accountable in a professional, not emotional, manner. 

This obviously is not always easy and sometimes it’s next to impossible, but just like we should do our best to never raise our voice in the classroom, we should make it a point to stay emotionally detached. Raising your voice in the classroom is a major indicator that whatever has happened has affected you personally and emotionally and when that happens, the student knows he or she can control the situation and control how you respond. They will then continue to do so in the future. 

Consider the following examples and how you might respond:

• A student is repeatedly making noises. You have asked him to stop but the behavior has continued. 
• Your students are working on an independent assignment at their seats. One student is not doing any work. 
• A student is visibly upset about something that happened outside the classroom. The situation begins to escalate and you see that is could get volatile. 
• A student is upset with you and she lashes out, saying hurtful things to you. Your feelings are hurt and you are embarrassed by the situation. 

IMPLEMENTATION

Arnold Schwarzenegger lost his cool in Kindergarten Cop, but it’s not quite as amusing when we do it. So it’s important to remember to have a plan to win the moment and be the professional in the room. There is no magic recipe or strategy but it is a good idea to have an internal mechanism of “self-checking” that helps give you the wherewithal to realize when you might be losing your cool and then helps you to regain your composure and control before you give that control over to the student. 

So in the comments below you can either discuss one of your own methods and whether or not it is effective, or you can reflect on a situation in which your emotions were affected in the classroom. Take some time over the course of the rest of the year to pay attention to how you react to certain things that happen in the classroom and think about the outcomes. A comment below is worth an hour of professional development, but this something that we all need to get better at from time to time. 

As always thanks for reading! 

Practice Makes Perfect

Professional Development: Session 3

PURPOSE

When a student does something inappropriate in class, he or she is usually expecting the teacher to react in a certain way. He knows he has an audience and is often putting on a performance for that audience. Many of us, from time to time, make the mistake of dealing with the behavior in front of the audience, and this rarely works out in our favor. 

In the last session, we spoke about the difference between rules and procedures and you were asked to evaluate and assess what you already had in place. In a perfect world, all of our students will do what we need them to do every single day without reminding and without incident. Obviously, this is not a perfect world so we need to have a plan for when students are not the angels we know they can be. 

Today we will look at a very effective way to deal with inappropriate behavior in the classroom and, more importantly, stop the behavior from happening in the future. 

IN-SERVICE

In previous sessions, we have spoken about ways to get your students’ attention and how to establish clear rules and procedures. It probably goes without saying that every single strategy you have used in the classroom thus far has worked beautifully every single time and you have had no issues whatsoever. Or, if you are like most of us, you find that some students are a bit more challenging the others and it takes a little bit more creativity on your part to manage them. 

Today I will be sharing one method you can use to get those students back on track, without engaging in a battle of wits and will during your teaching time. This, like all of the other tactics we have and will discuss, is just one of the many ways to steer students in the right direction. You should do whatever you feel comfortable with and whatever you have the most success with, as long as you have a plan going in and stick to it. 

This particular tactic is called “The Private Practice Session.” This can be used for a student who repeatedly ignores the classroom procedures. The example I am using is for a student who talks too much and calls out in class, but it can be used for most anything. 

Here is the script: 

Meet with the students privately and say, in a tone of concern, not frustration, “I’ve noticed that you’re having trouble remembering our procedure for raising your hand before speaking. Don’t be too hard on yourself for forgetting. I’m an adult and I sometimes forget things, but I know how embarrassing it can be to keep forgetting in front of your friends. So here is what I’m willing to do for you. I will give up my lunch today and practice with you so that you will become really good at following that procedure and be less likely to forget. I’d be happy to do that for you, I’ll see you at lunch.  Obviously, you are pretending that you think the student is just forgetting to raise his hand, surely he would not purposely ignore the procedure! The key is that you are not sarcastic and that you tell the student that you are willing to give of your own time to help him. It’s subtle but do you see the difference? Instead of taking the student’s lunch away from him, you gave him yours. So the student comes in at lunch and you say “Thanks for coming in. Okay now pretend that we are in class and you have something you want to say. Show me what you’ll do. “The student slowly raises his hand and you say, “Great! I can give you 15 more minutes of practice. Do you think you need more practice or do you feel you have it now?” The student always will say, “I have it” then you say “Great. See you tomorrow. Oh and if you forget again tomorrow, that’s my fault. That simply means I didn’t give you enough practice. I’ll even stay after school if you need, just let me know.” 

Please note that this technique takes less than a minute, and helps to achieve the goal which is to change the behavior. 

The goal here is to change the behavior and to deal with the student away from his or her audience. It is also to inadvertently get the student to reflect about the behavior, something that "lunch detentions" do not really accomplish. 

IMPLEMENTATION

As Bob Ross said in the beginning of this post, “There are no bad kids, just happy little classroom challenges.” Some students need a more creative approach to change the behavior to what we would like to see in the classroom. I’m sure you will have many opportunities to try this method out or at least some variation of it, but the assignment for this session is to try it out once. The idea is not to be punitive but to be “willing to help” until the student is able to follow the procedures in the classroom. Maybe some of you have tried this before or have tried a different variation? Post about your experiences or share your thoughts. Your comment is worth one professional development hour but your dialogue is invaluable. 

Thanks for reading- 

                         Whitaker & Breaux (2013). The Ten-Minute Inservice. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass