Responding to Student Behavior | Student behavior, Know yourself quotes, Giving quotes

Reading Let's Consider the Positive Habits of Some Teachers

Read through this list and reflect on past experiences:

Reflect on respect.
- Many teachers mention the word respect when asked about their most important classroom rules.
  - Respect offers a strong foundation for classroom agreements because it can apply to the physical environment, instructional time, peer-to-peer and teacher-student interactions.
  - Respect, however, must be explicitly defined and agreed upon.
  - Student definitions of respect often include teachers knowing their names (and pronouncing them correctly), not speaking down to them or embarrassing them in front of their peers, and expressing interest in their perspectives.
Consider the physical layout of the classroom.
- Step away from your desk and adopt a workspace from which you can easily see students, access materials and circulate to different parts of the classroom throughout the day.
Distinguish the three D's: disrespect, disruption and disregard for rules.
- Not all misbehavior is created equal.
- Differentiate behaviors and respond accordingly.
Foster investment in the classroom culture.
- Strive for a classroom in which the teacher is a facilitator and leader, not a manager.
- Collaborative rules and guide-lines mean the students have input on what is important and are a part of agreeing to it.
- Consider holding regular meetings during which the classroom community can hash out problems and find solutions together.
Focus on the future.
- Who do your students want to be? Where are they going?
- Call them scholars, scientists, researchers and thinkers.
- Adopt a college theme.
- Frame discussions around future successes.
Avoid the quick fix.
- Calling to remove a student requires less effort than working with support staff to keep the student safely in class.
- Recognize that choosing the latter option will have a more positive outcome for the student and keep them more connected to learning.
Practice being inclusive.
- Make sure your students know how important they are.
- Speak up immediately when you witness bullying of any kind.
Give students a variety of ways to respond.
- Including movement, voice and rhythm is a cornerstone of culturally responsive teaching that improves engagements and lessens discipline issues.
Focus on development instead of punishment.
- Students have the most respect for teachers they can trust but who also hold them to high standards.
Differentiate.
- Teaching styles and student personalities vary too much for one-size-fits-all approaches.
Reinforce positive behavior.
- Rather than praising the students themselves, praise their classroom-ready work and behavior.
  - Be specific
    - “Good job finding your seat quickly.” “Thank you for sharing your crayons.”
  - Offer tangible rewards
    - a prize like a sticker or pencil, or a privilege like extra free time.
    - Rewards can be used for individual or group behavior and may be phased out over time as students’ behaviors improve.
Plan classroom transitions.
- Student engagement and on-task behaviors can be influenced by how smoothly and efficiently teachers move from one learning activity to another.
- Prepare students with predictable routines and explicitly teach each step.
- Many students need as much support learning behavioral skills as they do learning academic skills.
Examine your biases.
- Research shows that teachers are more likely to invoke negative stereotypes if the misbehaving student is a person of color than if the student is white. LGBT, class and ability biases also affect perceptions of behavior and the ensuing responses.