1. Keeping Your Cool When You’re Feeling the Heat Jayme Linton Teaching Fellows Senior Conference July 17, 2010

2. Session Outcomes Identify obstacles to effective classroom management and scheduling Gain tips and strategies for managing student behavior Gain tips and strategies for maximizing instructional time Share your expectations for the session

3. Scheduling Challenges Amount of content vs. amount of time Student behavior Interruptions (picture day, parents, phone calls, pull out services, etc.) School schedule (recess, lunch, specials) Transitions

4. Things to Keep in Mind Your day will seldom go as planned Be flexible! You must control the schedule or it will control you Wasted time adds up Senario: Instructional time per day = 4 hours If you waste 15 minutes per day, that wasted time adds up to over 11 days of wasted instructional time over the course of a school year.

5. Strategies for Making the Most of Your Planning Time Create a checklist of tasks you need to accomplish each day Avoid the teacher’s lounge Don’t get sucked in by the Internet, a frustrated colleague, or a parent Schedule parent appointments and phone calls If you work with an instructional assistant, use his/her time effectively Basket/folder of materials Establish expectations & routine

6. Strategies for Maximizing Instructional Time Post your daily schedule and stick to it Teach, model, and role play procedures until they become routine (The time you spend doing this at the beginning of the year will be well worth it!) Morning and afternoon routine Collecting/distributing materials Moving through the classroom/building Taking attendance Cafeteria procedures Keep time for morning work brief

7. Strategies for Maximizing Instructional Time Integrate content areas Teach science and social studies concepts through literacy block (40% of the reading EOG is nonfiction!) Use project-based learning to integrate math, literacy, science, social studies Use timers, music, and other signals Have materials prepared ahead of time Use transitions effectively Skip counting Word games Math fact practice

9. Sample Daily Schedule 1 8:00-8:15 – Students arrive / Morning Routine 8:15-8:30 – Morning Work 8:30-9:00 – Whole group 9:00-10:30 – Literacy block Read aloud, shared reading, guided reading, literacy stations, writing workshop 10:30-11:15 – Specials 11:25-11:55 – Lunch 12:00-12:45 – Math 12:45-1:15 – Recess 1:15-2:00 – Science/Social Studies 2:00-2:30 – Independent reading 2:30-2:35 – Pack up 2:35-2:45 – Read aloud 2:45 - Dismissal

10. Sample Daily Schedule 2 8:00-8:15 – Students arrive / Morning Routine 8:15-8:45 – Independent reading 8:45-9:00 – Math fact practice 9:00-11:00 – Literacy block Reading and writing with science and social studies content 11:00-11:30 – Lunch 11:30-12:15 – Specials 12:15-1:15 – Math 1:15-1:45 – Accelerated Reader / Accelerated Math and student conferences 1:45-2:15 – Recess 2:15-2:20 – Pack up 2:20-2:45 – Read aloud 2:45 - Dismissal

11. Sample Daily Schedule 3 8:00-8:15 – Students arrive / Morning Routine 8:15-8:30 – Morning work 8:30-9:00 – Calendar 9:00-9:45 – Specials 9:45-10:30 – Math 10:30-11:15 – Science 11:15-11:45 – Lunch 11:45-12:15 - Recess 12:15-1:45 – Literacy block Read aloud, shared reading, guided reading, literacy stations, writing workshop 1:45-2:15 – Social Studies 2:15-2:35 – Independent reading 2:35-2:45 – Pack up 2:45 - Dismissal

12. Inside/Outside Circle Directions: Form two circles (12 in each), with the inside and outside circles facing each other. Inside partner responds to question while outside partner listens. After 1 minute, partners change roles: Outside partner responds while inside partner listens. After 1 minute, outside circle moves. Repeat with new partners.

13. Inside/Outside Circle Question #1: What aspect of scheduling do you feel most confident / least confident with? Question #2: What is one effective way to use transitions? Question #3: How can you make the most of your planning time?

14. Classroom Management Challenges Disruptive behavior Interruptions Transitions Inconsistency Lack of follow-through with rewards and consequences Instructional mismatch Content or instructional strategy doesn’t match students’ needs or readiness

15. Things to Keep in Mind Your response to the first discipline challenge of the day will set the tone for the rest of the day Be clear, consistent, and firm Negative feedback stops behavior Positive feedback changes behavior If you argue with a child, you automatically lose

16. Strategies for Effective Classroom Management Develop a plan for classroom management Share plan with students, parents, administrators, colleagues Include rules/expectations, rewards, and consequences Limit classroom rules (3 to 5) Involve students in creating classroom rules, rewards, and consequences Consider creating a contract for you, students, and parents to sign Teach, model, and role-play the behaviors you want to see (Don’t just tell….. Teach!)

17. Strategies for Effective Classroom Management Use an action plan to encourage students to reflect on behavior (another example) Teach students to evaluate their own behavior (another example) Create individualized behavior plans for students as needed We differentiate for individual academic and instructional needs. Why don’t we differentiate for behavior? Celebrate successive approximations (behavior change occurs slowly) Analogy: language development

18. Strategies for Effective Classroom Management Broken Record technique: “In this classroom, you keep your hands to yourself.” Make time for community building at the beginning of the year and throughout Hold classroom meetings to address issues Students help determine topics and concerns that need to be discussed Everyone’s voice is heard Group decisions are made to solve problems Be proactive rather than reactive Use descriptive praise (describe specific behavior)

19. What NOT to do Impose school tasks as punishment Writing sentences, extra homework, silent reading Use isolation / time out as punishment Should be used to remove a child from a situation where he/she is getting positive reinforcement for negative behavior and to encourage reflection Use sarcasm Yell at or demean children Compare children (Each one is unique!)

20. Tips and Tricks Teams and tallies Popsicle sticks Walking to lunch, specials, etc. Following directions Specific part of the day when your students are having trouble meeting expectations Passes (no homework, extra recess, lunch buddy, etc.) Lunch bunch Students who meet a certain expectation have lunch in classroom with the teacher on Fridays

21. RAFT

22. Contact Me jayme_linton@nccs.k12.nc.us Twitter: jaymelinton http://techlearning.weebly.com Visit http://tr.im/nccsinsttech for today’s presentation.