PBIS Newsletter: Classrooms!
WCSD Spring 2017; Volume 3: Plan now for the Fall
As the school year comes to a close, we can all look forward to having some time to relax, reflect and be with our friends and family. Congratulations on the work you have all done to enrich the lives of children. We wish you a restful and relaxing summer vacation!
In appreciation of the profound impact of Teachers: Watch this short video in which students are asked, "What would the world be like without Teachers?"
10 Summer Meditations for Next School Year
By Michael Linsin on June 21, 2014
"Summer provides an opportunity to push the reset button, to reflect on the previous year and make resolutions for the next.It’s the perfect time to ponder the changes and improvements you’d like to make and consider the kind of teacher you’d really like to be.
What follows are ten meditations that are sure to prepare you for the best year of teaching you’ve ever had. They provide a framework for exceptional classroom management from which inspired teaching and learning naturally flow..." read more:
Michael Linsin is a classroom management coach. His blog and website, Smart classroom management, is full of brief articles and resources for teachers at all grade levels.
How To Avoid Losing Control The Final Days Of The School Year, in which he outlines key steps to take:
1. Slow down transitions: Take more time than usual explaining/modeling what you expect before moving on. Keep it simple, but allow greater pauses and silences between sentences, phrases, and even words.
2. Speed up routines to keep them fresh
3. Keep providing challenging academics to keep them engage and motivated.
Resources for Summer Learning About Classroom Management. The MOST important strategy? Consistency!
The trouble with color clip charts and what to try instead...
"Why I will never use a behavior chart again."
She tells her experiences with clip charts, both from the perspective of a teacher and as a parent. Instead, her school uses a "take a break" area (not time out) to teach kids how to manage their behavior. The article provides pics, directions, and links to more resources.
Blogs worth following:
Angela Watson – The Cornerstone for Teachers. Blog, videos. Great description of the 2x10 strategy
http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/blog
Michael Linsin - Lots for middle school, especially http://www.smartclassroommanagement.com
Great websites with free videos and webinars!
Learning modules, webinars, & podcasts:
http://pbismissouri.org/educators/effective-class-practice
https://studysites.corwin.com/highimpactinstruction/toolkit.htmwww.mindsetworks.com (video examples)
https://www.responsiveclassroom.org/ (articles, blogs, so much!)
http://www.pbis.org/school/pbis-in-the-classroom
Books for the Challenging Behaviors:
Powerful struggles: Managing resistance, building rapport, by John W. Maag, PhD. Sopris West (2001)
Better Than Carrots or Sticks: Restorative Practices for Positive Classroom Management. By Dominique Smith, Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (2015).
Discipline With Dignity: New Challenges, New Solutions 3rd Edition. by Richard L. Curwin, Allen N. Mendler, Brian D. Mendler. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (2008).
Article: Dodging the Power Struggle Trap: Ideas for Teachers
FREE online resources for classroom management ideas
Supporting and Responding to Behavior: Evidence-Based Classroom Strategies For Teachers.
An interactive guide that briefly introduces the 9 evidence-based strategies for preventing and responding to behavior problems in the classroom. It has embedded links to short video demos, articles for further reading, self-assessment and decision-tree tools. Developed by the U.S. Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP).(2015)
Child Trauma Toolkit for Educators: National Child Traumatic Stress Network
Helping Children Succeed: What Works and Why. Paul Tough. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (2016) . FREE e-book with links to videos.
Teach Like A Champion author Doug Lemov shares teaching strategies that help students in high poverty areas defy the odds to achieve at high academic levels. Long, but worthwhile. Video (1:31:15) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zt9rj76AsLE
When you need a boost to help you not give up on a challenging kid.... It can be a long road, and we might not see the results, but every effort along the way MATTERS
...What It Takes
One hundred repetitions—100 useful repetitions. This notion has guided my work in alternative education programs for almost 20 years, dealing with the most challenging students, from addicts to conduct-disordered adolescents to traumatized 5th graders. There are no magic tricks. Our role as educators is to align with the healthy potential in each student and hang in while they gradually find shelter in our expectations and caring, in our structures and hopes. It's not a straight line. It may take 100 repetitions.
One mantra from the world of special education is, "Again and again and again and again." Many students cannot internalize a new behavior just because you've told them to or by practicing it once or twice. They need repetitions. But—and this is crucial—providing those 100 useful repetitions does not mean rigidly providing students with exactly the same experience 100 times.... (read more)
Hanging In: Strategies for Teaching the Students Who Challenge Us Most. Jeffrey Benson. Association for Supervision & Curriculum Development (2014).
ESC: Extreme Self Care!! Get rest, exercise, good nutrition, & make time for JOY & laughter!
WCSD PBIS: Positive School Climate for Student Success
Email: pbis@whittiercity.net
Phone: .