classroom management – Page 3

Silence…not something that happens in a room full of 27 students.

Then one hand cautiously rises, then another, but still mostly silence…

A minute ago I had asked my students, “What do we do in this classroom when you don’t behave well?”

This was now the reaction I faced; confused looks and silence. 4 years ago, my students would have prattled off a list: we write our name on the boards, you give us a checkmark, we lose recess, we lose free time, we call home, we go to the principal’s office. All very common consequences in classrooms. But now, 4 years later, I have unintentionally stumped my students.

One student finally says, “Well, you expect us to not act like idiots, so we don’t.”

Another student jumps in, “Yeah, and if we do something stupid then you tell us to fix it.”

And a third, “So we just talk about it and figure it out.”

Aha! We discuss their behavior and then we fix it in whichever way it needs to be fixed.

I threw away punishment because I always punished the same students. It also never solved the problem but just added a grudge between the student and myself. Today, some question whether students can truly act well when you don’t punish. When they don’t know the consequences of their behavior. Some think that no punishment equals no rules, no perimeters, but it couldn’t be further from the truth.

No punishment means no public shaming, no loss of privileges, no loss of recess unless we need private time to talk. It doesn’t mean no structure, no expectations, or a free for all of student chosen behavior. It means I expect my students to make the classroom rules. I expect them to behave well. I expect them to make good choices. I don’t have a perfect classroom, but I have kids that try. I have kids that know what the expectation is. I have kids that make a choice everyday, whether to be active participants in our learning journey, or whether to act like idiots. They don’t always make the right choice, but if they don’t, then we deal with it on a situational basis.

So no, I don’t need to punish my students into behaving, and not because they are all angels (ha, far from it) but because as a classroom we have decided to learn, to share, to behave like a typical 5th grader.

Don’t act like idiots, in true 5th grade language, and represent. Those are some of the rules for our classroom. I din’t make them but I do give them to grow and become part of our culture. Most kids know how to act in school, it is time we gave them our trust and a chance to prove it.

Edit: As you can see from a comment, the word idiot can be taken to something much deeper than is its intention here. When my students and I use the word “idiot” it is meant to convey a 5th grader that deliberately chooses to do something they shouldn’t, not someone with an intellectual disability. I never mean to offend but here I chose to let the word stand since it portrays the conversation we had.

Be the change, classroom management, student voice, Student-centered

Why Don’t You Challenge Them Instead?

September 17, 2013 Pernille Ripp

I raise my hand, 5 fingers in the air and I wait. I wait for them to notice, I wait for them to focus, I wait for them to settle in and be ready to listen. I tell them, “Every night I go home and tell Brandon just how kind you are, how fun you are, how creative you are. Every morning, my team mates and I talk about how we love our groups, how we love the energy, how we love the dynamics and how proud we are of you. So today my heart sank a little bit…”

I now have 27 sets of eyes on me.

“I was told that this grade level is the rudest in the lunch line and the messiest in the lunchroom…”

The kids hold their breath waiting for me to yell. Waiting for me to punish. Waiting for me to tell them they know better and how dare they.

“My heart sank because I don’t think that’s who you are…”

Confused looks.

“So rather than try to figure out who did what. Rather than try to figure out who is being rude or how messy you are, I am going to ask you to prove these people wrong. I am going to ask you to leave this school as the 5th grade to beat, as the kids to be like, as the kids that everybody is sad to see go. Can we do that?

Head nods.

“Can you prove them wrong?”

Shouts of yes.

“Thank you…”

Sometimes when we think we need to punish or to rein in even tighter, we should challenge our kids instead. Challenge them to make us proud, challenge them to be better, challenge them to prove others wrong. These kids didn’t need more yelling, they needed someone to tell them they are good kids that can do better. I am proud of these kids and they need to know that even when they mess up, I still have their back. Even when others say that they are “those kids” again I see more than that. I see them for the kids they can be, the kids they are most of the time, not the kids they used to be.

I am a passionate (female) 5th grade teacher in Wisconsin, USA, proud techy geek, and mass consumer of incredible books. Creator of the Global Read Aloud Project, Co-founder of EdCamp MadWI, and believer in all children. I have no awards or accolades except for the lightbulbs that go off in my students’ heads every day. First book “Passionate Learners – Giving Our Classroom Back to Our Students Starting Today” will be released this fall from PLPress. Follow me on Twitter @PernilleRipp.

being a teacher, classroom management, discipline, punishment

Red Cup, Green Cup, I Even Had a Blue Cup – Why I Threw Out My Sticks in A Cup

September 20, 2012 Pernille Ripp

image from icanread

I remember the first time I displayed my classroom management cups; I was so proud. Although the idea was not my own, far from it, I felt that here was something I could embrace, here was something I could stand behind and really make my own. My old system of putting names on the board had proven to be too complicated, I had given up on it and so had searched for something new. Inspiration struck in another classroom and I too had gone to Target and purchased my cups; big fancy tropical drink cups.

The system was so easy; a stick with your name on it starts out in green, when you misbehave you move it to yellow – warning! – and then when you disobey again you move into red. But that wasn’t enough, oh no, I needed another level of bad, another level of punishment; enter the blue cup! The blue cup was an immediate phone call home to parents. It didn’t matter what we were doing, blue infractions meant stop the class and make that phone call in front of all of the class to tell your parents just why you were calling home. Proponents of in-class embarrassment can clap their hands with glee here. It was great! Not only did I get to call students out in front of their classmates to move their stick, I also got to have the cloud of warning hanging over them all day, and that stick of theirs could never move backwards in a day, only forward so the whole class knew exactly who had been bad that day with absolutely no chance to redeem themselves, power to the teacher!

With some kids the system was great, they misbehaved so often I didn’t even have to speak the words, we had a hand motion and a certain look that told them exactly what they needed to do. Move that stick or else! Or else… or else I publicly humiliate you in front of your peers, or else I make sure that if your day didn’t start out poor it is now guaranteed to be. Or else I call you out for any little thing because I am so focused on you now with that stick in the yellow cup. Those cups were central to the power in the room. Their placement was at the front of the class right by the white board where everybody could see them. No slinking to the back to move your stick, oh no, get up here and do it.

So what were these stick moving infractions because they must have been bad, right? Well, to the teacher I was then, where it all had to do with keeping the control, they were definite deal breakers. They were kids speaking out of turn, blurting out, or not paying attention. Kids coming in late from recess or not having their supplies ready after they had been asked. How about leaving your homework at home and then forgetting to come in during recess to do it. Or if I was in a bad mood it might be a snarky comment or the attempt at a joke; move your stick! You see, there was no rhyme or reason, some days it was easy to move your stick, other days I let things slide because I was in a better mood. And yes, some kids moved their sticks more than others because they just couldn’t sit still, because they just couldn’t get it together, because they were that kid that just keeps getting in trouble because we are so focused on them and their misbehavior. Poor kids.

So I stopped when I realized, too late, how much damage this system had created. Students had relinquished the power to me, sure, but it was because of fear not out of respect. They knew I was the boss because I made sure they were at the edge of their seats hoping to not be called to the front. I had created the type of classroom I swore I would never teach in and it had all been so easy. I knew I had to change when I saw their self-esteem suffer. I knew I had to change when it was the same kid day in and day out moving that stick. I knew I had to change when those parents didn’t answer the phone call because they knew it was not good news. I knew I had to change when I couldn’t recognize the teacher I saw in the mirror. So I threw out the cups, threw out the sticks, took a deep breath and swore off all systems. No more sticks, no more calling out, no more cups. And guess what…the kids behaved. The kids started to have more fun, to show respect, to pay attention. Was it perfect? Of course not, this is real life not a movie. But by throwing out the cups we shifted the power to be more balanced. The room became theirs again and I got to fulfill the role as teacher, not just punisher. I got to show the kids that I loved my job and more importantly that I loved having them in my life and that will always be more important that a cup and a stick. I have never looked back.

choices, classroom management, discipline, punishment, students

If We Would Just Stop Talking We Might Learn Something

April 20, 2012July 24, 2013 Pernille Ripp

Image from icanread

Note: After publishing this post today, its original title “If They Could Just Sit Still They Might Learn Something” didn’t seem to fit it anymore. After all, that title once again puts the blame on the students. Thus this new title which focuses on where the problem lies; within me.

You know the group of students; those impulsive, blurter-outers that poke each other during class and never quite seem to be listening to what you are doing. Those kids that are in every class who the more we yell, the less they do. Those kids I thought I had figured out until recently. Well those kids have been teaching me quite the lessons lately. Those kids have reminded me why I changed my teaching style in the first place and now I stand renewed, refocused, and definitely re-humbled.

First lesson; Don’t assume they don’t know something. After a few days lessons with some students I kept thinking that their gaps were huge, that their knowledge was lacking, that they had missed out on so much. Until I started to pay attention. Then instead of whole concepts missing, I realized there were small misconceptions that needed to be tweaked, things that needed to be defined, items that should be refreshed. It wasn’t that they were missing entire units, rather that some of their remembering was just a little off.

Second lesson; Talking more will not teach them more. I kept droning on trying to cover everything that I thought they had missed or needed reinforced; is it any wonder that they grew more and more restless? When raising my voice didn’t seem to change the situation, it dawned on me that I needed to stop talking. Let them work, switch up the task, and stop hogging the lime light. Have mini projects, get them moving, even use mini whiteboards, anything to make them active. Switch it up!

Third lesson; Give them time to think. I was so excited when one student knew the answer that I called on them to be more efficient. That way we could cover more material since all I was looking for was the answer anyway. When we take away students’ time to think though we rob them of the chance to explore their procedures, to gain confidence, and to learn something. It is not about the answer, it is about how you get there.

Fourth lesson; Bring back the fun. Often when faced with students who seem to be struggling with concepts we switch to drill and kill mode. We take away the “fun” projects because that wont teach them enough. Unfortunately those projects and hands-on activities are just what we need. These students have already been taught something the traditional way, now lets think of another way to explore it. Anything hands-on activity always seems better than just more and more practice.

Fifth lesson; Let them teach. When a student gets something, let them explain how they did it. Let them get the confidence they need to speak to a whole group of peers. Let them boast a little to build confidence. Don’t just tell them, “Good job,” let them have their moment because perhaps that hasn’t happened very often.

Sixth Lesson; Don’t punish. When students were blurting out and drowning me in side conversation, my brain immediately switched to consequence mode. Amazing how it still lurks below the surface, ingrained somewhere, even now after almost 2 years with no classroom punishment. Instead of punishing though, I came up with a solution; a simple post it on their desk. Now when they blurt out an answer or jab at each other they have to put down a tally mark. I just make a check motion with my finger and they know, it is between the student and I. Nothing is done with the amount of tallies, it is simply a way for them to see how much they blurt out. Several students have already told me after two days of this that they cannot believe they blurt out so much. Self-awareness beats punishment any day.

When students are loud, out of their seats or simply not focused, we tend to blame the student. We tend to think that something is wrong with their concentration rather than looking inward and wondering what can we change about ourselves? What can we change about our delivery? And while these lessons are not a fix all plan, they are helping me teach these students better. They are reminding me what it feels like to not understand something and still want to learn. They are reminding me that I can be boring and dry as a teacher and that it has a direct effect on the students. Once again, my students taught me something important and for that I am thankful.

alfie kohn, classroom management, discussion, no homework

But How Do You Really Get Rid of Homework and Still Know Where Students Are At?

April 11, 2012 Pernille Ripp

Image from here

One great thing about blogging about what happens in our classroom and to me as a teacher is that I am often asked to clarify how all of this works. So after my latest post “My Kid iS Drowning in Homework” I received an email from Mr. Feltman asking me some questions. I figured my answer back might be helpful to others as well, so with his permission here is our communication.

Mr. Feltman wrote;
If you don’t mind, I’d like to ask a few questions, that would assist us in this endeavor.

Do you have research or articles backing this up?

What percentage of tests and other activities make up the students grades? (another way to ask is when you switched to “no homework” how was your class grading scale affected?)

How do you assess their mastery of learning (especially poor test takers)?

And here is my answer (emphasis added by me);
I do have research and articles! A big push for me came from Alfie Kohn’s book “The Homework Myth” in which he collects a lot of research about it, and other sources which I have some of here
http://www.diigo.com/list/pgreens/nohomework

I did want to do my research as well so that my principal would back me.

Along with the no homework I am opposed to letter grades, however, my district is not. So the compromise I have figured out in my room is that students only get letter grades on their trimester report cards, and those are decided through discussion with me after we have decided as a class what each letter grade means. The limited homework that does go home is therefore not used to determine grades but rather to determine instruction needs. So my grading scale was affected in a positive way since students know that if they do work in class and hand it in, we discuss and dissect it and then figure out their needs from there. There is no final letter-grade assigned to it but rather a common conclusion is given and we determine the path from there.

Tests are part of my formative assessment and students are mostly given a chance to revise and rethink their answers. I do not want a snapshot of that kid at that time, I want to gauge their overall understanding. Because the pressure of letter grades (and the finality aspect of a test) has been removed, students also tend to work through assessments much more calmly because they know I am looking for their depth of understanding rather than the pressure to perform right then and there. This has provided me with a much more comprehensive view of the child’s abilities, which in turn I communicate to parents through feedback and observations.

Mastery of learning is shown in many ways. I always think of what the large goal is or the skill and through conversation or even in-class work I can figure out if they have mastered that skill. Math tends to be the only area where there is daily work (class time is given for this) but other than that most students are involved in longer projects covering a range of goals from the common core and district standards.

I know giving up homework can seem daunting but once you take the plunge it really isn’t that scary. Sure you will have some parents that do not understand it but if you communicate your intentions clearly; mine are to keep school at school as long as the students work hard, then parents seem to come on board. Getting rid of homework means I have to be much more on top of class time and what we need to get done with a focus on the larger goals rather than small worksheets where the students just regurgitate information or daily work that could be covered in a long-term project.

Thank you for the email Mr. Feltman and good luck!

being a teacher, classroom expectations, classroom management

The One Word that Defines Us

March 16, 2012July 24, 2013 Pernille Ripp

Image from here

If there is one word that sums up my classroom management it is “Represent.” It is the word I leave hanging in the air behind me if I have to leave early. It is the word I write on the board if there is a sub the next day. It is a word we discuss, we make our own, and in some ways it ends up defining us as a group. It is not indoctrinated, neither are my students punished if they fail to live up to it. It just becomes a hole system, without us even being aware of it. No rules posted, no heavy-handed discussions, just the word and all of the meaning it has.

According to the dictionary one of the many meanings of the words is To stand for; symbolize and that is exactly what it means for us. When my students are on their own they still represent the community we have created, they are carriers of the message we have chosen to nourish; tolerance, respect, politeness, and engagement. When we go anywhere we represent our community, our school’s values and those of our parents. We symbolize what we strive to be, we stand for being upright citizens, humans beings with empathy who know how to act.

Yesterday, a teacher paid me the biggest compliment I could get, “Your students just seem to get it, when they are asked to clean up they do it right away and they do it as a group.” I couldn’t be prouder. They do it as a group, they take care of where they are, even when I am not there. I don’t force the word, it comes up naturally throughout the year and we never define it formally, but it us and it is who we choose to be when we are engaged in school. It s what we choose to do whether spoken or not. I could not be prouder of these kids.