Today while out with friends, I met a School Resource Officer from another district. He was interested in my new role in educator and asked, "What would you tell a teacher that has students leaving their room all hour long?" The first response that I had was that I would say it begins with relationships. When a teacher starts the year with a focus on relationships, students feel an allegiance to that teacher and the classroom is easier to manage, as well as, the students want to be in it. I have some students that I have developed relationships with through my reoccurring presence in some of their classrooms. These are the students that behave the best when I show up in a different classroom. They are the easiest to get on my side, when modeling management or lessons. When a teacher genuinely shows students that they care about them, regardless of their effort or grade in the class, the student will want to be in that class. Sometimes teachers that task of separating the performance of the student from the human of the student will find the best results from those students with no supportive teachers all day long. It is hard for teachers not to take a personal offense when students don't try or they fail, but students are human first and simply need to know we care before we teach. It is human to fail before we learn.
The second way a teacher can keep students in their room is to engage them. Make the students want to be there. If they are challenged to be social while problem solving issues that surround and support the curriculum, they will be more likely to stay. When students sit in classes for seven hours a day and listen for seven hours a day, they act out when they have had enough. Students need some release. Let them socialize in class. I, however, like to have students socialize about the content of my class. What can be facilitated to allow students to stay in the class, but still socialize, and better yet....talk about what you, the teacher, want them to talk about! Cooperative learning. Give students roles to serve, making them leaders in the classroom. Give them responsibilities in a different form other than homework. "
Who is doing most of the talking?" If you are talking more than your students, then you will have students that want to leave your class. Students are the learners. The more they talk, the more they process, the more they LEARN. If the teacher does all the talking, the teacher does all the learning.
Students have great ideas. Teachers can also facilitate the class activities so that students can develop those ideas. I always ask, "What will the students be doing?" If the answer is sitting and listening to me, it is not good enough. How can you get them to develop, create, solve and manage their learning? Mastery learning, differentiation, project based learning.
I am the first to admit that these are not always easy things to implement. And, yes, it is easier to do in a strong building culture with strong leadership. But, is it possible that every teacher can build relationships, show they care and engage their students? Yes, it is possible.
The second way a teacher can keep students in their room is to engage them. Make the students want to be there. If they are challenged to be social while problem solving issues that surround and support the curriculum, they will be more likely to stay. When students sit in classes for seven hours a day and listen for seven hours a day, they act out when they have had enough. Students need some release. Let them socialize in class. I, however, like to have students socialize about the content of my class. What can be facilitated to allow students to stay in the class, but still socialize, and better yet....talk about what you, the teacher, want them to talk about! Cooperative learning. Give students roles to serve, making them leaders in the classroom. Give them responsibilities in a different form other than homework. "
Who is doing most of the talking?" If you are talking more than your students, then you will have students that want to leave your class. Students are the learners. The more they talk, the more they process, the more they LEARN. If the teacher does all the talking, the teacher does all the learning.
Students have great ideas. Teachers can also facilitate the class activities so that students can develop those ideas. I always ask, "What will the students be doing?" If the answer is sitting and listening to me, it is not good enough. How can you get them to develop, create, solve and manage their learning? Mastery learning, differentiation, project based learning.
I am the first to admit that these are not always easy things to implement. And, yes, it is easier to do in a strong building culture with strong leadership. But, is it possible that every teacher can build relationships, show they care and engage their students? Yes, it is possible.