There is so much more to teaching than teaching!

When you plant lettuce, if it does not grow well, you don't blame the lettuce. You look into the reasons it is not doing well. It may need fertilizer, or more water, or less sun. You never blame the lettuce. Yet if we have problems with our friends or our family, we blame the other person. But if we know how to take care of them, they will grow well, like lettuce. Blaming has no positive effect at all, nor does trying to persuade using reason and arguments. That is my experience. No blame, no reasoning, no argument, just understanding. If you understand, and you show that you understand, you can love, and the situation will change.
- Thích Nhat Hanh

Today we rode to school in a yellow school bus. It was early, really early, but there was not too much traffic to the Bronx. The school we arrived at is gorgeous and exciting. The building is blocky with silver and bold colors.


The front hallway is adorned with a student-made colorful and creative Periodic Table of Elements. There are world maps and student photos in the hallway. University pennants hang from the rafters. I found a room with my name on the door.

The first, and most important thing we learned, is how to address outbursts. If a student swears at you, the important thing to do is 1) not let it get to you, and 2) address it. Both of those. At the same time. I need to not be defensive, not yell back, but I need to show the student and the rest of the class that the behavior is not acceptable. I am the boss. I'm in charge. This helps keep standards for the classroom and make the other students feel safe. This part is going to be hard for me.

It is also address behavior constantly, praising the students who behave well and point out misbehavior, even if minor. It's called behavior narration, and it apparently works. It helps towards achieving 100% compliance from 100% of the students 100% of the time.

Also, compliance isn't lack of misbehavior, it is participation and cooperation and active learning. It cannot be enforced by being a militant teacher, I need to allow students to have fun and feel comfortable learning and making mistakes.

At the end of Institute last year, 93% of classrooms achieved this goal, so I bet I can too.

Effective classroom mangers:
Believe that students want and deserve a well-managed classroom.
Care enough to hold every single student to high behavior expectations.
Believe every one of their students can behave, and that it is their responsibility to teach them how to do so.
Know that responsible student behavior is essential for success...now and in the future.
Use a strong 'teacher voice' (I won't have a problem with this one).
Have a Management Plan
Explicitly teach the Management Plan to students.
Effectively and consistently reinforce that Management Plan every day!

Today we get to make our Management Plan.

Consequences are effective due to inevitability (How often do you drive over the speed limit vs. how often do you park illegally in NYC?)

Today I learned that the reward system for classroom management is rigged to keep good students behaving and make the less good students behave. The good students have to work harder to get the same reward. If you want to get good rewards as a student, start out by being the “bad kid” and then slowly improve your behavior. You get rewards and your teacher feels great.

We also had a lesson on investment in our students.
“The Bottom Line: Investment is the key to a life changing impact on stuents.”

The important questions is, which investor profile will I have? The Showman, The Relationship-Builder, or The Straight-Talking Tough-Lover?

You know, I can understand why Institute is so stressful. There is a lot of information given to us, and now, a lot of different assignments all due at once. At the moment, I can handle it. It might even be a little fun.