I may even be considered intelligent!...who knew?

Intelligence is defined as the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations. This definition more or less brings the meaning of intelligence to a more attainable level for more people. I think I may even be considered intelligent, based on the above definition. I always thought intelligent people were just smarter people, but come to find out they are just “normal” people who have the ability to learn and understand and deal with multiple situations. Most days, I can even do that!

Teaching our students to become intelligent individuals seems to be more manageable to me now that I have come to realize the true meaning. Giving students the tools, resources and information they need to learn and to understand material that is covered within the classroom will assist them in their venture to become intelligent individuals. Teaching them, through actions and words, how to deal with new, trying and even at times, uncomfortable situations, will assist them on their trail of becoming intelligent. This includes their learning what is expected of them within the classroom in regards to academics and well as behavior.

Character is defined as one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual. Knowing that character can be good or bad, I would like to think that it is part, hopefully not a huge part, of my responsibility to help my students distinguish themselves as individuals with positive attributes. The best form of instilling character, I would imagine, would be to emanate positive characteristics. Praising students for good behaviors as well as identifying those behaviors that are not ideal within or outside the classroom, will assist the students’ growth in this area.

Treating all of my students with respect, being consistent with swift discipline, being active about preventing misbehavior, encouraging appropriate behavior and making classroom rules known in the beginning and reiterating as needed, will play a big role in my emanating the quote by Gloria Steinem “Intelligence plus character – this is the true goal of education.”

Intelligence without character is a waste!

In class we briefly mentioned teachers as being role models for their students and setting examples for appropriate behavior. While subbing at a high school last week, many of the students in my classes were being called to the office throughout the day because one non-athlete tattled on an athlete for drinking at a party. Managing and controlling the behavior in a classroom is hard enough as a substitute, but when students are being called to the office about a drinking party it is even harder. When the students come back to class they all want to talk about what was said and know if there is any nossip. Being respectful of the students is also difficult when I know that they do not respect me, however I am learning that being stern and unfriendly is a necessity in substitute teaching.
Once all those involved with the drinking party had been called to the office, 25 students, both athletes and non-athletes were disciplined for drinking at the party. Since there was no adult present and no pictures of the students at the party, the school could not prove that the party actually happened, but all of the students received 8 days suspension from sports(even the non-athletes). And since this week was spring break, these days were used as their suspension. To me this does not seem like much of a punishment, especially for the non-athletes that were suspended from sports. I understand that because there was no proof that the party actually occurred, the school couldn’t do a whole lot, but it still seems as if the administration is just reinforcing the student’s behavior in saying that if there isn’t proof- then it didn’t happen.
Many of the students that were suspended from school are intelligent according to other teachers, but the true goal of education is not being met when these intelligent students are getting suspended for using alcohol. Eight out of 10 of the high school coaches teach at the high school or junior high, but on more than one night per week multiple teachers/coaches can be found at the town bar drinking. These teachers are not encouraging appropriate behavior in their students and athletes. (They should at least go to a different town with a population over 1000 if they feel it necessary to get wasted multiple nights a week haha J.K.).
Intelligence without character is like cake without frosting, it’s good but it could be a whole lot better. Cake without frosting is dry and boring, basically a waste, unless of course you are on a diet. Intelligence without character is dull, unexciting and a waste.

Don't Smile 'til Christmas!

I have had teachers tell me that thank goodness, they don't follow the Christmas rule anymore but after some of my substitute days...hmmm....
Seriously though, most of my days are just fine with no problems at all. However; I hope I'm not alone in saying that classroom management is one of my biggest concerns. As a substitue teacher, I have used some of the preventative techniques that are discussed in Chapter 9.
I have:
clear expectations
anticipated negative behavior
approached the classroom in a positive manner
used nonverbal communication such as physical bearing, gestures, physical
proximity and withitness
So, my question is, why do these methods work on some days and not others? Taking into account factors such as age of class and such, I do think the time frame plays a part as well. In the days preceding Spring Break, my classes were unusually restless and even disruptive. I finally attributed it all to the anticipation of the upcoming vacation. I was preoccupied with Spring Break so of course the students were as well.
But looking at this chapter I realize other elements are missing from a substitute's classroom behavior portfolio. As a teacher, not a substitue we will have the additional pieces to the proactive puzzle. These pieces are curriculum, not just a one day assignment, motivation and development of the students for the long term and finally, authority. As a teacher we will have authority of a long term nature; ideally the expert and referent type of authority. As our quote tells us this week, "intelligence plus character that is the true goal of education." (Gloria Steinem) We WILL have the character and the tools needed to achieve appropriate behavior which WILL go hand in hand with our positive classroom community.

There is more to the goal of education than the eye sees.....

After reading chapter 9 and reflecting on our class last week, I came to realize that developing my personal stance on education will help me address everything else pertaining to my classroom and the education I provide to my students in the future. When I decided I wanted to be a teacher, I thought of the obvious as my goal and desire: to be the best possible teacher in teaching students life long skills and subject matter that will beneft them. As this course as unraveled, I have realized that there is much more to this statement than meets the eye. I've noticed that when I tell friends and family that I am going back to school, they look at me with excitement because they think its a great job and good fit for me. What people don't see who aren't in the education systems of our country is that teachers truly are the only profession that have not only the obligation of teaching intelligence, but in my eyes the opportunity to teach character as well. What other proffession can have this impact on our youth? NONE! To some teachers this may be a bigger responsibility than one could possibly imagine, therefore they stick to just the intelligence aspect. These are probably the "good" teachers in our system, but the "great" teachers take the opportunity with open arms to teach intelligence and character as a package deal in their classrooms. Not only do these teachers impact students lives, but they do what most people want to accomplish in their lifetime, leave the world a little bit better than how they found it. As teachers, we truly have the opportunity to perform this wordly task!

The point I am trying to make above is that I don't feel I can lay out my discipline plan right here and now, it is something that is going to grow with me as I continue on in my education and experiences, but I do realize the importance of prepping and thinking about my strategies so I am prepared in my classroom. I woudl like to touch upon a few of the points from our chapter and lecure in the ideas and theories that grabbed my attention as strategies I gravitate towards. I plan on teaching high school students therefore my choices are outlined below and why I would practice them:

Establishing Dignity and Respect
1- Active Listening (I feel this is important for my age group. I want my students to see this about me right away. I want them to feel I'm approachable and that my listening will be consistent at all times.)
2- Model and Teach/ Peer Listening (This will be extremely important in my classroom. High school can be a tough time with students picking on each other etc. I want students to learn the value that each and every student can bring to the table and respect that.)

Responding to Behavior
1- Hints (This will be my way of starting off with slight behavior issues. I feel with direct and confident tones from my voice, students will respond)
2- Strength Refreshers (I really like this tactic. I have never seen it done with older students, but I think it would be beneficial and work well in my classroom. I like that it accentuates positives that the student has done before)

Preventing Behavior
1- Meaningful curriculum (My curriculum will be different than any other class with business type projects. My students are going to have unique projects with freedoms tied to them. They will understand the expectations and if they do misbehave, they won't have the privileges that every other student has)
2- Clear Expectations (This goes hand in hand with the above technique)
3- Positive approach (Praise will be given in my classroom because creativity and freedom will be encouraged in the curriculum)

You can see from above some of my choices that I think I will implement in my classroom. Now, the most important question, how will I view discipline as an opportunity to help students gain character, independence and responsibility? As I have mentioned in previus reflections from my classroom ambience and set up, my classroom will reflect real world business functions and offices! Choices my students make in the classroom through their work and how they move about in the ofifice (classroom), they will see the natural consequences of being in a real world environment. I will build that ambience starting from day one with rules (code of conduct). My students and I will create office (classroom) rules (code of conduct) and a mission statement as well to be displayed at all times. These early acts will set up my opportunities to teach students responsibilit through seeing their actions and how they would play out in the real world. Like the book mentions, my students will see the aftermath of their choices within a safe environment.

As you can see developing my stance and preparing my views for action will allow me to tackle the biggest opporutnity ahead of me as an educator: building intelligence along with character and responsibility in my students!

The holes in the paddle gives extra speed

Topic: "Intelligence plus character is the true goal of education"

The Northwest Ordinance is one of the great documents not just of American history but also of human history. The document took care of some simple housekeeping, like spelling out how land would be surveyed and the minimum and maximum number of states that could be carved out of this Northwest Territory, etc. But the real story is how it prohibited the institution of slavery from the states to be formed but also how and why it spelled out the need for public education. ***Art. 3. Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.*** To me this is a part of a great enlightenment or understanding of where knowledge and experience intersect to become intelligence. It also helped to create the national character for the citizens of a new nation. Character is something, which needs to be honed through mentor/mentee relationships with trusted caring adults providing leadership. Character is taught from the elders and entrusted to the young people. Many traditional cultures pass their shared mores and values though stories with the next generations. Teachers reinforce our societies rules of behavior in children who have been taught them at home. Teachers also have to be the sole/lone supplier of the same to children of people who are unfamiliar with these same values. Character development is part of the implicit curriculum taught in schools

An explicit curriculum "book of expected knowledge' could be produced and teachers could focus on memorization by the students of all these certain facts. At the end of the mandatory education period all students should be able to recite the knowledge. But knowledge is not intelligence; students need to learn the skills that allow them to take the knowledge they have learned and apply it to new situations presented to them. I say regularly joke that the smartest people in the world are reference librarians, they don't know everything they just know how to find the answers. That statement assumes that when presented with the definition of "Pi" they would be able to apply the knowledge for appropriate outcomes. Questioning assumptions is another example of intelligence. If you assume you know everything that you need to know, you cannot be properly prepared for life's obstacles.

Classroom management is indeed part of character development of students. Classroom rules should not be used as a function for coercion. Rebellion is also part of our national character as it is how we define ourselves and our form of government. We rebelled against a distant king and instituted self-rule. Push students to obey for the sake of submission and you may find your students subverting your authority out of spite. Classroom rules and rules of conduct should be used to encourage appropriate behavior. A primary goal of a teachers classroom discipline program should be to model character development by helping students to become considerate citizens who exhibit self-control and take responsibility for their own actions. Treat others as you would like to be treated is the called the Golden Rule. As a substitute teacher, I will give a disruptive student a privilege such as taking the attendance sheet to the office. But in doing so I take a minute and tell them of the responsibility to be sure the task is done completely and timely. I give the student the opportunity to redeem themselves from past misdeeds and get a positive experience. I treat them with dignity and respect and I then am in possession of a trump card to play, privately, if and when I need it. I am convinced that this type of maneuver allows students to see me as a caring adult. They may therefore consider me trustworthy enough to confide in me when they are going through something personal. Understanding what is going on in a students life may allow me to address a discipline problem in a way that may have a positive outcome when it could go down hill fast otherwise.

Many students from lower income homes and at-risk students in general view kindness as weakness and may try to manipulate your kindness if you are unwilling to actively prevent misbehavior. After all, they are children and children learn from an early age; cry and Mom will pick you up, throw a fit in the store and Mom will buy you a lolly to shut you up, when they don't get their way, they blame others or say things like, " you like sister better than me" or they might tell the parent "I hate you." I related this in a previous Reflection, when children respond to me in a manner as I just described, I say to them, "Unfortunately for you, this never works on Mr. Gates because I am not related to you, therefore I don't love you because I have. I love everyone and want what is best for you whether you want it or not." Students K-12 are children; children need to learn appropriate behaviors so they may make good decisions in life. Good decision-making shows forethought. When students use knowledge, experience and the understanding of consequences of bad outcomes to make a decision they are on the road to maturity. Thinking outcomes through before acting or reacting results in good character and shows development.

Accentuate the Positive

"Intelligence plus character-

that is the true goal of education." Gloria Steinem

A person is educated not only when they absorb the knowledge the schools and the people around them have to offer, but also when they know how to exhibit themselves in a respectful manner to the outside world. When children come into our classrooms, we are legally their guardians for those hours of the day. We make the decisions about their behavior, we provide the discipline and encouragement, and we comfort them if they are hurt in any way. We have to provide love as well as correction.

We are there to teach them so many things. This is actually a huge responsibility and it kind of scares me. I am trying to persevere though. I suppose it is one step below having my own children. You are responsible for every little thing in this person's life. What they eat, how they act, what they think... When you are a teacher, you get them after they have had a few years with someone else. You have to learn things about them that their parents may have missed. Perhaps they have had almost no parental involvement whatsoever!

Sometimes I get really frazzled in the classroom. I wonder what their regular teacher does differently that I am missing. I hope that I can learn some better techniques when I do my student teaching. I think that I do a good job most of the time though. I take a lot of notes on the class to give to the regular teacher. I hope that they appreciate it. I know that it is hard for them and for the kids to have to deal with a new person. I think that if I choose to have fun and be excited about the day, that it makes a difference in the way that I treat the students and the way the students treat me. When someone knows that you want to be there and that you want to help them, they will react to you in a positive way.

A positive plus a positive has to equal a positive, right?

Classroom Management

The quote for this week is “Intelligence plus character- that is the true goal of education.” This quote is very true because it signifies two important traits that are great assets in education. Education is not just about being intelligent, but having good moral character as well. If a Teacher can help their students gain knowledge and help them to understand how important it is to follow the rules and treat others how you want to be treated, these two qualities will help the students not only succeed in school but also in life.

As a teacher I want to manage my classroom the same way I manage my household "without the yelling". I want the enviornment to be one that is most conducive to maximize the students learning, creativity, and experiences. I want to provide a enviornment the produces motivation, pride, and self esteem. I want to have a relaxing atmosphere to help my students be comfortable with very little distractions. There is a substantial amount of research in support of relaxation being an important ingredient in improving and/or accelerating learning. Such research further supports the idea that instrumental music by such composers as Mozart and Bach are calming and actually help to raise student test scores.

Creating an environment conducive to concentration, study, and learning is more than having attractive, stimulating sights, relaxing sounds, and good ventilation. It is creating a place where all feel comfortable and at ease, a place where the surroundings are neat and orderly. It is a place where there is mutual respect in a friendly, non-threatening atmosphere, a place where everyone can bloom and do their best.

No more rulers.

As proven in many surveys, teachers choose classroom discipline and classroom management as one of the most important aspects in teaching. This chapter offers many tools and examples that help us develop our technique for fostering student self control. As Andrea said in class Chapter 9 makes these examples seem “Easier said then done.” and I completely agree.
As teachers I believe we have two goals, one to teach and educate our students and two to help students become “considerate citizens who exhibit self-control and take responsibility for their own actions.” As new teachers I understand this may create a humongous conflict, because of course we are going to want all of our students to like us and be accepted. Because you will respect your students creating a disciplinary plan is very important because it will help them grow toward independence not only academically but CHARACTERISTICLY as well.
As for as my classroom and my rules I would have to keep in mind our quote and our goal as teachers to combine intelligence and character so here is my so called “shopping list” of rules, tools, and laws. I will always treat my students with dignity and respect by active listening, model and teaching, smiling, controlling my emotions (which may be hard to do sometimes) and addressing behavior in the appropriate way. As for misbehavior I feel as the way I would correct a student will be depending on the student and the misbehavior that occurred especially in a special ed. classroom. I will always use positive reinforcement; avoid power struggles, being proactive, and redirection. Always showing I care and respect the students. I feel as if I were to combine bits and pieces of the ways of discipline we learned in class on Monday (from assertive dispicipline, positive discipline, choice theory, congruent communication etc.) and years of experience I believe I will eventually find the way it works. Always remember if I doesn’t work… FIX IT.

classroom management

The quote for this week is “Intelligence plus character- that is the true goal of education.” This quote embodies two main goals of the education system. Kids go to school to learn, but one of the things that they are learning is social skills and even some morals. Many times experiences in schools are what teach kids values and morals and the correct way to act. A child could learn from school how to be a leader, or a good friend to someone, or even simple ways of how to behave in social settings.
This quote could also be interpreted as the content that kids are learning can teach them character. You can learn how to be a good citizen, leader, or friend from a story that they may read in English class. It may not be the main reason of teaching the lesson but it would be the hidden curriculum. Even learning about history can have a hidden curriculum about character, look at the George Washington and cherry tree example. Children start learning right and wrong at a very early age, especially from lessons in school. Even in gym class, children learn how to play on a team and work together, this all builds character.
I have also seen character directly being expressed to children. I have seen in many middle schools posters that say “character is the way that you act when no one is looking”. In younger classrooms teachers may have conversations about why honesty is so important, or why it is good to always help other people. Although there is no character class, it is definitely an important part of school. We all hope that in schools children learn how to interact with each other and do the right thing. It may be in school where children learn how to stick up for each other and engage in the appropriate behavior. They may soon learn that fighting with someone isn’t something not to do because it will cost you a trip to the principal’s office, but instead because it is not the right thing to do.
This quote can also be applied to the chapter we talked about in class on Monday. Classroom management deals with how you control your classroom. Many times it involves a situation when a child is behaving inappropriately. The way a teacher handles the situation can help guide students in the correct way to acting. We talked about different styles of classroom management, and some common themes were posting the rules, consequences and rewards. These can all set boundaries as to how children can act and they see that they will get rewarded for good behavior. Eventually children will know the norms and know what is expected of them at school. This will hopefully build good character. The children will also be able to tell each other’s character by the way the act in class and in the social situations at school. It is important to have classroom management and a good fair discipline procedure. Without classroom management education would not be possible, the kids would go crazy, but at the same time many harsh rules can inhibit learning also. It is important to find a happy medium. A teacher needs to have classroom management and complete control, but the kids need to feel like they are being treated as equals in a sense and that if they speak out they will get sent to the office.
School accounts for most of the waking hours of a child’s life. They are going to have more social encounters at school than anywhere else on the weekdays. It is important that they learn the content and gain intelligence, but it is also important that they learn how to act. A child who has problems socializing and building character has just as hard of a time at school as the child who has problems learning math. Character is in the hidden curriculum, stated directly and also in the classroom management. The goal in an ideal world would be that every child learned skills to succeed with their education and also gain the skills to become a great person. Teachers have a wonderful role of trying to provide the children with tools needed for both.

Behavior is the Language of the Child

“Intelligence plus character-that is the true goal of education.” (Gloria Steinem) Reading this quote I realized how many concepts were involved in intelligence and character. Through them I am looking not only at the academic concepts but also how character provides an opportunity to apply such concepts learned at school into the students' lives. After all, I will be preparing children to become confident and active members of our community.

An educator once said to me, “ Behavior is the language of the child.” I believe a teacher's responsibility is to listen to the students not only through words but through their actions as well. When teachers demonstrate respect to the students, address their needs and understand them, we then create a foundation for a positive learning environment.

Our textbook mentions, “Classroom discipline is said to be a series of little victories.” (p. 272) I interpret this as taking classroom management as day-by-day. We need to be prepared to use many tools, choose one of the theories that best fit our own personalities, or maybe create new ways to engage the students and to work not only on rules and discipline but also how we can prevent misbehaviors that will interfere in learning. However, we all know that it will take several attempts before we can establish an effective discipline plan.

Good planning, positive attitude, respect and flexibility can guide us to create a classroom environment where students are motivated to learn and feel independent and responsible for their own actions.

"Oh, Behaaaaave!" - Austin Powers, International Man of Mystery

This is a picture of me on my first day of substitute teaching. I couldn't believe how smooth the day ran. I guess clothes really do make the man.

Having the ability to successfully manage the behavior of two dozen or so students for an entire day, five days a week, is in my mind, a very impressive skill. In fact, the strength of this ability must directly correspond to the length and quality of a teacher’s career. It’s that critical. I’m surprised that entire college semesters aren’t devoted to this topic alone, considering today’s classroom student composition in light of the No Child Left Behind Act.
On a more personal note, I need some immediate behavior management support. Right after spring break, a student from another classroom is being transferred to our classroom because of some considerable behavioral issues. The principal and school psychologist believe that part of the problem is that this male student is not responding to the efforts of his female teachers. They are hoping progress may be made with a male influence. Of course, at best, this will be only a small part of the answer. I have found a website that seems to have just the type of guidance I’m on the lookout for. The site’s address is http://www.behavioradvisor.com/. Here’s an extract that is especially appealing to me:
Traits of a Stage 5 Teacher
Stage 5 teachers are able to hold their emotions during a behavior event. Rather than striking out at a youngster who is being “inappropriate”, they are able to observe the aberrant behavior and say to themselves: “Here’s a kid in crisis. What can a caring professional such as I do to help him/her?” They then respond in an assertive, self-confident, and proficient manner.
Stage 5 teachers are able to find something to like in even the “worst” kid. Rather than focus on the student’s shortcomings, they focus on the imbedded positive aspect in the negative behavior (For example, a kid who beats up another for having insulted his little sister is showing family loyalty. Perhaps a replacement behavior for the pummeling of others is needed, but the protection of a younger sibling was admirable.) These teachers focus on the progress, however small, that is being displayed. They cheer for the student when s/he shows an approximation of the appropriate behavior.
Stage 5 teachers use “symptom estrangement” (a term coined by the behavior management pioneer Fritz Redl). They hate the behavior, but work with the pupil to create change. They realize that kids are a reflection of what they’ve experienced with adults before meeting us. Stage 5 teachers don’t blame the victim. They help him/her.
Now obviously I have a lot more to learn about the subject before I can become truly effective at helping these students but I think by keeping the three main thoughts from the passage; 1.) Hold your emotions, 2.) Focus on the imbedded positive in the negative, and 3.) Hate the behavior, not the child; I can maintain the proper outlook during my exchanges with the new student. I’m hoping this will keep things on a manageable level while I continue to further my education and begin to integrate some more specific strategies into my daily encounters.
In regards to the quote, I think that a strong character education program might have a positive effect on overall classroom behavior as well. By modeling positive character traits and embedding examples of the positive impact of good character in the daily curriculum, we can help to develop these qualities in our students. By teaching our students to employ the classical ethical tests of reversibility (Would you want to be treated this way?) and universalizability (Would you want all persons to act this way in a similar situation?) we would be, in effect, positively influencing their behavior in the classroom. This would happen because we would be specifically using these tests to emphasize how the disruptive nature of negative behavior impedes the learning process of fellow classmates.

Reflection 9 Classroom Management/Discipline

“Intelligence plus character-that is the true goal of education.” In my opinion, Gloria Stevinson is saying that the end result of education in any system is producing capable intelligent students as well as respectable law-abiding citizens. One aspect in the process of producing these individuals is discipline. Discipline can come in many forms and it can be handled in many ways. Students as well as teachers can handle discipline positively or negatively. A student knows when they are misbehaving, a teacher won’t just go off on an unsuspecting student who is quietly paying attention or doing their work. A student is usually warned or given prior opportunities to behave better. Once the teacher decides to discipline the student, the student can react positively, and say “yes, I deserve this discipline.” Or the student can react negatively, and deny any wrongdoing. Teachers can be positive in their discipline and not berate or intentionally embarrass the student. But on the other hand, a teacher can be negative in their discipline when they purposefully embarrass a student in order to make themselves look dominant.
It isn’t just the reactions to discipline that are important but also the discipline itself. Detentions are the norm in most high schools across the country, however they are not always the best option when dealing with a difficult student. In my experiences, a student who is frequently purposefully misbehaving is a student who is seeking attention. Sometimes giving the student a detention is exactly what that student wants, and by giving the detention you are just reinforcing his behavior. Perhaps a better option would be to tell the student to sit outside the classroom and therefore, not be able to disrupt the class any longer. A trip down to the principles office is another option that could be applied, however, if the behavior was nothing more than childish misbehavior, I feel that ignoring the student altogether or just sending the student outside the classroom can be beneficial. The misbehaving student is getting much attention all alone.
There are also different programs of discipline, which we were introduced to and discussed in class on Monday night. Assertive discipline, positive discipline, choice theory, and congruent communication are all different programs of discipline and classroom management. If I were to choose one of these programs to implement in my own classroom it would be a mix between assertive discipline and positive discipline. I like the teacher being in control part of assertive discipline but I also know that I will give students chances and conduct myself in a professional manner. I know that I will be tested but I feel that with my personality I will always try to keep the best interest of the student in mind. I would like to be positive and not embarrass students while at the same time providing the discipline and structure that is required.
Intelligence plus character is the combination that will make students successful during and after they finish school, and it is the responsibility of teachers too!