We all have heard students being bored in class, not listening or paying attention and even ridiculing teachers. Many of us have seen movies when a teacher enters a dreadful classroom and turns it into a success. She or he is not any type of a teacher. They are The Teachers. Teachers who are not only teaching but leading their classrooms. They are the one with leadership roles.
Cushman, an education journalist working in conjunction with the nonprofit organization What Kids Can Do, extensively interviewed high school students in several urban areas about every aspect of school, producing this compendium of their advice here. In her book Crushman, tells every educator how to lead one’s classroom and how to manage students to have a better learning environment. The fact is that students, and yes, all students do want to learn. If only teachers can get students to trust and believe in them, and learn how to judge their behavior and also know what to do when things go wrong, everything will be definitely in a good shape and there won’t be any banging, nagging or fires in the bathrooms. I myself have always been scared facing high school students in the US, though I have had quite many years of experience teaching in other countries. But I keep telling myself, with a stable and efficient management and leadership role, I can put things right, and it has been true so.
Dr. Jones has also developed research-based methods of group management that are extremely cost-effective – that free the teacher to focus on instruction rather than discipline. Advanced skills of classroom management can produce dramatic increases in student learning while reducing teacher stress. Apart from all the examples and structures that Dr. Jones give teachers for classroom management, like turning passivity into activity, turning wasting time into learning time and meaning business, I would also like to add a few other intentional designs in teachings where it can also be referred to Day One of teachers’ classes.
Daniel Pink in his book of “A Whole New Mind” talks about MOPEDS, where he encourages teachers using techniques such as Bringing Meaning to classrooms, Creating symphony and Orchestra, Playing, Empathy, Designing and Story telling.
One of the most efficient ways I start my class with not only on Day One but also on other days is telling Stories and challenging their attentions. Humans almost always listen to stories better than lecture and speeches. So on Day One I start by telling stories about my own life experiences or things happening around in the news, getting to know them, and getting them to know me indirectly. This I believe is a very helpful ice-breaker, and initiates teacher and student bounding. I also usually start my lessons by announcing an authentic problem thus giving Meaning to the lesson I am teaching. This makes them think and challenges their critical thinking skills. They won’t be learning just because they are at school and that they need to learn, but, that they need to learn it for their own. I also usually ask them to see the big picture when teaching them a subject, thus creating a harmony between their books and the world around them.
No matter, if one has students with IEP/504 plans or general students, they can always coordinate classrooms with the help of the counselors or guidance to have a practical classroom. Being prepared and having one’s lesson plan designed well ahead of time can save a lot of time in future lesson planning as well as managing the classroom. Working closely with other team members and being well aware of rules and regulations as well, help all educators to be better classroom managers as well as teachers.
When students can trust their teacher, have humor and fun while learning, and see thing outside the box; they won’t be bored and they wouldn’t start fires in the bathrooms! That’s how a classroom teacher and leader should act!
References:
• Cushman, K. (2003). Fires in the Bathroom: Advice for Teachers from High School Students. New York: The New Press.
• Jones, F. (2007). Tools for Teaching (2nd ed.). Santa Cruz, CA: Fredric H. Jones & Associates, Inc.
• http://www.urbanedjournal.org/reviews/breview0021.pdf
• A Whole New Mind, Daniel Pink, New York Times Best Seller, 2006
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