Part 1. How to hide your buttons from your students.
Due to the fact that I grew up with
three older and two younger sisters along with raising a girl and a boy; I have
definitely learned how to hide my buttons. My life experience along with my
personal appearance has always helped to minimize the students’ desire to get
under my skin. The book gives some good insight into how and why they like to
push our buttons and how we can look at ourselves to deal with it when it
happens.
Part 2. How to be consistent with discipline.
After having been a father for over
20 years, I have learned to set down the rules and to stick to them no matter
how much it hurts me as well as them. It is not easy having to be a
disciplinarian, but it is a necessary evil we have to learn to institute in our
classrooms. It is imperative to be a caring teacher who provides a safe place
for the students, but there also need to be checks and balances. It is not as
simple as balancing a checkbook and it takes practice to perfect. I was taught
by my parents that the first person to raise their voice loses. Like the book
suggests; stay calm.
Part 3. How to relieve stress with psychology.
Everyone uses psychology in some
way or another whether they know they are doing it or not. The key is to learn
some good strategies to diffuse many different types of situations without the
student realizing what you are up to. All parents, myself included, use some
sort of psychology to control their children’s behavior.
Part 4. How to become better, not bitter.
The book demonstrates some very
good examples of what to do and what not to do. I have always tried to instill
in my children to be proactive instead of reactive. I had too many bitter
teachers in my childhood, but luckily I had few better ones that always
inspired me to be a better teacher. Although I started my education to become a
teacher, I feel the life experiences I have had have helped prepare me for the
classroom.
Part 5. How to give students what they want and need.
I have always been intrigued by
children and their infectious curiosity. A lot of people are perturbed by all
of the questions children have; I welcome them as a chance to instill knowledge
and a good sense of values in our youth. The more a student trusts you and is
comfortable with you, the easier your job will be. A teacher must be able to
identify when and how a student is reaching out to you and be able to reach
back in a way that will earn their trust and respect.
Part 6. How to be self-disciplined.
This goes back to not letting the
students push your buttons. You have to be able to control yourself and not
lose your temper; if you do, you’ve lost. When they push, don’t push back.
Part 7. How to find the good in every student.
A teacher can never, ever use a
cookie-cutter strategy to get to know their students. We must keep in mind that
students are like fingerprints; no two are alike. Instead of developing our
opinions strictly from student records, previous teachers, and IEP’s; we need
to get to know each of our students and find what makes them tick.
When you mentioned how much you enjoyed students who ask lots of questions, it caught my eye. Sometimes we don't offer a safe environment for students to ask the questions. A frustrated teacher might have told students not to ask so many dumb questions. Or, maybe they would revisit the topic later to shut the kids up. One of the biggest indicators of trust is communication. Encouraging an open dialogue with students engages them and makes them use critical thinking skills. What if there is limited time to answer questions or the teacher doesn't know an answer? The teacher's first instinct might be fear in allowing the students to know he or she doesn't have the answer. But...what a great way to create an impromptu assignment by allowing the kids to research the issue and come back with a response.
ReplyDeleteJim, you made several excellent references back to your role as a parent and how these apply to your classroom. The fairness and consistency are both essential factors in maintaining a positive environment for the students. You also stated that as teachers, we must be proactive and use the psychological abilities God gave us to respond to these students. All are important factors along with keeping the lines of communication open.
Denise
I loved the part about using psychology in the classroom. Last week, after having read this section in our book, I decided to try out the psychology suggestions. At the beginning of my language arts classes I verbally and by name thanked the kids who were getting busy with the bell ringer - working quietly and diligently. After commenting on two or three kids' positive behavior, one of the kids who I hadn't said anything about looked up at me and asked, "Aren't you going to say thank you to me? I'm doing my bell ringer too." I almost laughed! It worked!! They want to hear me say "thank you" and "good job for getting right to work." To me it seems almost cheesy and patronizing, but to them - with where they are at - it's a reward. They need it and want it from the adults in their lives.
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