Developing Effective Norms and Procedures in the Classroom

I don’t have any recollection of that many rules being given to me when I was in school.  In fact, there was only one rule to remember and follow: “Behave or else!”  Consequently, I learned to sit quietly and to never say anything, even if there was a very relevant question.  On top of that, it was very difficult to find answers given my limited environment when I was growing up.  Children are resilient, and I developed my own coping strategies.  I looked for trusted and friendly adults, who I could feel safe enough to have a conversation and ask questions.  Could I imagine if my teacher had been that trusted and friendly adult, who could make me feel safe enough to ask questions? Luckily, my environment was not the opposite: a place in complete chaos due to the lack of any rules.  That would have been devastating.

Research has shown that students learn best in a safe and organized environment.  But to create this environment, an effective teacher needs to develop, establish and maintain a set of norms and procedures in the classroom.  Investing the time and energy at the beginning of the school year will positively impact the classroom management for the rest of the school year.  Maintaining norms and procedures throughout the school year is equally important.  Re-evaluating or creating new norms and procedures is part of maintaining them.   Classroom dynamics change throughout the year.  Consequently, norms and procedures need to be adjusted or reinforced depending on the situations.  Existing or new norms and procedures provide the foundation for an organized learning environment.

As a teacher, I imagine myself creating two lists prior to the beginning of the school year.  One list will address behaviors I would like my students to demonstrate during the course of the school year, such as respect to others and appropriate use of classroom resources.  My other list will address tasks that students need to do during the school day, such as entering the classroom, submitting homework, asking questions, going to recess, leaving the room, working in groups and ending the day.  For each of these I can create procedures.   These two lists will give me a foundation to develop my norms and procedures in my classroom.  Ideally, I will include my students in brainstorming and defining the classroom norms and procedures.  This will give me an opportunity to explore students’ ideas, pre-conceptions and previous experiences.  Correspondingly, this will give the opportunity to my students to explore the importance of norms and procedures, as well as to internalize the importance to follow them. 

One norm that will not be negotiable for me will be respecting others at all times.  This, for me will be the basic principle underlying all of our work in the classroom, and will give the opportunity for students to learn to make right choices while interacting with others, including teachers, classmates and peers in the playground.   I have enjoyed learning about blending rules and procedures with academic content.  It seems to be that this blending becomes a powerful tool in the learning process.  The following video is a great example of how powerful this tool can be. 

SOURCES:

Wagner, K.J. Routines and Procedures for Managing your Classroom.  (2005) Retrieve from http://www.educationoasis.com/instruction/cm/routines.htm 

Evertson, C., Poole, I. & the Iris Center.  Case Study Unit: Norms and Expectations. (Retrieve on 2014, December 5). Retrieve from http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/case_studies/ICS-003.pdf 

McLeod, J. Fisher, J & Hoover, G.  The Key Elements of Classroom Management: Managing time and space, student behavior and instructional strategies. Chapter 6, 7 & 8.  (2003). ISBN 0-87120-787-7

Caring School Communities & Jefferson County Public Schools. What are Standards and Norms (2009) Retrieve from https://www.edutopia.org/pdfs/stw/edutopia-stw-louisville-sel-what-are-standards-norms.pdf

TeachingChannel. Ms. Noonan: Morning Meeting. (2011, May 25) Retrieve from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH3vTEKiSTs

Reflection on High Expectations

I have had the interest to become an elementary teacher for a number of years.  But, I always thought about how and when will be the right moment to do it.  I was also somehow scared of the change of profession.  Even though teaching had been part of my public health career, I often wondered if becoming a teacher would be the right thing for me to do.  Throughout the years my husband kept telling me, you would be a great teacher.  You have to give it a try!

I am now in the process to become a teacher.  And, I realized that I responded to my husband’s high expectations.  Someone meaningful in my life believed in my capacity and talent.  So, I started to believe that yes, I would be a teacher, a great teacher.   

The learning curve has been quite steep for me.  Learning a new subject in the digital age has been intense.   But, learning about all the new learning frameworks has been fascinating.  So far I am enjoying the ride to becoming a teacher. I know I can do it.

Developing high expectations in the classroom should ideally be part of a comprehensive approach to learning.  With this comprehensive approach, policy makers, school districts, teachers and parents would take responsibility for a synchronized response.  As we have studied in previous modules, education is pulled in several directions.  This leaves the teachers often alone in their effort to find the best way to provide an exciting learning experience at the same time that he or she is accountable for all state, district and school regulations. 

Yes, I will be the ultimate person responsible for developing a positive relationship with my students, creating high expectations and providing an exciting curriculum in my classroom.  As I am learning about developing high expectations I cannot stop thinking about high expectations for teachers.  How would I be able to provide mentorship in an area that I may need to improve? 

The following is a list of strategies that will help me to develop high expectations when I am in charge of a classroom.  I will start by defining what do I mean by high expectations and why it is important. 

High expectations are a list of academic and behavioral standards I would like to see in my students, under the assumption that each student has the capacity to succeed in my classroom. 

Developing high expectation in my classroom is my pledge to see each individual as a successful learner.   I must give him or her the necessary resources and tools to realize his or her potential despite of his or her gender, social, economic, or ethnical background.  My ultimate goal must be to provide a life-long learning experience to each of my learners.

Strategies to develop high expectations will be mentioned for both academic and behavior standards. The following is a mixed list of strategies that I consider important in the development of high standards in the classroom.

• Develop high standards from the first day of school:  
• Rules and procedures, 
• Consequences, 
• For both academics and behaviors

• Provide verbal and non-verbal reinforcement throughout the school year:
• Display a list of desire outcomes in a place where they are visible and accessible, e.g. walls, communication books and desks,
• Model the desire outcome.  Kids will learn from observing,
• Explain rules, procedures and high standards off an on,
• Tell students you are proud of their effort and their accomplishments so that they develop pride on their work

• Organize curriculum to develop including academic and behavior standards:
• Keep in mind high standards while creating rubrics,
• Write concrete goals and objectives for the day on the whiteboard.  Students will know what they are supposed to accomplish and how,
• Include assignments and assessments that promote high standards,
• Leave appropriate space for clarifications, assignments or assessments.

• Organize classroom to promote productivity:
• Organize desk, so all students can see instructor,
•  Having neat and appropriate areas to work and concentrate can give a powerful message to students.

• Provide timely, appropriate and meaningful feedback:
• Being proactive when students are misbehaving is a way to tell students that they are not following the standards they are supposed to follow,   
• This can be done in a verbal or non-verbal manner depending on the situation,
• Allowing students to analyze the situation and provide recommendations of their own can be a powerful way to engage students in following high expectations,
• Including other educators or school staff to validate or provide an input to a situation is beneficial for the student and the instructor.

• Reframe failure as a positive part of learning:
• It is important for the student’s learning process to not be afraid of making mistakes.  This will allow students to freely explore and use their creativity to learn.

• Inform and engage parents:
• The parental involvement is key for the student’s success,
• Parents can be informed of student’s high expectations in report meetings or via e-mail at the beginning and end of each unit,
• Communication books are also a good way to convey high expectations to parents.

• Promote students’ personal goals:
• Students also have expectations when they come to school.  Exploring the students’ interest and aspirations will give students self-motivation to learn and grow. 

The learning process is not static.  It is dynamic.  From this perspective, it is important for teachers to frequently evaluate what is working and what is not.  Students are also very different from each other.  Each of them will bring a different set of experiences and preconceptions.  It is in the teacher’s best interest not to assume that the same strategy will work for all.  I hope I am successful in developing high expectations in my classroom when I finally become a teacher.  The above list is a good start, which I hope to follow.

REFLECTING ON OUR GROUP WORK - GOOGLE PRESENTATION ON HIGH EXPECTATIONS: 

Working in groups in this program has its ups and downs.  It all depends on the group members.  If you have responsive and reliable group members, the assignment will meet the learning objectives.  And, this will be a satisfying experience.  On the other hand, if the group members are not responsive and reliable you may end up having a more difficult and challenging experience.  This can interfere not only with the learning process; but, this may also create resentment among the group members.  

While I understand the purpose of working in groups, I struggle with the practicality of it.  I know that ideally,  you will practice your communication skills.  You will collaborate to find creative and innovative solutions to a challenge.  You will learn from each other.  And in this process, you will develop a sense of camaraderie and friendship among team member.  But, what happens when these conditions are absence or only partially present in your group? How can groups in a virtual setting work so all members are responsive and reliable?  And, how are the student who do complete the tasks is not penalize in the process, and when this does happen, what recourse do these students have?

In our previous module, we were introduced to a Peer Review Form. This form was not required to be submitted.  It was an optional, but powerful tool to provide appropriate feedback in a safe environment for team members.  I wish this form could be applied across all modules when working in groups.  It can provide a better sense of individual grading when working in groups.  I also wish online programs had a channel for instructors to communicate on individual and group performance.  Sharing this kind of informations can be useful for instructors to know their students and the group interactions.   

Our group completed each section of the rubric with plenty of details.  Despite different personal situations, two group members were responsive and committed to make sure the tasks were completed with high expectations.  Despite being in the hospital and in different time zones, I felt that communication was fluid, open and consistent, all of that during Thanksgiving preparations!  I learned a lot from this assignment, including managing my own expectations. 

References:

Campbell, K. Expectation: Do You Have Them? Do Students Get Them? (2012, April) Retrieve from http://www.nassp.org/tabid/3788/default.aspx?topic=Expectations_Do_You_Have_Them_Do_Students_Get_Them

North Central Regional Educational Laboratory.  High Expectations. (Retrieve on 2014, November 25) Retrieve from http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/atrisk/at6lk11.htm

National Public Radio.  Are Low School Achievement Levels a Civil Right Issue? (2013, August 07) Retrieve from http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=209843347&m=209843336

National Public Radio. Teacher’s Expectations can Influence How Students Perform. (2012, September 18) Retrieve from http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=161159263&m=161248981

The Iris Center. Henderson, Ann. What are Some Ways to go about Building Positive Relationships with Families (Retrieve on 2014, November 25) Retrieve from http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/fam/cresource/what-are-some-ways-to-go-about-building-positive-relationships-with-families/fam_08/#content

The Iris Center. Jackman, Lory. How do you Develop an Effective Behavioral Plan (Retrieve on 2014, November 25) Retrieve from http://iris.peabody.vanderbilt.edu/module/beh2/cresource/how-do-you-develop-an-effective-behavior-management-plan/page-4-rules/beh2_04_trans_jackman/

Developing a Positive Climate in the Classroom

Before I started this unit, I would have thought that creating a positive classroom climate was a matter of a confident, caring and charismatic teacher being in charge of the students.  I thought that an engaged teacher would be the lead to engage students.  Even though that will be a good start to create a positive classroom environment there are a few more considerations. 

I have never been a teacher or in charge of a classroom.  But, after reading the supporting material for this module, I came up with a list of considerations I must take into account when I start practicing as a teacher.  This list should help me to navigate the route to a positive classroom climate that fosters learning.  My goal in making this list is not just to promote a positive environment, but also to foster a learning environment suitable for all of my students. 

1.     Take the first day of school as important as the rest of the school year!  The very first day of school can be very powerful in setting a tone for at least a few days.  It is in my own best interest to get to know my students and give them an introduction of myself on the very first day.  This may facilitate a sense of working together as a team.  

2.     Invest time in getting to know my students in the first few days of school: In any given classroom there will be students with different needs.  Perhaps they will have different learning styles, personalities, experiences and preconceptions that will shape their interaction in the classroom.  Identifying students who may be at risk of developing negative behavior and including them in appropriate activities is critical to prevent a negative classroom climate.

3.     Invest time in setting classroom rules and expectation:  Teaching students how to behave to succeed in a classroom is very important for teachers.  Knowing rules and expectations will give students a safe environment to focus on learning.  Much of the literature emphasizes this at the beginning of the school year.  However, it is important for teachers to reinforce rules and expectations throughout the school year.  Including appropriate rules and expectations in rubrics, for example, can support this reinforcement. 

4.     Being attentive to students in the good and the bad: It is very easy for teachers to pay more attention to students who do very well or very bad.  Either way, reinforcing only one behavior without addressing the other may create negativity in the classroom.  Giving a name to negative behavior could be useful to students while addressing negative situations.  For example, if a student is being physically aggressive to other students, the student may suffer from an anger management problem.  Giving a name to the behavior may help my student to realize the dynamics, as well as giving specific strategies to prevent a situation happening.

5.     Developing an exciting curriculum that engages students: The development of a good curriculum could be a tool to keep my students engaged in the learning process.  I would need to have in mind considerations such as specific, yet flexible learning goals, student needs and interests, type of instructional experiences, type of assignments and assessments, and type of resources.  All of this to make sure the learning process is exciting, challenging and fun for my students.

6.    Making students aware of themselves: In this unit I have learned something important that I have not considered before; it is student self-regulation.  This important process will give students important tools to control themselves in different situations.   To accomplish this, I would promote students’ responsibility for their own behavior.  Setting clear rules and expectations is part of this process.  In addition, I would ask students to reflect on their behavior, either independently or as a group, to look for alternative positive behaviors or solutions to specific issues. 

7.     Taking care of the teacher within: I have realized that it will be on my shoulders to develop and maintain a positive classroom climate to maximize the student learning process.   Ideally, the school will support a philosophy that enables me to put all the above considerations in practice.  However, I have also realized that schools and teachers are often pulled in different directions to implement regulations and procedures that may at times interfere with a fun and positive learning environment.  Involving other teachers or professionals, such as psychologists or learning specialists, while handling challenging students or challenging classroom climates could give me a good perspective, while at the same time helping me keep my sanity.

Having these considerations in mind could be a good start for me to develop a positive classroom climate.  My ultimate goal as a teacher would be to use appropriate management classroom strategies that promote student self-control to maximize the students’ learning in an exciting, dynamic and safe environment for all.  Remembering to constantly evaluate strategies is an important part of this process.  This would give me the opportunity to either reinforce strategies that are working, or to take away strategies that are not.  The learning process should be as dynamic as humans are.

Reference Material:

Marzano, R., Marzano, J & Pickering, D. Classroom Management that Works: Research-Based Strategies for Every Teacher (2003) Association for Supervision of Curriculum Development. ISBN 0-87120-793-1.

American Psychological Association.  Practical Classroom Management (2013, March 11) Retrieve from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCETWG43krY

Robinson, K., How to Scape the Death Valley. Ted Talks Series (2013, May 13) Retrieve from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wX78iKhInsc