NO-COST EFFECTIVE BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGY FOR US PUBLIC
URGENCY!!!
America is losing talents
BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT STRATEGY THAT WOULD PUT AMERICA IN THE FOREFRONT AGAIN
By Marian-Stella Araka, Ed.S. (87); Ed.D. (2000)
This behavior management strategy is simple and cheap, yet very effective. It is based on honesty. As an experienced public school teacher and currently an educational consultant and substitute teacher/administrator, I worked and still work with public school students, and I guarantee that this behavior management strategy works hundred percent of the time, and it also does for teachers who apply my recommendation. The behavior management makes your students appreciate you more because they realize that you have their interest at heart. I never learned of this strategy in my three rigorous teaching certification programs nor in my two educational leadership training. My in-service training as a teacher never mentioned it. Student achievement does not match the billions of dollars that are invested in public school education in the United States.
Here’s my no-cost behavior management recommendation - just be realistic with the students, as long as you do it without verbally abusing them. It is very simple. It involves immersing students in the consciousness of the future negative consequences TO THEMSELVES of their present actions. That’s it. Note that this concept is different from the action - negative consequences which are emphasized in schools. That strategy does not emphasize negative consequences to oneself. No! That is not my recommendation. I am not condemning the behavior management strategies that are now applied in public schools. My contention is just that those are not enough. They do not work for disadvantaged students whose environments are too unsettled for those behavior strategies to be emphasized at home. Their parents are too busy or too ignorant to monitor them and apply the right attitude. These students learn from their neighborhood and social media.
The United States is losing potential manpower because most of these students fall by the wayside and do not reach their fullest potential. As a former Special Education teacher, I am very aware that some students who entered my classes should not have done so. Their behavior problems hindered their academic performance and landed them in Special Education classes.
Some students mature in high school and learn the importance of Education and doing the right thing. But at that stage, it is almost too late for most of them. The learning gap they inherited in lower grades are hardly bridged. Some of them as a result drop out of school, and those who are resilient are frustrated. Very few of these are able to benefit from the available college scholarship. They end up with student loans which recycle them into poverty for some years after their graduation.
Stakeholders to this new behavior management strategy are teachers, school administrators, the entire school districts, publishers and parents. School - home connections through social workers should make this truth a focus. I guarantee the success of the behavior management strategy because I see its positive effect right away in the public schools I have contact with. Also, teachers who integrate it report its effectiveness.
From: Dr. Marian-Stella Araka
MY FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE
I co-taught with a very knowledgeable teacher in a "top-notch" school in my area. The instructional environment was energetic- classroom setting was academically inviting- contents excitingly challenging - context was interactive. The teacher interestingly released and illustrated information while students excitedly responded with questions and enthusiastic comments.
But another group was having a conversation at the rear end of the class on the right side. The teacher shifted to the group twice and said something. The conversation paused briefly on each occasion but continued the moment he stepped away. I floated to the group and remained there thinking that would make a difference, but the conversation continued unabated.
At the left rear was a heavy-set student napping with his head on his desk. I signaled to the teacher who was tapping on his desk to leave him alone. He probably didn't sleep the previous night because his eyes were on the screen. Forcing him to keep awake would not do him good. It would rather have both mental and physiological negative impact on the boy.
Lack of awareness of the negative effects of their academic negligence on their future well-being significantly contribute to these anomalies . The sleeping boy is ignorant of the fact that lack of sleep at home with its accompanying bad grades would give him an unfavorable future and put him behind his peers who were participating. The same applies to the conversation group.
Students' academic disengagement does not hurt only the students who engaged in it; it also does the whole nation at home and in the globe. Apart from the fact that the country is deprived of these global representatives, there are also social consequences at home in form of expenditures on social welfare in lieu of human capital contributions. Future frustration and poverty are also likely to re-route these individuals to violence.
Minimal percentage of the students involved in academic disengagement are aware of these ripple effects of academic negligence. It is therefore, crucial, that AWARENESS OF CONSEQUENCES OF STUDENT NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS ON THE STUDENTS' FUTURE WELL-BEING IS MADE A SERIOUS ISSUE IN THE ACADEMIC CURRIUCULA OF GRADE SCHOOL EDUCATION.
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TEN HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHING PRACTICES FROM DOWN UNDER
Ten Highly Effective Teaching Practices from Down Under
By Kim Marshall, TIE columnist
In this paper from the Australian Society for Evidence-Based Teaching, Shaun Killian presents these well-researched keys to teaching and learning:
• Clear lesson goals – “If you cannot quickly and easily state what you want your students to know and be able to do at the end of a given lesson, the goal of your lesson will be unclear,” says Killian.
• Show and tell – Start a lesson by succinctly sharing target information and knowledge and modeling any skills or procedures that students will learn.
• Checking for understanding – Use all-class methods (for example, dry-erase boards or clickers) to see how students are doing and use the information to decide what to do next.
• Students graphically summarizing new learning – Students might create a mind map, flow-chart, or Venn diagram.
• Plenty of practice – “Practice is not about mindless busywork,” says Killian. “Nor does it involve assigning independent tasks that you haven’t previously modeled and taught.” Students need to practice the right things with the teacher circulating to do another check for understanding. For maximum impact, practice sessions should be spaced over time.
• Feedback – “Unlike praise, which focuses on the student rather than the task, feedback provides your students with a tangible understanding of what they did well, of where they are at, and of how they can improve,” says Killian.
• Giving all students time to succeed – The basic idea of mastery learning is to keep the learning goal constant while giving students different amounts of time (with feedback) to master it. This is the approach used by successful coaches of swimming, dancing, martial arts, and other sports.
• Productive group work – The danger of having students work in groups is “social loafing” – most of the work being done by the most skilled or well-informed student in the group. “You should only ask groups to do tasks that all group members can do successfully,” says Killian. Each group member should also be personally responsible for one step of the task.
• Teaching strategies as well as content – Students need direct, explicit instruction in reading, writing, and math skills, followed by guided practice and feedback so they can use the skills independently.
• Nurturing metacognition – This goes beyond knowing which strategies to use – it’s getting students to think about their options, look at how well strategies are working, and be aware of their own skills and knowledge with respect to worthy learning goals.
Killian concludes by mentioning some strategies that don’t have a large effect on student results – among them, whole language, teaching test preparation, and inquiry learning – and a few that are effective but didn’t quite make the top ten, including high expectations and reciprocal teaching.
Ways to Help Economically Disadvantaged Students: Teaching Them to Fish
By: Kathryn Craig, M.Ed.
"GIVE a man a fish and he eats for a day. TEACH a man to fish and he eats for a lifetime."---Chinese Proverb.
This proverb especially applies in an educational setting to those who teach economically disadvantaged students. "The Southern Education Foundation reports that 51 percent of students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade in the 2012-2013 school year were eligible for the federal program that provides free and reduced-price lunches" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/majority-of-us-public-school-students-are-in-poverty/2015/01/15/df7171d0-9ce9-11e4-a7ee-526210d665b4_story.html). For many, this number is higher, causing many educators frustrations on how to best ensure that these students who are classified as "economically disadvantaged" are successful in the classroom. Unfortunately, so many educators are unaware of how to best reach and teach these students, so below are some practical ways to help get these students on the path to success.
BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
"My kids are brats!" one mother commented at a school event. "Yeah, they're such a pain. I can't wait until they're back in school so I can have some peace," another mother replied.
These statements are ones that our students commonly hear at home, resulting in many to have distrust and disrespect towards the educator. Studies have shown that if a child hears these negative comments enough times, they begin to believe it. For many, they truly epitomize the statement, "I don't care care how much you know until I know how much you care!" Having been raised as an "economically disadvantaged" student, I remembered not trusting my teachers and not showing respect until they showed respect first. The reason for this was because the very people who I trusted to take care of me and provide guidance let me down, so why trust these people? Based upon experience of being raised and helping our "economically disadvantaged" students, below are various strategies to employ in the classroom to begin building relationships (http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr08/vol65/num07/Nine-Powerful-Practices.aspx).
Greet the student and call them by name
Answer questions
Model respect and other appropriate behaviors
Exhibit positive non-verbal language
Show interest in the student as a person
Be their coach, cheerleader, mentor, and role model
TEACH STUDENTS THE "NORMS" OF SCHOOL
"Yo, that's f***ed up miss! I can't believe he did that in the story!"
For many of our economically disadvantaged students, the norms they need to survive in their home environment many times conflict with the ones needed at school. "Both school and work operate at the consultative level (which mixes formal and casual speech) and the formal level (which uses precise word choice and syntax). All people use the casual and intimate registers with friends, but students from families with little formal education may default to these registers [even in a school setting]"(http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/apr08/vol65/num07/Nine-Powerful-Practices.aspx). Since most of the norms in both a school and business environment are that of the middle class, most of our students are unaware of what is considered appropriate for school. Some ways to help students include
Relate the rules of school and home to the rules of football and basketball
Provide students ways to communicate effectively
Model respect and other appropriate behaviors
Exhibit positive non-verbal language
Show interest in the student as a person
Give reminders that they need to be playing by the "basketball rules" (school) rather than the "football rules" (home)
Remind students that they use their "flip flop" words outside the school/classroom, and "White House" words in school/classroom
SET HIGH STANDARDS
"You mean there are no cats and dogs at the zoo?"
"What is a picnic basket?"
Most students who are classified as "economically disadvantaged" do not even realize that they are lacking compared to others since many have not even left their neighborhoods. Instead of showing sympathy for what students don't have and have not been exposed to, try to show them all the world has to offer. For many, they have never seen high-rises, ridden on an airplane, been on a picnic, went to the zoo, gone on a vacation, and many other basic experiences that most teachers assume that students should have. This causes many to struggle with their academics because they don't have the background knowledge to connect to. Just because students are deficient in certain areas, it does not mean they cannot achieve. They just need assistance with filling in the gaps. They also need to realize that they can have control of their destiny, and do not have to be defined by their environment. People with an internal locus of control see themselves as primarily responsible for their successes and failures. People with an external locus of control tend to attribute their successes and failures to outside factors: luck, fate, the boss likes me; the teacher doesn’t like me, etc. (http://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ758188).
Ensure students have background knowledge of the topic/subject
Acknowledge and encourage students that they CAN and WILL learn
Expose students to new opportunities and choices
Help students achieve to where their dreams become goals, and goals lead to reality
Remind students that circumstances do not have to control their outcome
I Started Off In The Inner City; Now I'm Using My Success Story To Uplift Inner-City Youth
By: Andreia Gibau
When I immigrated to the United States at 7 years old, at first, this country was so completely foreign to me that I didn't yet understand that there was any such thing as living in a "poor area.
Moreover, I couldn't even begin to conceive that I was most definitely living in one. The inner city was the only United States I knew.
I couldn't understand that there were different types of schools, charter schools, private schools, magnet schools... There was just school (public, of course). Going there every day simply became routine: Get up, go to school, go home. The option of extracurricular activities was scary to me at the time, and the area was already considered unsafe so I was never exposed to anything outside of that routine until I was about 12 years old.
I know firsthand that inner-city and underprivileged kids don't always have the same opportunities and resources to thrive in society as others.
But if these inner-city kids aren't given the same educational opportunities as others, then they never will get out. The cycle continues.
Living in the inner city affects all families and people of all ages, but nobody is affected more than children. Growing up as a child in the inner city is challenging, and unfortunately, there is a natural disadvantage that comes with it. One that I understand firsthand.
Inner-city youths usually don't have adequate facilities to promote a healthy lifestyle both physically and mentally. Parks aren't always clean or safe, there isn't a variety of sports and other extracurricular activities outside of school. And the education isn't always on the same level as other more well-off areas. For most kids, a solid education is perhaps their only chance at getting off the streets, so they can create a better situation for their own kids. But if these inner-city kids aren't given the same educational opportunities as others, then they never will get out. The cycle continues.
Personally, I'm not sure who I would have been if it weren't for the opportunities my parents strove to create for me. If they hadn't believed in me enough to put me in modeling classes, I probably would never have been able to find my passion for performing in front of people, which then led me to join theater, which then segued into me competing in my first pageant. And, if you know me, you know that pageants have changed my life in a big way.
Because the environment I was living in, outside of my home, wasn't an inspirational or motivational one, I felt such a disconnect between the successful lives people were living on TV and the life that I was living or the future that I thought was attainable for me.
If we do not empower our inner-city youth it does our entire society a great disservice. We lose out on thousands, millions of potential doctors, innovators, entrepreneurs, politicians, and creatives. Think about where the world would be if people like Thomas Edison, Martin Luther King Jr, or Marie Curie hadn't grown up in supportive families or environments? Would they have believed in themselves and achieved all they have? Maybe not, and the way we live would certainly be very different.
I give all the credit for my success in life to my parents. I was lucky enough to have a mom and dad who supported me beyond all belief and had the ability to go so far out of their way in order to give me the opportunities that got me where I am today.
When I was 12, my dad would drive me two hours to a modeling school, sit in his car in the brutal Boston winter for four hours until class was out, and then drive us back home another two hours. Or when I changed schools and could join the band and learn how to play an instrument, my mom saved up all of our extra money on the side so that I could afford to be a part of the band and learn how to play the tuba and the trombone.
Growing up with the notion that we either are enough or not enough, just one or the other, is simply society's way of trying to cap our abilities.
My parents always reminded me that they believed in my abilities, my passions, and my potential to really make a difference in the world. And knowing this became a driving force for me. If my parents thought I could do it, it gave me all the reassurance I needed.
To this day my parents constantly emphasize that I have the capabilities to achieve anything so long as I am kind to others, work hard, and have faith.
My parents have truly helped me become who I am today. Now that I am reaping the rewards of the seeds my parents sowed in me, I want to be a guiding light for the kids that may not have parents like mine. I may not be able to solve all the problems out in the world, but what I can do is give inner-city kids the hope and confidence they need to achieve a successful life despite their circumstances.
Growing up with the notion that we either are enough or not enough, just one or the other, is simply society's way of trying to cap our abilities. The place you are born, the economic class you are born into, and the parents you are born with should not decide where you end up in life. We are all more than enough, period.
That's how the name of my initiative came about, with the mission to instill confidence and empower inner-city youth to live to their full potential despite their circumstances.
The "More Than Enough" initiative consists of school talks, workshops, and one-on-one mentorship. But first, I like to focus on sharing my personal story, because I believe that when they hear about someone they can relate to and when they see what I have been able to do with my life, I can become an inspiration just by standing in front of them and telling my story.
Then I focus on building up their self-esteem and confidence within themselves, and shifting how they view the world around them. I always tell them that everything and anything they need to succeed in life, they already have inside of them. Then I give them the tools and concrete ways so they can stay on track and navigate who they truly are, what they want to do, and how to do it.
We are all more than enough, period.
Working with inner-city and underprivileged youth is something that I am dedicating to doing for the rest of my life. I believe in the positive impact that this work will have on our society. Because no one should be capped on their capabilities.
If these kids don't have a role model in their lives, I am committed to being that for them.
How To Be a Successful Inner City School Teacher
By: Nate Griesbaum
Some people go through life and they struggle to find their purpose. What better purpose than to wake up and affect change in the lives of young children? Inner city school teachers serve a much higher purpose than just teaching the basic math and reading.
Take a look at how to find success as an inner city school teacher and to change the lives of young children.
Be Empathetic not Sympathetic
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Every teacher said it growing up: use a dictionary. People so often use empathy and sympathy interchangeably when they shouldn’t. A lot of people don’t know the difference—empathy means you can share and understand the feelings of another, while sympathy means you feel sorrow or pity for someone’s misfortune. As you can see: two dissimilar words.
Make sure you empathize with your students and they will respect you. Let them know that you understand their struggles and that you care about what they go through. Do not sympathize with them or just keep those feelings hidden. Some kids will take advantage of that and use that to get out of doing homework or a test or just anything school-related. Then you will be unable to educate them to the best of your ability. Empathy shows that you see what they go through, it helps build that bond and trust with the students. In turn that makes you a better teacher. “I am nervous about learning the balance between these two things [sympathy and empathy]. I have a big heart and I get emotional over things. I’m going to have to work hard at keeping myself composed if I run into students who have tough home lives,” West Chester University junior education major Elise Jackson said.
Get to know your kids
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Education takes a specific type of person to really push children to their full potential. You cannot do that unless you build a rapport with the students. Get to know them and what they like and dislike. This will challenge their possible misconceptions that teachers don’t care about them. Learn what they excel at and what they need to improve upon. Use these findings to guide your lesson plans throughout the year. Kids get more engaged and want to learn when the topics interest them. Before you know it, weaknesses turn into strengths and strengths turn into far exceeding expectations.
Understand that to some kids you are more than a teacher
hugging student
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You’ve heard it before: Not all heroes wear capes. You may not think of yourself as a superhero but some of your students look at you as their role model. The stereotypes that often perceive inner city schools like little income, tough home lives and deficient areas sadly come with some truth to them. Kids look to school as a way to escape from everything going on outside of the classroom. For eight hours a day they can forget some of the hardships at home.
Students with these backgrounds need a person to listen to them and believe in them. When students can’t get the positive reinforcement they need at home, as a teacher you act as the next best thing. You take the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of your students and they will forever be grateful for your help. “I have kids who are top 20 percent of their class and don’t think about college. Their parents never take them to see schools so I set up programs in out high school that allows takes kids to universities on field trips to see the campus and get information. I still to this day get thank you cards from kids who graduated 10 years ago thanking me for believing in them and going above and beyond. It warms my heart to know that I meant that much to them,” Reading High School Principal Eric Turman said. Moments like those come every day in inner city schools, your job goes beyond the classroom and regular school hours.
Establish a divide between friend and teacher
inner city school teacher talks to boy
Freedom Writers
Keep things professional, all you ever heard from people at career fairs. Well news flash, the relationships you develop with your students in an inner-city school goes far beyond what some people consider professional. Only your fellow teachers will understand what you consider professional. Students in your classroom may consider you their friend. You may even give your personal phone number out to some of them to call you if they need anything. But remember: don’t forget your first priority. You get paid to educate them on what they need to know to move on to the next grade. This comes first and foremost above all. Keep in mind the difference between personal and professional. “I struggled with this when I first started. Nobody wants to yell at their kids, of course you want them to like you and be friendly. But over time you learn that some kids will take advantage of it, and once you let that happen it makes for a long year,” Reading Elementary teacher Lisa Lesher said.
Gain Students Trust
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No trust…no “us.” Yeah, that cheesy saying you heard an S.O. say to you applies as a teacher, too. Trust plays a huge role in kids’ lives, especially if their past experiences left them feeling let down. Your students need to buy into what you tell them. Your job becomes to deliver on what you say. They want to know that you always keep their best interest at heart. They need to know that you believe in them just as much on the bad days as you do on the good days. Gain your students trust and just watch the amazing things you will accomplish with them. You will open so much untapped potential that these kids never even knew they embodied.
Find a Mentor in the school
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Another year older and another year wiser (or so they say anyways). This holds true with teachers. Each year you grow a little more and conquer new tasks that you never did before. You learn what to do differently from year to year and gain those new experiences. For a tenured city school teacher, they’ve seen it all in their time. Sometimes you face things you never dealt with before. You could see a curriculum change, a student’s home situation, a learning disability or just anything big or small. No better person to go to than someone who knows the school, knows the kids and has a great rapport with the students. Ask questions and pick their brain. Learn from them because in the end it will just make you a better teacher. It benefits both you and your students.
You are only human and can’t save everyone
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Speak up and save a life. Every teacher wants to make a difference in their students’ lives. They want to keep kids on the right track and out of trouble. Unfortunately, students can’t take you home with them. You can only control what goes on in the classroom and once they leave schools things become out of your hands. Students make their own decisions, choose who they hang out with and what activities they wish to partake in. Sadly, kids can fall in with the wrong crowd no matter how good of a student they exemplify. You can’t beat yourself up about it. Not every kid will take the lessons you teach them and practice them at home. Not every kid will listen to your advice to stay out of trouble.
Take a break from class to do something fun
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All work and no play makes for angry kiddos (they will let you know their feelings, too). Students work hard all year. They push themselves because you as the teacher bring out the best in them. Kids study for the state standardized test, the quizzes you give them and all the homework you assign night in and night out. Sometimes they just need a break. Maybe take them outside for a field day or cancel class for a day and show a movie. Show students that you appreciate all of their hard work just like they appreciate your efforts in teaching them. It helps to keep their minds from getting to exhausted and lightens the mood to avoid work overload. “I try to give students a fun day to look forward to each month on our classroom calendar. Days like this include going on a field trip, watching a movie (based on the classroom novel of course), or loosely tying in a learning focus to a super fun activity,” Philadelphia Elementary School teacher Yvonne Olson said.
SAMPLE BEHAVIOR MANAGEMENT LESSONS BY MARIAN-STELLA ARAKA, Ed.S. (87); Ed.D. (2000)
My heart goes out to those students who do not reach their fullest potentials due to ignorance. We can indirectly redirect the students to have a more positive attitude that would make them see the effect of wrong attitudes. Below are some samples of Middle School Language Arts/Study Skill lessons.
Pick the right title
- Making right choices that would lead to failure
- Making wrong choices that would lead to success
- Making wrong choices that would lead to failure
Kevin chats with friends in the hallway transitions. His noise distracts the other students who try to move on to their next classes, and he is tardy in all his classes. He disrupts his classes with his giggles as the teacher is trying to teach, and he causes other students to laugh with his funny comments. He excuses himself to use the bathroom many times as the classes go on. He is sent to the office many times a day. Kevin has been in school and out of school suspension many times.
Pick a title for this story
This is my story. We all liked him because he liked to make himself noticed. He teased our teachers nonstop. He bullied other students nonstop. He had no fear. We all called him Nicolas the fearless. I tried to be like Nicolas. I didn't pay attention in class and didn't do my classwork or homework. I faked my voice to be like my Fathers when my teacher called home. I had the time of my life in Middle School. What I experienced at High School was way different. Since I didn't care that much about school during Middle School, it was kind of hard in High School. If I were to fail a class, I'd have to go to summer school. School was too much for me so I dropped out and started working in the Fast-Food department which barely covered my rent and other things I wanted/needed. Now, I wish I had focused more during school.
The Self-Made Boy
Fill in the blanks:
Born in 2007, I started school in 2013
I made good grades in ____________ ________ My teachers loved me because I was respectful. I was never in fights. I did all my classwork and homework. I was also never sent to the office. Those were my good days at Diday Elementary School. In 2018 I transitioned to __________ _________. The first few weeks were okay but there were some funny people on my bus that made the bus ride home interesting. The things they did weren't the best but I still enjoyed ______. There were many bad influences at school, on the bus, and in my neighborhood. They all resulted in _________ effects to my adulthood.
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