Ten Tips for Behavior Management

As the last trimester of school begins, students will have more behavior issues.  The causes could be many, but sometimes we get complacent about "following through" with our behavior plan.  A few teachers have asked me for some advice in getting classes where they were earlier in the year.  I did some research on the topic to see if there were some other ideas that I might have missed along the way.  Sure enough, I did find some things that jogged my memory or actually were new ideas.  I thought I would share them with you.

 

1.  Routines--it is always good to have a routine and stick to it.  Make sure you post the information for the day in a place were it is easy to student access.  If there is going to be a major change for the day, make sure to announce it to the students at the beginning of the day because some students do not handle change very well.

 

2.  Voice Level--Did you ever notice that the louder you speak, the louder the students become?  Well, the reverse can be true.  If the students are getting louder, speak in a soft or whisper voice.  They will have to stop talking in order to hear what you are saying.  Try it if you haven't already!

 

3.  A Quiet Space--Do you have a space in your room where students who are having a difficult time can go to take some deep breaths and gain control of themselves?  Maybe you have some tactile fabric that they can sit and rub between their fingers.  I have heard of some teachers who tape a piece of sandpaper under a student's desk so they can rub their hands or fingers back and forth while they are getting themselves together.  The quiet space can also have a chart with some guidelines for the students to follow in order to help them reflect on their behavior. Here are some suggestions for your chart.  Let's call it "The Cool-Down Spot."  The steps might be as follows:

• Set a timer for whatever length of time you think the student might need.
• Students reflect on what they did and what they could do better the next time.
• Students may draw a picture or write about what he/she will do the next time.
• When student feels in control, the student may return to classroom activities.

There is no set time as some students make take a longer or shorter time to get it together.

 

4.  Write and Erase--I think this is a great idea I found from the Savvy Student blog.  If you are trying without success to get the student's attention, use the chalkboard or whiteboard to write your directions.  Write the directions one word at a time.  Erase each word after you write it.  Students will have to pay attention to see what it is they are being directed to do.  It might look like this.  "Please" erase.  "Get" erase.  "Out" erase.  "Your" erase.  "Journal" erase.

 

5.  Brain Breaks--When kids become inattentive or start squirming around, it is time to take a brief break!  YouTube has some great, short raps or movement activities.  Just Google to find what works for your class!

 

6.  Countdown--Say something like, "When I get to zero, I want everyone's eyes on me and everyone to be completely quiet."  Always make sure that when you get to the designated number that you move onto the next activity and let the ones who are not ready catch up in order to do the activity  that you want to do.  Another idea found on "The Cornerstone" is to hold up your fingers and when the students see you do that, they begin to count down.  "Five, Four, Three, Two, One, Silence."

 

7.  Sound Signal--there are lots of things that you can use.  I have seen rainsticks, xylophones, rattles, wind chimes, etc.  You just need something that makes a pleasant, calming sound that will direct the students to give their attention to you.

 

8.Silent Sprinkles--I originally saw this idea in a kindergarten teachers classroom.  She filled a spray bottle with glitter and water and called it "Brain Water."  The idea was that when she sprayed her small group area, that the students would have extra brain power!  You could do the same thing and sprinkle your classroom with silence! 

 

9.  Secret Student--the teacher secretly chooses one student to be the "Secret Student" for the day.  No one knows who it is--not even the student.  As the day goes by, the teacher references the secret student by saying,  My "secret student" is sitting quietly just as I asked or whatever the behavior is that she is trying to elicit from the class.  At the end of the day, the secret student is revealed and is given a "Secret Student" award to take home if they have earned the award.  If the student who is chosen has not been able to do as the teacher has asked, then no one gets an award and the student's name is not mentioned.

 

10.  Clip Charts--everyone starts the day with "Ready to Learn" and moves up the chart with good behavior and down the chart with behavior that needs to improve.  Students may move up or down the chart during the day depending on the choices they make.  Students can earn a sticker for the day if they have moved to one of the areas above "Ready to Learn."  Students seem to like this, and I have seen it be very successful with students.  One chart I saw had "Outstanding," "Awesome job," and "Good Work" as areas to be found above the starting place.  Areas for improvement were labeled "Slow Down, "Think About It," and "Parent Contact."  Some teachers also have a drawing from all the students who were above "Ready to Learn" for the week, and they can choose a prize from the prize chest.

 

I hope you have found a new idea or two for managing your classroom.  If these ideas don't suit your needs or you'd like to try something else, go to Pinterest and search for "Behavior Management."  You will find many, many ideas there!   Wishing you and your students many calm and productive days!

Teaching Students to Write Their Name

Nellie Edge had a great article on her blog giving hints to parents to help their child to print his/her name.  Some of the same practices could be used in Kindergarten classrooms to assist students in learning this important literacy skill.  A child's name is the most important word he or she will ever learn to write.  Gaining mastery over the letter formation of his or her name is the key to many handwriting principles.  From just learning how to form the letters in their name, students will be able to form other letters more efficiently.

She suggests that students practice every day.  Each child is given a 2" x 4" card and asked to practice the letters in their name daily.  If they make a mistake in writing their name, they simply get a new card and start over.  Students will name the letters for their teachers daily.   The teacher should select one letter from their name to practice until the brain and the fingers make the connection.  After a while students will have confidence and control and then forming the letters will become automatic.

It is important that students learn to form the letters correctly from the very beginning of their interest in writing. 

 

Many student come to school already writing their names.  Unfortunately, parents and grandparents have taught children to write his or her name in all capital letters.  The students have unlearn what they already know and then learn a new way do the same thing they have already learned.

 

It is a proud day for everyone the first time a child writes his or her name.  Celebrations are the order of the day!





Harcourt Eight-page Lesson Plan

The lesson plans for HM Harcourt leveled books were written by Irene Fountas as in Fountas and Pinnell.  They are literally the "rock stars" of reading!  The salesperson told us when the new materials were up for adoption that Irene Fountas was very specific about what needed to be done and she personally wrote all the lessons for the leveled books!  Each page has a specific purpose, and you should be familiar with each page before you begin your lesson.

The cover page is particularly important for teachers.  The information there is directly related to the "Continuum of Learning," and gives teachers the contents of what is really important for each level.  Teachers should make certain that students know the skills taught for the level they are reading.

The second page helps teachers to introduce the book and gives a brief "blurb" for building background for reading the book.  It also guides teachers through various pages of the book for students to preview before they begin to read.  The vocabulary is also on this page, as well.

The third page is where students actually begin to read the story.  Each student should be reading the story on their own while teachers "lean in" to listen to them read.  During that time the teacher should notice errors the student is making and support them in figuring out the word that is causing difficulty.  After the students have read the story, the teacher leads them in a comprehension conversation talking about before the story, during the story, and after the story.  The comprehension is most important as students should not move to the next level until they understand and comprehend stories on that level.

This page is also important as it has follow-up activities for word work, fluency, etc.  Teachers do not need to do all the activities, but should do the ones where the students are deficient or need help.

The following pages are supplemental and have help for ESL students, have writing activities.  Teachers may be selective about what activities the students complete.

The lesson plan is very easy to follow.  If Irene Fountas wrote the lesson, you can be sure that all the important elements for that specific level are covered.  You can also use the outline to plan your lesson as long as you cover the elements on the cover page or the "Continuum of Learning."

If you have any questions concerning the lesson plan, please feel free to send your questions or ask me to come by to talk with you about the lessons.  Happy Reading! and Merry Christmas to all!

Round Robin or Popcorn Reading

A second-grade student named Mary was nervously looking at her book while also checking out those who were seated in front of her.  There were three people ahead of her in her row.  The teacher was calling on students in their seating order to read their weekly story.   Mary knew that she would read the fourth page.  She turned to that page and started to read silently to make certain she knew all the words and would not embarrass herself when her turn came.  She did not listen to the other students nor comprehend the other pages that the students ahead of her read because she was so tense about her turn.

The example above is just one of the reasons why research tells us that Round Robin Reading is a practice that should not be used in classrooms.  In spite of what the research shows, approximately 60% of all classrooms continue to use the practice.  "It is listed as a major reason while fragile students continue to read below grade level." (Tatum, 2004, p. 29)

As I have been reading about this subject, I found some great ideas to use instead of Round Robin or Popcorn Reading.  I would like to share some of these ideas with you.  Maybe you will find an idea or two that you would like to try in your classroom.

Whisper Reading--all students whisper the words in the story or passage independently.  The teacher leans in to listen to one student while the others continue to read.

Shared Reading--the teacher reads aloud modeling fluent reading.  The teacher stops and shares comprehension strategies and thinks aloud as she moves through the story.

Echo Reading--students follow along in their books while the teacher models intonation and then the students read the same part back to the teacher using the phrasing and intonation modeled by the teacher.

Jigsaw--teacher assigns students to groups and then assigns a part of the text to each group.  Each group reads their part and becomes responsible for teaching the class the content of their assigned section of the passage.  This is especially good to use for Science or Social Studies reading.

Paired or "Buddy" Reading--two students sit together and take turns reading a page at a time.  They stop at the end of the page while the student who is not reading tells the reader what he/she has just heard as the page was read by his/her partner..

Part Reading--one partner reads the character's voices while the other partner reads the narrator's parts.

Silent Reading--students practice reading the material silently before oral reading.  This gives the students the opportunity to practice decoding skills on unknown words.  The teacher is giving assistance to students as she walks around to listen to students as they practice their reading.

Cloze Reading--The teacher reads part of the material and then stops and the students continue by reading the missing words.

A great resource with at least 25 strategies to use instead of Round Robin Reading is a book called "Goodbye Round Robin" written by Michael Optiz and Timothy Raskinski and published by Heinemann.  It is very easy to read and has some great ideas.  I highly recommend it!  Tune in next week to hear more on this topic!

Buzzing About the Second Grade Reading Bee

Yesterday was a great day for Second Grade Readers!  The Castleberry ISD Reading Bee was held at Castleberry Elementary.  The top two readers from each elementary school met to see who would be the representative from CISD to attend the TCU Reading Bee on November 22nd.  Students from all over the area will represent their districts and great reading takes place!  Readers from each district get backpacks loaded with lots of "goodies."  The top six readers win very nice prizes which have been donated to Score-A-Goal, the facilitator of the Reading Bee!

 

Judges for the Bee were Genero Martinez, Kelly James, and Holly Richardson!  The judges heard some excellent readers who were able to read and comprehend passages which ranged from Grade 5.4 to Grade 10.8!  After students read passages about the Revolutionary War, Photosynthesis, and other topics, a winner was declared!  A brief ceremony was held to announce the winners and honor all the participants

 

A word of thanks to all who supported and helped this event to take place.  Thanks to my co-coaches, Molly Higgins, Linda Aguillon, Kelly James and Shannon Adams, Asst. Principal at JJE, for their help with the Reading Bees at each elementary campus.  Thanks to Principal Hollie Lancarte for the use of the library for the celebration.  CISD Administration and the campus principals are always great supporters of this event, and their support is really appreciated.  Last, but not least, a huge thank you to Holly Richardson for agreeing to be CISD's judge at the TCU Reading Bee.  She will give up her Saturday to listen to all the great readers who will represent area districts.  Thank you, Holly!

 

 

TPRI Grouping and Instruction

Now that you have looked at all your data, it is time to use the data to group students and plan instruction.  The mClass website makes it very easy group and plan for the students in either your class or for individual students.

• Go to the "Assign Tiers" tab.  If a student is "SD" on the screening, they will be marked as "Tier 2."  At the right of each student's name, there is a column with the information you need in order to mark the tier for each student.  If a student is Tier 1, just click on the "Assign" button, and they will be saved with that designation.  For Tier 2, use the arrow to find "2."  Mark assign, and they will be "Tier 2."  Students who have been retained are also marked as "Tier 2."
• The next tab to explore is the "Grouping Tab."  There are two smaller tabs under the larger one.  Click on the "Skill Map."  You will see a list of students who are developed.  You will see that your students have been placed in various groups based on the different areas of TPRI.  These are the students who are "SD" in different TPRI skills.  Some names are seen in a light gray font.  This means that they didn't take this test; however if they had, TPRI anticipates that they would fall in the "SD" category and would be on the list.  You may want to include these students in your plans for intervention of those skills.
• Click on the tab which is named "Grouping Tool."  This tool is available to help you group your students according to TPRI results.  The steps are listed at the top of the page.  Just follow the steps as they are listed.  Groups may be adjusted at any time.  Remember to "save" before you move to each group.
• Now you can click on the tab labeled "Instruction."  This tab allows you to plan instruction for an individual or groups of students.  Each area from the TPRI has suggested activities that come from the TPRI "Intervention Activities Guide."  Click the small white box next to the activity you want to select.  You will see a check mark in the box.  Click "Save" and that lesson or group of lessons will be available for intervention for individual or groups of students.
• When you have finished selecting activities and saving them for groups or individuals, go to the printer tab on the top, right-hand side and select "print."  I think this is when the "magic" happens.  A page will open and you will see all the activities exactly as they are printed in the "Intervention Activities Guide."  The lesson plan is there for you to use until you decide you are ready for a new plan for a student or group of students.

I have given you lots of information for using the mClass website in order to look at class and individual data, to group your students, and to plan intervention instruction.  I hope this has been helpful for you.  If you have any questions regarding any of the information, please feel free to contact me.

TPRI Individual Student Data

Last week we looked at some steps that helped us analyze whole-class data.  Today I will walk you through some ways to look at individual student data.

• Begin by looking at the data found on the home page.  You can look across the row that has the student's name and immediately tell what areas the students has mastered and the areas of difficulty.
• Look at the screening status column first.  The student will have either SD (still developing) or D (developed) for this area.  SD lets you know right away that the student will probably need some intervention.  D means with good classroom instruction the student will probably be just fine for the particular grade level.
• The Phonemic Awareness section (First Grade only) will have a score of 4-5 to be developed.  Anything 3 or below is still developing.
• The Graphophonemic Knowledge and Word Reading follow the same scoring system.
• The last item on the line lets you know if the student was able to read Story 1 and/or Story 2.
• The Accuracy Level can be:
• Frustrational/Listening
• Instructional
• Independent.
• The fluency rate will not be given for any student who is not reading on either an Instructional or Independent level.
• The last column gives the score for comprehension.  Students are developed if they score 5-6 for each story.  You may find that a student has 5-6, but they are not developed.  This is because they have a Listening Comprehension score and not a Reading Comprehension score.  These are the students who were found to be frustrational when reading the stories.
• You may decide that you would like for information about a student's results.  To find more information, click on the student's name, and you will be taken to a page that summarizes the data.  If you click on the small tab at the top that says "Score Details," you will see all the responses the student has given for each test item.  If you scroll through all the data, you will see the passages read by each student.  The words the student missed will have a line drawn through them.
• The next tab that will give you information is the small tab that says "Error Analysis."  This tab gives you information about the specific errors the student has made for Graphophonemic  Knowledge (Second Grade only) and Word Reading (First and Second Grade).

As you can see from looking at both the class results and individual student results, TPRI gives you an abundance of information to use in planning instruction.  Next week, I will show you some tools on the website to facilitate planning instruction for your class.