It’s almost like the issue of Classroom Management is at such a critical point that we can just start calling it CM, since we here in the PLC already have a long history of acronym-worshipping. Bryan sent this:
Salut Ben,
I was reading “The Smart Classroom Management Plan for High School Teachers” by Michael Linsin, and it had the wonderful idea of giving a daily grade for listening and participation. This isn’t really new, but the part I really like is that one infraction for listening immediately results in a 50% reduction in points for the daily listening points. A second infraction results in no points for the daily listening points. He does this for both listening and participation. All you have to do is put a dot or a tally next to the student’s picture on your seating chart, and then subtract those points at the end of the day (or more realistically) at the end of the week. This gives the Interpersonal Communications Rubric some major bite, and makes it simple to use.
I modified it a bit for my classroom, but the idea of it is sound. I’m going to start using this modification tomorrow. I think it will make life much easier.
I thought this would be helpful for making it super clear to students what expectations are and how they can earn their grade.
Have a great week, and I’m looking forward to the classroom management book! It’s going to make a lot of people’s lives so much better!
Bryan
My response is that this will work for some but only those who can think in this way. For me, all classroom management must arise from the students’ desire to want to behave properly and so things must be set up that way, on that premise, a premise of teaching decency, if you will. Many teachers say that it is not in their job description to do that. I call that selfish inaction. In this society right now, it is a social responsibility. It is my view that the teacher should of course work to enforce the rules and call out kids from time to time, etc. but that the general thrust of classroom management in my opinion should be intrinsic and not extrinsic in nature. Let’s keep this dialogue at the forefront of our discussions here from now until, say, a century from now, when things will be a lot better.