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During August, we trekked from school to school to school teaching our popular Breakthrough Strategies to Teach and Counsel Troubled Youth Workshop at each school as each team's start-of-the-year inservice. We have been doing this every August for the past 15 years so we know what to expect from school staff who are returning for another year. But, this year was a bit different. Instead of finding tanned, relaxed, ebullient staff, excited to begin another school year, this year, at many schools, we also noted more apprehension and cynicism than is customary for those normally halcyon days prior to students
returning. As we traveled from school to school, and from state to state, we could feel the concern among school staff at every grade level.
Perhaps more this year than ever before, teachers face what some are calling "the perfect storm" (USA Today 08/14/03.) Shrinking budgets and mounting proficiency test requirements for both students and teachers hammer educators in many states Add in the new, federal No Child Left Behind Act with it's many standards-- but without dollars to engineer compliance-- and you may have conditions that are hard to survive. In Texas, one vice-principal captured the significant apprehension and worry by noting that in his state, they grimly refer to the law as No Child Left Behind, No Teacher Left Standing.
If teachers face greater challenges than ever before, at a time when they are equipped with less resources than ever before, then it becomes crucial to fully use and mine every second of instruction time. However, the typical teacher loses about 22 minutes of every 50 minutes of instruction time to on-demand behavior management. That is time no contemporary teacher can afford to lose. Here are just a few of our innovative, one-of-a-kind methods to help you create your most productive school year ever.
1. SURVEY YOUR CONSUMERS
People-- both young and old-- absolutely love to have a say in how things are run. Don't you? Want to grab your students' attention from the very start? Want them to view you and the class positively? Want them to feel hopeful and optimistic about what your class will cover this school year? Here is a quick, almost no-fail method: Survey your "consumers" and give them a voice. Craft a survey and watch the looks of surprise and the utter eagerness to say what they think, and thanks for asking.
2. ORIENTATION IS NEVER ENOUGH
Organizations function best when each player has been trained and oriented to understand and meet standards. NOTE: Stating the expectations is seldom sufficient to gain compliance. For example, students who have not been taught adult interaction skills by their parents, may lack the skills to interact properly with their teacher, principal, bus driver, etc. Stating the expectations may do little to teach what words to use, what words to not use, what voice tone, what voice level, how often to be non-compliant, and so on. You can expect whatever you want from students, but if you fail to teach it, it may be an unfair expectation, a lot like expecting students to have reading or math skills without having first taught those skills.
Students will not only lack adult interaction skills, but will need nuts-and-bolts skill training to develop and use appropriate skills for peer interaction, compliance, verbiage, punctuality, attendance, attitude, focusing, and so on. Unless you teach ALL the skills you expect, it's likely that you will continue to lose 22 minutes of each 50 minute period of instruction. By teaching these skills, you can get back all or most of that otherwise lost instruction time.
3. BUILD A BOND
Especially if you work with students who are utterly sour and negative about teachers, you must establish a positive, powerful presence from the first second of class. Here's a wonderful device that you can make-- or order it from us for $13. It's in our Last Chance School Success Guide book. The device is "A Student's Guide to the Care and Heeding of Teachers." Our version of it looks like a little manual that you can dangle on a string off your sleeve until one of your students asks about it. You can then tell the class that the item is a manual--like those that come with a new computer or jacket-- and this one shows you how to make your teacher "work right."
Our version is extremely funny, noting, for example, that "this teacher does not include optional mind-reading capabilities and cannot magically determine when you need help." Our version has a reputation for engaging even the most negative youngster, but you can construct your version to cover other areas and to look any way you want.
4. ATTEND TO THIS FIRST
The time to teach attendance and punctuality is Day 1, Week 1. The minute they arrive is the time to ensure that they keep on arriving. Don't rely on families to teach this. As discussed in #2 above, it is not sufficient to orient students by reminding them of the times that they are to arrive. You must teach them EVERYTHING they need to know to meet the expectation. Be sure to include how to wake up, wash up, eat up, dress up, and leave for school. Use a variety of methods to provide this help.
LIKE THESE STRATEGIES?
We have thousands more in our books, tapes and workshops. The smattering of resources listed here are just a few of the solutions we have to help you build a more productive year. When you think of problem youth, think of us. We can help! If you want hundreds more great ideas, visit our web site, link below.
Peer Skill Repair: Shape Up Sagging Peer Skills
Peer interaction problems can make any school or agency site chaotic, loud, unpleasant or unsafe. There are no quick fixes to instantly turnaround all your peer problems, but here are some fun ways to begin the process. The more you can use creative, unexpected and humorous methods, the more success you may achieve repairing poor peer skills. Rely on methods that catch your
aggressive, oppositional, depressed, withdrawn and defiant youth off-guard, and powerfully engage them despite their resistance. We have thousands of compelling, effective methods that will successfully teach peers skills to even very resistant youth. Here is a small sampling of our methods that are designed to overcome any resistance that your students may present.
** Who You Gonna Call? Gropes Busters!
Here's a fun multiple choice quiz that teaches while your students are laughing. Permission is granted to you to print out the quiz for use with students.
The Gropes-Busters Quiz
1. When standing near other kids, it is very important to stand:
a) Nose to nose
b) On their toes
c) About one arm length away
2. When other students say "No," it really means:
a) "Yes" with an attitude
b) The "n" and "o" are silent
c) Stop!
3. When touching others, a guideline to follow is:
a) Grope first, ask second
b) Ask first, grope second
c) Ask first and comply with the answer
4. When watching pro sports like football and hockey, it is important to remember that
a) Slapping people's backsides is a universal greeting
b) Violent contact is welcomed everywhere
c) No one should ever behave as badly as misbehaved pro athletes
5. When touching others, it is always best to
a) Never touch anything labeled "radioactive"
b) Never touch anything you can't reach
c) Never touch until receiving permission first
** BONUS INTERVENTION
To generate a dialogue about interacting with peers who are ethnically, culturally, or otherwise different, use this group experience exercise: Divide students into two groups. Each group will be given the task of either buying or selling items.
Privately provide separate instructions to each group on how they must behave, and have these instructions conflict. For example, one group may talk only to blondes; the other group may not permit blondes to talk to people from outside their own group. The resulting conflict will mirror real-life clashes and can be followed by a discussion on identifying, understanding and managing cultural, ethnic and interpersonal differences. Be sure to tell both groups that they can not reveal their private instructions until the exercise is over, and the discussion begins.
** BONUS INTERVENTION
"Problem hands" can be a big problem. It is important to teach youngsters who are being victimized, how to avoid additional problems. But, in addition, remember to teach the victimized kids that they are not to blame. Victims sometimes don't report problem touching by peers for reasons that relate to self-blame. Teach these youngsters that they were not to blame regardless of their dress, demeanor, reputation or personal history. self-blame issues can be especially important for girls and young women, yet many times the whole subject is completely overlooked. Students who are being harassed, will have great difficulty benefiting from your service. Reducing self-blame will prompt more disclosures to staff, resulting in more resolutions. With less harassment to manage, students may become less distracted, less sad and less burdened. That usually will mean that they may be able to work harder-- and benefit more-- at your school or agency. Reducing the blame factor can yield big results.
You've just read only a few of our endless supply of techniques to turnaround peer problems. Our books and workshops have many more gropes-busters, and other surprising, one-of-a-kind peer problem solutions-- solutions that you can't find anywhere else. Visit our website to view our Temper and Tantrum Tamer book, plus many other must-have books and cassettes that can quickly solve your worst peer problems. Working with difficult kids doesn't have to be so difficult--with our immediate, problem-stopping solutions. You can also get hundreds of free methods all over our web site, link below. |
| Author: Ruth Wells, M.S. |
| |
Author Bio:
Get much more information on this topic at www.youthchg.com and theclassroommanagementsite.com. See hundreds more of innovative, problem-stopping interventions at the Youth Change web site. Ruth Wells MS is the director of Youth Change. Ruth is the author of dozens of books including the popular Temper and Tantrum Tamers, Turn On the Turned-Off Student, Last Chance School Success Guide and Maximum-Strength Motivation-Makers. She annually trains hundreds of teachers, counselors and youth professionals in staff development workshops, conferences, seminars and in-service throughout the country. Get free samples and see 100s more of her problem-stopping interventions at Youth Change's web site. Ruth is the author of dozens of books and ebooks, and conducts professional development workshops. Please visit us at our website at www.youthchg.com or feel free to call us at 1-800-545-5736. |
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