Behavior is learned, not innate, so our students must be taught how to behave (Orey, 2010). Many of today’s students are not taught how to behave and what behavior is appropriate, whether they are in school or at home. Without generalizing too much, I think it would be fair to say that a majority of our students are not raised with or taught how to behave and act appropriately and respectfully. I associate behavior and expectations as being 2 essential, continual lessons that I must teach to my students, both while in my classroom and throughout my school. The reason I associate behavior and expectations is that if I expect a student to do something, the student should know exactly what I am asking them to do. When building a classroom environment, I establish a list of less than 5 rules that every student is expected to abide by. These rules are posted, I define and explain them, and they are always unwavering. It takes a lot of set-up time to teach my students what I expect them to do. I need them to know how things will be presented, the procedures to follow, how to learn and complete the work, and how they will be assessed. When you know what’s coming, how to proceed, and what’s expected of you, it is a very calming and empowering feeling. The same can be true for behavior, especially in a classroom. We can’t just say that the students should follow our rules for how to behave, we must teach them exactly how to behave and not assume that someone taught them beforehand. i always remember how I learned that assuming is not acceptable. I was tutoring some 5th grade Math students, and they were struggling with converting fractions to decimals. The teacher had assigned them a group of problems, and every one of the students was struggling to complete them. The fact was that the appendix of the textbook had a conversion chart that was needed to complete the assignment, but none of these students knew where it was in the textbook. Once I showed them the conversion chart, every student completed the work and answered correctly. The Math problems themselves weren’t the barrier to the students’ success, the fact was that they didn’t know how to use or find things in their textbooks. Perhaps sometimes we teach our lesson with blinders on, and overlook the background and buildup needed to really produce positive results and knowledge retention.
Positive reinforcement is of primary importance in school, especially when it comes to behavior (Orey, 2010). Positively reinforcing a student’s effort of a student can be very effective (Pitler, Hubbell, Kuhn, and Malenoski 2007). We need to tell the students how they will be assessed. I think it is important to not only assess a lesson at the end with a quiz, but to have the assessment consist of a number of reinforcing milestones or steps. One way to do this is to have a repeatable routine for learning each lesson or concept. This can be done by explicitly approaching and presenting the class with a defined goal for that class period, and then by revisiting and assessing if we achieved the goal during the last five minutes. During the next class the lesson is built on, and we can once again assess if the students understand and can apply it. I set a class environment that requires and encourages active participation by every student, and try to give lots of positive feedback when a student gives an answer or a perspective. I post individual achievements on our intranet website, make a big deal about completing a task, give awards for best project, and call parents at home with positive feedback that is specific to their child. Continual reassurance, reward, and assessment lead to students with confidence, one that not only can define a concept, but can actually apply it.
Using homework and practice are not tools that I choose to us. I prefer to practice and do work only in the classroom. I try to create projects and hands-on activities that require high and active student participation and involvement. My 2nd grader was assigned 40 minutes of homework every school day last year. From my perspective and observation, the problem with the homework was that the students weren’t taught the lesson in class, and then sent home to practice it more by completing the homework. Essentially, the homework was a way of extending the school day and presenting more material. In my house, my daughter had the opportunity to complete and master the homework, but it took time and my daily involvement. The problem that happens is that only a few of the 2nd graders completed and understood the homework. Also, what happens when one or more students “learn” the wrong way to do a problem or the wrong way to write a story? I think it is much harder to have to “un-learn” how to do something we learned incorrectly, and then learn it the correct way. I’m not a control freak, but I like to structure the learning in my classroom to achieve student understanding, and I try to avoid having to correct a previous misconception.
References
Orey, M. (Ed.). (2001). Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Main_Page
Laureate Education, Inc. (Executive Producer). (2010). [Webcast]. Behaviorist Learning Theory. Baltimore: Author
Pitler H., Hubbell, E., Kuhn, M., & Malenoski, K. (2007). Using technology with classroom instruction that works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
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