ESE625 Advanced Classroom Management Strategies
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Module Three

Reading Three: Structure

 

Praxis Three
These are suggested activities. Feel free to complete them and send them to the professor. They provide a natural progression of activities to facilitate proactive discipline.

  1. List the consequences for breaking classroom rules.
    · Keep them natural and logical
    · Define how freedoms or choices were curtailed
    · Focus on restitution - to the person, to the learning environment
  2. Establish a procedure for students to add to the list of logical consequences as they develop insights.
  3. Define the action role of teacher, focusing on the idea of teacher as guardian.
  4. Develop a consequence process which focuses on rewards and highlights positive achievement. If possible develop it to be self propelled.
  5. Using the PEPSI materials in Chapter Three, review the moral reasoning level of students in the class
    · Work to recognize the reasons used to justify behaviors
    · Listen for references to "fair" and define what is meant by student use of it
    · Identify student ability to take a second person perspective
  6. Review personal classroom rules for consistency with the norms that have emerged. Review the student and teacher roles and write positive and negative consequences that are most likely to facilitate development and continuation of those roles.

Summary
The classroom setting is likely to appear radically altered by these subtle changes. For some teachers change signals anxiety, just as it does for some students. Remembering how much learning means to us, and seeing the changes as learning, reflecting , growing, and developing adds energy and excitement. Recognizing an opportunity for greater effectiveness, stronger relationship to students, deeper meaning and service to society balances with the discomfort of change. The rest of this hands on material outlines the processes and steps which will help the excellent practitioner. The suggested changes are a blue print. In each classroom there will be original ideas, and personally stronger, more efficient ways to move toward democratic discipline.

It may be helpful if a cadre of teachers form a partnership to discuss the changes and provide support and insights as the implementation progresses. It is vital to remember the partnership with community and family and enlist assistance and insights from these members as well. Great teachers know, as business leaders are learning, that some of the clearest perspective and freshest ideas come from students. Providing appropriate times and places for student input and perspectives helps as well. All these supports can assist in the journey to a rebirth of the meaning of education, a commitment to support education, the profession of teaching, the vision of democracy taught and honored in the schools.

 


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