(Part of chapter 5: Creating a Strong Classroom Culture)
This technique emphasizes that students have to be ready to learn when the lesson starts. They have to have paper and pencils ready, etc. I don't have this problem, in general, in college, so I'm not going to write on this.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Technique 32: SLANT
(Part of chapter 5: Creating a Strong Classroom Culture)
"No matter how great the lesson, if students aren't alert, sitting up, and actively listening, teaching them is like pouring water into a leaky bucket." (p 158)
The author has an acronym to describe the 5 basic behaviors that maximize students' ability to learn:
"No matter how great the lesson, if students aren't alert, sitting up, and actively listening, teaching them is like pouring water into a leaky bucket." (p 158)
The author has an acronym to describe the 5 basic behaviors that maximize students' ability to learn:
- Sit up
- Listen
- Ask and answer questions
- Nod your head
- Track the speaker
(Some schools also add Smile to the beginning -- S-SLANT. I like that, too.)
A champion teacher tells the students that these behaviors are best and are expected. Then, the instructor can quickly and easily remind students about it: "Make sure you are SLANTing."
My response:
I LOVE THIS! I have so many students who slouch, don't watch me, don't listen, don't nod, and don't track the speaker. I teach some classes in computer lab classrooms, and the students log in, and go straight to facebook. For some reason, they think I can't tell -- but I can because they aren't tracking me, nodding, etc. So, I ask them questions to bring them back into the classroom, but that just interrupts the flow of the class, and uses questions as a sort of disciplinary action -- not what I want to do. (Others log in and take notes on-line. I can tell the difference because they are tracking me, nodding, etc.)
I plan to put this acronym on my syllabi and on a PowerPoint slide to remind students what I expect of them.
Technique 31: Binder Control
(Part of chapter 5: Creating a Strong Classroom Culture)
This is a technique about getting students to organize their notes, assignments, etc. This is not a college-level problem, in general.
This is a technique about getting students to organize their notes, assignments, etc. This is not a college-level problem, in general.
Technique 30: Tight Transitions
(Part of chapter 5: Creating a Strong Classroom Culture)
This is a technique for getting students to move through hallways quickly, etc. We don't do this in college.
This is a technique for getting students to move through hallways quickly, etc. We don't do this in college.
Technique 29: Do Now
(Part of chapter 5: Creating a Strong Classroom Culture)
Do Now is a technique for getting students engaged in learning as soon as they enter the classroom and find their seats. They will start the activity even before the instructor is in the room, perhaps. The Do Now activity also helps eliminate some of the poor behavior that comes from idle time before "class" starts.
A good Do Now activity has 4 elements:
Do Now is a technique for getting students engaged in learning as soon as they enter the classroom and find their seats. They will start the activity even before the instructor is in the room, perhaps. The Do Now activity also helps eliminate some of the poor behavior that comes from idle time before "class" starts.
A good Do Now activity has 4 elements:
- Self-explanatory and self-contained: the students should be able to do the activity without needing extra directions or help.
- Short: 3 to 5 minutes long.
- Written: the students should have to write something down. This allows you to see if they are doing, or have done, the activity.
- Preview: the activity should preview the lesson of the day.
The author suggests that the best Do Now activities require a bit of preparation from the instructor. Instead of taking time to write the activity on the board, have it written out on a slide and put that up quickly on the overhead screen.
My response:
I love this idea. I think it would work well in intro programming classes, and maybe also in my 300-level networking courses. For intro programming, I can see having a few very short coding problems available as soon as they enter. This way they will get a bit of practice doing what they are learning -- exactly what we need.
Technique 28: Entry Routine
(Part of chapter 5: Creating a Strong Classroom Culture)
This technique is about students getting in the habit of getting into the classroom quickly and getting started quickly on the lesson for the day. The author talks about getting worksheets/packets to the students quickly, getting the students to their seats quickly, turning in homework quickly, etc.
One interesting idea is for the teacher to have a Do Now activity ready for the students, in the same place every time. See the next posting.
My response:
I don't have much of a problem with this in college. Students generally sit down and get ready to go.
This technique is about students getting in the habit of getting into the classroom quickly and getting started quickly on the lesson for the day. The author talks about getting worksheets/packets to the students quickly, getting the students to their seats quickly, turning in homework quickly, etc.
One interesting idea is for the teacher to have a Do Now activity ready for the students, in the same place every time. See the next posting.
My response:
I don't have much of a problem with this in college. Students generally sit down and get ready to go.
Introduction to Chapter 5: Creating a Strong Classroom Culture
The techniques in chapter 5 help make your classroom a place where students come to work, collaborate, behave, and do their best. But, before getting to the techniques, theThe author lays out 5 Principles of Classroom Culture. These are five aspects of your relationships with students. They are:
- Discipline
- Management
- Control
- Influence
- Engagement
Discipline: this is a noun -- a practice of doing something correctly and completely. In the classroom, the teacher needs to model this, by having self-discipline in his teaching, demonstrating good work habits. "Teaching with discipline implies a front-end investment in teaching your charges how to be students." (p 147)
Management: is the process of reinforcing behavior by consequences and rewards. This is what people call "discplining" -- a verb. I am not going to cover this, as at the college level, it doesn't apply -- and especially for me, I think.
Control: "Control is your capacity to cause someone to choose to do what you ask, regardless of consequences." (p 148) Notice that the student still has a choice, but the student chooses to do the activity or comply with the culture of the classroom, etc. Another quote:
Engagement: this is keeping your students busy with productive activities. The busier they are in learning, the less time they have to misbehave. And, if they are busy with positive activities, they change from the inside-out. They see positive activities and behavior as the norm.
Most of the techniques in this chapter focus almost exclusively on Discipline and "on the Systems and routines that are the hidden foundation of any classroom culture." (However, many of the techniques incorporate parts of the other principles.)
Management: is the process of reinforcing behavior by consequences and rewards. This is what people call "discplining" -- a verb. I am not going to cover this, as at the college level, it doesn't apply -- and especially for me, I think.
Control: "Control is your capacity to cause someone to choose to do what you ask, regardless of consequences." (p 148) Notice that the student still has a choice, but the student chooses to do the activity or comply with the culture of the classroom, etc. Another quote:
Teachers how have strong control succeed because they understand the power of language and relationships: they ask respectfully, firmly, and confidently but also with civility, and often kindly. They express their faith in students. They replace vague and judgmental commands like "calm down" with specific and useful ones like, "Please return to your seat and begin writing in your journal." They actions evince clarity, purposefulness, resolve, and caring. if you can get students to do what you are delegated with help them to achieve, you are doing your job, and you've also saved your consequences for when you need them most. (p 149)Influence: this is the next step beyond control. Influence gets students to want to do well.
Engagement: this is keeping your students busy with productive activities. The busier they are in learning, the less time they have to misbehave. And, if they are busy with positive activities, they change from the inside-out. They see positive activities and behavior as the norm.
Most of the techniques in this chapter focus almost exclusively on Discipline and "on the Systems and routines that are the hidden foundation of any classroom culture." (However, many of the techniques incorporate parts of the other principles.)
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