Putting the students in charge

This is a continuation of Fabulous Friday, but only because of what happened the day before...

I have read some great books that have really shaped and defined my teaching. Teaching should be like a piece of clay, something that can be continuously shaped and reshaped, molded and remolded. I feel that I have been able to shape what I do and continue to change what needs to change, refine what is working. The most influential books for me are listed to the right!

One of the things that has really changed for me is from Alfie Kohn (Punished by Rewards), Jim and Charles Fay, and David Funk (Teaching with Love and Logic). They advise to let the students figure out how to solve their problems and to take ownership in their behavior. The advice has changed my life in teaching for so much of the better!! I no longer am exhausted with solving students' problems!

In our cafeteria, the teachers are lucky enough to have duty-free lunch (meaning we can go eat and not sit with the kids). There are two colored cups on the table to indicate the students' behavior. Green signals good behavior, green and yellow is a warning, and just yellow is bad behavior. I don't totally agree with it, but I know they need to do something.

It has forced us to talk about being a team. Usually a yellow cup occurs because of just a few students, but there is no way for me to tell who or what happened.

Thursday, we got a yellow cup.

As we left lunch, I told the students to meet me on the playground.

We sat in a circle, and talked about what happened, not specifying anyone's name-this enhances that we are a team and does not make anyone feel like the sole blame. They know who they are and what they did.

It turns out they were talking too much, and so I asked them how we were going to fix it so that it won't happen again. Instead of answers like, "don't talk", I have them continue to think and really come up with a solution they think will work. They came up with a sort of game, where they put their finger on their lips and turn and tap the person next to them, to remind them it is time to be quiet.

Also discussing what is expected again reminds them of what to do.

The next day, we got a green cup.

They were so proud of themselves. They had fixed the problem.

What more could I ask for?