Fluent Corrections

To be effective, corrections must be calm, planned, consistent, immediate, and smooth.

Done effectively, corrections maintain a focus on both student learning and mutual respect.

CALM CORRECTIONS

Any attempt to correct students will likely be unsuccessful if the teacher loses her cool. If she gets angry, her anger can significantly distract students from learning. Children who feel they have been singled out by a teacher are often distracted for the rest of the school day. And communicating anger or frustration affects more than the student who receives the comments. Emotions are infectious. Instead, employ the following response:

• Name it. Recognize the behaviors that are most likely to trigger a negative emotion.

• Reframe it. See the behavior from the perspective that reduces our negative emotions, remind yourself that usually behavior has nothing to do with you but everything to do with student needs, mentally separate yourself from the interaction .

• Tame it. Pause before you respond and paraphrase what you just heard.

PLANNED CORRECTIONS

Teachers will better serve their students and be able to focus more on the art of teaching by planning their corrections in advance. If a teacher is unsure of what to do every time a student acts in a potentially disruptive manner, the teacher loses some credibility with students, rungs the risk of being inconsistent, and is sure to be worn out. Planning corrections in advance also helps teachers make better decisions in other aspects of instruction. We can only think about so much at one time, so the more we have to think about, the more difficult it is to make good decisions. To make planned corrections, do the following:

1. Make a list of common misbehaviors.

2. Decide the consequences for the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th time you see the behavior.

3. Stick to your plan! It will be easier to be consistent and respond immediately when you know your limits.

CONSISTENT CORRECTIONS

When students are upset about corrections, it is often because they feel they have not been treated fairly. If we are not consisten, our corrections may not be fair. When a behavior is acceptable one day and not acceptable the next, or when some students are corrected for a behavior and others are not, children are right to feel that it's not fair. Essentially, what is unacceptable yesterday must be unacceptable today and tomorrow. To help with consistency, pick one or two behaviors to focus on. Then, be deliberate about being consistent on your focus behaviors.

IMMEDIATE CORRECTIONS

When making corrections, teachers should make them as soon as possible after the behavior occurs. There should be no ambiguity about why a student is being corrected. A teacher makes it clear to students why they are being corrected when she corrects students immediately. Immediate corrections communicate that you are in control of the class and that you won't tolerate behaviors that violate classroom expectations. They also help maintain a safe and productive learning environment.

SMOOTH CORRECTIONS

Effective corrections should be as quick as possible, but no quicker. Teachers need to clearly communicate the correction and then smoothly move students back to learning. Some students try to deflect corrections by dragging out conversations for as long as possible by arguing that "she was the one talking," "I am working," "you're being unfair," and so forth. Don't go there! Way too much instructional time can be wasted in arguing with students, so imply identify the behavior to be corrected, explain what the student should be doing, calmly and quickly, and then move back to instruction.