Creating Classrooms of Care:
Creating Classrooms of Care:
Embedded Files
Having an organized classroom in which students know where things are and what to do WITHOUT a teacher saves many frustrating moments. In addition, most of these structures improve classroom culture and reduce negative student behaviors -- it creates a classroom of care.
Having an organized classroom in which students know where things are and what to do WITHOUT a teacher saves many frustrating moments. In addition, most of these structures improve classroom culture and reduce negative student behaviors -- it creates a classroom of care.
Creating structure can be done very easily by using consistent and simple signs and conversations that set expectations every time, such as using the CHAMPS method. There are endless variations of methods online, and the exact method is less important than selecting one to use consistently.
Example Classroom Management Styles
Example Classroom Management Styles
C.H.A.M.P.S (Conversation, Help, Activity, Movement, Participation, Success) is a classroom management program that aims to improve student behavior plus strengthen learner engagement through a strategic system of clearly defined expectations.
It supports the idea that learners need to see and practice certain behaviors so that they are active participants in successfully managing their own behaviors. Consequently, the program frames procedures, routines, and rules in a way that is digestible for students, empowering them to make good behavioral choices.
The C.H.A.M.P.S acronym represents the criteria, and the descriptors reflect the expectations that you’ve set within each criteria. See the signs in the slideshow to the right for an example.
While the criteria doesn’t change, the descriptors vary based on the task and/or the location of the activity.
In a sense, you’re creating a type of “lesson plan” for each activity, with clearly defined guidelines that learners should follow in order to produce a successful outcome.
Teach Like a Champion resources combine classroom management techniques with great instructional opportunities to keep students involved like Kagan Structures or other differentiated student-driven activities.
The links below are a few of the 49 techniques proposed by Doug Lemov in this series and book by the same name, Teach Like a Champion.
Structured Directives: CHAMPS
Structured Directives: CHAMPS
C.H.A.M.P.S Classroom Management
C.H.A.M.P.S Classroom Management
C = Conversation (How will students engage with each other during the activity?)
H = Help (What’s the process for seeking assistance or support?)
A = Activity (What type of learning structure or format is it?)
M = Movement (Are learners permitted to move about the classroom?)
P = Participation (Which behaviors demonstrate active learning?)
S = Success (Are students successful with their behavior for this task?)
Structured Directives: Teach like a Champion
Structured Directives: Teach like a Champion
There is a lot of information on the internet about key Teach like a Champion strategies. See example videos for some techniques from Teach like a Champion.
There is a lot of information on the internet about key Teach like a Champion strategies. See example videos for some techniques from Teach like a Champion.
49 Techniques for Teach Like a Champion.pdfExample Classroom Routines
Example Classroom Routines
The following resources are examples only and should not be considered as mandates -- each teacher and situation is unique. Choose what works for you.
The following resources are examples only and should not be considered as mandates -- each teacher and situation is unique. Choose what works for you.
10 by 2 Technique
10 by 2 Technique
It is true what John Maxwell says, “Students don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” And the famous puppeteer, Jim Henson, had it right when he said, “Students don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember who you are.” Establishing relationships with your students is essential in teaching. It is the heart of what we do. It is the reason you went into teaching in the first place. It is not just important, it is critical. It makes all the difference in the world to you and your students. It matters.
Be Intentional About Building Relationships.
Implement the Two-by-Ten Strategy Raymond Wiodkowski researched a strategy called “Two-by-Ten.” He focused on his most challenging student for two minutes every day for ten consecutive days. He had personal conversations with the student about things that interested the student. He was very intentional about the two minutes and sincerely listened. He found a measured 85% improvement in the individual student’s behavior. In addition, he found the behavior of all the other students in the classroom improved, too (Smith & Lambert, 2008).
https://lead4ward.com/docs/rockstar/twobyten.pdf
Example Wording
Example Wording
https://www.weareteachers.com/positive-language-in-the-classroom/
It is easy for us as the adults to be intentional with our words, but when teachers ask students to work from a growth mindset and change their words, it’s like they’re asking them to pretend they already have a Growth Mindset and acknowledge the "not yet" mark. For some students this is unattainable and scary. Without some sort of teacher intervention, it’s unlikely the student will achieve much growth. “I can’t do it yet” too often becomes “I still can’t do it yet!
All this underscores an even bigger problem: Schlimmbeserung – the German word that means to make things worse while trying to make them better. Our efforts to help students develop a Growth Mindset can backfire, resulting in the development of a more Fixed Mindset.
How does a student respond when the promise of “not yet” remains unfulfilled? They are likely to have their previous beliefs of “I can’t” reinforced. They develop a sense of learnt helplessness that acts as a negative Mindset Mover, reinforcing their fixed beliefs about their abilities.
It’s like the aspirin wears off and the fever comes back even stronger!
Between the Fixed and Growth Mindset is teacher action
Changing students’ words to change their mindset gets the order wrong. We need to change students’ beliefs about their abilities before they can change their words. We must treat the cause, not the symptoms.
For students to move from a Fixed Mindset to a more Growth Mindset, there must be teacher action that shows children how to grow. It’s not enough to simply tell students to repeat the mantra, “Mistakes help me learn.” We must show students how mistakes help them learn so they can correct them.
Similarly, telling students, “This may take some time,” isn’t helpful unless we tell them how their time needs to be spent.
When the student makes a Fixed Mindset statement (“I’m not good at this” or “This is too hard”), the teacher must create a positive Mindset Mover. A Band-Aid response of, “Don’t say that,” won’t work in the long run. The teacher’s response needs to show the student how to achieve growth.
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