After reading Lee and Marlene Canter's article, Assertive Discipline, I have noticed several strategies that effective teachers employ with their students in order to keep a positive and productive classroom environment. Some of these strategies I even use with my own children in internship, such as scanning. Scanning is when you are working with a small group of children, then look up and over them to see what the rest of the class is doing. A useful tip that I found with the article was to not only scan the room with your eyes, but to make some sort of supportive feedback to the children on task. This lets the students know that you care about their hard work and remain observant all the while (Canter, 1976, pg. 93). Being a teacher who practices assertive discipline means that the teacher is a dynamic person who must truly care about the lives of their children. Instead of taking a non-assertive, or hostile approach. The assertive teacher asserts their dominance over the climate of the classroom and reinforces the well-established rules. First, the rules and procedures must be explicitly taught, just like any other lesson with subject matter. Then, as soon as the inevitable misbehavior happens, the teacher can refer to the agreed upon, universal rule and carry out a hierarchical discipline sequence (Canter, 1976, pg. 89) (#FEAP3i). The first attempts of correction are mild, while they gradually increase with severity the longer the student displays opposition.
It seems as if this week's readings were tailored just for me, since I want to learn how to handle a classroom of 18 first graders. Over the past two months being in first grade, I have yet to say that I have had a successful day. There have been good things to notice here and there. Yet, I can say that the focus of Linda Albert's Cooperative Discipline article is exactly what I am now striving for with my students. We need to learn how to create a "cooperative approach to help students connect with others, contribute, and feel capable." (Albert, 1996, pg. 67) Too often we hear, "I cant, it's too hard!" or "But I don't know how!" Linda's article gave me some tools to correct student misbehavior is extremely productive ways, spelling out why students act the way they do. They act out of choice, and it is in these choices that they meet their needs or desires. If their needs and desires are met before they are forced to make poor choices in order to receive them, then learning can take place and attention can be paid. Teachers can involve parents in the discipline plan for their classrooms. Before the school year gets underway, email every parent the classroom rules and procedures and recommend to them that they sit down and read over them with their children. This means that students might have a chance of knowing how to properly behave before they even enter your classroom!
The stores of information gleaned from these two articles are huge. Mainly, I have learned about how to be an assertive discipline teacher, and will try to practice using supportive feedback and corrective actions appropriately. My goal for next week is to use some of the concepts from both articles to manage when student's exhibit common misbehavior. Currently, I believe what I am doing for such situations is not working. I seem to reach a point of frustration that is inescapable for myself and the children. Instead of having a reactive tendency to issues, I will try to be more assertive and supportive of those who follow the rules and remain on task (#FEAP5a)(#FEAP5e). These children should not be unnoticed, but should be rewarded for their intrinsic motivation to be at school and learn.
References
Albert, L., & DeSisto, P. (1996). Cooperative discipline. Circle Pines, Minn.: American Guidance Service.
Canter, L., & Canter, M. (1976). Assertive discipline: A take charge approach for today's educator. Seal Beach, Calif.: Canter and Associates.
It seems as if this week's readings were tailored just for me, since I want to learn how to handle a classroom of 18 first graders. Over the past two months being in first grade, I have yet to say that I have had a successful day. There have been good things to notice here and there. Yet, I can say that the focus of Linda Albert's Cooperative Discipline article is exactly what I am now striving for with my students. We need to learn how to create a "cooperative approach to help students connect with others, contribute, and feel capable." (Albert, 1996, pg. 67) Too often we hear, "I cant, it's too hard!" or "But I don't know how!" Linda's article gave me some tools to correct student misbehavior is extremely productive ways, spelling out why students act the way they do. They act out of choice, and it is in these choices that they meet their needs or desires. If their needs and desires are met before they are forced to make poor choices in order to receive them, then learning can take place and attention can be paid. Teachers can involve parents in the discipline plan for their classrooms. Before the school year gets underway, email every parent the classroom rules and procedures and recommend to them that they sit down and read over them with their children. This means that students might have a chance of knowing how to properly behave before they even enter your classroom!
The stores of information gleaned from these two articles are huge. Mainly, I have learned about how to be an assertive discipline teacher, and will try to practice using supportive feedback and corrective actions appropriately. My goal for next week is to use some of the concepts from both articles to manage when student's exhibit common misbehavior. Currently, I believe what I am doing for such situations is not working. I seem to reach a point of frustration that is inescapable for myself and the children. Instead of having a reactive tendency to issues, I will try to be more assertive and supportive of those who follow the rules and remain on task (#FEAP5a)(#FEAP5e). These children should not be unnoticed, but should be rewarded for their intrinsic motivation to be at school and learn.
References
Albert, L., & DeSisto, P. (1996). Cooperative discipline. Circle Pines, Minn.: American Guidance Service.
Canter, L., & Canter, M. (1976). Assertive discipline: A take charge approach for today's educator. Seal Beach, Calif.: Canter and Associates.