Teaching Tip Tuesday: Put Some Stank on It

Cough cough…sputter….sputter…what’s this? Ah yes, the return of Teaching Tip Tuesday!* For those just joining, this is a chance for all you lovely people to submit a link to your blog postings that you think will help teachers and parents and mental health professionals work better with children.

Today’s example comes from when I joined a Hip Hop dance performing troupe a few years ago.** I was super stressed out from my job, and needed an outlet. What better way to relieve stress than to exercise and challenge myself to use an unused part of my brain? I was so focused on trying to coordinate complex moves, get over my fear of looking like a lame white girl with no rhythm, and meet a new group of people. And that was just what I needed. For a few hours a week, I didn’t think about how there were way too many kids on my caseload, way too many crises, and not enough time to do my job as a school psychologist in my urban public schools.

I have a dance background. I was one of those kids who took tap, jazz, ballet, funk, hip hop, cheerleading, circus (really), and gymnastics and wanted more. I hadn’t danced in a while though, and somehow I suspected that the “robot” was no longer cool in hip hop.*** Anyhoo, I auditioned and made the team as an “alternate” meaning I could train with these professional dancers.

I worked my a** off trying to keep up, lost 15 pounds in the process, and then totally hit a wall and was not progressing. I even got the “Most Improved!” award, which we in education all know means “You suck just a little less than just a month ago!” We had these “Feedback” sessions in which you would perform in front of the other members of the troupe and each person would tell you what you were doing well and what you needed to work on. Well, after performing a classic piece to E-40, the head dancer gave me the following feedback:

“You’re a good dancer, but you need to put some stank on it.”

Right. Some stank. I’ll get right on th…wait? What?

The feedback was clearly not specific enough for me to do anything with it. Did she mean my facial expressions should be more stanky? Should I hit the moves harder? Lower? Faster? Not shower? WHAT?

And this is the problem with general feedback. Students don’t know what to do with it. When I was at Berkeley, my advisor once told me, “This is the worst dissertation prospectus I’ve ever seen in my 30 years at Berkeley”. NOT HELPFUL. Now if she said, “I am concerned about your Methods section and we need to rework your statistical analyses,” I would have known what to do. So as you go about your day working with kids, remember that specific feedback (and specific praise, for that matter) are much more useful for getting a kid to change his or her behavior. Even “Good job” or worse yet, “Good boy!” is far less helpful than “I like how you used a topic sentence.” Then the kid knows what was good about the performance.

And here’s the fun part. Good, specific feedback alone can change behavior. It’s like those speed monitors they sometimes put on roads where people speed, that let you know you are going 37 miles per hour in a 25 mile hour zone. What is your instinct when you get that specific feedback? You slow down. Now imagine it said, “You’re doing it wrong!” You wouldn’t know what to do.

One final point: always try to sandwich negative feedback in between two layers of positive feedback. If I were that head dancer, I could have said:

I like how you made a stanky face when you hit that move so hard. Now I want you to take that same attitude during other moves, because you look like a cheerleader. Don’t hit the moves so stiffly, loosen up.

Now that’s good feedback.


*I know it’s Wednesday. Shhhhhhhh.
**Perfectly normal thing to do.
***It actually has made quite the comeback. I could have been the first to revive the retro coolness of it.

Teaching Tip Tuesday: Dealing with Why-ners

What is a sound more grating than fingernails on a chalkboard? The sound of a small child or teen saying, “Whyyyyyyyy do we have to learrrrrrrrn this?” Chances are, they will not take favorably to “Because No Child Left Behind has mandated us to teach this content standard this year!” One sure-fire way for teachers reduce why-ning is to make activities more meaningful and relevant for kids. Of course, there are some subjects that are easier to link to their prior knowledge, experiences, and lives, but every teacher should have in his or her toolkit some ways to make learning relevant. Personal meaning increases motivation and compliance in the classroom.

So, this week, go on and submit your tricks this Teaching Tip Tuesday on how you make boring, mandated, or somewhat difficult to make relevant material more meaningful.

Now I am not a teacher, but I have several fantasies for what this could look like in the classroom. One fantasy I have is for social studies and/or history teachers. Go on, try it out and let me know if the kids liked it. Sometimes I wish I had my own classroom…but I do not, so let me live vicariously through you!

Here’s the pitch.

I have worked with so many students with learning disabilities, low achievement motivation, emotional and behavioral problems who absolutely light up when they talk about MySpace.* So instead of fighting it, I say roll with it. History teachers could make each student pick a historical figure from the time period they are studying and the kid has to make a MySpace page for that figure. So if a kid picked Abraham Lincoln, then s/he could research his interests, what he might say on his profile, what groups he may have joined (Free the Slaves!), who he would have been friends with, and who he may have blocked from being his friend (Oh! If he’d only blocked John Wilkes Booth!).

Social studies teachers could have kids pick current event figures, like, oh, I don’t know, Barack Obama? Would he “friend” John McCain? Why or why not? What would his “status updates” look like?

11:02am Barack is…trying to pass the stimulus package

11:04am Barack is….soooo frustrated!

Or English teachers could have kids pick characters in the book they want to be! How fun would that be to see kids get excited about being a character in Shakespeare or in Faulkner's As I Lay Dying? Ooh! Ooh! I want to be King Lear!

I think it would be super fun for the kids and it would be a way to make history, current events, and old novels relevant to them. Now I realize that most schools block MySpace from their internet options.** So you might have them draw a home page on a piece of paper, or better yet, a giant posterboard to put up in the classroom. Then historical figures would be able to interact by writing down friend requests, joining each other’s groups, and blocking each other. You might do an example first to model for them what it might look like.

Let me know if you try it out, and if you hear any Why-ning!

*I have a love/hate relationship with MySpace. Yea!: social connectedness, learning computer skills, opportunities for social skills training, cyber-style. Boo!: cyber bullying, poor boundaries, inappropriate postings (by teachers and students alike). In general, I am against teachers and school staff having a MySpace page that kids can find (boundaries, people). I overheard a kid in the hallway say to a teacher, “I found you on MySpace! I saw your boyfriend! What are you doing on MySpace old lady???” P.S. She’s all of 22 years old.

**Not that they can't get around the blocks in 2.2 seconds...

Teaching Tip Tuesday: Respect My Authority!

As a school psychologist, I help teachers and parents craft behavior plans for students who are having difficulties in school. Without fail, the top two behaviors that are the most problematic for teachers are not following rules/directions and lack of work completion. I often have the image of writing a behavioral goal for South Park’s Eric Cartman pop in my head as I write these:

Cartman will RESPECT MY AUTHORI-TAY in the classroom when given a direction in 4 out of 5 trials as measured by teacher charted records.

So in the spirit of Teaching Tip Tuesday, here are some tips for teachers (and parents) to increase compliance with requests.

1) Start with requests that the child can definitely do and praise him/her. “Cartman, I need you to go get yourself an extra snack. Great! Thanks for following my direction.”

2) If Cartman is a complains or protests requests, then give a fixed choice, which allows him a small level of control. Defiance of authority usually has a root in a need for control, so give him a little. You would be surprised at how often this works. Say, “Cartman, you have a choice. You can start your math fact worksheet or read silently for 10 minutes. You pick.” I know, you’re thinking he will pick “neither” but that rarely happens. If he does say neither, you can say, “Would you like me to make a choice for you?” and that usually triggers a choice.

3) In the fixed choice technique, you can also make one choice totally undesirable so he picks the math worksheet or whatever you want them to do. When I pick up kids for testing and they balk, I say “Okay, you can come now, or during [insert favorite class]." Then if they choose to come with me, I thank them for taking responsibility. If it is a particularly oppositional kid who barely ever follows directions, then I usually call the parent in front of the kid and tell the parent how cooperative Cartman was for me after we’re done to reinforce him making a good choice.

4) Make sure the child understands the direction you are giving him or her. Sometimes, kids with learning or attention difficulties are not disrespecting your authority, sometimes they didn’t get the direction. You can ask them to repeat the direction in his/her own words to make sure all pieces of information got in. I am always so surprised when I test kids and have them repeat what I think are simple directions “Open your history book and turn to page 127” and they say, “Um, open your book to page 27?”

5) Deeeeeeeep breath. Kids who always say “no” or defy your authority can be super exasperating. Try to remain calm and use a business-like tone, so they do not know you are about to lose it. Kids respond to modeling. Model calm so things don’t escalate.

6) Try these other tips for working with oppositional students.

Okay, it’s your turn! How do you get kids to follow directions? Here's how to submit your Teaching Tip Tuesday! By the way, Hugh and Damian, can you repost your tips from last week? I accidently deleted them! I'm still learning this whole auto-link thing! Thanks! ;)

Teaching Tips Tuesday: Take Two

Welcome back to the weekly installment of Teaching Tips Tuesday (T3)! This is a weekly post in which readers get the chance to share their wealth of information about what works for them in the classroom, or at home in teaching their kids. Instructions on how to post something are here.

So here's my tip of the week. I look forward to seeing what you all have to share too!

What to Post on the Walls of Your Classroom

I went to UC Berkeley for graduate school. One would assume that most UC Berkeley students have a working knowledge of social rules. But I was always amused that in the bathrooms in the Education building, they had clear signs posted that read:

Please Flush the Toilet When You Are Finished

Really? You have to post that? Does that mean that at sometime in the past, there was a problem in which groups of people in the decision-making chain decided that yes, they had to go make up little signs to tell students who already passed a rigorous admissions process that they weren't smart enough to follow basic social rules? It appears so.

So with that in mind, I suppose that classroom teachers need to post the rules that we all assume kids know already. When I enter classrooms, I usually scan the walls, just out of curiosity. In some classrooms, there are clearly posted rules that are referred to when violations happen. In some classrooms, it looks like Barney and his gang threw up a rainbow everywhere and I get dizzy looking around. And in some classrooms, there are barren walls. I'm of the opinion that a classroom needs basic rules posted. Hey, if we Berkeley grads can't even figure out how to use a toilet, how can we except middle school kids to know the school rules?

I recommend posting no more than 3 positively stated rules. I think it's easier to tell kids what what we expect them to do, rather than the long list of what we don't like (No Gum! No Interrupting! No Getting Out of Your Seat Without Permission! No! No! No!). Imagine you went to the teacher's lounge and it said, "No complaining! No venting! No smelly dishes that could offend other's olfactory senses!" Wouldn't really make you want to hang out there.

If you post these three basic rules, I think you will be able to put all the little behaviors you don't want under them.

1) Be Safe

2) Be Respectful

3) Be Responsible

I usually have the kids think of examples. It is hard to think of the positive behavior you want instead of what you want, but you can ask the kids what is the opposite. So if they say, "Don't cuss at people" you can direct them to "Use respectful language" or "Disagree without being disagreeable." Sometimes I even use their own language they generate, because it sticks better, as in, "Don't be a hater!" Then, when a kid curses out another kid, you can simple point to the rule as a warning. If they continue, then you can proceed with your regular sequence of discipline events (which is worth another 47 posts, so chime in your tip for effective discipline!)

Lastly, since teachers are starting anew this January, it's a good time to review the rules, consequences, and rewards. You might also consider picking the rule that was broken the most last semester and set up a positive group contingency, which is basically rewarding small groups for following the rule. It can be as simple as having each table with a jar and you plop in a paperclip or marble or something every time you observe them being responsible (I see table 3 is working on their first paragraph, which is very responsible). Some teachers give table points on the board when they see cooperation. Whatever system you like is fine, just be explicit at first about what you are rewarding. Also, remember that public teacher attention isn't always rewarding for older students, so having it in a group with a decent reward that the class really likes is essential (free time always works).

Go forth and post! And remember to flush!

Teaching Tips Tuesday: Take One

Right, so this is an experiment to see if I am SO 21st century and am able to pull off this "Mr. Linky" automated link situation. The basic idea of Teacher Tip Tuesday is to have you all post tips that work in the classroom or at home when teaching kids. The full guidelines and how to work this newfangled linky thing are here.

So what is my first tip? Well, since it's Holiday Break, I thought I'd be lazy and post a few of my old favorites from 2008. What? It's vacation! Plus, who doesn't love a "Best of 2008" list? Further, recycling is so hot right now.

1. How to make studying (more) fun using fly swatters or dingers

2.Using hip hop to teach multiplication

3.Why punishment doesn't always work in the classroom

4.How to be optimistic even when your car is stolen

5.My arranged marriage to Barney (aka What is play therapy?)

6.Checklist for new teachers

7.Dealing with teasing

8.Obama's impact on urban education

9.How to run an anger management group and not accidently form a gang

10. Forget about deadlines! There's still time for teachers to write a story for "The Teachable Moment" book and get some extra cash

Teaching Tips Tuesdays!

I'm trying out a new idea of having you, my talented readers, share tips with other educators, psychologists, and parents about ways you've had success in teaching kids. It can be as little as a new way to teach multiplication facts, what to do in the last 10 minutes of class, how you motivate your kid to study, or as complex as teaching social skills to kids with disabilities. The idea is for you to provide a tidbit of information to try out with kids to enhance learning or make our jobs as educators just a bit easier.

Mmm. I'm intrigued. Tell me more about Teaching Tips Tuesday (T3)

1. T3 is a "blog carnival" in which you all post, on Tuesdays, a little tip you've learned in working with children that has made your life easier. You post a link back here to my T3 post, and enter your link in the "Mr. Linky" form at the bottom of my post (Mr. Linky is an automated link service. No html fanciness required).

2. You do not have to ask me first before you participate in T3. Just jump right in. Remember, this is a family show. Inappropriate links will be deleted.

3. Please only leave a link if you have written a T3 post on your blog. Please mention T3 in your post, and link back to the master list on my blog for the Tuesday you are posting. I'll just delete "empty" links, or trickery links to something non-educator related.

4. Link to your T3 post, NOT to the front page of your blog. This makes browsing so much easier for everyone, especially when people browse around in the archives.

5. Please DO NOT host your own T3 "Mr. Linky" at your site. I'd like to keep Notes from the School Psychologist as the homepage for Teaching-Tips-Tuesday, for simplicity's sake.

6. I will try to answer your e-mail questions, but be aware that I am new to this too, and may not be clever enough to answer properly! First try the "Help" section in your blogging software ("How do I upload images?" or "How do I link back to you from my page?").

7. When you enter your link on Mr. Linky, it may say "delete link" next to your name. If you click on that, it will let you delete what you just posted. No one else can see it though, so don't worry about it unless you want to delete it.

8. Enter a 3-4 word description of your post, in parentheses, after you put your name. Be descriptive, be specific, and BE BRIEF.

For example, where the Mr. Linky box says "Your Name", you might put:

Rebecca (Making Studying Fun)

-OR-

Sam (Helping Shy Kids Participate)

-OR-

Malik (Teaching Phonics with Rhyming Games)

This will make it easy for others to browse through the tips. PLEASE KEEP YOUR PARENTHETICAL TITLE TO A MAXIMUM OF 4-5 WORDS. Mr. Linky freaks out sometimes when the "Your Name" portion gets too long, and it can mess up the alignment of the whole deal, making it harder to read.

9. I'll put my T3 post up no later than noon (pacific time) each Tuesday.

10. I reserve the right to delete any links that are inappropriate. This is a family show, people!

Okay, wish me luck. I'm going to try to post my first Teaching Tip Tuesday shortly...