Passport to Innovative Education

Character and

Classroom ManagementJulia Reinhard, Presenter

June 25, 2014

Today’s Educators areBombarded with “Stuff”

• There are state standards• Core curriculum• ISTEP or whatever new test will replace ISTEP• Merit Pay• Career Specialist Permit – allows anyone to

teach• New ways of evaluating teaching staff

“Stuff” Cont.

• I believe all this stuff contributes to gifted educators not being able to do their jobs free of bureaucracy and dictated curriculum.

• We often hear of no child left behind, but what about the hearts that have been left behind because of this concept?

Important Stuff

• With all the state and federal requirements, there is no longer time to teach the important things students need to learn to be successful, to develop character, and to create a positive caring school family atmosphere.

• So how do we develop character and classroom management and still do everything required?

Connection

• I truly believe that connection is at the heart of every successful classroom

• Connection literally wires the brain on the inside for impulse control and willingness on the outside

• The motivation to behave comes from being in relationship

• If we spent more time connecting with our students, we would spend less time on disciplining our students

• Connecting with students helps develop character and makes classroom management so much easier

Conscious Disciplineand Becky Bailey

• Conscious Discipline is a program for responding rather than reacting to life events. If we can teach students to respond rather than react, we are well on our way to developing good character

• Conscious Discipline helps us model good behavior to our students because we all know…..

• ….that behaviors and values are caught rather than taught

The Future

• Last year I became a grandmother for the first time• They say grandchildren fill an empty spot in your

heart that you never knew you had• Being a grandma is the best “gig” ever• I would like for you to meet Bo Jonathan Reinhard• Born July 2, 2013• Hands down the cutest baby ever and he definitely

filled a spot in my heart as I am sure all future grandchildren will

What Do I Want For Bo

• I want Bo to feel treasured• I want Bo to feel loved• I want Bo to feel valued at each age and stage of his life,

whether he is at home, at school, at my house,…wherever he is

• And I want Bo to feel SAFE• Not only physically safe, but emotionally safe as well• And I want Bo to be taught by loving, caring teachers

who will model good behavior, good character and good core values

You and the School Climate

• So what can you who work in the field of education do as caring adults to model character that helps students feel valued, loved, treasured, connected, and safe?

• How can you be the person that you want students to emulate?

Character and School Climate

• Ask yourself, what is the “climate” like in my classroom, in my school, in my relationship with my students

• Is the forecast good?• By that I mean, is it cloudy with a chance of

storms?• Could the climate be better?

Conscious Discipline Can Help

• Conscious Discipline can help you model the behavior, character, and climate you want to see in your classroom

• It can change the relationship you have with a particular child

• It also works with your spouse, your mother-in-law, your boss….

• Conscious Discipline is real life stuff that we can use with all people and all relationships

Take Care of You

• Before you can take care of anyone else, you have to take care of yourself. Educators are especially guilty of thinking we have to do it all and if there is any time in the day left, we will do something for “us”

• The problem of course is that there is never any time left over

• There’s always one more thing we think we have to get done before we can do something nice for ourselves

Time Management

• So who gets the short end of the stick? It is usually us

• So, for the first step in modeling good behavior, I am encouraging you to carve out some time each day for just you

• Read, meditate, pray, sit and enjoy a sunset, take a loooong bath or shower, take a walk, read the newspaper….do whatever it takes that will bring you peace and energy to accomplish all you have to do each day

Seven Skills of Conscious Discipline

I believe these skills will help you with building good character and classroom management. They are: • Composure• Encouragement• Assertiveness• Choices• Positive Intent• Empathy• Consequences

1. Composure

• Composure is all about being the person you want your students to become

• The purpose of composure is to remain calm enough to teach students how to behave by example

• Remember, no one can make you angry without your permission

• It is a moment by moment choice…. • Deep breathing exercises help you stay composed

Composure Cont.

Lots of studies show the benefit of breathing deeply before opening your mouth• We can teach students to do this• Always remind yourself that you can handle a

situation. Breathe deeply as you remind yourself of this

Calming Icons

The 1st step in any discipline encounter is to take a deep calming breath. These deep

breaths shut off the fight or flight response in the body.

Deep Breathing

• Find age appropriate ways to incorporate deep breathing in your classroom on a daily basis

• Remind students (and yourself) to breathe when the going gets tough

Composure Methods

• Take three minutes to discuss with your neighbors age appropriate ways to incorporate deep breathing in your classroom.

2. Encouragement

• Purpose is to build a school family where everyone feels accepted and valued

• We are all in this together• Create a sense of belonging for all children –

one way to do this is to give jobs to students

3. Assertiveness

• Assertiveness sets limits respectfully• Focus on what you want. What you focus on

you get more of• Telling children what to do aligns their bodies

with their willpower• Healthy boundaries are essential for all

relationships

Three Voices

• Assertive:– Voice of clarity– Sets the tone of no doubt – just do it– The information is usable and tells the child what

TO do instead of what NOT to do– Gives the child power within to do what is asked

Assertiveness for the Adult

Name: Use the student’s nameVerb: Say the action to takePaint: Paint a verbal picture of the desired behavior in detailUse a respectful voice of no doubtEx: Zach, bring your paper up to my desk, put it on the top shelf of the paper tray, and return to your seat.

Three Voices Cont.

• Passive– The intent of this voice is to avoid conflict through

pleasing– The tone says that a student has a choice, almost

as if you are asking permission for what you want the student to do rather than giving a command

– This voice is confusing for a child and the information given is not usable for most children

Three Voices Cont.

• Aggressive:– This voice avoids conflict through dominating– The tone is “do it or else”– It is more of an attack– Makes the child feel as if he/she is not worthy

4. Choices

• Builds self esteem and will power• Empowers children while setting limits• Choices actually change brain chemistry• Building self esteem and will power reduces

impulsivity• Give positive choices whenever possible

Choices Cont.

Cameron is sketching B-2 bombers on his notepad instead of completing his math problems. Take a breath. Think about what you want Cameron to do. You might say:“Cameron, it seems you have a couple of options. You can work on your math by yourself or you can ask for help. Which would be better for you? You decided to get some help. In our school family we help each other be successful.”

Choices Cont.

• We often use a positive and a negative choice. • We say: “Clean up your room or you are

grounded for the week-end”• This is not really a choice but a manipulation.

It is a do it or else threat.• Instead, try: “It’s time to clean your room.

What are you going to do first: Make your bed or pick up your dirty clothes?”

5. Positive Intent• Giving positive intent to a situation allows for

creating a teachable moment• Positive intent is choosing to see the best in others• Positive intent improves self image and builds trust• Attributing positive intent creates teaching

moments by transforming resistance into cooperation

• The goal is to create an environment in which the student can maintain his dignity while choosing to be cooperative

Example of Positive Intent

• “You wanted to play with the ball so you pushed Cassie out of the way. You didn’t know what else to do. You may not push, pushing hurts. When you want a turn with the ball, say: ‘May I have a turn please?’ Say it now for practice.”

6. Empathy

• It’s all about handling the fussing and fits• It is accepting the moment as it is• It teaches students compassion• It helps students accept and process their

feelings• Empathy actually wires the brain for self-

control and higher cognition• Empathy is the heart of emotional intelligence

Example of Empathy

Say something like: You seem angry. Did something happen? You wanted to stay and play longer. That’s hard. Breathe with me. You can handle it.” This will help students feel understood and safe.When we are frustrated or caught off guard, we often use the wrong words. Saying something like “Stop that this instant!” or words similar to these, make a child feel insecure and unsafe.Try to plan ahead for how you will handle reoccurring situations so that you can empathize

Teaching Children Empathy

In Mr. Carter’s fifth grade class, Myra had been suspended from school for a series of infractions. Several class members went to the classroom “We Care Center” which consisted of fancy stationary and envelopes. They wrote Myra letters to keep in touch with her and wish her well. Each of the letters said she was missed in the school family and that the class is looking forward to her return.

Wake Up Your Brain

• Empathize• Every 20 minutes• Cannot sit and just listen or work for long

periods of time• Think of age appropriate ways to wake up the

brain• Song

7. Consequences

• Consequences are all about helping students learn from their mistakes

• The purpose of consequences is to help students reflect on their choices and change for the better

Consequences Cont.

• Natural consequences are great– Touching a hot stove– Falling off a chair when leaning back on two legs– Getting a zero on an assignment that wasn’t

handed in• Sometimes we need imposed consequences

Imposed Consequences

• Should relate logically to the event or be structured around safety

• An effective imposed consequence for a student who runs in the class with scissors in his hand would be to lose the opportunity of using scissors without direct adult supervision

• An ineffective consequence would be to have him miss recess, call his parents, or lose points that contribute to some prize.

Connection

• I want to come back to connection because it is the key ingredient to making Conscious Discipline work

• Make it a goal to connect with each child every singe day that you see them

• Our most challenging children need lots of connections daily

Connection Cont.

• For connection to happen successfully you need:– Gentle touch– Eye contact– Total presence– And some fun, playful, relaxed situations– Time spent connecting with students is NEVER time

wasted– Learning academics is secondary to students feeling

accepted, valued, loved and safe

Make Connection Happen

• Take three minutes to discuss with your neighbors and list several age appropriate ways you can connect with the students in your class

• Do we fall short on what we are trying to achieve with the students whose lives we touch?

• Of course we do, we are human.• Do we get frustrated because we keep trying

and trying and don’t seem to be getting results?

• Of course we do

• LeBron James, MVP player for the Miami Heat, stood at the free throw line shooting baskets. He made 88 out of 100 baskets.

• Did he miss those 12 baskets on purpose? Of course not. He did the best he could

• It is the same for those of use who work in the field of education. We can’t get it right 100% of the time

Destination

• It’s the journey that gets you to the destination…and sometimes it is hard

• We can be stressed, bitter, complaining, and negative or

• We can embrace the journey and enjoy the ride, have a good attitude, strive to model the character we want to see in our students and be optimistic

Destination Cont.

• As Zach has mentioned to me many times, it is about turning the obstacles in education into opportunities to improve our lives and the lives of students

• It’s all about doing the best we can to make the students in our care feel safe and valued

Favorite Teacher

• Think of a teacher that touched your life in some way. Share what grade you were in and why that teacher was special to you. Many times educators use the methods of Conscious Discipline, but just didn’t have a name for those methods. Did this teacher use any of the Conscious Discipline Skills? If so, what were they?

You Make a Difference

• Meet a young man who went from gang leader to graduate …….all because a teacher cared.

Video of DJ

• Watch video

Wishing You Well

• As you continue on this journey to touch the lives of the students you teach, I wish you well.

Hey Bo, what message do you have for these

Passport Educators?

Hey Bo, what message do you have for these

Passport Educators?

Well Aunt Carleen, I want to remind them to “look through

the lens of love”!