Classroom Management—Safety

Teachers must ensure the physical and emotional safety of their students.

Physical Environment:
Teacher, take a survey of your classroom.

• Is there anything in the classroom environment which may hurt the students physically?
• Where are the sharp objects stored? Are they out of reach of the students?
• Can the students move around freely without tripping over any surface or object?
• Is the furniture safely secured, with no danger of toppling over? Are the edges sharp or rounded. Are they arranged with ample room for the students to move around?
• Are electrical appliances stored safely? Is their use monitored by an adult? (Children may use these at home but teachers must always supervise their use at school). How about the plug points?
• Is electrical wiring out of the students’ reach? Make sure there are no frayed wires hanging around.
• How about cleaning supplies? Even if they are not kept in the classroom, I’ve noticed cleaning liquids kept in easily accessible common rooms in some schools. They must be under lock and key, especially in primary schools.
• Remember a fire broke out in a school in Tamil Nadu, some years back? The kids were trapped because there wasn’t sufficient room for them to escape. I know we don’t have this contingency built into our curriculum. But working out fire safety plans and exits would be wonderful for our children. As they grow older, they can transfer this skill (walking out calmly instead of rushing out) to other situations and avoid ‘stampedes.’
• Are the supplies put away neatly in their own place? This will keep the room clear of obstacles. An organized room not only ensures safety, it reduces distractions for the easily distracted student.
• Is there a First Aid kit in each classroom? In our hot country, contagious diseases spread too easily. Quick access to cleaning and disinfecting wounds helps stem the spread of infection.

In addition:

• Do you have an emergency plan in place if a student gets hurt at school? Who contacts the parents? Who contacts the hospital? Which hospital is the nearest to your school? Do you have medical information on the child—allergies, special adaptations, etc?

Ms. S

"School was fun today...

...we had so much fun in class," said the eleven year old as he entered the house.

“Ah, what did you learn that was so much fun?" My friend asked her son.

“Oh, mom! It was fun because some of the kids were so naughty in class. Every time the teacher tried to get back to the lesson, Manish and Kumar would do silly things. Other kids also joined in…”

“I hope you didn’t!" my friend interrupted.

“Well I laughed…I couldn’t help it...everyone else did and it was funny. We didn’t learn anything that whole period,” he declared proudly.
"I’m not too happy about my son’s class this year. What happened to classroom discipline and teaching? This kind of disruptive behavior happens at least twice a week. It is not just those two boys…normally my son is quite well behaved but he too gets caught in the moment and behaves badly,” my friend turned to me with her concerns.

I’ve been in classes where the teacher is at the front, droning on while some kids are openly disruptive and others have quiet agendas, whispering and passing notes. The teacher either ignores the disruptive behavior and teaches to the few who attend well or is generally ineffective in enforcing the rules.

Then there are those classrooms where the day passes by smoothly. The students are engaged in their work, the teacher moves around keeping an eye on those who need help. Everything and everybody is geared towards a purpose—to further the learning process. There is enough freedom for individual expression. At the same time, the concept of collective responsibility to learn is also encouraged.

Parents, which classroom would you choose to be your child’s? Teacher, which one would you like to be yours?

On my trip to India last month, I visited several schools—to meet with teachers of children I knew (at their parents’ behest), or friends’ work places or because the administration wanted some pointers for their teachers.

In some classes, the rules were clearly defined, the routine well engrained and the students were active learners. They participated in discussions, asked for help when needed and supported each other. This is not to say that there were no distractions or infractions. The teacher was quick on her feet, redirected the students or handled the unacceptable behavior before the class was out of control. What was the outcome? More time was spent on learning.

Other classrooms had excellent teaching material and ideas. The teachers were equally enthusiastic but the difference was in how the students were engaged. Some students were openly disruptive, challenging the teacher’s role. Other students instigated their impulsive classmates to disrupt the class. In one classroom, there was a completely disconnected conversation going on for about five minutes during Math class. When it was their turn to work on the sums, these students had no idea what to do. Why? Because they had missed the introduction to the topic!

These teachers either delayed or used inefficient behavioral management techniques. On the other hand one teacher was so strict that her students repeated, “Please miss, don’t hit me! when she tried to redirect them verbally. (Mabe my presence was a deterrent for her). Not surprisingly, a few minutes later her students continued with the unacceptable (distracting) behavior.

There were still others where classroom arrangement and structural difficulties contributed to the behavioral issues.

If these factors hinder learning in so called ‘typical’ students, just imagine how great their impact will be on those who have behavioral/organizational/learning difficulties.

So here goes…the following posts will be about classroom management.

Ms. S

Changing Primary Education In India

"Baa Baa Blacksh eep, av youa ny vool
Yessirye sir tree bagfool,"

the young girls sang proudly when I asked them what they learned in school . Their mother had a beaming smile as her daughters were first time learners in her family. They were singing n English! What else would assure them of future success, right?

Unfortunately, they were enrolled in one of the million 'Private English Medium Schools' which mushroom all over India for the sole benefit of the founding families. People with no idea on how to impart education start schools with the idea that they can make their fortune (and gain power in the process). People like this young mother scrimp and save to send their children to an 'English Medium' School and the children sing songs learned by rote.

Teachers read from a book and say, "Children, repeat after me," and the children repeat not knowing what they say. The teacher is reassured that her students are learning and remarks, "Look how well my students learn in English."

I won't blame the teachers because this is how they learned and this is what they learned in their teacher training courses. Every two bit school has a teacher training school. The coursework comprises of what I don't know but I've seen a uniformity in the teaching methods of these tiny private schools and exclusive schools.

I can, and will write more on this. In this context here is an article from The NewYork Times. We are planning something along these lines in an experimental project in the North but it's a long way from fruition. Still trying to lay the groundwork for the curriculum...will write more as our plans are finalzed.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/18/business/global/18teach.html?_r=1&hp

Ms. S

Deep Brain Simulation...

I remember being very excited when I first heard about Deep Brain Simulation six to seven years ago. There was a young woman I knew who was in and out of the emergency room and psychiatric wards for almost a year. Finding the right medication was painful and everyday was a struggle...I was so exicted at the prospect of new research which would one day help her and others like her.

It is interesting to read the article and I understand the concerns. But do the benefits outweigh the liabilities? This young woman decided not to go for ECT because she didn't like the idea of short term memory loss. As long as there are no false promises made, the ultimate choice is the patient's.

We will continue to hope for amazing breakthrough:)

Here it is, from the NewYork Times:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/15/health/15brain.html?_r=1&ref=science

Ms. S

Strategies For The Whole Class

Managing young students in the classroom is an art—there is no other word for it. How do we get the best out of them? First, we must realize that students want to do well in class. If they need a lot of support to follow directions, do their work, etc, something in the system isn’t working.

We have a tendency to correct our students by pointing out their mistakes. “ABC, don’t play with your book. XYZ, why don’t you listen? And so on.” I know that teachers believe that they are doing it in the child’s best interests. It is obvious from their sense of frustration, (I tell her so many times. Yet she doesn’t listen), that it doesn’t produce the results they want. Children fear their teachers and don’t seek help when they should to correct their work, clear their doubts, etc. How do we develop the right skills in our children without berating them constantly?

It is always better to catch a child doing the ‘right behavior’ and bring it to her attention. Why? When the teacher says, “Lavanya, you stayed on task and finished your work,” she is reinforcing the behavior she wants Lavanya to do again and again. Lavanya feels good about her effort. She will try to stay focused and complete her task in the next period too.

If you feel a more systematic approach is needed—use checklists. Here is one we drew up for Lavanya. Two out of three goals give her the oportunity to succeed at the beginning. As she learns to regulate her own behavior, the expectations can be raised/changed.


The teacher put this up near the blackboard at Lavanya’s eye level. They checked the goals at the end of every period. Drawing attention to her accomplishments improved Lavanya’s self esteem and self motivation. Having a visual reminder where she could see it helped redirect her without too many verbal cues.

My other pet peeve about our classrooms is that so much information is given through verbal directions. The teacher talks and talks and talks…Charts with pictures are restricted to ABC, fuits and vegetables or parts of a plant. But what about classroom management?

Teachers in primary classes should use pictures to

• Reinforce classroom rules
• Show the timetable (shedule-what comes next) for the day
• Identify directions for specific activities (eg steps in science experiment).

They should be posted in prominent places where the children can see them. For example, before a reading activity you can review the rules.

In Lavanya's class we used a digtal camera and took pictures of the students to illustrate these rules for group activities.

• Look
• Listen
• Raise your hand
• Wait for teacher to call you

If a child interrupts during the activity the teacher can point to the picture for ‘raise your hand’ without verbal reminders. The student will raise his hand to share his contribution. Other students will also follow this rule and there will be less noise/chaos during your lesson. Would you prefer to spend more time teaching or managing your students’ behavior? Use visuals, lots and lots of visuals.

Ms. S

Classroom Accommodations and Modifications For Lavanya-Part 2

Following Directions:

Lavanya followed directions when an adult was near her. A single teacher in the class, teaching at a distance left her open to too many distractions with too little supervision. Her teacher redirected her to the task once during the entire period. Lavanya needs more redirection than that. Redirection doesn’t always have to be verbal. The teacher agreed to try some of these strategies:

• Pointing to her notebook (while teaching to the whole class)
• Giving her a ‘thumbs up’ when she caught her eye
• Walking over to her desk
• Leaning over to look at her work—these are all easy nonverbal cues (no extra work involved).

How To Give Directions: The teacher said, "Lavanya seems to read everything exactly as I say it. Where the other children know from my tone that they did something wrong, she doesn't get it. If I tell her to satnd on her head, I think she will do it!" Exactly! Children with ADHD have difficulties understanding some of the subtleties we use everyday. So what you say and how you say it are very imortant.

• Keep it simple and clear.
• Keep it explicit –Take your sports shoes and line up instead of Get ready for PE.
• For multiple step directions, use position words like first, next, last, in between, etc. For example, “First write your name on the paper, then color the picture.” These words cue students on the sequence of steps.
• Use non verbal cues such as gestures and signs. For example, count out with your fingers as you say “First tell me the name of the letter, second, tell me the sound the letter makes, and third…”

Transitions:

Moving from activity to activity is a very important skill in school. If you are late to put away your things and line up you hold up the entire class for an activity, or you miss the bus or you don’t have enough time on the playground…Sometimes this delay in transitioning is because of poor organizational skills.

In Lavanya’s case it was because she didn’t know what was next. Yes, the teacher told the class but we’ve seen that she needs to work on her listening skills. What should the teacher do?
Always go over the day’s routine (time table) after morning assembly—all primary classes should do this. Yes, even if you have the time table posted and your kids learn it by heart (eventually). Some children need to go over the timetable every morning, to help them remember the sequence of subjects for that day. All children benefit from this.

Social Problem Solving:
Lavanya showed some rigidity—always wanting to be with just one peer. If that friend was seated next to others, she just pushed her way in. This behavior would be overlooked by 7 and 8 year olds. Can you see that happening when she is 10 or 15? What would the ramifications be?

Lavanya needs to learn to

• Use her words and ask to sit next to her friend.
• Sit with other students. Somewhere along the line, the others are going to say, “No, I got here first. You find a different spot.” Lavanya has to accept their choice.

We discussed these options for developing Lavanya's social skills:

• Use scripts to negotiate with peers. "May I please sit next to...?" "This is my seat. Please can you move?"
• If the others say no then, "May I sit there next period?"
• Increase her social circle by pairing her with other students for short activities first, then seating them together for longer periods.
• Ask teacher for help when she is frustrated instead of pushing her way in.

To be continued...

Ms. S

Classroom Modifications and Accommodations For Lavanya

Lavanya’s teacher correctly recognized that she had the cognitive ability and the motor skills to perform the tasks in class. The difficulty had to do with attention. Contrary to her teacher’s (or parents’) belief, this was not an intentional ‘stubborn’ behavior. Lavanya had the ability to do the tasks, but factors such as impulse control and inhibition stopped her from doing so.

The teacher and I reviewed which areas had to be targeted:

• Attention span (How long can she attend to a task?)
• Attending in small group activities versus whole group activities (less supervision and redirection)
• Listening
• Following Directions
• Social Problem Solving
• Movement/restlessness

We looked at modifications/accommodations in the classroom along with positive reinforcement strategies. I know it is difficult in the Indian setting (without even a teaching assistant, let alone a one on one assistant for the child). I really appreciated the teacher’s ability to accept my suggestions. As for how it translates into the classroom, only time will tell.

Span of Attention:

Lavanya attended for the first few minutes when the class was given a general direction. After 3-5 minutes, she started looking around or engaging in activities which distracted the others. A thirty minute period with continuous instruction was way beyond her abilities.

The teacher and I worked out a system to give Lavanya a break. She became the teacher’s helper and could get up during the lesson to

• Erase blackboard
• Get colored chalk over or
• Give out special papers for the lesson.

These opportunities t get up will give her the mental and movement break.

Large Group Activities:

We looked at ways to involve Lavanya in the teaching process

• Standing near the teacher and holding up the book or teaching material (for discussions)
• Sitting next to the teacher/blackboard (during writing activities)
• Handing out materials during hands on activities, etc.
  

Being involved in the activity will keep her focused on the task and work on her motivation to participate.

Listening For Information:

Lavanya was falling behind during the writing activities. When she redirected herself to the task, she wrote the answers in the wrong place. If she had been listening to the instructions, she would have realized that there was a mix up. How do you reinforce listening for information? By asking relevant questions—“Lavanya, what is the opposite of tall? Where should you write the answer? Show me.”
The teacher has to ask relevant questions:

• Stop and listen to what I say
• What did I say?
• What do you have to do?
• Now show me how you do it

Asking the child to pretend to be the teacher and repeat the instructions for the rest of the class is an excellent tool to reinforce listening skills.

To be continued...

Ms. S

Diagnosis Learning And Behaviour-Classroom Observation

I was in Lavanya’s class before the students walked in. My presence made the children a bit curious but after a few minutes, I became invisible:)

Lavanya entered the class without any difficulty and found her friend. I was told that this was the only peer she liked to sit next to. If anyone else sat next to her friend, Lavanya just shoved them aside. This meant that Lavanya was not always at the front of the class-near the blackboard or teacher’s desk.

When the teacher gave directions to the class, Lavanya opened the book, checking with her friend to make sure she was on the same page. The teacher started teaching to the whole class. Lavanya was on task for the first five minutes. Slowly she began to rock and look around. Inevitably she fell behind in her class work.

The teacher called out once during the lesson to see if Lavanya was on task. The little girl immediately went back to work, checking her friend’s notebook to see what had to be done. This lasted for a few minutes and soon Lavanya was off task. The teacher continued to direct children from the front of the class and wrote ansers for the children to copy. Lavanya continued to swing her pencil and look everywhere but at the board.

On completing the lesson, the teacher called Lavanya over to check her notebook. The little girl whispered, “Miss, please, don’t get angry, don’t get angry.” I was quite taken aback.

The teacher explained that the previous day she had to raise her voice and scold the children because they hadn’t completed their work.

The next session I observed was a reading activity. The teacher asked the class to put away their notebooks and sit in front of her chair. Lavanya sat with her book until she saw the othes moving to the teacher's chair. She put away her book and sat with her friend-to the side of the teacher’s line of vision. She focused on the book for the first few pages. Then she started playing around with her friend’s hair, looked around the room and wriggled around a bit. She bumped into the other students, distracting them. Soon there were several cries of, “Miss, Miss,” and “Lavanya, stop!” from that end of the room.

Her teacher walked up to her and slapped her hand (gently), and Lavanya looked very sad. All the other students were watching this exchange. I walked over to the little girl and sat next to her. (Normally I wouldn’t interact with the child but I couldn’t let this go). I smiled and said, "Let's listen to what is happening in the story, o.k?" I used non verbal cues to redirect Lavanya’s attention to the book. Every now and then I asked her questions to make sure she was following the sequence of events in the story. While focused, Lavanya had much better control over her movements.

Next was snack time and Lavanya, made sure she was seated next to her friend (her peers made room for her). She didn’t really talk much with the other children.

This was followed by a social studies lesson where the students had to write phrase/short sentences in the book. Unable to keep up with the teacher’s directions Lavanya was at least two steps behind her peers. She couldn’t follow the sequence of the steps and wrote the answer to the fourth question below the second. I redirected her.

“Stop and look at the board. Your teacher is writing this answer next to number…?” “4,” she said.

Together we reviewed the questions and identified the correct place for that answer. We were a few steps behind but her work was accurate and with comprehension (instead of just copying her teacher). At the end of the session, Lavanya smiled and went to show her work to her teacher.

Unfortunately I couldn’t spend time with Lavanya in non structured sessions. I will post my conclusions/feed back to the teacher in my next post. Does this class sound familiar to you, parents and teachers?

Ms.S

Daignosis, Learning And Behavior--Teacher Input

The following week I did an informal observation in Lavanya's classroom. First I spoke to her teacher. The teacher had some very good insights and strategies in place. But I could sense an overall lack of knowledge. I don't blame her because our regualr teacher training courses are so lacking in current research or best practices. Yes, I'll admit it openly! I disagree with the concept of teacher education through correspondence courses!!!

Lavanya’s teacher talked to me for a while. “She is bright and capable. But she is very stubborn. She’ll do the work only if she wants to.”

What does she do which makes you think that it is stubbornness

"Well, sometimes her work is very clear and she finishes it on time without any help. At other times, she is in a great hurry—her writing is unclear, needs me to remind her constantly to finish her work. If she can be independent and on task some of the time, does't it mean that she chooses not to do so at other instances? ”

Have you noticed any pattern to this behavior? I mean, is she more attentive and on task in the morning as opposed to the evening? Is there any difference in her attention during group activities?

“I’ve not paid attention to morning versus afternoon but yes, she is better when I am near her while doing her work or when I work with her alone. See, this is what I mean by she knows how to do the work but doesn’t want to without someone behind her all the time.”

We’ll come back to that in a minute. How does she respond when you give directions? Does she follow simple routine directions given to the whole class?

“No, she is usually somewhere behind, doing her own thing. Most of the times, I have to call her individually. Occasionally I pair her up with another child who is good at following the classroom routine.”

Pairing up with a peer is actually a very good strategy. Does Lavanya wait for you to finish giving directions or does she start to respond while you are still talking? For example, if you give her a two step direction (eg: Put your pencil away and come to the table), does Lavanya follow
1. both steps
2. in the order mentioned (puts pencil away first and then comes to the table)

“Sometimes she does it corectly. She is very quick to follow directions. I notice that while following class routine or work, she follows one part of the direction correctly and not the other. She can do both correctly if she puts her mind to it. The steps are not beyond her comprehension.”

How long does Lavanya attend to a task?

“Some activities she really enjoys—like drawing and board games, and she’ll attend for the entire period. But let it be anything which requires her to follow the lesson from the black board—she starts to talk to her neighbor, pull someone’s hair, etc.”

Does she get off her seat at all?

“Not really. She does rock in her seat."

Thank you. I'll come to your class today. Just tell the kids, I'm another teacher—let's not mention anything about me observing Lavanya. We'll talk again and I'll share my views. The we'll look at strategies.

My observations will follow...

Ms. S

Diagnosis, Learning And Behaviour

"My niece was diagnosed with ADHD. The parents have decided not to have any more children. They feel they should concentrate on her needs and make sure she does well in her life,” my companion on the train informed me. She asked if I could meet with them when I got back to Chennai.

On my return, I did meet the young parents. They brought the paperwork and told me a little bit about the history. The playschool recognized that there was something different about the child’s play. After a circuitous route, the parents had the child evaluated. She was diagnozed with ADHD and was referred to a speech therapist.

I went ahead and asked them what they knew about ADHD.

“It means my child is hyperactive.”

Ok, what does your child do that she is hyperactive?

“She is very active!”

How do you think it affects her learning in class?

“She doesn’t listen. She doesn’t stay in her seat.”

So what does the school do, to accommodate her needs?

"I don't know what the school can do. The teacher says she just won’t listen. She just wants to do what she wants to do. I talk to my daughter everyday about her behavior but when she goes to school she does only what she wants to do-she is very stubborn.”

Do you know how it will impact her studies as she goes to higher classes?

“We think she’ll have a difficult time. But we don’t know how.”

Did they tell you why they sent you to a speech therapist?

"They said it will improve her speech and attention. They said everything will become allright."

Usually, when the parents get to hear their child’s diagnosis, they feel better that there is a ‘name’ behind it all. But knowing the diagnosis doesn’t say anything about how it impacts the child’s learning. If the professional doesn’t give you the information, ask questions. Lots and lots of questions.

• What does that term mean?
• How does it affect my child’s performance now?
• How will it affect my child’s performance later(eg, in high school)?
• What kind of difficulties will my child have in the classroom?
• What kind of difficulties will my child have in his social life?
• What modifications/accommodations will we have to do at home, and at school?

Professionals may not always give you the information voluntarily. It’s up to the parents to ask these questions and persist until they have the answers. The answers may change as the child grows older. Old behavioral issues may get resolved or new ones may be added. It is the parents’ choice to have another baby or not. But knowing how a diagnosis will impact your child’s behavior and learning is a more concrete way of helping your child.

The following week I did an informal observation of the child in the classroom. In my next posts I will write about

1. The teacher's input and
2. The strategies that the parents and the teacher decided to implement at home and school (simultaneously).

Ms. S