Lecture 8 –

Lesson Element 1: A Individualized Learning

• Individualized Learning Is Difficult, but Necessary.
• People learn in different ways.
• Since people learn in different ways, we ideally should have opportunities for individualized learning.
• Some people learn slower, some faster.
• Some people are visual learners, while others are verbal learners.
• We should have the opportunity to provide different stimuli, or multi-media stimuli to assist in the learning process. We don't currently have this opportunity.
• The rigid schedule of schools doesn't allow for individualization.
• A teacher with 30 kids in a classroom may be able to identify a particular students learning needs, but does not have the resources or time to address those particular needs. The other 29 kids also need attention.
• The current methods of organizing and scheduling schools, do not encourage individualized learning.

Lesson Element 2 A Using Reinforcement.

ì Putting Strategies Into Practice:

• Universal Principle of Classroom Management: Put as much distance between each student and the door as possible.
• This is metaphorical. Not physical distance, but distance in terms of how the student can get out of the class.
• If you adopt a one offense and you're gone policy, then students know this and will attempt to get tossed out.
• This irritates vice-principals who have to deal with these students.
• It does you nor the child any good. The student will probably be returned to you and the vice-principal has a bad impression of your management skills.
• The vice-principals point of view is that the most successful teachers never send anyone to the office for discipline problems.

Lesson Element 3 A Creating Teacher Power

• Student Privilege Creates Power:
• The more privileges you put into a classroom, the more power you have.
• Giving kids privileges is helping you, not just doing them a favor.
• Privileges give you more control over the kids because you can withhold privileges.
• Privileges give you an alternative to simply dropping grades for misbehavior.
• Creating rewards is a most effective means of control and essential for survival.
• If kids think what you are doing is cook, then you are set.
• If they don't think it's cook, it will not work.
• You must decide how these principles work for you in the terms of the kind of classroom you want.
• Individual contacts also is a technique for establishing control.
• Letting the child know that you care and by preestablishing a set of protocols with that child, you can let them know that their behavior is inappropriate without embarrassing them in front of their peers.
• Can create an aura of trust and acknowledgment that you care about them.

Lesson Element 4 A Being Reasonable

• Teachers Need To Be Selectively Blind.
• You do not have to see everything that goes on.
• This is a hallmark of unsuccessful teachers.
• Weigh the consequences of always enforcing rules.
• Leaves the teacher a prisoner of their own rules.
• If you have established a zero tolerance policy, then it takes away any latitude you might have.
• If you don't enforce the rules, the students perceive it as being unfair.
• It is best to develop a policy of delayed response, no response, selective response, or variable response. It allows you to control the situation as appropriate to the specific circumstances.
• As a Teacher, You Need to Cultivate the Impression of Reasonableness.
• You win if your students view you as reasonable.
• Reasonable people are cut a lot of slack in most situations.
• Unreasonable people are not.
• If you are viewed as unreasonable, people watch you for perceived prejudice.
• This creates a climate of mutual distrust. Nobody wins.
• Sometimes it is more important to create an image of reasonableness than it is to strictly enforce the rules.

Lesson Element 5 A Privileges, Rewards, and Punishments

• Privilege Consists of Twin Pillars of Reward and Punishment.
• A privilege is something that students get just because they are part of your class.
• No one has to do anything to get a privilege, but they do have to perform to certain standard expectations to maintain the privilege.
• The assumption is that privileges last until something occurs that makes you remove all or a portion of the privileges.
• Rewards are special things that you give students for a particularly outstanding performance.
• This can be tokens or praise.
• Usually rewards are not taken away after being given.
• Teachers decide who gets rewards. Also who doesn't get rewards.
• Rewards reinforce positive behaviors.
• Punishment is something you impose on students that is particularly distasteful to them.
• Punishments reinforce your desire for students not to behave in a specific way.
• Although rewards and privileges are usually more effective, punishment does have some usefulness.
• A lesser form of punishment is the withholding of privileges or rewards. The more powerful version is to take away privileges.
• Privileges:
• Seating Arrangements: If you let the kids decide where they will sit, it allows you control over them. Letting them decide where to sit is a privilege.
• This applies to the initial selection.
• If you later move them, then this is a form of either reward or punishment.
• Costs you nothing, but can be a positive action.
• Consultation on Rules: Two ways to win if you let the kids consult.
• If people have a role in setting the rules, they are more likely to abide by them.
• Kids always make more stringent rules than you would come up with.
• If you then inject a little more compromise into the situation, you end up with a reputation of being reasonable.
• Making the Rules: Ask for suggestions about a particular problem, not a general AOk, what will the rule be?
• Negotiation of requirements is a variation of privilege.
• It makes the teacher appear to be in touch with the real world.
• In example: Rather than you picking the date of the exam, find out from the students their preferred date considering their other classes requirements.
• Alternatives as a Privilege: Homework Clemency.
• If anyone gets a B average, then they can choose (within limits) what homework they do.
• Homework is designed to make sure students learn the material. A AB average indicates that the student is putting forth that desired effort.
• If their average falls below a AB, then they start doing all the homework again.
• You may require some homework of all students.
• However, alternatives can give you a reputation of reasonableness.
• Negotiating With Students:
• If everything is inflexible, the students will rebel.
• Example: No talking in the classroom rule always leads to children talking, simply to thwart the rule.
• Better to set some limits on the rule. Sometimes talking isn't disruptive.
• Involve the students in creating the rules.
• Rewards:
• Choose your own tokens and rewards.
• Can be physical tokens (candy), or psychological tokens (Stars instead of smiley faces on the chart).
• Think of the widest range of token rewards available.
• Token rewards are in wide use and are effective.
• Personal attention is a very powerful reward.
• Much of classroom misbehavior comes from students simply wanting your attention.
• However, be sure you give this attention on your terms, not the student's.
• If you give it on your terms it becomes a reward. If you give on the student's terms, you are being manipulated.
• Punishment:
• Try not to have behavior punishments that impact on academic performance.
• The fact that a paper is late is a behavioral problem, not a learning problem.
• To take points off because of their behavior isn't productive.