Monday Motivator #25 2017-18

Pooped or Pepped

http://jongordon.com/blog/pooped-or-pepped/

Hopefully the long weekend has you pepped but if not here are a few more tips!

Archive from February 4, 2008

What can a little 3 month old puppy teach me about the keys to happiness and success? Everything!

I remember two years ago when I was about to take our new puppy Dharma for a walk I stood outside the door with a leash in one hand and a plastic bag in the other and I thought to myself, “Great, I’m going to be picking up dog poop every day for about the next 13 years.” I even did the math and counted 3 poops a day times 365 days times 13 years. Then I realized how negative that was and knew I needed to change my thinking. So I then thought, “But think of all the joy she brings and will bring to my children, my wife, and me. The love and joy is clearly worth all that POOP.” Immediately after thinking this positive thought I started to feel pepped while the negative thoughts made me feel bad. So the lesson I learned and want to share with you is don’t let poop... get you pooped. :) Instead change your thinking, shift your perception and get pepped!

Every moment of every day we have a choice to think positive thoughts that make us feel good or negative thoughts that make us feel bad. Positive thoughts strengthen us while negative thoughts weaken us. There’s even scientific evidence that shows that you are physically stronger while thinking positive thoughts versus negative thoughts. We also know that positive thoughts enhance health, happiness and longevity. When we start paying attention to how we feel in response to our thoughts we’ll notice that our emotions are signals that alert us to how we are thinking. Good thoughts lead to good feelings and negative thoughts lead to bad feelings.

The key is to start paying attention to your feelings and thoughts and when you are feeling bad, switch to a thought that feels good. And if you are unsure of as to what positive thoughts you should be thinking, all you have to remember is gratitude and appreciation. Being grateful and appreciative will always make you feel pepped. You may not like your job but you can be thankful you have one. You may have to drive in traffic but thank God you can see while others can’t. And while your life may not be where you want it to be you can choose to believe that the future is bright and great things are happening every day. Your thoughts and perception will determine your reality. Try the following action steps this week to be pepped instead of pooped.

Action Steps

1. Take a piece of paper and draw a line down the middle. On the left side make a list of your common negative thoughts.

2. Now, change your perception and replace your negative thought with a positive thought. Write these down on the right side of the paper.

3. This week pay attention to your thoughts and feelings and choose the thoughts that make you feel pepped instead of pooped.

Learn more about Austin's story via: ESPN, DetroitNews.com, Youtube

Monday Motivator #24 2017-18

A Simple Way To Build Rapport With Challenging Students

https://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2018/02/10/build-rapport-with-challenging-students/

by Michael Linsin on February 10, 2018 

There is a strategy that builds strong, behavior-influencing rapport with virtually any student.

Guarded, angry, painfully shy, behaviorally difficult . . .

It works with even the most challenging students.

It doesn’t take much time or forethought to put into practice.

But it can melt away fear, frustration, isolation, opposition, and even silliness.

And get to the heart of the student.

So they can make a safe, comfortable connection with you first before spreading their wings to make healthy connections with others.

Along the way, your bond can become so secure and trusting that it can change their entire outlook. It can be the one thing, the missing piece, that eases them into the happy culture of your classroom.

So what is it?

It’s to take an interest in them.

Now, it’s important to point out that this isn’t simply a strategy about making conversation or asking them about their day or how they’re doing.

It isn’t about friendly smiles and hellos—although those are important—and it isn’t about wanting something from them. It isn’t even about the outcome or the benefits of your relationship.

It’s about your genuine desire to get to know them, nothing more.

So how do you do that? How do you want to get to know someone, especially if they show no interest in getting to know you or when they may not appear, at the time, very likable?

You choose to.

You remind yourself that every student has a story. Every one of them is at the start of a hero’s journey. They’re all interesting once they open up, just a crack, and know that someone is actually listening.

But you must have no ulterior motive, no hidden agenda, no strings attached. Because if you do, if you think of it as a strategy to get something from them, they’ll know it.

It’s something you can’t hide.

They’ll smell it on you from a mile away and dismiss you with a downward glance or a metaphorical wave of the hand. They may even shut down further.

This doesn’t mean that you need to invest a lot of time with them individually or at the expense of the rest of your class. In fact, it’s better if you progress in small, slow increments.

A moment here, a moment there. A few minutes at lunch, after school, or during recess. Even a brief second during class.

As for what to say, let your curiosity guide you.

“I noticed that you wear that bracelet every day. Where did you get it?”

“I read in your essay that you like elephants. How come?”

“Who is that friend I see you sitting with at lunch.”

You don’t want to get too personal, just gently personal, the kind of things that people like sharing about themselves, that warrant more than a one-word response.

Speak to them not from the perspective of a teacher to a student, but as a fellow human being.

Be direct and refrain from using praise or flattery to try to get them to open up. This is a common tactic that communicates loud and clear that you do, in fact, have an ulterior motive.

Don’t worry about how they respond at first. Behave as if whatever they say is perfectly okay and acceptable. Then move on. Don’t wait around as if you’re expecting something more.

In time, you’ll discover common interests and be drawn into wanting to learn more and more about them. Inevitably, they’ll also become curious about you.

It’s human nature—the law of reciprocity in action.

Even though you’ll never be friends in the strictest sense, you’ll soon carry on with each other conversationally like you do a trusted confidant.

Before long, you’ll notice them engaging with their classmates, slowly at first but eventually in the same way they do with you. You see, you’re the bridge.

You’re the bridge to being a true part of your class.

I’ve used this strategy hundreds of times over the years and it’s proved remarkably effective. Yes, it’s simple. It’s obvious. It’s hardly revolutionary.

But here’s the thing: Not many teachers do it. Very few interact with any student without a secret underlying motive.

Those who do, however, either because they’re curious by nature or realize just how powerful and rewarding it is, are able to do what so many say is impossible.

They’re able to make these students, who are often ignored, routinely tested, analyzed, and labeled, just tolerated, or shoved into the margins of the educational machine, valued and contributing members of your class and school.

But it starts with a choice.

So take an interest, be curious, make your approach today with no strings attached.

And you and they will be changed forever.

Monday Motivator #23 2017-18

Are You Giving Out Lots Of Warnings? Here’s How To Fix It

by Michael Linsin on February 28, 2015

https://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2015/02/28/are-you-giving-out-lots-of-warnings-heres-how-to-fix-it/

Here at SCM we maintain a long list of article requests.

We don’t, however, typically choose from the top of that list.

The way it works is that when we receive a request, we first check to see if anyone has made a similar one.

If so, we place a check mark next to that topic on the list.

The topics with the most check marks get covered first. However, it’s important to point out that we don’t write solely based on article requests.

We feel an obligation to provide an A-to-Z education in effective classroom management.

We view our website and free email membership as a continuing course in the principles and strategies that make for an exceptionally well-behaved classroom.

Therefore, we also choose article topics with this goal in mind.

This week’s article fits both criteria. It had the greatest number of requests of any topic we had yet to cover, and its proper use is a key component of an effective classroom management plan.

Over and over readers asked us what they could do to limit the number of warnings they’re giving out.

The good news is, as strange as it may seem, it can be an indication that things are going well in your classroom.

Providing that the great majority of your students are heeding this initial consequence and not progressing to the next, it’s an indication that they’re taking your warnings as they’re intended.

It’s an indication that consistently following your classroom management plan is working and that your students enjoy being in your classroom.

Now, it’s natural to be concerned of students taking advantage of the grace a warning offers.

It’s natural to conclude that perhaps the reason you’re giving out so many warnings is because your students realize that there is no real consequence attached to it.

In other words, they see it as a freebie, as a way of getting away with one act of misbehavior a day.

But this is scarcely the case. If you were to take a close look at their motivations for misbehaving, you’d discover this concern to be unfounded—particularly among elementary-age students.

The truth is, it never occurs to them.

The reason you’re giving out so many warnings is not because your students are taking advantage of them. The reason is because the purpose of the rule being broken isn’t embedded deep enough.

For example, no matter how many times you’ve said that raising your hand is important, they still don’t quite get it. They know they’re supposed to raise their hand, but they don’t understand it emotionally.

They don’t appreciate the critical importance of it.

The first step to correcting the problem is to determine which rule or rules are triggering your warnings most often.

Once you’ve determined the problem area, you must set about correcting it by modeling and reteaching that particular rule (or rules) in a much more detailed way.

You have to put them in your shoes while you’re trying to teach a lesson. You have to put them in their classmate’s shoes while they’re trying to listen or line up or enjoy their school day.

You have to create an experience through which they can feel the frustration of being on the receiving end of their disruptions. You have to open their eyes to how their behavior affects everyone around them and why the rule is so doggone important.

Only by seeing themselves as others see them will things change. Only by identifying with the exasperation of others will they understand the true purpose of the rule. Only through the lens of empathy will they view the rule as you do.

Once they grasp that receiving a warning is less about them and more about the rights of their classmates to learn and enjoy school, their behavior will change.

But you must paint a vivid picture. You must model an explicit and compelling scene.

You must evoke the depth of understanding, the empathetic view outside of themselves, the ah-ha moment that illuminates the truth that a warning isn’t just a courtesy you offer them.

But a way to protect the fun and peaceful classroom they love being part of.

Monday Motivator #22 2017-18

Meeting Learners Where They Are

http://reflectandrefine.blogspot.com/2017/10/meeting-learners-where-they-are.html

As a classroom teacher, the first weeks of school were always among my favorite.  There is something about spending the time to get to know a new group of learners and their families.  There is something about sowing the first seeds that will help a community grow together across the year.  There's something about the first books that will start us down the path to discovery.  The first weeks are a delight, but there was always this point where I looked out at the students and worried if I had what it would take to get them where they needed to be.  It's a tremendous responsibility.

Now that we know our entire community of students, let's be honest, we worry.  The needs in a classroom are varied and diverse --- and the expectations are great.  Additionally, there are students who will not just need our support academically, but those who will need to know our classroom is a safe space for them.  We wonder if we are enough.  If we aren't careful, we can find ourselves looking at the factors we cannot control.  For me, when I felt the moment of worry coming that I might not be able to get this group where I wanted them to go; when I heard that little voice saying I'm not enough, I had to change my lens.

Here are a few things I remind myself when I begin to worry:

1. Start where they are.  There isn't any need to think about the fact that the group is in a different place than the previous year's group.  Often we forget the beginning, and it doesn't change anything anyway.  They are where they are so I remind myself to go meet them where they are. 
2. We only control our time with students.  Students can come to our classrooms with a lot going on in their lives.  It's life.  They're people.  Families have people who get sick.  Parents have to work extra jobs to maintain their houses and put food on the table.  They might move from one parent to another in the course of a week.  They might be with an older sibling for hours after the school day ends.  We can't control any of that, but we can make the time they are with us their safe space.  We can help them continue to learn in these situations by listening but maintaining high expectations for their learning.  
3. Show them how.  When I begin to feel overwhelmed I go back to think about the gradual release of control model.  I remind myself that high support components of the literacy framework such as read aloud, shared reading, shared writing, and interactive writing, are essential in helping students find their next steps.  I remind myself that making learning visible by creating charts that help students refer back to learning conversations can help them in their work.  
4. Try something new.  When I feel that learners aren't making the progress I'd like to see, I try to figure out something to do differently.  Sometimes this means taking a closer look at assessment information and artifacts from the classroom.  Sometimes this means videotaping and reflecting on a few lessons.  Sometimes this means inviting a peer or coach into the classroom to help me problem-solve.  
5. Celebrate small steps.  Maintaining high expectations for our leaners requires knowing where they are and what is next for each of them.  Taking the time to notice the small changes and celebrating them can help maintain momentum and keep me focused on the positive.  
6. Know I'm enough.  This one is the hardest, and even as I type it I know there are times I don't quite believe it, but I just keep telling myself I can do this.  I just keep reminding myself I'm enough.  

We've got this.  

Monday Motivator #21 2017-18

How To Drastically Improve Your Class

https://www.smartclassroommanagement.com/2018/01/13/drastically-improve-your-class

by Michael Linsin on January 13, 2018 

There is a secret a small cadre of teachers share that can drastically improve your class.

It works in all situations and grade levels.

It’s simple and straightforward.

It causes a giant leap in progress—from behavior and listening to work habits and attentiveness.

It’s an approach, or rule of thumb, you can abide by and count on every day.

It does take a bit of discipline, especially in the beginning.

But the results can be remarkable.

So what is it?

Just this:

If ever your students aren’t giving you what you want . . .

1. Stop them in their tracks.
2. Reteach your expectations.
3. Begin again.

Now, this very likely isn’t new to you. You may have tried this strategy in the past or believe you’re following it fairly well right now.

I call it a secret, however, because after observing hundreds of classrooms over the years, only a small percentage of teachers actually do it.

You see, it isn’t something you can dabble with or only kinda-sorta do. Trotting it out every once in a while—or even more often than not—is not only confusing to students, but it sends the message that you don’t really mean what you say.

You’d be better off not doing it at all.

But if you follow this simple script for every time your students fall short of your expectations, and really commit to it, you can transform your class. Few areas of learning and classroom management will be unaffected.

But again, it must be an every lesson, every routine, and everyday part of your classroom culture.

The strategy works because it forces you, as a natural consequence, to become extraordinarily effective with your initial instruction. At the same time, it causes students to become strong, active, and tenacious listeners and doers.

In other words, it holds both you and them accountable for performing your jobs well.

In time, you’ll become so good at communicating what you want, whether how to work in groups, turn in assignments, select a library book, or anything else for that matter, that the exact vision you have for your students will materialize before your eyes.

Reality will match your mind’s eye to a scary degree.

Your students in turn will become experts at knowing what it is you want and translating it into action. This is no pie-in-the-sky scenario. However, there is a caveat.

When you first begin using the steps in earnest, it may be slow going, especially if you try putting them into practice mid-year. Your class may be so used to half listening, or not listening at all, that you’ll have to repeat nearly everything you do.

You may feel as if you’re falling behind your grade-level counterparts or that you’re never going to get through all that you need to teach.

But if you stick with it, the light will flicker on, bright and clear as the coastal sun.

Your students will realize that when you give an instruction, when you teach and model what you want in explicit detail, or just make a simple request, you really do mean for them to follow it.

Every day will get a little better. Every day your class will get sharper, faster, and more efficient. Eventually, you’ll have more time than you’ll know what to do with.

Furthermore, you’ll be able to offer the kind of accurate, worthy praise that matters to students and pushes them on to greater and greater levels of accomplishment.

But it starts with an all-or-nothing commitment to mean what you say, to make your actions congruent with your words. After all, raising expectations isn’t about what you say.

It’s what you do.

Monday Motivator #20 2017-18

	January 15, 2018
14 Martin Luther King Jr. Quotes http://www.jongordon.com/positive-tip-mlk-quotes.html In the spirit of MLK Day, here are 14 of my favorite Martin Luther King Jr. quotes. On this special day let's remember they were spoken by a man who changed the world with his words and actions. As we read them let’s think about ways we can live them.  LOVE "I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.' "Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into friend." "I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. That is why right, temporarily defeated, is stronger than evil triumphant." "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." "Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illuminates it." "Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." "If you can’t fly then run, if you can't run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward." HOPE "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." SERVICE "Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" "Everybody can be great because everybody can serve." UNITY and EQUALITY "Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men." "We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools." "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere." EXCELLENCE "If a man is called to be a street sweeper, he should sweep streets even as Michelangelo painted, or Beethoven composed music, or Shakespeare wrote poetry. He should sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will pause to say, here lived a great street sweeper who did his job well." What's your favorite MLK Jr. quote and why? Share on Facebook or Twitter. -Jon *Martin Luther King, Jr. photo by Marion S. Trikosko, 1964. Source: Library of Congress. Photo believed to be public domain.

Monday Motivator #19 2017-18