response

Guided Response

Review the posts of your classmates and that of your instructor. Respond to the following questions, using support from this week’s assigned reading and the Instructor Guidance lesson, with careful attention to the details presented by your peers in the selected posts. You must respond to at least two peers. In your response, consider summarizing what proactive discipline strategies means to you, comparing your peers’ response to your initial ideas of proactive discipline strategies, or explaining how they are the same or different to your own ideas presented in your initial post.

Distinguished responses will

· Include a question about your colleague’s response.

· Offer an additional resource that supports this week’s topics.

· Discuss your colleague’s point of view.

· Share your own related personal or professional experiences.

· Demonstrate critical thinking by including real-world application.

· Support statements and responses with scholarly resources.

Though two replies is the basic expectation, for deeper engagement and learning, you are encouraged to provide responses to any comments or questions others have given to you (including the instructor) before the last day of the discussion. This will further the conversation while also giving you opportunities to demonstrate your content expertise, critical thinking, and real work experiences with this topic.

1.

Walk Avenue

Woodland CA 95695

 

August 17, 2020

 

Mr. Franklin

1234 School Street

Teach CA 91234

 

 

Dear Mr. Franklin,

 

I would like to inform you of some strategies that you can use with the students to help with transitioning time. Your response to the students not transitioning quick enough was reactive. If transitioning was an issue only for a few students, or a couple of times your consequence may have been reasonable. But because it is the majority of the class and it is happening every day; I suggest we look at the expectation and perhaps change things to make it possible for students to achieve the task. Taking five minutes away from their lunch or recess is not a good idea because of the limited time students already have during these activities. To be more proactive, rather than reactive you should set up the classroom in such a way that the students will be successful. Your response to the student’s behavior falls into one of three categories: surface management techniques, consequences for rule and procedure compliance, and consequences for rule and procedure noncompliance. (McLeskey, J., Rosenberg, M. S., & Westling, D. L., 2018)

 

The first strategy I would suggest Mr. Franklin is that you take some time at the beginning of class to have the students work together to create new classroom rules. This way the students will be involved in making the rules as well as the consequences. They will feel valued as they contribute to the classroom expectations and will be more likely to follow the new rules. This will also invite them to use their critical thinking skills as they develop ideas to share with the class. This process can also include a contingency contract being made up and agreed on between you and the students. If the students break the contract, maybe then, they will lose five minutes of lunch. If they honor the contract, you can reward them by giving them five extra minutes of lunch on Friday. This takes the blame off of you and gives students a choice. They can choose to follow the rules and get extra free time, or they can choose not too and get the consequence.  According to Henley, Ramsey and Algozzine (2009) the contract serves as positive reinforcement for the targeted behavior. (sec.9.4 para 6)

 

Another strategy I would like to suggest is the use of “I” messages. When disruptive behavior is happening, you can say something like “I am frustrated because you keep talking to your neighbor and disrupting the lesson, how can we resolve this?” “I” messages is an example of the sane messages, which describes the issue rather than attacking the student, and you are welcoming the desired behavior. (Henley, Ramsey & Algozzine., 2009)

 

The last strategy I would like to suggest is front loading the students for the transition before the transition happens. Transitions are an opportunity for students to get distracted easily. Mr. Franklin, to help with this issue, I suggest having a visual schedule of the day’s events posted somewhere in the classroom where students can read it. This will help mentally prepare them for the next task, you can also check off when a task is complete to help the student follow along with the schedule. Also having a visual timer can help students prepare for the transition and cause less rush for them to get to the next activity. It would also be a good idea to give them a two-minute warning. This will allow students to time to wrap up whatever they re doing and prepare them to move forward. It is important to remember the amount of time given as a warning should be reasonable for the students to get ready. For example, we wouldn’t give them a ten-minute warning because that would be too long, when it would only take a few minutes to finish up the task. (Ten Tips to Smooth Transitions. The Educators Room., 2020).

 

Together I believe we can stay in solutions to support our students and create the optimal learning environment!

 

 

Thank you,

 

Mrs. Richardson

2,

94-24 133rd Street Ozone Park, New York 11417 August 20, 2020 347-972-2889 [email protected]

Mr. Franklin 26-01 Mott Avenue Far Rockaway New York 11691

Dear Mr. Franklin:

I am writing this letter to tell you of three wonderful evidence-based proactive strategies that you can implement in your classroom for a smoother transition process. I heard you told the children in the classroom to “stop what they are doing and move on to the next activity”. I believe this is not how you should handle a situation like this in the classroom. You must remember these children are “special” and they will need time for a transition to happen. I truly understand that you are frustrated and it’s an ongoing issue but taking five minutes from their break to make up for lateness is not going to work. Proactive Strategies are interventions which are used on an ongoing basis in an effort, to reduce the possibility of transpiration of the challenging behavior. They are preventive measure and usually deal with the conditions that introduce the behavior. Reactive Strategies: are interventions which are used only once the behavior occurs. They are outcomes (reactions) to the behavior. Here is what I think you should consider doing:

Strategy 1: Pay close attention to “Transition”. For many students, transition feels like an emergency. You as the teacher can make transition time easier for your students. You can protect time for transition by creating comfortable schedules. (Responsive School Discipline, Chapter 6, 2011). In addition, you can relay understanding, confidence, and let students know that you understand how difficult transitions are. Furthermore, you can model and let them practice how to do a transition according to their needs. Above all, you can even give a heads-up when a transition is coming up. I am sure they will all improve when you help and encourage them, and they will be able to manage transitions without becoming anxious.

Strategy 2: “Build Relationships”. Students don’t really care how much you know until they know how much you care. (Greer, 2016). I know you care about your students and you want to make a difference in their lives. Tell them you care, show them you care, talk to them about things that is happening in their lives in school and at home. When they know you care they will work harder, and it will be less challenging for you. Be the kind of teacher anyone will love to have. Teach them, reach out to them, keep them engaged so they will not have the time to misbehave. Building strong relationship and understanding with your students is the more knowledge and collaboration you will have to absorb on when matters get tough.

Strategy 3: Use “Reminders and Cues”. Reminders and cues are helpful ways to encourage your students to follow instructions without being forceful. For example, you can use a bell or flicker the lights to let them know that it’s the time for a transition. In addition, you can create an environment that is predictable and use routines so that students will know what is going to happen next. Furthermore, you can create a visual poster that set clear expectations of reminders and cues. I believe that if you follow these simple strategies you will be able to encourage active learning and increase awareness and responsiveness in your classroom.

Thank you, Warm Regards, Miss Singh.