by Curtis Cunningham, SPS Professional Learning Specialist
I was looking at the Resulting Student Behaviors section of the Innovation Configuration for 21st Century Capabilities. This is located in the resources tab of the SPS Learning Model binder. Listed in the Ideal column is “students display respectful behaviors toward one another which create a safe climate for intellectual risk taking and collaboration.” This might be a tall order considering that we are heading into the holiday season. How do we gently nudge our students toward this worthwhile goal? I turned a few pages back and looked at the reflective guide, specifically the prompts under the question “Do I behave in ways that support effective communication and collaboration?” The statements below are taken directly from the 3rd – 5th reflective guide:
· I pause and listen to help myself understand.
· I ask questions to help myself understand.
· I respect and appreciate others’ opinions.
· I take responsibility for my words and actions.
· I am kind and have a good attitude.
· I follow group norms.
What impact
might these statements have on how I manage student behavior? If students are not functioning well in my
classroom, perhaps the reflective guide will provide some talking points. Could this reflective guide become an
integral part of my classroom management system?
In the book Discipline
with Dignity, Richard Corwin et al., suggest that teachers need to use a
variety of ways to communicate with students and that we should allow students
to be responsible for themselves (Corwin et al., 2008, pg 23-24). It might be that a teachers use of the
reflective guide might provide insights into what they are modeling in the
classroom and the students’ use of the reflective guide might allow students to
take ownership of their own behavior.
It is typical
during the holiday season to feel a little pressed for time. If students seem to have difficulty with
self-regulating, perhaps a few minutes to reflect might help them to identify
goals which will help to improve their behavior. We encourage you to consider how the
reflective guide might support you as you continue to build strong
relationships in your classroom and encourage your students to become effective
communicators and collaborators.
Source: Curwin, R.L., Mendler, A.N. & Mendler,
B.D. (2008). Discipline with Dignity (3rd ed.). Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum
Development.