It’s no secret that relationship-building is a key component of effective teaching. Getting to know your students not only increases trust and engagement, but it also helps you differentiate instruction and personalize learning.
The more a teacher knows about a student’s background, strengths, knowledge, and learning style, the better he or she can target instruction toward the child’s learning needs. In fact, studies show that knowledge of individual students does have a measurable positive impact on achievement.
But with so many students in your classroom, how can you get to know each of them on an individual level?
You may want to try creating learner profiles!
What Is a Learner Profile?
A learner profile is a document, project, or even conversation that helps teachers learn more about their students.
Learner profiles may include information such as:
Skills, strengths, and interests
Aspirations and passions
Likes and dislikes
Life experiences
How the student likes to learn
Struggles or potential barriers to learning
Anything else the student or teacher deems important
Teachers can use learner profiles to build effective relationships, develop an inclusive classroom, and understand what technology, differentiations, or adaptations may be needed for individual students.
How Do I Create Learner Profiles?
The easiest and most effective way to generate learner profiles is to have the students create their own. Student-created learner profiles can take the shape of a PowerPoint presentation, video, letter, infographic, poem, and so on. These profiles can incorporate both words and visuals that describe the student.
In keeping with the overall purpose of the profile, you may provide students with a variety of choices. Give students a list of questions, then explain that they can respond to the questions using a variety of tools, including:
The format each student chooses will give you even more information about their learning style and preferences.
If, on the other hand, you want to easily compile this information, you may prefer to assign your students a survey using tools such as Google Forms or Survey Monkey.
Google Forms collects responses in a spreadsheet and allows you to view individual responses, and with Survey Monkey you can create custom charts, see a summary view of your data, and browse individual responses.
Now What?
However you decide to collect learner profiles, you can now use this information to inform your instruction.
Consider your students’ strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles when creating lessons, planning for accommodations, and even grouping students strategically.
Your knowledge of your students will enhance their learning and boost achievement!
As the news headlines regarding the current U.S. economy continue to improve, there is one area that is still feeling the squeeze from the recession years: public and private K-12 school funding. Less state spending on education negatively impacts the learning experience that students receive in our nation’s classrooms. As a result, teachers around the country are turning to fundraising to address their funding gaps.
Teachers looking to lead their districts into 2018 and beyond need to recognize that change is a surety and that to survive this inevitability, they must adapt the way they engage potential donors and their community as a whole. They have to understand the need to find new donors, the factors that motivate donors to give, and the opportunities that are possible with the use of new technologies.
So what does the future of school fundraising look like? Not an easy question to answer, is it? Here’s what I think.
How is edtech shaping the future of school fundraising?
Over the last decade, edtech companies have been experimenting with innovative ways to use technology to help educators fundraise more efficiently and with greater success. Thankfully, several of these companies are getting it right and are doing a great job. One company, in particular, Edco, has done an excellent job of creating a comprehensive application designed to help teachers exceed their fundraising goals. “Edco was founded because we wanted to help schools raise money effectively and efficiently in an ongoing manner and use the best practices of the best fundraisers. We know that a lot of people want to donate directly to the school, but don’t want the products, goods, and services,” says Rafi Musher of Edco.
The first time I heard about this company was during a conversation with a gifted education teacher that I used to work with. I called her to see how things were going, and during the talk, she told me about a recent trip to the U.K. that she made with five of her students. She teaches in a school district that serves a large number of low-income students, whose parents are hardworking but often find themselves just trying to make ends meet. Since I knew that the school district hadn’t been fully funded education in decades, I wondered how she managed to finance this trip.
That’s when she told me about Edco, a new school fundraising web platform, and how it helped her raise the monies necessary for their field trip across the pond. Recently, I had a chance to visit their site to see what all the fuss was about. Here is what I found out. In two minutes or less, you can create your webpage that’s ready to take donations immediately – on any device. Your dedicated webpage allows you to create a goal, upload a team photo, and also tell your team’s story. It includes sponsorship templates, the ability to have Edco assist with your outreach and access to Nathan, who heads up partnerships, as your fundraising coach. Pretty cool, huh?
If you are like me and have zero fundraising experience, not to fret, Edco’s tips and templates show you what you need to do to raise more money. If you plan to involve your students in the fundraising process, Edco’s system can track which students are raising funds, and where your donations are coming from. The application allows your fundraising team to accept donations through credit and debit cards. All contributions are tax-deductible. Edco processes the payments, provides the donation receipts, and places your monies into your school bank account or prepaid debit card if you need access to your funds immediately. “We provide a turnkey service to free students, teachers, and associations up so they can focus on other things,” informs Amy Zucchi-Justice, Director of Marketing for Edco. “Using online platforms for fundraising can help you raise more than four times what you would with traditional fundraisers,” adds Zucchi-Justice.
Edco makes it extremely easy to manage and communicate with all your donors – which will pay dividends for your next fundraiser. Since the system keeps a list of your ongoing supporters and opportunities, you don’t have to start from scratch every year. Wait, but that’s not it. You can promote your cause with social media posts and customizable emails. Also, you can invite parents, students, and other supporters to help spread the word.
Did I mention that Edco is free to use? They don’t charge you a fee for registering or organizing a fundraising team. Edco collects a reasonable 4.9% fee once you have collected money using their platform. When compared to the other fundraising sites, this is a drop in the bucket. They invest the fees that they collect back into their company to improve their school fundraising solution continuously.
Edco is a service driven organization, devoted to helping students, parents, teachers and other education leaders fundraise. That’s it. They believe that a lack of funding should not hinder the learning process. We agree. Without companies like Edco, teachers would have to continue to get by on the meager resources that they are given. In a space full of edtech startups looking to get rich, Edco is certainly a breath of fresh air. I am pleased to see entrepreneurs stepping up to plate, and developing edtech solutions aimed at solving the often overlooked problem of school funding. After an hour of being on the site, I left thinking “I wish Edco was around back when I was a teacher.”
Final Thoughts
Public and private K-12 school systems must understand that the education funding landscape is changing for the worse. The most effective teachers will recognize this and adapt their strategic planning and fundraising techniques to stay afloat and provide their students with a world-class education. Also, they will use technologies such as Edco to stay ahead of the competition, and efficiently raise funds.
What do you think the future of school fundraising will look like? Have you used Edco for a fundraising campaign? We would love to hear your success stories!
Back when I was a professor of education, one of the most significant sources of anxiety for preservice teachers was classroom management. Most of them seemed unsure about their ability to manage a classroom full of 20 to 30 kids while responding to problem behaviors and facilitating the teaching and learning process. I always assuaged their concerns by letting them know that before they left my class, they would have a philosophy of classroom management and classroom management plan, which could be adapted to any classroom environment.
In my course, they learned that if students are in a safe and supportive environment, learning can take place. It is critical to have an engaging educational environment that includes all students. The primary goal of any philosophy/plan of classroom management is to assist the teacher in creating an environment for all students that will allow them to be successful and ultimately reach their full potential. In this piece, I plan to walk you through the creation of your own philosophy of classroom management and classroom management plan. Let’s get started.
Writing Your Philosophy of Classroom Management
I taught my students to divide their philosophy of classroom management into the three sections below. Completing a philosophy of classroom management is not an easy task, but I found a way to simplify the process. All you have to do is answer the questions from each section and use the resulting content to shape the body of your narrative. From there, simply add an introduction and conclusion and you are done. Revisions may be necessary, but at least you have a great first draft.
My Beliefs About Students:
Do I believe that students need to be “controlled and disciplined” or that they can be taught self-control?
Do I think that students are naturally disruptive and therefore need to be molded and conditioned to behave appropriately?
Do I view students as equals or as charges?
Do I believe that establishing a democratic classroom and giving students responsibility means letting them take over the class?
My Beliefs About Teachers’ Roles:
Do I see myself as a boss or facilitator? A brick wall, jellyfish, or backbone teacher? An assertive educator?
Do I think that I should create all of the rules and consequences, or do I think that students should offer their thoughts?
Do I want to discipline or manage my students?
Do I believe that teachers should spend time at the beginning of the year to teach rules and routines?
My Beliefs About Managing the Classroom:
Do I think rewarding students for good behavior?
Is the point of classroom management to manage the classroom or teach students to supervise and discipline themselves?
Would I be ok with using a school-adopted classroom management program, or do I want to have more freedom to choose my own classroom management practices?
Writing Your Classroom Management Plan
After completing your philosophy of classroom management, you are now ready to write your classroom management plan. The cool think about it is that you can use parts of your philosophy of classroom management. Write a narrative that includes, but is not limited to, the topics/issues found below. Make sure you back your narrative up with recent research (less than three years old).
Supportive, Effective, and Developmentally Appropriate Classroom Management Techniques
Classroom Climate: Class Structure, Rules, Routines, Procedures, and Policies
Classroom Design and Layout
Student’s Expectation of Teacher
Teacher’s Expectation of Students
Positive and Negative Consequences and Individualized Behavior Management Intervention Plans
Communication of Class and Behavioral Expectations to Students and Parents/Guardians
Responsibility of the Parents/Guardians, Students, Teacher and School in Classroom Management
Philosophy’s Connection to Theorist/Theory
Philosophy incorporates pertinent and appropriate information from course textbooks; Classroom Management: Models, Applications, and Cases; Teacher-and Tested Classroom Management Strategies
From there, simply add an introduction and conclusion and you are done. Revisions may be necessary about this, but at least you have a great first draft.
Reflection
Reflecting on your work is a vital part of being a professional and is essential to teacher development and the preparation of future teachers. Reflection allows you to examine your own beliefs, assumptions, and biases regarding teaching, learning, and classroom management and determine how those beliefs influence classroom practice and impact on the learning environment. If you are really want to impress your professor and receive an A, include a reflection along with your classroom management philosophy/plan.
Write a reflective 500 word paper about your philosophy of classroom management and classroom management plan. Please write the reflection in narrative form. The reflection paper should highlight how your classroom management details how you plan to develop a safe and supportive learning environment for your students. This may include:
How do you believe your philosophy of classroom management and classroom management plan will work to provide your students with a safe and supportive learning environment?
How do you plan on getting to know your students?
How you plan on introducing students to your classroom management plan in the first 21 days of school and then reinforcing it beyond that time period?
Communication of class and behavioral expectation to students and family
Substitute teacher materials?
Does the narrative reflect an understanding and thoughtful consideration of classroom management?
If you followed the directions in good faith, we are confident that you are now the owner of a world-class classroom philsophy of classroom management and classroom management plan. I would say good luck, but you won’t need it.
Education reformers and researchers debate a lot of things, but shouldn’t it be easy for them to agree on the importance of small class sizes in PreK-12 classrooms? Maybe. Keep reading to find out. When we speak of small class sizes, that usually means 20 students or under for elementary school classrooms and 20 to 25 students for high schools classrooms. The concept of using small class sizes to boost academic achievement and to solve classroom management woes is a popular one with parents, educators, and politicians. At least 80% of the states in the union have passed some type of class size reduction law or policy in the last two decades.
However, in spite of more than four decades of research, the efficacy of this ubiquitous practice is deceptively hard to measure, which has led to many debates. Most education researchers agree that small class sizes in the primary grades coincide with higher academic achievement and higher graduation rates for students from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Their disagreement is linked to whether or not the benefits of small class sizes outweigh the ginormous price tag, especially in states that already find it difficult to fund education adequately. Recently, those same researchers have been trying to figure out the mechanisms that allow smaller class size to work, and who benefits most.
Here are the most interesting insights from their research:
Small class sizes work is because it gives teachers an opportunity to offer students more personalized instruction, which is probably the reason that academic achievement goes up. Teachers don’t necessarily change what they are doing, they are just able to increase their efficacy.
The efficacy of classroom management efforts is increased in smaller groups. Kids also seem to pay more attention.
Smaller class sizes must be coupled with competent administrative and parental support for it to work.
Students in smaller class sizes seem to outperform those who are taught in larger groups. We already knew that, but it is nice to have it verified by empirical research.
Smaller class sizes don’t have the same positive effects if you decrease the physical space in which they are convened. The more space the better.
Students with special needs benefit from smaller class sizes. To clarify, we are referring to students with disabilities who are mainstreamed into regular education classrooms.
Students were found to be more engaged in classrooms with fewer students and reported better relationships with their teachers and peers.
Students in smaller classes spent more time on task than students in larger classrooms.
Teachers in small classrooms reported having more time to differentiate instruction.
Students who experienced small class sizes in elementary school were able to continue that success throughout their K-12 career and were more likely to attend college.
Small class sizes have a positive effect on teacher retention. As class sizes go down, retention rates go up.
Teacher quality can have a positive or negative effect on the efficacy of reduced size classrooms. If you place a low-quality teacher in a classroom with 20 kids or less, the results will more than likely be poor.
Supports, such as professional development, quality curriculum resources, can enhance the effect of reduced class size.
So there you have. Under the right conditions, smaller class sizes do have a positive impact on the academic achievement, engagement, and behavior of PreK-12 students. What do you think? Are we missing something?
When choosing an instructional model, teachers seek strategies that help students gain a complete understanding of new concepts. They aim to engage students, motivate them to learn, and guide them toward skill development. One of the ways to do that is by incorporating inquiry-based approaches like the 5E Model, which is grounded in active learning.
Research suggests that there is a set order of events that facilitates learning, known as a learning cycle. Educators J. Myron Atkin and Robert Karplus argued in 1962 that effective learning cycles involve three key elements: exploration, term introduction, and concept application. “In their scheme, exploration allowed the learners to become interested in the subject at hand, raise questions, and identify points of dissatisfaction with their current understanding. Introduction of new ideas and terms, primarily by the instructor, but negotiated by both instructor and students, followed. Finally, concept application provided learners with opportunities within the classroom to apply their new ideas, try out their new understandings in novel contexts, and evaluate the completeness of their understanding,” according to Kimberly D. Tanner in the article “Order Matters: Using the 5E Model to Align Teaching With How People Learn.”
Theoretical Foundations
The findings of Atkin and Karplus directly informed the creation of the 5E Model, which focuses on allowing students to understand a concept over time through a series of established steps, or phases. These phases include Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate. The 5E Model, developed in 1987 by the Biological Sciences Curriculum Study, promotes collaborative, active learning in which students work together to solve problems and investigate new concepts by asking questions, observing, analyzing, and drawing conclusions.
The 5E Model is based on the constructivist theory to learning, which suggests that people construct knowledge and meaning from experiences. By understanding and reflecting on activities, students are able to reconcile new knowledge with previous ideas. According to subject matter expert Beverlee Jobrack, “Educational movements, such as inquiry-based learning, active learning, experiential learning, discovery learning, and knowledge building, are variations of constructivism.”
In the classroom, constructivism requires educators to build inquiry, exploration, and assessment into their instructional approach. In many ways, this means the teacher plays the role of a facilitator, guiding students as they learn new concepts.
The Model Explained
The following is an overview of the five phases of the 5E Model.
Engage
In the first phase of the learning cycle, the teacher works to gain an understanding of the students’ prior knowledge and identify any knowledge gaps. It is also important to foster an interest in the upcoming concepts so students will be ready to learn. Teachers might task students with asking opening questions or writing down what they already know about the topic. This is also when the concept is introduced to students for the first time.
Explore
During the exploration phase, students actively explore the new concept through concrete learning experiences. They might be asked to go through the scientific method and communicate with their peers to make observations. This phase allows students to learn in a hands-on way.
Explain
This is a teacher-led phase that helps students synthesize new knowledge and ask questions if they need further clarification. For the Explain phase to be effective, teachers should ask students to share what they learned during the Explore phase before introducing technical information in a more direct manner, according to “The 5E Instructional Model: A Learning Cycle Approach for Inquiry-Based Science Teaching.” This is also when teachers utilize video, computer software, or other aides to boost understanding.
Elaborate
The elaboration phase of the 5E Model focuses on giving students space to apply what they’ve learned. This helps them to develop a deeper understanding. Teachers may ask students to create presentations or conduct additional investigations to reinforce new skills. This phase allows students to cement their knowledge before evaluation.
Evaluate
The 5E Model allows for both formal and informal assessment. During this phase, teachers can observe their students and see whether they have a complete grasp of the core concepts. It is also helpful to note whether students approach problems in a different way based on what they learned. Other helpful elements of the Evaluate phase include self-assessment, peer-assessment, writing assignments, and exams.
Application and Effectiveness
The 5E Model is most effective when students are encountering new concepts for the very first time because there is opportunity for a complete learning cycle. According to co-creator Rodger W. Bybee, the 5E Model is best used in a unit of two to three weeks in which each phase is the basis for one or more distinct lessons. “Using the 5Es model as the basis for a single lesson decreases the effectiveness of the individual phases due to shortening the time and opportunities for challenging and restructuring of concepts and abilities—for learning,” Bybee explains. And if too much time is spent on each phase, the structure isn’t as effective and students may forget what they’ve learned.
According to The BSCS 5E Instructional Model: Origins and Effectiveness, “The sustained use of an effective, research-based instructional model can help students learn fundamental concepts in science and other domains.” The following research findings illustrate the positive impact of the 5E Model in classrooms:
One study showed that the 5E Model caused “a significantly better acquisition of scientific conceptions…than traditional instruction,” according to Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education.
One study found that the 5E Instructional Model significantly increased learning and retention of science lessons.
The 5E Model allows educators to create a unique learning experience for students. Teachers who can incorporate instructional models like the 5E Model into their classrooms help students build a strong foundation of knowledge through active participation.
Lesley University’s online Master of Education programs equip teachers with the knowledge and tools to effectively educate students in the modern classroom. With specialized degrees in mathematics education, science in education, and more, Lesley offers opportunities for educators to deepen their understanding of current approaches and hone their teaching skills and assessment strategies. Learn more about Lesley’s online education programs.
Globally, the U.S. is at risk of declining economic competitiveness due to its continuing lower levels of educational attainment in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM).
The U.S. currently ranks 44th according to the quality of its mathematics and science education.
A “leaky STEM pipeline” – in which factors such as lower expectations, discrimination, and a lack of interest make it less likely that racial or ethnic minorities, women or those from low-income families will pursue STEM careers – makes many adults less likely to be employed in these types of positions.
Yet STEM positions are often high-paying and provide greater economic well-being and employment stability, especially as the U.S. transitions to a knowledge-based economy.
Efforts that increase schoolchildren’s science achievement – particularly those from diverse, traditionally marginalized populations – could help provide children with greater future employment opportunities while ensuring that the U.S. remains economically competitive.
The question is, when should these efforts begin? That is, how early do leaks in the STEM pipeline begin to occur?
Science achievement gaps
My research seeks to understand why some groups of children are more likely to struggle academically in U.S. schools. To date, I have been reporting on factors that increase children’s risk for lower achievement in reading and mathematics.
Researchers have found that large science achievement gaps occur within the U.S. These gaps are very large by middle school, and they are disproportionately experienced by children who are racial or ethnic minorities, English Language Learners (ELLs), and those from lower-income families.
For example, 63 percent of U.S. eighth graders who are black display “below basic” (that is, less than partial mastery of knowledge and skills necessary for grade level work) levels of science achievement. The contrasting percentage for white children is 20 percent. While 52 percent of low-income children display below basic levels of science achievement, only 20 percent of higher-income children do so.
Yet why these science achievement gaps are occurring has been unclear.
Very few studies have examined children’s science achievement across time. Most studies have used samples of middle or high school students. As a result, when science achievement gaps begin to occur has not been well understood.
Here’s what our study shows
To better understand these science achievement gaps, we analyzed a nationally representative sample of U.S. schoolchildren as they entered kindergarten and then continued through elementary and middle school.
The data were collected by the U.S. Department of Education, and designed to be representative of the population of children who entered U.S. kindergarten classrooms in 1998-1999.
The data included children’s reading and mathematics achievement, their classroom behavior, and many characteristics of their families and schools. Such characteristics included the quality of the children’s parenting, their family’s income, and the racial segregation of their schools. From third grade to eighth grade, the surveys included a measure of children’s science achievement.
During kindergarten and first grade, the surveys assessed children’s general knowledge about their natural (e.g., the seasons, the lunar phases, erosion) and social worlds (e.g., what a fireman does, what planes and trains have in common).
Our analyses of these data yielded three surprising findings.
First, we found that very large gaps in general knowledge were already evident among children entering kindergarten classrooms in the U.S. For example, about 60 percent of black children scored in the bottom 25 percent on the general knowledge measure. The contrasting percentage for white children was 15 percent.
About 65 percent of low-income children entered kindergarten with low levels of general knowledge. Only 10 percent of high-income children did so. The general knowledge and science achievement gaps in kindergarten were even larger than the reading or mathematics achievement gaps.
In other words, leaks in the STEM pipeline were originating “close to the tap.”
The second surprising finding was that general knowledge gaps by kindergarten strongly predicted science achievement gaps by third grade. For example, of those whose general knowledge was in the lowest 25 percent during kindergarten, 62 percent, 60 percent and 54 percent had levels of science achievement in the lowest 25 percent at the end of third, fifth or eighth grade, respectively.
This suggests that children who are already struggling with low levels of general knowledge in kindergarten are likely to still be struggling in science throughout elementary and middle school.
Children’s general knowledge was a stronger predictor of third grade science achievement than race/ethnicity, reading or mathematics achievement, classroom behavior or family income.
Both the general knowledge and science achievement gaps were very stable over time.
Children who are racial or ethnic minorities, English Language Learners or from low-income households displayed lower levels of science achievement by third grade and typically continued to lag behind throughout elementary and middle school. Girls displayed relatively lower science achievement than boys in third grade.
Closing these gaps
Our third finding was more encouraging. We found that we could explain most of these general knowledge and science achievement gaps. And this could help inform efforts by parents, practitioners, and policymakers to close these gaps.
For example, we were able to explain 75 percent of the third grade science achievement gap between black and white children as well as 97 percent of the gap between low- and high-income children.
Factors that helped explain science achievement gaps included children’s reading and mathematics achievement, their behavior and, most importantly, their general knowledge.
Helping young children to be more knowledgeable about their physical and social surroundings, as well as to be better at reading and mathematics, may increase their science achievement as they grow older.
Asking children questions about their surroundings while encouraging and extending their initial explorations could help them improve their general knowledge and science achievement.
Encouraging policies that lead to high-quality childcare for children most at risk could reduce these gaps. Policies that counter the racial segregation of U.S. schools might also be helpful.
It is never too late to help children grow to be successful. But if we are really serious about their as well as our nation’s future opportunities, we will do more to help all children begin kindergarten already knowledgeable about their natural and social worlds.
Collective, coordinated, and sustained efforts by parents, practitioners, and policymakers during children’s early school careers could make all the difference.
State and local lawmakers have put policies in place to address and prevent bullying. Many schools too have implemented interventions to improve school climate to reduce bullying behaviors.
Despite these efforts, in my research and experiences in schools as a counselor educator and school counselor, I have found bullying based on bias continues to be an issue in school settings.
“Bias-based” or “identity-based” bullying, defined as students being bullied specifically based on their race, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, socioeconomic status or weight, is far more difficult to recognize or address when compared to traditional forms of bullying.
Teachers too may fail to notice and address such behaviors and, at times, may even be involved in them.
Response to bullying
Bias-based bullying incidents involve explicit and implicit forms of racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice or discrimination. They are not only harmful emotionally, socially and psychologically to students, but are also a violation of a student’s civil rights.
The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights urges schools to be vigilant in the identification and prevention of bias-based bullying and provides guidance on specific laws that prohibit bias based harassment such as Title IX, a federal law, that prohibits discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation, Section 504 or Title II, which protects individuals with disabilities, and Title IV, which protects individuals from harassment based on religion, ethnicity or shared ancestry.
Despite this protection, however, bias-based bullying behaviors persist and can go unnoticed, or even be endorsed, by teachers in the field.
For example, a recent study investigated physical education teachers failing to respond to bullying behaviors against students being targeted due to their weight. Studies have also highlighted teachers failing to respond to students being bullied due to their sexual orientation.
Failure to recognize bias-based bullying behaviors can lead to tragic consequences.
Ryan Halligan, a 13-year-old student who committed suicide in October 7, 2003, was targeted primarily with homophobic slurs. A more recent case was that of Kennedy LeRoy, a teen who committed suicide in June 2015 after he was bullied partly due to having Asperger’s syndrome.
Bullying by teachers
Worse still, some students report being victimized not just by their peers but by their teachers as well.
In a study titled The Youth Voice Project published by my colleagues, Charisse Nixon and Stan Davis, students in special education testified that their teachers were more abusive toward them than toward their peers in general ed.
Although this information may seem surprising, teacher involvement in bullying students extends beyond special education settings to general and alternative education settings.
Although most schools are preparing educators and staff to recognize and respond to bullying, behaviors that are based on bias are often overlooked.
The results of a study I conducted indicated that educators may lack the knowledge of and skills to respond to bias-based bullying.
I investigated perceptions of undergraduate students in teacher education programs. I asked participants about their perceptions of their role when faced with a situation involving bias based bullying.
Most people consider themselves outsiders and do not respond to bullying. Denise Krebs
Approximately 50 percent of participants considered themselves to be outsiders or not involved in situations involving bias-based bullying. Additionally, participants believed that they lacked the knowledge and skills to respond to situations involving bullying and prejudice.
There was one encouraging finding, however. After participating in a full-day workshop that included bullying prevention and prejudice reduction, participants reported significant changes in attitude. Their knowledge and skills to respond to situations involving bullying and prejudice improved. And they also changed how they perceived their role – from considering themselves to be outsiders (57 percent pre-workshop, 20 percent post-workshop) to defenders of victims of bias based bullying (20 percent pre-workshop; 78 percent post-workshop).
Training teachers
So how can schools respond to bias-based bullying?
School administrators can include questions regarding bias-based bullying on their school environment, assessments and evaluations. This can help schools gain a better understanding of what forms of bias-based bullying are most common in their schools. Training teachers to recognize and respond to bias-based bullying could also improve the likelihood that they would intervene when they saw bullying.
These initiatives can be effective when implemented as a part of an intervention that includes the whole school, parents and the community.
How teachers manage their classrooms is an important part of achieving an effective learning environment. Educators know that all students learn differently, and choosing the right instructional stylecan mitigate behavioral issues and make good instruction possible. According to the National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality, a significant body of research also demonstrates that classroom organization and the ability to effectively manage student behavior “significantly influence the persistence of new teachers in teaching careers.” Within this context, it is clear that instructional theory and classroom management strategies are among the most important aspects of teacher education.
While classroom management theory is constantly evolving, there are three key theorists who stand out when it comes to modern education. Throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, experts like B.F. Skinner, William Glasser and Alfie Kohn revolutionized the ways that teachers deliver education. Understanding their theories can help educators define their own classroom management methods and make decisions about how to best approach interactions with students.
B.F. Skinner’s contribution to learning theory can’t be overstated. His work is based upon the idea that learning is a function of change in overt behavior. According to Skinner, changes in behavior are a result of individuals’ responses to events, or stimuli, that occur in their environment. When a stimulus-response (S-R) pattern is rewarded, the individual is conditioned to respond similarly in the future. The key to Skinner’s theory is reinforcement, or anything that strengthens the desired response. This could include praise, good grades, a reward or even a feeling of accomplishment. Of course, negative reinforcement occurs when a stimulus results in increased response when it is withdrawn. The central tenet of Skinner’s work is that positively reinforced behavior will reoccur. This is why information is presented in small amounts. Responses can be reinforced, and reinforcement will be applied to similar stimuli.
Skinner’s work in operant conditioning has been integrated into both classroom management and instructional development. When applied to programmed instruction, the following should occur:
Practice should occur in a question-answer format that exposes students to information gradually through a series of steps.
The learner should respond each time and receive immediate feedback.
Good performance should be paired with secondary reinforcers like praise, prizes and good grades.
Instructors should try to arrange questions by difficulty so the response is always correct, creating positive enforcement.
There are many obvious ways that Skinner’s work has been directly incorporated into modern school systems. Though rewards were utilized for good behavior long before Skinner, many behavior management systems utilized in today’s classrooms are influenced by his theories. Teachers utilize immediate praise, feedback or rewards when seeking to change problematic student behavior, and some even use “token economies” to reward students in a systematic way.
William Glasser coined the term “choice theory”in 1998. In general, this theory states that all we do is behave. Glasser suggests that almost all behavior is chosen, and we are driven by genetics to satisfy five basic needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun. In choice theory, the most important need is love and belonging because connectedness with others is required as a basis in satisfying all other needs. The classroom should therefore be a needs-satisfying place for students.
Glasser’s work impacts learning theory in a variety of ways. It has been utilized in schools across the globe and has changed the ways that teachers deliver instruction.
First, Glasser identifies teachers as managers who need to work effectively if they want to successfully teach their students. The role of teachers as managers requires them to guide students in understanding that working hard and being obedient is worth it and will have a positive influence on their lives. Teachers can achieve this through developing positive relationships with students and creating active, relevant learning experiences that enable students to demonstrate mastery and success.
When it comes to developing lessons, teachers who practice choice theory work to make sure that student classroom activities are designed to satisfy the students’ needs. This allows learning to increase while diminishing disruption. Students are able to “connect, feel a sense of competence and power, have some freedom, and enjoy themselves in a safe, secure environment,” according to Funderstanding. There are three common characteristics of classrooms and schools that apply choice theory:
Coercion is minimized because it never inspires quality. Students aren’t “made” to behave using rewards and punishments. Instead, teachers build positive relationships with their students and manage them.
Teachers focus on quality. They expect mastery of concepts and encourage students to redo their work and try again until they have demonstrated competence and high-quality work. The emphasis is on deep learning through application.
Self-evaluation is common. Students are provided with helpful information and take ownership of their learning by evaluating their own performance. This promotes responsibility and helps students reach goals while becoming skilled decision-makers who are actively involved in their own education.
Alfie Kohn’s work critiques many aspects of traditional education, namely the use of competition or external factors as motivation. Kohn maintains that societies based on extrinsic motivation always become inefficient over time. He questions the hierarchical structures at work in mainstream education. Positions of authority are “unnaturally scarce,” and such systems assume that all people have a competitive nature. He argues that positive enforcement only encourages students to seek out more positive enforcement, rather than truly learn. Kohn believes that the ideal classroom emphasizes curiosity and cooperation above all, and that the student’s curiosity should determine what is taught. Because of this, he argues that standards should be kept very minimal and is critical of standardized testing. Kohn also argues that a strict curriculum and homework are counterintuitive to student needs. When it comes to classroom management, Kohn believes that most teachers rely too heavily on extrinsic motivation rather than more intrinsic factors. He suggests teachers keep cooperation in mind because when curiosity is nurtured, rewards and punishments aren’t necessary.
To implement Kohn’s approaches in the classroom, teachers can allow students to explore the topics that interest them most. Students “should be able to think and write and explore without worrying about how good they are,” he suggests. In general, Kohn believes that there is too much emphasis on achievement rather than the learning process. He emphasizes that not all students learn at the same pace, and standards do not take this into account. In general, Kohn believes in classrooms where the student is at the center of everything. Ideally, such a classroom would feature:
Multiple activity centers with various classroom structures for group work
Displays of student projects
Students exchanging ideas
A respectful teacher mingling with students
Students excited about learning and actively asking questions
Multiple activities occurring at the same time
In terms of modern school systems, Kohn’s approaches are more consistent with those used in elementary classrooms. The key element is a “shift from a quiet, well-managed classroom to one that is lively and features an emphasis on student learning,” explains Thomas Hanson on OpenEducation.net.
When educators are able to focus on classroom organization as a means of behavior management, they achieve better results for students. If you are interested in education topics like this, consider the online Master of Education from Husson University. Graduate-level education is ideal for teachers looking to advance their career and become leaders in the classroom and beyond. In addition, this degree program is ideal for individuals interested in becoming curriculum/instructional specialists, corporate trainers, course designers, education policy developers or adjunct faculty members.
Regardless of your professional focus, Husson’s program helps educators develop successful learning techniques through an inquiry-based approach. You can learn more about this fully online program here.
Contrary to popular belief, DNA is not a child’s destiny. IQ is not fixed. Cognitive skills can change. This is critically important in K-12 schools because of the poverty gap — the difference between a child’s chronological age and developmental age.
In a healthy environment, a child’s developmental age will match his or her chronological age. In a high-risk environment, research shows that while a child’s chronological age is 5 years old, his or her developmental age is closer to 3 years old. This has a huge impact on school readiness and performance.
Today, 51 percent of all students in U.S. public schools are poor. Our public education system is designed to help students achieve a year of academic growth in a school year. For economically disadvantaged children, that’s a problem.
This problem, of course, is not new. In 1995, Betty Hart and Todd R. Risley published their groundbreaking research study that uncovered the widely cited 30-million word gap between children from low-income homes and their more economically advantaged peers. Not only does that gap still exist today, it’s becoming more prevalent as the poverty rate climbs.
The sphere of ethical responsibilities and moral dilemmas is not just limited to teachers. Professionals from all fields—including doctors, architects, engineers, or psychologists—face ethical issues during their professional duties and find themselves grappling with right and wrong. That’s why most professions have generated a universal code of ethics that every professional belonging to the group is supposed to follow. Doctors abide by the Hippocratic oath, for example. But as mentioned, the teaching profession unfortunately has no universally accepted code of ethics. The InTASC Standards come close. A number of organizations have formulated useful codes of ethics. The National Education Association (NEA) Code of Ethics is an example. A number of state education departments also have their personalized formal codes, for example, the Alaska Professional Teaching Practices Commission.
Here is the NEA Code of Ethics:
PRINCIPLE I
Commitment to the Student
The educator strives to help each student realize his or her potential as a worthy and effective member of society. The educator therefore works to stimulate the spirit of inquiry, the acquisition of knowledge and understanding, and the thoughtful formulation of worthy goals.
In fulfillment of the obligation to the student, the educator—
1. Shall not unreasonably restrain the student from independent action in the pursuit of learning.
2. Shall not unreasonably deny the student’s access to varying points of view.
3. Shall not deliberately suppress or distort subject matter relevant to the student’s progress.
4. Shall make reasonable effort to protect the student from conditions harmful to learning or to health and safety.
5. Shall not intentionally expose the student to embarrassment or disparagement.
6. Shall not on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, marital status, political or religious beliefs, family, social or cultural background, or sexual orientation, unfairly:
Exclude any student from participation in any program
Deny benefits to any student
Grant any advantage to any student
7. Shall not use professional relationships with students for private advantage.
8. Shall not disclose information about students obtained in the course of professional service unless disclosure serves a compelling professional purpose or is required by law.
PRINCIPLE II
Commitment to the Profession
The education profession is vested by the public with a trust and responsibility requiring the highest ideals of professional service.
In the belief that the quality of the services of the education profession directly influences the nation and its citizens, the educator shall exert every effort to raise professional standards, to promote a climate that encourages the exercise of professional judgment, to achieve conditions that attract persons worthy of the trust to careers in education, and to assist in preventing the practice of the profession by unqualified persons.
In fulfillment of the obligation to the profession, the educator—
1. Shall not in an application for a professional position deliberately make a false statement or fail to disclose a material fact related to competency and qualifications.
2. Shall not misrepresent his/her professional qualifications.
3. Shall not assist any entry into the profession of a person known to be unqualified in respect to character, education, or other relevant attribute.
4. Shall not knowingly make a false statement concerning the qualifications of a candidate for a professional position.
5. Shall not assist a non-educator in the unauthorized practice of teaching.
6. Shall not disclose information about colleagues obtained in the course of professional service unless disclosure serves a compelling professional purpose or is required by law.
7. Shall not knowingly make false or malicious statements about a colleague.
8. Shall not accept any gratuity, gift, or favor that might impair or appear to influence professional decisions or action.
Teachers’ concerns for the best interests of students will motivate them to engage in ethical teaching and other educational practices. Teachers must also abide by a number of laws that exist not only to protect students, but also to protect teachers. Make sure you know what professional codes you are expected to uphold. Your action as an individual affects the tone of your community – school and otherwise – as a whole. Make your workspace a place that you’re proud of.
