Comments on: More About Maintaining a “Good” Class

By: Damián

Damián — Sun, 24 May 2009 09:47:10 +0000

Sometimes we may find it difficult to make students understand that they don’t share the same ’status’ as teachers when developing a lesson.
However, the best policy to keep teacher authority is usually of a paradoxical nature, since it increases as far as teachers show a humble attitude. So, apologizing -when necessary- and recognizing students individually -always- are two of the most effective strategies to get a relaxed ready-to-learn class atmosphere.
I think students appresciate this attitude much more than the mastery of our teaching area.

By: Pat

Pat — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 11:17:47 +0000

I love the suggestion of “recognizing students” because I don’t think we do enough of that in school. This would even bring the shy quiet students up to the forefront. I have also used red/green square foam pieces glued together. They turn the green up on the desk when they’re working so I know they don’t need help. If they need help, they turn the red over. This is great because they don’t have to keep their hands raised while I’m helping someone else. I just go around the room and help the students with the reds on their desk. After I’m done helping them, I turn it back to green. I’m amazed the difference it made in my class.

By: Elona Hartjes

Elona Hartjes — Sat, 31 May 2008 17:19:32 +0000

Larry,
Regarding your comments about saying I’m sorry, I agree with you. When I say I’m sorry for something I said, did, misunderstood whatever, I’m saying that I’m human too. I think this helps build positive relationships with students that lead to positive teaching and learning environments.

By: Larry Ferlazzo

Larry Ferlazzo — Sat, 31 May 2008 13:42:06 +0000

What a great idea! I’ve had students in my ESL classes decide where they want to sit, but I could see doing this type of exercise, with a rubric, would be an excellent exercise that would provoke a lot of higher-order thinking in both ESL and mainstream classes..

Larry

By: smilin7h

smilin7h — Sat, 31 May 2008 13:34:12 +0000

Larry,
First, I want to reiterate my oft-repeated appreciation for you and your efforts with this blog. I have shared information (always with the recommendation to subscribe to your blog) with multiple colleagues; have celebrated you with other learners I work with; “thank you” seems so insufficient sometimes…
Re: involving students in changing seats, and post-its: I remember assigning students in an urban middle school [in a classroom rife with 'out-of-control' issues and requests in the classroom comment box to change seats] home with the assignment to re-arrange the classroom seating in a way that they thought might be best for improving classroom management. The assignment was graded, and I remember developing a rubric of some kind with it. I gave each student a chart with seat row boxes and post-its, and a list of first names.
I saved those charts and found them quite useful to review periodically, to note who might be a calming influence, might indicate good group cohorts, etc. It occurs to me now that it would have been interesting to repeat that exercise a couple of months later! Thoughts?