We can always reap good ideas from successful

“We can always reap good ideas from successful educators” TEACHERS’ TOOLS BASED ON WHAT GREAT TEACHERS DO DIFFERENTLY BY TODD WHITAKER DEVELOPED BY YULIYA GOSS “We can always reap good ideas from successful educators” This i abou s t wha great t teach ers do

17 THINGS THAT MATTER MOST Click on specific links or proceed through the whole tool by pushing F 5. 1. Great teachers never forget that it is people, not programs, that determine the quality of a school. 2. Great teachers establish clear expectations at the start of the year and follow them consistently as the year progresses. 3. Great teachers manage their classrooms thoughtfully. When they say something, they mean it. 4. When a student misbehaves, great teachers have one goal: to keep that behavior from happening again. 5. Great teachers have high expectations for students, but have even higher expectations for themselves. 6. Great teacher know that they are the variable in the classroom. Good teachers consistently strive to improve, and they focus on something they can control: their own performance. 7. Great teachers us on students first, with a broad vision that keep everything in perspective. 8. Great teachers create positive atmospheres in their classrooms and schools. They treat every person with respect. In particular, they understand the power of praise. 9. Great teachers consistently filter out negatives that don't matter and share a positive attitude. Click on USS Enterprise to return here 10. Great teachers work hard to keep their relationships in good repair to avoid personal hurt and to repair any possible damage. 11. Great teachers have the ability to ignore trivial disturbances and the ability to respond to inappropriate behavior without escalating the situation. 12. Great teachers have a plan and purpose for everything they so. If plans don't work out the way they had envisioned, they reflect on what they could have done differently and adjust accordingly. 13. Before making any decision ot attempting to bring about any change, great teachers ask themselves one central question: What will the best people think? 14. Great teachers continually ask themselves who is most comfortable and who is least comfortable with each decision they make. They treat everyone as if they were good. 15. Great teachers have empathy for students and clarity about how others see them. 16. Great teachers keep standardized testing in perspective. They focus on the real issue of student learning. 17. Great teachers care about their students. They understand that their behaviors and beliefs are tied to emotion, and they understand the power of emotion to jumpstart change. 18. BONUS

IT'S PEOPLE, NOT PROGRAMS • It’s never about programs but about people. Programs • Seeing a teacher succeed using a “programmed” approach, leads many to believe that it is the approach that is great. • Innovations will not necessarily solve problems because no program leads inherently to the solution. Faulty Cause & Effect Innovations • Great teachers try to make best out of the environment they work in. • Recognize that there is always room and need for improvement. Environment Improvement • • IT’S NOT WHAT YOU DO, IT’S HOW APPROPRIATELY & EFFECTIVELY YOU DO IT.

THE POWER OF EXPECTATIONS “Great teacher expect good behavior, and generally that’s what they get” (p. 14). Focus on desired behaviors. State the expectations positively: DO… instead of DON’T. . . Students are experts at cost-benefit analysis, so there is a negative side to spelling out all the consequences. Great teachers focus on expectations. Consequences for misbehavior are secondary. Great teachers have very clear approach to students’ behavior. Great teachers establish clear expectations at the beginning of the year & consistently follow them throughout the year. Great teachers set expectations 1 st, then establish relationships with the students, so they want to meet these expectations. Great teachers focus on the future. “If we wait until the second week of school, it’s more likely that we’ll be setting rules” (p. 17). Rules attach consequences to misbehavior. One purpose of the consequences in schools is to encourage other students to follow rules.

IF YOU SAY SOMETHING, MEAN IT Making exception/ not following through Threat/ punishment Loss of credibility Maintaining self-control is a critical skill Focus on expected behavior – not consequences of misbehavior. Always follow through. Neither one require a stern tone Ignore junk behavior – it is usually attention -seeking. Deal with the behavior when you are ready – after class & privately. Public reprimands can simply set students up against you Breathe, keep cool & give yourself time to think. Instead, lower the number by one, starting with the least challenging student positive peer pressure might help reducing the behavior. Go ahead & call parents if you need to consult with them, without informing the student. It will give you a chance to tell your side of the story & give it a connotation of partnership. Having a few disruptive students, it is difficult do go to zero at once.

PREVENTION V. REVENGE Effective Approaches * Focus on the future * Keep that behavior from happening again * We must focus on what we can influence * The student should be better leaving the principal’s office -Explain: we do not want them to feel angry and upset * Quality Matters * Yelling is never appropriate * Especially during the times of stress remain professional (e. g. , dealing with rude/uncooperative parents) Ineffective Reactions * Hanging on to the past negative situation * Teacher revenge student * Angry student * Wanting student to be upset * Tempted into yelling at the student who probably has been yelled at already * Unresolved conflict loss of trust * Put effort into rebuilding trust after the conflict Every teacher has the same tools in their bag of tricks. The difference is how they use them, & how often do they use them. A great teacher reaches in at least twice a day, says Todd Whitaker. We never win an argument with a student. We’ve lost as soon as it has started. When we deal with misbehaving students in a professional manner, the rest of the students will be on our “team”

HIGH EXPECTATIONS - FOR WHOM? • Great teachers have high expectations for their students. • They also have high expectations for themselves. • Teacher’s expectations for themselves are the variable. • Even the worst teachers have high expectations for students – like to be engaged with the content no matter how irrelevant it is; to be respectful no matter how they treat their students High Expectations and the variable High Expectations • Focus on your own performance. • Set even higher expectations for yourself. Challenge • - “Do you mind if we grade papers or read the newspapers while you are speaking? ” • - “I don’t mind at all – as long as you are comfortable with students doing whatever they want to do in your class while you are teaching. ”

WHO IS THE VARIABLE? YOU ARE! Whose behavior can you, the teacher, control in the classroom? Your own! If the majority of your students do poorly on the assignment, whose fault is that? Your, teacher's, fault Whose performance can you control? • “When we center on our own behavior, we feel empowered to make a difference” (p. 38). • Accept responsibility. That’s an essential difference between effective & less effective teachers, employers, principals – “even parents. ” • Rise to the challenge to make every class your best. • Do not play “the blame game, ” but work with others in order to “be more productive and effective” together. Your own • (p. 41).

FOCUS ON STUDENTS FIRST • “I have found that the greatest challenge is to get everyone – or almost everyone – on board. It might seem that simple logic would prevail”(p. 43). How will the change/ event affect the whole school? How does each of us fit in with the big picture? For whose sake is the challenge? The Very Best Teachers & BREADTH of Vision Students’ Some teachers are limited by classroom walls and selves: their students, their teaching practices, their routines, without seeing a bigger picture. Is this the best thing for your students? Focus on the colleagues second Like in “The Hotel California, ” “You can check out any time you like / but you can never leave” No griping with Negative Nancy and Downing Don. Remember what matters Resist to socialize when you should to be supervising. Teaching makes a difference. It matters every day, & that makes it difficult.

TEN DAYS OUT OF TEN • Create a positive atmosphere Take positive approach day after day Authenticity. Recognizing smth that is true. For something genuine, there is no “too much. ” • Our behaviors are much more obvious than our beliefs. • Although respect is earned, it is a mutual process. It’s a challenge to treat everyone with respect every day. Privacy. Many students just prefer private praise. • If you don’t act as if you like them, they will think you do not care about them. • And if you act as if you like them, then your true feelings are irrelevant. You do not have to like the students. Neither will all of them will like you “If everyone in the school is treated with respect and dignity, you may still have nothing special. However, if everyone in a school is not treated with respect and dignity, you will never have anything special. Of that I am sure” (p. 56). Cleanness. 1. Authentically compliment. 2. It cannot include the word “but. ” 5 Strategies That Make Praise Work Specificity. That is, praise the behavior. Identify what has been done well & acknowledge it. Immediacy. Recognize positive beh. quickly. Give immediate feedback.

BE THE FILTER “we can filter out the negative energy that makes students feel we’re just there to do our job. ” A young teacher once said that he preferred to “keep everyone in the loop” & just say that it’s one of those days, which students can do too. The lounge or faculty room should be a place where teachers socialize, relax, & do work. “[t]he best way to alter perceptions is to provide other perceptions” perceptions If we approach things positively, that is what our students reflect Every day students come in with expectations for us to set the tone. ne “By consistently filtering out the negatives that don’t matter and sharing a positive attitude, we can create a much more successful setting” (p. 63). Have good credibility and good relationships. Students will want to be on the same page withy you. We are pleased when our students do well. Great teachers establish an effective filter between personal lives & their classrooms “[T]he students are on their best behavior the first day of school”… & “hand us respect on a platter” (p. 59). The great teachers don’t add to the chant of complaints Instead, they filter them out. Our behavior sets the tone “When the teacher sneezes, the whole class catches a cold” (p. 58). This is just what happens. Students will match the tone that we set.

DON'T NEED TO REPAIR - ALWAYS DO REPAIR Some Never Need to Repair – But Always Do The “I Am Sorry That Happened” Phrase Teaching “people skills” Effective educators are sensitive to every statement they make or “action they take. ” Helps to defuse aggressive parents. We can help not only students to develop “people skills. ” Some colleagues can benefit from it too. You can serve as an important role model. Just because you are saying “I Am Sorry That Happened, ” doesn’t imply it is your fault. You are just empathetic. In addition to modeling, modeling you may also need to teach it. Avoid actions that have a potential to hurt feelings. “The best teachers consistently compliment and praise students” (p. 66). The best educators strive to keep their relationships in good repair. The best teachers always repair, just in case. Take advantage of teachable moments to teach students behaviors that repair the situation instead of escalating it. It’s a powerful technique. Not only for working with parents, of course. Regardless of the circumstances, you should be able to say it “professionally and with empathy. ” In your brain, you can be anything you want. As a professional, you can never be sarcastic or demeaning. Control yourself – that’s what teachers do. Focus on prevention! “Why must I give Johnny the word-for-word language? Because he may not have it himself” (p. 70). “And you know that [your] goal in being nice is selfish. ” But your job will be easier. “Introduce and strengthen skills of conflict resolution. ” • By teaching students how to handle conflict, you help building a “more peaceful world. ” • When you erupt like a volcano here and there, although being nice 90% of the time, you may never know the damage you’ve caused. And, although “we may get over it, our targets may not” (p. 65).

THE ABILITY TO IGNORE “High achievers hold themselves to lofty standards” (p. 76). They “emotionally deflate” when someone else points out their shortcomings. Ignore minor errors! – behavioral & in students’ work. Understand the high achievers Model selfcontrol. Your management ability is in your ability to manage yourself. Awareness of almost everything that happens in the classroom. Great teachers don’t automatically react when a student steps out of line. Fast-paced & delicate balancing act Criticism, no matter how minor, is difficult for them because they put so much of themselves in what they do. They do not stop being judgmental of themselves. They do not want to settle for something less than their best. Respond to inappropriate behavior without escalating the situation. They expect to succeed in everything they do. Great teachers have an amazing ability to ignore behaviors, &not their Pay attention students. to students: recognize & praise their achievements. “We are often our own worst critics. Although we may think that when others criticize us we try harder, at some point, when it happens too frequently, we are likely to quit” (p. 75).

RANDOM OR PLANDOM? “These alterations do not involve power struggle. ” They often look random but there is a reason behind them. Project your teacherrays (“T-rays”), so your presence is felt. At the assembly, sit by your students – especially those who are the most likely to misbehave. “Great teachers intentionally arrange, rearrange, alter, & adjust the structures that frame their teaching” (p. 81). Great teachers have a plan & purpose for everything they do. Great teachers focus on prevention. Great teachers reflect & adjust. AND they take responsibility. • Attention getter/ anticipatory set • Objective(s) written in form of essential questions (for checking understanding). • Creating & planning for transitions. • Engage your students with the material = limit direct instruction. • Closure • Summary. Students should summarize. P. s. Do not wait for volunteers, tell students the # of volunteers you need and wait until hands go up, then proceed. Less effective – blame things on others & keep pushing their line.

BASE EVERY DECISION ON THE BEST PEOPLE GUIDELINES FOR DECISIONS Better than asking “What is the reason? ” Differentiate What is the purpose? What will the best people think? Will this actually accomplish the purpose? • If we teach to the middle, that’s where the majority of our students will remain. • Great teachers aim high. Positive peer pressure can help to manage your classroom “like a well-run business” (p. 86). “Nurture the superstar students you have, and work to cultivate others” Ask yourself what will the best of your students think If it is only “fine, ” it is not “great” anymore. We treat all students with the best students in mind. Be careful to not put your best students in the position that earns them the “teacher’s pet” title! Decision-Making If it is only “fine, ” it is not “great” anymore.

IN EVERY SITUATION, ASK WHO IS MOST COMFORTABLE AND WHO IS LEAST COMFORTABLE Hi! How’s your day going? Can I help you? Although about do’s, don’t imply that they’ve done something bad just because it’s “expected” of them by others. Treat Everyone as if They Were Good When posing a question, phrase it in a positive manner. “…make the people who do the right thing, feel comfortable“ Ask “best people” what they think Involve students before making a decision. Their opinion matters, right? Hostile people [especially] love to argue. It’s their niche” (p. 93). Students you are most tempted to yell at, probably get yelled at often. Dear Parents & Guardians! Thank you for your cooperation in ______ Uncomfortable Feelings Make People Change – One Way or Another Sending memos to families, address positive things, thus reinforcing good behavior. You teach people appropriate ways to behave. • Not refine inappropriate skills. * The book asks to “ask input from our most capable students and colleagues, [then] we are much more likely to make the right choices” (p. 95).

PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES Become a st udent foreign langu again: start/continue le arning a age, knit, su writing with the other ha rf, snowboard, try nd… Remem ber how it feels. 1 in 5 children in Am erica live in poverty at l h w ro n ont o c us an c Fo u c yo Do no play a blam e game: society, governmen on parents, t, previous teachers… Some children do no skills” because they t have “people have never seen them Children bring thei r world into the classroom, & you learn to the diversity and em work with all brace it You might ha ve to hundred time repeat yourself a s a da please, and th y: “do this, ank you” Model the behavio r you expect and give great part to teaching “people skills” Many teachers wer e teac pleasers themselv heres Be aware of how yo u come across to o Monitor your conn ection with the audience thers Re mi are nd y no ours t p el erf f yo ec u t

WHAT ABOUT THESE DARN STANDARDIZED TESTS? Student social skills Self worth + test scores Are you helping your students develop skills they need? There are many things that teachers, administrators, parents, board members, students, community representatives agree on. Variety of personal beliefs. Teachers, too, have variety of personal beliefs. Staff motivation What school Core issues Student behavior Involvement in school Focus of effective principals & teachers. Effective educators “spend human resources carefully, aware of the limited value of many mandates from on high” (p. 103). Teacher morale School culture climate Responsibility Behavior “success [brings your school] greater autonomy to do what [the school believes] is best for the students” (p. 107). (p. 108). should be doing? What standardized tests measure? We have to achieve success in the little circle, otherwise it will become the big circle, & no one wants that.

MAKE IT COOL TO CARE ! • “… and they care deeply”: deeply about learning, teacher, each other. • Create a school-wide environment that supports & reinforces treating everyone with respect & dignity, taking a positive approach, remembering that people matter. • If you care, you will have less students who just “easily fall through the cracks. ” • (Research states that adolescents are more emotional than children & adults. ) Focus on doing what is right. “Students care, …” Learn off of good teachers. Teachers should share things with each other. Touch the Heart, Then Teach the Child. There are students who feel & think that their teachers don’t like them. Prepare students for life, not the test • Students care • Great about great teachers care teachers about because students • Behaviors & beliefs are tied to emotions • Until you connect with the student on the emotional level, you may never be able to affect their mind.

CLARIFY YOUR CORE Assessment is never punishment! When presenting, give your audience something to do. You plan for learning, not teaching. Outside influences pressure us You are an architect, & this is a blueprint Create a culture where failure is acceptable and ok. Teach your students relaxation techniques. Give them a minute to tune in before the test. Rewarding Leave time & energy for what matters Dynamic Challenging teaching Beliefs in your core guide you With the core, you feel confident & secure, so do your students Adhere to your values Energizing Focus on what’s right for your students Draining “Every teacher has an impact. Great teachers make a difference” (p. 121).