Image of the Child Part III

From Greg Eaken: Kids Do Well if They Can

I am the product of Catholic schools in “da Region” in northwest Indiana.  During my elementary years, I was often surprised by the discipline techniques employed by the nuns who taught us.  These quiet and prayerful ladies of the cloth would transform into the Monsters of the Midway when students were misbehaving.  

According to Greg, Sister Carmen had an impressive right arm.

In the fifth grade, Sister Carmen had an arm on her not unlike Fergie Jenkins. (Those of you who followed the Chicago Cubs in the 1970s know who I’m referring to.)  If someone was talking out or otherwise disrupting her classroom, she would pirouette 180 degrees from the chalkboard and hurl the eraser at the offending student.  Her accuracy rate was well over 80%!  

I recall that “Billy J.” was a frequent flyer to the office during that year and one of Sister Carmen’s favorite targets.  He was sent to the principal’s office for any one of a variety of offenses on any given day.  On one occasion, Sister Paulita directed Billy to stand in the front of the room with his nose in a circle drawn on the chalkboard because he refused to work.  On another occasion, “Billy J” was threatened with a spanking due to his disrespectful behavior.  He chose to climb out the window and leave the premises rather than meet the wrath of Mr. Leonard and his paddle. 

“Billy J.” never returned….  I assumed he enrolled in public school. 

This is Greg, but Billy J. was no alter boy.

Even a fifth grader with no background in behavioral theory could surmise that Billy really wasn’t responding very well to the strategies that were in place.  Sisters Carmen and Paulita were using what they were familiar with in terms of disciplining students who exhibited challenging behaviors. 

Clearly there is a need to react or respond when students exhibit disruptions in the classroom.  However, our primary response, until recently, was usually to wait for misbehavior to occur and then resort to punitive responses in hopes that the interfering behaviors would go away (or in Billy's case, climb out the window).  One problem with this approach (and there are others) is that we don’t really teach the student anything about what it is we want them to do. 

What discipline practices lead to students
feeling "lost at school"?

Noted author, Ross Greene, describes a theory of behavior that I find most useful.  He states in his book Lost at School that “kids behave well if they can.”  Dr. Greene asks the question “Why would [a child] choose not to do well if he has the skills to do well?”  

He encourages us to consider our “philosophy of kids.”  If we believe our students “do well when they want to,” our approach is dramatically different.  Viewing negative student behavior as willful, intentional, and manipulative results in increased frustration on the part of caregivers and teachers.  If we consider misbehavior to be a learning error, our approach often changes. 

I doubt “Billy J” started out his school career with a bad attitude.   

Take a moment and consider your philosophy.  Think about any discipline practices you currently use that may result in students feeling lost at school.  

• Do we engage in any practices that might be the equivalent of Sister Carmen throwing an eraser?  That is, do we do anything that might embarrass or demean our students?  
• Do we actively reflect upon our classroom management practices (clip charts, flipping cards) to ensure we are getting the results we want? 
• What outcomes do we think are reasonable for our tough students?   
• Finally, how are we embedding social skills instruction within the curriculum to teach our most challenging students the skills they need to function more effectively in ALL environments?  

Kids really do behave well if they can.  

Respond to Greg at geaken@hse.k12.in.us

From Brian Behrman: Intentional Modeling of Curiosity

When I think of the image of a child, the first thing that comes to mind are my own two children.  At home I have a six-year-old daughter and a three-year-old son.  While they each have their own strengths and weaknesses, one thing that is consistent with both of them is their curious nature.  For my son in particular, his favorite word is “why,” and his favorite phrase is “What does that mean?”  I love his inquisitive nature and his desire to figure out how the world works.

This word is heard often in the Behrman home.

When I think about all the fifth and sixth graders that I work with on a daily basis, I can still see that inquisitive nature in many of them.  In classrooms I hear great questions being asked, both by teachers and by students, but it also seems that as our students get older, the level of curiosity does not seem to be as high.  For some reason, our older students seem hesitant to ask deep questions about the world around them.

It is my belief that it is much more important for our students to know how to ask the right questions and find the answers for themselves, than simply answer the questions we ask.  It is also my belief that students will naturally be more curious and inquisitive when we integrate student-centered approaches into our teaching.  When students are investigating things that are high interest to them, they find passion and purpose in their learning.  I think we would all agree that it is easier to be curious and excited about things for which we find passion.

So the question for us: How do we help out students maintain the level of curiosity that most kids have in their earliest years? 

In the classrooms that develop curiosity, teachers are intentional in their modeling of deep-thinking questions, and they take the time to challenge their students to ask deep questions as well.  Instead of simply asking and answering questions, these teachers spend time talking about the questions that students have asked and guiding the discussion to allow the students to find their own answers. 

Through this modeling and discussion, each student’s curiosity is encouraged, and they find that it is possible to figure things out on their own, rather than relying on their teachers to be the gatekeepers of information.

Respond to Brian at bbehrman@hse.k12.in.us


Have a great week.

HSE Teaching and Learning Team