Instruction, Warning And Correction

by | Feb 3, 2018 | James Burns, Teachers, The Bully Proof Classroom

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When we give instructions to a student, we make two very important assumptions that may or may not be true. We assume that (1) they heard us, and (2) they understood us. Dealing with student behavior requires as much instruction as does the academic curriculum. What do you do if you ask a student to do something and they don’t do it? The assumption is that they were being uncooperative or maybe even willfully disobedient. That may not be the case at all. Before imposing a consequence question the student to determine if they did, in fact, hear and understand; leave the child with a warning. The warning is not a prelude to correction, but rather an opportunity to determine if your instructions were clear. If the behavior continues even after the warning, then you can be sure the student is being uncooperative. The trick though is to only give the student one warning. Too many warnings will only frustrate you as the teacher and send an inconsistent message to the student. A student who is a bully may need continued instruction about his behavior. Don’t let his/her behavior stop the process. Lastly, always be sure to impose the consequence after the warning. Never give up, and always be consistent.

 

They Just Don’t Know

by | Feb 2, 2018 | Bully Proof Classroom, James Burns

Trying to explain to a child, or even at times an adult, the reason “whys” or “why not’s” related to certain behaviors can at times can be frustrating (and with our own children can be frightening.). “Don’t drink and drive,” “don’t smoke,” “watch who you pick as a friend,” or “who you date” are all things that teachers and parents communicate to their students and their children. In school kids are always asking “Why do we have to do” something, or learn certain academic skills. Bullying behavior can have a lasting effect on those who experience social, emotional, or physical abuse at the hands of a bully. Why don’t kids and bullies in particular heed the warning of adults and just listen and stop saying and doing things that are just downright cruel? The reason: many of our children today were never taught to obey, so they don’t have a vision in terms of the long-range consequences for what they do and often what they say, and many times, they just don’t care. Consequences, I might add, that could affect them as an adult. Remember all we are looking for is a kid to do what he/she is told, when he/ she is told to do it. Three military men were walking across the huge flight deck of an aircraft carrier. Suddenly, a commanding officer yelled out to them, “drop!” Two of the men immediately fell on the deck. The third man turned around to see what was happening and was instantly killed by an incoming airplane. All three men heard the same word; however, only two of them understood what they heard and obeyed the command. Recognizing and immediately obeying the voice of the commanding officer proved to be a matter of life and death for these men. Help your students understand that there does not have to be a reason right now why they have to do what they are told. Hopefully the bully will change before his life is affected, or worse yet, the life of someone else.

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Resources For Presidents Day

by | Feb 1, 2018 | Presidents Day

This lesson is designed to help students get a comprehensive understanding of who the presidents were/are, years served and who served with them as vice president. The students will work to memorize the required information and then fill in a worksheet identifying the key information. (Answer keys are provided) The students will then answer questions about some of the presidents identifying some important facts. The Students will have the opportunity to create their own fact sheet about a president of their choice. This is an excellent lessons for grades 5-12.

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What Are You Paying Attention To?

by | Feb 1, 2018 | Attention, James Burns, The Bully Proof Classroom

The brain is a wonderful organ and it can be programmed by us and by others. The words that people say to us and the things that are done to us can produce a private logic that can either be believed or stricken from our conscious mind as being just or untrue. Your Reticular Activating System (RAS) is the automatic mechanism inside your brain that brings relevant information to your attention. The RAS is a filter between the conscious mind and the subconscious mind. Let’s say you are sitting in your classroom and in the distance, you hear sirens. Your subconscious mind may say, “police, fire, first aid.” You are busy concentrating on something else, so your conscious mind focuses on the task at hand. But, then you notice that the sirens were from a fire truck and the truck pulls in front of the school. Your RAS immediately kicks in and those sirens that you heard earlier are now relevant to you. If you start to smell smoke well, now it really has your attention. A student may come to school with his/her conscious mind already programmed. He/ she may have let so many negative thoughts in that they may have become part of his/her belief system. The student may have been bullied at home or punished for small mistakes. His/ her siblings may have picked on him/her to the point that his RAS now allows only negative thoughts in. But worse yet, he/ she now believes them. Negative words and treatment are the things that get his/her attention and they begin to form his/her self-image. His thoughts become actions. The order of the day is to create a climate in your classroom that is kind, caring, respectful, and responsible. Think about the best teacher you’ve ever had, and how he/she got your attention. Keep a smile on your face and do your best to provide an equitable distribution of your passion and understanding to all of your students. Maybe we have to realize what gets our attention and how good it feels when a smile comes our way.

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