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Teaching Children to Care by Ruth Sidney Charney

Key Points Section I Building a Learning Community Chapter 1 Intentions Discipline Focuses creativity Takes time Should be associated with learning, not punishment Empathy and structure Creation of Self-Control It is power It is created It is not 100% dependable Creation of community Gives children th epwer to care Caring is hard work Chapter 2 I See You, I See Everything Children Need to be Seen There needs to be security in that the teacher knows them I See you is not a threat Notice What Children do Right Focus on positive energy and accomplishments Comment on what you see Positive tone Remind and redirect vs. catch and correct Be specific Formulating Expectations Translate from implicit to explicit Allow for practice in intellectual and social skills

Questions

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Stage 1-Whole Class Learning Basic Routines Safety signal Circling up Bathroom routine Activities Morning Meeting Guided discovery Stage Two-Paradoxical Groups Establishes expectations for group work Both in small groups and independently Primary objective is for children to be productive while the teacher works with a small group Stage Three-Independence and Responsibility Lasts for the rest of the year Add in content groups now Chapter 3 Making the Rules with Children Rules Rules are positive guidelines They make good things happen Foundations in Theory Knowledge is actively constructed Children grow through predictable and progressive stages Stages Stage 1-Rules based on the power of adults Stage 2- Rules based on social conventions Stage3 Rules based on ethical ideas Collaborative Rule-Making with Children

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Rules can grow from hopes and dreams Teachers set the tone with their hopes and help students discover their own If we want our classroom to be a place where all the goals can be achieved, what rules do we need? Be sure rules are combined, generalized, and few in number Post them in a prominent place and use often Other Approaches Beginning with the Golden Rule Rules for classroom workers Rule-making tied to academic work Chapter 4 Teaching the Rules Modeling Demonstrate, notice, summarize, students demonstrate, everyone practices Paradoxical modeling is sometimes effective Role-Playing Teacher describes, students volunteer, class discusses, students act out appropriate ways to handle the situation, teacher summarizes and reinforces What to Do with the Rules Follow through Be consistent Use rules to examine problems Chapter 5 The Critical Contract: A Students Individual Goals for the Year Definition The Critical Contract in a document made up of a students most important goal for the school year, as well as their teachers and parents goals for him or her. Focus on What Matters Most

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Not necessarily academic Not only improvement goals Guidelines Listen to parents goals Help students formulate their goals Help students and parents state goals positively Goals should be specific Offer realistic strategies for achieving goals Evaluate and share progress Section II Making the Community Work Chapter 6 Using Logical Consequences When Rules are Broken Neither punishment nor Permission Help children assume responsibility, learn, and try again They don't humiliate or hurt Should be related to the rule broken Often times, natural consequences are more harmful than good and should be
avoided

The Stop Step The first step in responding to rule breaking must be to STOP the behavior. Sometimes the stop step with a quick redirection is all that is needed. Could be a glare, a gesture, a touch Logical Consequences They are respectful and respond to actions, not character. Empathy and structure Should describe the demands of the situation, not of the authority (stop power struggles that way) Assess the situation first! ALWAYS stop and think They should help restore self-control Three Types of Logical Consequences

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Reparation- You broke it, you fix it Breach of Contract-If you are not responsible, you lose a privilege Timeouts-You must forfeit participation

Chapter 7 Time-Out: Establishing Boundaries and Promoting Self-Control Trust and connection are KEY!!! Should be familiar and consistent Give timeouts for small things-before the classroom is chaos Time outs protect the student and the rules Time out should never be an option. It needs to be a direction Always reconnect by using a check-in: Time outs should be democratic. Both boys and girls, troublemakers and good kids You can always like the student without liking the behavior Always emphasize that children have a choice whether to engage or not, and that you have faith they can make the best choice If you have a good team and school, time outs can be used outside your classroom Always show empathy for rule breakerswe dont know what they are going through Timeouts dont always work for every child. Chapter 8 The Five Percent Power Struggles The Time Out Place is a place where students who have real trouble following rules or avoiding power struggles can go to reset. It is not the timeout chair, but their own special spot where they can calm down and choose when to rejoin the group. Bargaining is the act of giving students who have no interest in following rules a reason for following the rules. This should be a very specific process, always

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keeping in good humor and recognizing the students choice. There should be boundaries and room for creativity. Children with Behavioral Skill Deficits Some students cannot respond to rules in an appropriate manner. Most often, they need to be cued ahead of time in order to succeed. Explosive children need to be taught incredibly specific strategies for rule following. Sometimes a teacher will need to: Adapt the environment to fit the students needs Create a support team to help in tough situations and emergencies Communicate that they understand that certain things are hard for the student Develop response strategies to troubling situations. Give students the skills needed to respond appropriately to things that upset them Create frameworks to help respond as a team to childrens behavior. (Baskets a, b, and c) Get administrative and economic support Chapter 9 Working Together to Support the Rules Sometimes a student needs to be removed from a room in order to gain control. In these situations, a buddy teacher can be excellent. The teacher can be across the hall or nearby and will come get the student and without talking or commenting, bring them to a quiet spot of their classroom. When the timeout is over, it is important to not try and discuss the problem immediately. Also extremely important is to remain respectful and use no shaming. Later it is good to follow up and talk about consequences an behavior and perhaps ask for the reason behind it Further Steps Timeout for the rest of the day Reentry conferences

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Always remember to work WITH- not against- parents. The primary teacher should always be involved in order to share their knowledge, but the principal and team should always be encouraged to be involved. Section III The Voices of Teaching Chapter 10 Empowering Language: Say What You Mean and Mean What You Say Keep Demands Simple and Short In transitions, demands can be questions, should be reminders, and can be sequenced To quiet noise levels in the room, demands should be short, could be a question, and can include consequences To introduce changes in the room, demands should describe, anticipate, and ask. To stop inappropriate behavior, demands should be calm, firm, and redirecting Say What you Mean Dont make threats you dont (or shouldnt) plan to carry out Mean What you Say Always put actions to your words Only remind twice Speak directly, non-negotiably Use words that invite cooperation by making it fun, asking for help, and providing choices Chapter 11 Stress the Deed, Not the Doer Stress the Deed, Not the Doer When you focus on a students actions versus their personality, you leave less room for hurt and hostility Use the I Voice Take responsibility for opinions

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Asserts importance of personal feelings Helps to not jump to conclusions Helping Children Stress the Deed Two skills- 1. Noticing the detail of the behavior 2. Using the I voice The Compliment Club helps students notice real things, start using specifics, and cherish positive things Other ways to give compliments- representing or work sharing meetings Express anger with the Pretzel meeting Chapter 12 The Voices of Authority The Voice of Principle Golden Rule Always try to do right The Voice of Procedure Rules for Safety and Order Voice for personal rules can be about quirks or about strong personal convictions Section IV Further Strategies for Difficult Classroom Behaviors Chapter 13 Problem-solving Class Meetings Purpose 1. Provide constructive format for students to help each other 2. Develop capacity to solve problems Setting the Tone Invites participation and responsibility Begin with a positive tone Establish rules End with a focused agenda Rules and Skills Try to solve problems

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Support one another Listen to each other without interrupting Use the I Voice when speaking Meet in a circle, not in desks Steps for Problem Solving Meetings Introduce problem and review rules Gather information Begin and focus discussion Brainstorm solutions Choose a solution Define progress and consequences Close meeting Chapter 14 Teachers as Mirrors: Using Social Conferences The Importance of Noticing Being keenly aware of our individual students and their interactions Reflect back noticings to the children The Social Conference Builds on behavioral boundaries and autonomy Steps in a Social Conference Establishing what teachers and students notice (positive, things that didnt work, and asking what students notice) Naming the problem and the need to solve it (establish that the behaviors cause a problem, establish that it is a problem we want to solve together) Understanding the problem (Could it be,) Generating alternatives (list them, should seek to repair some loss of belonging or significance, help them find fun) Establishing an agreement to try (oral or written)

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Chapter 15 Individual Contracts Elements of Individual Student Contracts Behavioral goals (realistic, named clearly, observable and measurable, enforceable) A system of communication (note or envelope, regular morning check-in, daily time for eval) A way to evaluate success (A time to evaluate, a daily check-in, a marker to indicate success) A celebration of achievement (activities, toys, stickers) Clear consequences when boundaries are broken Section V Clear Positives Chapter 16 Teaching by Clear Positives: Revisiting Ideals Teaching Nonviolence Encouraging Children to Think for Themselves Stretching, not Tracking, Potentials Chapter 17 Clear Positives in Action Why we do what we do in our classrooms Communicates faith in our students will and aptitude and belief in the value of a particular activity

The First Six Weeks of School by Paula Denton and Roxann Kriete
What were the key points of your assigned readings? These can be listed in bulleted format under each chapter. List any questions or discussion topics you would

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like discussed in class. Introduction Using this Book Key Terms Students need knowledge Small details count Creates autonomy Intentionally established Intentions Create safe climate Teach schedules and expectations Introduce and teach about materials Establish expectations Introductions Gradually release responsibility Sometimes takes a long time Intertwines with academic aims Plans Templates only Room for artistry Chapter 1 Week One Environment is extraordinarily important Welcomed by teacher Welcomed by peers Important and comfortable Teach proactively Modeling before performance Concrete rules Slow and steady

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Chapter 2 Week Two Rowing Introduce sharing Complete rule-making Give opportunities to experience and reflect Academic choice times Select a topic that offers a sense of accomplishment Call on current knowledge while encouraging the stretch Dont jump too fast! Chapter 3 Week Three Beginning to Fly More room for choices Encourage internalization of rules The paradox (leading small group with close eye on large group) Cement rules Make them important and valuable Concrete application of abstract rules to specific situations Discipline must be reactive as well as proactive Chapter 4 Weeks Four to Six Moving into Phase Two Introductory phase could be longer than 3 weeks Most children, most of the time Benchmarks Good Units of Study Integrate social and academic skills Lean back and stretch forward Allow for in-depth exploration of relatively narrow topics

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Conclusion Ordinary Moments Moments of self-control and motivation become ordinary only when the members of the classroom work hard and are intentional Glimpse #1- Brenda decides to do the right thing on her own, and asks Justin for help. Justin gives the help readily and gracefully. Glimpse #2- Maria finds the courage to try something new and participate. Her efforts are appreciated and encouraged by her classmates. The friends choose to be respectful and thus get along even when playing competitive sports.