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

17 THINGS THAT MATTER MOST

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whole tool by pushing F5.

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.

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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

Its 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

ITS NOT WHAT YOU DO, ITS HOW

APPROPRIATELY & EFFECTIVELY YOU
DO IT.

THE POWER OF EXPECTATIONS

Great teacher expect good behavior, and generally thats
what they get (p.14).
Focus on desired behaviors. State the expectations
positively: DO instead of DONT...
Students are experts at cost-benefit analysis, so there is a
negative side to spelling out all the consequences.

Great teachers
have very clear
approach to
students
behavior.
Great teachers
focus on
expectations.
Consequences for
misbehavior are
secondary.

Great teachers
establish clear
expectations at the
beginning of the
year & consistently
follow them
throughout the
year.

Great teachers set

expectations 1st,
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, its more likely that well 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

Focus on
expected
behavior not
consequences of
misbehavior.

Always follow
through.

Neither one require

a stern tone

Loss of
credibility
Maintaining selfcontrol is a critical skill

Ignore junk
behavior it is
usually
attentionseeking.

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

Ineffective Reactions

* Keep that behavior from happening again

* Hanging on to the past negative situation

* We must focus on what we can influence

* Teacher revenge student

* The student should be better leaving the principals office

* Angry student

-Explain: we do not want them to feel angry and upset

* Quality Matters

* Wanting student to be upset

* Yelling is never appropriate

* Tempted into yelling at the student who

probably has been yelled at already

* Especially during the times of stress remain professional (e.g.,

* Unresolved conflict loss of trust

dealing with rude/uncooperative parents)

* 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. Weve 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.
Teachers 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 dont 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!

When we center on our own behavior, we feel empowered to make a difference (p.38).

If the majority of your

students do poorly on the
assignment, whose fault
is that?
Your,
teacher's,
fault
Whose
performance can
you control?

Thats 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.
Its a challenge to treat
everyone with respect
every day.

Specificity.
Privacy.

Many students just

prefer private
praise.

5 Strategies
That Make
Praise Work

If you dont 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).

That is, praise the

behavior. Identify
what has been
done well &
acknowledge it.

Cleanness.

Immediacy.

1. Authentically
compliment.

Recognize positive
beh. quickly. Give
immediate
feedback.

2. It cannot
include the word
but.

BE THE FILTER

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

we can filter out the negative

energy that makes students feel
were just there to do our job.
A young teacher once said that he
preferred to keep everyone in the
loop & just say that its one of those
days, which students can do too.

If we approach things
positively, that is what our
students reflect

Every day students come in

with expectations for us to
set the tone.

By consistently
filtering out the
negatives that dont
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 dont
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,

doesnt imply it is your fault. You are just empathetic.

In addition to 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.

Its 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 thats 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 youve 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
dont
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

Differentiate

GUIDELINES
FOR DECISIONS

Better than asking

What is the
reason?

What is the
purpose?

What will the

best people
think?

Will this
actually
accomplish
the purpose?

If we teach to the middle, thats 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 teachers
pet title!

Decision-Making

IN EVERY SITUATION, ASK WHO IS MOST COMFORTABLE AND

WHO IS LEAST COMFORTABLE
Hi! Hows your day
going? Can I help you?

Although about dos, dont

imply that theyve done
something bad just because its
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. Its 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

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

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

Behavior

success [brings your school]

greater autonomy to do what [the
school believes] is best for the
students (p.107).

Responsibility

(p.108).

We have to
achieve success
in the little
circle, otherwise
it will become
the big circle, &
no one wants
that.

 and they care

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 dont like
them.

Great
teachers care
about
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.

Students care
about great
teachers
because

CLARIFY YOUR CORE

Assessment is never
punishment!

When presenting, give your

audience something to do.

Outside
influences
pressure us
You are an
architect, &
this is a
blueprint

You plan for learning, not

teaching.

Create a culture where failure

is acceptable and ok.

Teach your students relaxation

techniques. Give them a
minute to tune in before the
test.

Leave time &

energy for
what matters

Beliefs in
your core
guide you
With the
core, you feel
confident &
secure, so do
your students

Adhere to
your values

Focus on
whats right
for your
students

Every teacher has

an impact. Great
teachers make a
difference (p.121).