What’s Inside?
Article: The Keys to Developing a Positive Classroom Environment — Part Two: Examples of Love and Consistency in the Classroom
Funny Stories
Developing Better Thinkers Through Writing
One answer to the questions regarding God’s questions to Job A New Question for this issue
Poetry
The Keys to Developing a Positive Classroom Environment — Part Two: Examples of Love and Consistency in the Classroom
When we love God, we learn to love our neighbors and we can share the love of Christ with them. As Christian teachers, I think it would be good to consider how we can structure our classroom environments so that we create an atmosphere of neighborliness. When we establish an atmosphere of mutual respect, courtesy, safety, and add love to the mixture, we create a learning environment where we can teach our students about academics AND about life. Students need places where they are free to wonder, to explore ideas, and to try things they have not tried before. The classroom atmosphere needs to offer a place where no serious question is ever made fun of, where the teacher and students treat each other with respect, and where everyone knows who is in charge, but there is no need to lord it over those who are not in charge. Having a peaceful classroom environment does not mean that the teacher is a pushover who befriends his/her students, but he/she is a firm and loving leader who commands the room while being able to facilitate discussions and teach academic content at a high level. I have had experiences in class where students will come in and sit down and give a sigh of relief. Sometimes students tell me that when they are having a rough day that if they could just get to my class, then everything would be OK. On these occasions, I am surprised, because I expect my students to work and to behave, so why are they relieved to get to my class? I hope that the love and consistency I try to bring to class everyday helps my students feel safe and loved.
So what are the nitty gritty aspects of developing a positive classroom atmosphere? First, as a teacher you need to decide what the priorities in your class will be and, secondly, how are you going to establish those priorities. My first priority is to be a teacher and to teach my students the academic subjects in such a manner that the information they learn seeps down into their hearts. I want my students to develop convictions regarding the truths they are learning so that as adults they know their own minds. It is my hope that they will develop discernment to distinguish between that which is good, true, and beautiful and that which is false, evil, and distorted. Secondly, my job is to help my students develop their character through a balanced application of justice and mercy.
I feel such a strong responsibility as a teacher of children that I pray every morning and during the day when things come up. I pray every day that God would guide me in how I think, what I say, and how I act. I also ask for the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. I pray that the Lord would turn my heart towards my students and that He would turn my students' hearts towards me. When the students come into the classroom, I meet them at the door, where they are ready to go in dress code and with all of their supplies. I look them in the eye and say good morning and then their name. They do the same to me in return. I used to shake hands, and most students liked that, but it got us all sick. I tried shaking hands just the first day of each semester and I still got sick, so I stopped the handshaking. I give my students freedom to talk while I take roll, but I also train them that their job is to get their paper and pencils and books out ready to start class. When I walk to the front of the class and say something like, "Let's get started," they know that is their cue to stop talking immediately and to listen to my next instructions. I spend the first few minutes of each class asking about their day so far, and on Mondays, I ask about their weekends. It takes a little bit of time, but it helps to develop a rapport with them and it gives me opportunities to listen to my students and to encourage them -- a vital aspect of relationship building. Next, we pray and I take prayer requests. I write them down and follow up in the ensuing days. Again, I am using the prayer time to develop a relationship with my students.
When I leave my classroom during lunch or I am on teacher duty, I prepare myself to take time to speak with students informally and develop our relationships further. I do not allow students to talk badly about other students or teachers in my presence. I tell them that if they want to talk about another person with me, then they must be willing to do something to correct the problem. I do not allow bullying in my classes, and I never undermine a colleague.
In class, I am organized and I have a plan. I do not take anything for granted. I explain instructions for assignments well and I make sure everyone has their questions about assignments answered. I make sure that the students know how to do their homework and that they know exactly what to study for the test. We study using a series of activities such as taking notes, discussing the ideas in the notes, reading primary sources, and playing review games when we are preparing for exams. Competition is a good motivator to most students to learn material for an exam. I teach each class how to take notes effectively, because it is not intuitive for most students. I give my students as many days as I think it will take to get their homework completed plus one day to make sure they all have enough time to complete the work. I let them know about exams a week in advance. If there is a conflict with another class having an exam the same day, I try to reschedule mine, if I can, to help the students have enough time to study for both exams.
During class, I expect students to govern themselves. I teach them what that looks like and train them how it works the first two weeks of school, and then I hold them accountable for governing themselves. I make sure they understand that if they do not govern themselves, then I, as the leader of the class, will govern for them. I use self-government as a tool for managing student behavior, because it is the least antagonistic and the most effective approach. When I tell my students, "Either you control yourselves or I will," they know exactly what that means and most of the time they get into line. If they do not, I use the smallest measure possible to correct the problem, such as moving students around temporarily before moving them permanently, speaking with them after class, or giving them a lunch detention where they get to eat lunch with me and discuss their ungoverned behavior. I give myself room to escalate if it becomes necessary. Once, I had a particularly difficult student who behaved differently if he sat near me versus sitting near his girlfriend. He would show off for her by being disrespectful to me. Consequently, I had to govern him. The classroom was small and thirty students were crammed into it, so I had to put him right in front of me. It sounds awful, but there were students within one foot of him all around. Once he improved his behavior, I offered him the chance to move to a different seat. He told me that he did not want to move, because he was learning because he was not distracted. He chose to stay sitting directly in front of me for the rest of the school year.
I make sure to establish procedures for the class, and I am consistent about enforcing them. Students talk. If you are not consistent, then you will have students bugging you to treat them as you did their friends.
When I grade, the first thing I do is ask the Lord to help me grade fairly. I decide the answers ahead of time and students earn points up to 100% of the possible answers. If I see that I did not teach something well enough or that my questions are not yielding the answers that I desire, I take the responsibility for it, correct the problem, and give the students credit for my mistakes.
I give my students tough assignments regularly, so I usually do 2-3 questions with them before they begin their homework, and I go through all of the questions and make sure they understand what is being asked and where they can acquire the answers. I also tutor students and help them with their homework. I figure that if I am going to require a high level of work from my students, I need to be available for tutoring. I tell them that I am willing to work as hard as they are willing to work if they need help. I never give students answers, but I guide them to the answers so that they can learn to do their work independently.
When I see the necessity, I hold what I call “life lesson talks." One of my favorites is teaching girls that it is not their responsibility to supply boys with pencils and paper on a consistent basis. The girls often feel empowered and grateful that they do not need to feel obligated to help a boy who does not bring his own supplies regularly. (I have seen more than once a young man refuse to get out his own supplies, because he knows a young lady will supply them for him.) I tell the boys, "These girls are not your personal secretaries and they are not 'Office Depot.'" That's Dr. McIntyre's life lesson #17.
I make sure the class expectations are clear and I consistently discipline students as necessary, while also taking an individualized approach. I always nip things in the bud, too. I do not allow students a certain number of opportunities to misbehave in class, because students count and keep track and push the boundaries in those situations. Students talk and they know the teachers who do not do what they say they will do and the teachers who let them get away with things during class by saying nothing. In my mind, I am training my students to sit or to train under other authority figures, so learning how to behave courteously in the context of a group with a leader is important. Therefore, we say, "Please" and "Thank you" and "You're welcome." When students want to ask me a question during a tutoring session or if they are doing work in class, they must address me by name, ask if I am busy, and tell me that they have question. If I do not require this, they will place their notebooks in front of me no matter what I am doing and start asking me questions. We are human beings, so we should address each other courteously and with respect. I also expect courteous email requests.
I know I just rattled off many specifics about my classroom management plan, but that was the purpose of this article -- to get down to the nitty gritty. I base my plan on a balance between justice and grace. It is not easy at the beginning of the year when students and parents get upset with me when I do what I say I am going to do, but I ignore the anger knowing that my plan always works. Oftentimes, students, and sometimes parents, do not expect teachers to be consistent, so when they come across a consistent teacher, they get angry for a little while. They get over it when they see that consistency also occurs when I grade their homework, when I am consistent with other students in the class in terms of correction, and when I meet them for tutoring like I promised I would and their understanding improves as a result. Parents and students talk. If you are inconsistent, they will demand it for themselves. I had some students tell me once that I was strict. I took umbrage with their assertion and pointed out that I let them talk at the beginning of class when other teachers do not and if they are out of dress code occasionally, I let it go for the day as a forgetful mistake. I give lunch detentions as a disciplinary measure before giving after school detentions, and I allow students to sit anywhere they want as long as they controlled themselves when 99% of the teachers at our school did not do that. I asked how it was then that they called me strict? They responded by saying, "Well, you're not really strict; it's just that when you say you're going to do something, you actually do it."
I joke sometimes that half of teaching is bluffing. I do not really think that, but what I do mean is that even when I am unsure what to do, I have to lead outwardly while praying inwardly for direction and wisdom. I get thank you notes every year from students and they have a few consistent themes. Students tell me that they learned a lot in my class and they also learned about life, that they feel cared for, and that I helped them to become better people. That feedback tells me that I am on the right track. My plan is not the only plan out there; each individual teacher must develop his/her own. I have found my plan works effectively for me and my students. With God's grace, I hope that He helps me to continue to improve as a teacher so that I can help more of His children. What a privilege!
Please write in and share your tricks of the trade, so that we can all learn from each other.
Funny Stories
A Word Fitly Spoken…
My 7th grade students were taking a test on the causes of World War I. I had asked them in one question to explain the real-time events leading to Franz Ferdinand’s assassination. In the middle of the exam, one of my students raised her hand and asked me if the word “topless” was a word! My mouth fell open. I was stunned; I had no idea what to say. My first thought was, “Why are you asking me such an inappropriate question?” I quickly looked around the room to see if her question had sparked any kind of reaction. No one had looked up. No one was laughing. No reaction at all. She just sat there waiting for me to respond with no guile in her. I figured if I made any more inquiries, then a student might make the same connection that I was making in my mind. I quietly nodded my head and hoped the moment would blow over. I spent the rest of the test wondering what this sweet, twelve year old girl could possibly be writing that required the word “topless” to be in her answer! What could I have possibly said in class that would have put that idea into her head? If any parents found out about this, what would they say? Once the class left, I quickly found her paper and located the tantalizing word. When trying to find the correct word to describe the car Ferdinand and his wife were riding in when they were killed, she could not remember the word “convertible,” so she substituted with the words “topless car.” Of course:) Whew!
Do you have a funny story to share about your experiences with children/teenagers? Please share it with us!
Developing Better Thinkers Through Writing
One answer to the questions from the September 12 issue
What is God’s point in asking Job so many questions? Read Job Chapters 38-42 to get more context.
God speaks to Job and says, “I will question you, and you shall answer Me.” God heard the complaints of Job, and now it was God’s turn to respond. At first, the response seems dismissive, but if you keep reading, you realize that God is not being dismissive at all — He is providing an answer, but it is not one that you would expect.
The more you read, you come to realize that your complaints are really quite small compared to the power of God, even though your complaints to God run in a similar vein to Job’s. You expressed overwhelming and very real pain — the kind of deep pain that penetrates the depths of our soul. You cry out to God for answers, because your mind cannot comprehend what you are experiencing.
As you keep reading the questions that God is asking Job, you get the overwhelming feeling, and understanding, that God is so wise and so powerful that our human brains cannot fathom his omniscience and his omnipotence. You sense that God enjoys what He has created and he feels a deep level of intimacy and caring concern for all of His creation, including me. Before you finish reading the chapters, you feel humbled and willing to trust God with your life, because He loves you and cares about you and what is happening to you. If he doesn’t change your circumstances, He will at least be with you as you go through them.
Why did Job repent?
Job says that he repented because previously "I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You.” I felt the same response inside of me before I read Job’s words. As is usual with the Lord, I received much more than I expected.
New Question
“The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.”
James Madison
1. Define the terms:
Advancement — The act of moving forward or proceeding
Diffusion — A spreading; extension; propagation;
Knowledge — A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact;
Guardian — one who guards, preserves or secures; one to whom any thing is committed for preservation from injury.
True — Genuine; pure; real; not counterfeit, adulterated or false
Liberty — Civil liberty is the liberty of men in a state of society, or natural liberty so far only abridged and restrained, as is necessary and expedient for the safety and interest of the society, state or nation.
2.Rewrite the quote:
Proceeding and propagating that which is of truth and fact is the only real way to secure from injury the natural liberty that is only abridged and restrained for the safety and interest of the nation.
3.Answer the following questions in one or two paragraphs:
Madison’s quote may have been true at one point, but is it still true today with the diffusion of knowledge through the internet? Is the diffusion of knowledge still the true guardian of liberty?
Travel
Edna St. Vincent Millay - 1892-1950
The railroad track is miles away,
And the day is loud with voices speaking,
Yet there isn't a train goes by all day
But I hear its whistle shrieking.
All night there isn't a train goes by,
Though the night is still for sleep and dreaming,
But I see its cinders red on the sky,
And hear its engine steaming.
My heart is warm with the friends I make,
And better friends I'll not be knowing;
Yet there isn't a train I wouldn't take,
No matter where it's going.