Any classroom can get out of control from time to time. But one unique teaching method empowers teachers to stop behavior problems before they begin.
You can see "No-Nonsense Nurturing," as it's called, first-hand at Druid Hills Academy Charlotte, North Carolina.
"Your pencil is in your hand. Your voice is on zero. If you got the problem correct, you're following along and checking off the answer. If you got the problem incorrect, you are erasing it and correcting it on your paper."
Math teacher Jonnecia Alford has it down pat. She then describes to her sixth graders what their peers are doing.
"Vonetia's looking at me. Denario put her pencil down, good indicator. Monica put hers down and she's looking at me."
In No-Nonsense Nurturing, directions are often scripted in advance and praise is kept to a minimum. The method is, in part, the brainchild of former school principal Kristyn Klei Borrero. She's now CEO of the Center for Transformative Teacher Training, an education consulting company based in San Francisco.
Klei Borrero says the foundation of the program isn't new. It just puts into practice what she's observed from high-performing teachers. That is, keeping expectations high by only praising outstanding effort.
"It notices students who are doing the right thing. It creates this positive momentum, but also gives the students who might have missed the directions another way of hearing it without being nagging, and also seeing it in action," says Klei Borrero.
It shares some attributes with the way I was taught classroom management.
(cross-posted at Joanne's site as well)
No comments:
Post a Comment