Several weeks ago, I shared a post discussing how effective teachers develop classroom leadership skills instead of viewing themselves as classroom managers. The post describes how great teachers are great leaders, too. They have leadership skills far beyond simply managing classroom structures, procedures, etc. Great leaders connect with people. They inspire people. They don't just make people do stuff. They inspire people to want to become their best.
In our school, we've spent quite a bit of time this year working on strategies and procedures for addressing difficult student behaviors more effectively. We often think new teachers have the most room to grow in this area, but every educator should always continue to develop the ability to influence students to make positive choices. Ultimately, we want all students to contribute constructively to a better classroom learning culture.
So here are 7 quick ideas for building classroom culture and limiting those problem behaviors.
1. Treat students with respect no matter how they behave.
Building a culture of respect is critical for classroom success. You may be tempted to get your feelings tangled up in addressing a student behavior issue. Don't. If you are having strong negative feelings toward a child, it's probably not the time to have an in-depth conversation about his or her behavior. It's okay to delay the talk until later when you've had time to process your feelings and can meet with the child in a productive manner. Note: It's okay to have upset feelings about unacceptable classroom behaviors, and it's okay to express these feelings in a productive way. But you don't want to do something that harms the relationship or robs dignity from a child.
One time during a pep assembly a group of our students did something that went directly against what I had asked them to do. And I felt hurt and angered by the choice. After the assembly, I gave them a passionate speech about how disappointed I was. I told them how much I cared about them, how I wanted to trust them, and how I would never intentionally disrespect them. This talk was filled with emotion on my part. I was intense. But I didn't disrespect anyone. I just tried to lead with my heart. In the end, I did not regret how I addressed the incident, and I think it was a productive response.
2. Be future-focused.
None of us wants our past mistakes held against us. We want to be forgiven and for people to give us grace. If you are having strong feelings about what a student did yesterday or the day before, that needs to be resolved so you can move forward in a positive way. Some people are always focused on the past. They complain about how kids these days aren't as respectful or as responsible as they used to be. But that type of thinking isn't helpful at all.
When we are future-focused, we expect students to take responsibility for what they've done, admit how their actions were harmful, and then commit to show up in better, more productive ways in the future.
3. Set high expectations and hold to them.
One of the most important things successful teachers do is clearly communicate expectations. That can be hard to do. It requires consistently reflecting on what's working and what's not working and then having conversations with your class about what needs to be different and why. When students understand your expectations and understand you will address deviation from the expectations, they will begin to take you seriously. I think sometimes teachers think they've communicated expectations and then just become frustrated when students don't comply. When expectations aren't met, circle back and teach the behaviors you're looking for to create the best classroom culture. I've noticed the most effective teachers work hard to set clear boundaries and expectations.
4. Design the most engaging lessons possible.
When your lessons are more engaging, your students will be focused on learning. And when they are focused on learning, there will be less problem behaviors you'll have to deal with. So be proactive and develop learning experiences that cause students to be active learners. I wrote a post on making learning irresistible. Check it out.
5. Handle private matters privately.
The older the student, the more important this one becomes. It goes back to #1. If a student feels you are being publicly critical, they are probably going to feel disrespected and the relationship will suffer. It's certainly okay to give instructions or make a request publicly, but if you are dealing with a conflict or a correction, it's better to do it as privately as possible.
Some of my biggest failures as a teacher and principal happened when I allowed a conflict to have an audience. I wanted to resolve an issue immediately, but that isn't always necessary. The best teachers resolve the issue when the timing is right. We never want to paint a kid into a corner when emotions are running high.
It may seem obvious, but never complain about a student who isn't present. Even if what you say is true, I promise it's not helpful or even fair to share your feelings with others.
6. Be active all around your classroom.
Smaller problems can turn into larger problems when teachers aren't making the rounds in the classroom. You were probably taught about how great teachers have with-it-ness in your college classes—meaning they have a keen awareness of what is happening in the classroom and how it is impacting learning. Some teachers tend to stay at the front of the room or near their desk. But great teachers are observing and interacting with students all around the room. It helps to make sure things are headed in a positive direction.
7. Be intentional about building strong relationships with your students.
If this list were in any particular order, this one would need to be #1. The foundation of leadership for any educator is a consistent investment in building relationships. So how do you do that? Greet students at the door, call them by their name, give high-fives and fist-bumps, get to know their interests, give an encouraging word, attend one of their activities or games, ask them how they're doing. And never, never give up on them. When students see you care about them as people first, it will result in them being better students also.
Question: What are your best tips for dealing with problem behaviors? I'd love for you to expand on these ideas. Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.
Technology is playing a bigger role in classrooms and schools in this country and around the world. Here are a few thoughts to keep technology in perspective. Share them with your team and discuss how to best implement technology in your learning culture. I hope these ideas help guide you to more effective use of digital tools with your students.
1. Your learning goals should drive your tech goals, and not the other way around.
Just because you have access to iPads, Chromebooks, or some other device in your classroom doesn't mean they must be the center of learning in your classroom. Not every lesson can be made better with technology. Allow your goals for learning to lead you to the most powerful ways for tech to further support those learning goals. Keep your students at the center of learning, not a device.
2. It's not enough to think tech is important for students. You must be willing to learn it yourself.
To deny that tech will be important to students' futures seems unthinkable. But it's not enough to recognize students will need tech to be successful. Your students also need to see you as a willing learner of technology. They need to see you as a learner period. And it's a shame if you aren't leveraging your skills as a teacher because you aren't willing to learn technology. All of your teacher skills are priceless, but they can be even more relevant and powerful if you know how to effectively use technology for learning, too.
3. Tech can make kids want to learn more, but more importantly, it creates opportunities for more learning.
Lots of kids like to use technology. But using tech because it is engaging isn't as important as using it because your students are engaged. If your students are curious and motivated learners, they will have questions that need answers. They will want to create and share new knowledge. You know your students. You inspire them as learners and that relationship will ultimately lead to more learning. Technology can then create unlimited opportunities to create, learn, and share.
4. Being an effective learner in the modern world also means you are an effective digital learner.
Readers of my blog know I believe adaptable learners will own the future. The ability to learn, to be creative, to see possibilities, to make something new, will be a huge advantage for future success. But in today's hyper-connected, digital world, being an effective learner also means you are effective in using digital tools for learning, solving problems, and creating knowledge.
5. If you change the technology but don't change your lesson, nothing really changes.
Adding technology to the same old lessons doesn't automatically make them better lessons. Work to create a better lesson first—one that is meaningful and authentic and causes deeper thinking and greater understanding—then consider how technology can make it even better. Technology won't improve learning if that worksheet is now in digital format. It won't inspire learning if students are just looking up answers online instead of in the textbook. Your lesson design is always more important than your digital tool.
6. For students who don't know how to use social media appropriately and effectively, who knows what opportunities they might miss?
If you want to be successful, do what successful people do. And some of the most successful people in our world are using social media and blogging as a platform to network, share their message, and improve their work. How many kids have the chance to practice these skills in school? As digital footprints replace traditional resumes, will your students have anything to show for their work? Even worse, will their digital record disqualify them to employers?
7. Google doesn't have answers; it has information.
Learning and inquiry involves more than searching for right answers. Students make meaning of information through good thinking. The most interesting questions don't have one right answer and require students to think in ways that lead to understanding. Access to a web-connected device is a powerful tool for learning. It creates agency, empowers learning, and puts students in the driver's seat, but only if we allow it, support it, and facilitate it.
8. Tech should make us more human, not less.
It's not hard to see ways technology is both a blessing and a burden. So we need to be thoughtful about how we use technology for good and limit the negatives. We've heard a lot about how social skills are deteriorating as a result of attachment to mobile tech and addiction to device notifications and so forth. But technology can help us connect, do more good, and be more human, not less. In the classroom, technology should lead to more conversations, not less. Students are going to use technology. We need to help them use it in ways that are healthy and productive.
9. Anyone who wants to be a leader needs to be a digital leader too.
We are past the days where leaders could just count on the tech department or that one teacher to take the lead on technology. Every person who aspires to lead should expect to be a digital leader too. Leaders don't have to have better digital skills than anyone else, but they do need to model the use of technology and constantly be willing to learn. Working to stay informed, learning new tools, and being future-driven are critical to digital leadership. And every leader should strive to be a digital leader too.
Question: What essential #EdTech idea would you add to this list? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.
Your legacy is one of your most valuable possessions. It is a treasure. It is your gift to the world. For every person you come in contact with, your influence—good and bad—goes with them to some extent. Your legacy is how you are remembered.
Who Has Inspired You?
There are a number of educators, and other mentors, who have had a profound impact on my life. They influence me even when they are not present, even if I have not seen or spoken with them in years. Just thinking about the type of person they are inspires me even now to learn more, dream more, do more, and become more.
These people lift me up and make me stronger. They have a strong legacy in my life.
How Will You Inspire Others?
I want to have a strong legacy too. Not only because I want to be remembered fondly. Of course, I do. But more importantly, I want to make a difference. I want my life to count for something bigger than me. I want to be that legacy person for someone else. I want to help others.
I was recently listening to a podcast by Andy Stanley. He shared an exercise he said changed his life many years ago. He was reading The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey.
In 7 Habits, Covey challenges his readers with an exercise that is profound. You might find it unsettling or even slightly grim. But I urge you to read it carefully and thoughtfully. As you read the excerpt, consider how reflecting on this passage might be life changing for you too.
In your mind’s eye, see yourself going to the funeral of a loved one. Picture yourself driving to the funeral parlor or chapel, parking the car, and getting out. As you walk inside the building, you notice the flowers, the soft organ music. You see the faces of friends and family you pass along the way. You feel the shared sorrow of losing, the joy of having known, that radiates from the hearts of the people there.
As you walk down to the front of the room and look inside the casket, you suddenly come face to face with yourself. This is your funeral, three years from today. All these people have come to honor you, to express feelings of love and appreciation for your life.
As you take a seat and wait for the services to begin, you look at the program in your hand. There are to be four speakers. The first is from your family, immediate and also extended —children, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents who have come from all over the country to attend. The second speaker is one of your friends, someone who can give a sense of what you were as a person. The third speaker is from your work or profession. And the fourth is from your church or some community organization where you’ve been involved in service.
Now think deeply. What would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life? What kind of husband, wife, father, or mother would like their words to reflect? What kind of son or daughter or cousin? What kind of friend? What kind of working associate?
What character would you like them to have seen in you? What contributions, what achievements would you want them to remember? Look carefully at the people around you. What difference would you like to have made in their lives?
Stanley shared how he spent several days reflecting, in writing, on the questions set forth in the passage.
The 3-year timeline until your death is an important detail in the exercise. It creates a stronger sense of urgency. As educators, we should always have a sense of urgency too. We may be our students' best hope. But we only have so much time. We may not have the same opportunity to influence them next year. They will likely move on to a new classroom with a different teacher.
Educators Leave a Lasting Legacy
Although the funeral exercise is great reflection for living a meaningful life, how might it be slightly modified to narrow the reflection for you as a teacher/educator? In a similar instance, what might your students say about you as their teacher? What would their parents say? How about the community you where you work? What is your legacy in that?
As I reflect on those questions, I am reminded of what's most important to me. And I am also reminded of things that might distract me from the most important things. The most valuable thing is how I treat people, all of them. People come first. I want to be the kind of person who is always learning, who lifts others up, and who treats people with kindness, care, and consideration.
It's easy to get distracted from the most important things. I am a person who also wants progress, who has goals, who is driven. If fact, in the past, there were times I was too focused on achieving and not tuned in to the people around me. I am working hard to make sure that doesn't happen anymore.
I am convinced that reaching goals, making progress, and achieving success will be more likely to happen—mostly inevitable—if the first priority is people. If we treat people with all the care and concern we possibly can, we will see progress and success like never before.
I respect every person who works hard and gets stuff done. There is value in working hard and earning a living to support yourself and your loved ones. But teaching provides the opportunity to do far more than just earning a paycheck. It's more than a job. When teaching is your life's work, you have the opportunity to make a lasting difference. You have the opportunity to make an important contribution. Your legacy counts!
So think about it...
What really matters?
What keeps you up at night?
What makes you want to be a better teacher, principal, parent or friend?
I hope these questions are helpful as you think about your legacy and what's most important to you. Reflecting on what you really value is one of the best things you can do to find purpose and meaning in your life and work.
Questions? What do you want your legacy to be? Are you focused on the right things? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below or respond on Facebook or Twitter.
