MANAGING THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

1. MANAGING THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

2. CLASS TEACHING STRATEGIES • Establish the expected tone of the classroom • Use variety • Use of questions • Active learning • Student-centred goals students know what is expected of them

3. Class Teaching Strategies (continued) • Document your preparation, and review it after the lesson • What worked? • What needed to be changed? • Where will you pick up at the start of the next session? • Internal and external audits

4. CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES • Encourage students to establish their own rules • Develop and maintain climate of respect & courtesy • Get attention of students • Quick quiz • Talk quietly so that they have to listen to hear you • Understand hierarchy of responses to inappropriate behaviour • Least obtrusive behaviour – least obtrusive response • Most obtrusive behaviour – most obtrusive response

5. LEAST OBTRUSIVE RESPONSES • Tactical ignoring, or move towards • Casual statement or question • Rule restatement • Distraction & Diversion • Defusion • Deflection CHALLENGES • Two students discussing problem during exercise • Student off-task • (minor problem) • Someone eating or drinking in class • Playful disruption “clowning around”

6. Classroom Management & Stress • Zone of Reasonable Classroom Stress Normal classroom management strategies • Zone of Discomfort Higher-level strategies needed • Zone of Unreasonable Classroom Stress Extraordinary disciplinary action

7. IRRITATION, RISK, & STRESS • We must try to avoid zone of unreasonable stress • Can lead to physical and mental ill-health • Zone of unreasonable stress caused by • Highly irritating situations • High risk situations • Sense of loss of control over the class • Expectations for class set too high

8. HIGHEST RISK • Misusing dangerous equipment • Coming to class under influence of drugs LEAST IRRITATION • Climbing out window • Striking other student • Throwing hard objects across room HIGHEST IRRITATION

9. Least Risk • Talking with friend • Quietly off-task • Lack of respect for other students • LEAST • IRRITATION • Student talking while teacher trying to teach • Continual attention seeking • Demonstrating lack of respect for teacher HIGHEST IRRITATION

10. RISK and IRRITATION • Response needed before reaching point of INTOLERABLE IRRITATION • Low risk – Low irritation problems may be “ignored” .. but be careful of compounding. • High risk – Low irritation problems must be dealt with immediately, but calmly. • Low risk – high irritation problems • Use “I-statements” – describe how you feel

11. EXTREME DISCIPLINARY PROBLEMS • Some problems may require intervention of H/Teacher • If a weapon is produced, security or 000 should be called, and the Campus Manager informed • All major incidents should be reported to the H/Teacher • Teachers do not have the authority to ban a student from class for more than a day.

12. Reducing Problems in the Classroom

13. AVOID BOREDOM • Plan lessons carefully • Use a variety of learning strategies and high-interest material • Give encouragement • Teach to the ability & interest level • Give students a goal for each lesson • Ensure student involvement & participation • Provide extra challenges for better students

14. BE HUMAN & CARING • Show students common courtesy & respect • Take a genuine interest in the student’s world • Greet students by name outside the classroom • Be fair & understanding – listen to their side of the story • Avoid sarcasm, belittling, and confrontation • Give students your help outside class times • Demonstrate a sense of humour, but avoid personal stories.

15. BE PREPARED • Get to know your students early & identify key personalities (leaders, class clown, talkers, etc) • Identify other potential problems (eg. Range of abilities, those with too many commitments, etc) • Make contingency plans(eg.Video machine dies) • Recognise early warning signs of trouble, boredom, etc. and have strategies to deal with a range of problems

16. HAVE KNOWN RULES .. • And known sanctions : follow them consistently • Be clear about what is NOT a reasonable level of noise in the classroom • Reward good classroom behaviour with praise • Be consistent between students – don’t show favouritism • Know how to respond to classroom challenges appropriately • Leave your own emotional baggage outside…

17. BE AN ACTIVE PRESENCE • You are a member of the class group : you are its leader. CIRCULATE • Take charge: use your voice(variation, tone, etc), personality, eye contact, body language, maturity and sense of humour to control the situation • Be human. You are not infallible, nor a robot. Do not be too proud to admit you made a mistake. Be prepared to use “I Statements”.

18. Your Classroom Environment • Are you comfortable? • Lighting, heat, noise, equipment, seating • Maintenance requisitions, infrastructure rounds • Take command • Clearly open and close the lesson • Establish ground rules • Formal • Informal • Establish consequences • Act consistently

19. Student Discipline Procedure

20. Student Discipline • Awareness of Risk and Irritation • Document “breaches of discipline” (CLAMS notes) • Advise Head Teacher • Work together with the Head Teacher to address the issue

21. NSW TAFE Commission Student Discipline Policy 2000 • “Breach of Discipline” is “a) conduct that impairs the reasonable freedom of any person (whether or not a student) to pursue his or her studies, research or work in the TAFE Commission or on the premises of the TAFE Commission or to participate in the activities of, or associated with, the TAFE Commission, or b) conduct that is prejudicial to the management of the TAFE Commission or any part of it.”

22. Assaults, or threatens to assault Engages in offensive conduct or unlawful activity Consumes alcohol Smokes, spits, litters Removes, damages or misuses TAFE property Obstructs staff Refuses to identify themselves Wilfully disobeys direction Falsifies a testamur Fails to provide evidence of residency status Enters or fails to leave TAFE Commission premises contrary to direction Commits or engages in dishonest or unfair acts in assessment Discriminates Incites hatred Fails to pay a fee Fails to return library material Fails to comply Including a student who . . .

23. A member of staff who believes that a student has committed a breach of discipline • must, as soon as practicable, report the alleged breach to the College Manager • may exclude the student from attendance at the TAFE establishment for the remainder of the day on which the alleged breach occurred.

24. Reprimand Directed participation in counselling Fine, to $200 Compensation for damage or loss Work to make good Conditional attendance for up to 12 months Exclusion of up to 30 days or 80 hours Exclusion from examinations Denial of right to borrow from libraries Delayed issue of testamur Penalties available toCollege Manager

25. Penalties available to Institute Director • Any of the above, or • Disciplinary failure of examination or assessment • Exclusion for up to 12 months or 960 hours from part or whole of SWSI • Additional conditions or penalties • Expulsion from SWSI

26. Penalties available to the Managing Director • Any of the above, or • Exclusion from part or the whole of TAFE NSW for a specified period of time Appeal rights exist for the student.

27. Comments, questions and discussion

28. Enjoy, and find it rewarding  