BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS IN YOUR CLASS

1. BUILDING RELATIONSHIPSIN YOUR CLASS WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR CLASS TO: • Show good citizenship? • Be more cooperative? • Have a better attitude? • Solve problems? • Handle jobs responsibly? • LEARN HOW TO START THEM WITH YOUR CLASS!

2. How much time do you believe you spend on discipline? On a Good Day _____%_______ On a Bad Day ______%_______

3. Typical Classroom Problems • A Student Picks with Other Students • Physically • Body Language • Name Calling and Put-Downs • The Same Student Always Wants to be First • Invasion of Space • Messy Desks and Belongings • Several Students Do Not Complete Homework

4. Classroom Problems • One Student Talks Out and Interrupts When You Are Teaching • A Student Complains That He/She Does Not Have Friends and No One Likes Him/Her • A Student Complains That Another is Copying From His/Her Paper

5. Conflict Will Occur in Your Classroom Conflict will always occur wherever people are together.

6. Do you feel like a juggler? Teachers have many responsibilities!

7. Principals Can Not Create YourClassroom Climate to Enhance Academic Learning

8. SO WHAT CAN I DO?

9. CLASS MEETINGS

10. What Is A Class Meeting? • A regularly scheduled meeting of all class members and the teacher • A “democratic setting ” for all to express opinions, work cooperatively, and solve problems • A forum where students can listen and feel listened to

11. Why Should We HaveClass Meetings? • Build Relationships: • Getting to Know One Another • Sharing and Celebrating Successes • Building a Climate of Trust and Respect Between the Students and Teacher Among the Students

12. Why Should We Have Class Meetings? • Academic Success: Students are more likely to show academic achievement and success in a safe environment. • Positive Life Skills: Students learn to work through conflict which is empowerment.

13. Why Should We Have Class Meetings? • Sense of Community: Class meetings get students involved in decisions that impact their world in an important way.

14. Reinforcement of Citizenship Skills • Kindness and Compassion: • Giving and Receiving Complements • Sharing of Feelings • Respect: • Democratic Setting • Each is Voice is Heard • Learning to Listen

15. Citizenship • Tolerance: • Different Points of View • Self Discipline: • Attentiveness • Learning to Listen • Taking Turns

16. Citizenship • Cooperation: • Working Together • Problem Solving and Negotiation • Responsibility: • Taking responsibility for actions

17. Critical Elements

18. Critical Elements • Scheduling • Procedure • Circle • Chairperson: Each Student Should Have a Turn • Record Keeping

19. Critical Elements • Expectations: • Behavior • Agenda • Complements or share a success Classroom Rules: We use “I Care Language.” We respect feelings.

20. Critical Elements • Brainstorming for Solutions • Separate Realities (many possible solutions) • Logical Consequences • Non-punitive • Role Playing for Reinforcement

21. Critical Elements • Recognize the 4 reasons why people do what they do • Follow up

22. When Conflicts OccurUse the class meeting to teach children to think and act constructively and creatively. • Identify the problem without blaming anyone. • Take time to listen to each child’s perception. • Acknowledge feelings. • Avoid asking, “Why did you…?”

23. When Conflicts Occur • Help students to find a win/win solution. • Remind children to treat each other as people with feelings, not enemies. • Help children to understand that problems can be solved by working together. • Don’t force children to apologize or ‘shake hands” if they do not want to.

24. Problems to Avoid

25. Problems to Avoid • Straying from the guidelines for class meetings • Authoritarian attitude of teacher • Allowing students to make decisions that make the teacher uncomfortable THE TEACHER DOES HAVE VETO POWER. However, try to use it sparingly.

26. Problems to Avoid • Not having regularly-scheduled meetings • Letting one person dominate the meeting • Allowing insults or “put-downs”

27. Video “Positive Discipline in the Classroom” “8 Building Blocks for Effective Class Meetings”

28. It’s important to remember... The class meeting is built on a foundation of respect and caring. This begins with the teacher.

29. Classroom Environment:A Crucial Impact on Learning “I Don’t Care What You Know Until I Know That You Care”

31. If We Don’t Model What We Teach We Are Teaching Something Else

33. 5 A’s for An A+ RelationshipThe Teacher Says: The Student Hears: • Acceptance “You’re okay.” “I’m okay.” • Attention “I see you.” “I’m important.” • Appreciation “Thank you for…” “My efforts are noticed.”

34. 5 A’s for An A+ RelationshipThe Teacher Says: The Student Hears: • Affirmation “I know some- “I’m worthwhile.” thing wonderful about you.” • Affection “I like you.” “Somebody cares about me.”

36. We Can Never Give Enough “Vitamin A” Children are Spoiled in Other Ways: 1. Overlooking misbehavior and not taking appropriate action 2. Doing too many things for them that they can do themselves 3. Bailing them out of unpleasant situations that they created

37. Questions ??????? • How do I avoid having students humiliated at a class meeting? • What do I do if the same problems come up over and over? • What if students are using the agenda as revenge? • What is suggested for a student whose name is on the agenda frequently?

39. The End