FOCUSing Together Promoting Self-Management Skills in the Classroom

1. FOCUSing TogetherPromoting Self-Management Skills in the Classroom Elizabeth Hardman, Ph.D. ILCCBD Winter Drive In 2012 PowerPoint Designed by Gail Cheever SIM Professional Development Network

2. Advance Organizer • Introduce Focusing Together • Rationales • Research Findings • Present an Overview of Lessons 1 – 7 • Goals • Key Vocabulary • Critical Teaching Behaviors • Participate in Lesson Activities

3. Purpose of the Community Building Series • Work together to facilitate each other’s learning • Are encouraged to participate & do their best • Feel valued & appreciated • Feel safe & supported To build learning communities in classrooms where all members…

4. A Learning Community is … An environment that fosters… • Mutual cooperation • Emotional support • Personal growth …. as people work together to achieve what they cannot accomplish alone Dufour & Eaker, 1998

5. Purpose of Focusing Together • To build a classroom learning community • To foster a respectful, tolerant partnership with one another • To teach students to meet a set of classroom expectations that define responsible work habits, respect & physical safety • To teach students a strategy that promotes self-management behavior in association with the identified set of classroom expectations

6. Music of the Heart • Teaching more than music • Teaching more than music

7. Intro Activity on Classroom Rules (Expectations) Turn to Your Neighbor! FIRST, Make a list of what you believe to be effective classroom rules (expectations) that will help students learn and get along with others. SECOND, Make a list of what you can do to help your students learn and follow your rules (expectations).

8. Underlying Principles • All methods & procedures are consistent with the principles of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) system • PBS is a research-validated approach that can be used to eliminate inappropriate behaviors & replace them with prosocial skills • Research has shown that rather than relying on punitive models of behavior control, teachers can create an environment in which everyone helps one another & strives to achieve self-discipline

9. Research in Classrooms • Three Groups • Study 1 (pp. 2-3) • Study 2 (p. 3) • Study 3 (p. 4) • Read • TTYN and discuss • Report findings

10. Research Findings Compared to students in Comparison classes, students in Experimental classes: • Reduced the number of off-task behaviors during the time they were expected to work independently • Were more pleased with the classroom management procedures used by their teachers

11. Research Findings Teachers in Experimental classes… • Reported a 72% reduction of rule infractions, while comparison teachers reported no change • Were more satisfied with the program & their students’ behavior

12. Means for # of Off-Task Behaviors per student in a 45 minute period • 40 students in study – 20 experimental/20comparison • 8 teachers • Grades 5 & 6 • 8 general education classes • 1 rural; 2 suburban school districts

13. Teacher & Student Satisfaction Teachers MEAN RAT I NG Students

14. Let’s Review the Manual • Introduction – Pages 1 to 6 • Lessons # 1-7 – Pages 7 to 52 • Appendix A: Instructional Materials # 1-15 – Pages 53 to 68 • Appendix B: Student Handouts – Pages 69 - 92

15. Overview of Lessons • Lesson 1: Intro & Overview of Focusing Together • Lesson 2: Our Learning Community Expectations • Lesson 3: Making Good Choices • Lesson 4: Introduce & Describe the FOCUS Strategy • Lesson 5: Modelthe FOCUSStrategy • Lesson 6: Verbal Practiceof the FOCUS Strategy • Lesson 7: Practice the FOCUS Strategy

16. Preparing for Instruction • Become knowledgeable about each section • 35-40 minutes of class time for each lesson • May need to divide some lessons into parts • Keep a lively pace and engage students • Use the lessons as blueprints • Use scripts as guides • Review instructions in italics • Review questions asked and possible responses • Go beyond the instruction in the manual

17. Primary Instructional Stages • Give an Advance Organizer • Introduce & Describe • Provide Models or Examples • Conduct Practice Activities • Give a Post-Organizer

18. Instructional Principles • Teach to mastery • Check for understanding • Gain student commitments • Involve students actively

19. Lesson FormatsLook at Lesson #1 beginning on page 7 At a Glance gives an overview of the instructional procedures. Play-by-Playpresents goals, materials, preparation activities, and key vocabulary as well as an example script. “When would you use each format?”

20. Goals of Lesson #1 – Intro & Overview • To introduce the concepts of “learning community” & “self-management” • To present “Lessons from the Geese” as an example of how members of a community support one another • To give students the “big picture” of the Focusing Together program • To have the students suggest expectations for classroom behavior

21. Lesson #1 – Key Vocabulary • Learning Community A group of people who care about & support each other as they learn about new things in an environment that is physically & emotionally safe • Self-management Supervising yourself at all times • Supervising yourself Checking yourself as you work and telling yourself what to do next • Expectations Standards of behavior for the learning community • Focus To concentrate & keep you mind on something

22. Lesson #1 Activity on the Geese Analogy • Read Lessonsfrom the Geese • The Flight of Geese - YouTube.flv • Option A: Complete the geese analogy worksheet on page 70 • Option B: Review worksheet on page 71 and identify which worksheet is best suited for your situation

26. Lesson #1 Unit Map • Present Unit Map • Define Self Management • Introduce • Living by learning expectations • Making good choices • Using the FOCUS Strategy • Read Guiding Questions

28. SELF-MANAGEMENT FOCUSING TOGETHER Unit Map SUPERVISING YOURSELF at all times Our LEARNING COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS THE FOCUS STRATEGY by remembering to live by by using by making GOOD CHOICES

29. Our Guiding Questions • Why do members of a learning community need to know what is expected of them? • How does making good choices affect your personal power? • How will staying focused help you learn? • How can we work together to build a strong learning community? See pages 55 and 72

30. Lesson #1 Wrap Up • Make a Focusing Together folder • Give a post organizer • Review the lesson • Preview the next lesson • Take it a step further • Make a bulletin board • Create a class “Focusing Together” website • Create personal/social achievement section in folder

31. Goals of Lesson #2 – Our Learning Community Expectations – p. 16 • To present & teach a set of learning community expectations that promote responsible work habits, respect & safety, based on students’ suggestions • To invite students to add to the expectations • To identify the benefits of living by learning community expectations • To state the consequences of not following the expectations • To guide students in identifying celebrations for helping everyone meet expectations

32. Lesson #2 – Instructional Procedures • Discuss learning community expectations using “Our Community Expectations FRAME” (Page 73) • Conduct practice activities using the “It’s your Choice” game cards or worksheet (Pages 75 – 80) • Give a written quiz on the expectations (Page 81 82)

33. Lesson #2 – Key Vocabulary • Prepared … Ready to learn • Consequences … What happens after youact

34. Effective Classroom Expectations • Begin with an action word • Are stated positively • Are observable & measurable • Are task & situation specific, yet general enough to be transferred across settings • Relate to guiding principles such as respect, good work habits, physical & emotional safety, etc. • Are limited in number (5-7) so that they are easily remembered • Are posted in view of student & teacher Stop! How does your list compare with these characteristics?

35. Learning Community Expectations • Enter the classroom quietly & prepared • Follow directions • Begin work promptly + stay on task + work until done • Listen while others speak • Signal to speak • Use respectful language • Keep hands, feet & objects to yourself (Did you have any of these on your list?) 1,246 diverse learners in grades 3 through 8 were asked to rate the importance of these expectations for helping them work & get along with others. Each expectation was considered “important” to “very important” by students.

36. EXAMPLE CONSEQUENCESfor not abiding by learning community expectations • 1st time – Reminder • 2nd time – Reminder • 3rd time – Problem-solving sheet (Page 74) • 4th time – Loss of privilege • Severe Disruption – Removal from group

37. Lesson 2 Activity on Using Game Cards • Review It’s Your Choice game cards on pages 75 – 78. • Let’s act one out! (TTYN) • Review It’s Your Choice worksheet on page 79 – 80. 4. Which option best meets your situation?

38. Let’s Take the Quiz! • Review the Quiz on page 81. What is the correct expectation for the following scenarios? 1. 2. 3.

39. Take It a Step Further • Start implementing the expectations • Note examples of meeting expectations frequently • Note consequences in grade book or on a clip board • Set up group reward system • Don’t create victims

40. Goals of Lesson #3 – Making Good Choices- p 26 • To define “choice” • To explain the E+B+CPersonal Power Formula • To examine the relationship between choice & consequences • To practice analyzing behavior consequences according to the Personal Power Formula • To explain how choices impact personal power

41. Lesson #3 - Instructional Procedures • Define “choice” & “personal power” • Explain the relationship between choices, consequences & personal power • Explain the E+B+CPersonal Power Formula • Introduce the Personal Power Questions • Conduct practice activity

42. E+B+C  Personal Powerp 57 • E Event What happens first before you choose a behavior • B Behavior An action or how you act • C Consequence What happens to you and other after you act • P Personal Power The control you have over what happens in your life. You gain more control when you make good behavior choices.

43. Personal Power Questions-p 58 • What will the consequence of my action be ? • How will this action affect my personal power ? • With this action, am I living up to our learning community expectations ? • How will this action affect others ? THINK BEFORE YOU ACT

44. E+B+C  NO Personal Power-p 59 E Joe needs to complete a big project for homework. However, Sam calls and asks him to go to a movie. What is the event (E) that Joe can choose to respond to? B Joe goes to the movie and does not do his homework. What behavior (B) does Joe choose? C The project does not get done. Thus, Joe has to stay after school to complete the work. As a result, he misses baseball practice and cannot pitch in the upcoming game. What are the consequences (C) for Joe’s behavior? P Personal Power 1. How did Joe’s choice affect his personal power? 2. Which learning community expectation did Joe forget? 3. How did Joe’s choice affect other people?

45. E+B+C  Personal Power –p 60 E Joe needs to complete a big project for homework. However, Sam calls and asks him to go to a movie. What is the event (E) that Joe can choose to respond to? B Joe tells Same that he has to finish his project first. Thus, Joe immediately starts work on the project and works until it is done. What behavior (B) does Joe choose? C He completes the project that evening and turn it in the next day. That afternoon, he attends baseball practice, which means that he can pitch in the upcoming game. What were the consequences (C) for Joe’s behavior? P Personal Power 1. How did Joe’s choice affect his personal power? 2. Which learning community expectation did Joe remember? 3. How did Joe’s choice affect other people?

46. EBC Power Activity • See page 61 for the directions. • See pages 83-85 for the EBC Power Activity Cards • See pages 86-87 for the worksheet Which option would you choose for your students?

47. Goals of Lesson #4 – Introduce & DescribeThe FOCUS Strategy – p 35 • To help students understand the characteristics of focused & unfocused workers • To describe the steps of the FOCUS Strategy to students

48. Lesson #4 - Instructional Procedures • Define & demonstrate what a focused and unfocused worker looks like • Explain and demonstrate each of the FOCUS steps • Explain each of the TASK substeps • Demonstrate & practice the FOCUS hand signal • Demonstrate & practice the kinesthetic tool for TASK • Explain the “thumbs-up” cue

49. Lesson #4 – Key Vocabulary • Focus To keep your mind on what you are doing as you work • Unfocused Not keeping your mind on what you are doing as you work • Strategy A plan of action that includes a series of steps to help you accomplish something • Distraction Thinking about something other than what you are supposed to be doing • Task A job you need to do

50. Using the FOCUS Cue Cards • See cue cards on pages 62-68 These are provided for students who may need visual cues for learning the strategy and is a fun way to present it to some students.