Guided Response: Review the posts of your classmates and that of your instructor.  Respond, using support from our assigned reading and the Instructor Guidance, to the following questions with careful attention to the details presented by your peers in the selected posts.  You must respond to at least two peers.

• Summarize what proactive discipline strategies means to you.
• Compare your peers’ response to your initial ideas of proactive discipline strategies. 
• Explain how they are the same or different to your own ideas presented in your initial post.

Personal note: I have always had a hard time with classroom management and this weeks discussion gave me a lot more insight into how I can strengthen that area of weakness!

Mr. Franklin’s response to the situation was reactive instead of proactive because he was frustrated and out of anger he told the class that they would miss five minutes of lunch in order to make up for their lateness. If his response were to have been proactive there were other steps he could have taken rather than resorting to frustration.

There are many ways that Mr. Franklin could have been more proactive rather than reactive and here are 3 examples:

1. Attention signals: Mr. Franklin could use something called an attention signal which is a sound, motion or any other means of bringing the attention of his students back to him. This allows for the entire class to refocus their attention to Mr. Franklin in order to hear what the next steps in their daily routine are. For example, he could stand in front of the class and say “Clap once if you can hear me, clap twice if you can hear me, if you can hear me clap three times”, this gives student 3 chances to redirect their focus to Mr. Franklin so he can direct them where to go or what to do next. A lot of the time attention signals such as this work because students are using their bodies to participate in the shifting of classroom focus, rather than carrying on external conversations.  Something like this would be what Ivan Pavlov calls classical conditioning. Pavlov states that classical conditioning is ” …two stimuli are linked together to produce a new learned response in a person or animal” (Simply Psychology 2018).

2. Model-Lead-Test Approach (I do – we do – you do): Another way that Mr. Franklin could be proactive when it comes time to transition throughout the school day would be to conduct what is called  model-lead-test or I Do-We Do- You do. In the MLT approach first the teacher explains to the students what the expectations are and they will demonstrate said behavior/expectation. The next step would be to have the whole class, including the teacher, go through the motions of doing exactly what is expected. Finally the teacher will let the students loose and when the time comes the teacher will signal that it is time to transition, however the students will be expected to execute the behaviors necessary to do so. If there is any confusion as to what the expectations are Mr. Franklin might find using a “example/non-example” approach to the activity. According to Zelt & Best, “In addition, the model-lead-test format can be effectively used to teach descriptors and concepts by utilizing an Example/Non-Example Procedure. When instructing with an Example/Non-Example Procedure, the student is required to demonstrate their understanding by identifying examples and non-examples of the concept.  To prepare for instruction using this procedure, you will need to gather multiple example and non-example items.”

3. Mr. Franklin should make sure he has established personal connections with each and every student in his classroom. Getting know each student, their personalities, likes/dislikes and so on will allow for Mr. Franklin to pinpoint what learning environment aspects cause individuals to struggle when it comes to transitioning in a timely manner. Having a personal relationship with each student and the entire class in general will help open an honest and clear line of communication. For instance, if one student voices their opinion in the appropriate environment, such as a morning meeting circle, this will give others an opportunity to speak and come to an ultimate conclusion as to what could be done to prevent being late to lunch or their next class in the future. 

Reference 

“Attention Signal.” The Teacher Toolkit, www.theteachertoolkit.com/index.php/tool/attention-signal.

Best, Megan, and Rene Zelt. “Practical Perspective: Model-Lead-Test Direct Instruction Approach.” Attainment Company, 29 Mar. 2018, www.attainmentcompany.com/blog/practical-perspective-model-lead-test-direct-instruction-approach/.

“Chapter 4: Section 2: Classical and Operant Conditioning.” AllPsych, allpsych.com/psychology101/conditioning/.

Mcleod, Saul. “Classical Conditioning.” Simply Psychology, Simply Psychology, 21 Aug. 2018, www.simplypsychology.org/classical-conditioning.html.

Had Mr. Franklin anticipated that the children were going to take their time transition from one project to another he would have been able to prepare and be ready to avoid the lag time. This is why I know his method of taking away five minutes from lunch was reactive rather than proactive, being proactive tends to get rid of moments of frustration. “Proactive classroom management is based on the notion that students do their best work in classrooms where they are respected as individuals. When behavior problems do occasionally surface, proactive teachers look for positive solutions that include student input” (Henley, Ramsey & Algozzine, 2009, para 4).  Taking away 5 min is not a positive solution. This question is funny to me because it reminds me of running a prison unit in that if they “lag” while the move is over, they might end up having to wait outside of the unit until there is another which could be up to two hours. But since this is not a prison unit Mr. Henry should implement a motivation system, doesn’t have to be anything big but if the students can transition in a timely manner, they will be rewarded either at the end of the week or month depending on the situation. They might be rewarded with extra recess time. Another proactive way which could be helpful is if the teacher implements a schedule so students can physically see when they are getting ready for a new subject. I was reading where one teacher would flicker the lights to let her students know they had a certain amount of time left before they would have to be ready for the next subject. Finally, I read an article that depending on their age they could use signing to help transitioning into another subject. “The Cleanup Song describes not only the steps of cleaning up but also the purpose” (Turner, 2019, para 7). Now me personally wouldn’t use this method but I can understand how this would definitely work with younger children.

Reference

Browning Write, D., & Cook, C. (2013, February 13). The 16 proactive classroom management skills to support academic engagement.. Retrieved from http://www.state.ky.us/agencies/behave/misc/DBWHandouts/BI12/Diana%20-%20Session%201%20Ho%20-%2016%20Proact ive%20Strategies%20-%20Wed%208am.pdf

Henley, M., Ramsey, R. S., & Algozzine, R. (2009). Characteristics of and strategies for teaching students with mild disabilities. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Pearson

Turner, B. (2019, April 30). Singing as a Tool to Facilitate Transitions. Retrieved from https://www.edutopia.org/article/singing-tool-facilitate-transitions