This book came to mind as I read this chapter.
As did giving children choices and giving children visuals to make those choices easier to make - this is especially important for children with special needs but works well with all children in the heat of the moment and they cannot verbalized what they need to do.
It also reminds me of the thought process for kids with disabilities and how helpful social stories can be. Here are a ton of examples - some good, some with pictures, some without but at least gives you ideas: http://resourcesforteaching.weebly.com/-social-stories.html
How could these strategies be altered if you work with child care worker? if you are going into the home? if you are itinerant? if you co-teach?
Have a safe and very happy Thanksgiving!
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5 comments:
I absolutely connected with the idea of Purposeful Talk! Meaningful and engaging conversations are such powerful vehicles for learning. So far this chapter on Responsibility has been the best for me. Teaching children the skills to be a good listener, to engage in conversation with their teachers and peers, to take turns and take control of one's self are critical foundational pieces for future learning!
The idea of Apologizing has always been a tricky one for me. How do we help children understand why an apology is taking responsibility for a less than positive action towards another person? What carries the most meaning for everyone involved? I did like the author's comment that sometimes students need more time to get to that stage of apology....it may occur in a day or two, or in a quieter setting. Great food for thought!
The chapter on responsibility made me reflect on where we are in the school year and where we are headed both academically and socially. Now that first quarter is over and routines have been set, testing has taken place and reporting has been done, it is time for me to refocus. Resposibility takes a shift from being responsible for personal items and routines to now being a more responsible learner. The book has given me food for thought and been a great reminder that now that social resposibility has been established, it is time to encourage academic responsibility (intertwined with social responsibilty). I now know my students well and can individualize what this may look like for each of them. Each chapter of this book has come exactly at the right time of the school year. For me, I think this book will be a "must review" each fall as the year is getting started.
Another great chapter! I love that this author has had the experiences to show how she has put her ideas into action and that she really "gets" how complex teaching young children can be. I respect how she looks at the behavior as a puzzle to solve.
Teaching students to be responsible is a vital part of a smooth running classroom. I had the following "aha moments" as I read:
*library envelope with laminated task cards that are turned in as tasks are completed (pg. 119)
*students lacking language-rich backgrounds need to learn how conversations work with explicit instruction (pg. 121)
*choice cards to solve a problem (great for the "rule enforcers" that drive us crazy because they recognize issues in everybody, but themselves (pg 123)
*assigning students responsibilities for when there is a substitute
I'm thinking this book could be an excellent tool for our PBIS team to use in planning out character building for the year. It is full of resources and examples that could be used as "cool tools" for quick mini lessons.
I'm finally getting around to posting! I am appreciating this format much more than I thought I would, as I have been reading and getting great ideas/resources from others in the group.
A couple things that really struck me in this chapter:
pg 113 An apology of action requires that the perpetrator find a way to realistically and respectfully make amends by choosing an action that is relevant to the situation. *I think of the "fixit plans" we often have children write, which for many kids, has become nothing more than a hoop to jump through - with little impact on changing their behavior. The power of the emotive piece, and this apology, making amends, and receiving forgiveness is so much more powerful than what many of us do in the school setting in an effort to save time, yet provides no change in the social/emotional skills of our students
pg 115 "We need to be responsible for out thoughts and voices. How can we do that?" *I had a real "aha" moment when I read that sentence. I find myself always addressing outward behaviors, but had never considered the power of stating that we are responsible for our thoughts. Kind of a mindset shifting statement for me.
This chapter had many great points in it. I feel, as a kindergarten teacher, much time is needed to spend on teaching students the importance of being honest and making good choices. I liked the idea of taking the apology beyond words. Many times students only verbally apologize, without ever internalizing the ramifications of their actions and/or who they have hurt in the process of making a bad choice. I think that having students, especially this age level, draw things that they like about the person they hurt is a powerful strategy to help students repair friendship bonds than may have been fractured. Another great idea from this chapter, I thought, was the idea of creating a t-chart with student names and responsibilities for when there is a substitute. Students love to be commended and praised for their help. Having a visual (I would probably add pictures) for students to refer to would help keep kids focused on acting responsibly when there is a substitute. I also found the information on "purposeful talk" intriguing and am interested in reading the book 'Comprehension Through Conversation: The Power of Purposeful Talk in the Reading Workshop'. I liked how the author approached the need for self control and how it made her feel when everyone was talking at once (pg. 114/115). I, personally, get stressed by feeling pressure to teach academics, when I know students at this age level are not ready for all academic areas at the same time. I wish there was a common understanding in our district that it is "okay" to spend a significant amount of time teaching social/emotional skills and strategies before jumping into hard core academics. This is a piece I struggle with often...knowing what is in the best interest of my students and what is developmentally appropriate/inappropriate versus knowing what I am expected to teach and have the children learn academically. Please don't get me wrong, I have I standards for all of my students, but I also know what is/isn't developmentally appropriate for this age level. The struggle is between what I know is the right thing to do versus what I am expected by the district to do. Needless to say, this chapter had a lot of great strategies and insights to help shape student responsibility.
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