First of all, it is great to see all of your comments. They are thoughtful, sincere, and action oriented. Keep it up. Happy 4th of July!!!
React to student Arlene Kai's comments in the section on "a 7 Habits Fit?
After reading the section on "A ubiquitous Strategy", comment on how that approach would be received differently that "another thing to do" to a busy middle school teacher.
How would the concept of Data Notebooks work at the middle school level?
Would you be able to react and work with the problem child who transferred in to A.B. Combs as Muriel did?
The last page or two describes how the Combs model is built on a firm mix of caring and love. It is see throughout the school when teachers interact with students and when teachers (any staff) interact with each other. Wouldn't that be GREAT!!!
I like the last statement the best:"..you're healthier, happier, and more successful when the habits are a part of your daily life." The independence and interdependence are SO important in everything you do, and incorporating them into the content is vital to getting students to understanding the leadership aspect.
ReplyDeleteI think if the teachers were shown how this can be integrated into their curriculum, then they won't see it as "another thing to teach."
I am not sure that the data notebooks would work, unless we started them in 6th grade and trained them up, 6-7 next year and then 6-8 the year after. As I mentioned before and they mention in the book, the process will have to be learned before they can understand how to use the data.
It would be hard to work with that problem child, but I have had a few in the past that nearly matched that description, and as they demonstrate in the book, you have to show them that you care before they will (hopefully) bend and accept the learning procedures. It is definitely challenging to work with students that come from a background like that; you have to 'chip away' at that outer vaneer to get to the child inside. It comes down to letting them know that you care about them and their education. In most cases that worked with the problem children I have taught in the past, but you also have to be prepared that you won't always be succesful.
I really like the comparison between the 7 habits and vitamins; this comparison shows the importance of these habits in daily life. It is impressive to me that a student recognizes the need for these skills.
ReplyDeleteAs I shared before, I believe that, to some degree, teachers in our school are already incorporating these skills into their curriculum on a daily basis. We just don't have a specific name for it. I also feel that these life skills can be integrated in any study area. The book said it best when it states that "leadership is not 'one more thing' teachers have to teach. It is part of everything they teach."
In our survey last year, a majority of students felt that they were not provided with information pertaining to their grades regularly enough (I actually inferred that this means we did not stop what we were doing each and every day to provide them with their grade for that moment in time). Data notebooks would serve as a way for them to track weekly progress, I suppose. This would take some time to incorporate, and as Mrs. Asquith pointed out, this would need to start early, and it would take time for them to understand the notebook's value and purpose. I am all for any tool that teaches students organization and accountability, so I would certainly be willing to use the data notebooks. I also think that middle school is a time of transition when many students either become highly motivated to succeed, or they begin to decline academically. The notebooks would help them to learn the difference between short-term and long term goals, and it would also give them something to physically see whether they did what was required to meet that goal. Of course, many of my students were unable to keep up with their classroom binders, so that would be an issue I am sure. They can't see the benefit, if they can't keep up with the notebook.
It would be difficult to work with a child who has this type of attitude, but it is not impossible. I had a student this past year that really pushed my buttons, and he knew he did. Being new, my first reaction was to take the incidents personally (BIG mistake), then I tried being indifferent (not a good choice either), and finally I decided that I was going to use my grandmother's advice, "You can catch more flies with honey." I made this child student of the week, bragged on everything I could possibly brag about when he contributed to the class, and was as nice as I could possibly be to him (all the while knowing that he was still making remarks about me and thinking I had no idea that he was laughing at my attempts--they think we are clueless ;). However, by the end of the school year I feel that we had come a long way. While he tried to keep up a tough exterior to "save face," I know that somehow I made an impression. He would actually discuss books with me, he would joke with me, and when he looks back on that experience, I hope he remembers me for the one who didn't stop trying. These are the kids who need us the most, and the only way I can make myself be ok with the kind of disrespect that we are forced to endure by these types of attitudes is to truly believe that we can make a positive difference in their lives.
I agree about the notebooks being an issue, if they can't keep up with their regular classroom binders. What is that binder stayed with the homeroom teacher, to keep it safe, yet accessible?
DeleteI think Mrs. A and Mrs. Elliott have done a great job expresing their thoughts. I agree with them.
ReplyDeleteI think we did have a student last year in 7th grade similar to this child described. I think all teachers who taught the student and Mr. Highfield did a great job giving this student a second chance. If he comes back next year, I hope that we can see continued improvement.
I think we have to really focus in on what was said about the foundation expressed on pages 69 and 70. If we as a staff do not work together and love each other, then none of the plans and preparations that we make will ever move us forward. Kids know when we are faking concern. Hey, we know when other adults are faking concern to us. No book, no other person can create a loving spirit within us. It is up to the individual.
So in conclusion, I say, "YES that would be great!!!" So we all need to "sharpen our saw" before we come back to school! I personally have been working on that area this summer.
I like the message given by Kai. Simple and sweet. 7 Habits supplies a foundation that can assist in yielding happiness and success in your life.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Asquith. If teachers buy into 7 Habits as an avenue of positive change, and were shown how it could be integrated into their curriculum, I don't think it would be viewed as "another thing to teach".
The Data Notebook appears to be a little lofty to me. It is not that I don't agree with it's intentions, but unless I misunderstood, it could take some real juggling of class time and teacher guidance to make these notebooks as meaningful as they are intended to be. Time is precious. I see them as a an interference of primary classroom instruction.
I am open to argument.
I have taught many difficult students. Atlanta had its share; the most pronounced were in Mobile when I was working in a school that serviced nothing but children from the projects. I found that doing things in a similar vein as Ms. Elliot produced the best results. It was challenging. I had 44 students in a trailer. It was the biggest challenge I have had in my career. I couldn't focus on understanding them all,there were too many, so I worked on myself. I made efforts to issue even my worst of reprimands in a kind tone. I tried to see good in everything I could. I had a few bad times, but for the most part,I was able to have control and respect. Without that,there would have been no teaching possible.
In hindsight, I am very glad I had that experience. It was infinitely more educational than any college class. I am also glad it was in the beginning of my career when I was too innocent (stupid) to be intimidated by kids who viewed hate, violence, and drugs as status.
My life experiences make me think that I could probably work with the problem child who transferred to A.B.Combs. I cannot say for sure. I am at least familiar with that situation and have had relative success.
I have found this book has brought a bit of excitement back into my game. I can see so much potential for positive change.
ReplyDeleteI have never blogged before. I am just learning. I hope I am expressing myself clearly. Also, I am a terrible typist and I hope
I don't have too many errors.
Your doing great! So glad you are trying the blog thing! You really have a lot of valuable knowledge with your variety of experience. Keep sharing with us!
DeleteThank you, Mary. I must admit that expressing my opinion in this format made me feel like I was naked in church. Very vulnerable.
DeleteI welcome a change to make our school better. If 7 Habits does not prove to be the definitive answer, at least it will have provided a starting place.
The first 3 chapters are sounding very plausible.
The comparison of vitamins and the 7 habits just makes me realize that when we are striving to be our best this brings a happier mental you. So the habits bring us personal and mental well being as vitamins stengthen our physical self.
ReplyDeleteThe examples given in the book helped me see that the 7 habits can be an extension of what we are currently doing instead of inventing a new wheel. I agree that some of these independence and interdependence concepts are going on in our school.
The "Data Notebook" really brings mixed feelings. My students can't remember to bring a library book to my classroom or have their everyday pen and pencil so how will a teacher manage a data notebook. Who decides what each student will put in this notebook? Students at the middle school level want to know if the data notebook is a grade, so this brings another issue. The example given was in an elementary school where most students are self-contained, so I would be interested how data notebooks work on a middle school level.
In agreement with Robin's comments, especially on the data notebook.
DeleteMy first thought about Arlene's quote was I wonder how old she is? Such a grown up thought from an elementary student. I liked the quote .
ReplyDeleteI agree with Amanda that most of us are already teaching the strategies without realizing it. We don't just teach our subjects we teach the whole child which includes respect, responsibility, good character.....
I like the data notebooks but not sure how we would do it in a middle school setting. I am forever getting frustrated with my kids when they start comparing their grades or report cards to the other kids in the classroom. I am constantly telling them it is for them and their parents eyes only. Some seem to get excited about getting bad grades. ( Like it is a good thing!) As I said in a previous blog I really do not like grades. Wouldn't it be wonderful if they were just looking at how they had improved and what in fact they had learned and what they still needed to work on,
Like Mrs. Benefield my first years teaching were filled with students like the one mentioned in the book. I taught at a high school in Florida; however I was in lower middle class community whose population came mainly from the north east United States. Being the newbie I was given all of the lower level classes. These were not students who had low IQ's, but students who just did not care. About a tenth of my students had a parole officer. Talk about baptism by fire! And like Jennifer I learned real quick to always appear calm and speak in a firm kind voice. I definitely agree with Amanda, you can catch more flies with honey. As I have grown and matured I see this more and more. That doesn't mean I never get upset because I am human and no one is perfect. However, I always feel bad when I do lose my cool and look for ways to try and handle the situation better next time. I used to look at my students and think what happened to you. Each child cones into this world completely innocent and then their world shapes them into the person they become. It is my hope to help them see there is something better out there and they can attain their goals. I would love for this book to show us how to make these kids realize this!
To Mr. Highfields and Mrs. Hughes last comments I say a strong AMEN!
I believe many of our teachers already teach some of the habits discussed in the book; we just don’t point them out to the students. If we did, it might help students understand why they are important beyond a specific classroom.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how Data Notebooks will work. Over the years, I have tried numerous attempts at grading sheets for the students to record their grades for my class. In fact, I tried it again this past school year and even added an incentive for the students to keep them updated—a 100-point daily grade. Once again, I spent more time on most of their grading sheets than the students.
The biggest problem that I foresee is where are the students going to keep their data? Is a separate notebook necessary when they already have so many? Some teachers require a separate binder/notebook for their class which requires students to keep up with more than one binder. It is not uncommon for a student to bring the wrong binder to class or take the wrong binder home so they could not do homework. If we want something like this to work, we might want to consider a school policy of only one binder for each student with separate sections for each class. If a teacher wants a separate binder/notebook/folder for students to keep their work, maybe they can keep those in the classroom. It really doesn’t take up much space to do this. I keep folders and journals in my classroom, and the first couple of students to arrive pass them out when they are needed.
We have all had problem students, and most of do try to find a way to reach them. This section was a good reminder that we should not give up on a students; instead, we all need to work together to help the student. We will not always be successful, but the stakes are too high for us to not even try.
Mrs. Hughes is correct when she stated that students know when we are “faking concern.” I also agree with her statement about the “loving spirit within us,” and I have been trying to work on mine, too. That is one good aspect of having a summer break—we have an opportunity to be recharge our batteries.
These comments are firing me up. We can make change...together. Now if I can find two more math teachers I'll be set. New post tomorrow. I am a little behind because I have been to Maine, Vermont, and Boston. Had a great time though.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Marsha that the 7 habits do make us all healthier and happier. It is amazing how smoothly your day can go if you are prepared, organized and ready to work. This also brought up the idea of LoL that I spoke with Mr. Highfield about. If anyone is interested the concept is simple. Hazel Green United Methodist Church and Meridianville Middle School will work together with the Lunches of Love program to send food home with children that we as teachers and counselors have identified as in need of food for the weekends. Food will be donated through the church and members will pack food to give to me to send home on Fridays with a certain number of children weekly so that they are eating on the weekends. We are all aware of those kids that come to school specifically to eat and how upset they can get if either their breakfast or lunch time is cut short due to a late bus of backed up lines in the cafeteria. The challenge will be making these lunches inconspicuous to others. If anyone has suggestions, please feel free to share. And, if any one would like to help out, please let me know. It really touched me when I read about how we need to focus on meeting students essential needs such as adequate clothing, grooming and food for them to be prepared to learn in the classroom.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the ubiquitous strategy, we all have routines and procedures in our rooms that make things move smoothly. The 7 Habits is just another form of routine that we can apply daily that shouldn't be straining on our jobs. After only teaching two years, I find myself stressed at the beginning of the year because training the students is the hardest part. You get your previous year's class settled and into a routine, and then you give them away, lol! Imagine having the same routines and expectations yearly, and students are have already adapted!!! That in itself is excited to think about!
Data Notebooks would by far be the most difficult task of the 7 Habits. Like everyone else has posted so far, most of us are just lucky if all 28+ students show up with a pencil and paper for the day. But, if 10 kids are completing the notebooks regularly, that's 10 we didn't have before. We all know of those specific kids who have the syllabus and supply list from the first day to the last. Those are the kids we should focus on with the Data Notebooks. Again, identifying specific skills per child and developing them...
There will always be problem children, and it's like I tell my kids from Day 1, "I love you all, but I won't like you every day, just like you will love having me as a teacher, but you won't always like me or the assignments I give." I'm not a parent like most of you, but I can imagine those problem children have similar needs to your kids; they just express it very differently. I have to respect someone like Muriel for the way she handled the student because as much as I'd like to say I would've done the same, I probably wouldn't which gives me something to work on.
I would really like to attend 7 Habits training to get more than just an overview. Arlene Kai's description is very well written.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone that we already teach many of these skills in our classrooms. We encourage positive attitudes and teamwork among students in groups as an example. I wouldn't consider this "one more thing to teach."
If this program has the impact we hope it will, maybe students will be more responsible and will bring materials to class more often! I agree that data notebooks would be difficult, but not impossible to initiate. My students keep lab notebooks in which they chart and graph experimental results all the time. Most of it is done in groups, so they have help, and the notebooks stay in my classroom.
Working with problem children goes with the territory. It is that personal connection with them (and with all the others, too) that makes the difference. I hope to have more reasonable class sizes this year (fewer than 35 would be nice!) so that I can establish those bonds...Thank you, Mr. Highfield for hiring another science teacher to help with that!
Teachers choose to be teachers, because we love and care for children. It would be nice to have an environment in which that is more visible to everyone.