Chapter 7- Confidence

• Preparation is the key to success!
• Prepare over and over to the point where mistakes are not an option.
•  Don't dampen the students' energy, enthusiasm, and dreams... have faith in them
• Place confidence in the hearts and minds of children

HOW-- Classroom Confidence Builders:

"Pyramid of Pride"
Post work around the school
AR strategy w/ pictures
Sargent's Stars! (love this)
Praise
Allow opportunities for success

What are some ways you build confidence in your students?

Chapter 6 Compassion

This chapter made me feel guilty. I have had limited patience with this year's group and I hate that about myself. They have pushed every single button I have. There were several things I want to try for next year, though.

Clark's guidelines for building the classroom team rapport were awesome and I plan on practicing these next year (140-141). I also want to adopt a senior citizen. This year, Howard's mom was moved from the Assisted Living to the Nursing Home and I know how much she enjoys visits by kids.

In this chapter, one point really stood out to me:

"In our society, children seem to have less and less respect for others, especially adults. I think the main reason for this is that they aren't forming bonds with adults as they used to" (137).

 

This really hit home. I often wonder why in the world some of our students speak to adults the way they do and this makes perfect sense. I wished I knew how to correct this...

For posting, choose one idea/point and share with the group.

Chapter 5

Balance-- Ch 5
This chapter had wonderful ideas for balance in all avenues (instruction, discipline, & our personal lives).

** By the way, my Kindle had a typo and said, "Balancing Lift with Teaching." 

Pretty sure it meant "Life." **

Several takeaways for me were:
1) Model, group practice, & independent still works: "I do, We do, You do." We also have to keep our instruction full of options to engage all students. 
2) For any discipline to work, "you have to show the kids that you care about them and find wags to make them like being around you and in your class."
3) "We can't teach about life if we don't have a life... We have to allow ourselves breaks."

Choose one of the topics (instruction, discipline, or life) and share how you use balance.