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Begin the School Year with Advantage-Creating Mind Frames

We look for advantages when and where we can find them. Advantages can give us a head start and make success more likely. Advantages give us leverage to avoid wasting time and energy. Advantages are especially welcome when they do not mean that others must experience a disadvantage. So, starting the new year with advantages that help our students and us succeed can be welcome, especially during times like these. One of the most significant and impactful advantages we can gain as we begin a new year lies in how we think about and approach our work. How we position ourselves in our relationships with students will largely determine how they will respond. And the strategies we employ to help students learn will greatly influence their success. With this context in mind, let’s explore four mind frames that can give us and our students important advantages in the weeks and months ahead: Mind frame #1. Don’t focus on removing the challenges that lie ahead; prepare students to meet them. We might be tempted to lessen the challenges that students will face by giving them easier work or providing excessive support, but we risk devaluing the success they achieve and giving a false sense of accomplishment. Rather than making the road ahead easy, we can focus on developing the skills and confidence students will need to meet and succeed with the challenges they will face. We will not be able to lessen the challenges our students will experience once they leave us. Preparing our students to accomplish demanding tasks and succeed in difficult times is an advantage we can offer that will serve them well regardless of what their futures hold. Mind frame #2. Don’t protect students from every misstep and setback; help students learn from their mistakes. Mistakes can be frustrating and even painful. Of course, we do not want our students to suffer. However, in the context of learning, mistakes can offer powerful lessons that lead to growth. In fact, some of the most powerful and memorable learning our students will gain this year will be the result of their mistakes and missteps they experience. While we need to offer instruction and coaching that focuses students on what is important and prepares them to encounter new concepts and skills, we also need to allow them to make mistakes without shame, excessive penalties, and unnecessary risk, so that learning can result. Mind frame #3. Don’t force students to prove they are trustworthy; assume and treat them as though they are, and they will prove you are correct. What we assume about the character and intensions of others can have a determinative impact on how they respond. When students feel that we trust them and believe they will be positive, contributing members of the class community, they are far more likely to behave accordingly. Lengthy lists of rules and consequences for misbehavior risk communicating a lack of trust and can tempt some students to test us to confirm their suspicions. On the other hand, when we choose to trust, students are also likely to want to prove us correct. Meanwhile, should the behavior of students occasionally fall short of our expectations, we are more likely to see and treat the behavior as an aberration than confirmation that they are not trustworthy, and we will seek to correct rather than punish. Mind frame #4. Don’t ask students to convince you of their talents; look for what makes each one special. As a new group of students enters our class, we might take the position that they must prove themselves to us before we recognize their abilities and talents. Of course, some students who have the confidence of past success will respond. However, this approach risks missing some of the most important, latent talents that students possess and have the potential to develop. Conversely, if we adopt the mind frame that every student possesses talents and gifts and our challenge is to help each student discover and develop what makes them special, we set the stage for far more talent discovery, development, and demonstration. Importantly, even if we are not successful in completely discovering and developing the gifts of some students, we will have communicated to them that they are special, and we are confident they have potential that is yet to be fully recognized. We cannot control every aspect of our students’ learning, relationships, and growth in the year ahead. However, the mind frames we adopt and the advantages they offer can make important differences in crucial areas over which we have control. The best part is that these mind frames cost nothing but hold the promise of immeasurable value.

July 21, 2022

Six Mistakes to Avoid When Dealing With Misbehavior

Whenever students spend extended time near other students, within a structured environment where behavior expectations and parameters are present, there will be missteps and conflicts. The challenge for educators is to respond in ways that avoid escalation of the situation and minimize the probability of the behavior being repeated. Unfortunately, without thought and discipline on our part, what begins as minor to moderate misbehaviors can become major incidents requiring significant time and actions to restore calm and redirect attention toward learning. In many situations, how we respond to misbehavior can be as determinative in the outcome as the original behavior. Let’s consider six mistakes to avoid when we encounter behavior challenges. First, resist making and acting on assumptions. Every behavior we see has a context. Something led to the words or actions we heard or saw. Unless we know what motivated and stimulated the behavior, we risk making assumptions that are not correct. A classic example of this mistake can be found when sports officials observe and penalize a person who is responding to the actions of another player without seeing what happened first. The context for student misbehavior can be even more difficult to ascertain. What we see may even be the result of an incident at home or before a student entered our class. Unless we take time and try to understand what is behind the behavior, we risk taking the wrong action in response, leaving the student feeling mistreated and disrespected, and our relationship with the student in tatters. Time taken to understand what is behind misbehavior can be time well spent. Second, avoid confusing the student and the behavior. Almost any student will misbehave at some time. However, their misbehavior doesn’t make them a bad person. We need to be careful to focus on what the student did and why it’s unacceptable while continuing to value the student. Students will also occasionally fail to make this distinction, especially if the misbehavior led to an unfortunate outcome involving another person. We need to be clear and reassuring that what we are concerned about is the behavior and how to prevent its reoccurrence, not blaming or trying to “fix” the student. Behavior is what the student did, not who they are. Failure to make this distinction can lead to longer term resentments and perceptions that are harmful to the student and our relationship with them. Third, resist reacting to what happened and focus on responding to the behavior. We may feel the need to immediately act when we observe misbehavior. Of course, when personal safety is involved, we may not have the option of waiting to become involved. However, in most cases, the student’s interests and ours are best served if we take time to think and, if necessary, calm ourselves before responding. A deep breath and a moment of thought can often prevent us from saying or doing something we will later regret. A quick reaction risks us making promises we can’t keep and threatening consequences we can’t deliver. Fourth, avoid punishing mistakes and focus on teaching appropriate behavior. We may need to assign or allow consequences to follow misbehavior, but we need to be focused on helping the student learn and adjust their behavior. Our counsel and coaching may include behavior options from which the student can choose to accomplish their goals and meet their needs without engaging in behavior that is unacceptable. Little is gained if a student is punished without an understanding of how to avoid making the same mistake in the future. Fifth, resist using shame and embarrassment to change behavior. When we publicly shame a student or embarrass them in front of classmates and friends, we can be “sowing the seeds” of the next incident of misbehavior and conflict. Beyond the damage we may do to self-concept and self-confidence, many students feel that they must “repay” disrespect and humiliation to reestablish respect with peers. The result for us can be a bigger problem and more troubling incident than what we encountered with the initial misbehavior. Sixth, avoid taking student misbehavior personally. When we take personal offense or allow our ego to become involved, we risk losing our objectivity and responding in kind rather than with wisdom and restraint. As the adult and authority in the classroom, we need to be the stable, reasonable influence. When we abandon our professional stance, we also risk creating instability and fear among other members of the class. Finally, we need to avoid placing our relationship with the student in question. Our relationship should never be used as a bargaining chip. Without question, student misbehavior can present difficult challenges to our leadership and authority. However, we need to do everything we can to use the situation as a learning opportunity, to preserve safety and stability, and to maintain our professional position and respect.

June 06, 2022

An Approach to Discipline Worth Rethinking

Our goals when disciplining students are simple. We want the steps we take to result in improved behavior now and increased ability of our students to manage their behavior in the future. Unfortunately, the popularity of discipline approaches does not necessarily mean that they are aligned with these goals. In fact, one set of popular classroom discipline practices can generate unhelpful and even negative outcomes, including outcomes that work against our goals to modify behavior and prepare students for their futures. Such practices, often referred to as progressive consequences, behavior charts, or behavior management systems, risk teaching students unintended lessons and undermining development of self-regulation. They can even increase the misbehavior of some young people. These disciplinary systems typically include a process in which students begin the day at a desired or highest level of behavior on a publicly displayed chart. As the day unfolds, students progressively lose points, or move to a lower level (often designated by a color) each time they exhibit undesirable or unacceptable behavior, as determined by the teacher or another adult. The bet is that public shaming and increasing threats of consequences will encourage behavior compliance and discourage students from engaging in off-task and unacceptable behaviors. Ironically, this system works best for students who seek to please the teacher anyway; the students least likely to misbehave. For students who do not feel a strong connection with the classroom community, such shaming and threats hold little significance. For students who seek attention, this system offers a convenient and effective way to satisfy their need, even if it is in a negative context. For students who struggle to learn, the behavior charting system provides a roadmap for behavior that will distract attention away from their learning challenges and reduce the pain and embarrassment of having their struggles revealed. Meanwhile, these approaches teach students to comply with the expectations of others, not build an internal system of self-regulation. While compliance will continue to play a role in life success, learning to manage one’s behavior without constant reliance on the wishes, expectations, and consequential threats of those in authority is at least of equal importance. We can and should replace these practices with others that have shown more impact and effectiveness in changing behavior and building self-management skills. Here are ten actions to consider:

Get to know students and what motivates them.
Develop strong, caring relationships with students.
Build a strong, positive, inclusive classroom culture.
Provide timely, positive feedback and reinforcement for positive behavior.
Teach good decision-making skills and provide opportunities to practice them.
Coach students to develop and practice self-regulation.
Monitor student learning trajectories and intervene early when performance begins to slip.
Monitor stress levels in the classroom and provide opportunities to “de-stress” and help students to manage stress in their lives.
Give students meaningful input and choices about their learning and classroom operations.
Keep discipline discussions and actions private and out of public view.

We might find it convenient to present rules and behavior expectations and demand compliance. While in the short term we might be able to control student behavior, in the long term we risk missing an opportunity to build the capacity of our students to monitor and manage their own behavior, a skill closely associated with life success.

November 29, 2021

Avoid the Media Dunk Tank

The media regularly features pictures and short videos of the inside of schools and elsewhere that depict people engaging in behaviors or finding themselves in circumstances that appear counter to what is recommended by the CDC and other government entities. They may be pictures of students in crowded hallways, staff or students not wearing masks, examples of failure to practice good hand hygiene, or any number of other possibilities. The popularity of snapping and posting pictures and videos of unfolding situations means someone—a student, staff member, or other person— will likely find a situation they want to expose by recording and posting it. Of course, we may be unaware of the situation or conditions. Or, we may know about the situation and are working to address the problem. Or, we may even be experiencing a staged activity intended to embarrass or create controversy. Regardless, we can expect to immediately be confronted with pointed inquires and subjected to uncomfortable and often unfair assumptions. Before we find ourselves in these unfortunate circumstances, there are preparatory steps we can take to be ready and avoid unnecessary controversy. First, review current student behavior codes to ensure that they are free of restrictions that no longer apply or make sense, would unduly restrict students’ First Amendment rights, or that otherwise likely would not stand up to legal challenges. Language related to possession and use of electronic devices at school and during school hours might be an example. Second, identify elements or aspects of written student behavior expectations that are not consistently enforced. For example, if students are not to take and share photos of other students without their permission, do you and your staff regularly monitor and enforce this expectation? Is it even practical to determine whether all photos taken are with permission? Expectations that are stated but not enforced often carry little more weight than expectations that are not addressed. Third, identify behavior code elements that extend beyond the reach of the school and may not be legally enforceable. Often, expectations of students that extend into their personal lives and beyond the confines of the school and school day are challenging to enforce. Behavior codes associated with cocurricular and extracurricular programs may be exceptions, but it is wise to consult legal counsel to be certain. Fourth, review the expectations of staff relative to posting photos of students. Again, stated expectations are only useful if they are consistently enforced. Also, consider whether blanket permissions signed by parents for their children to be photographed extend to videos and photos that might convey images that are embarrassing or damaging to the reputation of the institution. Obviously, even with this preparation you may find yourself responding to inquiries and accusations related to an unfortunate image or video. Here too, there are considerations and cautions to observe. First, avoid panicking or reacting before you fully understand the situation and associated implications. If students are involved, be careful not to allow anger or embarrassment to push you to treat the situation as disciplinary and exacting consequences before the facts are known and implications are considered. Second, delay making a statement or taking other action until you have enough information to support your actions. Rather, commit to learning what you can regarding the circumstances and potential implications of what you have been presented. Further, commit to making the situation right, if what has been posted reveals circumstances or practices that need to be addressed. If you are not completely certain about the correct steps to take, consult those in your institution who might provide good advice, and contact legal counsel for guidance. Third, if you eventually determine that school rules were violated, you can take informed, measured actions that are consistent with stated and enforceable behavior expectations and avoid the necessity of having to “back track” on what has been said or done. Fourth, be prepared for pressure to take immediate action and “second guessing” once you decide a course of action. Both responses are predictable. What is most important is that you take measured, informed, fair actions that hold the most potential to address the situation and avoid placing people or the organization in compromising positions as a result of your words or actions.

August 17, 2020