#5thchat is for people interested in chatting about topics in education, especially as they relate to Grade 5. The goal is to connect people who enjoy learning & sharing, plus supporting & creating partnerships worldwide!
Good evening! Welcome to #5thchat. We are going to use a Q1/A1 format this evening. I am your guest moderator, Amanda Elgin. Please introduce yourself: name, position, school system, how you define student behavior.
Intro Q: Student behavior is a response to an antecedent/stimulus. It can be positive or negative. All behaviors are reinforced by consequences (ex/peer or adult attention). #5thchat
I'm Paul Solarz, 4th grade teacher from Arlington Heights, Illinois. My definition of "student behavior" is a child's expression of their personality, mood, interpretation of their environment, reaction to everything around them and level of self-control. #5thchat
Hi! This is Sherri with @ThirstyBeesNY. I'm an educator of both teachers and students in the Catskills. Student behavior is simply students being who they are. #5thchat
Hello, my name is Tucker Stover and I am studying Early Childhood Education at Siena Heights University. I define student behavior as the actions of a person and the intention behind those actions.
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A1: School environment is very crucial to the behavior that goes on at that school. If it is not a positive environment, then people will simply act accordingly. I believe there as a power in numbers.
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YIP! YIP! YIP! Doin' the Tweetdeck shuffle!
How's it going, #5thchat?
Sliding over from 2PencilChat and edchat. How's it going?
Karl, 3rd-6th gr basic skills ELA teacher checking in from the Jersey shore :)
A1 - School environment can have different affects on students depending on many factors! I believe in creating a classroom community where students help each other, make decisions freely without permission from me, and always show respect towards everyone. #5thchat
Positive, respectful schools provide positive peer pressure and self-fulfilling cycles of the positive behaviors. Momentary lapses are treated as that. A strong #sel -first mentality is important.
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A1: A positive school environment goes a long way toward promoting positive student behavior. It won't solve every issue - especially if students come from a negative home environment - but it will help to give them a place where they can feel safe for a while. #5thchat
A1 I believe school/classroom environment can either calm negative behaviors or trigger them. Knowing the students helps tailor an environment that creates peace in their hearts. #5thchat
A2 Get to know my students and let them get to know me. If they need something that I'm not providing, I will find a way to make it happen! Lots of opportunity for choice for them. #5thchat
A1: There are clearly defined procedures for students to follow through all school environments. Pictures can often aide Ss in understanding steps (younger Ss & those with disabilities). #5thchat
A2: For the misbehavior to minimize the classroom environment must make a connection to the students. The students must relate to their surroundings and receive positive attention.
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A2 - Because we work so hard to become a family in our classroom, students respect each other and will help students out when they're struggling, nudge them when their off-task, thank them when they assist and correct them when they're forgetting to be kind or helpful! #5thchat
A2 - Because we work so hard to become a family in our classroom, students respect each other and will help students out when they're struggling, nudge them when they're off-task, thank them when they assist and correct them when they're forgetting to be kind or helpful! #5thchat
A2 Involve kids in the process. Allow appropriate ownership/choice to increase participation and serve as a motivator. Some classes work well to allow a “safe space” to self regulate if possible...#5thchat
ASKING works well for me.
Rather than jump on a kid, I try to approach w/a question: You seem upset / not yourself today? How can I help?
Those kinds of convos trickle down to the Ss when modeled. But it's *not* overnight. It's a culture shift. & not a smooth one.
#5thchat
A2We started using Morning meetings this year and that has worked well. Also, whenever there's an "issue" to discuss, we come together to talk about it, to make our team work better.#5thchat
A2 An environment that is based on learning from mistakes lessens the struggle for behavior I try to model that we all error & its important to learn from an experience #5thchat
Yes. Praise what you WANT to see from your Ss. Word directives in a positive tone (Calm hands and feet), rather than negative (Stop kicking your freind under the table!). #5thchat
Hello! I saw this chat and couldn't resist joining in. I'm Mollie, a 4th grade teacher from PA. I see student behavior as a way Ss seek out love and/or affirmation. Some Ss have bigger behaviors because they need more love than they're getting elsewhere. #5thchat
ASKING works well for me.
Rather than jump on a kid, I try to approach w/a question: You seem upset / not yourself today? How can I help?
Those kinds of convos trickle down to the Ss when modeled. But it's *not* overnight. It's a culture shift. & not a smooth one.
#5thchat
A2 An environment that is based on learning from mistakes lessens the struggle for behavior I try to model that we all error & its important to learn from an experience #5thchat
A3: Our school has been exploring Conscious Discipline as a way to support students & help them learn appropriate behavior & problem solving skills. #5thchat
A3 We have a PBIS system, but I don't focus on it. It works for the kids who are able to manage behavior, and leaves out those who aren't. Individual encouragement and personal goals work better for me. #5thchat
Hello! I saw this chat and couldn't resist joining in. I'm Mollie, a 4th grade teacher from PA. I see student behavior as a way Ss seek out love and/or affirmation. Some Ss have bigger behaviors because they need more love than they're getting elsewhere. #5thchat
A2: Make your classroom a safe place where they can be themselves. Avoid punitive practices and, rather, teach and model what appropriate behavior should look like. Your classroom should feel family-oriented yet everyone should understand their role in the learning. #5thchat
Have to bail early. Starting to get a nasty headache. Sorry, #5thchat.
Will pop in tomorrow AM to read through the rest of the conversation.
Have a great night.
Personal goals, and self-evaluating mastery of those goals, definitely fits into PBIS. Do you use reinforcers to encourage them to meet those personal goals ex/token system? #5thchat
A3: We don't have specific PBIS in place yet, but my school is looking to move in that direction. The main thing I try to do is to find what made the S want to make the choice they did so we can establish coping strategies. Easier said than done at times! #5thchat
A2: Make your classroom a safe place where they can be themselves. Avoid punitive practices and, rather, teach and model what appropriate behavior should look like. Your classroom should feel family-oriented yet everyone should understand their role in the learning. #5thchat
A4 So many students with trauma this year, and my most challenging has become the few who haven't experienced that. Their sense of entitlement in a room full of those who are just trying to survive is difficult for me. So empathy building has become critical. #5thchat
A4 (1): Aggression towards class peers is always a challenge.
If all else fails, try adjusting their daily schedule to vary envir. of day more often (proximity, daily time in room next door, sensory breaks) #5thchat
A4 (2): Oftentimes, it is finding a creative way to separate Ss from triggers (peer, Ts, overstimulating environ., could even be the morning bus ride) #5thchat
A4: My most challenging behavior is when Ss allow their anger to fuel them for the rest of the day. At this point in the year, I can catch most of the Ss before they reach that point and we can deescalate; some Ss I'm still working to find triggers. #5thchat
A4: Students who completely tune out and become totally unresponsive to anything. It just makes me feel so helpless when I can't break down that wall and connect. #5thchat
Still looking for ONE moderator for #5thchat - anyone available?
Happy to support you if you've never done it before! :)
Thanks to everyone who have already signed up! I really appreciate this PLN!
Unkind behavior towards peers is hard. For younger Ss, have you tried a Think Sheet to help them reflect on their choices & how it makes others feel? #5thchat
What are some things you do with your kiddos when this happens? Sometimes the best thing I know to do is to give my Ss a minute to cool down, then try talking and addressing it directly. #5thchat
A5 A lot of times from my experience, student’s engagement usually gives a pretty good idea about how the student acts. Just how students get judged by simply a letter on a card. I believe it is about the experience and if something was learned toward the objective.
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Usually I do the same. I have one this year that very little works. Esp. if I'm the one getting in the way of the goal;) I have found that walking away and not looking sometimes helps.#5thchat
A5: Student who are engaged become curious. Their curiosity leads to motivation. Motivated Ss are not thinking about how they are going to disrupt the lesson. The are hungry learners. #5thchat
A5: Absolutely! The more teachers can keep their students actively engaged, the fewer opportunities there are for unwelcome behaviors to intervene. #5thchat
That is hard and frustrating for sure. Perhaps their learning modality could be adjusted to increase engagement. Maybe incorporating more Ss choice would spark an interest. #5thchat
Thanks for the suggestion! I need to be more specific with my observations. I'll definitely start factoring in the time and language used before it happens. #5thchat
A5 - Absolutely! The more engaged (empowered, curious, actively learning, etc.), the better students generally act! There are of course exceptions, but I'll take excited exuberance over bored rebellion any day! :) #5thchat
Very familiar with this type of behavior. Ingnore when possible to avoid reinforcing the behavior with adult attention. Praise when on task, even if only on task for one minute. #5thchat
A5 Absolutely! If the work is to easy or too difficult, there's lots of opportunity for behaviors to be negative. Again, finding each student's "sweet spot", their interests, their needs, make tailoring their day to meet those needs compulsory. #5thchat
A5: 100% yes! If Ss don't care about what we're doing, even the most well behaved Ss in the world can get chatty or try to do something else. Trying to make lessons engaging is my best tool to get ahead of behavior issues. #5thchat
A6 Teacher/student relationships greatly affect behavior as respect, as some students think “what can I get away with in this class”, other students find some teachers as role models in which behavior is never an issue.
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A5 - Absolutely! The more engaged (empowered, curious, actively learning, etc.), the better students generally act! There are of course exceptions, but I'll take excited exuberance over bored rebellion any day! :) #5thchat
A6: All Ss must know that they matter, that someone cares if they are there each day. Relationships build mutual respect. Respect breeds effort. Effort creates growth. Growth =success. #5thchat
Yes! Attention is like pouring gasoline on a fire! I was so surprised the first time I tried ignoring(the rock concert level screaming) how quickly it stopped. #5thchat
A6 - Relationships are everything. It's what I put the most energy into developing. It can't be faked. Students know. Therefore, I just learn to love all my kiddos, no matter what! #5thchat
A6 When there is mutual respect and trust, there's a safety in taking risks. Some of those risks are academic, some are behavioral. When I know my students, I know when a request may be difficult and I can pre-load the situation. Not trying to "catch them"! #5thchat
A6: Positive relationships make all the difference! Just look at the teachers in your school who never have issues with students and never write referrals. Those are the teachers who have built positive relationships. Those are the teachers students eat lunch with! #5thchat
A6: "They don't care how much you know unless they know how much you care" keeps running through my head with this Q. Relationships aren't a given for having positive behaviors, but they are a great foundation. Ss know when they are cared for and when they aren't. #5thchat
A6. #5thchat This goes for teachers to teachers, admin to teachers, senior admin to principals, teachers to parents... pretty much everything. Relationship comes first.
A6 When there is mutual respect and trust, there's a safety in taking risks. Some of those risks are academic, some are behavioral. When I know my students, I know when a request may be difficult and I can pre-load the situation. Not trying to "catch them"! #5thchat
A7 Gradually more choice. Some can handle it right away, some need more time. It's new to some students, and making sure they know it's okay to choose, it's okay to fail, and it's expected that you try again will empower their choices. #5thchat
A7: I would try positive reinforcement simply in hope to create a relationship with the student so the student will hopefully in return be excited to learn and share his feelings.
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A7: I've seen lots of cool down spaces in the classroom so Ss can find a safe space to calm down. I'm hoping to do something similar in the future. #5thchat
A7: After many years of doing this, I think I've tried everything except corporal punishment - and I certainly don't recommend that, lol! However, I've seen some success with school-wide kindness initiatives like Rachel's Challenge, so maybe more of that. #5thchat
FQ: The only advice that I can give and that I hear from my educators all the time is trying your best to be patient. Give students that think time and allow them to really examine the project at hand. Student's will surprise you.
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Yes, encouraging students to recognize their own frustrations and self regulate is a good thing. Give them choice in how they do that. Physical environment is important. #5thchat
Thanks so much to everyone who participated in this evening's #5thchat, especially to @ElginElgin3 for moderating a great discussion!
Please join us next week as @amyvalentine555 moderates!
Empathy is vital, it opens a whole new world of seeing and has deep impact on the experiences you create. What you learn is what cascades into the classroom, never lose the willingness to stay curious. Remember, the world has and is changing, awareness is paramount. #5thchat
#5thchat Sorry I missed this one!:( Need to get back into my #5thchat groove.:) Building relationships is SO important! Can't say this enough. And they know when you are faking it! https://t.co/WwIW2NQcYk
AFQ Listen, listen, listen. To what their words are saying and what their actions are telling you. Ask questions, even if they seem personal. They long to be known and understood. It's worth the investment. #5thchat
Late.
There will always be a new challenge. There will always be someone who's already been there. Find loyal, faithful mentors. I've been fortunate. You can't let your heart quit. Keep connecting w/them.
Howard Kiyuna, Silicon Valley, Full inclusion middle school. #5thchat
FQ: It's important to remember that the challenging Ss you have are someone's whole world. Frame your mind with that, then try to find what makes that S tick. Do they love drawing? Make a short-term goal that involves getting to draw a few minutes. Find an angle to work. #5thchat
FQ My advice would be to make your first goal building relationships with every kid. And the one who struggles behaviorally, spend the most energy getting to know that one! #5thchat
