Welcome to #akedchat! I’ll be hosting tonight as we talk about positive communication with students. Introduce yourself by sharing where you’re from, what role you play with students or teachers, and something that made you smile today.
Good evening. Nick from Glennallen, Alaska. Today I smiled at the 4th grade celebration...these kids made their "bean jar goal" A little pizza was in order. Good things happening here!!! #akedchat#GlennallenPanthers@MrPaulBarker1
I'm a HS Social Studies, Composition, and Art teacher in Brevig Mission.
I smiled when my daughter said, "Whenever you're embarrassing, I just laugh."
She's six... #akedchat
Intro part 2: I smiled today when I had a 26 year old tell me he was frustrated because he didn't have his whole life mapped out lol #jointheclub I am a teacher coach and the experience is an amazing one #akedchat
#akedchat A1: A former HS teacher wrote to me, "This past year has left me with a sense of urgency about the importance of staying in touch with the people who matter to me. And you are one of those people."
I was touched that she cared about me outside of the classroom.
A1 the nicest thing a T has ever said to me was that a PD experience I provided showed them what was possible in education. I had stayed up late and missed sleep planning every detail of it and to know that it had the desired impact made me feel like a superhero #akedchat
A2. Some would say At-risk students require many more positives than a 3:1 ratio. We need to be intentional and strategic about recognizing the positives. Go out of our way to find sometime positive to recognize in a kid. #akedchat
I've been on your school facebook page for twenty second, and I'm already inspired! Your page is what our page hopes to be when it grows up. :) #akedchat
I've also read that some students need a much higher ratio. If a student is not doing well in my class, I try to find and celebrate something they are good at while I try to figure out how to change my class to work for that student. #akedchat
A2. the postivite/negative ratio is really a culture issue... Are you building positive relationships w/ students, and what is your "Why". Those 2 ?'s define what is going on in your classrooms #akedchat
A2 This is one that I CONSTANTLY have to monitor. It is my habit to want to rush to the needs improvement part of the convo (because when I receive feedback that is the part I value most) I try to map out key points in advance and hit the good stuff early and often! #akedchat
Giving the Ts the freedom to help spread the good news!!! Great stuff. The message needs to be crystal clear from the top down on the communication philosophy. #akedchat
Peer observations can help. Our staff tries to get into other classrooms periodically to capture basic ROI, OTR, TOT data (if you speak CHAMPS...) #akedchat
A1) Not said TO me... but as she’s handing back our creative writing assignments, she read mine out loud, with admiration, before the class. All of my eighth grade peers, who could be difficult, were respectful. #akedchat
Peer observations can help. Our staff tries to get into other classrooms periodically to capture basic ROI, OTR, TOT data (if you speak CHAMPS...) #akedchat
A3: One of my students is amazing at fixing things. He struggles academically, but is a whiz at taking things apart and putting them back together better than before. If I need something fixed, I ask him to do it. He gets to showcase his skills. My thanks is genuine. #akedchat
A3. Be careful with value statements."I like your shoes" "Cool Shirt" Jim Fay @loveandlogic tells us to "notice" the new shoes. This removes judgement from the statement, increases student safety and will eventually build a rock solid relationship with the kid #akedchat
A3 I listen first with difficult children and difficult people. In my experience, the resistance is a defense mechanism. If I can find out what they are afraid of, I can understand how to approach. I put assumptions aside and try to really see them. #akedchat
Being sensitive to those preferences is key! In rural #Alaska, cultural differences in giving and accepting praise can make well-intentioned public comments humiliating. #akedchat
A3 I listen first with difficult children and difficult people. In my experience, the resistance is a defense mechanism. If I can find out what they are afraid of, I can understand how to approach. I put assumptions aside and try to really see them. #akedchat
A1: I was once told that taking advice from/sharing ideas with me was easy because I don’t take myself too seriously. That made me feel understood and appreciated all at the same time. #akedchat
We have to do the same for teachers too! This work is HARD and praise is often meted out infrequently if at all. For people who deal with our most vulnerable daily they need better from us...#akedchat
A2. Some would say At-risk students require many more positives than a 3:1 ratio. We need to be intentional and strategic about recognizing the positives. Go out of our way to find sometime positive to recognize in a kid. #akedchat
Giving the Ts the freedom to help spread the good news!!! Great stuff. The message needs to be crystal clear from the top down on the communication philosophy. #akedchat
A4. I really enjoy hanging out w/ Ss at lunch and in the halls. It is important to connect in those "informal" settings. Tell jokes, steal a french fry, have fun... Ss should WANT to be here #akedchat
A3: Listen to them. Share similar experiences from your life. Let them know you understand them and don’t judge them. We were all young once. #akedchat
A4: Our school has mini form letters we can fill out when a student is respectful, responsible, etc. We fill them out, drop them in a box in the office, and our secretary addresses them and mails them home. #akedchat
A4. I really enjoy hanging out w/ Ss at lunch and in the halls. It is important to connect in those "informal" settings. Tell jokes, steal a french fry, have fun... Ss should WANT to be here #akedchat
A4 These work for me: 1. Attending an activity where students are taking the lead i.e. a tournament or sports event and cheering them on 2. participating in something kids like doing i.e. learning a dance w/them, listening to their music, etc ALL make them feel valued #akedchat
Yes, yes, yes! I love tearing up the floor at Prom. 💃 I cheered for our girls basketball team on Friday night, and they talked about it multiple times today in class. #akedchat
A4: I’ve found outside of school whether it be coaching, field trips or mentoring programs, modeling proper adult behavior is of most importance. Those interactions, while inconsequential to us, impact students greatly. #akedchat
A5) When it’s not routine. I appreciate when educators learn on forums like this the importance of positive reinforcement, but it works best when it’s more than implementing what you learned. It’s meaningful when it’s genuine. #akedchat
A5 I think it matters more when it is SPECIFIC and timely. People want to earn their praise. If you praise any effort it doesn't mean as much. @cultofpedagogy calls frequent non specific praise "Paula Praise" after Paula Abdul on American Idol lol READ the article #akedchat
Just walking through the lunch room with the youngest grade in your building boosts the ego. It’s like you’re (insert fav musician here) just walked in the building. #akedchat
A5: It shows you took time to think of them. Time to acknowledge them. Even as adults this is moving. Imagine how this simple action resonates with a child. #akedchat
One of the reasons I love teaching at a K-12 school is that the littles offer love so easily and visibly. I know my HS students care about me, but they're a little more subtle. When I need a boost, I can just high five the kids in the elementary wing. :) #akedchat
A6. We used to keep a spreadsheet to ensure every kid got an equal number of positive notes...That system encouraged disingenuous positive notes. #akedchat
A6 No...but I could use one! I try to circle around and let EVERYONE know what they are doing well and what could use improvement STILL I could tighten up to be sure that I am giving even consistent feedback to all of my teachers...#akedchat
Any chance to see students in a new setting and allow them to see you in a new setting is beneficial! I love when my students see me as a person, not just a teacher. :) #akedchat
Bobby, New Shoes! And walk away. #akedchat
OR. Sue, I noticed you rode a bike to school today. And walk away.
If they want to talk more...talk with them, you are in!
One of my friends addresses a card for each student at the beginning of the year and tries to work through the stack by the end of the year. That way she knows every student has gotten a handwritten note at least once. #akedchat
A6: I keep a log in google docs of any parental contact. I'm thinking of color coding the positive contacts. Maybe I could highlight those yellow. That way when my document starts looking more white than yellow, I know I need to turn up the positive communication. #akedchat
A8: Modeling! I might say something like, "If I wanted Susie to do me a favor, I might have asked like this..." or "A more encouraging tone might have sounded like this..." #akedchat
I’m realizing that compliments are also closed statements. They say “thanks” and that’s the end of it. You could ask where they got those shoes... but I see how that can enter judgmental territory. #akedchat
a8. Practice this skill in your classrooms. Make a game of it. have the kids read scripted compliments to one another. Some kids don't have the skills to give or receive a compliment. #akedchat
It is a skill! One of my colleagues had a class that was particularly nasty to each other, so they had a daily routine of drawing sticks and giving three compliments to the person whose name they drew. With practice (just like anything else), they got better! #akedchat
A8: I kept an “Encouraging Words” box that allowed my students to write down positive notes to one another. We read them together as a class on a regular basis. #akedchat
It is a skill! One of my colleagues had a class that was particularly nasty to each other, so they had a daily routine of drawing sticks and giving three compliments to the person whose name they drew. With practice (just like anything else), they got better! #akedchat
A9: Our principal @gingacrockett puts out a box of paper and pens before each staff meeting. As we walk in, we grab a few pieces of paper, write short thank you notes on them, and throw them back in the box. She delivers them to our staff room mailboxes. #akedchat
Especially in our Rural schools. Kids come to us with limited SEL skills. It is on the school to teach these kids the skills they need to contribute to their villages/communities. #akedchat
A9: Our principal @gingacrockett puts out a box of paper and pens before each staff meeting. As we walk in, we grab a few pieces of paper, write short thank you notes on them, and throw them back in the box. She delivers them to our staff room mailboxes. #akedchat
I think @nick_schumacher has an answer to this in his recent response:
a8. Practice this skill in your classrooms. Make a game of it. have the kids read scripted compliments to one another. Some kids don't have the skills to give or receive a compliment. #akedchat
A10: At conferences, I make sure to point out things the students are good at, even if they're not related to the content of my classes. I want parents to know I see their children as whole people. And to give them something positive to report back to their kids. #akedchat
A9: Our principal @gingacrockett puts out a box of paper and pens before each staff meeting. As we walk in, we grab a few pieces of paper, write short thank you notes on them, and throw them back in the box. She delivers them to our staff room mailboxes. #akedchat
A10) My favorite question 😊
Build relationships with them in which positive communication comes naturally. This overcomes the contact-them-only-when-there’s-a-problem mentality. Be happy to see the kids and their parents alike. #akedchat
A11. "Build the Climate!!!" Do whatever it takes to make your school a place where kids want to be. Without this building block in place...your other initiatives will not be successful! #akedchat
Hey #TOSAchat friends, I'm still looking for submissions for #FBCALbook vol 2! 1000-1500 word story from your teaching/edu experience. Submissions due Jan 31st. Info: https://t.co/eCJvYitmcH -- @annkozma723 is in Vol 1!
A10: At conferences, I make sure to point out things the students are good at, even if they're not related to the content of my classes. I want parents to know I see their children as whole people. And to give them something positive to report back to their kids. #akedchat
