QUESTION:
I am a Computer specialist working with over 500 students a week.  I see most students only once a week for 45 minutes at a time. I’d like to try using  Discipline without Stress. From the Teaching Model I know I should begin by establishing classroom management procedures.  Can you help me with this?

RESPONSE:
Dr. Marshall often points out the importance of “establishing procedures.” This allows students to know exactly how things should be done in any particular classroom. By teaching your students the procedures that you want them to follow, you are actually teaching them how to be well-behaved in your lab.  In other words, you will be teaching them how to act on Level C of the DWS Hierarchy.

Begin by thinking through every single thing that you want or expect students to do in the computer lab.  Think about what they must do––from the minute they leave their own classroom and arrive in the lab, until the minute they leave you and return to their classroom teacher.

Here are some questions to ask yourself.  Please note that the answers may vary with each different grade level you teach. You would match your procedures to the age/maturity level of each group.

•    How should students travel down the hall and enter the computer lab?

•    Is there anything they should bring with them so as to be well prepared for a computer lesson?

•    How should they move around in the lab?  Should they remain seated the entire time or will they be free to move around, talk and look at other people’s work etc.?

•    Where should they sit?  Is it important that they use the same computer every time or will they be free to choose a new spot each time?

•    What about adjusting seats for height?  Should they do this independently or will they be expected to ask for adult help?

•    What routines should students follow as the arrive?  Should they immediately log in or should they wait for an instruction from me?

•    What is my expectation for noise level in the lab?

•    When I’m demonstrating something, how do I want them to sit?  (Swivel in their chairs to see the screen?  Turn their bodies around and put their hands in their laps?  Just turn their heads?)

•    If I need to talk to them in the middle of a work time, what will be my signal for quickly getting their attention?

•    Do I want them to have access to the Internet or is this something that will be restricted? What are the district policies for this?

•    Are there certain cupboards or areas of the lab that are for adults only? Are there other areas to which students have free access?

•    How do I want them to save and organize projects and assignments on their computer?

•    What about those who finish an activity first?  Do I want them to go to a specific program and practice a certain skill or do I want them to use a program of their own choice and have free time?

•    What about printing?  Do students need to ask for permission every time or will they be free to print as they complete their assignments?   Do I want them to get up and go to the printer… as soon as they print?  at the end of class? or will a helper take a stack of printed papers back for the classroom teacher to distribute?

•    What about going for drinks or using the washroom?  Should they ask for permission or just leave if they feel they need to?  Should more than one person leave the room at a time?

•   What would I like them to do at the end of a lesson?  (Log out?  Line up the keyboard and mouse in a tidy fashion?  Push the chair in?)

•   How do I want them to exit the lab?  ( Line up at the door as soon as they log out or wait in their chairs until everyone is logged out and I direct them to line up?)

•    ETC. ETC. ETC.  Once you get going, you’ll come up with even more points to consider!  The more the better.  The more you think your procedures through, the more easily students will learn to behave.

By figuring out exactly how you want your lab and your lessons to operate (and then teaching specific procedures that will support this vision,) you will avoid many problems.

High expectations are also extremely important.  Stick to your own procedures.  If you have taught the students a particular procedure, expect them to follow it.  If you are wishy-washy in what you expect, you’ll have wishy-washy responses from the students.  Students will start to make up their own procedures which might not match your preferences!

If you see that a certain procedure is not being followed as you have taught it, stop and re-teach.  Explain that procedures are important to facilitate the smooth operation of the lab.  You can do this in a friendly way and still remain firm in your expectations.

When students experience that a teacher is:

  • well prepared in terms of both procedures and assignments,
  • has a an enthusiastic and positive attitude, and;
  • expects the highest level of behavior from them,

they come to respect that individual.  They begin with a mindset of working cooperatively with that teacher.  Even if they don’t always behave themselves outside your lab, they can learn to operate at a high level in the lab, if that is what you teach and expect.


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Posted In: H. For Specialty Teachers, Procedures in the Classroom
posted On: July 20, 2009: 1:29 am: By Kerry Weisner
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