Episode 7: Classroom Behavior

Hello and Welcome to the Fine Arts Educator Coaching Clinic Podcast.  I am your host, Eric Sanford.  I want to encourage you to visit our website, FAECC.org for resources and links to this podcast.  While you are there, be sure to send us an email about your thoughts on the episode, and future topics you’d like to hear more about.

In this session, we’ll explore Classroom Behavior.  A rousing topic, especially right before spring break.  I know those Springtime feels got the Middle and High school students acting differently, and our poor primary kids are always a mess.  

No matter what time of year, having a class behavior plan can be the difference between surviving and flourishing.

So class started perfectly with your practiced routines, you are following the agenda, and most of your students are on board.  There are probably still those one or two or ten students who struggle.  What then?

Before we look at the options, I want to mention a key factor.

Change is hard.  It is not in most of our natural tendencies to lean in to change with acceptance, yet I am encouraging exactly that to become better teachers.  

A friend of mine recently did a podcast episode on Why Change is HARD!!  You should check it out at The Resilient Self Podcast with Chris Neal.  I’ll provide a link on our website for easy access.

In his podcast, Chris explores the concept of making changes. Our natural tendency is to go back to what is comfortable and normal - even if it prevents us from growing.  Change has to become a habit, and likewise, none of these options I am about to speak on will work unless you choose to change, to try something new for a considerable period of time.  

In this instance, there is no quick fix, no once and done.  We’re not yet home free until the end of the school year.  This will take some time. But it’s worth it - not only for you, but for the hundreds of students that walk through your doors this year, and the thousands that walk through in your lifetime.  

First, Keep your own emotions out of your response to student behavior.  It’s tough, you care passionately about your class, but if you discipline through your emotions, the students will not respond as you expect, and you could continuously be emotionally drained, frustrated, and ultimately not stay long in this career.  

Let’s look at a technique to support our own mental and emotional struggle even before students arrive.  

This is a positive affirmation.  And yes, making this a habit could help.  It may sound silly at first, but it can make a difference.

We will start with saying, “I will remain calm, no matter what happens.”  Say it every day, every hour if needed.   If you start the day or class dreading what could happen, it’s already too late.

Let’s say it together- either out loud or to yourself - “I will remain calm, no matter what happens.” x3

Change happens when others support our changes as well.  For that reason, I encourage you to find a partner or a group of partners to help keep you accountable for remaining calm.  You can message or group chat every day to remind each other to “Remain calm, no matter what happens.”  

You could also create a calendar invite or phone alarm with the phrase for the same time every day - before school, before that special class, as often as needed.

To provoke change, say this with friends, colleagues, coworkers, even with students.

The next suggestion deals more with your teaching and learning space.

Please clean and organize your room.  It’s just before spring break here, the piles of clutter are getting taller, the boxes delivered from December are still under a table, in a corner, somewhere, they are still there.  

It always happened to me at this time of year as well.  My classroom became a dumping ground of kid’s stuff.  Hoodies, pencils, notebooks, papers, library books, gym clothes, marching shoes, and then all my stuff too.  

Those areas of clutter are causing issues for students and probably you.  

I remember a college band director was going out of town for spring break and said he spent several days deep cleaning his apartment before he left.  Being the incredulous college student that I was, I asked why.  His response legit changed my perspective.  

He said it’s always easier coming home from a trip when your home is clean.  There’s no dishes or trash piled up.  It smells pleasant, it’s comforting, and welcoming.  

Now imagine that for you and your students, in your classroom.  Pleasant, comfortable, welcoming…  That sounds like a great environment to keep calm.  Even if it’s a small part of the equation, it could be something that draws students in or flips the switch.  

I’m sure you are wondering when we get to addressing actual student behavior, so let’s move on to that bit.

The “Addressing Student Behavior” document can be found on our website FAECC.org with the Episode page.  I encourage you to check it out and read it on your own when you get a few precious moments.  

We’ll start with the Decide-First Method.

Fine Arts teachers can be THE most passionate teachers on campus.  However, many times we take student misbehavior as an insult to ourselves or our art because we are so deeply connected to our discipline.  After all, why would ANY child choose to misbehave in a class as wonderful as fine arts?

Well, we may react out of emotion, inciting all sorts of punishments.  Our emotional response creates frustration, nervous energy, more disruptions, and more misbehavior among our students.  There’s no digging out of that hole.

I will mention the mantra again, “I will remain calm, no matter what happens.”  

I’m reminded every day that we cannot control anything or anyone except how we react to things around us.  

Chances are, that misbehaving student may need some calm and peace as well.  A class lecture on misbehavior is not going to solve that.  Neither will perceiving that student misbehavior as an attack against the teacher or the fine art discipline.  They are kids, and they don’t control emotions well.  They are still learning that skill. 

Mentally preparing yourself for your day will have a calming and soothing effect, but more importantly, provide your students the teacher you want to give them.

Give yourself permission to not respond emotionally to drama, what ifs, circular thoughts, worries, anxieties, or stress.  And yes, I remember I’m speaking to teachers right now.  This is about making a change.  

Decide first to give your students the teacher you want them to have.

The next part involves a Classroom Management Plan.  Your campus may require a certain plan, or offer suggestions.  It could be as simple as three rules and three consequences, or it may be an elaborate school-wide point system.  Whatever classroom management plan you choose to enact, you must be consistent every time, for every student.  That is the key.

Mr. Linsin’s book, which has a link in the Links page, mentions that every student must clearly understand the rules, what they mean, how they could be broken, and the consequences when they are broken.  In just as much detail, the consequences must be known as well. 

Too often teachers get to the point of getting fed up, of reaching their limit, and instead of one or two students getting the consequences on the first or second infraction, the whole class gets a consequence.  It’s not fair for them, it’s not fair to you, and it does not encourage a positive learning space. 

What can we do to prevent this from happening?  If you’re like me, you’ve never felt good going home on a day like that. 

Let’s look at three rules and three consequences.  They may not apply directly to your fine art discipline, or you may need to translate them for your grade level.  Sometimes, students all act like kindergartners, even the seniors.  You may not need to stretch too far.

Here are some examples for expectations:

1. Listen and follow directions.

2. Raise your hand.

3. Be nice.

These are pretty simple.  If you have general expectations like these, have your class define what that looks like.  Have your students also identify how those expectations are broken.  If this step is skipped, it may seem like you are picking on students or making up rules.  Everyone has a unique background, and “being nice” may look different to one student than to another. 

Of course, students will break the rules.  It’s how we approach that misbehavior that could either make it worse, or briefly acknowledge it and keep going.

Three consequences:

Level 1 - A verbal warning.  It’s how we deliver this warning that makes the biggest difference.  If the teacher was to only say “Stop what you are doing,” it could be confusing to a student.  What makes it worse is when the student says “I’m not doing anything,” and then the arguing starts.  And of course that path is never successful.  

Be direct, and leave you, the teacher, out of the equation.  For instance, if I said to a student, “I didn’t see you raise your hand to answer that question.  I’ve told you before to raise your hand.  This is your warning.”  

It makes me cringe.  I’ve made myself cringe a lot, so if that’s you too, it’s going to be okay.  

Take the “I” out of everything, as well as previous mistakes.  Address only what the student did just now, and only with that student - not the full class.  

Let’s reword it to focus only on the student misbehavior.  “Sam, you blurted out the answer when the directions were to raise your hand first.  You are receiving a warning.  What happens if you do it again?”  

And hopefully Sam will recognize they did something wrong, mention the second level infraction if it happens again, and you carry on. No grudges, no fed up. Just simple, direct, and done.

One thing I want to mention here - Keep track of the student infractions.  Print a student roster, make a spreadsheet, carry a clipboard or a tablet, whatever it takes to document what’s going on.  If you’ve never done this before, it will feel overwhelming.  Most change does.  You may feel you are addressing many misbehaviors that you did not notice before, or repeat offenders that were not held accountable.  

It takes the entire learning community to make that change.  You, the students, maybe even an assistant principal popping their head inside your door every class period for a week to help encourage you to document those misbehaviors.  Make a simple notation that lets you know how many times a student messed up in that one class.  

And then the next part - carry through with your level 2 and level 3 infractions or consequences.  

Level 2 might depend on the misbehavior.  You might move their seating if other students are involved.  Or for secondary students they may have to stay after class to help pick up trash or straighten up the tables and chairs.  Whatever your level 2 consequence, it should not prevent them from engaging in your class content.

Some kids may not want to do that fine art, and getting in trouble provides an escape for them to get out of it.  A time out is not effective if that’s their goal.  It’ll only encourage repeat misbehavior.  

Level 3 - calling parents.  Those dreaded calls.  Teaching Middle and High School, I dreaded calling parents more than the students.  If you’ve never called the parent before, you may not even know what you are stepping into.  I usually tried to soften it a little, saying, “I enjoy having Sam in class, how they keep me on my toes and ready for anything, and that they have amazing energy.”   

And then I would say, “Sam needs a little help controlling that energy sometimes.  I’d appreciate it if you would speak with Sam about”…dot dot dot… and I would list the three misbehaviors of that child that day.  

Regardless if anything is done about it at home, following-through with your expectations sets the stage.  That alone will tell the students that you care about them, and you will be fair to every one of them.  And the next day, the slate is wiped clean for new opportunities.

By establishing and following through with your expectations, you are protecting every student’s right to learn, and to handle all misbehavior with calmness and respect.

I will say, these are all small misbehaviors.  If something serious happens in your class, please seek campus leadership or a campus colleague as soon as possible.  Major issues are a different category.  Check with your campus leadership for more information on those.

We haven’t mentioned any positive statements yet.  After all, if we are making a change, we might as well focus on the wonderful behaviors too.  That is also part of classroom management.

According to research, for every 5 positive interactions between a teacher and student, it only takes 1 negative interaction to cancel it out.  It doesn’t even have to be directly involving you and a particular student to affect another kid in the class.

If a student misbehaves, gets a warning or time out, it can be a struggle to find that positive.  As a student, they could be on their last strike and feeling hopeless. As a teacher, we don’t want to focus on just the negative.  If you have removed your emotional reaction, then you will see student behavior improve as you give more positive feedback.  

Thank individual students for common expectations.  As soon as one student receives a compliment, a positive interaction, more students will want the same.  “Sam, thank you for raising your hand.” “Lucy, thank you for getting right to work when you entered.”  “Max, thank you for holding the door.”

You’ll notice none of these statements has anything to do with the quality of classwork.  That’s for a different episode.  For now, focus on giving as many positive interactions as possible.  All our students need that positivity, even if it’s for following a simple direction.  It counts!

The next exercise in the “Addressing Student Behavior” document is an opportunity to script out your conversation statements when interacting with misbehaving students.  How will you address the student?  What will you say?  How will you keep the focus on their misbehavior instead of how it makes you feel? And how will you make it quick and concise so it does not become an argument?

It’s a great practice to script statements and responses.  We are fine arts educators - most of what we do is practicing for something.  Teaching is the same way.  If you don’t practice what you want to perform or for an outcome, it’s not going to happen on its own.  

Take some time to reflect and practice voicing these scripts out loud. Practice with a colleague and give each other feedback. 

This wraps up the three parts of Classroom Management.  In episode 1 we discussed creating an agenda and how they can make class very effective with less effort on your part. In episode 5 we talked about creating routines and procedures.  And we’ve now wrapped up Classroom Behaviors.  I wish making these positive changes were as easy as me talking about them.  

I applaud you for trying new techniques, even saying mantras to keep your calm.

In the end, it’s about you sharing your passion, your love and dedication of your fine art discipline with all those wonderful students.

Thank you again for joining me in this episode.  Next time we will focus on different lesson planning techniques.  Please tune in for that one, as it is probably something a little out of our normal fine arts box.  

Until next time, Peace and Blessings to you all.