HEAVY METTLE TEACHERS : STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

PRELUDE

Here's a quick tool to encourage engagement with more of your students.

The largest obstacle to student engagement is YOU, the teacher, our fearless leader.  Accept the following as givens, in most cases: There will always be those who love to sit in the front row, answer all the questions, and vie to be teacher's pets. There will always be daydreamers and sleepers.  There will always be an athlete, a nerd,  a disrupter, a clown, the in-crowders and the outsiders.

Lots of different personalities, different energies, different developing world views and experiences, different children in similar bodies, every day. This is both the challenge and the terror of teaching middle school.

Wait a minute.

I forgot the even more invisible forces lurking in and out of your classroom.  I forgot to mention the general role a student plays in the social power structure within their grade level population that exists outside your classroom.  Those dynamics can also affect student behavior within your classroom.  Don't be surprised when, even if you've done due-diligence and set a trusting, open tone, a fight breaks out in the back of the room over something that happened during recess.  Hopefully, no one will be hurt seriously and it will result in a teachable moment.  And, if that happens in your classroom, think of it this way: You had told them you were the classroom manager and you were determined to set a tone of trust.  Developmentally, some students don't consider the consequences of their actions.  A fight to them is a physical expression of their anger and frustration with a person and situation.  They feel an injustice or they feel righteous or they feel scared.  But they also knew, deep down somewhere,  that if they got into a fight in your classroom, you would step in to handle it firmly and fairly.  And that's what you'll end up doing.  Unless the other students set the example and break it up themselves.  In either case, this could be a key insight if it should ever happen to you.

Additionally, students bring their own unique family dynamics into class.  What's it like to be an only child?  A child of divorced parents?  A foster child?  How about the middle child of 5?  The only girl or boy?  The one who's always picked on by their bully-sibling?  Throw in some hormones, pimples, puppy love, broken hearts, teen drama, sprinkled with the daily pressures affecting a student's sense of self, and you've got your arms full.  Heck, you've got your truck full.  25-40 of the little darlings seemingly multiplying right before your eyes.  Kaleidoscoping in your class all at one time.

That's exactly why people who want to teach middle school are either certifiably insane, gluttons for punishment and self-immolation, or saints from another planet.

Back to my main point.

That's why setting the tone beginning Day One, right away, is so imperative.  As a matter of fact, this following activity presupposes that you've completed Day One and Day Two activities.  You already know every student's name and you've begun to open up the channels of communication through the Mail Bag activity.  You've established yourself as the center of gravity, the classroom manager, the one who is going to tame the lions and soothe the lambs and champion everyone's learning.

The picture above, a typical classroom in the U.S., is a mosaic of energies.  It's your duty, your responsibility, to create a flexible template for a dynamic classroom.  If you're to maximize learning, it is my strong belief that rigid

OVERCOMING STUDENT PERCEPTIONS OF RISK

The tone you set also takes into consideration a general perception of risk and what that entails for students personally.  Taking a risk involves a certain level of both self-confidence and fear.    Fear of speaking in public, fear of being wrong, fear of not pleasing the teacher, fear of being made fun of, fear of being bullied, fear of being seen as smart, fear of being seen as stupid.

Fears are ameliorated by a sense of trust.  Self-confidence is bolstered by a trusting open environment conducive to risking safely.  A trusting, supportive, advocate for learning (that's you) makes overcoming negative perceptions of risk easier and more likely.  Risk must be framed in the context of Reward.  Risking, in and of itself, must be seen as Rewarding because that's where participating in life and learning takes place.

If we never take a risk, we'll never know what we don't know.  So, we have to allow risk so we come to know what we didn't previously know and we can build on that experience so we can reinforce knowing what we know as well as fight ignorance and misinformation to discover more of what we need to know.

STUDENT ENGAGEMENT

RULE #1: NEVER CALL ON THE FIRST STUDENT TO RAISE THEIR HAND.

In doing that,  in calling on the first student, the message you send to the rest of the class is, "Don't bother to participate if you're not fast enough to get the answer right away.  You've got to be fast and right in this class."

Participating becomes a speed sport.  The problem is, of course, minimal engagement ensues and learning opportunities lag and are lost.  A teacher can become a slave to their scope and sequence.  The tempo becomes part of their classroom management style, too. Keep things fast, orderly, rigid and structured. Keep the homework, tests and quizzes coming.  This tempo can be a path of least resistance given the state and school demands for covering content.  When teachers feel overwhelmed by the myriad of responsibilities they have to fulfill in addition to teaching, many teachers comfortably fall into this groove.

Bad messages all around.  A student's superficial understanding of concepts and an engagement disconnect are the usual consequences.

RULE #2: WAIT UNTIL 10 HANDS ARE RAISED BEFORE CALLING ON ANYONE.

Instead of calling on the first student because, really, we already know you know the answer, tell the class you'll call on someone once you see 10 hands raised.  And then wait.  This automatically exerts gentle pressure to participate.  It may take 20-30 seconds or so.  But they'll do it, trust me, they'll do it.  Deep down, they ALL want to participate, to risk, in a safe environment to do so.  You've created that safety, you're modeling what it is to be an advocate for learning, students are responding to your energy, to your advocacy, and now's the time to reinforce the idea that Learning, just like life, is a Contact Sport.  You've got to make connections, teacher-to-student to learning-process.

RULE #3: RESPONDING TO "OH, THAT'S SO EASY!"

While you're waiting for ten hands to be raised, you might have already heard the response heard 'round the world, "Oh, that's EASY!" from one of the more enthusiastic students.  You'll also know them by their "OH-OH-OH!!' sounds, their flailing arms, waving hands, holding their breath until their heads explode, kneeling up high in their desks so you can see them better, just dying for you to call on them.

I know.  Some of you are thinking, "Jeez, just call on the kid so we can get on with this!"

Not so fast.  Patience is a virtue in the classroom.  I want students to appreciate that value as well.  So here's my response to the overenthusiastic response of "Oh, that's SO EASY!!"

Gently, I remind them to remember that "What's easy for some is more challenging for others."

RULE #4: ACKNOWLEDGE ALL ANSWERS BEFORE REVEALING THE CORRECT ONE.

Participation is encouraged over speed in getting the answer correct.  When you first engage students in this activity, they will be surprised when you don't acknowledge the right answer when it's first offered.  They'll think something's wrong or they were wrong or they wonder what the right answer could be.  If they think they've heard the right answer and yet you hold off your acknowledgement, you'll see them lower their hands and you might see a little self doubt or confusion on their faces.  These are all good brain calisthenics.

The twist in engagement is this, because you want to encourage the reward of risk taking not just being the first to answer the question.  So,  instead of simply accepting the first answer, whether it's correct or incorrect, call on all those who have an answer.   Students are expecting you to stop when the right answer is offered.  Only you don't.  That way, you reinforce the value of participation over getting the answer right the fastest.

It might flow like this:

Teacher: "Yes, John, what say you?"
John: "George Washington"
Teacher "Good answer.  Who's got another one?  Yes, Susan."
Susan: John Adams
Teacher "Another good answer.  Anyone else?  Yes, Rachel."
Rachel: "Thomas Jefferson"
Teacher: "Excellent.  Anyone else have an answer?  All right then, raise your hand only once.  How many say it's George Washington?  How about John Adams?  Thomas Jefferson?"
Teacher: "All right.  Who KNOWS the answer, for sure?  Last call.  Jennifer?"
Jennifer: "George Washington."
Teacher: "Excellent.  Everyone got that?  Follow-up Questions?"

When you judge the end of the question/answer engagement has reached its crescendo, ask the class to respond to each of the possible correct answers with a show of hands for the most correct.  Again, engagement and participation is valued and risk is encouraged as a reward unto itself.

With this activity, so easy to modify within the context of your teaching, you've gone from a simple question/answer format, to encouraging risk and reward through wider participation, to reinforcing a trusting environment, to brainstorming and problem-solving, to opining and discussing, to resourcing, and resolution.

Powerfully simple.  Simply powerful.  Use it whenever.  It's a beautiful thing.

HEAVY METTLE TEACHERS : COMMON CORE STANDARDS

The new Common Core Standards, national standards of public instruction being adopted by many states in the U.S., place a greater emphasis on project-based learning.  This is in recognition that students collectively learn and express themselves in a number of ways, that there are a number of intelligences, not just those that contribute to IQ.  The more ways you can challenge and elicit that potential, that multi-faceted expression in your students, the deeper and more accurate will be your assessments of student achievement.

As a consequence of adopting Common Core Standards, individualized and differentiated learning should be more easily implemented.  Incorporating a student-directed aspect of the learning process will guarantee that aspects of classroom learning most certainly can be individualized.  A goal would be to be able to individualize all learning while at the same time holding all students responsible for reaching for the standards of excellence in their work and expression of knowledge and deep understanding of the subject.  The teacher, ideally, is a prompt and guide who understands the benefits of the Socratic Method, of answering questions in such a way as to lead students to the next answer on their own.  Student learning empowerment is the name of the game.

Again, we already know how smart you are.  You wouldn't be a teacher if you didn't know your stuff.

But teaching is so much more than content.  Putting the human relations element front and center, a teacher understands the human connective element is where the power of everything lies.  Classroom management is easier, motivation is stronger, anticipation of discovery higher, focus is sharper, achievement is greater, engagement is broader, and the collective psychological needs of the classroom are being met

Teaching students to be their own, self-directed learners is only part of the holy grail for educators and learners.  Modeling human-centered, life-long learning skills as well as empathy and open communication in the classroom, will help deliver more motivated students and reinforce the humanity behind the best education.

Better ingredients, better pizza.

The Human Relations and Emotional Brain Building I'm suggesting works to strengthen the new emphasis seen in the Common Core Standards.  Building a strong foundation, it sets the stage for project- and group-based creativity and problem-solving as well as encouraging self-motivation, self-direction and an autodidact drive.  The message is to develop a love of learning and create the foundation for life-long adventures in discovery while adhering to the highest standards of intellectual, emotional, spiritual and physical pursuit.

By emphasizing open communication and relationship building, and by creating and reinforcing the trusting environment necessary for public risk-taking in knowledge acquisition, understanding and expression, a teacher puts their class on intellectual and emotional steroids.  Other teachers will wonder why certain shared students are doing better in your class than theirs.

They always conclude, by the way, that you must be an easy teacher and that's why students 'like' you. You're just an easier grader.  You may find yourself on the defensive even when all you've done is succeed in connecting and bringing out the best in this challenging student.  Sometimes you just have to do a lot of smiling and nodding with those unaccustomed or closed to the framework and power inherent in a human relations approach.

 This is where the motivation for greatness resides. This is where teachers seeking to bring out the best in all their students find the doors, the windows, the chutes and ladders and buttons, that make up the mosaic of motivation within each individual student.  These connections are the deeper ones that most always lead to greater student motivation, focus, problem-solving, and achievement in your class.

It all comes down to validating the student as a valued human being in your class.  Simple Human Relations exercises, sampled and repeated throughout the year, lead to a Human Relations based classroom.  Inherent in this approach is the validation of each individual student.  That each one is greater than the grades they earn in your class is an important message that resonates within each student.  Too many times, teachers without achieving the deeper connections of human relations, leave the impression that they judge their students on one criteria: How well they did in their class.

It's a shallow, superficial message that always leaves a bad taste.

Making the deeper human relations connections with your students allows you to challenge them even more simply because they know you're not judging them solely on how they do in your class.  Your class is just a small part of their lives and it is your goal to, among other things, understand the whole child and attempt to bring out the best in that child.

That message, that you'll challenge each student on their terms, on where they are, is a powerfully connective message. You may not believe this, but there are parents who are uncomfortable with affection and have a hard time expressing it at home. Other parents can't tell their children enough how much they love them and the 'I love you's' flow freely.

Point being, there are invalidating forces outside your classroom that you have no control over and may never even know about.  That's why it's important to understand: simple human validation, especially teacher to student, is essential for a young person's strengthening identity development and a healthy sense of self.

HEAVY METTLE TEACHERS : MAIL BAG - EMOTIONAL BRAIN BUILDER

MAIL BAG is a very important tool in your Emotional Brain Builder toolbox.  Students love the activity and eventually beg for it.  It's a great focus motivator as well because you'll promise to read them at the end of class IF we get our work done and clean up.

Materials: Teacher - A Paper or Canvas Bag with handles.  Make it look special with the words MAIL BAG prominently featured.

Materials: Student provided scratch paper/half-sheet notebook paper.

Objectives:
Building Emotional Brain Bridges with your students, emphasizing trust, safety and openness to ideas.
Opening up avenues for free speech and self-expression.
Establishing the safety of openly sharing ideas in the classroom.
Seeking support from teacher and peers
Gain insight into the collective Emotional Brains of the classroom

INSTRUCTIONS FOR MAIL BAG.  READ ALOUD.

Students, now is the time for the activity called Mail Bag.  Take out a writing implement along with a blank sheet, scratch sheet of notebook paper.

NAMES ARE OPTIONAL because this activity is one that endorses the power of open communication and orderly free speech.  It's important that you write something, not so much that I know your name.  Also, to preserve the integrity of the activity and your privacy should you choose to exercise it, you also have the option of writing the words PLEASE DO NOT READ ALOUD.  If you would like a personal response from me, include your name and the words PLEASE RESPOND.   

Now is the opportunity you've been waiting for.  Now is the time you can write down something, anything about anything in the world.  It can be about school but it doesn't have to be.  It might be something you've been wanting to say for quite a while but haven't had the opportunity. Now is your opportunity to say that which you've been wanting to say.

Once you have written something down, fold your paper, raise your hand and I'll have them collected by (choose a student to collect for you.)

Upon collecting the Mail Bag offerings, shake up the bag to mix them up, and take out the first note. Remind students that once they are in your hands, you as the teacher have the power to read or not read particular notes.  You're not going to read aloud insults, put downs, profanity, or fake notes pretending to be someone else's thoughts.  You're the final arbiter of appropriate language and judging what gets read and what doesn't get read.  Again, it's important that students be encouraged to write something and that you, the teacher, read it, not ignore it. As the teacher, though, you don't have to read anything aloud you don't want to.

Again, it's important for students to have a free speech outlet for what's going on in their Emotional Brains.  And it gives you as the teacher insight into what's going on in your classroom and in your students' lives.



  

HEAVY METTLE TEACHERS : NAME GAME - EMOTIONAL BRAIN BUILDER

NAME GAME

This activity is designed for Day Two.  This quickly answers the question, "When will my teacher know my name?"

Students get it.  They HAVE to go to school.  And once they enter middle school, they experience many different teachers.  After elementary school, where students had one or maybe two teachers,  middle school presents a mosaic of teachers.  Students take some getting used to having different teachers for different classes.  In classes of 25-40, it gets challenging to stand out in the crowd, let alone get acknowledged in classes that size.

Many teachers are so anxious to get into the content of their studies, they often forget how important knowing and remembering their students names is.  This activity achieves the following objectives.

Acquiring more social information about the dynamics in your classroom.

Identifying the leaders, followers, 'in crowd', outsiders, in your class.

Validate the person and the name given to us by our parents as the first sounds of our identity.

A safe public speaking environment is reinforced.

The skills of 'active listening' and 'short-term recall' is modeled and practiced.

The Name Game quickly builds emotional-brain bridges in the teacher-student and student-student dynamic.

On a more deeply felt level of identity validation, everyone now knows and has said the name of every other student in class.

The teacher, as leader, models and guides appropriate classroom interaction.

The teacher will have verbalized and made eye contact in learning every student's name and what they like.


Here's how the Name Game works.

Approximate time depends on size of class, 20-25 minutes is an average.

Seating Arrangement: Chairs/desks are arranged in a big circle.  Set up the seating arrangement on Day Two before the students come to class.  Instruct them to sit where they would like, no pre-assigned seats.

Make a mental note of how students gather, what the groupings appear to be, who's in, who's out, and hypothesizing about the barriers to a healthy class that need to be addressed.

Name Game Directions

From their seat, each student is going to introduce themselves and tell the class one thing they like to do in their free time or share the name of a hobby.

Before they introduce themselves, however, they must recall all the names and likes of the students who have already introduced themselves.  It gets progressively more challenging.

That's why the teacher, yes that's you, goes first AND LAST.

The teacher models the sentence each student is requested to say:

"Hi, I'm Mr. Becker and I like to play guitar."

Start with yourself and then proceed clockwise, starting with the student to your left.

The student will model the following sentence for the others:

"You are Mr. Becker and you like to play guitar.  I'm Janey Rogers and I like to dance."

The next student says, "You're Mr. Becker and you like to play guitar.  You are Janey Rogers and you like to dance.  I'm Scott Smith and I like basketball."

Continue until the end, where it's now the teacher's turn to recall the name and likes of every student.

Finally, invite any one else who would like to try to test their memory and recall everyone's name and likes.

Now, return the desks and chairs to their pre-Name Game positions.

HEAVY METTLE TEACHERS : CLASSROOM RULES FOR DISCUSSION

Rules for Discussion should be included in your distributed Classroom Guidelines as well as posted in your classroom for easy reference.  Use a nice size poster board so the rules are visible from a distance.  Have students volunteer to read the rules aloud just before you conduct a classroom discussion

"Classroom Rules for Discussion"

1. Everyone has the right to speak and to be listened to politely.

2. Raise your hand and wait patiently.  Take notes.

3. Listen while others speak. Take notes.

4. When sharing an opinion, use phrases such as "I feel..." or  "In my opinion..." or  "It seems to me..."

5. All opinions are to be respected.  Any opinion can be respectfully challenged...

6. Express yourself using a civil tone of voice.  Please, no shouting, spitting, or pulling hair.

HEAVY METTLE TEACHERS : EXTRA CREDIT, A+, DROPPING THE LOWEST GRADE

EXTRA CREDIT,  A+ GRADES,  "POP" QUIZZES,  AND DROPPING THE LOWEST GRADE

Philosophy and Work-arounds

Here's what I do.  I don't give extra credit opportunities and I let them know up front, on Day One.

My rationale is this: I want students to feel supported by me and their parents in their journey towards self-starting and self-motivation.  I don't want them to stumble and then ask if there's any extra credit they can do. On Day One, the answer is 'no.'  This rule also reinforces the serious nature of our learning together, that everything counts, and you're not going to get your grade through my charity but through your own focus and  hard work.  See my Workaround #1 : Extra Credit.  I'm not totally heartless.

I also don't give A+ grades.  An 'A' is the highest grade you can get in my class.  You throw an 'A+' in the mix and already the message is that an 'A' isn't good enough.  Bad message, in my opinion.  Especially because there is no A+ grade in the real world.  Students can be harder on themselves than even their parents or teachers.  So, in my class, an 'A' IS, and has to be,  good enough.  I don't want my students stressed about fighting over a point to get an A+.  I'd rather they focused their energies on social injustice or some bigger picture

"Pop" Quizzes, too.  I think "Pop" Quizzes, you know, the ones that are a surprise to students and 'Popped' on them without prior warning, are more about the teacher than they are about the students, and are often given after a teacher feels exasperated with a class.  The good students most always do well.  And often, it's the disruptive ones that are the brightest.  A "Pop" Quiz that counts ends up punishing the ones who need the most support in learning the material, some of whom are quietly concentrating and really trying to do their best for you.  Plus, if a teacher gives a "Pop" Quiz and then doesn't count it, it perturbs the brighter students and the students who try hard but still struggle won't take you seriously next time.

I Never Drop the Lowest Grade.
Sure, everyone has a bad day, I get it.  But I'll be damned if I let my students think that what I'm teaching can be minimized, eliminated, ignored, or even skipped over.  Everything is important, every test, every quiz,  every class activity, every project.  So, I'm not dropping any grades, even the lowest.

Here is my work-around on each of these issues.

WORK-AROUND #1 : EXTRA CREDIT

Nerfoop Review

As I've said, I don't give nor do I believe in Extra Credit.  However, here's a little workaround for that idea.  I tell all my students that the review is very important and their answers count for points that they collect during the semester.  When their final grade is computed, these points are added to their semester total (I always use a points-based system) and often there are enough points to get them to the next grade, for example, a C+ could become a B-, a B+ an A-.

Here's the magic.  It's called Nerfoop Review and this is how it works.

Remember, my objective is to impress upon my students that 'everything counts' and 'everything in the unit could be on the test.'  If a student asks, 'Is this going to count?'  or 'Is this going to be covered on the test?', the answer is always 'yes, expect it.'

Consistent with this concept, I have a review session before every major 100-point exam.  The review counts for bonus points.  I tell them the more orderly they are, the more questions I can ask and the more points you might get.  During the review, each student is called upon individually and, from their seat, I ask them a relevant review question.   All students are encouraged to take notes and motivated by my assertion that many of these questions WILL appear on the test.  Seems unbelievable, perhaps, but, that's right, everyone participates in the review and most everyone participates in voluntarily taking notes.  I'm encouraging willful participation in their own learning by making note-taking voluntary and suggesting they work on the skill of notetaking because they're going to be using it more and more in their studies as they progress through the grades and onto educational pursuits after high school.

Here's how Nerfoop Review works in my classroom: I have an open-note, open-book, open-mind review before each major 100 point test.  Students are encouraged to take notes during the review because, I tell them, there may be some questions I'm asking that will appear on the test, either as part of a multiple choice question and answer or as part of a short answer/essay question.

The review is structured so student participation is automatic.  That's right.  I'm going to call on every child individually to answer a question related to the unit material we just finished covering.  They are taking notes because some of the questions, I tell them, are going to be on the exam tomorrow.  Take good notes today, study some more tonight, and you should do well.  Put in more time and you'll probably do even better, I tell them.

I start by going around the room, one student at a time.  Because these are potential test questions, almost everyone is taking notes on everyone's questions and answers.  When a student is called upon and gets the answer correct, they get one point.  At the same time, they get to shoot for another point.  That's right.  I've got my little nerf ball and my little hoop with the hoop attached to the top of a bulletin board.  I place a line of masking tape about 6-7 feet away from the hoop.  I take a practice shot and make it of course to show it's possible.  A student gets the opportunity to shoot for the extra point (making it two possible points per student per question) ONLY after they answer the review question correctly.  Given the size of your class and the nature of the exam, make sure you have enough questions for each student to have a unique one.  Record the points in your roll book under the heading Review Points.  I tell students that the points are recorded and then used at the end of the semester to help them solidify their grade.

What about the students who don't answer their question correctly?  Well, because it's open note and open book review, if there's time after the first go around, I'll ask those who didn't get their first question correct another question.  That way, students don't feel that all is lost after the first go around because they didn't get any points.  Explaining this approach, the other students recognize a teacher's effort to be inclusive and modeling patience with their peers.  What I tell them all is this:  What's Easy for Some is More Challenging for Others.  If you're consistent with this mantra, they'll understand.  Your students are smart.

At the end of the first round of questions, I determine who hasn't answered a question correctly and go back to those students.  They're often the ones who need the extra points anyway. Ask them another question, maybe even a question that's been asked already.  Either way, you're encouraging risk-taking: speaking in public, answering the question right or wrong, being viewed unfavorably by peers).  As the teacher, you're encouraging risk-taking by creating the safe environment to do so and then giving students the opportunity to take that risk.

WORK AROUND #2 : DROPPING THE LOWEST GRADE

I know.  I show no mercy.  No, I'm not dropping your lowest grade.  I understand.  Everybody has a bad day.  I'm sorry you had a bad day.  Here's what we're going to do.

And this is my classroom policy on a student's 'bad day' grade.

You can retake the test.  That's correct.  With one caveat: I'll average the two test scores together but you can only raise your score to a 72/100.  So, if you received a 62/100 on take number one and you received a 92/A- on your retake, the highest average  there would be 73/C.  Why?  I'm glad you asked.

Because giving a higher score would penalize those who tried hard the first time.  I want to encourage hard work the first time and being responsible to yourself the second time.

I think this holds students accountable for everything and encourages taking responsibility.  You don't get a doctor's note excusing you from the pursuit of knowledge and you don't want the good students bragging that they don't have to take the final exam.  For me, case closed.

WORK AROUND # 3 : A+ GRADES

In my classroom, there is no such thing as an A+.  An A grade is the highest I'll give because the '+' sign doesn't add any value to a grade that is already the highest you can receive.  Yes, that goes for that nonsense quest to have a 4.225 grade point average.  Call me old fashioned.  An A is the highest grade I ever gave.

The 'Why?' is this.  Students, teachers, and parents are crazy enough.  You start giving A+ grades and all of a sudden, an A isn't enough.  You've got to get an A+!  Going over grades when you review a test, they will fight tooth and nail for that extra point, a 96 to a 97 for example.  It's psychologically cruel and unnecessary. In the real world, there are no A+ grades so why create an illusion of greater entitlement in the classroom?  A score of 93 is an A; a score of 100 is an A.

And, of course there's a B+ and a C+ and a D+...those are fine grades... but THERE IS NO F+ !

As a matter of fact, since you're using a points scale for grading anyway, don't even put a letter grade on a test that scores in the F range.  Ask them if they'd like to schedule a retake (see my policy on Dropping the Lowest Grade).  Encourage them to try again.  Same with all C- or below grades.  Anyone receiving a C- or below can schedule a retake.  The retake opportunity encourages my principle of encouraging the love of learning and at the same time encouraging responsibility for their achievements.

HEAVY METTLE TEACHERS : RELATIONSHIPS

RELATIONSHIPS

It's been easy for teachers  to dismiss the importance of emotional intelligence because their idea of it makes them uncomfortable, or it's been misunderstood or misrepresented.  Neuroscience is leading the way in helping us understand the scope of the importance of the emotional brain and its connection the the thinking brain.

As teachers, we have a relationship with every one of our students. How teachers and their students define this relationship is vital to understanding the psychological environment within each class.  We as teachers tend to teach to our strengths, which is usually around the subject we're teaching, how we're teaching the subject,  plus our management style.  What we lack sometimes is the willingness to teach to our weaknesses as well.

What I mean is,  let's face it, most of our relationships are superficial ones.  Superficial relationships actually make the rest of the world work more efficiently. Because we're engaging that way everyday, we're actually comfortable living like that.  As a matter of fact, we are encouraged to keep the ever-widening circle of superficial relationships growing.  How many 'Likes' do you have?  You get my point.  And we don't have to wonder why this is, we just accept it and leave analyzing it to the sociologists.  It's living in a modern industrialized, internet connected world.  We're all 'Friends' aren't we?.

This conditioning, this socialized conditioning and normalization of superficial relationships, sometimes leaves us ill-equipped to develop deeper relationships.  However, I have good news.  Even though we generally bring to the table only what we're given in terms of our own emotional development and intelligence, even if we're not good with relationships in general, we can still be good with them in the classroom.  And sometimes better.

Because in the classroom, it's different.  You're with the same faces for 40 weeks, 170 + days out of the year.  And you 've made the commitment to teach.  You already know teaching is a relationship business. Now comes the degree to which you are willing and able to engage in meaningful and academic relationships with your students.

Many teachers are going to dismiss what I'm asking you to consider.  And, it's true, as veteran's, we've been in the trenches for so long, we've developed some thick skin and thin patience.  We sink into a funk instead of rise with the groove.  And that general malaise is well-worn and uninspired, more cynical and narrow, closing, closing, closed..  The fire's going out.

But I'm not talking to that person.  I'm talking to you.

The balance comes when we embrace the importance of an individual and collective emotional intelligence as an energy force within the classroom.  Some teachers find it easier to just deal with the consequences of disruptive behavior and bored, daydreaming students.

By acknowledging the power of a developing emotional intelligence within each student, and therefore within the classroom at large, teachers are at an advantage in making more meaningful and more powerful relationships.  Relationships that not only channel disruptive behavior into more focused and positive efforts, but also relationships that reinforce the importance of what you're doing together.  Yes, that's a fact.

As a teacher, as the adult, you set the example in your class. Students are eager for a safe classroom environment that is conducive to learning, a teacher who sets strong boundaries, controls the class, and yet who is also sensitive to the individual human condition.

Always keep in mind, you're teaching human beings first.  And, you're on the same team.  This is not you versus them.  This is you AND them.  As the adult in the room, you've got to check your ego at the door.  Otherwise, you're going to get your ego bruised.

This is not all about you thinking 'see how smart a teacher I am?' (that you know your subject is a given) this is 'let's see how we can be the best learners we can be.'    The goal is not to flunk children, the goal is to connect, guide and inspire.  Teachers are actually doing this every day.  And in a variety of ways.

Why not you?

The overall goal is for teachers to play a small part in their students journeys to becoming life-long learners. Teaching them HOW to learn is more valuable than teaching them WHAT to learn.

A first week objective is to begin to establish an emotionally-connected academic classroom foundation. Keep in mind, you're teaching human beings first, with your subject matter simply a part of the vehicle you're dedicated to drive toward excellence.

A teacher's mindset is crucial to understanding that this foundation-building is not a one-off.   It's not simply something you do the first week and forget about it the rest of the school year.  Just like you and your students should take little brain breaks,  foundation-building must be reinforced throughout the semester with academically rich activities that are supported by and enhanced by the positive emotional climate. Along with a fine-tuned teacher-learner dialogue, framing and fulfilling objectives,  utilizing prompts and eliciting responses,  as well as supporting an atmosphere of open communication and active listening, will guarantee a more involved and dynamic classroom.

That's right.  Guaranteed.  I did it.  You can, too.  Especially if what you're doing now ISN'T working as well as you'd like or even if you think you're failing.  Pick yourself up because I'm going to show you a way through.  Be open and pay attention.

After all, most teachers would love an alert, engaged and appropriately participatory classroom.   Establishing a sense of safety, of trust, of connection, will enhance a teacher's sense of enthusiasm for their students as well as the subject being taught and learned.

How does a teacher establish, reinforce and maintain this emotionally connected academically charged foundation?

That's the million dollar question I'm going to try to answer for you.  It's exactly what I did for all those years. And because I approached teaching middle school by addressing a student's emotional brain, their thinking brains did better on all levels.  They were more deeply connected to me and our mission together and they WANTED to please me and do well.  They took greater pride in their work and more consistently met deadlines.  Bear in mind, we're ALL works in progress if you're living life with purpose and growth.  Being patient and sensitive to the human condition in your classroom is a big plus.  Maybe you don't want to make that commitment, but for those who do, the rewards are many.  As I've said, I love teaching and I loved all my classes.  Humans aren't perfect, we make mistakes.  If we err on the side of loving what we do and loving who we do it for, we can soften the hard edges of imperfection and embrace the human condition in all its colors and expressions.  I want that for you because I want you to know how amazing you can be and what an amazing classroom experience you can share with your students.

Learning is a journey you and your students take together.  Knowing your subject is simply the ticket to the train. Knowing your students will take the train where it needs to go.  I want you to always keep in mind, the importance and power of the emotional brain as a direct link to the thinking brain. Accessing that power will enhance your teaching experience and your students' learning experience.  This perspective has the power of a locomotive and knowing your students will take the train where it needs to go.

Again, because we're all human beings on this third rock from the sun, for some, it may just be the next stop; for others, your classroom could be that transformative experience elevating the spirit and reinforcing the value and importance of life-long learning.

Your classroom should be set up to help reinforce the idea that for both teacher and student, this is going to be a transformative experience.  And that's what I want to help you do: become a positive, transformative force for learning.  To become unforgettable means to plant seeds of love.  And if you love learning, love teaching, and love people, then the seeds will be spilling out of your pockets into the fertile soil of imagination, wonder, and achievement.

IF you're open to it.  So, BE open to it.

HEAVY METTLE TEACHERS : PREPARING FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF CLASS

The first day and first week of class is crucial to setting the tone and establishing the foundation for the rest of the school year. This is the week where you begin your journey together with a new group of learners. In many cases, this is also the most focused and potentially organized they are going to be for the entire year. Lucky for you, it's all downhill from here. Or maybe it's uphill. However, most of them are hoping to have a good year in school, setting goals and marking academic growth and achievements, filled with friends and activities. Many have gone shopping for new school clothes as well as the supplies they are going to need for school. There is an air of excited anticipation (and inherent dread) as they enter the school grounds and eventually your classroom. They will be collectively anxious and they will, to varying degrees, be open to learning your class subject. They want to like your class, they really do. Although you may be even more anxious than the learners, NEVER LET THEM SEE YOU SWEAT. If you need to, you will 'Fake It Til You Make It. It looks a little like this: You will effect a strong classroom presence, use your firm but engaged 'teacher' voice, and command your classes like an orchestra leader. That's the goal, anyway. I'm here to help. Organization is the key to success.

PREPARING FOR THE FIRST DAY

We can all agree, ORGANIZATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS. The lesson here, for me, is that no matter how organized I may be, there's still a lot of anxiety I have to manage in the run up to the first day of class.

The best way to manage that anxiety, interestingly enough, is through ORGANIZATION. I cannot emphasize this enough.  If you are a disheveled mess, you are toast.  Snap out of it.  You must adopt (Fake It Til You Make It Rule) a Type A Personality when it comes to preparing for the classroom.  Do what you want in your 'free time' (insert canned laughter), but you've got to be a laser beam in preparing for and executing your plans in the classroom.  If you're a procrastinator, you're going to set yourself up for looking sometimes like you're lost.  Your students will pick up on this and some will exploit it, seeing it as a weakness, which it is.  Now you've lost some momentum in your lesson plan and you'll begin to lose the respect and control of the class.  Everyone is depending on you to control the class and students make the collective excuse that they are too young to be held responsible for their classroom behavior, and they test your boundaries and tolerance for chaos.  Then you become mean in your management style.

Not being organized in your approach to teaching leads to this and your efforts begin to suffer really fast.

Good news.  It's all preventable simply by being organized.

Taking and adapting a proactive approach to being organized is going to save you headaches and fatigue going forward.  40 weeks is a long time.  We've got to start strong and finish strong.  Weekends and holidays are your time to recharge.  You're going to need that time and you need to prioritize that time when it arrives because, not only is the best teaching an emotionally draining investment, you're working anywhere from 12-18 hour days.  Up at 6:00 in the morning, work your fanny off until midnight,  that's a typical day for almost any educator.

PREPARATION  NOTES

Start organizating for the next semester at least 6 weeks prior to that first day.  If you're in this education business to change young people's lives and to inspire life-long learning in their hearts, then you're always going to be looking to bring excitement into the classroom.  Your positive attitude sells it every time.

Amazing resources are truly at our fingertips and there's no excuse not to bring relevant real world experiences and the joy of treasure-hunting for clues, knowledge, analysis, and understanding.

Counting down now to the 7-10 days prior to Day One...

First, you should already know the classes and periods you're teaching, your daily class schedule, and have a school year calendar accessible.

The Importance of  Names

Next, get your class lists, the names of the little darlings who'll be eagerly hanging on your every word (Insert canned laughter).  In your paper and/or digital roll book, list students names alphabetically, last name, first. Spelling and proper name pronunciation of all your students is imperative.  Ask your students to help you on the first day with the correct pronunciations of their names.   Also, leave a space underneath each student's name to record their preferred name, perhaps a nickname or a shortened version of their birth name, when you call roll that first day.

Names are very important to our human identities and I don't know anyone without one.  And, every student is wondering how long it's going to take before you know their name. Each child's preference needs to be recorded, remembered and respected. When you call roll the first day, you'll ask everyone at the same time to tell you if they have another name they prefer to be called.  If they do, you'll record it and use it when addressing them.  Until they change their minds.  Yeah, they're like that.  In middle school, the leopards change their spots.  It's a time of big changes and your classroom has to be a safe place to experience those changes.  Addressing the emotional brain as part of your intellectually stimulating program of learning will enrich your teaching and your students' learning experience.

There are a some of exceptions for some teachers regarding the name rule.

If you teach and coach physical education, a lot of students don't mind being addressed by their last names only.  I remember that when I was in middle school and it felt good to be called by my last name in PE. Professional sports is like that with the names on the back of their jerseys.  So, it felt good to be part of a 'team concept.'  It helps if the teacher-coach-athletic department is consistent in their approach.

Consistency, next to organization, is another key to success.

Another exception is when you need to address a behavioral issue with a student after class. Then using Ms. or Mr. shows a sign of 'firm respect' and, at the same time, it also signals to the student that the teacher wants to address the issue privately.  So, just before you dismiss class (you'll remind your students that you, the teacher, NOT THE BELL, is in charge of dismissal) you'll say "Before you leave, Mr. Smith, could I see you for a moment, please?"

Unless you've decided to address them as Ms. or Mr. and then their last name. My thought is, if you're going to do that, it makes better sense for high school students. Middle school students, in my opinion, are just bigger elementary school kids, and addressing them by their first name in most cases makes the most sense.  But, really, it's fine.  Again, consistency is the key.

GATHERING PROFILE INFORMATION

 Looking inside each student's cumulative record folder will give you insights into their past educational experience.  There's a lot of useful information to be found, to be sure, but it has to be viewed judiciously.  The danger is prejudgement.

Based on their past performance, you NEVER want to prejudge a child's potential for succeeding in your class.  You're going to be the one that lights the spark in your students.  Past grades are past grades.  These students have never had YOU as a teacher, so whatever has happened in grades leading up to this one, view carefully and don't prejudge.  Also, talk with other teachers about your incoming students, especially if they've taught them before.

Find out what you can find out. Most importantly, understand that whatever the other teachers have said about your incoming students needs to be taken with a grain of salt. What I mean by that is, they've never had you as a teacher. What other teachers say about each student should NEVER prejudice you either for or against a student beforehand, before you've even had a chance to teach him or her. Students are very intuitive and can tell when a teacher is being genuine or whether or not they're simply going through the motions. All students seek a connection. They may be exhausted in a sense because few of their previous teachers have had the time to connect with them. Most all student-learners are reachable, I believe. There are some students, of course, that feel they've never had a good teacher, that school is for losers, nobody hears me anyway, the subjects are boring and unrelatable, the teachers suck. Never stop trying, of course, but there are students you're not going to reach. But I have a plan to help crack even the most ardent self-defeaters. This is where your knowledge of the importance of emotional intelligence comes into play. These children are the ones who are emotionally overwhelmed and shutdown at the same time, so much so that they've given up on themselves. They are our most challenging of course, but, as I mentioned, the first week will go far in setting the tone for academic and social achievement in your classroom. Hopefully, you will end up being their favorite teacher of all time because you cared enough to try. Children are generally resilient, and in a nurturing classroom environment they can thrive. Be the one who cracks their inner code. Addressing emotional intelligence in the classroom environment will go far to unlocking every student-leaner's potential.

THE FIRST DAY ARRIVES RULE NUMBER 1: NEVER LET THEM SEE YOU SWEAT

That's right. Never let the little darlings know how freaking nervous you might be that first day. Wear an undershirt or pit pads with deoderant that works under pressure. PROJECT confidence. Fake It Til You Make It.

This is especially true for new teachers or teachers in a new school. There is plenty of reason to freak out.  Many teachers are torn between thoughts of 'I hope they like me', 'Please don't misbehave', 'Please let me have a good class' 'Please pay attention' 'Please don't fail', you know, things like that.  I say, "Fuggedaboutit."

Compartmentalize those feelings of insecurity so you can put up a good front.

RULE NUMBER 2: ORGANIZATION IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS

This rule is why you're not going to be sweating too much. The week or two prior to school's first day, you are an organizing machine. You've gotten your lists for each of your classes, you know your schedule, you know what content you'll be covering and the entire scope and sequence of units and activities for the year. You'll know the sequence, goals and objectives, quiz and test dates, projects and their due dates, and you'll be able to illucidate the entire course to your students, beginning that first day.

RULE NUMBER 3: TEACHERS, THIS IS YOUR CLASSROOM

Teachers, this is your classroom. Period. No student is going to be allowed at any time to hijack your classroom. As a matter of fact, one of the things you'll cover is this: Students are responsible to you and in helping to maintain the classroom environment. There are consequences for good as well as disruptive behavior.

One of the things I remind students of is this:

RULE NUMBER 4: NO STUDENT IS ALLOWED TO STEAL VALUABLE LEARNING TIME AWAY FROM THEIR PEERS.

Learning should be fun, but serious fun.  Distractions, detours and derailments can be minimized by reinforcing this frame: That when a student is willfully disruptive in class, they are deliberately, purposefully, and willfully stealing valuable learning time from their peers.  This thought, by its nature, empowers students to take responsibility for their learning community and that they have an important, unyielding stake in that.

This rule reinforces a pillar of leaning: We are all here together to share an amazing learning experience and we take our precious learning time seriously. No one is going to prevent me from learning and I, as a student, shall do my best to maintain that positive learning environment.

IN SUMMARY

Student-learners want a structured, firm, and organized hand running the class. That's you. You're their leader, guiding them into areas of knowledge and insights previously unknown to them. To keep learning a positive adventure, framing disruptive behavior BEFORE it happens is a positive and proactive approach to minimizing or preventing the disruptions in the first place.

Setting the emotional and academic tone for this is imperative.  In reality, all teachers do both anyway.  I'm just advocating that it be a willful act with targeted objectives in mind, open not closed.   It's a school-teaching-enhancement-survival skill, in my opinion, and I credit that approach to my successes.

Along with your obviously strong leadership, your class will take greater responsibility for maintaining and reinforcing a positive learning environment.  Naturally, the little darlings are a collective work in progress. With the connections made, you and your students are going to have an amazing year of growth!

HEAVY METTLE TEACHERS : FIRST WEEK OBJECTIVES

If you want to be the best teacher you can be, in a classroom of learners motivated to achieve their own potential, then addressing the emotional brains of your students is going to help get you there. Aspire to greatness as an educator.  Don't settle for mediocrity.  Set high personal standards and continue to seek out personal and professional growth opportunities.  Be nice.

As you know, because teachers are human beings, too, (insert canned laughter) there is no singularly successful teaching method or management style.  I'll often refer to a 'mosaic' in framing challenges or experiences that are multi-faceted both in their origins and in their potential solutions.  Likewise, as many personalities as there are teachers gives you an idea of how many potential management styles there are.  A lot of management work is done through force of personality and reputation.

Teaching is a unique and, my father always said, a noble human endeavor.  His nice way of saying I'd be broke the rest of my life.  But rich in ideas, which he always supported.  He envisioned himself a man of letters and I felt his pride in my becoming a teacher.  Neither of us could have imagined this path for me while I was growing up.  I was occasionally a handful.

A noble, honest, heartfelt, sacrificial, and sincere calling are all motivations of the majority of teachers. Naturally, there are skills and approaches a teacher can develop and fine-tune over time and the best teachers are always seeking personal and professional growth opportunities.

The following is a slice of preparation bootcamp, to help achieve the first week's classroom goals and objectives. Week one is critical in setting the tone and building the classroom foundation.  You, as the teacher, can, of course, set the table any way you want.

Given the fact that there are many learning styles in your classroom, the more varied the banquet, the more flavorful the dessert.

ORGANIZATION IS A KEY TO SUCCESS
Organization is the Key to Success.  Remember and share that little bit of wisdom.  You'll never regret it, I  promise. Organization is your primary tool for classroom management.  Students are experienced at being students.  Some can size you up and judge your ability and vision after the first class.  We're hoping for a high 'rotten tomatoes' score.  As in the movie rating service.  Not because they're throwing figurative tomatoes at your figurative head.

FLEXIBILITY IS A KEY TO SUCCESS
Interestingly, and it may seem counter-intuitive, the more organized you are, the more flexible you can be. Organization does not automatically dictate rigidity and inflexibility but organization can give a teacher their personal reason to be rigid and inflexible...or it can give them wings.  A teacher's choice.

YOUR MANAGEMENT STYLE IS A KEY TO SUCCESS
As a management style, being inflexible can have its straight-arrow trajectory but will usually only take a class only so far.  Creating obedient, quiet, marginally expressive and peripherally participatory students may seem like a worthy goal and may lull a teacher into thinking there's active learning going on because students are quiet in their seats and seem to be paying attention.  Other teachers might even envy that kind of classroom control.  Principals are also fans of quiet, being respectful and following in an orderly fashion.

Truth be told, the path of least resistance for many teachers is the strict and orderly, usually a fear-based and fear-inducing traditional model of classroom control that we all experienced from time to time while growing up.  They were often the 'mean' teachers you 'learned the most' from.  It's tried and true.  Don't Smile Until December.  Keep them in their seats, quietly.

Traditional, tried and true, this fear-based management style is the refuge of mediocrity.  In my opinion, this is one of the many management styles that suffocate the learning experience for the sake of order and fear of engagement.  I don't want you to be afraid of a little noise every once in a while.  As a matter of fact, I urge you to build it in to your program.  There is nothing more beautiful to this teacher's ears than the sound of learning.

ADAPTABILITY IS A KEY TO SUCCESS
Students are all part of the human condition.  And some students experience far more than their years would imply. From illnesses and home disharmony, to the death of family members, pets, or friends,  to puberty, pimples, parents and peers, students can be one person one day, and another person the next day.

The best middle school teachers make an art of adaptability and being appropriately flexible.  They understand the bigger picture of life.  Plus, they are super organized and know where they're going.

Being organized and knowing where your content is going to take you enables you to be flexible.

In that flexibility is not diversion or a meaningless tangent, but rather spontaneous connective tissue that you instinctively and intuitively sew into the learning experience.  The level and kind of learning engagement will usually help determine the opportunities that flexibility can provide.  You are a master connector and don't fall for or introduce disabling distractions.  You are flexible because you see a synergistic opportunity to reinforce the concepts, facts and flow of the lesson.

In short, flexibility and adaptability allows for individualizing instruction and all three are welcome in a middle school classroom.  When a teacher takes a humanistic approach empowered by an open communication effort, the connections run deeper, the learning runs deeper, the teaching and learning experience is enriched.

Students are like most people.  They just want someone to care enough.

Collectively, their energy can be predictably unpredictable due to so many forces operating in a young person's life.  Although this reality can scare some teachers, it's a fact of their classroom that they intentionally suppress for the sake of order.  I mean, what would happen if you actually got to know your students?  That thought can be scary.

Not to you, though.  You're the risk-taker.  You're the one who actually wants to change a student's life. Well, this is the path less taken.

Good luck to us both.

DAY ONE:

Be Early to Class
Make it your habit to be the first one to your class.  Get there early so you can be ready for the onslaught. Day One students have a unique energy.  Feel it,  go with it, lasso it, make it yours.  After all, it's YOUR classroom.  No one is recorded as tardy on Day One. Reminders to be on time, of course, would be a natural statement during the review of your Classroom Rules and Semester Syllabus.  We'll get to that in a minute.

Classroom Management 101
I always have free seating for Day One and perhaps even for Week One.  My objective is to get as much social information as quickly as I can, to see the natural dynamics and interactions of my class.

One of my objectives is to test my own memory of student-name recognition.  Another is to take note of valuable social information.  Discovering where the different levels and kinds of classroom energy are emanating from, gravitating towards, and how, generally, the energy expresses itself.  In truth, this is part of the diagnostic stage.  Who's quiet, who's talkative, who's cracking jokes, who's prepared, who's sitting in the back, who's sitting up front.

Explain that one of your jobs as a teacher is as a classroom manager.  Tell students you'll get around to making a semi-permanent seating arrangement shortly.    Tell your students that your concept is that seating arrangements can be fluid and should never be seen as punitive.  You're not punishing students by moving them around the class, you're providing them with opportunities for growth.  A purpose of education is not to make you comfortable all the time.  Part of it is to get students out of their comfort zone every once in a while and, because you've created a safe classroom environment, help students view the seating arrangement as a positive opportunity, not a punishment for disciplinary reasons.

You're going to impress upon your students that you are sincere in fighting for everyone's education and that managing their energy is all part of that task.  Remember, your efforts are to maximize learning potential and minimize student opportunities for distraction.  Consistent, organized and purposeful classroom management skills are imperative in getting to this place.

In the meantime, tell them not not to get too comfy as you like to switch things up.  Tell them that their seating assignment can change at any time for reasons of classroom management or for a class learning assignment.

Variety is both the spice of life and the spice within your classroom.  Now we're cookin'.

We live in a rapidly changing world and in this process you can model the value of being flexible and accommodating and adapting to the concept of change.  By conditioning students to embrace the concept of change, they are going to have a leg up on survivingl in the 'real world.'

Student Information Cards

After greeting your students and the bell rings, the first order of business is distributing information cards to each student for them to fill in. On this two-sided 4x6 or 5x7 index card is a request from you to fill in some of their personal details: Suggestions include but are not limited to: Full name and preferred nickname, Birthday, Hobbies/ activities/interests, Siblings, Preferred Seat in class (front, middle, back), Previous Challenges in school, an Adult Profession that interests them, Goals for this class, plus Suggestions for making the class great, as well as a little space for them to tell you anything else they may feel is important for you to know about them.

While they're filling out the cards, you're calling roll, getting nicknames (yes, even though they're filling out that information on their cards), and making gentle eye-contact with every one of your students. All along, you're reinforcing connectivity and the importance of name recognition.  Don't worry.  You're going to know every student's name on Day Two.  We'll get to that in a minute or two.

After roll call, collect the info cards.  Put a rubber band around them to sort out after class or after school when you'll review and alphabetize them.  You might peek at them toward the end of class and, sharing no names of course, share the ideas elicited for making the class great.  There are usually some serious suggestions but there might be some funny ones, too.  Just share a few to let them get a taste of what it feels like to have some input in the class, even on Day One.

SEMESTER SYLLABUS, GRADING, AND CLASSROOM GUIDELINES

Next, hand out copies of your Semester Syllabus and Classroom Guidelines.  Go over the information while students at the same time read the outline to reinforce auditory, visual, and tactile learning modalities.

The Semester Syllabus is simply an outline of the class subject and content being covered over the course of the semester. If you're super organized, you'll be able to tell students on Day One when their Unit Quizzes and Tests are calendared as well as when Semester Projects should be started and when they are due.  At this point, you'll show the textbook you'll soon be distributing and using as the foundation for much of your journey together. Naturally, with all of the resources now available to you as a teacher, many online and free, you're going to bring in other voices for a multi-resource approach to teaching and student learning.

Grading

This part includes your grading procedures regarding homework and your A-F points scale for tests, quizzes, and projects.  I suggest you to consider the following points scale: Homework: 10 points; Quizzes: 30 points; Tests: 100 points; Projects, 50-300 points depending on the detail and nature of the assignment.     Have them sign it and have them take it home for their parent/guardian to sign and return to class on Day Two. Upon returning the rules signed, make a little note to record the fact in your roll book.  Be sure the students keep them as the front page of their subject divider in their notebook for easy reference throughout the semester.

General Classroom Guidelines

Socializing, texting, passing notes, talking on the phone, taking photos/selfies, or otherwise distracting behaviors sare all no-no's during class time.  Phones away, extraneous socializing done, eyes forward, ready to listen and ready to work.  You'll be reinforcing this idea throughout the year as students, by their nature, are prone to, and will on occasion, test the limits. You'll remind them of your common mission and the value of self-management, one of the quadrants of their developing emotional intelligence.

EXTRA CREDIT,  A+ GRADES,  "POP" QUIZZES,  AND DROPPING THE LOWEST GRADE

Here's what I do.  I don't give extra credit opportunities and I let them know up front, on Day One.

My rationale is this: I want students to focus and work hard for both me and themselves all throughout the semester.  I don't want them to stumble and then ask if there's any extra credit they can do.  On Day One, the answer is 'no.'  This rule also reinforces the serious nature of our learning together and that everything counts.

I also don't believe in the A+ grading choice.  An 'A' is the highest grade you can get in my class.  You throw an 'A+' in the mix and already the message is that an 'A' isn't good enough.  Bad message, in my opinion.  Students can be harder on themselves than even their parents or teachers.  So, in my class, an 'A' IS and has to be good enough.  I don't want my students stressed about fighting over a point to get an A+. It's just not healthy, in my opinion.

"Pop" Quizzes, too.  I think "Pop" Quizzes, you know, the ones that are a surprise to students and 'Popped' on them without prior warning, are more about the teacher than they are about the students, and are often given after a teacher feels exasperated with a class.  The good students most always do well.  And often, it's the disruptive ones that are the brightest.  A "Pop" Quiz that counts ends up punishing the ones who need the most support in learning the material, some of whom are quietly concentrating and really trying to do their best for you.  Plus, if a teacher gives a "Pop" Quiz and then doesn't count it, it perturbs the brighter students and the students who try hard but still struggle won't take you seriously next time.

I Never Drop the Lowest Grade.
Sure, everyone has a bad day, I get it.  But I'll be damned if I let my students think that what I'm teaching can be minimized, eliminated, ignored, or even skipped over.  Everything is important, every test, every quiz,  every class activity, every project.  So, I'm not dropping any grades, even the lowest.

Here is my work-around on each of these issues.

WORK-AROUND #1 : EXTRA CREDIT

Nerfoop Review

As I've said, I don't give nor do I believe in Extra Credit.  However, here's a little workaround for that idea.  I tell all my students that the review is very important and their answers count for points that they collect during the semester.  When their final grade is computed, these points are added to their semester total (I always use a points-based system) and often there are enough points to get them to the next grade, for example, a C+ could become a B-, a B+ an A-.

Here's the magic.  It's called Nerfoop Review and this is how it works.

Remember, my objective is to impress upon my students that 'everything counts' and 'everything in the unit could be on the test.'  If a student asks, 'Is this going to count?'  or 'Is this going to be covered on the test?', the answer is always 'yes, expect it.'

Consistent with this concept, I have a review session before every major 100-point exam.  The review counts for bonus points.  I tell them the more orderly they are, the more questions I can ask and the more points you might get.  During the review, each student is called upon individually and, from their seat, I ask them a relevant review question.   All students are encouraged to take notes and motivated by my assertion that many of these questions WILL appear on the test.  Seems unbelievable, perhaps, but, that's right, everyone participates in the review and most everyone participates in voluntarily taking notes.  I'm encouraging willful participation in their own learning by making note-taking voluntary and suggesting they work on the skill of notetaking because they're going to be using it more and more in their studies as they progress through the grades and onto educational pursuits after high school.

Here's how Nerfoop Review works in my classroom: I have an open-note, open-book, open-mind review before each major 100 point test.  Students are encouraged to take notes during the review because, I tell them, there may be some questions I'm asking that will appear on the test, either as part of a multiple choice question and answer or as part of a short answer/essay question.

The review is structured so student participation is automatic.  That's right.  I'm going to call on every child individually to answer a question related to the unit material we just finished covering.  They are taking notes because some of the questions, I tell them, are going to be on the exam tomorrow.  Take good notes today, study some more tonight, and you should do well.  Put in more time and you'll probably do even better, I tell them.

I start by going around the room, one student at a time.  Because these are potential test questions, almost everyone is taking notes on everyone's questions and answers.  When a student is called upon and gets the answer correct, they get one point.  At the same time, they get to shoot for another point.  That's right.  I've got my little nerf ball and my little hoop with the hoop attached to the top of a bulletin board.  I place a line of masking tape about 6-7 feet away from the hoop.  I take a practice shot and make it of course to show it's possible.  A student gets the opportunity to shoot for the extra point (making it two possible points per student per question) ONLY after they answer the review question correctly.  Given the size of your class and the nature of the exam, make sure you have enough questions for each student to have a unique one.  Record the points in your roll book under the heading Review Points.  I tell students that the points are recorded and then used at the end of the semester to help them solidify their grade.

What about the students who don't answer their question correctly?  Well, because it's open note and open book review, if there's time after the first go around, I'll ask those who didn't get their first question correct another question.  That way, students don't feel that all is lost after the first go around because they didn't get any points.  Explaining this approach, the other students recognize a teacher's effort to be inclusive and modeling patience with their peers.  What I tell them all is this:  What's Easy for Some is More Challenging for Others.  If you're consistent with this mantra, they'll understand.  Your students are smart.

At the end of the first round of questions, I determine who hasn't answered a question correctly and go back to those students.  They're often the ones who need the extra points anyway. Ask them another question, maybe even a question that's been asked already.  Either way, you're encouraging risk-taking: speaking in public, answering the question right or wrong, being viewed unfavorably by peers).  As the teacher, you're encouraging risk-taking by creating the safe environment to do so and then giving students the opportunity to take that risk.

WORK AROUND #2 : DROPPING THE LOWEST GRADE

I know.  I show no mercy.  No, I'm not dropping your lowest grade.  I understand.  Everybody has a bad day.  I'm sorry you had a bad day.  Here's what we're going to do.

And this is my classroom policy on a student's 'bad day' grade.

You can retake the test.  That's correct.  With one caveat: I'll average the two test scores together but you can only raise your score to a 72/100.  So, if you received a 62/100 on take number one and you received a 92/A- on your retake, the highest average  there would be 73/C.  Why?  I'm glad you asked.

Because giving a higher score would penalize those who tried hard the first time.  I want to encourage hard work the first time and being responsible to yourself the second time.

I think this holds students accountable for everything and encourages taking responsibility.  You don't get a doctor's note excusing you from the pursuit of knowledge and you don't want the good students bragging that they don't have to take the final exam.  For me, case closed.

WORK AROUND # 3 : A+ GRADES

In my classroom, there is no such thing as an A+.  An A grade is the highest I'll give because the '+' sign doesn't add any value to a grade that is already the highest you can receive.  Yes, that goes for that nonsense quest to have a 4.225 grade point average.  Call me old fashioned.  An A is the highest grade I ever gave.

The 'Why?' is this.  Students, teachers, and parents are crazy enough.  You start giving A+ grades and all of a sudden, an A isn't enough.  You've got to get an A+!  Going over grades when you review a test, they will fight tooth and nail for that extra point, a 96 to a 97 for example.  It's psychologically cruel and unnecessary. In the real world, there are no A+ grades so why create an illusion of greater entitlement in the classroom?  A score of 93 is an A; a score of 100 is an A.

And, of course there's a B+ and a C+ and a D+...those are fine grades... but THERE IS NO F+ !

As a matter of fact, since you're using a points scale for grading anyway, don't even put a letter grade on a test that scores in the F range.  Ask them if they'd like to schedule a retake (see my policy on Dropping the Lowest Grade).  Encourage them to try again.  Same with all C- or below grades.  Anyone receiving a C- or below can schedule a retake.  The retake opportunity encourages my principle of encouraging the love of learning and at the same time encouraging responsibility for their achievements.

CLASSROOM GUIDELINES

Here is where you include your general classroom guidelines, including your Rules For Discussion (which I encourage you to post in the classroom so it's visible at all times.)  General Classroom Guidelines cover such things as a teacher's policy on Tardies (how many will result in an N or a U in work habits, for example. You might also consider a way students can work off one of the Tardies per semester), your policy on absentees (I allow students the same number of days they were absent to make up any missed work.  If they return after being absent for for 3 days, they have 3 school days in which to make up their missed assignments or tests.  It works most of the time.  Being flexible is an asset when dealing with young human beings.)

TEXTBOOKS

Finally, distribute textbooks, record the numbers next to the child's name in your roll book, and, along with your classroom syllabus introduce the text, going through all the parts of the book:  Table of contents, index, glossary, all the important parts of the text you're using.   Some students don't like reading and tactile, visual, and auditory familiarity is a good thing.

Then, introduce the first unit of study. Explain the objectives for the unit, give some vocabulary, some index work, some table of contents work, some photo identification work, to engage in a brief activity to highlight an aspect of the unit and to prompt some excitement for the material.   Add a little overnight reading assignment, and maybe include a little open-book assignment the following morning to reinforce your textbook introduction.

If your class is 45-55 minutes long, prepare 4-6 reinforcing segments of learning. Students have a maximum attention span of 10 minutes or less.  If you're thinking you're going to dazzle them with your long-winded yet fine-tuned oratory skills, forget it.  Yes, they'll turn you off and, no, you won't be the exception.  You'll just prove the rule: Do not lecture.  Lecture is death.  Their brains will fill up quickly and your voice will soon become droning in their heads.  That's right, just like when pets hear you talk: blahblahblahwannacookie?blahblahblahwannagoforawalk?blahblahblahcanopenerfood!!?

What's the approach then?

Prompt, engage, guide and interact with your students.

The best learning occurs interactively.  They don't really care what you have to say.  Students are by nature explorers.  They're inherently curious.  It's just that some teachers don't like curiosity because of the tendency toward classroom 'chaos.'  And I'm telling you, prompting opportunities of 'controlled chaos' is where the best learning takes place.  And tapping into that curiosity is the sweet spot of what you're swinging for.  Remember, you're always in charge.

So, you're never going to be lecturing to middle school students. You're going to use and specializing in 1-2 minute prompts that motivate students to take responsibility for their own learning.   Lecturing for even 5 minutes can put your lesson in jeopardy.  Involve your students in learning.  We already know how smart you are.

DAY TWO:  work in progress

HEAVY METTLE TEACHERS : I HAVE A DREAM

I HAVE A DREAM

It's the week before school starts. That's when I have my annual dream nightmare. You can probably guess where I'm going here.  In my dream, it's the first day of school. Naturally, I'm late and panicked, I'm disorganized and I haven't prepared a thing.  I speed down the freeway trying to make up precious time, but to no avail.  Amping up my anxiety, I arrive late to school (a great first impression on the first day), and, with students waiting for me of course, I rush into my classroom, students following suit,  and now, sitting at my desk, an article of clothing, my pants, has disappeared.  I'm in my boxers sitting behind my desk, bewildered and trying to maintain my composure.   I've concluded, of course, that, in my haste, I forgot my pants at home! I can't believe it and I'm just trying to not be noticed and pretend everything is ok.  Because this is NOT OK!!  My heartbeat is off the charts.. And I keep telling myself in my dream that "This better be a #!?!#*! dream!!" only because somewhere in the deep recesses of my anxiety lies a feeling of deja vu, that I've had this dream before. I'm begging my subconscious to please please please make this a dream and wake me up because my dream is just so awful. And it is so vivid at the time, full color, long sequences, and the anxiety I feel is very present. And that's because, for me, it obviously is!

I would always wake up at the peak of that anxiety and breathe several grateful sighs of relief. And then I would yell at myself for having that awful dream again.

Am I alone on this?  Please tell me I'm not alone.