Contact+Zone-+Flexibility



** Flexibility ** Megan Byorick and Mikaela Lanford


 * What skills can you use to think on your feet and adjust lessons as you go? How can you seamlessly abandon a lesson without disrupting student learning? **


 * As teachers, it is important that we ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS have a back-up plan. You never know when a lesson is going to fail and this is the best way to make sure something is always accomplished.
 * The best way to know whether or not something is working is to talk to our students. Be honest with them and take their feedback seriously.
 * If possible, figure out what went wrong and try to re-teach the same lesson the next day, fixing the parts that didn’t work before.


 * What causes a lesson to fail and how do you avoid those causes? **


 * The most important way to assure lesson success is to pre assess students. Do not just assume they know the background material, know for a fact that they do.
 * Model model model! Don’t just tell students what you want them to do, show them. In all aspects of your classroom.
 * Refine previous lessons for each individual class. They’re not all going to have the same needs and abilities.
 * Most importantly, know your students. If you know what they are, what interests them and how they think, you will be much more likely to connect to them in a deeper, more successful way.
 * What are some strategies to addressing a student, the ringleader of disruptions, who refuses to engage in your lessons and is constantly seeking the attention and approval of others? **


 * Understand: **
 * Know what you define as disruptive behavior and how you are going to deal with that.
 * Realize that not all student-teacher confrontation is disruptive.
 * Prevent: **
 * Determine and clearly/firmly communicate on the first day of class what is acceptable classroom behavior to students.
 * Display classroom procedures in the classroom.
 * Be personable. Understand that your students will have issues outside of your classroom and you need to be able to help them with those issues; make concessions to and compromise about when and how work is done.
 * Managing Disruptive Students: **
 * Provide immediate response in a calm but firm tone voice to positively influence student attitudes towards teacher communication, course content, the course in general, and the course instructor
 * Provide disruptive students with positive and constructive solutions to their disruptions. For instance, if you have a student who craves attention, put them in a leadership role.
 * When in a student related emergency, always remember to STAY CALM.
 * Be empathetic; don’t judge a student for their feelings.
 * Focus on listening, asking reflexive questions. Allow time for silences. It is important.
 * Respect personal space. Stand at least one-and-a-half to three feet from the disruptive student.
 * Be aware of body position. Standing one leg’s length away and at an angle off to the side is less likely to upset the student.
 * Permit verbal venting when possible to allow the student to release energy
 * Set and enforce reasonable limits.
 * Remain calm, rational, and professional. Don’t act on your own emotions.
 * Ignore challenging questions. When the student challenges you, **redirect** attention to the issue at hand.
 * What do you do when your fellow teachers are not team players? **
 * Present team members with projects based around clear, attainable objectives. If trying to create team unity, use clear mission statements and goals rooted in curriculum from the very beginning. This isn’t something that can randomly be enforced.
 * When it comes right down to it, there is nothing you can do actually do. Teachers are independent and what they do in their classroom is their responsibility. Unless it is written into the curriculum, you are at a loss. The best we can do is be proactive and present a complete, well thought out goals and objectives.
 * The best you can do is present well thought out lesson plan idea. Be sure you have a well-developed project that you can present
 * A project rationale
 * Essential questions driving the project
 * Specific criteria to show mastery
 * Specific deadlines for project components
 * A means of exhibition and expression, assessment rubric/checklists
 * A means of self-assessment and documentation


 * How do you rewrite a curriculum to meet changing standards when you don’t agree with those standards? How do you remain focused on what is important? **


 * There’s no definitive answer to this situation. It’s based on a very situation by situation basis. Remember that balance between personal and professional. If it feels right, it most likely is.
 * Don’t step on too many toes in the process however. You need to personally decide whether your principles mean more than your principal.
 * Most importantly, be creative. Just because you aren’t teaching specifically “to the test” that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your teaching. Be creative with the ways you answer essential questions.
 * Resources: **

Handa, Yuichi. “Reflections Upon Teaching a Poorly-Conceived Lesson.” //The Montana Mathematics Enthusiast// 5.1 (2008): 117-124. Web. 1 Dec. 2011

Harrell, Ivan, and Hollins Jr., Thomas. “Working With Disruptive Students.” //Inquiry// 14.1 (2009): 69-75. Web. 1 Dec. 2011

Mendlehson, Jere, and Fredrick J. Baker. "The Interdisciplinary Project Model: A Workable Response to the Challenges of Multicultural Education In Our Nation's Secondary Schools." //The Interdisciplinary Project Model: A Workable Response to the Challenges of Multicultural Education In Our Nation's Secondary Schools//. John's Hopkins University. Web. 8 Dec. 2011. .

O'Berry, Denise. "How to Create a Sense of Unity in a Combined Team." //Team Building Advice For You And Your Team -- Real Answers To Real Life Team Issues//. Web. 08 Dec. 2011. .