Setting Limits in the Classroom, 3rd Edition: A Complete Guide to Effective Classroom Management with a School-wide Discipline Plan

by Robert J. Mackenzie, Lisa Stanzione

Overview

Disruptive behavior, power struggles, lack of motivation, attention deficit disorder—at times the list of obstacles to teaching seems endless. That’s why thousands of teachers and child-care providers have turned to the solutions in Setting Limits in the Classroom. This fully updated and expanded third edition offers the most up-to-date alternatives to punishment and permissiveness—moving beyond traditional methods that wear you down and get you nowhere.

Topics include:
• Eliminating power struggles and handling disruptions quickly
• Establishing an effective environment for learning
• Using natural and logical consequences to support your rules
• Conducting proactive, focused parent conferences
• New research and techniques for supporting special-needs children

With its new focus on younger students and special tools for handling “strong-willed” children, this edition offers schoolteachers the tools they need to gain control of their classrooms—respectfully and effectively.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780307591739
Publisher:	Harmony/Rodale
Publication date:	07/20/2010
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	400
Sales rank:	863,526
File size:	5 MB

About the Author

Robert J. Mackenzie, EdD, is an educational psychologist and family therapist. With more than 25 years of experience, he founded the Setting Limits program, which helps parents and teachers discover how to improve learning abilities and resolve behavior problems in children. He received his masters in educational psychology from the University of California at Davis and his doctorate in counseling and educational psychology from the University of San Francisco. He is the author of Setting Limits, Setting Limits with Your Strong-Willed Child, and Setting Limits in the Classroom.

Lisa Stanzione, M.A., is a special education teacher and resource specialist, as well as an educational consultant and a parent educator for the Setting Limits Program. She has been a consultant for developing and implementing the Learning Center Delivery model for special education services since 2001.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1
Creating Structure That Works

Structure is the organizational foundation of the classroom. It sets the stage for cooperation and learning by clarifying your rules and expectations and by defining how you want your students to behave. In a well-structured classroom, most conflicts and behavior problems are prevented because children know what is expected. Rules, procedures, and daily routines are clear. There is less need for testing and less need for discipline.

Because structure is so basic, many teachers devote too little attention to it at the beginning of the year or overlook it entirely. They believe they can't afford to take valuable time away from academic instruction, or they assume children should already know what is expected or that they will pick it up along the way. The result is more time spent on testing and disruptions and less time on teaching and learning. Everybody loses. Teachers end up exhausted as they struggle to maintain order in their classrooms, and students lose valuable time for instruction.

This chapter will show you how to prevent the problems that accompany ineffective structure. You'll learn proven techniques for teaching classroom rules and procedures, defining basic student responsibilities, enlisting parent support and cooperation, and solving problems early, before they get bigger. By the time you're done, you'll know how to create structure that will work for you throughout the year.

The Cost of Ineffective Structure
The lesson of structure begins the moment your students enter the classroom. There is no way to avoid it. Sooner or later-usually sooner-someone will do something he or she is not supposed to do, and all the students will watch for your reaction. What you do, or fail to do, will define a rule.

Imagine, for example, that you're a sixth-grade teacher, and it's the first day of school. One of your students arrives to class wearing a headset and rocking out to one of his favorite songs. You don't like it, but you decide to ignore it. "He'll probably put it away by the time I begin teaching," you say to yourself.

He might, but what is the rule you just taught? Of course, it's okay to arrive in class wearing a headset. What do you think this student and possibly others are likely to do in the future?

The issue is not whether the lesson of structure should be taught. It will be taught, one way or another. The real issue is who controls the lesson-the teacher or the students? When students control the lesson, the costs to learning, cooperation, and achievement are much greater. Consider the following.

It's the first week of school in Mr. Johnson's fourth-grade class. The bell just rang, and the kids have filed back into class. Mr. Johnson stands at the front of the classroom and waits for the kids to settle down.

His lesson has been carefully planned and organized. He scheduled ten minutes for instruction and thirty minutes for seatwork. He's ready to get started, but the kids are not. Two minutes have passed since the bell rang, and the noise level is high.

"Let's settle down a little," he says, directing his comments to several boys who are laughing and talking loudly. His words have little impact. The boys continue to laugh. Others are talking, too. Mr. Johnson waits patiently. Another minute passes.

"What's going on?" he thinks to himself. "I announced my rules the first day of class. They should know better." He tries again.

"Okay, class, I'm ready to start," he says in an annoyed tone. He waits a little more. Everyone settles down except two boys.

"Craig, Terry! Are you ready to join us?" Mr. Johnson asks. The boys exchange mischievous smiles, but they stop talking for the moment. Four minutes have passed. Finally, Mr. Johnson begins his lesson.

As he gives directions for the next assignment, Mr. Johnson notices that a number of students are not paying attention. "I don't want to explain this again," he says. His warning has little effect. He finishes his directions and passes out the worksheets. "You have twenty-five minutes to complete the assignment," he announces.

"I don't understand," blurts one student. "Yeah, what are we supposed to do?" chimes in another. Several others look confused. There isn't time for individual instructions. Mr. Johnson is frustrated.

"If you guys had been paying attention, you would know what to do," he says. "Now, listen up." He repeats the directions for the benefit of those who had not listened, eating up another five minutes. Twenty minutes left.

Finally, everyone is working. As they do, Mr. Johnson roves around the room to help those with raised hands and to intervene with disruptions. As he helps one student, he notices Craig and Terry laughing and fooling around again.

"Excuse me, Brenda," says Mr. Johnson. He approaches Craig and Terry. "Guys, would you save it for recess, please?" They smile at each other again but stop for the moment.

Mr. Johnson returns to Brenda, but by this time other hands are in the air. One kid is blurting out in an attempt to get Mr. Johnson's attention. Other kids are disrupting. He deals with the disruptions first, then the blurter, then the raised hands, and so it goes for the rest of the lesson. Hands are still in the air as the bell rings. Many don't finish.

What happened? Mr. Johnson was prepared to teach his academic lesson but not the lesson of classroom management. His class lacks structure. As a result, he spent more than a third of his time dealing with blurting and disruptions.

What did his students learn? They learned the same lessons they had been learning all week. It's okay to enter the classroom noisily. Take your time to settle down. If you don't pay attention the first time, you will get a second set of directions. It's okay to blurt out. Worst of all, they learned that blurting out and disruptions are tolerated. Mr. Johnson is in for a long year. If he continues on this course, he's a good candidate for burnout.

Defining Basic Terms
Before we move forward with our task of helping you build better structure into your classroom, we need to discuss the "nuts and bolts" of the job. It's time to define some basic terms so you understand how these parts operate and fit together. Let's begin with structure.

Structure is a broad and inclusive term that describes how the various parts of the classroom fit together. Rules, procedures, routines, desk configurations, equipment, people, activities, and time schedules are all components of structure. When we use the term structure in this book, we are referring primarily to rules, procedures, and routines.

Classroom management is a very broad and inclusive term that refers to the full range of things teachers do to organize people, materials, space, and time for the purpose of teaching and learning. Classroom discipline, relationship building, community building, engagement strategies, and all the components of structure are included within the general term classroom management.

Classroom rules come in four basic varieties: general rules, specific rules, rules in theory, and the rules we practice, that is to say, those we're willing to consistently enforce.

Classroom procedures inform students how things are supposed to be done in the classroom. It's the teacher's job to clearly communicate what they want done and how they want students to do it.

Classroom routines develop when students carry out classroom procedures automatically. Smooth, efficient routines are a defining characteristic of a well-structured classroom. Developing classroom routines is a central goal of any effective classroom management program.

Discipline is defined by -Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary as training expected to produce a specific type or pattern of behavior. The key word in this definition is training. Does this sound like teaching and learning to you? Discipline in the classroom refers to the training methods that teachers use to gain cooperation from their students. Discipline is how we enforce our rules and procedures.

Limit setting refers to the methods we use to teach and enforce our rules and procedures in the classroom. The terms limit setting and discipline are used interchangeably throughout the book. Effective limit setting is an essential component of any effective classroom management plan.

Reinforcement refers to the things we do to increase a desirable behavior or decrease an undesirable behavior. Often, when we think of reinforcement, we think of punishment or the application of aversive or punitive consequences. Punishment is only one form of reinforcement, and it has limited training value.

Reinforcement errors occur when we encourage, support, or reward unacceptable behavior.

Reinforcement schedule refers to the frequency of reinforcement.

Logical consequences are another form of reinforcement that work effectively in classroom settings. Logical consequences are structured learning opportunities that are arranged by the teacher, experienced by the child, and logically related to the child's unacceptable behavior. Logical consequences stop misbehavior, but they're designed to teach, not hurt.

Plan Structure Before Students Arrive
If you wait until the first day of school to plan your classroom rules and procedures and get organized, then you've already missed the train because it has arrived and has left the station. This simple act of omission has put your students, not you, in charge of the lesson of structure.

When it comes to developing structure, your mantra should be "Be Prepared, Be Organized, Be Ready." Your plan should be in place well before your students arrive. Let's begin with classroom rules.

DEVELOPING CLASSROOM RULES
Classroom rules come in four basic varieties: general rules, specific rules, rules in theory, and the rules you actually practice. General rules specify the teacher's expectations for work habits and acceptable behavior in the classroom. Some typical examples: "Cooperate with your teacher and classmates," "Respect the rights and property of others," and "Carry out your student responsibilities."

Specific rules, as the term implies, provide more precise information for students about how they are expected to behave. Typical examples: "Raise your hand and wait to be recognized if you want to ask a question or make a comment" or "Use an indoor voice in the classroom."

Rules in theory can be general or specific but they -really amount to nothing more than words that signal our hopes and expectations for how students should behave. As the name implies, rules in theory operate on the hypothetical level. How do they work? They are usually announced, but they may take the form of requests or directives.

Some teachers set themselves up for testing and conflict by confusing their rules in theory with the rules they actually practice. In reality, the two may be very different depending on what happens when our announced rules are tested or violated. Consider the following example.

Mr. Larson, a -fifth-grade teacher, notices that some of his students have been bringing toys and trading cards to class and playing with them during instruction. He decides to put a stop to it.

"If you bring toys or cards to school, you need to keep them in your desk or backpack," he says. "If you have them out during class, I will take them away and return them to your parents at our next teacher-parent conference." Mr. Larson has established his rule in theory.

Later in the afternoon, Mr. Larson notices one of his students passing a troll doll to another girl in her table group.

"Mia, what did I say about playing with toys in class?" he asks. "Now put it away, please." He lets it pass with just a warning. The lesson isn't lost on others.

The next day, he catches Dale and Patrick playing with baseball cards. "Guys, do you want to lose them?" Mr. Larson asks. "If not, put them away." Again, he lets it pass with just a warning.

Before the week is over, there are several more incidents and several more warnings. In one case, Mr. Larson actually confiscates some cards but returns them after school with instructions not to bring them back.

What is the rule Mr. Larson actually practices? Of course, it's okay to play with toys in class. All you get is warnings. Why should anyone take Mr. Larson's rule very seriously? Rules in theory that are not supported with effective action are invitations for testing and noncompliance.

Rules in practice are defined by our actions or what students actually experience when all the talking is over. These rules represent our "bottom line," or our actual standards for acceptable behavior. The behavior we are willing to tolerate defines our actual classroom rules.

How do students know our rules in practice? They test, and then watch what we do. Our actions, or lack of them, will clarify what we -really expect. When we support our announced rules with effective action, we earn credibility and students learn to take us seriously. Consider the following.

It's time for morning circle, a daily sharing activity in Mrs. Atkins's preschool class. The kids are all seated on the carpet near the blackboard. As the activity begins, Matthew, age four, presses his foot against the back of the girl in front of him and pulls on her sweater.

"Matthew, we don't put our hands or feet on others when we're in morning circle," says Mrs. Atkins. "We sit crisscross applesauce like this." She models the correct way to sit. Matthew cooperates for a few minutes, then decides to test. He gives Sara another nudge with his foot and tugs the back of her sweater.

"Matthew, you need to sit by yourself for the rest of circle time," says Mrs. Atkins matter-of-factly. She gets out a carpet strip for Matthew to sit on and places it about five feet away from the others.

Did Matthew's teacher practice the rule she announced? You bet. Her words said, "Stop," and that's what Matthew experienced when he decided to test. Her message was clear, and so was her rule. She may need to repeat this lesson many times with Matthew before he is convinced, but if she does, Matthew will surely learn the rule and take her words seriously. The rules we practice and are willing to support with consistent discipline are the rules kids respect and take seriously.

GUIDELINES FOR INTRODUCING RULES
• Keep your list of general rules brief.
• State your rules in positive or neutral language.
• State your rules in simple, clear terms.
• Post your rules in a visible area.
• Only state rules you're willing to enforce.

On the first day, you should be prepared to introduce your general rules or rules in theory. Keep them broad and inclusive, and avoid extensive lists that invite limit testing. Most teachers find that the following poster we use in the Setting Limits Program summarizes everything your students need to know about your general rules.
Sharing Expectations for Good Work Habits

One of the most important lessons children learn in the course of growing up is the lesson of good work habits, or how to be responsible for beginning a task, staying with it even when it's difficult, and completing it in a timely manner. Children who learn good work habits become successful students and successful people. Children who fail to master good work habits face increased risk of failure. For many students, good work habits can mean the difference between success and failure.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ix

Introduction xi

1 Creating Structure That Works 1

2 Developing Positive Relationships with Encouragement 28

3 Engagement Strategies: Making Learning Enjoyable 45

4 PAT: A Motivational Gift That Keeps on Giving 64

5 How Students Learn Your Rules 84

6 How Teachers Teach Their Rules 104

7 Classroom Dances: Ineffective Discipline in Action 135

8 Soft Limits Invite Testing and Power Struggles 155

9 Firm Limits: Clear Signals Students Understand 172

10 Ending Power Struggles Before They Begin 177

11 Logical Consequences: Structured Learning Experiences 199

12 Recess Academy: Strategic Training for Mastering Skills 230

13 Two-Stage Time-Out: A Stop Signal Kids Understand 245

14 Using Parents for Backup Support 265

15 Using the Office for Backup Support 272

16 Managing Crises and Extreme Behavior 284

17 Supporting Students with ADD/ADHD 292

18 Supporting Students with Special Needs 314

19 Developing a School-Wide Discipline Plan 320

Appendix 1 Setting Limits Companion Guide 350

Appendix 2 Sheldon Elementary Consequences for Misbehavior 353

Appendix 3 Suggestions for Getting Started 356

Appendix 4 Teacher Study Group Guide 359

Index 374