Random Acts of Kindness and Praise.

Date: 2015-10-07; view: 458.

Peace

Unify

Look at the following tips for struggling first year teachers

To build class unity you have to make sure that students know what to do, how to do it, and when to do it. Pay attention how to the procedures, policies, and rules in your class seem to be working. Don't be afraid to tweak those that may need a bit of adjustment as your students have become familiar with you and with each other this year.

Give your students (and yourself) moments of peace in the day by offering times when they work independently. You do not have to be on all day long. By doing this, you lower the ambient stress level and give kids a break from each other and from you while still encouraging them to work.

I have also challenged students to compete for the title of “Most Courteous.”

I made a large poster again and graphed the incidence of courtesy that I observed. A vertical bar graph is a really effective way to show this. I listed several types of behaviors I wanted to promote and keep a total. Doing this in a visual way makes it easier for every student to not just focus on those positive behaviors, but to compete in a positive manner.

Set up a box or some other area where students can thank each other for various random acts of kindness. They drop notes in the box and, after screening them, you read them to the class at the end of a week or at some other convenient time.

Increase the amount of praise that you give, both in person and in writing. Your students should hear as many positive statements as you can manage.