Minute by Minute Spanish

This is a vintage power struggle that you will lose if you respond to the comment rather than openly acknowledging the tactic  the student is doing.

From my book “Teacher Dialogues” I post two signs up  and discuss them during a neutral time.

Now, let’s apply the four kinds of responses by students to the situation that a student is once again late to class.  The bell has rung, you are giving directions to the rest of the class, a student slips into her chair, and you neutrally tell her to see you at the end of class about being late.

DENY:              “No, I’m not!”

                        “That’s not true, just a little late . . .”

RESPONSE:

“OK, the little child part of you is reacting by denying [as I walk over to the posters].  I need you to take a step towards being a mature teenager and apologize.  Can you do that for me today?  No, well, perhaps tomorrow will be better—I believe in you.”  [Then I would continue on with the lesson and let the other students tell her to hush and not be a baby.]

DIVERT:              “Junior is texting!”

                           “But yesterday she was late.”

                           “Everyone is doing their homework before you check it.”

RESPONSE:

“OK, the little child part of you is reacting by diverting [as I walk over to the posters].  I need you to take a step towards being a mature teenager and apologize.  Can you do that for me today?  No, well, perhaps tomorrow will be better—I know you will get there.”  Then I would continue on with the lesson and let the other students tell her to hush and not be a baby.

CHALLENGE:      “Why do you always act like the first few minutes are important—you don’t do anything during them.”

                           “No other teacher cares if someone is 20 seconds late.”

” You are picking on me.”

RESPONSE:

“OK, the little child part of you is reacting by challenging me [as I walk over to the posters].  I need you to take a step towards being a mature teenager and apologize.  Can you do that for me today?  No, well, perhaps tomorrow will be better—I have seen many glimpses of you being very mature for your age, and I know I will see them again.”  [Then I would continue on with the lesson and let the other students tell her to hush and not be a baby.]

THREATEN:        “My mother says if you pick on me again she is calling the principal.”

                           “I’m gonna sue you for making fun of my being fat and walking so slow.”

                           “I’m telling my uncle the lawyer that you only single me out because I am . . .”

RESPONSE:

“OK, the little child part of you is reacting by threatening me, and it sounds like today just isn’t working well for you  [as I walk over to the posters] but I need you to take a step towards being a mature teenager and apologize.  Can you do that for me today?  No, well, perhaps tomorrow will be better. I believe you will be able to do this and have a bright future.  [Then I would continue on with the lesson and let the other students tell her to hush and not be a baby.]

After all of this repetition, you probably have the solution part memorized.  Great!  Now memorize these words: deny, divert, challenge, and threaten.  Begin to closely observe others; practice labeling reactions in your mind and soon the correct response will fall out of your mouth naturally!

Two days before I return to year 23 of my teaching middle school, I didn’t want to take the time to answer a teacher inquiry: “What behavior management tool do you use with your middle school students? I’m trying to find a way to motivate my students to participate more and to work together.”

I am learning new names, making seating charts, reading IEPs ,  and making detailed seating charts of everyone’s health alert for substitutes.  I am planning my presentation to parents while 700+ new students tour our building.

But the question haunted me and here is why.  If you put the time into prepping your lesson, setting the expectation of working together, providing many activities in class, and appeal to their innate curiosity, they will work together and be motivated.  This is not a “what” question but a “how “question “how do I prep a lesson that engages?”  “How do I set the expectation of working with everyone in the class so clearly that noone dares to whine or challenge me on their partners of the week?”    “How do I ” rather than “what will fix my not doing the how.”

You don’t need a Spanish One Class Management tool if you do the following:

1. From day one students have a seat partner and a random weekly partner. (Here is my explanation of random partners  spoiler alert – it will help them to get along where they end up working.) At least 5 – 7 times a class period they turn to their seat partner to practice what is on the board. They are able to participate because I assign the partners and the dialogues are clearly on the board. I am able to walk around the room and circle because of #2.  There is no room for not knowing what to do – it is all on the board.  No time lost finding a partner – very neat and controlled.  From day one it is my expectation of working together, of choral responses, of always having visual support on the board.

2. Make a daily tech guide so that your class routines and the day’s activities all set up for you to use with your remote presentation device or clicker. You can be anywhere in the classroom, like behind the ones who go off task.  Stand behind them and keep on teaching.   Drench  them  choral  responses, tell  them  to  turn  and  tell  their  partner,  rarely  do  hands  go  up   for  individual  responses  if   one   student is  answering,  29  are  not  answering.  With  a daily  tech  guide  you   can  do  so  much  more.  Click  here  to  see  videos   of   my   lessons. You will be able to keep the class moving through so many more activities than usual with your daily tech guide.  Make  a  template and  save it as “day 13” and the next one “day 14” –  for ideas on such a template, go here. 

3. Your transitions (the major time for things to fall apart) are seamless with slides and transition videos.  The music releases endorphins and makes everyone happier.  They are singing during the transitions rather than going off task.  See here.  If you need help funding anything check this out: https://www.tptclassfund.com  

4. I do not want to be replaced by a computer language program, and most likely  neither do you.  Computer programs drill, excellent teachers reveal in such a way that students  want to know if they are right.  I reveal vocabulary, not just give a list.  I tell them that X  is tricky, be sure to lookout for Q and they are gleeful when they do. Many activities involve spontaneous speech where partner A see something on the board.  Partner B has his or her back to the board and makes guesses while A provides feedback.  Students love guessing and getting things right.  I have a daily review of previous vocab and will change one little detail so it doesn’t become rote – they love not falling into the predictability trap.  I frequently  wonder   aloud  how  long   something  will  take  and  they  pull  together  to  exceed  my  prediction.

In the 80’s I interviewed with a boss who explained her teaching style like this:

“Today you are going to learn X.  This is X.  That is X.  Copy X.  Repeat X.  Answer  me, what is X?  In summary, X is this.”  I think of that when I see teachers explain something, give a worksheet, and go over the answers with no joy in the process of what students were thinking.  It reminds me of that boss from over 30 years ago.

5. Once you have taught something, note the mistakes so in the next class you can generally refer to it. Otherwise any correction in class is personalized and parents are told “She hates me.”

For example, I introduce new vocabulary as a dictation, I point to vowels and they try to spell the word, then check the spelling on the other side. Students tell me ‘lo acerté’ o “no lo acerté.” I then will ask how many of you put an ‘s’ instead of a ‘c’? That is the most common mistake – relieving them of feeling bad that they didn’t get it right. Engage them with discovery.

Discovery  motivates students intrinsically and is so much better than external rewards. External rewards tell students  “this is so boring I have to bribe you” and eventually your first reward system will bore them and you will have to up the ante.  Forget the what and do the how.  You and  your students will be glad you did.

Welcome to Minute by Minute Spanish!

I am so excited to be  a part of this great bilingual blog-hop!

This resource is a deceptively simple activity for students beginning their journey to understanding that we simultaneously have similarities and differences with one another.  

Divide students into groups of 4 or 5.

The group needs three sentences of what they have in common, beyond attending the same school and having the same teachers. These are written on the plant holder.

Then each student write his or her name on a stem of the plant and in the individual leaf at the end of the stem write one thing that this student did that no other student has done. One time I went to Germany. One time I had ten stitches.

Thank you so much for stopping by and visiting.

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There’s more – visit Erin Coleman’s blog next – she inspires us all to be better teachers by connecting to our students.

There’s more – visit Erin Coleman’s blog next.

A special thank you to Monica Self of Bilingual-Classroom-Resources for organizing this amazing blog hop!