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Welcome! This is a free newsletter on becoming a Response-Able Educator and developing Response-Able students.
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My mission is to inspire, encourage and uplift the spirits of educators so they can in turn inspire, encourage, and uplift the spirits of their students.
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"Education is like anything else in life. You get out of it what you put into it. Public education makes me proud to be an American. It embodies, after all, the purest of American ethics. It's free to all, and it's as good as we want to make it. That is a lesson that I want to ensure that my child learns."
----Elizabeth Randall
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When a student chooses an inappropriate behavior that results in a problem, use the Step in the Right Direction technique. First, invite the student to write out exactly what happened, listing all the steps that led to the end result (the problem). Typically, students will list things they did as well as things that others did.
He took my ball.
I chased him.
I took it back.
He swore at me.
I hit him.
We got a detention.
Second, give the student a large sheet of construction paper. Have the student place either a picture or a written description of the end result on the far right side of the paper. Then have the student represent each step of his or her experience by drawing small foot tracks (left, right, left, right, left, right) that lead across the paper from left to right in the direction of the end result. This will create a visual representation of the steps (choices) that led to the outcome.
Next, ask the student to identify which steps he or she had control over and which steps could not be controlled. Then have the student pick two steps he or she had control over and list other steps he or she could have taken to cause the path to veer off in a different direction. Have the student write a conclusion at the bottom of the paper.
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What if an unspoken contract exists between you and the universe saying that if you help a troubled student overcome his or her difficulties, you will be given new challenges in the future, and if you are unable to connect, accept, appreciate, and grow with this student, you will be given another one with similar troubles next year?
=========================================================== “Teacher Talk: What It Really Means” by Chick Moorman and Nancy Weber is available from Personal Power Press, $13.95 by calling toll free, 877-360-1477 or emailing IPP57@aol.com.========================================================
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Sign found in an English teacher's classroom: Don't use a big word where a diminutive one will suffice.
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Self-Reffered Comments
"I think I'll get started correcting these papers. A fast start helps motivate me to keep going."
"I'm going to write a note to the principal. I want to share my appreciation with him for the assembly he arranged for us."
"When I get home tonight, I'm going to run this newsletter through my spell check. It's important to me to have no errors in it."
Self-referred comments such as these are one useful way to communicate values, ideals, and personal standards to your students. To make a self-referred comment, structure the first part of your teacher talk so you are speaking about yourself. Follow your comment about yourself with a values connection.
"I think I'll organize my desk." (Comment about self)
"It's a lot easier to find things in an organized desk." (Values connection)
"I'll pass on the cupcake, thanks." (Comment about self)
"I want nutritious foods fueling my engine." (Values connection)
"I'm going to write that note to your mother right now." (Comment about self)
"I want to make sure I keep my word to your mother." (Values connection)
To increase the chances that students will notice your positive modeling, use self-referred statements as you are performing the act you're talking about. Talking about what you're doing while you do it adds the auditory component to the visual one. If you are modeling getting started quickly, for example, say: "I think I'll get going on these right away. Getting a fast start gives me a better chance of finishing my work before I go home." Then give visual support to your teacher talk by following through with a quick start.
(Adapted from "Teacher Talk: What It Really Means," by Chick Moorman and Nancy Weber. $12.95 plus $3.74 shipping and handling. Call (toll-free) 877-460-1477 or email ipp57@aol.com for quantity discount prices.)
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Rules without relationship result in rebellion.
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By Michael T. Powers
thunder27@aol.com
Junior high school is probably the worst time in young people's lives. Bodies are changing in ways youngsters never thought possible, and many spend most of their time trying to fit into a mold that peers have formed for them. Gone are the days of Elmer's glue, crayons, and the tiny scissors with the rounded edges. From here on out, students have their own lockers, carry their books to each class, and start making their own decisions about which classes to take. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. They have to take showers in front of their peers! Naked! AARRGGHH!
What I remember most about junior high, however, was the incredible pain and heartache that students inflicted on one another with their words and actions. Some students seemed to have it all together, and they often seemed to make those around them feel that they didn't measure up.
It wasn't until much later that I learned that those who ripped on others suffered from a terrible self-image and tore others down in order to make themselves feel better. In fact, they were usually a totally different person from the one they presented to the outside world.
I didn't have the best self-image in junior high, and there were two things I fell back on to gain acceptance -- athletics and humor. I have always been a decent athlete, which brought me a certain confidence and increased the comfort level of my life, and I have always been able to make people laugh. At times, the laughter came at another's expense.
I didn't fully realize what my humor was doing to the self-images of those around me, particularly one classmate of mine. Her name was Tracy and she had a crush on me. Instead of nicely letting her know that I wasn't interested in her, I got caught up in trying to be funny, making her the brunt of my jokes. I am ashamed now to think of how I treated her in seventh grade. I went out of my way to make things miserable for her. I made up songs about her and even wrote short stories in which I had to save the world from Tracy the evil villain.
That all changed about halfway through the year, however. Mr. Greer, my physical education teacher, came up to me one day.
"Hey, Mike, you got a second?"
"Sure, Mr. Greer!" I said. Everybody loved Mr. Greer, and I looked up to him like a father.
"Mike, I heard a rumor that you were going around picking on Tracy." He paused and looked me straight in the eye. It seemed like an eternity before he continued. "You know what I told the person I heard that from? I told that person it couldn't possibly be true. The Mike Powers I know would never treat another person like that. Especially a young lady."
I gulped but said nothing. He gently put his hand on my shoulder and said, "I just thought you should know that." Then he turned and walked away without a backward glance, leaving me to my thoughts.
That very day I stopped picking on Tracy. I knew that the rumor was true, and that I had let my role model down by my actions. More importantly, though, I realized how badly I must have hurt this girl and others for whom I had made life difficult.
It was probably a couple of months later before I fully realized the incredible way in which Mr. Greer had handled the problem. He not only made me realize the seriousness of my actions, but he did it in a way that helped me to save some of my pride. My respect and love for him grew even stronger after that. I don't think I ever apologized to Tracy for my hurtful words and actions. She moved away the next year, and I never saw her again. While I was very immature as a seventh grader, I still should have known better. In fact, I did know better, but it took the wisdom of my favorite teacher to bring my knowledge out into the light.
So, Tracy, if you're out there, I am truly sorry for the way I treated you, and I ask for your forgiveness -- something I should have done eighteen years ago.
Michael T. Powers
Thunder27@AOL.com
Thank you to Heartwarmers.com for permission to reprint this article.
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"Teaching for Respect and Responsibility" workshops are now being offered around the country. The fall schedule includes:
Lansing, Michigan
November 14th
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
November 18th
Atlanta, Georgia
November 21st
This full-day seminar will help you reduce power struggles in your classroom, cope effectively with disrespectful behaviors, increase respectful/responsible behaviors in your students, and help students assume increasing amounts of control over their school lives.
For a full brochure and registration materials, call (toll-free) 877-360-1477 or email ipp57@aol.com.
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To find out more about workshops, seminars, and keynote addresses presented by Chick Moorman contact him at toll free, 877/360-1477 or email IPP57@aol.com
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