- The rules no longer hung on the wall ignored.
- We practiced the rules everyday in the beginning, and frequently throughout the year.
- It became an EASY and POSITIVE way to redirect behavior. Was someone talking? I simply said, "Rule #2." And the whole class reinforced the rules by repeating, "Raise your hand to speak," along with the gestures.
- The rules set concrete expectations that the students became so familiar with that it helped them to monitor their own behavior and take responsibility for their actions.
- Students even began to use the rules to kindly correct their classmates! Is that teacher heaven, or what?!
This year our school as a whole is adopting a new set of rules. There are ten "behavior ethics"...
Every class in the school will use these "ethics" to set expectations and communicate with parents. In a perfect world, I would be able to follow the WBT techniques to the letter and use the five classroom rules. However, due to these school-wide expectations I think it will be best to jump in and find a way to "Wibbify" what I have here.
The first five behavior ethics, more or less, cover the basic classroom rules that one would find in Whole Brain Teaching. I think I will post all the behavior ethics, but highlight the first five in some way. I will point out that these rules give guidelines on classroom behavior, so we will focus more attention on them in class by rehearsing them with gestures. Who knows...by the end of the year, the students might make gestures for all twenty of the ethics listed!
Allison
WBT Intern, 2011-12
I am looking forward to a full year with the 5 classroom rules. I wonder about your school's new set of rules and ethics. I believe that students should be able to know, understand, and recite their school rules automatically. How can they do that with so many? All of those rules and ethics can fit within the five WBT rules. But if all twenty rules and ethics are mandated, then I think you have a great idea to have kids come up with gestures for them all throughout the year.
ReplyDeleteI agree Rand, 20 is A LOT! I'm wrestling with how to use them most effectively. The thing is that we will deducting points from the citizenship grade and communicating with parents using this framework. So if a student uses inappropriate language, their planner will be marked with a B-8 for breaking behavior ethic #8. Because of this, I don't think I want to completely separate the classroom rules from these 20. But maybe just focus on the most important at the beginning at least.
ReplyDeleteI'm still thinking on it...keep the feedback coming! :)
Allison
Allison, Hi! We "met" this summer while blogging. I just wanted you to know that I found out about WBT because of YOU. I watched all the videos I could find and decided to try it. We've had our first two days of school. My second graders are impressing everybody! I LOVE IT! THANKS! Jayne
ReplyDeletehttp://abcsofreading.blogspot.com/
Jayne! I'm so glad to hear that you are enjoying WBT!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIt really does make a huge difference, and it gets other people's attention.
Keep in touch and let me know how it's going :)
Allison
Hii, Allisong.. Nice to visit thus blog..
ReplyDeleteI am Noorma, I am From Indonesia..
I need many materials about ethics in the class..
can you help me?
Wow! I really like this!
ReplyDelete