TEACH IT, MODEL IT, EXPECT IT (Part 2)

My pictures still will not download...AUGH!  I'll have to take some new ones on Monday.  What a long day....it's going to snow here tomorrow and I seriously believe children have a built in barometer telling them that the weather is changing...it's like when there's going to be a full moon!  CRAZY!!! 

I realized the other day that when I talked about teach it I never talked about what to teach.  Here's my theory...teach them what YOU want them to know about behavior.  I once taught with a teacher who didn't mind that her students follwed her around the room like little ducks.  It drives me crazy to be followed around all day. So I make sure to teach my students how I want them to get my attention.  It's all about what you want your kids to know and do.  If you like them following you around the room...let them.  However, if you don't want them to then teach what they should do.

Model It
I once taught with a wonderful counselor who modeled and role played everything!  She was awesome!  The kids even role played how to go trick or treating...how great is that?!?  Ever since then I make sure if I teach kids what I want them to do I then model it and role play it with them.  Make it silly and fun- for example:  when I teach my class how to get my attention (raising their hand and not following me around the room) I have 6 or 7 little kids follow me around the room and let the kids see what it looks like and why it doesn't work.  Then we model kids raising their hands and talk about why that does work.

We role play everything in my room:  what to do when someone makes fun of you, what to do when the teacher is talking to another teacher, what to do when you have a B emergency (Bathroom, Blood or Barf), what to do when someone takes something away from you, what to do when your friend wants to play with someone else, what to do when you finish a paper early and your friends are still working, and on and on and on. 

I believe that if you don't teach it and model it then you can't expect it.  Once I teach it and model it then I expect it.  So, hopefully I'll get pictures of my classroom managment plan I use and I can show you how and what I do when I've taught it and modeled it but kids still have trouble doing it!