Western RSE-TASC Comprehensive Classroom Management Tool Pearl Bowker, Christopher Morse, Cherie Wilkolaski ERIE 1 BOCES
WHAT Comprehensive Classroom Management Tool WHY The purpose of this tool is to provide educators with indicators of successful, evidenced-based classroom management practices. In an effort to assist teachers, new and veteran, with their classroom management needs, this tool was developed to be used in its entirety or broken down into pertinent sections, based on needs. First, it can be used in planning to help set up classroom management practices. It can also be used as a reflective tool. In addition, this document can be used for assisting teachers in instructional and classroom management practices. Another way of using this tool would be for coaching, modeling and/or mentoring. Maximize Structure and Predictability Physical Organization Schedules and Routines Transitions Post, Teach, Review, Monitor and Reinforce Expectations Positive Classroom Environment Culturally Responsive Classroom Actively Engage students in Observable Ways Big Ideas Review and Introduction of the Lesson Active Teaching I Do Guided Practice We Do Independent Practice You All Do/You Do Lesson Closure Student Engagement Explicit Corrective Feedback Instructional Match Pacing Specially Designed Instruction for Students Who Need Support to: o Independently Manage Behavior Requirements of Class o Communicate in Standard Ways o Independently Organize Self or Materials o Learn English as a New Language Use a Continuum of Strategies to Acknowledge Appropriate Behavior Use a Continuum of Strategies to Respond to Inappropriate Behavior WHO Teachers Instructional Coaches Behavior Specialists HOW Teachers can selfassess their current practices using this document as a planning and/or reflective tool. Instructional coaches can use this tool to guide coaching conversations for planning or reflection. It can serve as a tool for guiding lesson demonstration for modeling classroom management practices. Behavior Specialists can use this tool in trainings while aligning it with classroom management practices. Participants can use it for action planning and as a pre and posttest assessment of classroom management practices. 1
Teacher Name: School Name: Maximize Structure & Predictability Physical Organization Date: 1. Classroom is culturally responsive, reflecting the linguistic and cultural diversity of the staff and student population in the class; e.g., books, materials, displays include culture and ethnicity; labels, rules, and assignments are posted in English and native language(s) 2. Materials and space are organized; e.g., clearly delineated and labeled areas, student desks arranged to optimize instructional activities 3. Students have necessary materials at hand 4. Staff have necessary materials at hand 5. Students can see and be seen by staff 6. Staff and students are able to move throughout the classroom with ease 7. Equipment is adapted so that students can actively participate in the instructional activity Schedules and Routines 8. Classroom schedule is posted and, when necessary, modified with visuals, so that students are aware of the activity sequence of the day a. The schedule is reviewed with students and referred to throughout the day 9. If needed, students are prepared when changes are going to occur within the schedule 10. Routines are in place and explicitly taught for: a. Arrival and dismissal b. Entering and exiting class, e.g., beginning and end of the period c. Beginning a lesson d. Ending a lesson e. Gathering/preparing and returning materials, e.g. sharpening pencils, etc f. Obtaining class attention g. Caring for personal needs, e.g., lavatory, drink, etc. h. Managing assignments, e.g., when completed, when absent, when missing, etc. i. Asking/answering questions j. Requesting help k. Movement within classroom, e.g., between centers, work areas, etc. 11. Students who need extra support are prepared, e.g., via schedules or cues 12. Teaching assistants and aides are actively engaged in supporting the structure of the classroom and instruction Transitions 13. Student transitions are structured 14. Students are explicitly taught the steps and expectations of transitions 15. Directions are simple, short, specific and stated positively e.g., students are told what to do rather than what not to do 16. A whole-class prompt is provided prior to transitions Y N NA 2
17. Staff use verbal and/or non-verbal prompts to cue individual and group transitions between instructional groupings, instructional tasks, etc. 18. Students complete transitions between instructional groupings, instructional tasks, etc. within 2 prompts 19. All students are actively engaged in transitions, including students who are waiting for the next activity 20. Positive, descriptive feedback is provided to students who appropriately engage in the transition 21. Staff effectively guides students who need extra support during the transitions 3
Post, Teach, Review, Monitor & Reinforce Expectations Positive Classroom Environment 1. 3 to 5 positively stated behavioral expectations and corresponding rules are prominently posted in the classroom and are able to be read from any point in the room a. The posted behavioral expectations are referenced verbally and/or non-verbally b. Specific acknowledgements of student demonstrations of these rules aligned to expectations are provided 2. Staff make statements that are welcoming, caring and encouraging 3. Students are greeted as they enter the classroom 4. Staff use students names 5. Connections to students interests and or goals are explicitly made 6. Staff tone in conversations with students is positive, calm, and supportive 7. Staff make positive statements that students will be successful 8. Students are acknowledged for both performance and effort 9. Staff has conversations with students; a back and forth social exchange that involves a statement, a response, and a counter-response, i.e., to build positive relationships 10. Staff encourage students to interact with others 11. Staff use verbal and/or non-verbal prompts to cue expected behavior during instruction 12. Students complete the cued routines within 2 prompts 13. Staff specifically acknowledge appropriate behavioral responses more frequently than inappropriate responses, e.g., 5:1 ratio 14. Both proactively and as a response to disruptions, staff use strategies like scanning, interacting frequently with students, and purposeful movement e.g., proximity control 15. As appropriate, staff collect data on student behavior; e.g., tally marks, time on task, # of students responding to questions, etc. 16. The culture and ethnicity of the students enrolled in the class is reflected in classroom displays 17. Aspects of all students cultures are used to support learning 18. Staff have high expectations for all students Y N NA 4
Actively Engage Students in Observable Ways Big Ideas 1. Students are working on content aligned with the work of their grade level peers 2. Teacher ensures that instruction is engaging and interesting to students a. Teacher-directed group activites are developmentally and age appropriate b. Activitives engage multiple learning modes (e.g, visual, auditory, kinestetic, etc) to facilitate learning c. There is a balance of teacher-directed and student-directed activities 3. All students are given opportunities to participate in the lesson 4. Instruction is differentiated to meet the needs and ability levels of all the students 5. Staff provide active supervision and prompts to ensure students remain engaged and to support participation in the lesson Review and Introduction of the Lesson 6. Teacher and/or students explicitly reference content and strategies of previous lesson 7. The objective of the lesson is referenced and posted 8. Staff and students make explicit connections between lesson and students interests or goals, and as appropriate post-secondary opportunities 9. Teacher provides purpose for content, strategies and skills being taught including what & why the how & when 10. Previously taught vocabulary is reviewed 11. New vocabulary is explicitly taught Active Teaching I Do 12. Teacher models new content, strategy or skill by making thinking visible, e.g., use of a think aloud or similar strategy 13. Teacher models steps of strategy in sequential order without skipping steps 14. After modeling, teacher checks for understanding by reviewing and recording steps of strategy or skill Guided Practice We Do 15. Teacher leads students through step-by-step practice 16. Staff provides scaffolds for students who have not mastered the skill/strategies 17. Staff fades scaffolds as students begin to master the skill/strategy, and immediately corrects any errors 18. A short formative assessment of students level of understanding is conducted prior to moving on to independent work, e.g., response cards thumbs-up, quiz 19. Additional guided practice is provided based on student performance Y N NA 5
Independent Practice You All Do/You Do 20. Staff moves through classroom and checks students work, providing feedback Lesson Closure 21. The objective of the lesson is revisited by teacher 22. A short formative assessment of students level of understanding is conducted, e.g., exit cards, collects independent work, self-check, peer check of work, etc. Student Engagement 23. Teacher ensures multiple opportunities for students to respond: a. Oral responses: e.g., choral response, think-pair-share; partner response b. Unison responses: e.g., choral response; white-boards; response cards c. Team responses: e.g., numbered heads together; jigsaw d. Written responses: e.g., response cards, white boards, think-jot-share; pair and write e. Action responses: e.g., touching/pointing; gestures; acting out; hand signals; facial expressions 24. Teachable moments are utilized to facilitate learning, i.e., incidental teaching 25. Students work in groups of varying sizes; e.g., individual, pairs, small group, whole group Explicit Corrective Feedback 26. Timely & specific feedback is provided to students, regarding: a. effort b. achievement c. behavior 27. Affirmative feedback is given to students when they respond to a question correctly by echoing the correct response for the class Instructional Match 28. Developmentally and age appropriate concepts and language are used 29. Students correctly answer questions regarding content/strategy 30. Students demonstrate understanding of directions, e.g., accurately restate directions, complete directions as given by teacher Pacing 31. Teacher maintains a steady brisk pace of instruction as appropriate to student level. 32. Staff allows at least 3 to 5 seconds of wait time to enable students to process responses to questions/directions 33. Teacher pauses to enable students to ask questions Specially Designed Instruction For students who have difficulty with basic academic skills in reading, writing and/or math: 34. There are structured accommodations for reading, writing and/or math tasks such as charts, reference tables, manipulatives, individual work folders and student grouping 35. Accommodations to the reading, writing and/or math tasks are used by students who have difficulties with basic academic skills 6
For students who are not able to independently manage behavior requirements of class: 36. Staff explicitly teach and/or re-teach behavioral expectations to students with behavioral difficulties 37. Staff explicitly teach and/or re-teach behavior self-regulation strategies; e.g., self-talk, selfrating, scripting, social stories 38. There are structured accommodations that enable the student(s) with behavioral difficulties to manage his/her participation; e.g., behavior report card, student-specific acknowledgement system, check in-check out card, seating arrangement 39. Accommodations are used by students with behavioral difficulties to manage their participation in instruction For students who are not able to communicate in standard ways: 40. Staff explicitly teach and/or re-teach communication strategies; e.g., practicing with partners, using nonverbal cues, using picture/symbol cards, specific vocabulary needed to participate in the lesson 41. Student, staff and peers are using alternative modes of communication; e.g., interpreter, sign language, picture symbol cards, communication boards or devices, longer wait time For students who are not able to independently organize self or materials: 42. Staff explicitly teach and/or re-teach the use of organizational strategies 43. There are structured accommodations that enable the student(s) with organizational difficulties to manage classroom participation; e.g., personal assignment/homework book, color-coded folders, visual schedule, checklists, technology resources 44. Accommodations are used by students with organizational difficulties to organize self and/or materials For students who are English language learners: 45. There are structured language comprehension supports for English language learners; e.g., practicing with native speakers of English or speakers of their native language, use of nonverbal cues, picture symbol cards, pre-teaching specific vocabulary needed to participate in the lesson 46. As determined by formative or diagnostic assessment, students who are ELLs are provided with wait time, to process information given in English as well as to respond and ask questions 7
Use a Continuum of Strategies to Acknowledge Appropriate Behavior 1. Use descriptive praise for students skills, behaviors and activities 2. Students are acknowledged for behavioral and academic performance and effort 3. Positive feedback is provided at a higher ratio than corrective feedback, e.g., 5:1 ratio 4. Positive verbal acknowledgement is provided when students follow classroom expectations and rules 5. Positive non-verbal acknowledgement is provided when students follow classroom expectations and rules 6. A variety of group contingency strategies are developed e.g., group earned reinforcement 7. A variety of group contingency strategies are implemented e.g., group earned reinforcement 8. Positive praise is used in conjunction with other strategies when students follow classroom rules that are aligned to expectations 9. A motivational system for individual recognition is used, i.e., token economy Y N NA Use a Continuum of Strategies to Respond to Inappropriate Behavior 1. Developmentally and age appropriate behavior management strategies are used in response to problem behavior that occurs, e.g., time out, redirection, etc. 2. Staff ignores behavior when appropriate e.g., behaviors that are not harmful to student or others 3. Positive attention is provided to the student when the s/he begins behaving appropriately 4. Natural and logical consequences are used to redirect students to use appropriate behavior 5. Active supervision is provided e.g., moving, scanning, interacting 6. Proximity control is utilized 7. Students are provided with support to to get back on track 8. Choice and preferred activities are offered to motivate or redirect students 9. Students who are withdrawn, distracted, or off task are redirected to more productive activities 10. Problem behavior is responded to by using it as a chance to teach an acceptable alternative, e.g., direct student toward a desired alternative behavior 11. Written agreements are created between staff and students e.g., behavioral contracts 12. Staff ensures safety of student and others 13. When student recovers, staff supports understanding of the consequences, follows through by implemeting them, and facilitates restoration of relationships and or property Y N NA 8
Resources Archer, A. L., & Hughes, C. A. (2011). Explicit Instruction: Effective and Efficient Teaching. New York: Guilford Press. Hollingsworth, J., & Ybarra, S. (2009). Explicit Direct Instruction: EDI: The Power of the Well- Crafted, Well-Taught Lesson. Thousand Oaks: Corwin Press. Lane, K. L., Menzies, H., Bruhn, A., & Crnobori, M. (2011). Managing Challenging Behaviors in Schools: Research-Based Strategies That Work. New York: Guilford Press. Simonsen, B., Fairbanks, S., Briesch, A., Myers, D., & Sugai, G. (2008). Evidence-based Practices in Classroom Management: Considerations for Research to Practice. Education and Treatment of Children, 31(3), 351-380. Age Appropriate - http://cirrie.buffalo.edu/encyclopedia/en/article/114/ Developmentally Appropriate - http://www.naeyc.org/dap 9