Comments on: Two Blog Posts, Both Alike in Dignity

By: Damian

Damian — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 18:39:37 +0000

@pam: I agree; I think so much of classroom management comes down to respect. It’s not the only thing, of course, but I’d say a good 90% of problems can be avoided when the kids respect you, each other, and know that you respect them (and won’t tolerate disrespect).

I’m relatively shenaniganless m’self, too.

By: Pamela Carr

Pamela Carr — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 02:00:52 +0000

First: I agree that using technology to interact with your students should be a very important part of the curriculum. I don’t mean to use it on a personal level, but use it professionally with students. It is a must if we expect our students to learn how to use technology for communicating on a professional level. I NEVER use it to have a personal relationship with students, that would be inappropriate, just as seeing a student outside of school personally would be.

Second: Classroom management…respect, flexibility, comfort. I think that my students feel that I respect them and their opinions, I can change my direction in mid-sentence if I need to and I feel comfortable with my students. I have been teaching for 14 years and these things took a bit of time to figure out…but I really do not have any “shenanigans” in my room at all! LOL.

By: Damian

Damian — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 21:31:42 +0000

@ann: Yeah, it’s getting a bit hectic over there, alternating between ugly and a lovefest in the comments. Thought I’d spread out a bit over here; thanks for sharing those resources.

@kate: Cool and hip, yes, but don’t forget my boyish good looks! Seriously though, liability is always something of which we should be wary; I just didn’t see a liability issue in this particular case. While I have never driven a student anywhere (nor do I think I ever would, barring some extraordinary circumstances), I have supervised and waited around for parents to pick up their kids. Also, I prefer to keep doors open whenever I’m in a classroom alone with a student. Like I said in your initial post, for me, it’s about boundaries, not walls.

By: Kate Olson

Kate Olson — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 20:05:09 +0000

Damian –
I’m honored you chose one of my posts to write about in your re-entrance to the blogging world after that new baby girl entered your life

Just a follow-up: I had several email exchanges with my student over the past weekend and even made a point of mentioning this to my administrator. She treated this as a non-issue, as will I. I will continue to have PROFESSIONAL email contact with students in the future.

Remember, I’m a new teacher, so things that may seem like no-brainers to others make me think a little more. I’m coming to teaching after being in the business world and during our teacher-prep courses we were bombarded with sessions on minimizing liability – the reason for my initial hesitation. Do you KNOW how many times we were told never to have a student in a car with us, or alone in a classroom with us, etc? It’s insane.

The reason I love my learning network so much is that I can blog about an issue such as this and get almost instant response. Thanks so much for taking the time to share your thoughts with me, I really value your input.

As for your classroom management techniques, I think it’s simply your coolness and overall hipster attitude that helps you out

By: Ann Oro

Ann Oro — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 15:55:25 +0000

Damian:
Classroom management is near and dear to my heart, but I didn’t have it in me to post at Dan’s blog (what a discussion going on there).

Each year of the last six, it is something I improve upon. This past summer, I took a Harry Wong online course in classroom management. It was well worth the price of admission. I like his book and also one by Fred Jones. I linked to them on a wiki that (I think) Dan either started or added to (http://firstday.wikispaces.com/generalbooks). It is a very important topic and one that takes years and years of practice. I look at my sixth grade teacher who teaches fifth grade here at my school and see what 30+ years does in the classroom management arena. She’s spectacular.

By: Damian

Damian — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 04:17:02 +0000

@ken: It is impossible to use the word “shenanigans” non-ironically and expect to be treated with anything other than scorn and derision. It’s one of those words that you hear someone say, laugh, and then realize, “Oh wait, he was serious??”

As a young(er) teacher, I got a lot of unexpected mileage out of pop culture references; that was enough to partially fill in some of the gaping voids in my classroom management style.

I’m with you; I think there are some bases from which we can all start, but at some point, you’ve gotta become your own teacher, and part of that involves developing your own management style.

By: ken

ken — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:58:12 +0000

there are just some things that twist my intestines too much.

both of these topics qualify.

ouch.

By: ken

ken — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 03:56:39 +0000

Since Dan doesn’t listen to me (like my height, my comments be too short and underdeveloped), I’ll explain that writing about classroom management is like writing about digestion. At some level, the process is universal, but upon closer examination, we all go through it differently.

Anecdote: First year of teaching. Tough class. Ask dept. chair for advice on keeping control. Response: snap loudly. Next day I snap. No improvement. Tell dept. chair. His response: “That’s what I do. You got to find your own way.”

Anecdote #2: Sixth year teaching. Had a student teacher. Older fella, second career. Tough time with management. Tough time ‘relating’ to kids. His two went to private school, both in chess and debate clubs. Asked for my advice. Said: watch MTV, surf the internet, try to relate to them, show some pop-cultural literacy. Following day, student teacher starts class with: “Alright, listen up or you’re out of here. I’m tired of your shenanigans.” He never taught again.

On another note, I didn’t read Olson’s post, but I coach a lacrosse team and gave them my home and cell numbers. To each his own.