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Just designed an innovative power point module on ‘Student Assistant Team’  (SAT) procedures for  high schools.

The 14 ‘slides’  outline the entire SAT process, with extensive strategies for managing student behavior.   A six – step intervention is illustrated for identifying problematic behaviors  and specific strategies to remediate their impact on general classroom management.

This module would immediately benefit high schools exploring practical techniques to empower regular education faculty’s skills addressing students’ learning requirements and social – behavioral needs.

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Conducted a 70′ – workshop on basic Ecological Model management techniques for high school accounting teachers last Thursday in Rocky Hill.  The 15 participants had never attended a session offering practical strategies for managing their students’ behavior.  A unique power point module for ‘specialists‘ highlighted proactive techniques. Overwhelming positive response indicated the necessity for additional training on this topic.  All districts need to provide this resource to art, music, business, and technology staff.

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I  have just completed revisions of my Ecological Model booklets to include current recommendations and photographs from my Fall 2011 consultees.  These strategies will immediately benefit your instructional skills and behavior management ability.

The newly revised booklets are available immediately in both print and digital formats via HP’s MagCloud service. Visit my page on MagCloud for available titles and pricing/purchasing information.

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In combination, the interplay between these variables is impacting the commitment to parenting, the maturity of adult role models, the levels of parental education, and the stability of communities (Cherlin, 2009). Since the nature of families is in a constant flux regarding child-rearing practices, including a steady increase in co-habitation arrangements (Kennedy & Bumpass, 2008), schools must analyze this dynamic to create innovative practices. In particular, students’ confidence, initiative, problem-solving skills, and motivation, among others, directly reflect parental nurturing and guidance (Anfara, 2008; McKinney & Reni, 2011). With diminished parental ‘quality time’ invested in children’s welfare, students are entering elementary schools with fewer readiness skills, a greater potential for disruptive behavior, and limited socialization abilities (Burdzovic, 2009). In particular, critical social – emotional skills, like cooperation and respect, are often undeveloped because of limited parental training and modeling (Whitted, 2011).

Students with a nurturing, stable, and protective family background typically have a greater probability to excel academically, as evidence by their mastery of standardized tests (Taylor & Dounay, 2008). Lacking these basic family components (Lapkoff & Li, 2007) is a strong predictor of school-adjustment issues, which often culminates in a failure cycle that severely restricts graduation rates. Reversing this unfortunate outcome is a persistent problem that will require imaginative curricula modifications and instructional interventions.

References

Anfara, V. A. (2008). Varieties of parent involvement in schooling. Middle School Journal, vol 39, 3, 58 – 64. [link]

Burdzovic, J. & Watson, M. (2009). Moderating effects of family environment on the association between children’s aggressive beliefs and their aggression trajectories from childhood to adolescence. Developmental Psychopathology, 21, 189 – 205.

Cherlin, A.J. (2009). The state of marriage and the family in America today. NY: Alfred A. Knopf Publishing.

Cooper, C. E., Crosnoe, R., Suizzo, M., & Pituch, K.A. (2010). Poverty, race, and parental involvement during the transition to elementary school. Journal of Family Issues, v 31, 7, 859 – 883.

Kennedy, S. & Bumpass, L. (2008). Cohabitation and living arrangements: New estimates from the United States. Demographic Research, 19, 1663 – 1692.

Lapkoff, S. & Li, R. M. (2007). Five trends for schools. Educational Leadership, 64, 6, 74 – 79.

Luscombe, B. (2020). Marriage: What’s it good for? TIME, v 176, 22, 48 – 56.

McKinney, C. & Renk, K. (2011). A multivariate model of parent – adolescent relationship variables in early adolescence. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, vol 42, 4, 442 – 462.

McLanahan, S. and Beck, A. N. (2010). Parental relationships in fragile families. Future of Children, v 20, 7, 17 – 37.

Taylor, T. and Dounay, J. (2008). Strengthening parents’ ability to provide the guidance and support that matter most in high school. Police Brief: Education Commission of the States.

Whitted, K. (2011). Understanding how social and emotional skill deficits contribute to school failure. Preventing School Failure, vol 55, 1, 10 – 16.

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Don Perras:  Classroom Management Consultant 

I invite you to visit and ‘like’ it… and tell all your friends.

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A combination of related factors is contributing to this dilemma. Lax parenting, a society that glories self-gratification, electronic images encouraging personal expression, and a disturbing tolerance of ‘atypical’ behavior are all guilty. Parents, in particular, are failing to teach and model responsibility. Children receive less nurturing and guidance because parents are either coping to survive or driven by materialism. As the quality of parenting declines, children are psychologically and emotionally needier than in prior decades.

Given excessive freedom to satisfy personal needs because of parental guilt or denial, students are uninformed about the importance of social etiquette toward others. This creates an immediate conflict in school, since children unprepared for compliance disrupt the feeling of cooperation required for learning. Unless parents assume their obligation to develop ethical behavior in their children, public schools will become socializing agents rather than places of learning.

Beyond apathetic parents, society has an enormous role in this problem. As fascination with technology reaches epidemic levels, children quickly become addicted to the stimulation and excitement associated with these products. Shorter attention spans and distractibility are creating extreme pressure on teachers to maintain motivating lessons that satisfy this constant desire for visual entertainment. School activities are viewed as boring and irrelevant. A commitment to excellence defines a small portion of students, while the majority is either satisfied with being average or becomes alienated by high testing standards. Ultimately, classroom behavior is determined by the students’ power to resist instruction, especially if their parents misunderstand the purpose of school.

Typical measures of school success, including grades, are competing with students’ preference for self-expression. Ignoring rules and expectations is considered ‘normative,’ particularly with adolescents, who feel a sense of entitlement to challenge faculty consequences for misbehavior. Regardless of government mandates to improve achievement, students’ ambition to learn will be directly connected to their ability to behave in school.

Public education, therefore, is balancing two opposite realities: educating young people to value the long-term outcomes of their schooling against societal approval of behavioral immaturity and self-centeredness. Unfortunately, teachers frequently lack sufficient training to manage challenging classes. This inadequate preparation reduces their ability to implement creative lessons that motivate all students to attend and behave.

If public education is going to achieve its lofty goal of preparing competent graduates to succeed internationally, improving students’ behavior must be a top priority. Parents must assume responsibility for teaching their children respect for authority, social awareness, and ethical values. Developing behavioral self-control in children requires a huge commitment of time and energy that school cannot provide. Leaving discipline to social institutions is arrogant and irresponsible.

Finally, society must assess its profound influence on the mores of our youth. Condoning heedless self-gratification is producing a generation of disruptive and disrespectful students. Exposing impressionable children to constant toxic messages is tearing apart the social network that allows society to function. Conscientious citizens should rally against this profit-oriented culture before this generation shapes the future of our nation.

Without a determination to address this matter, schools will be prevented from educating young people to become self-sufficient and socially accountable. Our country’s standard of living and social interdependence are at stake.

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