One of the real issues facing schools today is the readiness of kids to begin. Are little ones ready for Kindergarten? If not, is Pre-K the answer? What should the focus of Pre-K be? Is it academic readiness or is it social preparation? Can you mix the two? How do you know which is the more pressing need?
There are lots of questions about readiness and not a lot of canned, ready to implement answers. In February 2015, Mark Howard published a very interesting article titled, “Kids and Catch-Upâ€. In this article he gives the statistics in Florida involving the impact of poor reading in the 1st grade and how 88% of these kids are still poor readers in the 5th grade. He then follows the trend lines of kids who entered school unprepared to learn and continued learning behind the curve and many who ended up dropping out and an alarming number that ended up incarcerated.
What makes all of this so difficult is that it isn’t as simple as dropping in good reading program and everything will be fine. These are little kids. Even if you have the best reading program in the world, how are you going to teach it to them when you can’t get them to sit down and pay attention. Again, the question is about preparedness.
Many schools are wrestling with testing and assessments for Pre-K-aged kids to determine their learning readiness.
Some are even going so far as to try and put together behavior scales and assessments to determine social and emotional preparedness. This is a very difficult task, because little ones can assimilate knowledge very quickly and can learn at an accelerated level well beyond an adult– but they do often do not possess the ability of discernment, decision making, and social and emotional maturity for educational and social integration.
Jean Piaget’s cognitive stages of development posit that kids in the age range of 4-7 typically have a similar cognitive functionality. This stage of development is known as the “Intuitive Phase†and during this phase, kids tend to be myopic in both learning and problem solving. Everything is seen and experienced and therefore dealt with through the prism of “Meâ€. This makes the integration into a structured social platform, ie classroom, a very difficult transition for many kids. It also means that we have Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st graders who will struggle with this, and that is actually normal. It is not abnormal, aberrant, nor unusual for a Pre-K student to fit right in and and grasp the structure of a school day with no problem. It is also not abnormal, aberrant, nor unusual for a 1st grader to struggle with the structure of a school day and the social and emotional expectations and demands.
So what do you do?
To answer these questions you have to look at the platform itself. Even though kids develop in phases, they are placed academically on age. There is not an acceleration or deceleration platform for kids based on maturity. I wish we could keep kids at their maturity level until they are socially and emotionally ready to progress, but we don’t. The main reason we don’t is because that process is expensive and it is counter to our linear educational systems that moves kids to higher level of accountability based upon their age, not their maturity.
This means we have to work within the platform. How do you do this? You define the expectations of the platformed ages and then you teach to those social and emotional expectations just like you would to the reading and writing level. We expect our kids to be able to read and write and add and subtract at advancing levels for each year of school.
What are your social and emotional expectations for Kindergarteners vs 3rd graders vs their Freshman year?
These aren’t usually defined. And the problem with little ones, those in that intuitive phase, is that it isn’t something you can simply assess and address. Instead, you have to make the maturing of your students’ social and emotional aptitude part of your instructional and teaching day. You have to teach them how to sit down and pay attention. You have to teach them how to stand in a line. You have to teach them how to get along with the kid sitting next to them. You have to teach them how to talk appropriately. You have to teach them how to be a member of the class, and then you must have a strategy that both reinforces and provides consequences based upon this teaching.
In other words, if you want kids that are mature enough to read and write and add and subtract, you have to teach them how to be a student. You have to teach them how to work and think and develop within the structured day of a classroom. You can’t simply assess and address. You have to make the development of your students’ social capacity an equal to their ability to read and write. If you don’t, a lot of our kids will continue to be poor readers and writers and learners. They can’t afford that, and neither can we as a society.
I was walking through the supermarket this past weekend when the old familiar Christmas songs began blaring through the speakers. Really? I could not believe they were already starting and then I looked at the calendar and realized it is December. This is the holiday month. This is the time of gifts and family and time off and laughter and food and happiness. This is the “Most Wonderful Time of the Yearâ€.
But what happens when the holiday season is not the “most wonderful time of the yearâ€? “Depression strikes about 17 million American adults each year, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The holidays can trigger feelings of dread, anxiety or depression in some people.â€Â
This isn’t a new concept. We have all heard that the holidays can be difficult for many people. But what about the kids?
There are many issues besides depression that teachers need to be aware of as the holidays approach. Did you know that besides depression – eating disorders, shoplifting, fatigue, overt aggression, sexual acting out, and other extreme behaviors increase amongst many kids during the holidays? We have to ask two questions: why and what do we do about it?
The why is straightforward but not at all simple. Many kids have a poor home life and due to a broken or a disadvantaged home they do not experience the joy of the holidays. They long for the happiness others have and will place themselves in harms way to try and obtain personal validation. Girls will open themselves to exploitation in the attempts to feel special. Boys will try to assert themselves physically and emotionally to make up for the emotional and even material support they do not get at home. Others will shoplift because they know the present won’t be under the tree, but they don’t want to be the only kids with out the latest games or shoes or cell phones. The reason inappropriate and often dangerous behaviors increase during the holidays is that it is a special time of the year, and a lot of kids do not feel special.
So what should an educator do?
The most important thing is to pay attention. Look for the kids that are hurting. If you know of a child from a broken or disadvantaged home, take time to call for help and secure a holiday for that child and family. If you know of kids suffering from low self-esteem, spend some extra time building them up so that they are not so vulnerable during these hard times. If you know of kids with eating disorders remind their parents to be overly cautious during the holidays. Vigilance is an absolute necessity as an educator, but it is even more important during the holiday season.
The song says that this is “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year†and that’s true for a lot of us. But for the kids who are hurting, this time of year can be a stark reminder of whatthey do not have and who they are not. Teachers, don’t rush to the holidays without noticing the kids who are hurting. Remind your students that they are special to you. And we all need to remember that a world exists outside of our home and our friends and we need to make that world a better place. Giving attention, time, and care to your students is a great place to start, and starting a few weeks early is much better than starting too late.
How
do we combat a pop-culture that is predicated on an immediacy of
gratification and an assignment of self-worth that is based more on
style than substance? How do we make sure our kids are developing in a
way that gives them an opportunity to relate to more than a screen? How
do we make sure our kids are growing and developing socially with the
ability to gain both a sense of self-worth and community accountability
and responsibility? How do we make sure our kids are developing
emotionally so that they understand that work and failure, then
overcoming failure to eventually succeed are much more likely in life
than quick and immediate success? How do we insure our kids are truly
developing? We do it purposefully.
Social and emotional education is in many ways very natural.
Teachers are constantly redirecting inappropriate behaviors while
teaching actions and words that are classroom acceptable. But these
incidental and incremental social and emotional trainings are no longer
enough. Think about the barrage of information on our kids that is
constantly streaming redefined values and words and deeds that run
contrary to who they should grow to become. Incidental and incremental
social and emotional training will not counter these social
influencers. They will also not be enough to insure your classrooms are
rightfully defined from a social expectation and therefore behavioral
standpoint. These incremental and incidental trainings will not be
enough to make sure your students are emotionally growing and coping
with the stressors of friends, media, family, and school.
It is time to reclaim classrooms and develop the core social and
emotional skills necessary to make our kids teachable students and
capable classmates. It is time to intentionally and purposefully teach,
measure and report the social and emotional development of our
students.
Over
the last several weeks we have spent a lot of time describing and
defining behaviors. After all, our words and appearance and behaviors
define us. People cannot see our intent nor can they hear what we are
thinking. They can only see the things we do, hear the things we say,
and observe the way we act.
Our behaviors are who we are to other people.
And some people’s behaviors need to change!
Psychology
101 tells us that changing behaviors is as simple as A-B-C. An
Antecedent leads to a Behavior and the Consequence of the behavior will
determine if that behavior continues or ceases. If the behavior is
inappropriate and is therefore negatively reinforced then it will cease.
If the behavior is appropriate and reinforced then it will enhance. It’s simple right?
It’s the old cattle prod and M&Ms behavioral philosophy? Give ‘em
M&M’s when they are good and the cattle prod when they are bad.
That’s about as basic Skinnerian as you can get. But we all know there
is more to the change process than punishments and rewards.
In fact, it can be a little complicated. Let’s lay it out in this 2 minute video:
Simple… isn’t it?
The process of changing behaviors can be fairly straightforward if you
have access to all of your students’ behavior information – including everything about all of the behaviors that occur at home and with their friends and when they are out in public. So all you have to do is:
Follow
your students around with notebooks and log every behavior, where and
when it occurred, who was around, how long it lasted, what was happening
around the behavior, the people involved, the reaction it received, the
duration and intensity of the behavior…
Thenuse all of that information to determine the function the behavior serves…
Once you know the function all you have to do is determine a
multi-variable reinforcement schedule that correlates to both cause and
function and…
Then also set up a consequence schedule for inappropriate behaviors and…
Then teach replacement behaviors for each targeted inappropriate behavior that correlates to the function.
(gasp for air…)
Good old simple straight-forward operant conditioning!
And this process can work. I have seen it work in institutions where
people are under constant surveillance and a whole gaggle of orderlies
is charged with documenting everything at all times.
But is your classroom set up like that?
Of course it isn’t.
That doesn’t mean behavior change cannot occur.
There are some basic components to the behavioral schemata that are
influential enough to sway and change behaviors, even without every
little piece of information. In fact, you can determine the functions of
behaviors without having to chart every aspect of the individual’s life
and you can effectively change behaviors without turning into a data
junkie. The key is focusing on the elements that will make a difference
and the elements that build the foundation for the functions of the
behaviors. In the weeks to come we are going to begin breaking down
these components into changeable, doable, and measureable processes.
And the best part – it won’t feel clinical or academic.
It doesn’t have to be tedious or
laborious. In fact, one of the best kept secrets in the clinical world
of behavioral care is that teachers are some of the best behavior changers out there. Why? Because behaviors are learned! So
if you want to change a behavior you have to teach a new one to take
its place and then teach why it is important to change. You know who is
good at teaching? That’s right, teachers! Changing behaviors can happen
and it can be affirming for both the person making the changes and the
person helping the change to occur. Teaching someone how to be
prepared for and participate in life is not only necessary, it is very
doable. And isn’t that what teaching is all about?
There
aren’t many sensory reminders that rush you back to your childhood days
quite like the smell of fresh cut grass. I was at my son’s baseball
game the other day, and as I sat there, hotdog in hand, listening to the
sound of a ball hitting a bat, and smelling the fresh cut grass – I
could have been 12 again. I remember the absolute thrill of counting
down those last weeks of school and how days seemed to alternate between
flying by and moving at a slow crawl. I remember sitting at my school
desk and daydreaming about all of the fun of summer. There would be
swimming and cookouts and baseball and friends and staying up late and
sleeping in. There were many days my body was sitting at that desk but
my heart, mind, and spirit were running through some field chasing my
dog. Now, 33 years later I still catch myself sitting at my desk
thinking about running through those fields and chasing my dog and
playing ball again. Summer is almost here and, despite what the song
says, it is the happiest season of all!
So, with summer quickly approaching let’s
talk about a couple of things you can do to help your students
transition into the summer mindset without them completely disengaging
from your class.
Some of you might be
scratching your head right now and asking yourself what good could come
from helping your students transition into a summer mindset… when it
seems they already took a hard left turn and checked out for the summer a
week or so ago. The reason it is important for you as an
educator to help your students transition into a summer mindset is
because you need to control how that transition affects your classroom.
Many teachers make the mistake of letting spring fever and summer
anxiety control their students’ attention span, attitude, and effort. On
the other hand, some teachers really struggle with trying to
over-control spring fever and summer anxiety, and they end up with
students rebelling against it. Here are some simple classroom hints for
helping your kids get ready for the summer while still making sure they
are contributors to your classroom.
Summer is so fun because it is a time that is very real for kids.
Learning and academics
occur in the mind of the students, and much of it is conceptual and
purely intellectual. Summer is real. It is hot and it is meant for
running and playing and working. Summer brings about an urge to get your
hands dirty and sweat and live as real in the physical world as
possible. This is why some kids have such a hard time maintaining their
focus in the classroom as summer approaches, because they are ready for
tangible, tangential, and real things. They are ready for something that
lays in their hands not just their minds. Use this knowledge to your
advantage. Now is the time to make lessons as tactile and interactive as possible.
Kids are already subconsciously transitioning into a mindset so use it
with lessons that have the kids up and moving. Teach a lesson outside.
Have them act out a lesson rather than lecturing them. Make the lessons
based on real time and real life examples. In other words, move your
lessons from being concentrated solely on their minds and also engage
their bodies. Kids are ready for the physicality of summer. Use that as a
learning tool in your class!
Challenge yourself to think back across the school year for lessons that were difficult and lessons that were a great success.
We tend to remember the
highs and the lows. Challenge yourself to re-engage those lessons and to
do so using with as much hands-on application as possible. In fact,
this would be a great time to engage in a teaching philosophy called
“Contract Teachingâ€. We can learn by listening. We will learn even more
by doing. However, we learn the most when we are responsible for
teaching. Think back on some of the difficult lessons and contract with your students to teach them.
Have groups of your students responsible for different lessons and put
them in charge of the classroom presentation, homework assignments,
grading strategies, and overall pedagogy. The reason to do this is much
like the reasons for #1 above. It makes the lesson hands on and
challenging. It moves the lesson from digestive or passive knowledge
procurement to application and interactive. It also provides a new
challenge to your students and lets them know you are still engaged, and
you are still motivated to motivate them. Try Contract Teaching and you
might be surprised how much your students will engage when they are in
charge.
Embrace summer!
Some teachers do
themselves and their students an injustice by trying to ignore the fact
that summer is almost here. There is a mindset that business as usual is
the proper marching order. The problem with that is that everything
around the student, and you, is changing. The flowers are back and the
grass is green and the days are longer and life has a feeling of renewed
energy. Don’t ignore that newfound zest for life. Embrace it! Make the
transition time to summer one that you are engaging in and a time that
you are excited about. Talk about it with your students. Sacrifice a little instruction time for some interactive time.
Listen to what your students want to do over the summer and share with
them your plans. Use this time to stoke their excitement, and then use
your skills as an educator to have them invest that excitement into a
lesson that is both intellectually and tactically stimulating.
Spring is here and summer is just around the corner.
Embrace the season and engage in the energy it brings.
Make it a special time for your students and yourself.
