What to Do When Students Aren't Listening

If your school year has gone at all like mine has, you might be feeling like this:

I know it can be incredibly frustrating and I have had days this month when I just wanted to rip my hair out! But when I take a step back, get out of my feelings, and think about what is really going on in my classroom, I come to rely on these ten key steps to help get kids to listen to what I'm trying to teach them.

1. Eye Contact

This is probably the most basic thing you can do to connect with your students. Making direct eye contact reminds them that you are paying attention to them and encourages them to do the same.

2. Proximity

The next thing to try is just to walk around your room and stand near the students who aren't paying attention. Sometimes they just need a subtle reminder that you're nearby and that they should focus. Moving around the room also makes it easy to have a quick check-in with a student who may need more support.

3. Student Helpers

Children LOVE having jobs to do in the classroom! It could be something as simple as turning the lights on or coming up to point on the board. Any time you can enlist a child's help in the lesson you strengthen your bond with that child, which will in turn help keep them engaged. 

4. Wait Time

Sometimes the best thing to do when kids are talking is to wait it out. Talking over students sets the precedent that it's ok to talk while the teacher's talking. One word of warning, though: make sure that your students are aware that you're waiting. Otherwise they might not even realize that the lesson has stopped because they were off topic. I sometimes will say, "raise your hand if you hear someone next to you talking" and that usually gets the room quiet.

5. Change up the Activity

You should consider that there might be a problem with the pacing or format of your lesson. Remember that children's attention spans are pretty short and getting shorter. When in doubt, get up and dance or have a stretch break!

6. Private Conversation

If you do need to redirect a student multiple times, I suggest pulling them aside and talking to them privately about their behavior. Doing so in front of the whole class is not only dehumanizing for the student but has the potential to create a power struggle if they don't comply with your instructions. Talk to them personally. Try to figure out where the unwanted behavior is coming from and ask them how you can help them succeed.

7. Involve All Stakeholders

If you continue to struggle to connect with an individual student, don't be afraid to get others involved who may already have a strong relationship with them. Keep in mind that it's not always going to be a family member. You can also (within reason) reach out to another trusted adult at the school who has a good relationship with the child. Make sure that when you do communicate with the adult that you are calling them in with the intention of listening and understanding in order to help the child.

8. Lesson Audit

If you're doing all the previous steps and still struggling with students not listening, it's time to consider whether your lessons or curriculum might need changing. As teachers, we're obligated to meet our students where they are- not where we'd like them to be. Find out what your students' interests are and go from there.

9. Re-establish Class Norms

Sometimes you might need to have a heart-to-heart conversation with a class about what's working and what's not. Be open and honest about how you're feeling and encourage students to share their feelings as well, if they are comfortable doing so. Work together collaboratively establish your class norms to move forward as a team.

10. Reach out for Help

These are extremely challenging times. Teachers are getting burnt out. Children are experiencing trauma. It's easy to get discouraged. It helps to remember you're not alone. Hopefully you have someone at your school you
can talk to. If you don't have supportive people at your schoolhouse, reach out to your teacher fam on social media. Just as it is with everything else in life, we can only get through this by working together.

Help! I'm Teaching Elementary General Music!

So you just found out you're going to be teaching Elementary General Music. Congratulations on your new teaching job! Maybe you're coming into this position after teaching a different age/subject area, or maybe this is your first job outside of college. Whatever has brought you to this point, you made it here! 

Your mind is probably spinning with ideas for next school year and questions for where to begin. I'm here to remind you to relax, take a deep breath, and get ready for a year full of learning and personal growth.

1. First and foremost, relationships matter
   As an Elementary General teacher, you're probably going to be teaching hundreds of children every week. It can be overwhelming at first to think about getting to know so many kids! This definitely gets easier the longer you stay at one single school, but that first year it is most important to get to know your kids: Talk to them during transitions or downtime. Ask them what their hobbies and interests are, and be sure to incorporate that information in your lessons. Say hi when you pass them in the hallway.
   
   I wouldn't try to jump right into teaching content during your first lesson. That first week of school should be spent getting to know your students through ice breaker activities, name games, and joyful music-making.
   
   Just as important as it is to get to know your students, it is equally important for them to get to know you. Children aren't going to learn from someone they don't trust. It is crucial to be open and friendly from the very beginning. I always start my first class with a slideshow that includes family photos and fun facts about me. I've bonded with lots of kids over my pet lizard and love of Animal Crossing. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Expectations, Expectations, Expectations
   Elementary schoolers are, in general, eager to please. After teaching in multiple schools across the state, I have come to the conclusion that kids everywhere are pretty similar in this area, regardless of age, race, gender, class, or any other characteristic. Kids want to learn, especially from a teacher they know and trust. The biggest mistake I've seen from newer teachers who struggle with classroom management is a failure to set clear expectations. Most kids really do want to succeed in school, but might not fully understand what exactly you want them to DO in order to be successful.
   
   I can still remember a horrible moment (but oh, so funny in retrospect) from my first year teaching: I had a water fountain in my classroom and there was a group of first graders that came to me straight from phys ed. They were all seated and ready for class to begin and I was giving them a little tour of the features in the classroom. I casually said, "oh and there's a water fountain here in case you ever need to get a drink." Have you seen the scene in The Lion King with the stampede? Yeah... not making that mistake again. But I don't blame the students. What I should have said was something along the lines of, "We have a water fountain in the music room. You may take a drink when you first enter the classroom before you sit down in your seat, or you will need to raise your hand and wait to be called on before you get up." Young children need explicit instructions in order to be successful. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Attention Span
   If you're coming to the Elementary realm after teaching upper grades, you may be surprised by how short young children's attention spans are. A good rule of thumb is the child's age in minutes is the length of time they can focus on a single activity. So a seven year old can focus for seven minutes, etc. 
   
   Primary students will visibly let you know when they've reached their limit and need a change of pace because they will start to get squirrely in their seats. A super self-aware kindergartener might even raise their hand and ask if they can do the next song standing up. With the older kids it might be harder to tell when you've lost their attention, until you notice them having side conversations, falling asleep, or just staring off into space. 
   
   When planning my lessons, I try to alternate between more challenging/high focus activities and less intense ones. I also try to switch between seated/standing/scattered in small groups/moving around. Little bodies were not made to sit still for a 40 minute class period. So many behavior problems can be avoided simply by keeping them moving.
   
   
4. Learn Their Names
   This might seem obvious, but learning your students' names is SO important. If you do nothing else the first month of school, learn their names. Write down every student on a seating chart. Refer back to it every time you see the class. When you call on an individual student, don't just point to them- actually say their name. If you get it wrong, apologize and get it right next time. When I first started teaching, I remember being embarrassed to admit when I couldn't remember a kid's name. However, trying to avoid admitting it only made the problem worse. I've found that kids are quite understanding when I simply say something like, "I'm so sorry. I teach hundreds of kids and I'm still learning everyone's names. Will you please remind me what your name is?" 
   
   And while we're on the subject of names, make sure you are pronouncing every child's name correctly. Yes, it matters. No, it's not funny to give them an Anglicized nickname because you can't pronounce it in their language. Obviously your students should be the primary source for how to pronounce their names, but if you need a guide so you don't feel completely lost on the first day of school, check out https://pronouncenames.com/
   
   
   Our names represent who we are and failing to use a child's name correctly tells them that you have no interest in them. I highly suggest reading the book "Your Name is a Song" by Jamilah Thompkins-Bigelow at the beginning of the school year and using that as way to encourage students to share the correct pronunciation of their names.
   
   
   (Click on the book cover for a paid Amazon affiliate link:)
   
   
   
   
   
   
5. Make a Monthly/Yearly Plan, and be prepared to deviate from it
   I can't tell you how many times I've seen the following post in some form or another on social media: "Hey everyone, what are you doing with your second graders this week?"
   
   It makes me cringe every time. 
   
   Now, don't get me wrong: I am ALL FOR sharing successful lessons and fun teaching strategies with my colleagues. However, it has become very clear that some folks are only planning their lessons one week at a time and have no idea what the big picture is for their curriculum. At the beginning of school year, I spend a few days mapping out my entire year for each grade level (big picture units, not individual lesson plans) and it makes planning so much easier later on. I never have to stop and think, "hmmm, what is the next rhythm concept that my third graders should be learning?" because I already have it all planned out. Most school districts have some kind of curriculum and pacing guide for you to use as you design your yearly plans. (If not, you can easily find decent plans online on Teachers Pay Teachers.)
   
   Once you have your year planned out, you don't need to stress from week to week about what concepts you're supposed to be teaching. Instead you can spend your planning time selecting the best repertoire and awesome activities to teach those concepts. Of course, things will not always go according to plan. It might take more or less time to teach certain concepts and it is important to be flexible. One class might get interrupted by a bunch of fire drills or miss class due to holidays. There's a reason why I always sketch out my plans in pencil! 
   
   
6. Music should be FUN!
   Depending on your school district, elementary music might be the only time in your students' school experience where they are required to take a music class. You might be the only music teacher your students have in their entire lives. (No pressure, right?) What do you want your students to remember when looking back on your class in 30 years? Do you want them to say, "Oh man, Ms. Jones did a really great job of teaching me the circle of fifths" or would you rather they remember the amazing time they had in your classroom, bonding and connecting with others through music?
   
   I try to keep this in mind whenever I'm having a rough day or a certain class leaves me feeling frustrated: My job is to help kids discover their love of music. I get to sing, dance, and play games every day. And people actually pay me to do it! It is really the best job in the world.
   
   

I hope you're excited to begin teaching Elementary General Music and I hope these tips make the transition a little bit easier for you. If you have any questions, you can always reach out to me with a comment, email, or on social media. I'd love to hear how things are going as you start your journey. Good luck!

Feelings Check!

A terrorist attack on our nation's capitol... in the middle of a deadly pandemic... This past week has been a crazy one in the United States and I know that my personal feelings have been ALL OVER THE PLACE. Anxiety, worry, moments of joy and surprise... I have no doubt that my students are also struggling with lots of big feelings right now. As teachers we can't expect to solve all of our students' problems, but we can certainly check in with them to help recognize their emotions. As the saying goes, "If you can name it, you can tame it." 

Online learning makes it so much harder to get an accurate gauge of how our students are doing emotionally. We are physically distant and often can't even see their faces. Unless we make a point of asking our students how they're doing, we could miss significant things going on with their emotions.

I made these feelings check-ins as lighthearted way to inquire about my students emotional wellbeing and readiness to learn. After all, a child with dysregulated emotions is not going to able to sit and focus in a music lesson! It is our job to find out where the students are and what they need. 

I sometimes add one of these images to the beginning of my lesson slideshow. I ask students to respond by typing their number in the chat. I give them the option to share more details about why they chose their number but make sure they know that divulging more information is not required. It has started some meaningful conversations and helped me understand more of what my students are going through during these crazy times.

I hope these are helpful for you and spark meaningful conversations between you and your students!

Beating the November Slump: Every Accomplishment Starts With the Decision to Try

Friends, the November slump is a real thing, and failing to recognize it can be a real problem. Just browsing through the feeds on my various social networks shows me that my teacher friends across the country are feeling the pressure. The weather is getting murky and the kids are getting antsy. The new school year honeymoon period is WAY over. Everyone is eager for a holiday break and it can feel like pulling teeth getting the kids to participate in learning. Office referrals and suspensions for behavior are starting to rise. This might make some teachers feel ineffective and question why we are in this business in the first place. I am writing this post to remind us (myself included) that it's just a feeling and it will pass.

In light of all that, I thought that I would share something positive: I had a great accomplishment with a student today!

I have a first grade student... let's call him "E." He is well-known for his behavior issues throughout the school. I've been working hard on establishing a positive relationship with E and helping him see the music room as a safe space. His behaviors typically manifest as the following: running around the room, hiding under/climbing on objects, and blurting or screaming out of turn. His classmates are often very frustrated with him because they want to get on with class and see him as a disturbance. 

This afternoon, the class came into my room and went to their assigned carpet spots, except for E. He had argued with another student before my class and was upset before he even walked in the door. He refused to sit in his assigned seat and instead he went and sat in the corner of the room by my upright piano. 

I knew that this situation could go south very quickly. 

I am trying planned ignoring with some of E's behaviors. I have already discussed this with the rest of the class. They understand that when E starts to act up, they should try to carry on as normal unless he is making it impossible for us to do so. I reminded the class that when someone is upset we should do our best to try and make them feel comfortable and welcome. One little boy immediately told E that he could come and sit near him if he wanted (Awwwww!)

But E wouldn't budge. While I taught my lesson, he inched himself closer and closer to the piano until he was hiding behind it. The class was singing a song a cappella, until E took the cover off my keyboard and started playing random notes. 

The students all started laughing and I knew this was the tipping point. My planned ignoring was not going to work any longer. I briefly considered calling the guidance counselor to have him removed from class. But then, I glanced over at my desk, where I have my favorite motivational sign that reads, "Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try." 

I knew that if I called the guidance counselor, she would be very understanding. E frequently has to be removed from class. I also knew that it would mean a day where E does not get to experience music. 

I really didn't want that to happen. I decided to try.

I stopped the class from laughing and briefly talked to them about how we all express ourselves differently when we're upset. I told them that there was nothing funny about one of their friends in need. Then I went over to the piano to have a private talk with E. I told him that he didn't have to go sit on the carpet, but he needed to make a better choice than crawling under the piano.

He nodded in understanding and moved to another corner of the room. He was still hiding and separating himself from the group, but at least now he was within sight and earshot. I continued teaching my lesson. 

He stayed that way for another five or ten minutes. Then, the class sang a song that had some fill-in-the-blanks and I asked for volunteers to give suggestions of things to say. Lo and behold, E came out of the corner and had a suggestion. I used his idea in the song and he beamed with pride. He went to the carpet and sat next to the sweet boy who offered him a spot earlier in the class. He stayed there and happily participated in the rest of the lesson.

Of course, as any Title 1 teacher (or teacher of students with behavior difficulties) knows, there will be days when you have to call an administrator to remove a student. There will be times when a child is out of control and there is nothing that you can do or could have done to prevent it. This does not make you a bad teacher... it makes you a responsible teacher for exercising good judgment. 

However, I am so glad that today, I didn't have to resort to that. I made the decision to try, and today, that was enough.

Advice for a Struggling New Teacher

Over the weekend, one of my best friends from college reached out to me on behalf of someone I've never met. This friend of hers is in her first year of teaching and is having a lot of trouble with managing the behaviors of her middle school music students. I wrote this up for her and figured it might help someone else who is having behavior issues at this point in the year. So I've posted it here in the hopes that someone may find it useful....

I have been in some schools where the older students (fifth grade in particular) had really bad behavior. One thing that I've learned from behavior specialists is to remember that MOST of your students are not acting out on purpose.

In general, think of it like a pyramid:

At the bottom of the pyramid, 60-70% of your students, are intrinsically wired to WANT to please you and they genuinely WANT to do well in class.

The middle section is about 20-30% of kids, who are generally well-behaved but can be swayed easily by "ringleaders" who are acting up. They might also just make mistakes because kids are people too and nobody's perfect.

Then there's the top tier, 10-15% of kids who have more serious behavior issues. These kids may need individualized interventions, such as frequent 1-on-1 reminders to stay on task, check-ins with the guidance counselor, or a behavior chart to stay focused.

For that top tier, a few things to remember:

-QTIP: Quit Taking It Personally
 Students who have severe behavior issues are usually acting up because of things outside of your control... factors at home, issues going on with their friends/peer group, a negative experience with a previous teacher, etc. Remember that no matter what, they are children and they need to be loved. You should never take their bad behavior personally.

If they are teasing you or making fun of you, it's most likely because they want to get a reaction out of you. They are looking for attention, and for many of them, they have learned that the quickest way to get an adult's attention is to act a fool. Try your best to keep an even keel, especially when your top "ringleaders" are misbehaving. If they see that they won't get a reaction out of you, they will eventually stop trying.

-Use redirection strategies
Use things like proximity and name-dropping first to try and redirect the bad behavior. If that doesn't work, try a PRIVATE conversation 1-on-1 to redirect the bad behavior. Kids want to save face in front of their peers so if you call them out publicly for their misbehavior, that will only embarrass them and probably lead to a bigger blowup.

-That being said, you do need to establish consequences
Follow through with them consistently and without emotion. If your rule is 3 strikes = phone call home to parents, you'd better make sure you follow through with that. If calling home doesn't make a difference with that particular student, try to find another consequence that will have an impact. Loss of social time at lunch? You can talk to their homeroom/other veteran teachers at your school to get ideas of what might work best with your particular students.

-Be proactive with your top tier students 
Use the students in examples, ask them to be classroom helpers, send them to another classroom to give a teacher a note... anything that you can do to show them that you value their presence and want them to be a part of the community. If you can take time to have a lunch bunch with some of them, you can get to know what they're interested in learning about and tailor your lessons to get them interested and engaged.

-Never raise your voice 
Kids will tune it out and you will only end up hurting yourself. Wait for the group to be silent before trying to give instructions. If a student misbehaves, never yell at him/her. My kids know that when my voice gets really quiet, I am NOT happy.

-Give clear directions 
When you plan your lessons, try and think of them from a student's perspective. If you say "read this rhythm" will they understand that what you really mean is to speak it on syllables and clap it? Be explicit in your directions and leave nothing to chance. If you leave a direction open for interpretation, kids will try and argue about it. "But Miss, you never SAID I couldn't run across the room and talk to my friend."

-Be consistent! 
I know I said this already, but it is so important. If your rule is everyone enters the class quietly, then follow through with that. If they talk on their way in the door, send them back out to the hallway to try again. Be relentless. Eventually they will get tired of the back-and-forth and will comply with you. You are the adult the room. Don't forget that.

For the rest of your students...

For the rest of them, I recommend that you take a step back and try to really figure out where the behavior is stemming from. If there's several ringleaders in the class who are throwing the rest off, make sure they are seated far away from each other and in a place where they won't get the attention of the rest of the group. (Planned ignoring of those kids can also be an effective strategy, as long as the rest of the class understands that you are ignoring bad behavior and they don't see it as an invitation to join in the behavior.)

I know from experience how discouraging it can be when you are standing in front of a class and it feels like NO ONE is listening to you. I also know that the hardest thing to do as a new teacher is to try and get a class back once it's gotten that bad. My first year, I had a fifth grade class whose behavior was so poor that even my bottom tier, 60% kids, were talking and not listening to me.

The thing to remember is that most kids are not doing that because they are trying to be bad. They might simply do not know what it is that you expect them to do. Many times, even after we as teachers think that we've made it clear what our expectations for behavior are, the kids still don't get it until they've practiced the correct routines and gotten positive feedback from you.

To start with, I'd recommend rewarding the good behavior that you are seeing. Immediate positive feedback works best. "[student name], I like how you entered the classroom quietly." You can establish a class incentive... Some teachers accumulate marbles in a jar and add a marble every time the class is focused and behaving well.

The one that I do is a sticker chart... when the class has a good day with their behavior, they earn a sticker on their chart, and after earning 10 stickers they get a "free" music day where we do line dances like the cha-cha slide or whip/nae-nae. One that might work for you since you're on a cart would be to try to spell the word "MUSIC" one letter at a time. Any time you see good behavior, you put a letter on the board. If they earn all five letters during a class period, maybe they get to watch a fun music video on youtube at the end of class.

I also have a deal with my classes that if MOST people are making good choices and it's just 1 or 2 kids misbehaving, I will let the class earn their sticker for the day, but when it's time for the reward, those 1 or 2 kids will simply have to do an alternate assignment while everyone else has their "fun" day.

Speaking of doing fun stuff in class, I think it's especially important to show the students that what we're teaching is relevant to their lives. If they feel that the subject is personally significant to them, they are more likely to "buy in" and listen to what you are talking about. I know that as a classically trained musician, I sometimes feel outside of my comfort zone teaching hip-hop or rap music in my classroom. But that's ok! Let the kids know that you are interested in learning more about their music and you'd be surprised what they can teach you. Try and add body percussion and opportunities to be creative into your lessons. I think the kids will surprise you with what they can do if they feel personally invested in the music-making.

I've definitely tried to teach lessons where the kids would not stop talking, and I came to realize that their behavior was a good way for me to reevaluate my teaching methods. Am I presenting the information in an engaging way? Am I incorporating technology? Giving kids time to talk about the information and work in groups? Am I breaking up my information into 5-6 minute chunks to make it easier to understand? Am I presenting the information visually, aurally, and kinesthetically? Am I providing movement breaks? Even big kids need to get up and move around in every class.

I hope that some of this information is helpful to you. It takes time, but it gets easier.

For now, if you still have a bunch of kids who are misbehaving and just a small handful who are following directions, start with the ones you've got. Just teach something really fun and interesting to that handful of kids. Once the rest of the class sees that what you're doing is worthwhile, they'll catch on and will want to please you.

You also might want to have a "come to Jesus" talk with them and re-establish your rules. Take a class period to do this and invite an administrator into the discussion, if you'd like. Tell them that you have not been happy with the way the class is going this year and you want to turn things around now. Give them something to work towards... i.e. if their behavior improves, they can do a fun music composition project on garageband or something.

Invite the students to come up with a behavior contract with rules that they all agree on. Have them sign it, send it home to parents... show them that you care about music class and you expect them to care about it, too.

And finally, some tips for self-care:

Teaching is HARD work, but it's important work and the kids are so much better for having you there.

It is so important for you to find a support system. A buddy teacher in the school that you can talk to when you need to vent after a rough class. Or an advisor, if you are lucky enough to have one. Are you a member of the "Music Teachers" facebook group? It's got thousands of members and there is always someone willing to answer your questions or suggest teaching strategies.

Cultivate hobbies outside of school. Something fun that's just for you, not teaching related or music related. As much as you can, leave work at work and enjoy your home life at home.

Reflect on the positive things that are happening in your classroom. Even if the best thing that happened in your class was that one kid said hi to you, write it down. You are your worst critic and chances are that things are not as bad as they seem. Once I started my teaching blog, I saw how many great things were going on in my classes and it completely changed my outlook. Try and hold on to the good things that happen every day.

And last, but not least...

DO NOT GIVE UP! It will get better.

Music on Wheels: Making the Most out of Down Time

I've been thinking a lot lately about how I use down time in the classroom. As a teacher on wheels, I have come to embrace the fact that my classes are always going to need some transition time. I need time to get my cart in and out of the room, set up my files on the computer, and prepare any instruments or manipulatives that we are going to be using that day. That's what inspired me to write my next installment of Music on Wheels:

Making the Most
out of Down Time

When we teach music on a cart, there is inevitably going to be a lot of transition time, especially right at the beginning or end of class. We as teachers know that transitions can make or break a lesson. If given no direction, the classroom will devolve into a chaotic mess of screaming children and flying pencils.

... or will it?

This will probably sound controversial to some people, but I actually believe that in the right setting with the right classroom chemistry, down time can be very beneficial. It can give students a minute or two to mentally refocus and go from math/reading/whatever to music mode. They might choose to just put their heads down and tune the world out for a minute. It can be a time to rearrange their desks and books. It can give them time to socialize quietly with their peers. It's a good opportunity to take a water or bathroom break. If we give our students a chance to do these things before we start our lessons, then they are more likely to give us their full attention once we are ready to begin. 

As we add more and more rigor into every subject of the day, kids (and teachers) are under a lot of stress to fit everything in. So when I can offer my students a minute or two to relax and chat with their classmates, I embrace those opportunities.

However, you have to know your students and be aware of what they can and can't handle. 

Depending on the grade level or just the chemistry of the kids in a particular class, I might choose to give them a little more direction during this transition time. 

For instance, for PreK through 1st grade, I work to minimize down time. From the moment I enter the room, those classes know that we are getting started and that they need to be quiet. I usually pick a helper who goes around the room and high fives the students who are quiet with their "five things ready" (hands, eyes, feet, mouth, ears.) This fills the down time while I'm pulling up our songs on the computer.

With 2nd graders, I will often come into the room and give them a discussion prompt. I'll say, "talk quietly at your table to see what you all remember learning in music class last week" or something like that. It gives them time to have a focused, meaningful discussion while I'm setting things up. I might also have one or two students lead vocal warm-ups or a rhythm exercise.

Usually by 3rd grade, I find that the students are mature enough to handle down time. They have to be able to monitor their actions and do what's appropriate. In those classes, I have set the expectation that while I'm setting up for the lesson, they can use that time for bathroom, water, or just quietly sit and talk with their neighbors. So far, it has worked like a charm. I find that when I've given them this down time to relax, they are less likely to interrupt the lesson and therefore we get through just as much- if not more- material during the class period. We have also discussed the importance of quieting down and focusing once I am ready to get started.

It's all about trusting your students and knowing what they are capable of. If your standards are high, you might be surprised how they can rise to meet them.

Classroom Management with Cones

Photo credit: www.lovethispic.com

Helloooooo June! As I use my blog to connect with teachers from other parts of the country, I can't help but feel envious this time of year. For many people, the school year is already over!!! We go until June 18 here in Maryland, so I have a few more weeks to try and squeeze in as much quality music-making as possible.

To avoid the feeling of "limping across the finish line," one thing that I like to do at the end of the school year is test out new things. Sometimes it will be a new folk dance or re-doing an activity that I wasn't too sure about the first time. I have also found that the end of the school year is the perfect time to test out new classroom management techniques. I like to see if they may be worthwhile so that I can plan to implement them at the beginning of the next school year.

And that, my dear readers, is why I just bought 28 little plastic cones from the Target dollar section.

Last year, I had the privilege to spend a day visiting and observing a veteran music teacher in my county. She told me at the beginning of the day there was one class that particularly troubled her. She felt that their behavior was very poor... I was fascinated to see how she used these cones to reinforce positive behavior during music class.

• For the first 10-15 minutes of class, she would point out the students who had exemplary behavior. When she complimented a student, he/she took a cone off the pile and placed it under his/her chair.
• As class continued, any time one of those students showed good behavior she would say something along the lines of, "Great job! This is why you earned a cone earlier."
• When they started a game or song, she would select volunteers and helpers from the people with cones FIRST, and then invite the rest of the class to join in.

It worked like a charm! The students tried so hard to earn cones... I hardly saw any behavior issues pop up during the class at all. At the end of class, the students put their cones back on the pile. A sturdy, re-usable reward system.

So last week, when I was browsing the Target dollar section and came across these cones, I immediately thought of the teacher I observed. I just HAD to buy the cones. I like that they are assorted colors because it means that I can also use them for grouping, etc. in other activities.

I put them on my cart and tried them out Friday with first and second graders and they were such a great incentive! I like it better than our token economy dollars because they are clearly visible. Students worked SO HARD to earn cones and I had to promise that I would bring them back another day so that more students could get a chance to earn them.

I am so glad I decided to try this out now, at the end of the school year. I think this idea's a keeper!

Token Economy: A Love-Hate Relationship

This morning, as I spent a good chunk of my planning time standing at the photocopier and paper cutter, my mind began to wander. I was completing my monthly task of copying page after page of cartoonish, fake money. This is the "token" that we use to reward students for their good behavior at one of my schools. 

This is a view of the top of my cart.
You can see the Star Bucks tucked away in one of the blue bins.

Actually, all four of the schools where I have taught have been PBIS schools, so they have all used some type of token economy. PBIS, for those unfamiliar with the acronym, stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports, and is a nationally recognized program for behavior management. (You can read more about the program here.)

This is the definition of PBIS, taken directly from their website:

PBIS is a framework or approach for assisting school personnel in adopting and organizing evidence-based behavioral interventions into an integrated continuum that enhances academic and social behavior outcomes for all students. PBIS IS NOT a packaged curriculum, scripted intervention, or manualized strategy. PBIS IS a prevention-oriented way for school personnel to (a) organize evidence-based practices, (b) improve their implementation of those practices, and (c) maximize academic and social behavior outcomes for students. PBIS supports the success of ALLstudents.

In my school, we implement it school-wide. This means that every student and teacher has recognized our four major goals:

• Respect Myself
• Respect Others
• Respect Learning
• Respect Property

As a music teacher, my main relationship with PBIS comes in the form of recognizing these correct behaviors and positively reinforcing them with my students. In order to give positive reinforcement, we use a token economy. At one of my schools, because our mascot is the Star, our tokens are called "Star Bucks." (This CONSTANTLY confused me during my first year here because I heard people talking about them and I thought they were discussing coffee.) Basically, I am supposed to hand out a Star Buck every time I see a student doing the right thing.

This brings us back to me, this morning. While I was hunched over the paper cutter, trying to trim pages and pages of these little fake dollars, I couldn't help but ponder the futility of it all. "Why do I waste my time doing this?" I thought to myself, "My students should want to succeed in my class without me having to pay them." I also thought, "I could really use an assistant to do my copying and cutting for me."

Is it really worth my time to dole out the Star Bucks, day in and day out?

The short answer is yes. 

The long answer? Well, keep reading...

I've been plagued by an internal struggle, a love-hate relationship, over this token economy. On one hand, it feels like bribery to me. I see correct behaviors in my students, which is GREAT. However, I can't help feeling that the only reason I am seeing these correct behaviors is because the student knows that he or she will get a Starbuck as a reward. Later, a certain number of Starbucks can be redeemed for a toy or prize from the "Star Cart." 

One of the worst side-effects that I've seen from using the token economy is how students come to expect it. I daresay they even feel entitled to it. Sometimes when I compliment a student on correct behavior, they respond by looking at me expectantly or even blatantly asking me if they can have a Starbuck. I can't help but compare this look to a trained dog who has just performed a trick and is waiting for a doggie biscuit.

Photo Source: Murphywrites.com

Is this really how we want our children to view life? Do a good deed, get a reward. By training our students to use the token economy, we are destroying their sense of intrinsic motivation. Rather than behaving well because it's the right thing to do, they are only doing so because they think they will get a reward for doing it.

On the other hand, most adults that I know do the exact same thing. We can't really blame children for acting this way when we all do it. I worked some minimum wage, dead-end jobs while I was in school. Did I serve fast food because I felt intrinsically motivated to do it? Was I selling clothing to get a sense of self-satisfaction? Of course not. I did these things because I was getting paid. 

For students, school is their job. Why shouldn't they expect to earn something when they have done their job well?

After toying with various methods of using the Star Bucks (and observing some very skilled veteran teachers), I've come up with my own system for distributing them. These are my own personal guidelines for giving them out:

• Never distribute them to every student in a class.
  Be spontaneous with them. If students never know who is going to get one and for what, they will be more patient. I never want my students to think they earn one just for showing up. 
• Never give a student more than one per class.
  Rather than just letting one child rack up the money, I will say something like, "Great job, Susie. You are staying so focused and quiet today. This is why you earned a Star Buck earlier."
• Always state the reason why a student has earned the Star Buck.
  Make sure to tie the reward in with the behavior you are looking for. Students don't just earn them because you like them or because they are a good student. In fact,
• Never use a Star Buck to reward academics.
  These are for rewarding behavior only.
• Never use a Star Buck as a bargaining device.
  I never use phrases like, "I will give a Star Buck to the first student who stands quietly in line." To me, this defeats the purpose because then I know I'm only seeing correct behavior because I made the bargain.

Personally, I feel that the main reason for using a token economy is to prepare our students for a time when it will be taken away. They should be getting used to what's expected of them in school and consistently demonstrate it regardless of a reward. I think of my Star Bucks as training wheels. They are a useful crutch for when I feel my students need a little extra push. I use them frequently at the beginning of the school year and right after a long break, and gradually give out less and less as my students settle into our school routines.

Source: quotesvalley.com

Please let me know in the comments if you or your school uses a token economy and what your thoughts are on the subject. I'd love to know what other methods are out there.

New Linky Party! Teacher Survival Guide

Hello from snowy Maryland! We had a snowstorm today but the schools were open and learning DID take place. I have to give a shout-out to my principal, Mr. Powell. He was outside for the better part of the morning shoveling/sweeping the ramps to all of the portables. He must have removed about 5 inches of snow so that students could get to music and other specials. I don't know what we would have done without him!

As we begin the snowy season, I am cheered by the fact that I get to participate in a brand new linky party, courtesy of Melissa Stouffer of Mrs. Stouffer's Music Room!

January Teacher Survival Guide

For this linkup, I am going to post three tips that I use to keep me motivated as we return from the holidays and start the second lap on this racetrack:

1. New year, new start

Source: http://favim.com/image/784092/

January is the perfect time to reset the tone of a class. Maybe things were getting a little sloppy before the holidays... Some of the behaviors you intended to address got ignored in the name of holiday cheer. Maybe your lessons lost a bit of their rigor while 30 tiny smiling faces wanted nothing more than one more verse of Frosty the Snowman. 

Now is time to press the reset button! I've been reminding my students of our rules, practicing procedures, and getting everyone back on track. I mentioned this wonderful article yesterday. I'm so glad I came across it during the winter break because it was the perfect reminder of what to do to set the right tone in the classroom.

2. Audition Season

It is audition season for our county's performing and visual arts magnet programs, and I am happy to be assisting with the audition process this month. I do not get the privilege of teaching chorus at either of my schools, so I don't get a lot of time to focus on things like audition skills. We do a bit of performing in general music, but I prefer my classes to be more inclusive and experience-based. 

At the auditions, I love hearing these dedicated students who have put in the extra time outside of class and who are seriously interested in pursuing music. It's a side of things that I don't always get to see, and it reminds me what I am setting the foundation for in my classroom.

3. Second Semester Kindergarteners

Gosh, is there anything sweeter than second semester Kindergarteners? I was chatting with a Kinder teacher at the beginning of this school year; she happened to have been dealt a group of kids that seemed to be particularly lacking in life skills. Hardly any of them had been in Pre-K and they were completely overwhelmed by school. She said to me, "I just have to remember that it won't be like this all year. It will get better." and she is so right. 

I adore my kinder classes in the second half of the year. They are starting to get the hang of this school thing. They have their routines in place. They will simply eat up ANY musical style or genre that I play for them, provided that I sell it the right way. They are honest and eager to succeed.

Of course, our role as teachers is to try and maintain that feeling- that spark and love of learning- in these kids for the next twelve years.

I hope I've given you some motivation to get through this gloomy weather. If you want to share your own January Teacher Survival Guide, please head over to Mrs. Stouffer's Music Room and link up!