Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach

dren” in front and middle of the classroom so they can “ride herd” on them. But if the student
could be controlled in this simple fashion, neither the teacher nor the student would have the
problem in the first place. This can also be counterproductive because it makes the student
the center of attention. In my experience, students who are “wired” would rather not be that
way and they certainly do not want to be embarrassed by teachers. I recommend letting a stu-
dent who needs more space sit on the side of the room by the window so he or she does not
feel so hemmed in.

·I used to live in terror that I would lose my record book. I wrote my name, classroom, de-
partment, home phone number, and home address on the inside cover. Then I discovered the
spread sheet. I am a “MacPerson” and use Microsoft Excel. I prepare a spread sheet for each
class and recruit a monitor to enter names, official classes, ID numbers, and phone numbers
for each student. Columns are designated for attendance, homework, projects, and tests. I
write on a printout for a week, update the data bank, reprint, and sleep better at nights. The
program can even calculate student grades.
·Use your voice and posture to get attention, but once you have it, speak softer so they
have to listen. If you habitually yell over the class, they will only get louder. Do not flick the
lights on and off. It is demeaning to secondary school students and makes you look silly.

·My homework policy is very simple. You must do every assignment to pass the class.
Homework is due the day assigned, but late homework is always accepted. I believe every ex-
cuse, but students still must make up the work. I encourage students to do homework by put-
ting questions from the homework on tests and by giving failing grades on report cards to stu-
dents when they are missing work. Once students make up the work, I remove the homework
penalty. I have been known to give incompletes (not enter a grade) or negotiate, but privately
and only under extreme circumstances.

·Most new teachers collect, read, and grade too much student work. They become book-
keepers instead of teachers. Eventually they get swamped, frazzled, and burned out. They
walk around the building with piles of loose-leaf scribbles and spend nights pushing paper in-
stead of planning. Assignments are for the students so that they learn. I usually spot check
homework while they are working individually or in groups and only collect what I actually
want to read. Another helpful idea is pairing each student with a “writing buddy” who edits
written work before it is submitted for evaluation.

·To free you up from clerical responsibilities and allow you to concentrate on teaching,
have student monitors take attendance; check homework; and distribute books, supplies, and
activity sheets.

JOIN THE CONVERSATION—MODELS FOR ORGANIZING CLASSROOMS

Traditional (or Gradgrind) Model Alternative (Inclusive) Model

Fixed desks. Students sit in rows. Moveable furniture. Room arranged based on activities.

Focus is on the teacher. Focus on interaction and community.

Fixed time schedule and curriculum. Flexible schedule and calendar based on activities.

Priority iscontrolthrough punishment and

boredom.

Priority isrelationshipthrough positive reinforcement and

struggle.

Teacher-centered lectures. Student-centered activities.

Competitive atmosphere. Homogenous,

tracked classrooms.

Cooperative atmosphere. Heterogeneous, untracked class-

rooms.

132 CHAPTER 5