NYC NEW TEACHER ORIENTATION DAY ONE

Yesterday, NYC New Teacher Orientation commenced at LaGuardia High School. It started with a “video welcome” from Chancellor Joel Klein followed by a brief panel of teachers entering their second year. The remainder of the day was devoted to a workshop entitled: Conscious Classroom Management: Bringing out the Best in Students and Teachers … the workshop was led by Rick Smith, author of bestselling Conscious Classroom Management. (supposedly they are distributing this guys book ... free ... I can only hope)

He presented a lot of good material …. I will give an abbreviated summary here …. Email me for the slides… note the sides are marked with Cooper Notes

1) The 2 x 10 Strategy

Pick out the kid that drives you crazy … and for 10 straight days have a 2 minute conversation with him/her …. Researcher Raymond Wloodkowski pivots this leads to 85% improvement in pupil behavior

2) Three Rules that you must enforce

Raising Hand when you expect it

No arguing with the ref (i.e. Teacher) [result should be an additional consequence]

The “Popcorn Effect” – have students working before devoting individual attention to a single student

3) Develop Non-Verbal Procedures and Save Your VOICE (a lot of this is Pavlovian)

Rubrics

Visuals

Sound Signals

Music for Transitions

Hand Signals

Well that is it in a nutshell. I will keep you updated on the rest of the week.

BTW: I report to school next Wednesday … and students come the following Tuesday