1.Waiting - (Kohn 2006)
If one of my students has just had an outburst in class it is my policy to wait until the have calmed down to proceed with any punishment. If a student is already worked up about something that has happened in the class, then it makes no sense to immediately lash out at them for becoming out of control. Although many times it is not easy to stay calm when a student is disrupting the whole class, it is essential to give the out of control student at least a few minutes to relax before moving forward.
2. Thinkery - (Classen 2008)
The "Thinkery" is a place in my classroom that students can go if they need to get away from everything involved in the class and settle down. Although it is not used very often, all of my students know they if they are overwhelmed with whatever is going on in the classroom or they need a quiet place to continue their work, they can go to the "Thinkery". The "Thinkery" is just a desk in the far back corner of my classroom that is a great place to get away from the noise and constant distraction of the classroom. With over 30 students in each of my classes, it is easy for students to get overwhelmed. Sometimes I tell people to spend a few minutes in the Thinkery to work on their own on an assignment but other times the students decide themselves if they need a minute alone.
3. Run an "errand" (Boden 2015)
The "run an errand" technique is used as a nonchalant way to remove a student from the classroom for a short period of time. If a student is getting wound up and cannot settle back down to do engage in the lesson I sometimes choose to send them on a short errand. Usually this involves giving them an empty envelope to take to another teacher. When the student arrives with the envelope the teacher puts a piece of blank paper in it and then the student returns to my classroom. The student will not know that this was not a real errand but the short walk out of the classroom is often enough to get them to refocus.
If one of my students has just had an outburst in class it is my policy to wait until the have calmed down to proceed with any punishment. If a student is already worked up about something that has happened in the class, then it makes no sense to immediately lash out at them for becoming out of control. Although many times it is not easy to stay calm when a student is disrupting the whole class, it is essential to give the out of control student at least a few minutes to relax before moving forward.
2. Thinkery - (Classen 2008)
The "Thinkery" is a place in my classroom that students can go if they need to get away from everything involved in the class and settle down. Although it is not used very often, all of my students know they if they are overwhelmed with whatever is going on in the classroom or they need a quiet place to continue their work, they can go to the "Thinkery". The "Thinkery" is just a desk in the far back corner of my classroom that is a great place to get away from the noise and constant distraction of the classroom. With over 30 students in each of my classes, it is easy for students to get overwhelmed. Sometimes I tell people to spend a few minutes in the Thinkery to work on their own on an assignment but other times the students decide themselves if they need a minute alone.
3. Run an "errand" (Boden 2015)
The "run an errand" technique is used as a nonchalant way to remove a student from the classroom for a short period of time. If a student is getting wound up and cannot settle back down to do engage in the lesson I sometimes choose to send them on a short errand. Usually this involves giving them an empty envelope to take to another teacher. When the student arrives with the envelope the teacher puts a piece of blank paper in it and then the student returns to my classroom. The student will not know that this was not a real errand but the short walk out of the classroom is often enough to get them to refocus.
Boden, K. (Fall Semester 2015). Cooperating Teacher at Escondido High School.
Claassen, R., & Claassen, R. (2008). Discipline that restores: Strategies to create respect, cooperation, and responsibility in the classroom. Booksurge.
Kohn, A. (2006). Beyond discipline from compliance to community (10th anniversary ed., 2nd ed.). Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.