Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Caltha Crowe
It was the second day of school, and the 3rd graders were sitting in a
February 2010
circle on the floor, intrigued by the colorful manipulative rods I had just
unveiled. I asked the children what they knew about the rods, how
they had used them in the past, and what ideas they had for using them now. Paulina
suggested building a tower. Juan recalled making staircases in 2nd grade. Other classmates
offered ideas, and the students listened intently. Then I walked around the circle, carefully
giving each child a small handful of rods so they could try out one another's ideas.
When I handed his assortment to Sammy, he darted his hands into the bin, pulling out a
double handful. I held out my hand for Sammy to return the rods. "Just a few each, Sammy," I
reminded him calmly. As quickly as he had grabbed the rods, Sammy threw them at my face.
His classmates and I were stunned, but the look on Sammy's face showed that he was just as
surprised as we were.
That was Sammy's first major display of defiance toward a teacher that year. There would be
many more. As the year went on, I came to see that Sammy's behavior largely grew out of his
impulsiveness combined with deep passions and a gripping need to put his ideas into action.
Helping Sammy gain control of his behavior so that heand the rest of the classcould learn
made that year both challenging and rewarding.
We all have students like Sammy, students who present challenges to their classmates,
themselves, and us. Their behavior can stem from a range of issues, from high-spirited
personalities to traumatic home lives to neurobiological disorders. Many will need an array of
extra supports, including individualized interventions from specialists.
Yet these are the children who need a trusting student-teacher relationship the most. Getting
to know them gives us concrete information about what helps them learn best and also forms
the basis for a strong student-teacher relationshipa top factor in students doing well in
school.
For all of these students, the key to teaching them well is to make the effort to know them, to
enable them to unlock their learning and social growth. Below are some strategies that are
important in teaching all students, but doubly important in teaching the ones who struggle with
behavior or academics.
every time she was asked to work as part of a small group. When I considered her age, I
realized she was one of the youngest in our class. Group work was a stretch for her because 7year-olds typically prefer to work alone. I adjusted my expectations by assigning her to one
partner and coaching her in how to listen and respond to her partner. Although this did not
solve all of Laurel's problems, it helped. Her out-of-control behaviors happened less frequently,
and she slowly learned to collaborate with one partner.
key to building a good relationship. This is important for all students, but especially for those
who may be hard to like immediately. It is not about pretending to like them, which they would
surely see through, but about genuinely liking them.
"Ms. Crowe, Ms. Crowe, what's purple and 5,000 miles long?" Sammy the rod-thrower bounced
up and down on his toes while he waited for me to answer. "I don't know," I answered, "What?
" "The grape wall of China," he crowed with excitement. Although Sammy was often a
challenge for me and his fellow students to work with, he had a zeal for history and a wacky
sense of humor. Our shared laughter helped us begin to bond.
Teachers are busy. In our rush, it is easy to think of students with behavioral or academic
challenges as unwanted irritations. But it is important to remember that the energy we put into
getting to know all our students will ultimately make the year go more smoothly. Often it is the
initially hard-to-like student, the one who requires extra effort from me, who contributes
unexpectedly to our communityand to whom I become the most attached as the year
progresses.
Endnote
1
Wood, C. (2007). Yardsticks: Children in the classroom ages 414 (3rd ed.). Turners Falls,
MA: Northeast Foundation for Children.
Caltha Crowe, a Responsive Classroom practitioner, has taught a range of elementary grades in her 37 years
in education. She is the author of Solving Thorny Behavior Problems: How Teachers and Students Can Work
Together (Northeast Foundation for Children, 2009) and Sammy and His Behavior Problems: Stories and
Strategies from a Teacher's Year (Northeast Foundation for Children, 2010); 800-360-6332;
info@responsiveclassroom.org.
Copyright 2009 by Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development