Reduce Referrals, Reverse Chaos and Restore Sanity: Discipline Strategies That Create A Positive Learning Climate

Format

Poster Presentation

Presenters

Cheryl S. Turner, Reach TLS, LLCFollow
Dell N. BrabhamFollow

Location

Harborside Center

Strand #1

Social & Emotional Skills

Strand #2

Academic Achievement & School Leadership

Relevance

The social-emotional skills that drive student behavior are at the heart of school success for every learner. The interactions that we forge with children and the manner in which we communicate behavioral expectations are at the soul of a powerfully positive classroom and a productive school climate. In a diverse learning culture, it cannot be assumed that all children will arrive at school socialized, prepared and focused on learning. Yet it is the focused and engaged learner who is positioned to succeed academically. A distracted disruptive learner undermines teaching and learning for all involved, while running the risk of school failure. This means that connecting with learners and teaching behavioral expectations goes hand in hand with teaching academics and motivating learners to achieve.

Brief Program Description

Are you out of ideas for managing discipline? Have you exhausted every reasonable consequence but not changed unacceptable behaviors? In this high energy session, PK-12 learning practitioners will acquire practical, easily implemented strategies for

• shaping appropriate behavior through positive interactions
• teaching to expectations that hold students accountable
• maintaining a productive learning climate where students want to be successful.

Summary

The adverse effect that discipline problems have on learning create a huge obstacle to school achievement, student success and teacher retention. It fuels a problem that negatively impacts the learning climates of schools across demographic communities. It drains the time, energy and resources of teachers, administrators and most importantly, the students who instigate or become parties or onlookers to classroom chaos. Once students are disengaged from learning, it is difficult to reengage them. So begins a pattern of alienation, getting needs met in negative ways and a downward spiral of school failure. As schools and systems strive to deal with the erosion of a positive climate for learning, the tools most often used are those that provide teachers with ways to react to, categorize, document, report and consequent misbehavior. While these are critical components that must be incorporated into school wide discipline programs and policies, they are primarily reactive.

In order to change the negative trajectory, we must prepare teachers with strategies that begin early in the behavior cycle in order to discourage or diminish challenging misbehavior before it becomes habitual and destructive.

This session is a must for teachers, administrators and learning leaders who are ready to elevate success in their schools and classrooms. We will present a framework for classroom management that examines our core beliefs about behavior, recognizing that behavioral skills are just like other skills. They are learned and therefore must be systematically taught. Secondly, we will examine the assumption that all behavior has meaning---even misbehavior. Deciphering its meaning requires separating the behavior from the child in order to build a relationship. The relationships that teachers cultivate in classrooms are among the most powerful management tools they possess.

When classroom teachers are armed with effective, practical and easily implemented techniques for shaping appropriate behavior and sustaining high expectations for every child, it greatly reduces the cycle of multiple warnings, repeated office referrals, school suspensions and classroom chaos. It is time to restore the sanity and productivity needed and deserved in the learning environment.

Evidence

Those who are immersed in the cultural of schools are surrounded on a daily basis by evidence supporting the gradual, yet persistent decline in the behavioral climate in schools. In a recent teacher attrition survey conducted by the National Education Association, it was reported that teacher turnover currently ranges from 17 to 20 percent nationally. However the National Commission on Teaching and America’s Future estimate that one-third of all new teachers leave after three years and 46 percent are gone within five years. Burned out teachers cite discipline problems and lack of administrative support as two of the main reasons for their departure (Why They Leave, NEA Today, 2013). The nationwide poll conducted by Public Agenda several years ago gained national attention and it’s findings remain relevant today. The study found that the problem of student discipline and rampant misbehavior is a pervasive one that extends to schools across the country, regardless of demographics. More than 3 in 4 teachers acknowledge that if it weren’t for discipline problems, they could be teaching a lot more effectively. The study entitled “Teaching Interrupted” contends that student discipline is a universal concern to teachers and parents. It undermines public education, holds learning hostage in classrooms and affects both teacher morale and student learning (Teaching Interrupted: Do Discipline Policies in Today’s Public Schools Foster the Common Good? Public Agenda 2004)

Biographical Sketch

Cheryl Smith Turner is a seasoned teacher trainer and educational consultant who brings passion, professionalism and more than 35 years of experience in the field of education to each and every presentation she does. As an Asst. Project Director and Lead Trainer for the Georgia State University Best Practices Training Initiative, Cheryl worked collaboratively with the Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (Bright from the Start) in developing and providing professional development for Georgia Pre-K teachers, site directors and other education practitioners. She conducts professional development workshops and one to two-day trainings on a variety of topics and areas of content, to include classroom management, social-emotional development, language and literacy development, critical thinking skills and play based learning. Currently, Cheryl is a nationally certified trainer for classroom management and differentiated instruction as well as a state approved trainer for Strengthening Families Georgia. Additionally, Cheryl is CEO/president of Reach TLS, LLC an educational consulting firm.

Dell N. Brabham is a native of Mt. Pleasant, SC. She received her Bachelor of Business degree from Georgia State University in Atlanta, GA in 1984; received her MAT from Columbia International University in Columbia, SC in 1995 and was graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Masters in Educational Leadership in 2003.

Ms. Brabham was employed in Richland Two for 16 years, working at Joseph Keels Elementary for eight years, first as a 5th grade teacher and as the Instructional Technology Specialist. She was selected as the 2002-2003 Teacher of the Year at Joseph Keels.

She began her career in administration at Round Top Elementary as an Assistant Principal when it opened in 2003. Currently, she serves as the Principal at Midway Elementary School in Kershaw County, SC.

Keyword Descriptors

Classroom Management, Social-Emotional Skills, Classroom Climate, Teaching to Expectations, Communication Skills, Positive Discipline, Relationships, Community Building

Presentation Year

2016

Start Date

3-8-2016 4:00 PM

End Date

3-8-2016 5:30 PM

Recommended Citation

Turner, Cheryl S. and Brabham, Dell N., "Reduce Referrals, Reverse Chaos and Restore Sanity: Discipline Strategies That Create A Positive Learning Climate" (2016). National Youth Advocacy and Resilience Conference. 120.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/nyar_savannah/2016/2016/120