1. Workshop 2

3. Building Relationships
Getting to know your students individually.
The value of being playful as a teacher.
The value of role play and make believe.
Making learning fun.
One to one attention.
Individualised morning greetings and partings.
Building positive relationships with parents.

4. Proactive Teacher Rules Physical placement Transitions
Planned movement
Getting and holding children’s attention.
Giving clear commands.
Giving choices
Non verbal cues
Physical re-directing
Reminders
Positive attention

5. “Children who need love the most, ask for it in the most unloving ways; the same can be said of children most in need of positive attention, praise, and encouragement.”

6. What is the value of teacher attention for children?
How often do you use positive attention or other social rewards in your classroom?
Why do some students get praised more than others?
How comfortable are you when using praise?
How comfortable are you when using other social rewards, such as positive non-verbal attention or physical warmth?
What kinds of student behaviours do you usually praise?
How does positive attention effect the teacher child relationship?
Why do some children need more praise and encouragement than others?

7. Coaching Academic Skills
Examples
colours
number counting
shapes
“You have the red car and the yellow truck”
“There are one, two, three dinosaurs in a row.”
“Now the square Lego is stuck to the round Lego.”
Sizes (long,short,
tall,smaller than,bigger than, etc)
Positions (up, down,beside, next to, on top, behind,etc)
“That train is longer than the track.”
You are putting the tiny bolt in the right circle.”
“The blue block is next to the yellow square, and the purple triangle is on top of the long, red rectangle.”
working hard
concentrating
focussing
persistance,
patience
“You are working so hard on that puzzle and thinking about where that piece will go.”
You are so patient and just keep trying all the different ways to make that piece fit together.
Folllowing parents directions
Problem solving
Trying again
Reading
thinking skills
listening
Working hard/best work
Independence
“You followed directions exactly like I asked you. You really listened.”
“You are thinking hard abut how to solve the problem and coming up with a great solution to make a ship.”
“You have figured that out all by yourself.”

9. Teachers as “Social Skills Coaches”
Social/Friendship Skills
Examples
helping
sharing
teamwork
using a friendly voice
(quiet, polite)
“That’s so friendly. You are sharing your blocks with your friend and waiting your turn.”
“You are both working together and helping each other like a team.”
listening to what a friend says
taking turns
asking
trading
waiting
“You listened to your friend’s request and followed his suggestion. That is very friendly.”
“You waited and asked if you could use that. Your friend listened to you and shared.”
“You are taking turns. That’s what good friends do for each other.
agreeing with a friend’s suggestion
making a suggestion
giving a compliment
using soft, gentle touch
asking permission to use something a friend has
Problem solving
Cooperating
Being generous
Including others
apologising
“You made a friendly suggestion and your friend is doing what you suggested. That is so friendly.”
“You are helping your friend build his tower.”
You are being cooperative by sharing.”
“You both solved the problem of how to put those blocks together. That was a great solution.”

10. Positive expectations are a powerful motivator
Positive expectations are a powerful motivator. If you believe a child can learn and communicate that belief, verbally or non verbally, he or she is likely to keep trying. On the other hand, if you are convinced that the child is likely to have trouble, you will probably communicate that message, and the child probably won’t keep trying.
Vignette 31

11. The immediacy of this teacher’s attention of “being a good friend” are particularly important for these two children. The more handicapped child is autistic and has difficulty walking and sitting, while the other child has good motor skills but few language skills and is highly oppositional. By drawing attention to the importance of helping and the notion of friendship, the teacher encourages their acceptance of each other and respect for each other’s particular strengths.
Vignette 37 Considerations

12. What is the value of using teams within classrooms?
How would you set up these teams? (i.e. composition of each group)
Vignette 38

13. Teaching children to recognise their own achievements is vital
Teaching children to recognise their own achievements is vital. Otherwise they may wait for others to notice, which we all know can be an endless wait. We want them to be able to look inside themselves for self-approval. Watch how the next teacher, in a number of ways, encourages her students to validate their own efforts and express their self-approval.
Vignette 46

14. Behaviour doesn’t have to be perfect to deserve praise or positive attention. In fact when children are first attempting a new behaviour, they need to be reinforced for each small step toward the goal. Otherwise if they have to wait for reinforcement until they have mastered a new behaviour, they will have to wait too long, and may give up altogether. Praising the child at every step along the way reinforces the child for her efforts and learning. This process, known as “shaping”, sets the child up for success.
Vignette 50

15. Preventing Problems-The Proactive Teacher Workshop #1 Behaviour Plan
Step 1
Classroom Behaviours
Step 2
Where and Why?
Step 3
Positive Opposite Desired Behaviours
Step 4
Select Proactive and Relationship Building Strategies
Poking, touching
Speaks without raising hand
Talks while directions are given
Off-task, day dreaming
Child impulsive inattentive temperament
(during circle time)
Misbehaviour gets attention from peers
(playground and free time)
Keep hands to own body
Raise a quiet hand
Listen quietly when directions are given
Pay attention & concentrate
Use listening and quiet hand up rules cue cards and “give me five” signal.
Seat close to teacher during circle time.
Give opportunities to move by helping teacher.
Get eye contact before giving directions.
Use positive redirects’
Ignore blurting out and wriggling.

16. Strengthening Proactive Skills-Praise and Encouragement Workshop #2 Behaviour Plan
Step 1
Negative classroom Behaviours
Step 3
Positive opposite desired behaviours
Step 4
Select Proactive / Relationship Strategies
Step 5
Praise and Encouragement
Poking, touching
Speaks without raising hand
Talks while directions are given
Off-task, day dreaming
Keep hands to own body
Raise a quiet hand
Listen quietly when directions are given
Pay attention & concentrate
Seat close to teacher.
Give opportunities to move by helping teacher.
Get eye contact before giving directions.
Use positive redirects when distracted.
Use listening and quiet hand up rules cue card to signal behaviour.
Call on child and praise when quiet hand up.
Encourage and praise child for focussing on task and listening.
Call parents about positive behaviour.
Use persistence coaching during small group times.

17. Child uses the misbehaviour in order to get attention.
Child is venting frustration with the misbehaviour.
Child does not have the developmental ability to do other behaviours.
Child uses the misbehaviour to avoid stress or some unpleasant task.
Child finds the behaviour fun in and of itself.
Child is unaware of doing the behaviour.
Child uses the behaviour to obtain power over others.
Child uses the behaviour to gain revenge.
Child has not been taught other more appropriate pro social behaviours.
Child’s home environment or past history has not taught the child predictability or the trustworthiness of adults.
Child’s community endorses the behaviour.
Child’s behaviour reflects child’s feelings of inadequacy.

18. Key Concepts How to praise more effectively.
Building children’s self esteem and self confidence by learning how to praise themselves.
Understanding the importance of general praise to the whole group as well as individual praise.
The importance of praising social and academic behaviours.
Providing nonverbal cues of appreciation.
Doubling the impact of praise by involving other school personnel and parents.
Helping children to learn how to praise and compliment others and enjoy other’s achievements.
Helping children to learn how to self-praise and appreciate their own accomplishments.
The importance of teachers using self-praise and refuting negative self-talk.

19. Rose rosecopland@yahoo.co.nz
Best of luck with your teacher attention, coaching and praising. Contact us if you need any help. See you here next time.
Helen
Rose