1. Teaching YOUR Expectations
Annette Brinkman
Brinkman-Forlini-Williams, LLC
Student-engagement.net
Observertab.com

2. Group Norms A ppreciate one another’s expertise
E ngage fully in all learning experiences
I nvest in your own learning
O pen your mind to new ways of thinking
U nite in purpose – improving student learning 2

3. How is this like being a teacher?

4. Learning Task: Warm-Up
Think of a student from your past who did everything you could have ever hoped for during instruction…
what specifically did this child do independently, intrinsically?
what behaviors did he/she exhibit that you wished ALL of your students exhibited – especially ______.

5. Partner Time! Find FOUR individuals who are NOT at your table.
Choose a space and EACH of you sign your name on the other person’s sheet.
Tell each person one behavior your “wonder student” exhibited.
(Example: You walk over to someone you do not know. You sign THEIR sheet on the “birthday” space and they sign YOUR sheet on the “birthday” space.)

6. Percentile Decrease in Disruptions Robert Marzano
FACTOR
% DECREASE IN DISRUPTIONS
Rules & Procedures
28%
Disciplinary Interventions
32%
Teacher/Student Relationships
31%
Mental Set
40%

7. What percentage do you want to decrease disruptions in your class?

8. The BIG 8!
Brinkman-Forlini-Williams
Class Acts, 2010

9. Expectations that Support Active Engagement: Long-term and Short-term
The Quest:
Active
Engaged
Learners
Expectations that Support Active Engagement:
Long-term and Short-term
Identify
Expectations
Teach
Expectations
Support
Expectations
Social Cues
Proximity
Attention Prompts
Signals
Time Limits
Tasking
Voice

10. Define:
Procedures
Rules
Habits

11. Define: Procedures Rules Habits
Functional things that have to be done in a classroom such as passing in papers, getting drinks, & going to the restroom.

12. Be prepared to share some of your best ideas.
Trouble Times
Trouble Time
Procedures
Beginning and Ending the School Day
Transitions
●Leaving and returning to the room
●Use of the bathroom
●Use of the library and resource room
●Use of the cafeteria
●Use of the playground
●Fire and disaster drills
Use of Materials and Equipment
●Distributing and collecting materials
●Storage of common materials (yours,
mine, ours)
●Use of the drinking fountain, sink and
pencil sharpener.
Group Work
●Movement in and out of the group
●Expected behaviors of students in the
group
●Expected behaviors of students not in the
●Group communication with the teacher
Seatwork and Teacher-Led Activities
●Student attention during presentations
●Student participation
●Talking among students
●Obtaining help
●Out-of-seat behavior
●Behavior when work has been completed.
In your group, brainstorm procedures you use to manage these Trouble Times.
Be prepared to share some of your best ideas.

13. Define: Procedures Rules Habits
Functional things that have to be done in a classroom such as passing in papers, getting drinks, & going to the restroom.
The non-negotiables you are willing to enforce – usually involves safety and controlling the masses.

14. What are the rules in your classroom?
Write them down.

15. Define: Procedures Rules Habits
Functional things that have to be done in a classroom – such as passing in papers, getting drinks, & going to the restroom.
The non-negotiables you are willing to enforce – usually involves safety and controlling the masses.
Intrinsic behaviors you want students to exhibit even when you are not there – such as self starting, using a 12 inch whisper, etc …

16. Possible Classroom Habits
Be a Self-Starter
Be on-task
Direct Instruction
Group Work (labs, etc…)
Be an Active Listener
Link: Finish one thing and start the next

17. Building The Foundation
Identify critical habits your students need to support the learning you wish to offer.
Invest time and effort to thoroughly teach those habits.
Follow the 4 steps of letting them know.
REFINE: Praise those who exhibit the habits and reteach those who don’t. 17

18. 18

19. Four Steps to Teaching A Habit
Explain: Looks Like/Sounds Like
Demonstrate: Wrong Way/Right Way
Practice: Right Way
Refine: Never Ending …
Procedure adapted from the US Air Force

20. Step One: Self-Starters Looks Like: Sounds Like: Look at task
Put stuff away
Start reading or writing
Keep reading or writing
Pencils scratching
Quiet
Pages turning
Hall noise

21. Looks Like/ Sounds Like
An example from a 5th grade classroom.
Note:
Signed by the students
Laminated (once completed)

22. Step OneKinder Chart
Attention
Looks Like:
Sounds Like:

23. Step Two: Demo: Debrief after each demo: wrong way right way
what did ___ and ___ do correctly?
what do ___ and ___ need to refine?
prioritize 3 most important things off chart

24. Step Three:
EVERYONE practice the correct way.

25. Steps One-Three: Why? What modifications do you need: age of students?
your personality?

26. Step Four:
REFINE
Refine

27. Level One: Proximity/Cues Reinforce and Refine
Use the “Looks Like Sounds Like” chart to create social cues for self-starting
Specific
Descriptive – contain the expectation
Purpose:
Reinforce students who are exhibiting that habit
Clarify the specific expectations of that habit
Bring kids back into the fold who are blowing it!!!

28. Self-Starters Looks Like: Sounds Like: Pencils moving across the paper
All my “stuff” is
prepared – pencil,
notebook…
Looking at the starter – figuring it out
Writing
Not talking to my neighbor
Solve problems without drawing attention to myself
Pencils moving across the paper
Silence
Give some sample cueing statements from your chart: “Thank you Tim for looking at the task”

29. Level Two: Assessment Self-Starters
Looks Like:
Sounds Like:
1. All my “stuff” is
prepared – pencil,
notebook…
2. Looking at the starter – figuring it out
3. Writing
4. Not talking to my neighbor
5. Solve problems without drawing attention to myself
6. Pencils moving across the paper
6. Silence
Give some sample cueing statements from your chart: “Thank you Tim for looking at the task”

30. Level Three: What about individual students who DON’T exhibit the habit?

31. Level III: Individual Conversation
Looks Like:
Sounds Like:
All my “stuff” is
prepared – pencil,
notebook…
As I enter, move towards my desk
Looking at the starter – figuring it out
Writing
Not talking to my neighbor
Solve problems without drawing attention to myself
Pencils moving across the paper
Silence
Give some sample cueing statements from your chart: “Thank you Tim for looking at the task”

32. Moving Silently with Intent…
Third-Point Conversation
Moving Silently with Intent…
Looks Like
Look at task
Put stuff away
Start reading or writing
Keep reading or writing
Sounds Like
Pencils scratching
Quiet
Pages turning
Hall noise
Teacher
Student

33. What do you use to motivate students?
Free homework pass, extra recess, get out of quiz free pass, extra bathroom pass.
Compile a free and low cost list of options at your table.

34. What happens if you DON’T refine?
What about individual students who DON’T exhibit the habit?

35. Improving Student Learning
Know where they’re going
Know where they are now
Know how to close the gap
Stiggins, Arter, Chappuis & Chappuis (2004). Classroom Assessment for Student Learning: Doing it right/Doing it well.

36. Read and Ponder Read one teacher’s journey with teaching habits…
What could you transfer to your students?

38. Transfer Chat What habit do you need/want to teach next week?
What will you do to refine your habit?
How will you find time to work with individual students?

39. Geneva Elementary 2000
We are here to teach children the behaviors we want to see.
Not to crucify them for the behaviors they came with.

40. Supporting your classroom habits and expectations!

41. Cementing the Habits
Cueing

42. Cueing:
A positive cue given to assist students to identify & internalize appropriate social behavior.
Cueing
Attention
Prompt
Expectations
Proximity
Time
Limits
Signals
Voice
Tasking

43. Cueing
Use the “Looks Like Sounds Like” chart to create positive cues for self-starting
Specific
Descriptive – contain the expectation
Purpose:
Reinforce students who are exhibiting that habit
Clarify the specific expectations of that habit
Bring kids back into the fold who are blowing it!!!

44. 8 vs. 80 Positive Cues: Cueing Attention Prompt Expectations Proximity
Time
Limits
Signals
Voice
Tasking

45. Yelling across the room for Jimmy to get in his seat
Quietly asking Johnny to get on task
Berating Timothy for not raising his hand for the umpteenth time
Card pull system

46. Snow, C. (1991). Unfulfilled Expectations. Harvard University Press
Percentage of Children Who Achieve Success with Varying Levels of Home and Classroom Support
High Home Support Low Home Support
Highly Engaged Class
100%
100%
100%
Somewhat Engaged Class
25%
Teacher makes the biggest difference
Low Classroom Engagement
60% 0%
Snow, C. (1991). Unfulfilled Expectations. Harvard University Press