ENHANCING RESPONSIBLE DECISION MAKING
The author is Teacher
ALVIN T. GOZUN
Teachers should implement strategies that would enhance responsible decision making and increase academic learning time. There are research-based “bite-sized” strategies that teachers can add to their classroom management toolkit.
These strategies can offer useful approaches to classroom management. Implementing them with fidelity is intuitive and observable, and require neither special training nor expensive consultants.
First are nonverbal cues wherein a teacher uses subtle body movements or more explicit hand signals to cue self-regulation. A popular cue involves moving to the front of the room and making eye contact with the student who is acting out, then pausing until you have the individual’s attention.
There are also nonverbal transition cues. Kids can become so immersed in an activity that they might not notice your attempts to shift them into the next learning event. How about ringing a bell or turning lights on and off? These are unmistakable signals that shift attention to the teacher or a new task.
The timeout strategy is now also considered an indispensable component of many evidence-based behavior management systems. It is now used in progressive classrooms to provide an emotional breather in a less socially charged area of the room. It’s also a way for students to decompress, reflect on and enhance their self-awareness, and then return to their seats with improved self-regulation.
How about a private note left on a student’s desk praising improved classroom effort? This is a powerful reinforcement, especially when the note is heartfelt. Studies show that sending positive letters home improves kids’self-management and decision making.
This might be an insignificant gesture to some, but greeting students by name and making a positive statement enhances their self-regulation and increases class participation.
When trying to figure out what kind of strategy to use inside the classroom, there are a number of studies that can recommend that teachers systematically teach selfregulation, relationship management, and responsible decision making at the beginning of the school year. — oOo— I at Northville 16 Elementary School