Student Satisfaction

Asking your students their opinions can provide invaluable information.  This information can help you determine how your student's perceive various logistic and organizational features of your room.  I received the following information and Satisfaction Survey from the book Discipline in the Secondary Classroom by Randall Sprick, Ph.D.

Why

• To help you identify those aspects of your classroom program that are working well and those that may need modification
• To help you identify whether there are aspects of your classroom program that you need to communicate more clearly to students and their families

When

• Last 2 weeks of school
• Midyear (optional) 

How

1. Check with your administrator to make sure that there are no policies or procedures that giving a survey of this type would violate.
2. Make copies of the 2 page reproducible form. (The survey can and should be modified to reflect your classroom program and any areas of concern that you may have.)
3. Determine if you will have students complete this independently in class or if you will try to involve students' parents.  Recognize that attempting to involve the parents reduces the probability that you will get survey back from all students.  If you plan to try to get these from parents, determine how you will let families know that the survey is coming and the logistics of how families will receive and return the survey.  For example, you could send the surveys home with students and have them returned by students.  Or, if your school can budget for postage, you could send the surveys by mail with preaddressed, postage-paid return envelopes enclosed. 
4. If you are giving the survey in class, remind students that the surveys are anonymous, but you hope they will give honest and productive answers to help you become a more effective teacher.  Let them know that you have a box by the door in which they can place the completed survey so you will never see who made particular responses.
5. When all surveys have been returned, analyze the results.  Keep in mind that although the information is subjective opinion, it can help you identify aspects of your classroom that may require further review.  For ex., if 50% of the families respond that students didn't have enough homework, you should carefully consider whether the amount of homework you assign is sufficient. 

Giving a survey of this type can be unnerving for you.  As you examine the results, remind yourself that you cannot take critical information personally.  Rather, you are looking for patterns of information that will help you fine-tune your classroom program.  

Problem Solving

Teaching students problem solving techniques is a life skill that will benefit them long past the time they spend in the classroom.  I wanted to share some materials that I've found very useful for this.  There are examples for all ages.  For most students, I asked the questions, and wrote their answers for them.  This helped me to keep them focused on their answers, not their ability to write them.

How to Solve Problems 5 questions to guide the student to a solution

Problem Solving Poster  (primary elementary students)

SODAS Method of Problem Solving teacher form (upper elementary-high school)

SODAS Method of Problem Solving student form (upper elementary-high school)

Big, Medium, Small Problems teaches students definitions for different levels of problems

Behavior Lesson Plans

Check out this manual of behavior lesson plans to find reproducible lessons for:

Teaching Rules
Teaching Procedures
Teaching Social Skills
Teaching Character Traits

Written by:

Bob Algozzine
Kate Algozzine
Tina McClanahan

Odds and Ends

Below are some neat strategies I've seen used in classrooms throughout the years.

1.  "I need to talk to_______" 

What do you do if you have a particular student who often wants to talk to the principal or the counselor if they are having a difficult time, but they aren't available? Jackie Schumann, Kindergarten teacher at Whitson, put a picture of the principal, Becky Kramer, on a bulletin board in the corner of the room. When that student is escalating, Jackie suggests she tell Mrs. Kramer how she is feeling or what the problem is.

2.  "I need help NOW!"

What happens in your room when you are working with a small group and a student doing seat work needs help?  Try Mary Sands' (Randolph - 1st grade) idea.  She used empty toilet paper rolls and put red electrical tape around one end and black tape around the other end.  A student passes out these "teacher calls" for each student during seat work time.  When a student has a question, they turn the "teacher call" so the red end is up.  This sends a silent signal to the teacher.  The student then follows the expectations to continue working on something that they are able to do.  When the teacher finishes with her small group, she checks to see who needs help.  She turns the "teacher call" to the black side up after she has answered the student's questions.  You could do the same thing with playing cards.  Face up might signify needed help and face down would indicate no help required.

3.  Silent Signal

How do you get your class to be quiet without making more noise yourself?  Try this “attention getter”.  Without saying anything, write QUIET in large letters on the board.  Face the class and demonstrate your silent quiet signal (finger over lips, etc.).  If students continue to talk, erase the last "T" in the word.  Continue erasing letters if the talking continues.  If they are left with any letters at the end of the day/class period/etc., they are allowed 5 extra minutes of a preferred activity.

4. Pocket Smile

Do you have any tricks to help students who are in a bad mood?  When Trish Monk (Randolph - Title paraprofessional) has a grouchy student in her small reading group, she will ask if he/she would like one of her smiles that she has in her pocket.  If the answer is yes, she will reach into her pocket and pull out an imaginary smile.  This usually gets a positive reaction.

Secret Message

Using A "Secret Message" To Promote Appropriate Group Behavior

The report below was submitted by Catherine Teh while she was a graduate student in the Department of Special Education at Hunter College of the City University of New York. 

Implementation:

            I began implementing the "Secret Message" technique at the beginning of the week.  I gathered all my students on the rug and voiced my concern about how much I would love to see a change in their hallway behavior.  I acted enthusiastically about having a secret message in mind and how I could not wait to share it with them.  The room was in complete silence.  My students were so eager to find out about the secret message, we could hear a pin drop on the rug.  I further said that the only way they could figure out the secret message is to display appropriate behavior while walking down the hallway.  One of my students raised her hand and asked to clarify the behavior I wished to see from the class.  Another student jumped in and replied that the class would have to be quiet while walking in two straight lines.  For every trip we successfully attempted, the class would be rewarded a letter.  If the students did a great job, they could be rewarded up to four letters a day.  The students all agreed to play the "game" and they worked together cooperatively while walking down the hallway quietly as a class. 

Outcome/Result:

            The result was great.  I do not think I can come up with another strategy that worked as effectively as the secret message.  They were so excited that almost all of them started guessing what the whole message was every time when I added a new letter up on the board.  By the end of the week, the students had earned my secret message that said, "Let's watch a movie together."  We had a great time watching the movie about the ocean.  They enjoyed the movie and they were ready to start a new secret message for the next reward.