Rob Plevin - Take Control of the Noisy Class Workbook

Rob Plevin

Published by

Life Raft Media Ltd www.liferaftmedia.com

Copyright Rob Plevin 2020

The right of Rob Plevin to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

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Print ISBN: 978-1-913514-09-9

Kindle ISBN: 978-1-913514-10-5

eBook/Other: 978-1-913514-11-2

Contents

About this workbook

This workbook will help you bring to life in your classrooms the ideas and techniques laid out in Take Control of the Noisy Class .

Its aim is to help teachers and support staff to improve their effectiveness in the classroom using the Needs Focused Teaching philosophy.

Each of the 13 chapters in the book is structured into 5 main sections:

Resources . This section provides page references for relevant material in Take Control of the Noisy Class . Where applicable, additional Needs Focused resources, such as videos and books, will also be listed.

Key concepts . These are the main ideas and critical understandings in each phase of the Needs Focused Classroom Management process.

Focus questions . These questions guide your reading of Take Control of the Noisy Class as a basis for personal reflection, or for discussion during weekly Study Group meetings (see below).

Activities . The activities provide opportunity to delve deeper into, and practise, implementing the skills, techniques and ideas outlined in Take Control of the Noisy Class and associated resources, through a variety of tasks and scenarios.

Share your ideas . Here you have the opportunity to contribute (and receive feedback on) your suggestions and answers in a private forum, along with other readers of the workbook.

In some chapters an additional section is provided: Additional Reading . This section, where relevant, provides extra background information on the techniques being taught.

There is an optional Initial Assessment at the start of the book and a final Review Assessment at the end, to gauge progress made using the materials.

Why not study with friends & colleagues?

Getting familiar with, and practising, the various Needs Focused strategies contained in Take Control of the Noisy Class is a lot easier with a little help from your friends and colleagues. A study group can provide the perfect environment in which to rehearse and perfect your classroom management skills.

A brief after-school or pre-school meeting can become a great source of new skills and affordable staff developmentwith feedback and input from fellow professionals helping all attendees find solutions to difficult problems and situations.

How to run a Study Group

The activities and questions in this workbook can be adapted to provide structure for 13 main study group meetings (of roughly 45 minutes duration) followed by an optional, ongoing weekly session. This weekly session can either be a refresher meeting to recap previous sessions or a Behaviour Surgery to focus on classroom behaviour problems, such as those highlighted in Chapter 13 of Take Control of the Noisy Class or site-specific issues.

The 13 study group meetings will focus on the following key Needs Focused Teaching areas:

1.Classroom management essentials

2.Establishing routines

3.Giving clear instructions

4.Consequences

5.Positive teacher-student relationships

6.Positive reinforcement

7.Taking control at the door

8.Seating plans

9.Getting them into the roomthe filter method

10.Getting the lesson started

11.Maintaining a positive learning environment

12.Maintaining lesson flow

13.Dealing with problems

Behaviour Surgery (Meetings 14+):

Dealing with common problems

Dealing with site-specific issues

Meeting Structure

As well as discussing the key concepts, answering the focus questions and completing the activities for each chapter, some additional activities for study group meetings are provided in the appendix. These can help turn a short after-school or pre-school meeting into a practical, hands-on workshop.

Initial Assessment:

My progress as a Needs Focused teacher

Rank each statement by circling a number between 1 (low) and 10 (high).

Use this table to compare your starting point with your progress at the end of the book in your journey to making an impact on your students. At the end of this workbook you will be asked to reflect on your journey and compare the results with the table you complete today.

1. Classroom management essentials

Resources

Take Control of the Noisy Class Pages: 131

Additional Resources

Needs Focused Classroom Management Video pack. Videos 14: Attitude

SAVE 150Discounted access for workbook buyers .

Get the videos in digital form here for just 47 (normally 197):

https: / /needsfocusedteaching.com/video-packwbd

Key concepts

• Effective teaching starts with the attitude of the teacher.
• Preventing problems is easier than having to deal with them.
• The way we respond to students will determine how they react.
• Young people need teachers to be consistentits not what teachers do to deal with misbehaviour that characterises effective classroom management, but how they prevent problems in the first place.

Focus Questions

1.What sort of issues might lead to problem behaviour in a classroom? (p 14)

2.What are some of the characteristics of a vigilant teacher? (pp 16-19)

3.What would consistency look like when it is being applied on a daily basis? (pp 19-22)

4.How can keeping detailed records help you when dealing with a parent/guardian or another member of staff? (p 23)

5.Describe a time when you were in a business/work environment that was not wellmanaged or in which people had a negative attitude. How did it make you feel? Did the experience influence the rest of your day? How might you apply your answers to your teaching?

Activities

Activity 1 Preventive classroom management

Preventative strategies are the foundation of Needs Focused Classroom Management. By eliminating (or at least minimising) the likely underlying causes of student behaviour problems, life in the classroom can be made calmer and more enjoyable while teaching and learning can be improved.

Step #1 Identify possible reasons for inappropriate behaviour

Choose one class or group of students you teach regularly for this exercise. Your task is to write down TWO behaviour challenges you most frequently experience with this group and then consider what might be causing these to occur. Use the table below or similar to record your answers.