Commander Mark
(Seminar interaction)

I was sharing the fact that I allowed my students the freedom to use the ten minutes just before lunch to engage in whatever activity they wished. Reading independently, using the computers, and completing class jobs were just a few of the many options. (That's why we called those ten minutes "Op Time." It stood for opportunity time or option time.) Part of the understanding, of course, was that they had to complete any unfinished assignments before they could do anything else. But other than that, it was up to the students to choose.

After sharing that idea, I detected a note of tension in the group. The vibe I was picking up on came mainly from the new teachers in the group. So I addressed it.

"I'm getting a feeling that some of you might be uncomfortable allowing your students free time in light of the increased pressure for directed instruction and time-on-task. Am I correct?"

There was a lot of head nodding. I then reassured them that it was not goof-off time or mess around time. It was serious and that the students upheld their part of the bargain by staying on task.

At this point in the dialogue, I offered another suggestion. How about a short art lesson just before lunch? I've done that with several different classes--from third grade through sixth grade--and it's always been a winner. Here's how I did it.

I used Mark Kistler's wonderful drawing book called Draw Squad. In the book he offers a series of simple, easy-to-teach lessons--five minutes max--that will transform non-artistic students--and teachers!--into accomplished 3D artists in a matter of months. And as opposed to having just the normal two to three artists in your room, you'll have a dozen or more who truly possess the beginnings of a budding talent for drawing.

Advantage: One nice thing about the drawing lessons---other than how simple it was to present them: a five-minute lesson from me on the white board follow by five minutes of the students working on the lesson--was how calm everyone was just before lunch. As opposed to the normal stress and anxiety of "When's lunch?", there was a serene atmosphere of quiet concentration on the art lesson. When it was time to go, I would interrupt them with a soft, "Hey, guys? It's lunch time." At which point they would put away their drawing materials and quietly line up for lunch. Loved it.

What comes first: the music or the relationship?
(Question asked during seminar break)

Teacher: I like to play a lot of older soul and funk music. It's a good way to introduce my fifth graders to the origins of some of the music they listen to now. My last class really enjoyed the music. I'm wondering, though, if that was because I had such a good relationship with them. I haven't established that kind of relationship with my new students and am a bit worried that they aren't going to appreciate the music I want to play. Any thoughts?

Although it's good to be sensitive to the musical tastes of your students, most of the younger ones don't really have many preferences and are willing to listen to just about anything. This is especially true of the music the teacher loves. Since elementary students wanted to be liked by their teacher, they are more than happy to listen to the teacher's choice of music.

So, my recommendation is to introduce the music you enjoy and use your natural love of music to help build a relationship with your new class. I'm guessing that before too long, your students are going to learn to appreciate the music on their own and will even be willing to be exposed to even more genres.

Sign for "May I get a drink?"
(Seminar interaction)

I was introducing the idea of the use of sign language in the classroom when I asked the group if any of them were already using sign language and, if so, what signs were being used. I got the typical responses: a sign for restroom; signs for I have a question, I have a comment, and I have an answer; and the signs for sit and stand. It was then that a teacher offered that her students used a sign for needing to get a drink.

Being an opinionated kind of a guy, I responded by saying that the sign for getting a drink or using the pencil sharpener are not ones I have my students use. My feeling is students should be able to determine when it is appropriate to get a drink or sharpen a pencil without having to ask for the teacher's permission to do so. And, as is usually the case, there are reasons why I do it this way.

Reason One
If a student is always required to ask permission for these things, he's never going to develop the ability to assess the situation on his own and determine if it's appropriate to do so.

He's just going to raise a hand and ask the teacher. I don't think, I just ask. Sometimes the answer is Yes and sometimes the answer is No. I'm never sure why.

The predictable outcome of this much Teacher Welfare is that students never develop the ability to assess the environment to determine the appropriateness of this type of action. And before you know it, May rolls around and you still have students who do the following:

Student
Approaching the teacher and asking quietly:
May I sharpen my pencil?

Teacher
Somewhat alarmed:
While our guest speaker is talking? I don't think so!

Reason Two
If opportunities to get up and move around--either to sharpen a pencil or get a drink--are limited to a small number each day, then the students are going to take advantage of those few times and get as much out of them as they can. Consequently, on the way to getting a drink, the student smacks four kids, pushes a book off a desk, and taunts someone. And that's just on the way to the fountain. On the way back, it'll be more of the same.

However, if there are many opportunities to get out of your seat--always for an appropriate reason and always done with self-control--then the novelty of getting out of your seat wears off and the whole process becomes a normal part of the day. As a result, the nuisance issues go away.

As I've said before, freedom is a student need. And in the classroom, freedom is nothing more than the opportunity to make choices. This is a big deal because, according to the research, it's the choices children make that help to build their character.

Sadly, though, the students who need the most freedom are usually the ones who are allowed the least.

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