Teacher's Choice
(Question asked during seminar)

Teacher: I'm a bit confused about the Teacher's Choice section of the Clip Chart. Does this mean that the teacher can move any clip--even one at the top of the chart--down to that level if they feel the behavior warrants such a strong move?

Although I've received a number of questions about the Clip Chart--which is why I'm working on an eBook about it--this is a question I've never been asked before.

The short answer is:

The level is marked Teacher's Choice so that the teacher has latitude on an intervention for any student whose clothespin ends up in this section at the close of the day.

The longer answer is:

1. I recommend that clothespins move just one level each time it moves. This will make it safer for the students and less prone to abuse by the teacher. If you truly feel as if the child's behavior warrants digging a hole below the chart and burying his clothespin, you might want to handle it in a completely different manner. An in-school suspension, an immediate phone call to the parents, an invitation for the principal to visit the room so that you can hold a three-way meeting are just a couple of options. Otherwise, one level per move is the best way to go.
2. You don't have to wait for the end of the day to crack out some kind of intervention for anyone whose clothespin touches down in the Teacher's Choice level. You could talk privately with any student whose behavior is less than appropriate and let him know that you won't be waiting until the end of the day to assign a consequence. The child will receive the consequence upon entry to that level. If that is the case, try to keep the consequences simple. Loss of freedom or privilege are sometimes most effective.

Then again, this is just the way I did it. You are free to modify the program to meet the needs of your own students.

The hotel analogy for using numbers at the secondary level
(Conversation during seminar break)

I was sharing the student number concept with a large group of teachers. And, since the majority of the group was comprised of secondary teachers, I was talking about the advantage of using three-digit numbers.

Rick
Showing a slide:
The advantage of using three-digit numbers is that the numeral in the hundred's column indicates the period number. The rest of the number is their student number within that period. This will help to keep the different groups of students distinguishable.

Although this was clear to me, it wasn't clear to one of the teachers in the group. (And it's very possible that it wasn't clear to many in the group. See "Remembering the numbers" entry below.) She approached me during the break for clarification. I explained it again as best I could which, apparently, still wasn't good enough.

Teacher
Finally making sense of my rather lame explanation:
Oh, kind of like a hotel with different floors, huh?

Rick
Little light bulb going off:
Wow! That's a great way to think about it.

Teacher
Well, I'm an English teacher and math has never been a strong subject for me. When you started talking three-digit numbers, I kind of shut down. I asked a friend sitting next to me for his thought. While he was explaining it his way, I came up with the hotel analogy. I just wanted to verify with you that my thinking was clear. Thanks.

Oh, yeah. Your thinking was clear. It's so clear that I've decided to make it a part of the explanation from now on.

In fact, I shared the hotel explanation the next night to a middle school teacher who had heard me present the student number program before.

Middle School Teacher
Seeing it clearly for the first time:
Oh, man. That's makes so much sense. I was a bit confused the first time you talked about the different groups of numbers for the different periods. That hotel idea is a great way to present it.

Over twenty years of presenting seminars and I'm still learning new ways to explain ideas. That's both depressing--I thought I had been doing a good job of explaining ideas--and exciting--I'm now in possession of a better visual for the whole secondary teacher/student number thing.

Sweet.

You've got nothing to lose
(Question asked during seminar break)

Teacher: I work in a continuation school with a revolving door. Although my class size runs anywhere from 9 to 22, it seems as if I'm always getting new students or losing current ones. However, some of them do stick around for the entire semester. I'm wondering if I should try using student numbers. My concern is that the changing population is going to make it difficult to remember which student has been assigned which number. Honestly, I don't need more confusion in my room; I need less.

A coupla-three thoughts.

1. I started using student numbers in a school located next to a navy housing area. I would gain or lose a student every two to three weeks. By the end of the year I'd have maybe five of my original September students still with me. The rest had come or gone during the course of the year.

The numbers, though, saved me a ton of work. Since everything in the room was number-based, I didn't have to continually change or update labels on folders or names on cubbies. The numbers proved to be the one constant throughout the school year.

2. With a changing class poplulation, you're going to need some kind of way to easily remember which student has which number. I suggest you either make a large roster and hang it on the wall or use a Binder Stand to display the information. Having the name/number info accessible will help to eliminate the uncertaintly of who's what.

3. The fact that you are working with a continuation school population grants you license to try new ideas. After all, they're in your class because traditional school strategies did not meet their needs. You've got nothing to lose--and everything to gain--by trying something different.

Remembering the numbers
(Question asked during seminar break)

Teacher: My students are having a hard time remembering their numbers. There's a bit of a turn-over issue with students coming and going, but still it's not been easy. What should I do?

My first response was to ask whether he taught elementary or secondary. When he said that he taught middle school, his concern made sense. Having to deal with six sets of numbers is going to be more challenging than working with just one set of numbers.

Rick
Trying to be helpful:
Did you post the names and numbers in your room?

Teacher: Oh, yeah. (Forehead slap.) I forgot all about that part. Thanks. That will help a lot.

Something else to bear in mind is that the students are supposed to be doing most of the assignment processing for you which means that they will also be doing most of the student number tasks for you. Asking them to collate sets of assignments will not only involve them in running the classroom but will eliminate the need for the teacher to have to deal with the student--or six--who neglected to write his number on his assignment. The student workers will take care of this for you.

No number? No sweat. The student knows to look at the class roster and write the missing number on the assignment himself. Problem solved. And one less thing for the already overworked teacher to deal with.

A second thought has to do with patience and trust. You're going to be using student numbers all year long. There's no rush to attain perfection right away. That would be unrealistic.

Instead, keep your eyes on the horizon. Anticipate a better future for you and your students. These kinds of long-term thoughts will help you to deal with those initial feelings of panic when the numbers don't click immediately.

It's going to be one of those "live with it" things before it all begins to work smoothly. However, by month two, I think you'll find that student numbers are working much better for you and your students than they were in week one.

Trust the power of student numbers. Trust yourself to make them work.

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