MCC Friday Reflections

We sat, barely knowing one another, and talked about setting goals for behavior.  We defined the behaviors we thought should be shown throughout the days, weeks, and months of a school year.  We discussed the act of setting realistic goals…attainable yet challenging.  We spoke to the fact that we are a group and each person has a responsibility to the group, and a responsibility to help reach the goal set forth.  We delineated a way to track the progress of our goal.  For the past 13 years of teaching I have had my students set a goal for unsolicited compliments.  The goal itself has varied as has the way each class progressed through the year toward their goal.  Every class has met their goal, some surpassing it. This year is not different.  The goal was set on the first day of school…90 unsolicited compliments in nine months.  I can remember us talking about how we would need 30 per trimester to reach our goal.  I look at our...

Behaviors are a peculiar thing.  They often surprise us, too.  Kids can go from one extreme to another in a matter of minutes.  They are testing the boundaries, trying to get a handle on how to navigate the world we’ve placed before them.  They take cues from the adults in their lives, the celebrities that they watch, and each other.  Being in a classroom presents an environment that allows for all three influences to play a role in daily behaviors.  It’s not uncommon to see children mimicking celebrities, talking about their family life and the rules & expectations they must follow at home, and some even pretending to be the teacher. Day in and day out kids, like adults, have to make choices about their behaviors.  They often are in conflict of whether to follow their instincts, follow authority figure expectations, or to stay “cool” in the eyes of their peers.  Sometimes they make good choices and sometimes they do not. Th...