This is post 2 of 5 that focus on strategies for supporting children who “call out”.
Build relationships and connect with your students. This seems like a “no-brainer” but it does require finding time in an already busy day.
Some students are hard to connect with. These ones usually need you the most. The Responsive Classroom Approach has good practices such as Classroom Meetings and Norms which support student-to-student connections.
- Routines for connecting
- -Start with something as simple as greeting each child as they enter the classroom.
- -“Sharing Time” or “Show and Tell”
- Listen:
- -Learn about their interests.
- -Talk with each student every day.
- -Find opportunities for students to talk about “non-academic” things.
- Celebrate their learning
- Monitor your feedback – Does the positive outweigh the negative (or perceived “negative”)?
- Build relationships with students’ families.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. There is a lot more information on this topic. One excellent source is Jody Carrington’s book, Kids These Days.