Bob Densmore

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Helping Struggling Students Connect to a Positive
Learning Environment
Bob Densmore TAP/CAM
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240 Kids
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"Eighty per cent of our public school pupils drop
out of the schools before attaining to the high
school, and 97 per cent of all our public school
pupils, from the primary grades to the high
schools, drop out before graduation from the high
school."
Douglas Commission report 1905
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"Only four out of 10 U.S. children finish high
school only one of five who finish high school
goes to college."
From Commissioner of Education (Time magazine)
1947
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"Whereas the conventional wisdom had long placed
the graduation rate around 85 percent, a growing
consensus has emerged that only about seven in 10
students are actually successfully finishing high
school. Graduation rates are even lower among
certain student populations, particularly racial
and ethnic minorities and males."
"Eighty per cent of our public school pupils drop
out of the schools before attaining to the high
school, and 97 per cent of all our public school
pupils, from the primary grades to the high
schools, drop out before graduation from the high
school."
Douglas Commission report 1905
From "Cities in Crisis" (America's Promise
Alliance, 2008).
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"Whereas the conventional wisdom had long placed
the graduation rate around 85 percent, a growing
consensus has emerged that only about seven in 10
students are actually successfully finishing high
school. Graduation rates are even lower among
certain student populations, particularly racial
and ethnic minorities and males."
Dropout Headlines
Dropout Headlines
High school dropouts cost state
billions February 5, 2008
Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs struggle with
dropouts April 6, 2008
Students In Crisis
Students In Crisis
From "Cities in Crisis" (America's Promise
Alliance, 2008).
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What happens when We dont connect With students?
Dropout Headlines
Dropout Headlines
Dropout Headlines
Dropout Headlines
Dallas-Fort Worth suburbs struggle with
dropouts April 6, 2008
High school dropouts cost state
billions February 5, 2008
1 in 10 U.S. high schools is a dropout
factory October 17, 2007
High school dropout rates high in Texas February
22, 2008
They become dropouts!
Students In Crisis
Students In Crisis
Students In Crisis
Students In Crisis
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240 Students
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Rank 2 2007
50,118
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Garland or Plano have around 50,000 Students
All Dropouts
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Who Are These Kids?
By Ethnicity Hispanic - 56, 27,720 African Am.
- 24, 11,880 White - 20, 9,900
TEA Data
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Who Are These Kids?
By Program Bilingual - 10, 4,950 Gifted - 3,
1,485 Special Ed - 18, 8,900 At Risk 72,
36,640
TEA Data
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Who Are These Kids?
By Gender Male 56 27,720 Female 44
21,780
TEA Data
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Who Are These Kids?
By Age 15 17, 6,950 16 23,
11,385 17 36, 17,820 18 17, 8,415 19
7, 3,465
TEA Data
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Who Are These Kids?
By Economics Economically Disadvantaged 48
TEA Data
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Who Are These Kids?
9th Grade Completion Rates Nebraska 1
88 Nevada 50 64 Texas - 35 74
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Who Are These Kids?
1385 High Schools in Texas 18 are Dropout
Factories 241 high schools 60 or less graduate
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Who Are These Kids?
Incarceration Rates USA 1 in the world 7.2
million Texas 1 in U.S. 1 out of 20
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Who Are These Kids?
74 Texas prisoners are DROPOUTS!
Texas Dept. of Prisons
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Lets hear from Texas kids!
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Byron

• Former dropout
• 19 years old
• One more semester to graduate

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Cody

• Failed 9th year
• Friends helped him
• Family support

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Shawonna

• Dropout for a semester
• Had a baby
• Teacher supporter her

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Joanna

• 19 years old
• Has two kids
• Husband support

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Jerrick

• Wouldnt come to
• school
• Didnt like students
• Didnt like teachers
• Wasnt failing

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Terrell High School
1999-2000

• The school was low performing in math
• The facilities were unacceptable - graffiti
  covered the school
• There were over 150 fights
• There were over 5,000 discipline referrals
• Attendance averaged 90.0
• Drop out rate was rising.
• There was no PTA, PTO, or parent support groups
• Disrespect and low expectations were evident

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Terrell High School Attendance
97.4
93.7
93.5
90.4
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Terrell High School
2007 Texas Best Practices High School
Referrals
Fights
5137
152
2676
42
1217
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2006 2007
1999
2006 2007
1999
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Terrell High School
2006-2007

• Select as Best Practices High School, February,
  2007
• The school facilities have been improved
• There were only 7 fights
• There were only 1,200 discipline referrals
• Attendance averaged 97.4
• Dropout rate is nearly nonexistent
• I Care Wall and Honor Code were created
• Prime Time curriculum delivery system
  established
• A PTO with over 200 members
• Attitude and expectations of the staff improved

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Teacher Core Beliefs that wont change
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1
Students can only make two choices when given
instructions. They either do it or they don't!
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2
You cant make students do anything! You cant
make them learn or behave. They have to want to
learn and behave.
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3
You can't punish students into compliance!
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You can't solve a problem during the problem!
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The brain believes what you tell it!
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Teacher Motto
Every Kid. Every Day.
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Students Change
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It's A Jungle
Out THERE!
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Activities Sports Band Drama Agriculture UIL
Academics Cheerleadering Drill team Debate
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TODAY KIDS ARE SENSITIVE TO 6 THINGS
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1) Facial Expression
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Whatever facial expression you have, the student
will you.
mirror
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2) Tone of Voice
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3) Volume
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Voice Levels
Respectful
Use levels in your classroom
three

• Whole class

(classroom)

• Table or small group

(blended)

• Individual or private

conversation
(whisper)
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P R O X I M I T Y
4)
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Body Language
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5) Touch
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I teach the best and get rid of the rest.
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Connecting
Students
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ACADEMICS COME FIRST!
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Academic Focus System
Prime Time
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Instruction that CONNECTS
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Prime Time
First 20 Minutes All Classes
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Use of Prime Time
Focus all students especially reluctant learners!
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Use of Prime Time
Helps students to become self-disciplined!
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Use of Prime Time
NO ONE stops me from teaching!
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Use of Prime Time
NOONE!
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Use of Prime Time
Discipline problems will not be tolerated!
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Prime Time
Nothing interferes with Prime Time
Nothing!
Nothing!
Nothing!
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It is an attitude!
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BEST

• Body
• Eyes
• Say
• Touch

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Walk the Room
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The Walk Away
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Sit to counsel
Stand to Instruct discipline
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EYES
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Good Eyes
Bad Eyes
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Good Nod
Bad Nod
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What you Say
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Clear - Firmly
Adults must sound in charge!
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Attention
Getter
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You hear with
your eyes
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What you say and how you say it
Your attitude towards them
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How do you give
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Detailed
with a time limit
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Studentsplease clear your desk and get out
your notebook and something to write with. You
have 25 seconds to be prepared.
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Why
is time so important?
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Reluctant Learner
I cant do anything that long!
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Reluctant Learner
Emotional No
Logical Yes
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Using Pauses
EXAMPLE
Mary, stop talking. Finish your work. Mary,
stop talking. Finish your work. Mary (pause,
giving Big Eyes) stop talking. (pause)
Finish-your-work. Walk away. Allow time for
student to redirect his efforts.
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How we touch
Two fingers on the shoulder
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What causes Teacher Burnout!
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Dont allow teachers to argue!
You waste your
Energy
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Do Not Argue!
Dont play tug of war
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Sh! Sh!Sh! Sh!Sh!Sh!
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Decides what they want after students
misbehave. Dont assume they know how to behave
unless you tell them
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Anger is vented but the teacher is likely to feel
guilty about losing self-control.
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Instead, ask what happen and use the yes
technique
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Yes Technique

• After asking, What Happened?
• and listening to the answer,
• repeat what the student has said.
• Your goal is to get a yes reply from
• the student.

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Yes Technique Works!
They know you are listening because you have
repeated what they said.
When there is calm listening, they calm down.
When they are not upset, they are able to
problem-solve and move to the front of their
brain.
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• Will you O.K.?

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You will thank you!
Reluctant learners must have specific/detailed
directions
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Do you ask anyone to just
try?
NO!
TRY

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Instead, use
Yes or No?
Is that a yes you will or no you wont.
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Monitoring Making the rounds just Like a doctor
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What gets monitored is what gets done!
Administrators are not in their office
during prime time!
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PLAN
Bob Densmore
Working on Group Projects
Educational Consultant
Placement Stay in your assigned seat and wait
for permission to move to
groups Language Blended voices Attitude Can
do attitude cooperative
collaborating Needs Clear desk of everything
but needed supplies

bdensmorb_at_aol.com