The Big Picture

1
The Big Picture

• Assistant Teacher Professional Learning Community
• Facilitator Shelita McCadney Brown, HCSD Teacher
  Quality Team

2
Session I

• Goal
• Evaluate your roles and responsibilities to as a
  Teacher assistant.

3
What hue am I?

• Read the words and describe which of the four
  letter choices is most like you. Give that a 4.
  Then rank the next three letter choices from 3 -1
  in descending preference.
• (4 most like you) (1 least like you)

4
True Colors

• True Color Inventory
• Better understand yourself and others
• Promote appreciation of individual differences

5
Application

• Professional relationships
• Communication
• Events
• Use of time
• Teaching and discipline styles

6
Gold Characteristics

• Group 2
• Loves to plan
• Detail oriented
• Service Oriented
• Values and Family traditions
• Helpful and trustworthy
• Conservative and stable
• Never breaks the speed limit
• Strives for a sense of security

• Punctual predictable, precise
• Duty, loyalty, useful responsible
• There is a right way to do everything

7
How others see Gold

• Stable
• Providing security
• Firm
• Dependable
• Decisive
• Executive type
• Orderly, neat
• Punctual

• Rigid
• Controlling , bossy
• Dull, boring
• Stubborn, pig-headed
• Opinionated
• System-bound
• Unimaginative
• Judgmental
• Uptight
• Rigid idea of time

8
Orange Characteristics

• Group 1
• Playful
• Energetic
• Charming
• Risk-taker
• Tests limits
• Quick witted
• Master negotiator
• Creative, inventive

• Impulsive and spontaneous
• Natural entertainer
• Likes tangible rewards
• Appreciate immediate feedback

9
How others view Orange

• Fun loving, enjoys life
• Spontaneous
• Care-free
• Proficient
• Problem solver
• Good negotiator
• Eclectic

• Irresponsible
• Flaky
• Wishy-washy
• Disobey the rules
• Not able to stay on task
• Indecisive

10
Blue Characteristics

• Group 3
• Mediators
• Optimistic
• Caretakers
• Passionate
• True Romantic
• Cause Oriented
• Cooperative rather than competitive

• Need to feel special
• Always has a kind word
• Strong sense of spirituality
• Peace, harmony, and relationship
• Motivate and encourage others

11
How others view Blue

• Overemotional
• Groveling, soft
• Too trusting
• Mushy
• Ignore policy/creates chaos

• Warming, caring compassionate
• Likes to please people
• Trusting
• Romantic
• Spiritual
• Creative
• Unselfish

12
Green Attributes

• Group 4
• Intellectual
• Theoretical
• Idea people
• Philosophical
• Very complex
• Perfectionists
• Standard sellers
• Visionaries, futurists

• Can never know enough
• Cool, calm collected
• Work is play, play is work
• Often not in the mainstream
• Abstract, conceptual, global
• Need for independence and private time

13
How others view Green

• Super intellectual
• Rational
• Calm, not emotional
• Able to find flaws, objective
• Holding firm to policy
• Tough minded

• Intellectual snob
• Cool, aloof, unfeeling
• Afraid to open up
• Appreciative, stingy with praise
• Does not consider others in plans

14
Color Mingle

• Which characteristics shined the most.
• Which characteristics shined the least.
• Have your partner share their experiences if any
  with your personality.
• Share some insights or strategies to enhance
  characteristics that shined the most.
• Share some insights or strategies to overcome
  characteristics that shined the least.
• (5 minutes/5 minutes)

15
Truths

• Your perception is your reality
• You cant waste time trying to control someone
  else, but you can always control yourself and be
  the best you that you can be

16

• Everyone has some of each color.
• We each have our strengths and our weaknesses.
• Try to play to each others strengths and
  consider how others approach ideas, projects, and
  communication.
• Use this information to become a better
  communicator and team player.

17
Roles and Responsibilities

• Teacher, Shared, Teacher Assistant

18
Roles and Responsibilities

• Staying in our lane.

19
Roles and Responsibilities

• Tries to take control of the class
• Not enough to do
• Intimidating age (older to younger)
• Young teachers are trying to figure out their
  first job
• Young teachers are not trained on how to work
  with teacher assistants

20
Roles and Responsibilities

• Reports to
• Principal or his/her designee under the direct
  supervision of the classroom teacher.
• Job Summary
• The basic function of this position is to assist
  in providing a well-organized and smoothly
  functioning class environment in which students
  can take full advantage of the instructional
  program and available resource materials.

21
Lets Play Jeopardy!

• http//www.superteachertools.com/jeopardy/usergame
  s/Dec201251/game1355842670.php

22
Session II Understanding the Students You Serve

• Marzano Classroom Management that Works

23

• And..dealing with children toothis is too much!

24
Elementary Characteristics (K-5)

• Gaining self-confidence
• Less quarreling
• Perfecting motor skills
• Becoming more inner-directed
• Likes organized play with definite rules
• Bursts of emotion and impatience
• Accepts failures and mistakes more realistically
• Tries to give impression of being calm and
  steadfast
• Becomes selective in activities and spends more
  time focused on an activity
• Girls may start puberty spurt of growth
• Loves to form clubs and be an officer
• Sense of humor is well defined
• May begin to show signs of neglecting personal
  hygiene while interest in clothing styles and
  fads begins to be important

• Likes and enjoys friends
• Beginning to agree logically
• Individual interest more long-lasting
• Motor skills fairly well developed
• Enjoys ability to "fit in" at home, school and
  play
• Relation with parents, siblings, teachers and
  friends at all-time high
• Enjoys organized activities and has secret
  groups, codes, etc.
• Can show concern and is sensitive to others
• Begins development of special motor skills
  (sports, music, dancing, crafts)
• Feels more comfortable when their world is
  organized and schedules are kept
• Loves trivia
• Enjoys taking and planning outings
• May resent being told what to do, yet needs
  constant reminders regarding routine
  responsibilities

25
Middle School Characteristics (6 -8)

• Appetite increases
• At times can be loud, boorish and rude
• Tends to be moody, sensitive
• With strangers may be cooperative, friendly,
  lively and pleasant
• Frequent arguments with parents
• Friends are selected because of mutual interests
• Interest in the opposite sex is changing
• Attitudes about school are changing
• Very active
• May read without being able to explain the story
  sequence, or the consequences of actions

• Enthusiastic for short periods
• Emotions are extreme either really likes
  something or really hates it
• No longer wants to be considered a child
• Emphasis on "best" friend
• Can be critical of physical appearance
  (especially girls)
• Some restlessness, day dreaming and wasting time
• Has some difficulty accepting praise
• Participates less in family activities
• Talks frequently of the opposite sex

26
Secondary Students (9-12)

• Need to understand the purpose and relevance of
  instructional activities
• Are both internally and externally motivated
• Have self-imposed cognitive barriers due to years
  of academic failure and lack self-confidence
• May have shut down in certain cognitive areas
  and will need to learn how to learn and overcome
  these barriers to learning
• Want to establish immediate and long-term
  personal goals
• Want to assume individual responsibility for
  learning and progress toward goals

• High school students are experimenting with
  adult-like relationships. Generally speaking,
  most students share the following
  characteristics
• Interested in co-educational activities
• Desire adult leadership roles and autonomy in
  planning
• Want adults to assume a chiefly support role in
  their education
• Developing a community consciousness
• Need opportunities for self-expression
• Source
• Pennington, M. (2009) Characteristics of High
  School Learner.

27

• Classroom Management (Shared)
• Vs.
• Classroom Discipline (Teacher)

28

• In well-managed classrooms, teachers
  simultaneously develop a set of rules and
  procedures and a companion set of
  consequences.driven by, the building level
  management system, which allows teachers to
  individualizerewards, consequences, etc.

29
Teacher Reactions

• Reactions that address inappropriate behavior.
• Reactions that reinforce appropriate behavior.

30
Scenario 1

• The teacher has to take an important phone call
  and you have been asked to monitor the students
  working while she is away. Johnny (imagine your
  grade) wants to try his hand at getting the class
  in an uproar.

31
Reactions That Address Inappropriate Behavior

• That pregnant pause
• Moving to the front of the room and stopping
  instruction
• Eye contact
• Subtle gestures
• Heading students off

32
Scenario 2

• It is center/remedial time and you are working
  with a group with a range of academic ability.
  You have been asked to facilitate a group with a
  variety of questions.

33
Affirmative Actions to Incorrect Responses

• Dont tell students that they should have know
  the answer
• Dont ignore a response
• Avoid subjective comments about incorrect answers
  until you fully understand the students
  thinking
• Dont allow negative comments from other
  students.

34
Reactions That Reinforce Appropriate Behavior

• Short verbal affirmations
• Smiles, winks, and other signals
• Catching students being good
• Moving around the room
• Attribute ideas and comments to those who offered
  them
• Encourage everyones participation
• Provide adequate wait time

35
Managing Cooperative Learning Groups and
Independent Seatwork
36
Group Contingency

• Interdependent group contingency strategies are
  those in which the entire group gets a reward
  only when every student in the group meets the
  expectation for behavior.
• Dependent group contingency strategies are those
  in which the groups reward depend on the action
  of one student or a small group of students.
  (minimal use)

37
IGC - Elementary

• Place a mark or tally on the board by a group or
  team name when the group is behaving as desired.
• Recognizing students working in their assigned
  group role.
• The group that collects five marbles in the jar.
• Reward at the end of the project, because of the
  project. (Directions to make lemonade, edible
  solar system)

38
IGC - Secondary

• Grade the entire group on both the academic task
  and their effective group interactions
• Avoid IGC techniques that require a whole class
  to meet a behavioral criterion and that have a
  negative group consequence if one member of the
  class fails to perform. Older students have a
  well-developed sense of fairness.

39
Seat Work and Teacher Led Activities

• What is the common denominator?
• Students must remain in their seats

40
Seat Work and Teacher-Led Activities

• Set expectations for student working in their
  seats
• Maintain Students attention during teacher-led
  activities

41
Seat Work

• Offer rewards
• Create a list of fun activities at the completion
  of the class work
• Everyone is an Expert learning station
• Helps students not have a negative view on
  classwork

42
Teacher-Led Activities

• Quick polls thumbs up/thumbs down
• Countdowns and Call-outs Give me a 5-4-3-2-1
  / Please turn your voice down now, Tina/ I see
  Joe, Jen and Brandon quiet
• Random drawings-popsicle sticks, stars, coins,
  etc.
• Job assignments/Helpers

43
Brain Breaks!

• Dr. John Ratey (2008)
• From your genes to emotions, your body and brain
  are dying to embrace the physical life. You are
  built to move. When you do, youll be on fire.
• Prepares the brain
• Supports exercise and fitness
• Develops class cohesion

44
Brain Breaks

• Midline of the body to get both hemispheres of
  the brain working.
• Heel taps
• Windmills
• Reenergize your students
• Three shakes
• Freeze dance