Need for Recognition, Attention, and Emotional Safety

Are your students unable to function effectively when they get angry, frustrated, or sad? Have you ever had a student explode after holding in feelings about an upsetting experience? In an emotionally safe environment, teachers stay on top of the emotional energy in the classroom. They listen to (or refer) students in need and support kids in their ability to solve their problems peacefully.

· I attempt to meet students’ needs for attention in positive, constructive, and proactive ways.

· I reinforce positive behavior with positive outcomes.

· I communicate with parents, regularly and frequently, about what their children are doing well.

· I respect students’ affective needs and am committed to listening and supporting their feelings and problem-solving skills in positive ways.

· I respect confidentiality to the degree that doing so will not put anyone in danger.

· I immediately respond to incidents involving any form of bulling, harassment, or threat to safety.

Each goal statement has immense implications for how we structure our classrooms, our relationships, and our priorities. One hopes this checklist will challenge us all to collaborate in new ways and avail ourselves of resources, disciplines, technologies, and strategies we may previously have not considered, or which may not have been available to us in the past. So many people in the education community stand to benefit when we keep the big picture in mind, working our way through the smaller goals to inaugurate a dramatic and positive change.

(from Scholastic Instructor, September 2002, p. 37)

1. Students’ bad behavior is a sign of struggle for survival.

2. Using authority in classroom can increase commitment and cooperation.

3. Sometimes students can make decisions about their education.

4. Preventing problems is impossible that’s why teachers shouldn’t try to anticipate them.

5. Warnings and threats are necessary in class.

6. Changes in behavior can help students to get promotion.

7. Parents’ feedback and support is necessary for students and teachers.

8. Students can function effectively when they angry or sad.

9. Only parents have to protect their children from bulling and harassment.

10. Most of teachers stand to benefit when they keep the big picture in mind, working their way through the smaller goals.

4. К словам из первой колонки подберите синонимы или близкие по смыслу слова из второй колонки. Составьте с ними предложения:

to respond to fight

collaboration to answer, to react

struggle unhappy

to anticipate cooperation

sad positive outcome

benefit to predict, to expect

to reinforce consistently

regularly to support

5. Определите, какие из следующих словосочетаний определяют проблемное поведение детей (negative behavior), а какие – действия учителя, направленные на создание благоприятной атмосферы в детском коллективе (win-win approach):

1. to explode after holding sb`s feeling about an upsetting experience.

2. to violate limits.

3. to respond immediately to incidents involving any form of bulling, harassment, or threat to safety.

4. to set limits and offer choices, and follow through consistently.

5. much of defiance, rebelliousness, and acting out reflects students’ struggle to survive.

6. to make assignments personally meaningful.

7. to emphasize the positive consequences of cooperation.

8. to be unable to function effectively.

9. to listen and support feelings and problem-solving skills in positive ways.

10. to utilize parents, administration and staff for feedback and support.

11. to be angry, sad, or frustrated.

12. to create an emotionally safe environment and meet students` needs for attention in positive ways.

6. Закончите предложения:

1. If a teacher uses his/her authority in class,...

2. When students struggle to survive, they...

3. If a teacher wants to reduce conflict and increase cooperation in class, he/she...

4. If a teacher allows the students to create, they...

5. If a teacher tries to anticipate what students and parents need, he/she...

6. If you try to prevent other people problems, you...

7. If a teacher wants to have feedback, he/she...

8. If your students are angry, frustrated, or sad, you...

9. If a teacher observes incidents involving any form of bulling, harassment, or threat to safety, he/she...

7. Ответьте на вопросы:

1. Did your teachers use authority in class when you were in school?

2. Did you struggle to survive when you were in school?

3. Did your teachers try to reduce conflict and increase cooperation in your class when you were in school?

4. Did your teachers encourage you to make decisions about your learning (what, where, with whom, how, or how much) when you were in school?

5. Did your teachers allow you to create when you were in school?

6. Have you ever tried to anticipate your students’ or classmates’ problems?

7. What does feedback mean?

8. Can you work effectively when you are angry, frustrated, or sad?

9. Did you teachers protect you from bulling when you were in school?

10. Can the checklist from the text help you in your future profession?

8. Вставьте в пропуски слова или словосочетания, подходящие по смыслу:

acting out // reduce conflict // positive behavior // get angry // an upsetting experience // to prevent problems their feelings // motivate through access // threats // an emotionally safe environment

Much of the defiance, rebelliousness, and 1) … reflects our students’ struggle to survive. Students are unable to function effectively when they 2) …, frustrated, or sad. A student may explode after holding in feelings about 3) …. To meet students` need for recognition, attention, and safety teachers should use their authority to set limits and offer choices and create 4) ….

To 5) … and increase commitment and cooperation the teacher can encourage students to make decisions about their learning, 6) … to positive outcomes, and emphasize the positive consequences of cooperation. It is also important that the teacher consciously anticipate students` needs in various situations in order 7) … and follow through immediately, avoiding warnings and 8) ….

To create an emotionally safe environment the teacher can use such strategies as the following: reinforce 9) … with positive outcomes, communicate with parents regularly and frequently, respect students’ affective needs and support 10) ….

Most of teachers will stand to benefit and inaugurate positive change if they keep the big picture in mind, working their way through the smaller goals.

9. Поставьте письменно вопросы к выделенным словам:

1. This passivity is the opposite of what we would like children to learn by playing group games.

2. This example contrasts sharply with the previous one.

3. Their version maximized the potential of the game for their development.

4. Piaget`s theory shows that in logico-mathematical knowledge truth does not to come out of the teacher’s head.

5. The game is used to achieve three broad objectives of early education and contributes to children’s social, political, moral, cognitive, and emotional development.

10. Выразите свое отношение к обсуждаемой проблеме. Приведите примеры из собственного опыта. Расскажите, испытывали ли Вы потребность в признании, внимании и эмоциональной безопасности, когда учились в школе. Какие действия в связи с возникшими проблемами предпринимал учитель (классный руководитель).