In my Walden class this week we are learning about the Behaviorist Learning Theory and how certain instructional strategies correlate with this learning theory. At the beginning of each year, most teachers establish expectations that relate to classroom management and behavior. This is to ensure the learning experiences are positive and maximized for every student. In our PE classes, we reinforce effort and recognize positive actions and behavior. As stated in our text for this course, “research indicates that when teachers use a mastery-oriented approach to provide recognition and praise, praise can be used to promote student engagement and decrease behavioral problems.” They also discuss that when praise is sincere, it can influence intrinsic motivation (Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2012). As I was studying the information about reinforcement, it reminded me of a quote that our principal uses frequently, “No significant learning occurs without a significant relationship” (Comer, 1995). This positive relationship needs to take place in order to ensure intrinsic motivation and trust.
“Reinforcing effort and providing recognition” (Pitler, Hubbell, & Kuhn, 2012) are natural strategies for a PE class. We are constantly seeking to reinforce behaviors as well as effort so that a student experiences some success and hopefully, in turn, will be excited about PE and lifelong activity. It is important to me for my students to succeed to the point that they love PE and develop a desire for a healthy lifestyle. These positive outcomes only happen when we reinforce, recognize, and develop that significant relationship to build trust.
In our classes, it is also very important to provide opportunities for practice of a skill. For instance, we have students who could not jump rope at the beginning of this school year. As an aerobic activity, when we can’t get outside to walk/jog, we jump rope. Providing practice, reinforcing effort, and encouraging home practice has helped some students to go from not being able to jump rope at all to being able to jump for one to two minutes without stopping. This type of success is attributed to merging positive behavior management with positive instructional strategies.
Comer, J. (1995). Lecture given at Education Service Center, Region IV. Houston, TX.
Pitler, H. Hubbell, E. & Kuhn, M. (2012). Using Tehcnology with Classroom Instruction that Works. Alexandria, VA: ASCD
Lynn,
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned reinforcement and providing recognition as a strategy used in your P.E. class. We currently have a P.E. teacher who struggles with praise and recognition in my school. What kinds of feedback could you give him that you currently implement in your own environment?
Whitney
Whitney,
DeleteAnytime we teach a skill, we are constantly walking around and monitoring. This is where we give specific feedback/reinforcement to the students. We just started a unit on gymnastics (body management). We have several students who are uncomfortable doing a forward roll, so we may work with that student in a progression from a shoulder roll to a forward roll. Once they get it, we try to get them to demonstrate for other students. This really helps to boost confidence and believe it or not, helps with behavior. We just finished a volleyball unit, and had a group of boys who were "constant talkers." We separated them and put them in charge of a team, and they did much better. Now, some may say this was rewarding "undesireable behavior," but we didn't let them know that we put them in charge of a team because of their talking disruptions. We made them believe that they were in charge of a team because of their skill level which was good anyway. Within our classes, we support the school-wide clip chart system. We don't have a clip chart for every class, but will let the classroom teacher know when a student needs to clip up or down at the end of our class. I usually try to name two boys and two girls to clip up for each class. Sometimes, when the entire class has had a great day in PE, I will tell the teacher that they deserve a "class clip-up." Each classroom teacher has different rewards for clip-ups.
I love the quote from your principal that you used above. It really does make sense considering that if there is no respect or a close relationship between you and your students then words of praise will not mean much. It sometimes slips my mind that reinforcement does not necessarily mean a reward or prize, but that praise can also be reinforcement. However, praise can fall short if you do not mean much in the eyes of your students. I often see this when teachers unjustly punish students without first hearing their side. To me it is important to make a relationship with my students where they know that I will listen to what they have to say before making choices. I also make it a point to have students make their own decisions, and not tell them what to do every minute of the day. This shows them that I have respect for their choices and it also helps if there is inappropriate behavior demonstrated, because that too is their choice, not mine.
ReplyDeleteI love that you have your students make some choices and decisions on their own. Our district is really emphasizing "gradual release." I know I have talked about this before, but it is where the teacher teaches a concept or lesson and lets the students explore, work on projects, and make decisions on their own. I think the idea is to get them ready for the "real world." I really agree that we get respect from our students when we respect them. They can tell if we are genuine and they will perform better for us when they know that we truly care about them.
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