Comments on: The Power of Silence

By: Craig Seganti

Craig Seganti — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:27:28 +0000

Once in awhile, Elise

By: Elise

Elise — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 13:52:12 +0000

Great comments. Does Craig ever respond?

By: Ervin

Ervin — Tue, 02 Aug 2011 18:28:10 +0000

Craig,

I couldn’t agree with you more. It amazes me why administrators insist on group work when it is laid before their eyes that it doesn’t work for students who have not attained a higher level of independent thinking. Even when they’re observing, it is still obvious that the smarter or behaved students are the only ones working, some are just pretending, and others are blatantly off topic or doing something else. U2′s words couldn’t have more meaning, “How can you stand next to the truth and not see it?” I’m glad we share the same opinion because I was beginning to wonder if I was missing something.

Ervin

By: Debbie Unruh

Debbie Unruh — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 02:57:47 +0000

Craig,
I teach the Alphabet Phonics, Ort and Gillingham Program, for students who have difficulty in reading and spelling grades 1-7th. The program includes three decks of cards. The letter deck, the key word and sound deck, and the spelling deck. Students are to say aloud the sounds and letters in each deck in order to help with processing their reading and spelling skills. Because much of the class requires verbal responces I have a hard time getting my students to be quite when its time to be quite. Do you have any suggestions for me to quite down my class. Most of my students are dyslexic or ADHD.
Debbie

By: bookish

bookish — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 23:11:25 +0000

I am so grateful that I found your book! I began teaching in 2003 after my divorce. I went from stay-at-home mom to a reading teacher at an alternative center. It was sheer hell. I was cursed at, spit on (literally; I had to go home and wash my hair and change) and generally miserable. The following year I was “lucky” enough to land a reading job at the regular middle school next door. It was awful. Serious behavior problems and rock bottom scores. I did make a difference but at the expense of my mental health. I quit. I broke my contract and subbed instead. This past year (2011), I was offered a job starting in October. I took a middle school reading class 8 weeks into the year. They were somewhat disruptive but not horrid. I told myself I could not go through it again and I began feeling those horrible feelings of just tolerating things while I marked off the days until summer on a calendar. Then I found your book. I began using the methods about two weeks ago (the end of February). As you suggested, I simply said “things are going to be different”, and I started.
Lining students up outside the door accomplishes several things: you can see who looks ready to work and dismiss them into the classroom first. The difficult students are then spoken to outside which means you are not lecturing or reminding students who do the right thing anyway. Also, if kids are fooling around at the door, you can stop them, tell them to breath and calm down. I tell them I don’t want ANY drama from the outside brought into my room. If there are any noises in my room while I am doing this, I call them back into the outside line. Finally, as I instruct each student individually to pick up the necessary materials (books, folders, etc.) as they pass by me, when I sit down to take attendance, it is basically already done. I can complete it in about 30 seconds because I have seen who is there already!
I think one of the biggest things I took from your book was the concept of silence. When you tell a noisy class to “be quiet” they simply talk in quieter voices for a few minutes. then they get loud again. Silence! send the message of zero tolerance for noise. On the inside you MUST believe that silence is a gift you are giving them, not a punishment.
Further, I think it is natural, as a human, to want to be liked. However, I realize what is more important is not that the kids like ME but that they know I like THEM. How do you do this? Notice if their artwork is on display at the mall and tell them. If you spot them in public, tell them how cute their baby brother is, remark that you know a family with the same last name as theirs up north. Any little human kindness like that can be done in a professional and kind manner and goes a LONG WAY in indicating to kids that they are important.
Last, I cannot do the 15 minute detentions so I give them school detentions that are held twice a week by a super tough history guy. It is very effective for my students and the school is very supportive in letting you know if a student did not attend (they get another detention) or if they are double-booked etc. There is also a bus home. My school also offers in school suspension on a daily basis AND lunch detentions. These are all run by other people and it makes my life easier. You HAVE to follow through. If you do not, the kids will smell it like a dog smells fear and they will capitalize on it immediately! Stand tough! You are a teacher! Very few people have comes as far or are as intelligent as we are. Pat yourself on the back and enjoy the silence.

By: Elmien Harmse

Elmien Harmse — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 21:22:23 +0000

Hi Malik

I’ve used the method you gave me on how to respond to kids making noises in class. It worked like a bom! Thanks allot.

Warm greetings
Elmien

By: Ros2010

Ros2010 — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 21:25:07 +0000

Your methods work and work well. I am an experienced teacher who recently was served a lousy load. When the school ‘warning’ discipline system failed me and suggested it was my problem I found you. Did it work? No! It almost did then the system kicked back so fast it was like a tidal wave of discontent from the power ranks. Basically the 15min detention was disallowed and I was told the detentions had to run at the 20 min recess break. This meant no lunch, no drink,and no toilet break for me.It also meant the student ‘forgot’ to turn up. That meant a double detention – not attended either- then a compulsory 50 minute afternoon detention by which time the student was in total fight mode. Ugh. – somehow these challenging students still managed to achieve above state average marks but my goodness it was exhausting.
My restraint was not being allowed to hold 15 minute afterschool detentions. For the short two week period I ran them before the admin cottoned on it was starting to work like magic.
If you have another plan that is allowable in my school. I would be interested.

By: Isabella

Isabella — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 18:32:31 +0000

Keep it up and in 2011 : ]

By: Natalie

Natalie — Sat, 11 Dec 2010 04:25:24 +0000

Thank you!
I have been frustrated with the amount of emphasis placed on group worked for years. I am a recent college graduate and have experienced being forced into fruitless group projects and discussions for most of my educational career. Granted, group discussion at the college level is often valuable, but still over-emphasized. I especially dreaded group projects during which I would meet with a group and spend most of the time discussing anything but the task at hand. I agree that one learns the most researching and studying for oneself in a quiet environment. I am now getting my Masters in Education and am tired of always being required to include more group work in my lessons for 3rd graders. Anyone who has worked with 8 year-olds knows that group work is often fruitless and sometimes even detrimental for such young students.

By: Malik

Malik — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 20:11:01 +0000

Hello,
I have a solution for Elmien. You can outsmart that smart kid in any number of ways. One is, when it happens, look toward the noise, not angrily, but quietly, seriously,majestically, while pausing your teaching. The culprit will not be the ones who look nervous and furiously working, but rather will have a challenging body language, could be anywhere from boldly staring to working with a grin. there may be also other grinning monkeys. Stay near them for the rest of the period. Or reseat them very calmly without blaming them. They will not repeat this for that period. Speak to each of them alone again, calmly. Call their bluff with the consequence.Say something like ” You were off task in class and there was humming going on.”Either they will all accept the consequence, or, one of them will rat the other out. Be cool, never angry. The premise is the same. No disruption will be tolerated. These kids are looking to get you angry. But instead, show them that your priority is their working, and it is all about the work.
I understand how hard your situation must be.
Hope this helps.