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What-if Wednesday: What if it is personal?

What about that wad of paper on the ground? Yep, it's personal. When I first began teaching, I had a difficult time with classroom management. Well-intentioned teachers would explain to me, "It's not personal." Often, this advice was accompanied by "you Read More...
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2008 12 31

John Spencer

9 Comments

Monday Metaphor: Driving a Car

On three separate occasions, my mom attempted to teach me how to drive. At first it seemed to work. However, she would quickly micromanage, offer too much feedback, give some seemingly phony praise and I would grow nervous. I would over-correct to one Read More...
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2008 12 15

John Spencer

2 Comments

Thursday Thoughts: A Libertarian's Guide to Classroom Management

I don't post the rules on my walls. In fact, I have no rules in my classroom; or at least no explicit rules. I never create a seating chart. I can't think of the last time I timed out a student. It just doesn't make sense to send a kid off in exile for Read More...
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2008 12 11

John Spencer

2 Comments

a book all teachers should read

I'm almost finished with my master's degree. The Capstone Project sounds impressive on paper, but it's actually not all that innovative. All the ideas are from somebody else (research journals). Even if it is documented, it somehow feels like cheating. Read More...
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2008 10 22

jtspencer

1 Comments

lessons from a horse whisperer

On NPR today, I listened to a story about a horse whisperer. He described the way he began as a horse trainer. He used two-by-fours in order to "break the will" of the horse. Often, the success seemed immediate, but a few horses would refuse to conform. Read More...
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2008 08 12

jtspencer

3 Comments

why I don't do rewards

Birthdays are important to me. Unlike other American holidays, they do not require reciprocity. There is no give-and-take, no social contract; nothing that says, "our gifts better be equal, because if they don't, I'll either feel gyped or guilty." Unlike Read More...
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2007 08 19

jtspencer

4 Comments

well-intentioned low standards

The first few weeks for me are always the hardest. After a rather sedentary summer, I find myself swept into motion. Energetically, I run from place to play, smile, give compliments, offer instruction. I fail to learn all the names and I know even fewer Read More...
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2007 08 10

jtspencer

0 Comments

preventative classroom management

Classroom management, to me, is a bit of a misnomer. The term manager conjures up a man clad in a shirt and tie, sitting behind a cubical (sp?) attempting to maintain the status quo. A manager keeps things under control. A leader, however, is proactive Read More...
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2007 07 31

jtspencer

3 Comments

the classroom as a record album

I sit at my desk with a fat stack of papers. The solitary electric guitar quietly introduces notes to the song "Round Here" by Counting Crows– a lonely track that never should have been a hit, because it really wasn't all that radio-friendly anyway. After Read More...
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2007 07 22

jtspencer

2 Comments

recovering what we lost in standardized education

After taking so many theory classes this summer, I am left with a mental overload. I enjoy the dialogue and debates, yet I can't help but feel that none of the "isms" really worked for me. Constructivism was great, but often unrealistic. Behaviorism seemed Read More...
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2007 07 15

jtspencer

0 Comments

5 easy steps to classroom management

The following are five easy steps to managing a classroom: It's blank for a reason. I don't think there is that magical formula. There aren't five easy steps. We don't teach in Hogwarts and we don't have a magic wand to make it all better. Moreover, I Read More...
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2007 06 30

jtspencer

3 Comments