Lead, Follow, or Get Out of The Way

Lead, Follow, or Get Out of The Way Behavior Management Strategies for Boys

Fair, Firm, and Consistent • You must be the Bull Elephant! • Your are the Alpha male! • Boys need a highly structured work environment to achieve maximum academic success

Morning Procedures • Before school interactions • Circulate during morning activities • Personally interact with each student

Positive Departure • As the boys exit they must give you a firm handshake • Remind them of their homework assignments • Wish them a good evening

Class Motto • What do you want to be? • I want to be strong. • I want to be smart. • I want to be healthy. • I want to be all I can be.

Classroom Discipline Procedure 1. Verbal warning 2. Head down on desk 3. Timeout 4. Loss of free time during recess-walk the playing field 5. Contact parents (parent conference) 6. Bullying not tolerated, immediately sent to office

Lunch Bunch Buddies • Students select lunch buddies • Each group meets once a week • Teacher models how to hold a conversation • All students participate • Students and teacher share personal interests • Time for student to student and student to teacher bonding • Every other Friday the entire class comes back for lunch buddies in the classroom

Controlled Aggression The basic premise underlying the arguments against dodgeball and throwing snowballs is: if you prevent kids from playing aggressive games, then kids will be less aggressive. In fact, there is no evidence that preventing kids from acting out their aggression in healthy ways will diminish or eliminate their aggressive impulses. Instead, prohibiting these activities may actually increase the likelihood that the suppressed aggression will manifest itself in less healthy ways. Leonard Sax, M.D.,Ph.D. 2005

Break Time • It is crucial for boys to have allotted times for organized breaks • Physical movement helps to relieve stress and enhances the thinking process • Silent speedball-vary rules for each game • Jumping jacks • Run in place • Push ups • Workout with Billy Bank’s TAE BO tape

Physical Exercise • Boys are very physical and competitive • Before recess each student has to complete three laps around the playing field • Additional laps are assigned for inappropriate behavior • Dodgeball-the meek shall inherit the game • Kickball-all students play at least twice a week • Helps to build teamwork and class unity

Parent Support • Parent letter Positive Greeting Daily routine Homework requirements Weekly progress report Class rules Supply list Encourage parent participation Contact numbers and e-mail address

Assign numbers • Pencils Take one, leave one No mechanical pencils • Class paper • Walking in line First boy holds the door open Straight, quiet, hands to self, no gaps Any task fallout of line Square all corners

Always have additional work for students who complete assignments early. Read a book Take a Reading Counts test Work on handwriting Computer time-tutorial

Closing Thoughts • Boys are always in perpetual motion • More use of manipulatives and hands on instruction • Boys need to paraphrase what you have introduced or discussed • Provide opportunities for verbalization of feelings

Lead, Follow, or Get Out of The Way