I don't have much problem

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Home : 2003 : March : 5

I don't have much problem
By dave

Here's what I do (fifth grade) and I really don't have much of a problem. Parents have even commented how attentive they are.

3 minutes with their head down at recess for talking.

No warnings! No emotion whatsoever.
Separate the behavior from the student! Don't spend any time (I mean ANY) time "discussing" why. Students LOVE to ask why. "Well Julie talked."
Ignore it! For chronic talkers, they put their head down that moment for three minutes. I teach them what that looks like. Many students look around when their heads should be down. Not in my class. I can even be out of the room now,

and students will come in after their elective and put their head down for three minutes, and I'm not even in the room! There is a timer at the board always set for three minutes. All students who owe time need to have their heads down, then a certaing, preassigned students starts the timer. Three minutes then the kids go out to recess. If any child looks around for that three minutes or fiddles with anything, it becomes 6 minutes.
We have a good time in class. The kids like me a lot and respect me. But I have a NO TOLERANCE policy for talking. Any teacher who has to yell or get really frustrated should try this 100% of the time WITH EVERY CHILD! I have two students that missed 3 of their 5 minute bathroom break because they talked. These are wonderful kids...two of my best. Apply the rule to EVERY child, even the shy ones who may have made a mistake only once.
The biggest reason for failure with this program is not being consistent. I start this on the second day of school. The first day I explain my policy. The kids know it is a behavior that needs to change, not them as a person. When putting a name on the board the first few weeks, I'll say things like, "Oh, shoot...you forgot. Oh well, I'm sure it won't happen many more times."
Hope this helps! It is a program, and it PAINS me sometimes to use it in certain circumstances, but I use it. We are all happy campers!