Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher in Virginia and use the "stop light" system. Why, because I don't have time to sit there and have a discussion with your child Everytime he decides to play around and not follow directions. Especially if I have already outlined my expectations and given both verbal and written directions. My students know why they are changing their color and they are able to move their color back if their behavior improves. However, once they teach red they will be joining me in an instant phone home. I don't have time to teach 30 kids and also deal with the fact that your kid has not stopped talking the past 5 times I asked them.

Now I say all that but let me say that I give my students plenty of advanced warnings, have clear guidelines for behavior and expectations and keep my kids engaged all day. I give them downtime when I notice that they need a break and only make them change their colors when I've exhausted all other means (a warning, a quick check in with them and then a discussion). But if your child is being a little disrespectful snot then by all means, expect to hear from us.

But it sounds like that's what you're already doing. My child went to a school that did a clip chart with the colors and it stressed him out. In three years he was on yellow twice and the good colors all the other days, but he was so worried about moving his clip that it made him hate school. His friends were on the "bad colors" all the time, so he worried the teachers would have him move his clip too. I told him to quit worrying about it, but it was no use.

The past two years we've been at a school that uses responsive classroom and he's much happier. It's rare that I hear him talking about his friends being in trouble, so I guess it's working ok. My ds is kind of shy and quiet, so he never got in trouble for anything except not following instructions before, but with the responsive classroom it seems the expectations are pretty clear?

Your kid is going to have a rough life ahead of him if a color chart is so stressful for him. What is going to happen when his performance or the performance of his "friends" is criticized in the workplace? Will you switch him to a job that uses a "responsive management" strategy?

Or how about when his wife criticizes him for something she doesn't like? Will you insist he find a "responsive relationship" in which there are no consequences for doing whatever the hell he wants to do?

I get that hitting and shaming kids are horrible but there is such a thing as going too far in the other direction. Kids have to learn to accept criticism and use that to change their behavior. Kids learn nothing by being told how amazing and perfect they are all the time.

Yeah, that's a great comparison! An elementary school aged boy and a grown man are EXACTLY the same thing. There are zero changes that occur between the ages elementary school and the time he will have graduated from college and started working and getting married. There's not any growing, learning and maturing that happens AT ALL during those years, is there? Gee pp, thanks for giving me some perspective on this. Time for me to start really parenting my child!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Do the top ES use this system? Nottingham/Jamestown/Tuckahoe/McKinley?

I know Nottingham does.

This should say "I know Nottingham uses the Responsive Classroom system." They've been doing it for at least 4 years and it's school-wide. (I just realized that I implied that Nottingham uses the stoplight system.)

Others?

Do the top ES use this system? Nottingham/Jamestown/Tuckahoe/McKinley?
I know Nottingham does.

Jamestown uses responsive classroom.

Not saying that it is right to do this--but, it may be for the benefit of the kids who do behave. When a child misbehaves so much, it appears that he is getting correction by doing this. That affirms to the other children that the teacher is not letting the other kid "get by"........Kids generally do not like it when others are disruptive at their expense.

Unfortunately, it makes things worse, in many cases.

However, having taught kids who were difficult, I can see how a teacher might do this. If it doesn't look like he is getting punished in any way, some other kids might take lessons from him.

Again, not saying it is right, but sometimes teachers get desperate.

I did not use this particular system--but, I can see how some teachers--especially young ones--might find it to be an "answer". I know that I did lots of things in my early years of teaching that I did not do as I matured.

Anonymous wrote:I know Nottingham did when my older (now 5th grade) was in K, but by the time my younger (now 2nd grade) was in K they did not. I feel like the push for responsive classroom came inbetween that time, so they may not use it anymore. Of course, my kids didn't have the same teacher, so it might be a difference of teacher and not difference of policy.

It's supposed to be school wide http://www.apsva.us/Page/22042

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'm a teacher in Virginia and use the "stop light" system. Why, because I don't have time to sit there and have a discussion with your child Everytime he decides to play around and not follow directions. Especially if I have already outlined my expectations and given both verbal and written directions. My students know why they are changing their color and they are able to move their color back if their behavior improves. However, once they teach red they will be joining me in an instant phone home. I don't have time to teach 30 kids and also deal with the fact that your kid has not stopped talking the past 5 times I asked them.

Now I say all that but let me say that I give my students plenty of advanced warnings, have clear guidelines for behavior and expectations and keep my kids engaged all day. I give them downtime when I notice that they need a break and only make them change their colors when I've exhausted all other means (a warning, a quick check in with them and then a discussion). But if your child is being a little disrespectful snot then by all means, expect to hear from us.

But it sounds like that's what you're already doing. My child went to a school that did a clip chart with the colors and it stressed him out. In three years he was on yellow twice and the good colors all the other days, but he was so worried about moving his clip that it made him hate school. His friends were on the "bad colors" all the time, so he worried the teachers would have him move his clip too. I told him to quit worrying about it, but it was no use.

The past two years we've been at a school that uses responsive classroom and he's much happier. It's rare that I hear him talking about his friends being in trouble, so I guess it's working ok. My ds is kind of shy and quiet, so he never got in trouble for anything except not following instructions before, but with the responsive classroom it seems the expectations are pretty clear?

Your kid is going to have a rough life ahead of him if a color chart is so stressful for him. What is going to happen when his performance or the performance of his "friends" is criticized in the workplace? Will you switch him to a job that uses a "responsive management" strategy?

Or how about when his wife criticizes him for something she doesn't like? Will you insist he find a "responsive relationship" in which there are no consequences for doing whatever the hell he wants to do?

I get that hitting and shaming kids are horrible but there is such a thing as going too far in the other direction. Kids have to learn to accept criticism and use that to change their behavior. Kids learn nothing by being told how amazing and perfect they are all the time.

I know Nottingham did when my older (now 5th grade) was in K, but by the time my younger (now 2nd grade) was in K they did not. I feel like the push for responsive classroom came inbetween that time, so they may not use it anymore. Of course, my kids didn't have the same teacher, so it might be a difference of teacher and not difference of policy.

Anonymous wrote:Do the top ES use this system? Nottingham/Jamestown/Tuckahoe/McKinley?

I know Nottingham does.

Anonymous wrote:When I was a kid, the teachers used the "whack you across the ass or the palm of the hand with a ruler if you misbehave" system. Worked very well.

Ah yes, the good old days of child abuse. How fondly we remember them.

Anonymous wrote:There is a positive side to knowing that you are not meeting expectations.

There is also a negative side -- when the child can do nothing to improve and the point is just to make the child feel bad.

It's a terrible system and every child psychologist will tell you so, for exactly the reasons PP lists above. For children with behavioral or social problems (many of whom are ADHD and quite literally struggle to control themselves), it actually has the opposite effect of what is desired - instilling in them the idea that they are bad no matter what and that they are destined to be bad. It damages self esteem. How anyone could defend such a misguided system is beyond me.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PP- By October of 3rd grade, a student should be able to fill in his agenda book b/c it is part of a routine. Do you really think kids should be rewarded for that?

Read up on positive reinforcement and punishment. There is a reason why the agenda KEEPS not getting filled out. Hmmmm. Perhaps instead of doing the easy thing of punishing and NOT teaching the behavior of filling it out, something new could be tried that is actually in keeping with best practice eithe THE guiding principals of behavior. Genius idea! OR just keep giving an orange or red and never help the kid. You don't need a teaching degree for that....

Unless the child has a diagnosed disorder, I would just give him/her a zero if no homework is turned in the next day. Sometimes kids need to learn the hard way. If they choose to talk or not write down their homework assignment, that's on them. There is only so much hand holding that is going to happen in a classroom of 30+ kids.

Agree that giving them a chance the next day to turn in late homework is the right thing to do. Now, if not riding the homework down and or bringing it in is happening regularly, giving zeros over and over again does not help the child at all. I believe that the teacher and parents in partnership should develop a system for the child. Unfortunately, a child that often doesn't bring homework may not be getting support at home so it may be on the teacher and this is the job of the teacher. Sorry if this one kid doesn't fit into the perfect box, but giving zeros or taking away recess is a cop out.