Will Implementing New
Classroom Management Techniques Improve Our Staff’s Morale?
My action research project is “Will Implementing New Classroom
Management Techniques Improve Our Staff’s Morale?” It has come about
after observing and reflecting upon last year’s Occupational Health Inventory,
staff complaints and tension between staff and administration, largely due to
lack of consequences for discipline issues. A friend and colleague of mine
suggested I read a book from Jim and Charles Fay’s Love and Logic series. I
read one of the books Schoolwide
Discipline Without the Loopholes by Jim Fay and was invigorated to spark a
change in our school.
The author explains nine essential techniques or modules to maintain
both the dignity of the student and the teacher when confronted with a
discipline issue (Fay, 2010). Fay
explains that when teachers use these techniques and build relationships with
their students, a shift will occur in the school. Teachers will begin to share their successes
with their colleagues and want to know what the secret is. Fay emphasizes not to mandate Love &
Logic in one’s school. This will only
cause resentment and mistrust (Fay, 2010).
Instead, he suggests inviting a few teachers to learn about and try the
techniques. I thought it’d be worth a
try to improve things in our school.
I attended the three-day Love & Logic training this summer in Denver
along with my principal and a colleague. During this trip, my principal
suggested I read several books from Todd Whitaker. I read Motivating & Inspiring Teachers: The Educational Leader's Guide for
Building Staff Morale. The author explained that having a respectful
relationship with one’s students along with consistent classroom management is
one of the cornerstones to positive morale amongst the staff (Whitaker, Whitaker
& Lumpa, 2008). This philosophy
was very similar to the Love & Logic series. If the teachers have the tools
to deal with issues that arose in the classroom, they wouldn’t be as frustrated
and therefore morale would increase. It
started to make sense to me.
In Denver at the Love & Logic conference, we learned a great deal
from the presenters. The training
detailed the nine steps or modules for effective classroom management and a
plan on how to introduce the modules to your staff. My colleague and I presented the first module
of the program during an hour-long after school workshop in September 2012.
We then invited teachers to sign up for the next training session in October if
they wanted to learn more. I was really surprised at the positive feedback
I heard and the amount of people who have joined us each month. Our
teachers are actually using some of the techniques in their classrooms and are
experiencing success.
I
have gathered last year’s discipline referrals and counted them. Currently,
we have seen a lower amount of referrals compared to this time last year.
Our assistant principal seems pleased with the time he has for other things
now.
Part
of my project was to form a new discipline committee. However, my principal
decided against forming a new discipline committee, so I will have to delete
that from my action plan. We are using the people who have volunteered to
attend further training as a PLC, rather than a committee. We feel that
this will serve our staff and students much better. I liked this idea
because these teachers are part of this professional learning community on a
volunteer basis, not a mandate. Sometimes when one is asked to serve on a
committee it may be considered as a waste of time. However, this way, having
the option to attend training or not, makes the PLC a more positive learning
experience.
I
have scheduled one workshop per month to teach the classroom management
techniques, as suggested by the program’s authors, Jim Fay and Dr. Charles
Fay. I am really feeling good about this action research project and the
increase in our staff’s morale already.
The final phase of my
project will be to survey the staff regarding the new techniques and their
feeling about discipline in our school.
Also, I will need my principal to generate a report on this year’s
office referrals. I will graph the data
and add that to my final paper.
References
Fay, Jim (2010) Schoolwide Discipline Plan
Without the Loopholes: Yeah, but- A Salamander is Not a Fish! Golden, Colorado: Love &
Logic Press
Whitaker, T., Whitaker, B., &
Lumpa, D. (2008) Motivating &
Inspiring Teachers: The Educational Leader's Guide for Building Staff Morale.
Larchmont, New York: Eye on Education, Inc.
