Option 1: Aug 3-4, 2009

Option 2: Aug 5-6, 2009

Option 3: Aug 12-13, 2009

Contact Nancy Burns at nancy@manangingtheclassroom.com to register. http://www.ManagingTheClassroom.com
Cost: $195 includes ENVOY book
Credit available: 1 semester credit through Hamline University for $110.

Use
More Than Your Words

It’s never easy, yet getting it right is critical to your students’ success, not to mention
your sanity.

It’s classroom management.

by Leanne Miller

Thanks to teachers at Toronto’s Jarvis CI for their help illustrating some non-verbal management signs.

A teacher can’t get his students’ attention and his volume starts to rise. He glares at them and tells them to look at the board. Some do; most don’t. His volume increases again: “Don’t look at me; look at the board.” Some kids squirm; most still look at their teacher.  To read the rest of Ms. Miller’s article, click here.

Hope you enjoy it and find it useful. The quiz can be found at www.michaelgrinder.com/leadership-style-quiz/

Michael Grinder

OVERVIEW
Does it work?  Yes.  In a study conducted by Dr. Robert Houston at the University of Houston Institute for Urban Education, ENVoY is shown to be effective in improving classroom environment for students.  Data from seven local schools were collected before, during and after the program, then analyzed at U of H.*

FINDINGS
1.  Positive changes.  ENVoY resulted in positive changes in teacher classroom management procedures.

2.  Coaching helps significantly.  Best results showed up in classrooms where teachers received individual, job-embedded coaching after their group training.

3.  Program well-accepted by teachers.  Teachers like ENVoY because more curriculum can be covered when management is not a problem.   Job satisfaction is greater and stress is reduced when teachers can rely on written assignments and students can be more independent; teachers can manage a class without having to raise their voices.

4.  Test scores went up.  While not solely related to the implementation of ENVoY, 84% of TAKS scores in elementary schools and 66% in middle schools increased between 2006 and 2007 in the schools where ENVoY was used.

RECOMMENDATIONS
1.  ENVoY should be offered to all teachers in a school.  Provide training during regularly scheduled professional development days for new teachers as well as veteran teachers.

2.  Provide implementation support.  Workshops should be followed by individual assistance in the classroom by a trained ENVoY coach to provide encouragement and maximize implementation of skills.

3.  Implement ENVoY practices school-wide so students are accustomed to a uniform management system. 

4.  Continue the program for three years at each school.  With help from trained ENVoY coaches, determine if long-term experience with ENVoY can change the culture of the school.

*Effectiveness of ENVoY 2006-2007: Analysis of Observed Change in Classroom Management in Elementary and Middle Schools.  W. Robert Houston, Executive Director of the Institute for Urban Education, College of Education, University of Houston.  Dr. Houston is the John and Rebecca Moores Professor of Education.   For more information, contact roxana@knowledgearts.net

Picture cards for special needs students can be downloaded free from www.dotolearn.com