The 4 Agreements in Classroom and Life (Part 4 of 5)

(Agreements #3 and #4)

Agreement #3 – do not make assumptions, is also one of the contracts a teacher must sign up to. It tells the teacher to be dynamic and as such must be able to clearly communicate ideas and even classroom rules. On the first part of this writing, it was mentioned how conflicts arise from “I-thought” phrases and end up with it. One of the common mistakes of the teachers is to assume that students “must know” or “must already know” attitude. To add to it, some teachers also assume their students to be clairvoyants who can read their minds. ☺ The question that teachers must answer in relation to this agreement is, “Did you do everything in your power to effectively and clearly communicate what you want to say? Were you impeccable with your word?” Once again, we are reinforcing here the first agreement by clearly and effectively communicating to our students what it is that we want them to achieve. Rubrics and exemplars are just some of the means we can communicate to our students our objectives for their activities. One-word criteria are not enough. Each criterion should be explained and given a respective point system. Teachers can’t expect student to do what is not taught or communicated to them. Teachers can only expect students to perform better based on the guidelines that are given. This agreement is also valuable in setting up classroom rules. Teachers don’t assume that the students already know how to listen because some students really need guidance to be directed to even a simple action. Yes, they need to be directed even to a simple action such as listening. Making students listen is probably the most challenging task a teacher faces; listen to instructions, lectures, classmates reciting, name it, a teacher often faces a big challenge making students listen. At school we are taught about the different SR (Stimulus-Response) theories. They will serve as a valuable practice in the classroom as well. It is enlightening to see how some teachers efficiently manage classroom behavior merely by clapping. Some others bring some handy musical instruments with them to reinforce a certain behavior. My practice when I teach is to simply keep quiet and stand firm in front until the class noise dissipates. The important thing to remember is to enable the class associate a certain behavior with a certain stimulus. It is also important to remember that consistency is necessary for this practice. There are a lot of cues that a teacher can use to illicit a certain behavior. Those mentioned are auditory cues. Others can be visual cues. Pictures showing different images that students can associate with a certain behavior may also work. Others show a placard with a thinking hat on it to communicate to everybody that the activity involves some serious thinking. Others use a picture of an ear if they are to do a story telling class. Kinesthetic cues are also useful such as making the students raise their hands up together to signal a transition to the next work. All these practices mentioned are just some of the practical ways in which a teacher goes out of the way to be more creative to avoid making assumptions. They involve students in formulating ground rules and everybody understands what is expected of them. The gray areas are minimized and everything in agreement is in either black or white. This makes for the easy management and smooth flow of classroom activities.
The next agreement – always do your best, also provides for a perspective not necessarily of achievement but of self-worth and self-fulfillment. This fourth agreement encompasses all the other agreements and that to fulfill each of them, we have to do our best – correction – always do our best. The same agreement that we communicate to our students to ensure that they like their work and they are able to work in a culture not just of respect of others but respect for one’s self. That each work be done not simply with the aim of finishing it for grade but to make sure it is valuable and it can make a difference. Teachers walk the school everyday carrying these agreements that I now call weapons or instruments to guide not just their thoughts and actions but those of the students and other members of the school community as well. These 4 agreements can take part to promote a positive school culture that students can live by and bring with them when they step out of its walls. (To be continued.)