Pick an activity in your classroom during which you have had challenges managing student behavior. Devise a lesson plan to teach your students how you expect them to be successful during that activity. Your lesson plan should include:

1) your rationale for your behavioral expectations,

2) the behavioral expectations to be met,

3) how you will have the students demonstrate what you do and don't expect from them,

4) how you'll check for understanding, and

5) practice until the students have it perfect.

Which five classroom activities are the most challenging for you when it comes to keeping students on task? For each of these activities, determine the precise directions you will want to use with your students.

Highly effective teachers use positive narration three times more frequently than they provide corrective comments to students. To identify an accurate ratio of your own interactions with students, audio-record or videotape a 15-minute segment of your school day and tally your positive versus corrective comments. What did you learn from this exercise? Provide a reflection.

If you did not use positive narration as frequently as you need to, what strategies can you utilize to remind yourself to use positive narration with your students, i.e., post reminders in the classroom such as "Be Positive" and "Positive Narration," make notes on your lesson plan, etc.?

Make it a priority to use the first three steps of the Four-Step Model (precise directions, positive narration, provide consequences) for a one-week period. Describe how this impacted:

1) your relationships with your students,

2) your ability to teach the content of your lessons, and

3) your stress level in the classroom.

Pick three of your students whom you find the most challenging. For each student, develop a detailed plan for how you will build a stronger relationship with him or her. The plans should include steps you will take with the student and key family members.

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