Culture of the Classroom

Culture is the way people dress, the language they speak, the music they listen to, and the holidays they celebrate. In order for visitors to “fit” in a culture, they must learn both what behaviors the culture expects and those things from their culture that are not acceptable. This can be difficult when two cultures are involved. What about four? That’s how many your child will deal with as they grow older.

First there is the culture of the family. This includes behavior and roles taken by family members. Then there is the culture of the neighborhood, which includes a different vocabulary and different behaviors. School is the third culture. Teachers may have different expectations when it comes to language (no profanity), behavior, respect, and following directions. Some children find it difficult adjusting to this culture because they get their own way at home, there are no consequences when directions aren’t followed, they are allowed to swear, etc. Work is the fourth culture, with its own dress codes, expected behavior, and expectations of good grammar in all forms of communication.

Successful people adjust their behaviors to fit the culture they are in. Our students need to learn that adjusting their behavior to “fit” in the classroom culture is no different than speaking a different language. It doesn’t make them less of a person to follow directions, be respectful, and work hard.

How Can I Help My Child?

That’s a good question.

Some students don’t have computers at home so I don’t assign homework (at least homework that requires a computer).

My assignments are “project-based”. This means that students do something – edit a picture, compose a song, create a computer game, etc. Students are going to make mistakes. I like mistakes but some students get frustrated and “give up”. You can help your child by showing them that mistakes are part of life. We all make mistakes but we learn from them and keep going.

Learning is hard work! Some students rush through their work and get angry when I tell them to do it again. You can help your child by showing them that their best work isn’t going to be the first time they do something; it may be the tenth time.

Emotional Intelligence

While there is a lot of discussion of intelligence, one rarely hears mention of the term “emotional intelligence”. What is Emotional Intelligence (EI) and why is it important?

Psychologist Peter Salovey lists five skills in his discussion of EI:

1. Knowing one’s emotions – recognizing a feeling (emotion) as it happens.
2. Managing emotions – all emotions, not just anger
3. Motivating oneself – emotional self-control
4. Recognizing emotions in others
5. Handling relationships – interpersonal skills

Why is EI so important? Some people believe that as much as 70% of success in life is based on EI. This makes sense when you stop and think about it. You can be as smart as Albert Einstein but if nobody wants to work with you because of your temper tantrums, you’ll never be successful.

Middle school students (and many adults) have EI issues. They can’t tell when they are starting to get angry. They can’t control their anger. They can’t “read” the emotional cues other people send them, and as a result of all of these issues, they have difficulty with personal relationships at home, in school, and at work.

Because EI is so important, I discuss these five points during the semester with my students.

Anger

Anger. It’s an important issue for students and adults. Every day we see news stories of people who do stupid things because they’re angry.
Anger affects the classroom too. Students who are angry don’t learn as well as other students in class. Anger affects your health as well. Anger leads to high blood pressure, which is a cause of heart disease. Anger also produces hormones, which affect the brain. Anger also affects personal relationships: angry people don’t have a lot of friends.
Why do people get angry? According to James, it’s because “You want something but don’t get it.” This means that anger is a choice. People choose to get angry. (It’s also a “learned” behavior. Young children learn to use anger to get their way by throwing temper tantrums, etc.)
Unfortunately, many students (and many adults) don’t know how to avoid getting angry, can’t tell when they are starting to get angry, and don’t know how lower their anger level.
Because anger is an issue in middle school that affects many students, I have class discussions about it during the semester.

Computer Syllabus

computer-sylabus-2.doc

Yearbook Syllabus

yearbook-curriculum-syllabus.doc

Discipline Policy

I helped start a school in Monrovia, the capital city of Liberia Africa. I was there during the cease-fire prior to elections when UN and ECOMOG troops manned check-points throughout the city. My task was to hire teachers, create operating policy, and select students to attend school. Because of the civil war, a generation of children had not attended school.

These students experienced the horrors of war, seeing family members killed in front of their eyes. Because there wasn’t electricity, sewage, or running water, people dug holes in the ground to go the bathroom and drank polluted water out of wells. Most people ate one meal a day: soup made from grass and twigs. Despite these difficulties, children come to school eager to learn. They don’t talk back to the teacher. They don’t argue. They do their assignments. Why? They realize that education is the key to their future success. They have a positive attitude and they recognize the value of education.

I believe that the reason so many students in this country fail classes and drop out of school is due to attitude: they don’t care. I believe that education is a privilege. Nobody has the right to stop another person from learning. I expect my students to follow directions, complete assignments on time, and to treat each other (and me) with respect.

When there is a problem in class, I may …

• Ask the student what they are doing wrong and remind them what my expectations are
• Send them out in the hall
• Change their assigned seat
• Phone home during class and talk to parents. Then I put the student on the phone
• Write a referral

Technology Class Descriptions

Exciting things are happening in computer class at Aki Kurose Middle School this year!

Computers
This semester-long class is open to all students. Students gain skills in web design, digital music, Microsoft Office, game design, and BASIC programming.

Instructional Methods. In addition to lecture/demonstration, peer-tutoring, and individual help, students can watch AVI movies. These movies show computer software being used to accomplish specific tasks. Students can pause, stop, rewind, and repeat the movies as often as necessary. This is important for several reasons:

• Students to progress at their own speed
• Students with limited English can complete projects
• Students who have difficulty reading can experience success
• Special Education students can be successful

Digital Media

This semester-long class is open to students in seventh and eighth grade. Students in the class produce printed and CD versions of the yearbook as well as the school newspaper. Digital video has been added this year for the first time.

Instructional methods. In addition to lecture/demonstration, peer-tutoring, and individual help, students can watch AVI movies. These movies show computer software being used to accomplish specific tasks. Students can pause, stop, rewind, and repeat the movies as often as necessary. This is important for several reasons:

• Students to progress at their own speed
• Students with limited English can complete projects
• Students who have difficulty reading can experience success
• Special Education students can be successful