I believe every educator starts his or her day with a belief that all students can learn. Sometimes events or circumstances undermine that belief, and the best way to alter that is through a collective, systematic approach to managing behavior and, by extension, learning. A systems thinking approach that all educators embrace is a necessary requirement to attain this goal. Consider how Fisher and Frey (2015) describe what systems thinkers do and how they behave: “The systems thinking classroom requires educators to consider the elements that impact student learning and design structures to leverage these elements” (p. 2). These structures owned by an entire school faculty allow for collaboration and collective efficacy. There are enough influencers of student learning (for example, home life, socioeconomic status, and personal motivation) beyond the control of educators that educators must work to enhance the impact of those elements they can control.
Throughout this book, I attempt to link the four principles of systems thinking with the work of managing learning in order to best prepare this book’s readers for the thinking work they will need to do as they seek, gather, discuss, and respond to students’ reactions to their instructional delivery. Table I.1 illustrates the four principles of systems thinking and their alignment to managing learning.
Table I.1: Aligning Principles of Systems Thinking to Managing Learning
| Principle of Systems Thinking | Alignment to Managing Learning |
| Relationships | When students believe the adults within the learning organization are both invested in their learning and view negative behaviors as temporary obstacles, students will more readily invest in their learning. Every student needs an adult champion at school. I have yet to meet a student who has this connection (a strong, positive relationship with at least one educator) who does not make the progress teachers expect in school. |
| Communication | How teachers communicate among themselves, and with students, about students’ behavior can affect student progress toward their behavioral and academic goals. As teachers discuss students and their behavior, they should do so with an eye toward improving outcomes and consolidating beliefs. |
| Responsiveness | Teachers act responsively by ensuring all students have access to the behavioral supports they need to allow them to work toward performing the desired behaviors with proficiency. Teachers should be aware of, and know how to respond appropriately to, the student behaviors that can occur as a result of a variety of antecedents. They also must not escalate the behaviors through their personal responses to them. |
| Sustainability | Ensuring teachers and administrators have a common set of expectations and respond to student behaviors with consistency will ensure sustainable behavior management. When all adult stakeholders understand that consequence in isolation is not instruction, they can work together to create a plan that pairs consequence and instruction to create sustainable learning that every student can readily understand at his or her current level of demonstration. |
After reading the descriptions in table I.1 (page 5) of how the four principles of systems thinking align with managing learning, reflect on your own strengths as an individual and as part of a team. Consider where you have opportunities for growth. I encourage you to jot down some initial thoughts before you begin your journey through the chapters that follow.
About This Book
I have designed this book for all audiences regardless of grade level, curricular area, or role in education. Individuals and collaborative teams alike can benefit from exposure to the ideas in this book. The greatest benefit, however, will transpire when all members of a school community share a collective commitment to the work.
Chapter 1 lays the foundation for the managing learning element of systems thinking, highlighting the need for a collective approach to behavior management initiatives. Chapters 2–5 guide you through the process of building a positive learning environment as the best approach to managing learning and responding to negative behaviors. Chapter 2 focuses on building teacher-student relationships. Chapter 3 then examines ways to productively support group and peer interactions. Chapter 4 focuses on building positivity and offers suggestions for behavior management tools and strategies that will help teachers create a positive learning environment. Chapter 5 centers on how to specifically assess and address problem behaviors in the classroom, in the event that the concepts offered in the preceding chapters have not eliminated undesirable behaviors. Each chapter ends with a list of takeaways that summarize key points and prompts that ask you to reflect on your next steps as you plan the days and weeks ahead.
The appendix offers a unique glimpse into a school implementing a pilot program to address behavioral gaps. This case study provides an example of what is possible for all schools to achieve when they have a collective commitment to create a positive culture for addressing student behavior. I intend for the sample model to support school teams in their understanding, developing, and implementing the notion of managing learning.
The following chapters may produce a variety of personal reflections and reactions. You will no doubt find some affirmations of current practices you and your team have in place. Readers may also occasionally identify connections in the text to their personal experiences, resulting in the need to tweak a practice to further enhance what they do for students. Engaging with the text may also raise additional questions for teams to discuss. My hope is that this book will feed your desire to take the next step in improving student outcomes through classroom management practices.
In chapter 6, “Managing Learning,” of Unstoppable Learning: Seven Essential Elements to Unleash Student Potential, Fisher and Frey (2015) offer three questions that speak to how the structure of a system generates the behavior for that system. Before moving on to chapter 1, consider these questions:
• What is the relationship between the structures of my classroom and the learning and social behaviors I see?
• What are the short- and long-term consequences of the actions I take or do not take in regard to student behavior and the learning environment?
• Are there unintended consequences to the actions I take or do not take? (p. 150)
Have these three questions on a note card or in another readily handy place as you dive deeper into the content throughout this book, and think about how you will create the necessary elements that will minimize the impact of negative behaviors on your engaging instruction.
CHAPTER 1