Don't Punish Me, Involve Me.

Delegate to relate.

Every teacher has a classroom management strategy they swear by that stems from personal experience, and this is mine. The thing is, I didn't learn it in the classroom. I learned it at home, from two people neither of whom went beyond high school, and only one of whom even finished that. What was it? Don't punish me, involve me.

For years growing up, my parents acted in a way that no other parents I knew did. Every time I had trouble patiently waiting for something, every time one of my brother's tried to do something he wasn't old enough to do, and every time one of our friend's was visiting but didn't know the house rules, our parents took it upon themselves to involve rather than reprimand and scold. Bored on a family car ride? Help me watch the signs for our exit. If you see it first, you can ride shotgun on the way home. Want to make your own lunch but can't so it without making a mess? Let's practice doing it together, step by step. Then you can show your younger siblings. Don't know that the children in this house help with the cleaning? Your choices are wash, dry, or put away. You're a guest, so you get to choose first.

Though our friends didn't always like it, everybody knew that when you visited our house you were going to be enlisted. Even when I was a child I knew what that meant. It meant that you belonged there. You had a relationship to everyone else there. They all saw you and knew you could be counted on. You weren't part of the scenery. You had a role to play and people had expectations of you. Smiling politely and fading into the background wasn't an option.

Was I embarrassed from time to time? Sure. Did being roped into tasks again and again always make me feel included and nothing else? There were plenty of times when I grumbled the whole way to the kitchen sink. Still, I belonged. I was important, even if I didn't want to be, and I could do things, lots of things.

By now I'm sure you can see where this is going. What my parents were doing is exactly what I've done time and time again to students in my classes. Students who struggle to stay seated can help pass out activity sheets and model actions for the class. Students who love to talk to their peers can become class information relay stations. Students for whom the temptation to doodle is too strong can help draw diagrams and pictures on the smart board.

Most seasoned teachers will recognize this as empowerment through involvement, a method for helping students who need extra attention get it in a way that's conducive to a positive class atmosphere. What many teachers miss is that this kind of delegated involvement can be critical in forging relationships too, especially with children who might otherwise feel anonymous, alienated, or disengaged. Those relationships can be critical in effective classroom management. As Barry S Parsonson wrote in his 2012 study Evidence-based Classroom Behaviour Management Strategies, "...building positive relationships with pupils is an important antecedent strategy that can serve to reduce disruptive behaviour and enhance on-task behaviour and student achievement." (You can read the study in its entirety here.) There is also good research to suggest that resilience is fostered in children when they're given responsibilities. In Jackie Eldridge and Denise McLafferty's seminal pedagogy text Hearts and Minds Matter, the authors note that, "Taking ownership and responsibility is also a key component to developing a strong emotional intelligence."

Something important to remember is that just as my friends and I occasionally groaned when we were enlisted, so too do some students. There are, of course, children who do not want to be engaged by their teacher. Nevertheless, it's our job to engage them. If we do our jobs well (and consistently), they'll be glad we did. Feeling seen, valued, and engaged can do that.

- Steve Mac

Next Week: Relationship Building Through Involvement (Part Two)