Responding to persistent concerns voiced by educators and parents at Montessori De Sagrada Familia’s (MDSF) Elementary and Pre-elementary departments, a recent survey has shed light on student behavior as one of the primary challenges within the school environment.
To confront this critical issue affecting both educators and students, MDSF initiated a seminar focused on classroom behavioral management. Renowned academic coach and advocate for inclusive education, Mrs. Fimberly Rose Ison, conducted this seminar on October 6 in the school’s pre-elementary hall.
Coach Fim’s seminar aimed to help educators adapt and innovate after years disrupted by the pandemic. One of the primary areas of emphasis was the importance of building one-on-one relationships.
“The cornerstone of effective communication lies in establishing rapport. To achieve this, teachers must gain a deeper understanding of their students,” emphasized by the coach.
In line with this objective, Mrs. Ison organized interactive games to facilitate mutual understanding among educators, mirroring what they should do in a real learning environment. An example of such a game was “Brown Bag Fuzzies,” where teachers shared unique aspects of themselves. This exercise revealed a wide range of characteristics, from short-tempered to perpetually patient and from vegetable lovers to those who detested them. The aim of this exercise was to help teachers better grasp student needs and expectations, ultimately fostering trust within the classroom.
Furthermore, Mrs. Ison introduced the core objective of these efforts: to equip teachers with strategies for collectively managing classroom behaviors. Techniques such as encouraging positive peer reporting, which contrasts with the traditional role of behavior police, will create a happy, healthy, and inclusive classroom environment.
Moreover, teachers engaged in a “Fact-or-Myth” activity that challenged their perceptions about various behavioral traits within their departments. The central message conveyed through this game was that all individuals experience emotions, underscoring the need for effective and inclusive practices to ensure that everyone feels they belong.
“Inclusive education aligns with the broader goal of creating independent, emotionally healthy, and confident learners,” Mrs. Ison added.
The seminar also covered other various essential strategies and concepts, including offering behavior-specific praise, using problem-solving prompts, understanding the antecedent-behavior-consequence (ABC) sequence, responding to meltdowns, fostering commitment and trust, predicting and preventing issues, identifying the functions of behavior, employing whole-class approaches, utilizing the art of imitation and role modeling, and understanding when and how to strategically apply interventions.
Mrs. Maria Cristina Silamor, MDSF’s directress, encouraged attendees to embrace a growth mindset and adapt to the evolving challenges of education.
“Tailor and adapt as needed. A teacher must maintain a growth mindset, thrive, and optimize effective strategies,” emphasized Silamor.
The seminar concluded with an open forum where educators had the opportunity to share their thoughts, questions, and authentic experiences when it comes to behavior management, all eager to apply and further develop individualized strategies centered around nurturing the holistic well-being of both themselves and their beloved Sagradans.