The primary focus of this podcast episode lies in the critical examination of effective strategies for conducting parent phone calls, particularly in the context of addressing ongoing student misbehavior. Mr. Funky Teacher, Nicholas Kleve, elucidates the importance of fostering a collaborative partnership with parents, as opposed to entering into a confrontational dialogue. By employing constructive communication techniques, educators can not only convey concerns regarding student behavior but also engage parents as allies in the disciplinary process. This episode emphasizes the necessity of clear, respectful communication, ensuring that both teachers and parents are unified in their approach to supporting student development. Ultimately, the insights provided herein serve to enhance teacher-parent interactions, thereby contributing to a more harmonious educational environment.

The necessity for effective communication between educators and parents regarding student misbehavior is paramount in creating an optimal learning environment. This episode delves into the criticality of establishing a collaborative rather than confrontational dialogue when addressing behavioral issues. Mr. Nicholas Kleve elucidates a structured methodology for conducting parent phone calls, rooted in the principles of partnership and understanding. By preparing for these conversations with specific examples of misbehavior and a focus on constructive outcomes, educators can foster a spirit of cooperation that serves the best interests of the student.

Moreover, the discussion highlights the importance of tone and language when communicating with parents. Educators are encouraged to adopt an empathetic approach, utilizing 'I' statements to express observations without placing blame. This technique not only facilitates a more receptive dialogue but also empowers parents to engage actively in the resolution process. The episode underscores that by involving parents as allies in addressing behavioral concerns, educators can leverage the strengths of the home environment to support the child’s development more effectively.

In summary, the insights provided in this episode serve as a crucial resource for educators seeking to enhance their communication strategies. By implementing the techniques discussed, teachers can navigate the complexities of parent interactions with confidence, ultimately fostering a supportive and effective partnership that promotes student success.

Takeaways:

• Effective communication with parents during phone calls can foster a collaborative environment.
• Establishing routines and consistency in the classroom significantly reduces ongoing misbehavior.
• Modeling and reinforcing expectations is essential for improving student behavior over time.
• Celebrating student successes can enhance motivation and reinforce positive behaviors in the classroom.

Links referenced in this episode:

• beafunkyteacher.com

Companies mentioned in this episode:

• Be a Funky Teacher

Yeah, he's Mr. Funky.

He's Mr. Funky Teacher.

Mr. Funky Teacher inspires greatness, makes you feel good.

Like your favorite playlist.

Keeping that fresh and funky.

Yes, he does.

He got some funky cool ideas to share for all you teachers.

He can empower others, students and teachers.

It's all about hard work and creativity.

He brings out the kindness in everyone.

He's got the passion to teach.

You hear it when he speaks.

He knows how to build strong relationships.

If you're seeking the best bunkiest, he is it.

He will empower you to improve.

You'll be helping others and loving it too.

He's Mr. Funky Teacher.

Yeah, he's Mr. Funky Teacher.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

This is Mr. Funky Teacher with Be a Funky Teacher dot com.

I'm coming to you with another Be a Funky Teacher podcast.

Welcome back, everyone.

This podcast episode, we are going to be focusing on classroom routines for the first weeks of school.

Teacher tips for consistency.

That's right.

That's what we're going to be focusing on.

Before we get into it, let's talk about three things I'm thankful for.

One, other teachers jumping in to help those extra hands when you don't expect it do mean the world.

The next thing, discovering something that saves time and stress.

At a meeting this morning, I'm going to be sharing out with my grade level team.

Some.

There is actually an integration between two resources that I do think is going to save us a lot of time and energy because of how these, how these programs will work together and it'll help working with some assessment items.

I'm super excited to have them work together.

Oh, it's gonna, it's gonna save so many hours and, and it's gonna actually be able to help us collect data better.

And, and it's gonna be really a powerful connection if I can get it to work correctly.

So I kind of discovered that last night when I was looking at things.

So I'm excited to explore that with our team today.

So we'll have to see what happens.

I'm hoping that it does truly work the way that I think it will.

So discoveries like that can be pretty exciting.

And then the third thing, calm moments.

With my wife and kids, sometimes just having a moment of quiet, a moment of calm when everything feels so very busy.

Just having that can ground me and help bring some calmness to me.

All right, well, let's get into our main episode here.

What we're focusing on.

Routines.

Why do routines matter?

First and foremost is like, well, what I want to talk about the first Weeks of school.

Why do routines matter?

Well, students thrive on structure and consistency.

You know, that and a good routine.

A good routine can really create safety and predictability in a classroom.

It can really make a big difference.

And without routines, you burn, you burn energy repeating directions all year.

Now if you, depending on what type of group you have, you may have to still repeat yourself and reteach different things.

But if you don't have routines set up, you're wasting so much more time and energy because kids don't know what they're doing from one day to the next.

And you can just.

I actually think it just.

You can't be as creative and as much of a funky teacher if you're spending so much more time just kind of ping ponging through day to day without good, solid, clear routine set.

I'm gonna tell you right now too, if I see something that needs a routine, I incorporate it or a system.

A system.

It is kind of like a routine.

I added a new or four days in and I added a new system slash routine into our, our flow yesterday.

And students responded well to that.

And that's going to make a big difference in helping me.

So here are some key routines to establish.

What do students do when they enter the classroom?

What do they do?

What does that look like?

Do you have them sign in?

Do you have a bell ringer?

What is that?

Because if students walking in and you don't have anything ready to go for them, that's when you can have problems.

Start.

When students line up and transition, what does that look like?

What is the routine third thing turning?

Well, not, not necessarily third thing, but yeah, I guess third thing.

When you look at what are some key routines, the first area is entering the classroom.

The second area is lining up and transitionings.

The third area is turning in work.

When students turn in work, what does that look like?

Do you have a routine set up for that?

When do you.

Is it homework you're having students turn in versus like daily work?

What does that look like?

Do students know what that looks like?

When you have a.

The, the fourth thing for attention getters.

How do you get students attention?

What signals do you use?

I have three main signals that I can use to get students attention to get students quiet that I've already I guess trained students on so they know and I, any one of the three I try to mix it up can, can work for getting students quiet.

And then the last one is like the morning start and end the morning start procedures.

Not just like after students come in, you know, what is the overall.

How do you start up the day and how do you end the day?

What does that look like?

Now, I do have some tips for some teachers here.

Model, model, model routines like you would a lesson.

Don't just tell, show, gotta show.

And when students don't get it or students aren't doing it, show again.

And if some certain students are struggling, guess what, Pull them aside and practice with them.

That's okay.

Practice, practice, practice, practice, practice.

And then guess what, practice again.

Whether students like it or not, they need to practice.

If a routine isn't working because they're, they're giving you giving some problems because they're not following the way you want it, guess what?

You practice it some more.

I know it can be frustrating sometimes, but don't just give up on a routine just because students are struggling with it.

That means they need more practice.

And be consistent even when you're tired.

I'm feeling kind of tired.

You know, we're, we're.

Let me see here.

We're on our third week of school.

Well, we're at our third week.

I'm in my third week of school.

I might.

This is my student's fifth day of school, actually.

I'm tired.

Not tired of teaching.

I'm just tired because of just the grind of the start of the school year.

But even when we get tired, we have to be consistent.

We have just like, we gotta practice, we gotta be consistent and set those expectations.

Kids watch for follow through.

If we're not following through, then we come off as liars to students or that we're not gonna hold them accountable.

And then our school year can start falling apart really, really fast.

So even though you're tired, be consistent and then celebrate when routines are done well, when students are taking care of business, when students are doing what they need to do, celebrate, celebrate that.

And in a way that, that is meaningful.

Maybe you give them.

It could be.

Well, I mean, we could have a whole episode about how do you celebrate?

It could be with words of affirmation.

You could give them something.

You could just have a discussion about it, what you're noticing.

There's different ways to kind of celebrate student success.

And that's, that's a whole other episode in itself we could get into.

But celebrate when your routines are done well, even as a veteran teacher, I have to rewind myself not to.

Not to just assume that kids just know what to do.

And I do think that taking time now will pay off all year.

It's going to make a difference.

Routines aren't just about control everyone.

They're about creating and learning environment.

They're.

They're about.

They're about creating a learning environment where kids feel safe, seen, focused, and free to grow and free to back up.

What I want you to do is I want you to invest in your students.

Invest in them now, and you'll thank yourself later.

You truly will.

It will make a difference, but it takes work, y'.

All.

There's no doubt about it.

There's no doubt.

You know, that's kind of the beginning of the year grind.

If you, if you set it up right, that it'll pay off all year long.

And it's going to create those opportunities for you to truly be a funky teacher the rest of the year.

Not that you won't ever have to review or go back through stuff, but just setting it up right matters from the beginning and all of the elements we talked about.

So with that being said, I want you to remember to inspire greatness in young people.

And don't forget to be a funky teacher.

Bye now.

He's Mr. Funky Teacher, yeah he's Mr. Funky Teacher, oh, yeah, yeah.