My district asked me to present a 15 minute training that would help teachers build a positive classroom environment. Here is my presentation. I hope you can use some of these activities!
Tag: classroom
Mr Demby’s Teaching Philosophy!
Teachers. Don’t overlook teachable moments trying to teach! Many times we’re so busy trying to follow the curriculum, that we miss major life shaping lessons. Your teaching should inspire your students, so if they are asking questions; help them find the answers. Even if the question doesn’t pertain to to this particular lesson you’re teaching. If children are excited about something enough to ask about it, go with it. It is my belief that children don’t really learn from what you teach, but from how you teach. Case in point, we were doing a piano lesson in class. We were learning to play D-F-A. One of my students said, “ I wonder how pianos makes sounds”? I instantly took the top off the piano and call the students over and showed them the hammers and mechanisms. Then I allowed them to touch it. They were amazed. That wasn’t the lesson. The lesson came the next time someone had a question about something. “Let’s take it apart and see, just like we did the piano” ! That was the lesson!
Daily Affirmations: Today is an Awe-inspiring Day! I look forward to what every new hour brings. My life is divinely guided and I am always headed in the best direction. Every experience is an opportunity to learn and grow. I am healthy, wealthy, whole, and complete. ALL IS WELL IN MY CLASSROOM. ALL IS WELL IN MY SCHOOL. ALL IS WELL IN MY WORLD. ALL IS WELL AND I AM SAFE. #IBlessMyWorldWithLove
Mr. Demby’s Teacher Tip Rant
Children can tell! Children can tell if you, the teacher, don’t like them. They can tell what you think of them, the moment of your first interaction. Most times, their instincts are not wrong. People always look at me weird because I fuss at my children. Sometimes if you walk by my classroom, you may hear me yelling. However, the majority of my students knew, that I was pulling the best from them. Many of them have come back to me, thanking me because I was the reason they wanted to come to school. I’m one of those teacher that is going to keep it real. I even had a few students that I told. “Look I don’t like you, and you don’t like me but since we have to coexist, let’s make the best of it.” by the end of the year we were a lot closer! Be real with your students, they can tell!
Daily Affirmations: Today is an Amazing Day! I am my authentic self. What others do and feel have nothing to do with me. I am guided by infinite love and I am always headed in the best direction. I am healthy, wealthy, whole, and complete. ALL IS WELL IN MY CLASSROOM. ALL IS WELL IN MY SCHOOL. ALL IS WELL IN MY WORLD. ALL IS WELL AND I AM SAFE. #IBlessMyWorldWithLove
Mr. Demby’s Teaching Philosophy
Freedom is given when you’re responsible enough to handle it. Freedom should not be given with age. The saddest classrooms are those 5th grade classes that the teachers treat like 5th graders but they still behave like 3rd graders. Teachers have to learn to only give freedom when it is earned not because of the age of the students. Even sadder, there are some high school students who have been given the total freedom of high school and they still need 5th grade treatment. Note to all teachers…. “ Freedom is given with responsibility, not with age!
Daily Affirmations: Today is a Wonderful day. I choose to move with joy and ease. Life is simple and easy. I love and approve of myself. I am learning and growing more and more everyday. I am healthy, wealthy, whole, and complete. ALL IS WELL IN MY CLASSROOM. ALL IS WELL IN MY SCHOOL. ALL IS WELL IN MY WORLD. ALL IS WELL AND I AM SAFE. #IBlessMyWorldWithLove
Bullying Prevention Month
The Demby’s Playful Parables Bullying Prevention Suite is Almost Finished!
Starting with the release of Simon Faces Bull Lee the Blowfish https://youtu.be/k7vRs0qIh2o
Step1 = Ignore the Bully https://youtu.be/MbtOXTyU7GM
Step 2 = Go Tell The Teacher https://youtu.be/mVoFk8Y0ywM
Step 3 = Confront the Bully https://youtu.be/Sq20S3P7zzw
Step 4 = Stand Together https://youtu.be/wIGMYjrYO-8
Last Thing! Realize that Bullies need Love ❤️ they are really scared and sad on the inside. https://youtu.be/hVskyaZjpO4
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3581381907
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3544477950
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3547613245
Featured by another blogger! Life With Gormleys
How To Stop Bullying and Cyberbullying: Simon Faces Bull Lee the Blowfish
Things to Do While We’re Out Of School
While our kids are out of school.
Let’s take the time to discuss behavior expectations and making right choices! This will help you!
Release the Peeves 1.3
Good Morning Most Awesome and Wonderful World Changers! We’ve been talking about letting go of our “pet peeves”. Which really just something we use as a means to control others and an excuse to get angry. So this week we’re learning some steps to let them go. As teachers, we really have to work hard to release our peeves. But it makes the difference in classroom full of peace or a classroom full or anger. You choose. Anger begets more anger!
Step 3: Ignore The “pet peeve” behavior. What we give our attention to, is what comes to us on a continuous basis. Therefore it is a good choice to ignore the behavior that makes you the angriest. Through my 17+ years of teaching experience, I’ve noticed that once children realize they can get under your skin, they will seemingly do it more and more. So years ago when learned this trick, it did wonders in my classroom. “ Now I must say I’m still not all the way there. I can ignore about 70%, the other 30% . . . Get ready to meet the angry 😡 Mr. Demby”. The point is, I’m still working on it.
1. Stop focusing on the person doing the wrong thing. Don’t even acknowledge them or they’re behavior.
2. Think of ways to focus on the right behaviors. Don’t even say, “I like the way . . . Is sitting” or something like that. Just totally start talking to your students about the lesson or a current event.
3. Breathe as you will need it. Because as you ignore, the behavior will probably become more intense in order to get your attention. Turn on a video or have the children read a book, if you need to step away.
4. Make the right choice to stay the course. Don’t give in to the old angry you. Stay cool 😎, calm, and collected!
Try this relaxation video. https://youtu.be/m1q93OOdj5E
Daily Affirmations: Today is a Wonderful day! I am at peace. My happiness is bubbling over from within. I have so many reasons to rejoice. I love and approve of myself this very moment. I release all of my pet peeves. I am healthy, wealthy,whole, and complete. ALL IS WELL IN MY CLASSROOM. ALL IS WELL IN MY SCHOOL. ALL IS WELL IN MY WORLD. ALL IS WELL AND I AM SAFE. #IBlessMyWorldWithLove
Release the Peeves 1.2
Good Morning Most Awesome and Wonderful World Changers! I’m going to continue talking about these “pet peeves” that rule our beliefs and behaviors. As a teacher, we have to learn to let it go. The classroom is the place for mistakes and learning. Through those mistakes we find teachable moments. That’s true teaching, when every experience turns into an opportunity to learn and grow! That’s the type of teacher I aspire to be.
Step 2: Stop yourself. When we are learning to release the peeves, you are going have internal battles. The old you will be begging to come out. “ Let me yell at them, they’ll get right!” While the new you is saying, “ Let’s give them room for mistakes and learning.” Personally, sometimes the old me wins out. In those times I have to stop myself before the situation escalates any further. Teachers many times it’s us that escalate the students not the other way around. You can almost see the life drain from the children when they are yelled at. So only you can stop yourself.
1. Stop in mid-sentence if you have to
2. Think of a way help the children understand that this is something you’re wrestling with
3. Breathe in and breathe out. Give yourself time to calm down. Put on a short video or story for the kids to watch, while you calm yourself
4. Make the right choice to use every moment as a teachable moment for you and the students. Don’t escalate a small mistake into a big blowup.
Everyone has to be able to Stop, Think, and Breathe and Make the Right Choice for themselves.
Daily Affirmations: Today is a Totally Terrific day. I choose to move forward with joy and ease. I live in a safe a secure world. It is safe to let the people around me make and learn from their mistakes. I release the need to control their lives. I love and approve of myself exactly as I am right now. I am healthy, wealthy, whole, and complete. ALL IS WELL IN MY CLASSROOM. ALL IS WELL IN MY SCHOOL. ALL IS WELL IN MY WORLD. ALL IS WELL AND I AM SAFE. #IBlessMyWorldWithLove
An Outside of the Box Teacher!
Good Morning Most Awesome and Wonderful World Changers! I only taught as a classroom teacher for year. When I did, I tried to make sure that every activity was exciting so that if students had to sit out they would be upset. Can you imagine tell students they won’t be able to participate in math, and they get angry? Not that we want to make our students angry. But we want them so excited to be a part of whatever we’re doing in class that day.
In order to do that, we have to think out of the box. Math Baseball, Vocabulary Basketball, Dictionary Races, duck, duck spell, these are just some the things I did with my students. We would move the desk and put mats on the floor and lay down to read. We marked any words we didn’t know, then used the thesaurus to break it down. Then make vocabulary flash cards for Vocabulary Basketball. There were days we worked right on through special area. We even missed recess, and no one said anything. That was an Awesome year!
In guiding our students to be self corrected students, teachers and parents must think outside the box. Students will do amazing things for you when they know that you’re willing to step outside of your comfort zone for them!
Teacher Affirmations: Today is the Best day of my life. I live in a safe and secure world. People always helpful. My classroom is filled with excitement and joy. Learning is always in progress. I think outside of the box. I am healthy, wealthy, whole and complete. ALL IS WELL IN MY CLASSROOM. ALL IS WELL IN MY SCHOOL. ALL IS WELL IN MY WORLD. ALL IS WELL AND I AM SAFE. #IBlessMyWorldWithLove
The Self- Corrected Student!
- What if you could just teach, without interruptions from behavior?
- What would your day be like, if you didn’t have to spend unnecessary time with discipline?
- What if you could set your expectations and your students followed them without having a reminder?
- What if your children stopped themselves in the middle of making a mistake and corrected it?
- What if your children offered you advice to help you?
That’s the kind of classroom I want to be in. Where students are busy learning content and not having to be redirected for undesirable behaviors. I want to be in a building where teachers say, I came to school to teach and I will teach! And students say, I came to school to learn and I will learn. We can have children like this. If we train them to be like this.
Daily Affirmations: Today is a wonderful day. I love and approve of myself. All of my changes are wonderful. My classroom or work space is a peaceful haven. I believe that everyone is able to be self corrected. I am healthy, wealthy, whole and complete. ALL IS WELL IN MY CLASSROOM. ALL IS WELL IN MY SCHOOL. ALL IS WELL IN MY WORLD. ALL IS WELL AND I AM SAFE. #IBlessMyWorldWithLove
Demby's Playful Parables 