Comments on: “One minute of solitude”

By: KauaiMark

KauaiMark — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 16:06:06 +0000

“…then has them sit in silence for a minute before the start of the lesson…any talking, and they start the minute over again”

And them you get to a few who would happily break the silence because “nothing” is exactly what they want to accomplish during the class

By: claus

claus — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:24:22 +0000

Of course, as teachers face pressures to increase “time on task,” the full 6 minutes (5 minutes chatter; 1 minute of silence) might get them in hot water.

By: Ponderosa

Ponderosa — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 18:13:39 +0000

Mike G.,

You’ve given me the idea to try to make silent entry a schoolwide institution. However I have a feeling that it won’t fly here. The principal and superintendent have a “love ‘em up” philosophy –all behavior issues should be cured with warm-and-fuzzy rapport rather than anything that smacks of military-style discipline. A number of teachers share this view, despite the fact that they end each day frazzled by the herculean task of settling kids down every few minutes.

By: Mike G

Mike G — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 10:09:47 +0000

It’s a good tactic.

It gets to one reason why No Excuses charter schools are so teacher-friendly, and why so many good teachers, if they could see them in action instead of simply reading the union’s characterization, would understand how kids learn so much more there.

Basically, a predictable problem – settling kids down – is solved at the schoolwide level, not the individual teacher level.

The norm is a 4-minute silent Do Now written task.

So instead of Ponderosa needing to individually impose this on kids, the kids get exactly the same message all 8 hours of the school day, from every single teacher.

By: Tweets that mention “One minute of solitude” « Joanne Jacobs -- Topsy.com

Tweets that mention “One minute of solitude” « Joanne Jacobs -- Topsy.com — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 21:28:58 +0000

[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Stephen R. C. Hicks. Stephen R. C. Hicks said: For educators with boisterous classrooms: Siobhan Curious tried "One minute of solitude." At Joanne Jacobs's site http://tinyurl.com/qnuyof [...]

By: ponderosa

ponderosa — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:23:17 +0000

I have trained my seventh graders to enter the classroom and begin their warm-ups in complete silence. It has become habit now, but initially I had to play hardball — ordering talkers to leave the room and re-enter silently, or giving consequences with my assertive discipline system (name on board = first warning; check = write an apology letter; etc.) I need this calm for my peace-of-mind. And, you know, I don’t think it harms the children either.

By: bill

bill — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 15:02:44 +0000

Building in contemplation time is important. I have them work quietly on a writing prompt (in science) Any students with issues take it up with me out side. It gives every one a chance to start at the same place no matter where they just came from. To those silly boys- you wont be able to reason with them- everything they do is for peer attention and this might have the opposite affect. Try some 60 beat per minute music once they come in.

By: siobhan curious

siobhan curious — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 13:22:28 +0000

Some of them are a bit resistant, and last class there was more shuffling and sighing. One guy slowly and ostentatiously squirmed into his jacket and loudly pulled the zipper up to his nose, causing heads to turn.

Next time I may point out that even if you don’t want to do this exercise, someone near you might, and by making a little show of not cooperating, you’re telling the people around you that you don’t want THEM to get anything out of it, either.

By: Clix

Clix — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 12:20:16 +0000

Self-selected reading or freewriting can do this also, but it takes more than a minute