In our Classroom Management class, Tom Keyes introduced us to a distant colleague named Rafe Esquith. Rafe teaches fifth grade in South Central Los Angeles, and has written books about his experiences – There Are No Shortcuts and Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire.
Reading about Rafe and his experiences is inspirational. He’s one of those teachers who has amazing ideas about classroom management and innovative and interesting ways of running his classroom. Fully expect that you will be intimidated and think you will never accomplish ½ of what he has in the classroom. But, it’s okay to borrow just a teensy bit from him.
Rafe has two rules in his classroom: Be Nice. Work Hard.
Guess who made her own “Be Nice. Work Hard” posters?
In his second book, Teach Like Your Hair’s on Fire, Rafe discusses Lawrence Kohlberg’s Six Levels of Moral Development and applies them to the elementary school classroom. He teaches the levels on the first day of school and he tells us that they are a road map and often require a lifetime of learning. Our goal as human beings is to get to Level Six. He says Level Six is the most difficult to attain and the way to teach it is to point it out when you see it in others. It requires an individual to develop his own personal code and to follow it, regardless of what others say or think about it. The example he uses about a student who achieved Level Six is a girl who helped a fellow student – when the fellow student’s mother came in to ask who had helped a student in order give credit and accolades, the girl refused to admit it was her – she helped but didn’t want credit. That is Level Six. Are we there?
Level One: I Don't Want to Get in Trouble
Most students enter school at this level. They behave because they don’t want to get in trouble. It is fear-based – instead, we want our students to behave because they know it is the right thing to do.
Level Two: I Want a Reward
Many teachers use this as a management method – if students exhibit good behavior, they are rewarded for it (homework parties, gold stars.) But, we need to show students that proper behavior is expected and doesn’t need to be rewarded. We need to continue to push our students to the next level.
Level Three: I Want to Please Somebody
Students want to please their teacher or their parents. This is a good thing, but should not be why they act the way they do – again, they should exhibit good behavior because they have internalized that it is the right thing to do and they want to do what’s right, not to please someone else. Again, nothing wrong with this level, but Rafe believes we can push our students to be better.
Level Four: I Follow the Rules
Getting students to follow rules is an important aspect of classroom management and Rafe talks about involving students in establishing the rules as a way to generate ownership. This level is not a bad place to be. However, Rafe cautions against staying in Level Four because there are times and places to question rules and that we want to inspire independent thinkers. Tricky, yes?
Level Five: I Am Considerate of Other People
As Rafe says, Level Five is “rarefied air for both students and adults.” If we can create a world of Level Five people, the world would be a more empathetic place. He talks about teaching consideration and empathy for others is difficult. Yet, as he leaves every level he says, “I think we can do better.”
Level Six: I Have a Personal Code of Behavior and I Follow It
This is the most difficult level to teach. You can’t model it because it is about an internal code and requires humility. Therefore, you can’t see, “See? This is how you act!” Like the student in the example before, she quietly helped someone, not for any other reason than it was the right thing to do and she didn’t want any credit or kudos for it. Even when pressed! Level VI is the level that Rafe believes all people should strive to be in. He admits that it is difficult, but he feels it is our responsibility to push our students to strive to be better. Even as we push ourselves. Not to much to ask, right?
I highly recommend Rafe’s first two books – great insight about teaching and ideas for implementation in your classroom. I am inspired.
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