Sharing Our Practice

Please share with your group something you have tried in your classroom since

our last session.

Share out with whole group.

The Three R’s of Teacher Language

• Reinforcing

• Reminding

• Redirecting

Text Talk• 1. Sit in a group of 3 and identify a facilitator and

timekeeper.• 2. Review Chapters 5-7 and identify passages(a

couple of back-ups) that you feel have important implications for your work.

• 3. Each person takes a turn and uses up to 3 min. to:- Read aloud the selected passage- Say what you think about the passage (interpretation, connection to past experiences)- Say what you see as the implications for your work.

• 4. The group responds to what has been said.

Reinforcing Language

“Children build on their strengths, not their weakness. The implication for teacher language is that it’s as important for us

to see and name what children are doing as well as to identify how they can

improve.”

Effective Reinforcing Language

• Name concrete, specific behaviors• Use a warm and professional tone• Emphasize description over personal

approval• Consider adding a question to extend student

thinking• Find positives to name in all students• Avoid naming some individuals as examples

for others

PraisePraise for Control

• Sometimes teachers praise children so that children will keep doing the positive things that earned the praise

• Ex. “I liked the way you worked.”

Praise for Celebration

• Can build genuinely warm and mutually respectful relationships between teachers and students

• Spontaneous and warm• Ex. “What a beautiful

drawing!”

Reminding Language

“Classroom reminders prompt children to do the remembering themselves.”

Effective Reminding Language

• Start by establishing expectations clearly• Phrase a reminder as a question or a

statement• Use a direct tone and neutral body language• Use reminders proactively or reactively• Use reminders when you are both calm• Keep reminders brief• Watch for follow-through

Redirecting Language

“The skillful use of redirecting language allows us to provide the wise external control that keeps children on track when their self-control is failing

them.”

Effective Redirecting Language

• Be direct and specific

• Name the desired behavior

• Keep it brief

• Phrase redirections as a statement, not a question

• Follow through after giving a redirection