How Can Teachers Control Cell Phone Usage In Their Classrooms?

Cellphone Telekinesis


You can find out more about Dan’s book at That’s Special: A Survival Guide To Teaching or go on Dan’s website on thatspecial.co.

I started to take away cell phones in my fifth grade classroom because of the constant disruptions. To trust my students to leave them in their backpacks was no longer an option. As a teacher, texting is a constant distraction during any lesson. As a teacher in the 21st century one problem I face are necks constantly bent downwards, while faces glow bright with the latest digital download. 

The students with bent necks, all have the same bland expression. Similar to an apocalyptic zombie event. Lifeless feet drag emotionless corpses into the school, with a never ending quench to download, not blood, but social updates. Are these cell phones making these students any happier?

I see one of my students talk to Jamie in the main hallway of the school, “Dude, do you want to meet up tonight to hang out?” “I don’t know, text me tonight and ask me.” Jamie your friends are right in front of you, ask them in person for heavens sake!

This gadget, which supposedly has limitless entertainment opportunities, makes me fearful for the future of interpersonal relationships. Sending notifications and updates instead of playing outside with friends. Is that where this culture is heading? Yes, probably.

Even in silent mode, the cell phone is deadly to instruction. Cell phones never seem to die! If you are familiar with zombie theology, the double tap is necessary to make sure the zombie is really dead. Bam! Straight to the cell phone processor’s head. Pow! Pow! 

Remember don’t tell students to silence their phone, tell them to put it on airplane mode or power off. Double tap! 

Beyond killing the zombie cell phone virus with the double tap method, you need to quarantine the disease. If there is money left over in the school PTA budget a strict cardio after school program needs to be implemented in case the children rebel and the zombies take over. Please bring this line item up at the next parent teacher conference meeting with full sincerity. 

Cell phone zombies, combined with my fear that my students might turn on me one day, (exacerbated by a late night watching of “Children of the Corn”) led me to realize: I need to confiscate these devices. Remember, the lifeless bent over zombies can only be contained by mass community support.

How can mere teachers contain this epidemic in our classrooms? I would begin by searching our educational systems secret weapon: Pinterest. I found a pin on Pinterest and go with the  suggestion to have a cell phone jail in my classroom. I purchased a large clear plastic box to be placed on my desk, so that every student could see their social life was not going to run away. Each child is required to place their cell phone in cell phone jail upon entering the classroom. 

The first few weeks are met with the un-enthusiastic responses from the zombies, I mean students. The worst part is not the confiscation of the devices, but the vibrations. I have to keep reminding the children to double tap it! In a box of twenty cell phones, it is hard to distinguish who’s social life is jingling. Twenty eyes of longing status updates would stare intently into cell phone jail as the whole jar vibrates. Alas, your status update is #HendersonsHouseOfHorrors #IHopeICanRedGood #TheyFedMeDogFoodInHereOnce.

Three child are the worst cell phone villains, Rick, Jamie, and Claudia. They will hold up the line so they can send last minute selfies, or create a talk to text message that we can all hear.

“No, mom I like the ham and cheese hot pockets, gosh!” Jamie yelled, knowing that this last minute text stands between him and ham heaven.

These are my two favorite talk to text moments right before the cell phones entered cell phone jail.

The socially popular Claudia yells to her dad. “No, that’s not my hair in the refrigerator that’s the dogs.” With an obvious look to say that this has happened before. Followed by my second favorite. “Shut up, I don’t have a mangina!” By the pimply Rick.

As the week progresses, Rick, Jamie, and Claudia do not always surrender their cell phones willingly. Some students do not have cell phones, and we have not had any incidents to date. I began to believe I could trust my students and began to trust they would always surrender their cell phones in the morning.” 

I was wrong. These three culprits would lie. Straight to my face. The worst part is that I know they do not regret it, but Mr. Henderson always comes up with a plan for sweet justice.

One by one, their glowing faces give away hidden cell phones tucked under their desks. 

Week two of the school year, I have my first cell phone offender. Jamie, the proud owner of a processed cheese stained shirt, is the first to get caught. 

I spotted a hunchbacked Jamie, bent over looking culpable at a cell phone. I have described this behavior as the lurk. Jamie lurked under his desk. Jamie’s head is still bigger than his body in these developmental years, so the light from the phone glowed brighter on his face. He does not often talk, but when he does the crackle in his voice gives Jamie away. I catch Jamie saying, “I sent you the picture, check it later.” I pick up on his Jamie’s voice, thanks puberty!

I marched over to Jamie’s desk.

“Jamie! How long have you had that cell phone?” I demanded in an authoritative tone.

“Uhhh, for awhile.” He shrugged.

“Does awhile mean before the start of the school year?” I ask with my hands crossed. 

“Well it depends. I mean I got it this summer, It’s still summer until September 21st.” The excuses are often worse than the crimes.

This lame excuse made me recall a jingle for Jamie inspired from a hot pocket commercial, “What is Mr. Henderson gonna pick?……………de….ten…tion.”

“Jamie, you did not hand in your cell phone with everyone else. You will have after school detention this week.” 

After this stunt, and Jamie’s subsequent time in detention, I think the texting is under control. I hope that parents will teach their kids that the unlimited data plan does not mean you have to text unlimitedly. Your wireless carrier does allow you to eat, sleep, and even communicate with other humans without a screen being glued to your face. 

This day, I contemplated quitting teaching. To give you some context, I have been bitten by a student, spit on, and cursed out, but then Rick decided to pop a pimple right outside my class and take a selfie. I was so grossed out I turned my back on the cell phone jail as the pupils enter the classroom.

I hear one student say, “Awesome!” They say if you’re the smartest person in the room, leave the room. When zit selfies are considered awesome, leave that state. Rick decides to keep his cell phone since he saw me look away in disgust.

We start the morning message and a math lesson I wanted to review. Rick sat at his desk with his hands under the desk. Rick is a teaser, a jock, and a prankster. Naturally my eyes kept going back in his direction. Rick could not exhibit self control when someone dared him. I hear whispers for Rick and his classmate Jeff to be quiet. 

I must warn you to never turn your back as a teacher. I only turned slightly to my right to pick up a marker and then I hear: Click.

“What was that?” I turned around and Rick’s hands are further buried under his desk. That was clearly a cell phone camera noise.

“Did you just take a photo of me? Let me see your hands.” I demanded.

I check the photo and it’s a close up of my butt. 

I gripped the phone tightly and stare at the craters on his cheeks. 

Rick's face reddens, only intensifying the bright pimples around his face. I extended my hand to take the phone and my glare signals that he will be in detention with Jamie’s hot pockets. Rick, Jamie and their Proactive facial scrub would join his fellow cell phone junkies in detention.

After these two incidents, I assumed that these consequences have some sort of affect. Never underestimate a pre-teen. If they want to send a text, you will need to send in a SEAL team to stop them. Once such teen was a strong willed girl names Claudia.

Claudia had long black hair that hanged gracefully straight reaching the middle of her back. Her fingernails were either pink, black or purple on any given day. Claudia wore increasing shorter clothes to gain the attention from the boys newly encroaching hormones and of course for selfies.

“Claudia, Claudia put the cell phone in the bin.” Claudia rolled her eyes and turned her back on me blocking my view of the cell phone jail.

“I don’t think so. In the bin now!” I hear the pink cell phone case drop in with the other phones and she walked with her nose in the air towards her desk. 

We begin practicing long division. The lesson is off to a great start, so I thought.

The class is in groups of four and I passed out the assignment for students to work on. I see hands together and a face glowing with a zombie stare. How could it be? Does Claudia have telekinetic powers? How has she pulled the phone from the bin? 

I go to cell phone jail to check if Claudia’s phone is present. It’s in the bin, or at least it appears. She took off the pink case and took the cell phone to her desk. Sneaky little one. I proceeded cautiously across the room, to not give away my position and to scare the life out of her.

“Claudia! You took the cell phone out of the case and are defiantly texting in my classroom!”

Everyone stopped to look at the commotion and Claudia looked stoic. She stands up and sticks her nose in the air at me.

“This was a birthday present. You can’t take away a present. Just because I am texting does not mean I am not listening to you. This is not fair. I hate this school!” Oh God, then the tears start.

“Why can’t I have my phone? Why? Why? WHY?” The tears increased.

This is the apex of her miserable existence. Claudia is distraught, the shelter and three meals a day in an industrialized nation are taking their tole. The horror. Maybe I am being to hard, maybe it is as bad as it seems. Could it be that Claudia’s phone only has 3G?

“Claudia, stop crying. Claudia it’s only a phone. You will get it after school.” I declared.

I may as well have said that Claire’s social life was becoming extinct. Claudia hunched over and grabbed a textbook over her head indicating she will throw it at me if I proceed closer. This little girl has lost her mind. 

“Calm down Claudia, calm down” I try to ease the tension in the room, I think, if there were 100 books in my classroom and if there are twenty students, Claudia could throw five books at each of the students….. I could use this equation in my division lesson. Dan, Dan get back to your first world problems: a pre-adolescent girl is having a cell phone crisis. 

“Jamie, call down to the security officer and ask her to come up to our classroom.” I patiently said, as I pushed down my hands in the air to signal everything is calm.

The security guard came and uses the not so subtle yelling approach that most security guards use. It scared Claudia enough to drop the textbook in her hand and she is escorted to the principals office.

After the book throwing, detention, and the principals office, you might assume her attitude would change. Nope. 

Mom took away her cell phone for a week and then Claudia got her cell phone back. The class files in one by one, dropping off their cell phones. Claudia stood their texting away, lurching, leaning onto the screen. 

“Claudia, Claudia put the cell phone in the bin.” No response.

“Claudia, oh Claudia, class is starting.” She turned her back while rolling her eyes.

The class looked at me for leadership. I calmly get up and look her straight in the eye.

“It seems like you want to be on your phone all day talking to someone. Would you like for me to make that happen for you?” Claudia stared at me puzzled, but then followed me.

“Yes, come with me. You will be able to talk to someone on your phone all during class.” Like a french butler escorting a royal guest into a fabulous four star room, I walk briskly across the room with a big smile. Everyone wonders if Mr. Henderson had gone mental.

“Claudia, let me use your phone for just a minute.”

“Okay.” She says reluctantly, but figured, What can I lose?

I searched the contacts until I find the one number that will settle this little dispute. Mom. I call Mom.

“Hi Mom, it’s Mr. Henderson. I am calling you from Claudia’s phone. Listen, it seems that we might have had a cell phone incident again.”

Mom talked for awhile and I relay what has just happened. As mom started to get upset I say, “I know, I know.”

“Listen, since Claudia wants to be on her phone with someone why don’t we let her be on FaceTime with you. Yes, she can be on the phone all day with you watching to make sure she is working in our classroom.”

“Sounds like a great idea.” Mom says enthusiastically.

The other students start to giggle and Claudia looked like she is going to die. I put a desk in the corner with the cell phone pointed straight at her during the course of the whole lesson.

One student turned around and laughed at Claudia. I pick up a spare cell phone from my jail and ask to the whole class:

“Anyone else want me to FaceTime mom?”

Do you have problems with cell phone usage in school?

Do you have an interesting story of catching a cell phone culprit?

You can find out more about Dan’s book at That’s Special: A Survival Guide To Teaching or go on Dan’s website on thatspecial.co.

Email me at [ Dan ] [Henderson ] danhendersonthatsspecial@gmail.com

Website: www.thatspecial.co

Reviews from That’s Special A Survival Guide To Teaching:

If you were considering a career in teaching special education students and read Dan’s stories, you might think twice. After reading about his tools, however, you should see how it can be a rewarding option thanks to his tools and your own hard work and caring.

-Dr. Doug Green

Like the Facebook page at 

https://www.facebook.com/thatsspecial

*Disclaimer: All names have been changed to protect their identity.  All specific geographic indicators have been removed from these stories. Additionally, these stories are written about incidents that happened one year or longer from this date. @ That’s Special December 2015

3 Strategies To Promote Positive Reinforcement

3 Strategies To Promote Positive Reinforcement

by Dan Henderson, Author of That’s Special: A Survival Guide To Teaching

Check out the article on TeachThought

3 Strategies To Promote Positive Reinforcement

Positive reinforcement is the act of rewarding desired behavior by offering a desired reward. The goal is to promote desired behavior in the future.

What are some strategies to accomplish this in the classroom? Below, I’ve included 3 strategies to promote positive reinforcement, and beneath that shared a story about the kinds of behavior in the classroom that can benefit from such strategies.

1. Experiment with grading and feedback.

For example, studies have shown simply having students read an increased number of minutes per day has no bearing on academic progress. Plus, that is not teaching. For example, you might start by using a baseline, track progress towards mastery, and let the students know the mastery level so they know what they are working towards. If mastery is 100%, then students should be able to complete all problems with 100% accuracy before moving on. If you read a book for twenty minutes on a Monday and then 21 minutes Tuesday, what does that really prove?

Another possibility is grading backwards.

2. Exercise their academics endurance not by length of time, but my quality of that time. 

This might sound counter-intuitive to what I just mentioned. However, I award attempts at completing a problem. For example, a student will complete a math problem and misses a step. I will tell them there is math error in the second step.

The student works out the problem again on paper and gets the correct answer. I give the child a check that goes towards choice time minutes at the end of class. Albert Einstein said, “It’s not that I am smarter than anyone else, it’s that I spend more time on a problem.”

3. Use private conference and self monitoring.

In a sea of paperwork and standardized testing, it might seem impossible to conference with all your students in a class. However, everyone wants that human connection, and everyone enjoys praise. I created an activity that lists monthly goals and expectations. While students track their work and keep a binder of their work, I will have a monthly conference to check in.

This usually takes about 10 minutes, but the payoff is astounding. Apathy is replaced by energy while we look through their work and reward students for their efforts. We then talk about next month’s goals and quickly strategize a plan. The payoff is not only academic gains but joyful children.

In Austin’s case, he just wanted attention from his peers. One of the ways we corrected his bullying was to have him present his work in front of the class on a regular schedule. How did I get to know what Austin wanted? I asked him. It’s not rocket science if a child is acting up in class. Your first step to understanding how your students want to be praised is by asking them.

A Story From My Classroom About Behavior And Feedback Of All Kinds

Too little time is spent in the classroom creating and administering positive reinforcement strategies to help our students thrive.

The end goal with any student should be joyful energetic learners who are coming to the teacher seeking knowledge for the sake of knowledge. The problem is the social/emotional piece of school often resembles an institution: trays of mystery meat in the cafeteria, silent rows of children filling in repetitive worksheets, and students slowly transforming into zombies. I tried to rectify this night of the living dead scenario by creating a positivity jar where I would fill a jar with positive experiences I witness children make during the day. I made a grave mistake. One day I took some positivity out of the jar; it was a glass jar in a second grade classroom.

The idea behind the positivity jar was for students to be proactive, kind, and motivated. The idea was to have a group goal for the class. I found an old glass jar in the basement and went to the dollar store to buy bouncy balls. There would be select times in the day when we would add bouncy balls to the positivity jar. The balls added up time at the end of the day for choice time. Choice time was time to play at the end of the day; the theory being work hard and then you play hard. If you get your work done, you have earned your fun. Setting expectations and what actually motivates kids is highly subjective to each child. You should adapt the rewards to what actually motivates the child not what you assume will motivate every child.

At the beginning of each year, we started off by creating a classroom culture. We had the students help formulate the rules within the class. Everyone agreed to the rules and talked about logical consequences if they were broken. The positivity jar was a set of rules or expectations that if we worked as a team every bouncy ball stood for a minute of choice time. How we would get choice time was saying positive comments to our friends, everyone completing tasks on time, or collaborative groups assignments completed together.

To get the positive juices flowing the positivity jar was presented in the morning. We had students present a positive event they witnessed among their peers the prior day.

Cynthia would say, “I saw Jon going back into the article to get his answer.” A ball would go into the jar for the class. Jon would say back, “I saw Cynthia helping her friend with her binders when her papers fell on the floor.” Another ball would bounce into the jar. Wide smiles would appear on the students blemish free faces. The positive reinforcement was working, but some poor soul would have to deal with a rebel of an unholy condition. His name was Austin. Austin would prove to be the Arch-nemesis of the positivity jar.

Positive reinforcement only works if the students care. Since Austin did not care about choice time, Austin sought to take the attention away from my positive reinforcement strategy. By hurling insults such as “If you are smart, why are you in Mr. Henderson’s low group of readers?” Austin would purposefully try to get the group from not earning their positive mojo by being “the bad kid.”

If stupid is as stupid does (thank you Forrest Gump), then attention seeking bullies are as attention seeking bullies do. The span of time to which these incidents occurred stretched across a Monday to a Friday. It all started when Austin wanted a laugh from his peers. We started the morning message, and Austin had his turn to present.

With a sarcastic tone Austin says, “I am really happy Cynthia brought her scarf to school so we would not have to see her face.”

“Austin! Apologize to Cynthia.” A few students laugh, but most students are annoyed. At this moment, I would usually grab for a bouncy ball. It would ricochet off the glass jar, echoing gleefully a reward for all. I could not add a ball to the jar. I grabbed for the ball instinctively, hesitated and was meet with shock in youthful eyes.

“I’m sorry class, but I can’t reward that comment.” Everyone glares at Austin with disdain. Austin smug smile shows he is receiving the attention he was seeking because we all played into his trap. Would we take the bait again?

Jon was a slender boy who was obsessed with playing math games. He eagerly sat crisscrossed on the carpet as the reverberations in the class jar meant he would increase his screen time. At the end of the day, I decide to give Austin another chance at saying a positive comment. Most student sit with their hands in their laps or on their knees in anticipation for the final tally. The positivity jar had a few bouncy balls, and the children were growing restless.

With a devilish grin and a Peter Pan stance with hands by his sides he says, “I want to thank Jon for helping me in my math group.” He sits suddenly on the carpet, and we wait to see if he gives an insult. After a few seconds I say, “Ok, great.” I grab a ball, and it bounces in the clear glass for all to see.

In my peripheral vision, I see Austin cup his hands abruptly. “But what would really help us out is if Jon and Cynthia could cover up their ugly faces.”

“Austin! Inappropriate apologize to Jon and Cynthia now!” I abruptly remove the ball I had placed in the jar for Austin. I unintentionally have associated the positivity jar with a negative consequence, which was what I was hoping to avoid when creating the positivity jar.

Jon and Cynthia grip their knees, pressed firmly to show their anger. Austin was still giving a smug smile, and some of the students giggled fueling the teasing. I looked directly at Austin and he stopped smiling.

“Austin, apologize to Cynthia and Jon”

“Ok, I will, but can they cover up their faces first?”

Jon pushes two hands to the ground and propels his body at full charge. Austin anticipates the attack and is on his feet running away. The boys start weaving in between desks. Austin avoids a right punch, then a left. Next, Austin crawls under the desk to avoid Jon’s blows.

“Stop it, stop it!” I yell, but I get no cooperation. I get up to chase the boys. They have now circled to the front of the room. The children are sitting in a circle around the rug. Jon and Chase jump between two girls. The girls yell, “stupid boys” as their shoes kick them as they pass. Jon stands by my desk near the positivity jar. Austin stands in his Peter Pan stance taunting Jon. Jon picks up the positivity jar and flings it violently across the room straight at Austin’s face.

The jar barley misses Cynthia’s head by a few centimeters. The jar crashes into hundreds of little pieces.  Bouncy balls use their kinetic energy to hop wildly. The students in unison say, “ohhhhh” to indicate they know some student is dead meat.

“Jon and Austin go see Principal Laney and tell him what you have done. Wait, wait, and get the janitor we have to clean up this mess. Nobody else move; there is glass all over the floor.” Jon and Austin trudge out of my class waiting the impending detention. I shake my head slowly. My symbolic positivity is on the floor in pieces.

After the janitor cleans up the glass shards and I get my class going on an assignment, I ask the reading coach to watch my class while I talk to my boys. I walk to the principal’s office and find them at desks with their heads covered by their hands. The principal had to deal with another troublemaker, and they were left alone. I pulled up a chair to Austin to get to the root of the problem.

“Why are you always giving insults to your classmates?” I ask compassionately hoping to bring some sort of recourse.

Austin averts his eyes to say, “I know what I will get when I joke around. Everyone will look at me and that feels good.”

I realized that Jon needs help to determine the correct kinds of attention. Maybe Austin was not just a bully, but a kid who needed to be loved. Over the years I have tried many ideas on positive reinforcement. Why? You need positivity as the base of your teaching. As for the glass positivity jar, it went into retirement. All I can tell you is that plastic makes positivity jars possible.

Students who seek attention through bad behavior are simply tied to a reliable form of social attention. Attention cannot always be distinguished as good or bad in the child’s mind. The student acts out because it is a reliable way to get noticed. The attention is better than no attention. Students don’t always qualify behavior as good or bad.

Pinterest or teaching sites have thousands of different ideas to promote positive reinforcement in your classrooms. I believe the positive reinforcement strategies that work the best tie into the academic rigor of the curriculum.

You can find out more about Dan’s book at That’s Special: A Survival Guide To Teaching or go on Dan’s website on thatspecial.co; image attribution flickr user sparkfunelectron

Email me at [ Dan ] [Henderson ] danhendersonthatsspecial@gmail.com

Website: www.thatspecial.co

Reviews from That’s Special A Survival Guide To Teaching:

If you were considering a career in teaching special education students and read Dan’s stories, you might think twice. After reading about his tools, however, you should see how it can be a rewarding option thanks to his tools and your own hard work and caring.

-Dr. Doug Green

Like the Facebook page at 

https://www.facebook.com/thatsspecial


*Disclaimer: All names have been changed to protect their identity.  All specific geographic indicators have been removed from these stories. Additionally, these stories are written about incidents that happened one year or longer from this date. @ That’s Special 2015

Check out my new article on TeachThought:
How-i-use-check-for-understanding-questions-in-my-teaching/

How I Use ‘Check For Understanding’ Questions In My Teaching

by Dan Henderson, Author of That’s Special: A Survival Guide To Teaching

As adults we often take for granted our wide range of vocabulary and the comprehension that comes with applying knowledge while writing. 

Too often in my younger years of teaching I left check for understand questions (CFU) out of my lesson. I would accept one answer from the brightest student then moved on assuming everyone absorbed one student’s response. It was only until I asked my students to write a story about being thrifty did I realize how they really didn’t comprehend the meaning of the word. The word thrifty was interpreted to steal.

With all great teaching you have an example or model an activity for your learners to re-produce. This story was about a young boy named Marco whose family had lost everything in the Great Depression. Before this time this affluent boy’s family had a family car and a butler probably named Jeeves. When the Great Depression hit, the family lost everything, even their beloved man servant. Jeeves would no longer clear the sidewalk of the dirty lower class off the New York Streets separating Marco from the commoners. Marco’s family had to sell almost all their possession and his toys. Marco was left with a barren room, and they were barely able to continue living in their home.

Learning to be deprived of material possessions did not come naturally for Marco. Marco devises a plan to obtain what was lost. His favorite toy train made of gold and red trim was located in a shop on 57th street. Marco steals the train by placing it in a bread basket secretly hidden under a towel. Marco’s momentary joy is regained when playing with the train alone in his room. Suddenly a loneliness strikes his heart, and he cries for he misses his only friend, Jeeves. 

Marco searches for friendship on the busy streets of New York. Marco sees a group of boys playing and pauses to see if he will be accepted. From the reflection on a busy street corner window, he realizes he is the riff raff Jeeves used to kick to clear a path. The children playing in the ally have used tires and a random collection of toys. Marco gives the boys the bright new train, and he is instantly accepted into their social circle.Marco realizes all he ever wanted was friends. 

Marco goes to his barren home and finds odds and ends in the basement to make toys. The text uses the word thrifty to describe Marco. Marco takes his thrifty self to showcase his new toy to the ally boys. Moral of the story is friends are more important than money. Cue white shining light breaking in from clouds as the main idea that friendship is more important than money takes root in all of my students consciousness. My students must take this lesson and give me an example of how they can be thrifty at home.

My homework assignment is for my students to find something they can reuse with a friend to be thrifty. They must find an object in their home to create a two paragraph persuasive argument about how they would benefit from reusing an item. I do not ask any follow up or CFU ( Check For Understand ) questions about what students believe the word thrifty means. The next day we review the assignment as a whole group. Hoping my lesson hits a home run I ask Daniel MacFarland a CFU question the following morning.  

“Daniel, can you define thrifty and describe how you found something in your house to re-use?”

“Sure.” Daniel says with a pause to compose himself. “Thrifty mean to take something without getting caught to make friends.”

I pause tilting my head at an angle to give Daniel the benefit of the doubt. 

“When you mean take something, do you mean reuse something that you own?”

“No, I mean taking something that someone else has and hiding it in an ally with the other boys so you don’t get caught,” Daniel says proudly.

“What, no, no, no Marco or the boys in the ally did not steal, they were poor and made do with what they had in the ally. Marco was punished for stealing the toy train. The word thrifty means to be sparing or creatively reuse what you have, not to take from someone else and certainly not as a bribe to make friends.”

“Ohhh,” Daniel says with a long pause as his once firm hold on his paper in two hands now is let loose to float carelessly to his desk. Daniel sits on his hands and looks away, a downfall of shame overtakes him. I feel I also have let him down as a teacher. I crouch by his desk and whisper softly, “Daniel, it is ok. What did you do?”

“Well I wanted to make friends with the older boys that play by my house in the ally. They seemed to have less than my family so I wanted to take something to make friends like Marco.”

“Daniel, what did you take?” I whisper sternly. Daniel looks away again, “Look at my eyes what did you take?”

“I took my dad’s gold watch and gave it to the boys in the ally. I was trying to make friends like Marco.”

“What! Do your parents know? Marco got punished by the shopkeeper. The point of the story was not to steal and not about not getting caught. The point of the story is money can’t buy happiness and friends are better than material possessions. Don’t you know stealing is wrong?” I said this statement a little too harshly.

“I wasn’t stealing; I was thrifting, Mr. Henderson. Taking something for someone else to make friends.” Oh God, this is going to come back on me. Forget lesson planning; I would have to call Daniel’s dad to explain the situation. Hopefully, the gold watch would turn out to not be a Rolex but a Folex.

Lunch time arrives, and I escort the class to the cafeteria. I take Daniel into the conference room to call Daniel’s dad in private. Calling dad was going to be different than usual. Instead of the typical scenario where I either call to give a positive or scolding performance review of my pupils, I might be facing no video games or TV for weeks alongside Daniel depending on how Mr. MaFarland reacts. He might ground us both.

I cough a few times and pick up the phone cautiously planning my excuse. Daniel stands next to the phone thinking about how he is going to phrase the incident to blame the teacher. We are no longer teacher and student; we are brothers confessing to a parent. The dial tone lingers and I re-think this conversation. I hang up the phone, and I cough again so that Daniel will look in my direction.

“Daniel, this could go one of two ways. A: you could tell you dad you thought the story was about stealing toys or watches to make friends. This would get us both in trouble because your dad would think the public education system has let him down. Since he will believe stealing is a moral value we teach in public school. Thus, he will also be disappointed in you and his parenting for you not having the common sense to not steal from your own family. Or we could do B, admit that all you really wanted was friends and Mr. Henderson will confess he did not do a superb job of explaining what thrifty meant as long as you acknowledge to your dad that you did not ask me any follow up questions to the definition of our vocabulary.”

After my exasperated explanation of the plan, Daniel sits down to think. Should I defend my teacher or should I save my own skin? Daniel can’t seem to deliberate the outcome so I give one more comment.

“Do you really want to go through life making excuses, or we can confess our errors as a team to stand together? I promise you, Daniel, I will check to make sure you understand the assignments before you leave school.”

“Ok, we will do B. I am afraid I will get grounded.” He says shaking his right leg anxiously while looking at the floor.

“I am afraid your dad is going to ground me, too.” Daniel gives me a big grin as I steadily pick up the phone. I ask Daniel to dial his dad’s number.

To sum up the conversation with Mr. Macfarland it went something like this, “What! This is what your teaching in school. Did any of the other kids steal because of you.” Add in a little shame, “Did you go to school to be a teacher Mr. Henderson? Whatever, how are you two going to pay for my watch.” Alas, I was spoken to as a child by a parent. Oh the joy, not only am I shamed but I have to come up $200 dollars because I did not ask a freakin’ CFU question!

We learn that is was not a Rolex but a really expensive 14k gold watch. Mr. MacFarland listens patiently to his son relay his message that all he really wanted was friends and that he was confused about being thrifty. Daniel apologies profusely and Mr. MacFarland asks to speak to me in private.

Mr. MacFarland was upset, but the phone call ended with a joke. His last comment will always stick with me, “I appreciate all you do for my son, but if I could give away gold watches, I would send my child to private school.” My administrator was not impressed with my vocabulary lessons and I forever learned to put check for understanding questions in my lesson plans.

4 Tips For Using ‘Check For Understanding’ Practices

1. Start a lesson by going in depth with vocabulary: Write the definition, create a sentence, then draw a picture of the sentence you are describing.
2. Set up a Check For Understanding habit: Create a routine by using exit tickets, or quizzes to discover what concepts your pupils are missing. I use every Friday to have a CFU quiz to gather data. Then use the data to re-teach or create new steps. 
3. What if my students still aren’t getting the concept? Break it down! Boggie with your bad self. Just kidding, just break down the steps into new sub-steps. Other groups of students may even need a whole new set of steps or a review on a prior skills.
4. Use vocabulary or terms they will use: The Collins Cobuild Learner’s Dictionary will help you find the most commonly use words used in the English language. What words will they really use, bourgeois or middle class. My guess is they need to know the term middle class.

The real key in using Checks For Understanding activities is making sure students have fluently mastered a prior skill before moving on. Think of learning as a foundation. If the foundation is not solid, the whole building will collapse. CFU questions are your lessons’ building inspector! 

You can find out more about Dan’s book at That’s Special: A Survival Guide To Teaching or go on Dan’s website on thatspecial.co.

Email me at [ Dan ] [Henderson ] danhendersonthatsspecial@gmail.com

Website: www.thatspecial.co

Reviews from That’s Special A Survival Guide To Teaching:

If you were considering a career in teaching special education students and read Dan’s stories, you might think twice. After reading about his tools, however, you should see how it can be a rewarding option thanks to his tools and your own hard work and caring.

-Dr. Doug Green

Like the Facebook page at 

https://www.facebook.com/thatsspecial

*Disclaimer: All names have been changed to protect their identity.  All specific geographic indicators have been removed from these stories. Additionally, these stories are written about incidents that happened one year or longer from this date. @ That’s Special December 2015

Lunch Duty Food Fight

One warrior, Dan, was left alone in the cafeteria, an outlandish rebellion was stirring. An uprising of epic odds. Could one warrior tame the angry mob of 100 frustrated citizens? The citizens began to organize on the battlefield. Except this battlefield was a cafeteria and their weapons were mac and cheese, bananas, and mystery meat. 

The citizens, tired of the oppression by their evil lords and the ever expanding homework demands, organized a coup. In a rebellion there are two groups: Loyalist or colonists, the rebels or the empire, but there are always at least two groups . William Golding wrote the classic novel Lord of the Flies. The premise is a group of boys that are shipwrecked on a island. With the pilot dying and no adult supervision they separate into two factions. Ralph makes all the responsible choices to try and get the boys off the island. Jack forms a hunting party of warriors and a power struggle ensures on the island, leading to some intense battles. I was hoping there would be a Ralph or two that day, but Ralph must of been at the dentist.

Our school policy was there should be about five or six adults in a room of 100 students. Teachers, disgruntled by the problems in our school, often skipped lunch duty.

That day, it was just me, a small microphone and 100 students waiting to call my bluff on my threats. The ages ranged from7-10 year olds. 

Principal Laney was usually present during lunch to help tame the mob. Laney is feared among the student population. Over the PA, I heard him being summoned to a notoriously bad 5th grade classroom. 

With decreased parental supervision in the room, villainous behavior was bound to emerge. We will call our emerging culprit in this story, Jack. Aware that the principal was gone, he rallied his rebels.

Jack crawled on the lunchroom table, knocking over hot dogs and milk. With two feet firmly planted, Jack held his hands by his hips. He didn’t speak, he just smiled mischievously. Eight year old girls swoon over this rebel’s courage and proud stance.

“Jack sit down.” I commanded, speaking in to the microphone from across the room. 

Jack reluctantly jumped off, inadvertently kicking one student’s hot dog on a nearby girl shirt. 

The girls frowned at the evil laughter coming from this rambunctious tribe of boys, Jack's friends were egging him on to more mischief. Jack turned his back on me to avoid my eyes.When facing his crowd they spurred him onto more trouble.

Jack bends over to find an abandoned banana and throws it at the chubby kid. For copyright infringement purposes, we will call the chubby kid Wiggly. Wiggly teared up and threw the remains of his banana back at Jack in an attempt to hurt this bully.  

Jack mocks wiggly by saying, “Your slow and fat. The reason your probably don’t have any brothers or sister is because you ate them.” 

I run from the other corner of the cafeteria. The banana incident probably only lasted about ten seconds.

I yell, “ Get off the table Jack, go sit at the other corner of the cafeteria.” I am loosing control of the students and must issue a consequence! They reluctantly came over to the time out table, a table students are sent to when misbehaving.They sit at this isolated table to cool down.

One hundred pupils talk louder and louder as I am the sole person trying to subdue the excitement. We use levels 0-4 to monitor the volume in our classrooms. Zero means absolutely no audible voices. You could hear your friend’s heart beat from across the room kind of quiet. Level four is an outdoor voice, the occasional yell is tolerated. Since the yell is outside, the sounds dissipates. When you are in the cafeteria, it reverberates. Five more minutes went by without Principal Laney and the volume coming from the students was comparable to a playoff hockey game.

I put down squabbles as my voice became less terrifying as the noise overpowers. My table of isolation was growing. Four more bananas were thrown. Six students were at the isolation table which left it not so isolated. They would need to learn how to share resources to survive. I saw Harry, one of Jacks closest friends share his hot dog at the isolation table. I scratch my head in slight panic. Six of biggest trouble makers are ready to form a union. 

A fight broke out on the opposite side of the cafeteria from the isolation table. I leapt off a bench I was standing on towards Doug a third grader, he was punching Jon in the face for calling him stupid. 

I managed to stop the fight in that corner of the room, but my back was completely turned to my worst culprits. Children are fast, like new puppies, it only takes 30 seconds of my back being turned for them to start pulling enough food out of the trash cans to have enough ammo for the coming war.

Solidarity was a term used during the Occupy Wall street movement. It is when many stand in unison for a common set of ideals. Jack and his bandits have lost patience to continue to deal with our schools rules and consequences. They devise a plan: A food fight in solidarity. 

The attack was going to be against the 2nd graders. The 2nd graders did not adequately prepare for this food fight since their attention was on watching Mr. Henderson run around like a mad man. Jack has his warriors ready to take over Cafeteria Island. What I remember from that day can only be described as civilization lost and William Golding’s reality found.

“Food fight!” Jack yelled at the top of his lungs. 

I was still holding Doug by one arm, about sixty feet away from my worst culprits. Doug and my muscles relaxed as we watched food treys of previously disposed hot dogs and macaroni and cheese fly, not in mouths, but onto peoples’ faces. In disbelief we stood far away to avoid being smothered by mystery meat. It was complete chaos. 

I stood, taking a few deep breaths. Doug looked at me with a nonverbal expression to say, I am the least of your problems. What are you going to do, Mr. Henderson?

I composed myself. I stopped a banana from being stuffed down a girl’s back by grabbing the banana straight out of a culprits hand. I witnessed a gooey pasta dish being smeared all over the American flag. The last image I have in my mind is a banana knocking a picture of a former principal from the wall. Frustrated and tired, with red cheeks, I ran to the front of the cafeteria to grab the microphone.

“STOP! STOP IT! Anyone caught throwing another piece of food will stay in after school detention for the rest of the week!” I have never yelled louder in all my life. 

This causes 94% of the students to put down their projectiles except my boys from Lord of the Flies. They decided, since most of the food was gone, to jump in the trash cans. Why? Well to ride around the cafeteria of course. 

The trash cans are four feet high, with easy gliding wheels. 

Where the hell were the janitors and the other teachers? I could only find the damn lunch ladies, watching from behind the counters. They observed from a distance, fearful to leave the kitchen. I can't blame them, a minimum wage salary doesn’t pay enough to discipline these kids, does it?

Ninety out of the one hundred kids were laughing at the Circa De Soleil movements of my culprits in the trash cans. I grabbed two trash cans with kids in them and gave these children the teacher look of death. Thankfully, I scared them enough that they took their macaroni and cheese covered bodies back to the table of isolation.

Jack still in a trash can yelled,“Push me faster!” Jack had no intention of calming down as another classmate zig zagged around the cafeteria tables. Wiggly was close to the stage and was not participating in these shenanigans. I found any ally, who was also not a fan of Jack.

“Wiggly, go to the main office and have the receptionist call the principal to the cafeteria.” He jiggled gleefully, as he knew the principal would give Jack the sweet justice he deserved for throwing a banana earlier at his face.

Two minutes went by, no principal. I was slightly nervous that the calamity would start again. I wrangled the trash can from Jack’s friend.

“Jack get out of the trash can!” Jack enthusiastically stilled played in the remains of cafeteria trash can, openly defying my authority.

“Fine stay in there, see what happens.” My hope was that the principal would catch him in the act, so I let the little jerk play in the questionable, but USDA approved meat.

I was quite proud of myself that my clothes remained clean. Yes, maybe I could have done something differently, but the odds were not in my favor. Who was I suppose to be? Freakin Spartacus? Wait he lost…

“JACK!” My savior arrived. 

The Principal grabbed the trash can, bringing it to a violent halt. Laney took one look around the room. Seeing the broken principal’s portrait and oodles of noodles all over the floor, Laney became enraged. The principal picked Jack up by his shirt collar, lifting him straight out of the trash can. She held Jack there for five seconds with his feet dangling in the air. Looking him dead in the eye he proclaims.

“You’re mine.” With that statement, the cafeteria became dead silent as he put Jack down. I have seen that look on my principal’s face. We were no longer talking to Principal Laney, but to Samuel L. Jackson.

Giving everyone the death stare, he paced in the cafeteria before grabbing the mic from my hands. Then he put fear and order back into the school.

“Let me get this straight. You have the audacity- the audacity!- to start a food fight in my school?! Do I look like I am playing with you? Do you think I am going to get into trouble for your clothes being ruined? Oh, no, no, no. I will personally talk with each of your parents and let them know that you decided to throw food at your friends. That you, Jack!” Laney stops to point and shame Jack by raising his voice. “Where rolling around all over the cafeteria in a trash can. Guess what? It’s a sunny day. Too bad you won’t be seeing it.” This speech concluded with after school detention being given to everyone , along with a good dose of guilt for all. 

The teachers came back from their lunch break in shock, to see once formally clean white shirts stained with yellow processed cheese. The teachers added another layer of shame and cancelled recess. Which is now illegal. The students marched up the stairs with heads held low and frowns of fear on their faces. They were clearly worried about the phone call home from Principal Laney. 

Our six culprits were still seated at our isolation table, held in the cafeteria for Laney to give another verbal bashing.

Once all but six students are out of the cafeteria, I confront Principal Laney. 

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry!” I began pleading with him. “ I was the only one in here and sent as many of the kids over to a table to be by themselves. I just had to break up a fight and my back was turned and…..”

“You mean you were here all alone the whole time?” Laney asked this rhetorical question as he scanned the room to confirm the other teachers were not present. 

“Yes, sir.” I say humbly.

“You did the best you can, Dan. I will have to have a word with those teachers.”

The next few weeks, the cafeteria was tame because of the increased supervision the principal put in place. Teachers were reprimanded for not showing up for duty. Children were given consequences and our culprits clean up the cafeteria for two weeks. Jack and his rebels were suspended for three days. 

When teachers are left with too many kids, and not enough help, all hell breaks loose. It is in some children’s nature to cause chaos, and schools should hire more people, or schedule better, so that teachers are never stuck in charge of an entire cafeteria.

This is NOT a story about WHY kids do things, but on poor administration management. 

Please post your thoughts?

Do teachers not report to mandatory duties in your school? How can we fix this problem?

What steps has your school used to increase PTA or volunteer support at your school for lunch duty, field trips, and extra curricular activities. 

You can find out more about Dan’s book at That’s Special: A Survival Guide To Teaching or go on Dan’s website on thatspecial.co.

Email me at [ Dan ] [Henderson ] danhendersonthatsspecial@gmail.com

Website: www.thatspecial.co

Reviews from That’s Special A Survival Guide To Teaching:

If you were considering a career in teaching special education students and read Dan’s stories, you might think twice. After reading about his tools, however, you should see how it can be a rewarding option thanks to his tools and your own hard work and caring.

-Dr. Doug Green

Like the Facebook page at 

https://www.facebook.com/thatsspecial