Kid Whisperer Nation Teacher Tips #87-91

Kid Whisperer Nation Teacher Tip #87 

TEACHER/STUDENT VERBAL COMBAT Part III 

SET A LIMIT ABOUT WHOM YOU TALK TO 

Kids like to empower themselves by pulling attention with a behavior that isn’t terrible, but also isn’t really functional in a classroom or lunchroom either. ONE TIME let kids know how you live your life: 
“I talk to students who are silently raising their hands.” 
From then on, when kids grab or yell out at educators or cafeteria staff, simply say the following exactly as I have written it here: 
“Who do I talk to? 
AND WALK AWAY. 

Kid Whisperer Nation Teacher Tip #88 

TEACHER/STUDENT VERBAL COMBAT Part IV 

SET A LIMIT ABOUT TO WHOM YOU TALK, PART II 

Certain kids like to show off by being obnoxious to adults, but they are often smart enough to not be so rude that their behavior requires a consequence. This is most common during times of the day that are a bit more chaotic, like lunch or recess. In order to retain your calm authority during these moments, use empathy, a limit-setting statement, and then walk away. 
Kid: Hey, Mr. Boogety! 
Kid Whisperer: Oh, man. I only talk to kids who are being nice. 
(Kid Whisperer walks away) 

Kid Whisperer Nation Teacher Tip #89 

TEACHER/STUDENT VERBAL COMBAT Part V 

SET A LIMIT ABOUT TO WHOM YOU TALK PART III 

I always find it amazing when traveling throughout the country and visiting schools, how often students will physically grab adults, either as they are walking by or as the teacher starts to walk away after a conversation. This is particularly true in the lunchroom. Here’s something for that: 

When a student grabs onto you, gently but firmly remove the student’s hand and say: 

“Oh, man. I talk to people who have their hands to themselves.” 
If the student grabs out of the blue, and not in the middle of a conversation, I add “…and are sitting silently with their hands up.” 

Kid Whisperer Nation Teacher Tip #90 

EFFECTIVE LUNCHROOM STRATEGIES PART I 

ADULTS CAN EITHER BE EDUCATORS OR WAITERS IN THE LUNCHROOM… NOT BOTH 
Adults cannot open, stir, or peel anything for students in the lunchroom and do all of the relationship building, preventive interventions, and learning opportunities necessary to create a safe, calm, lunch experience for students at the same time. One letter at the beginning of the year needs to be sent home telling parents that they may only send food that can be opened by their child. If the student can’t open or peel something, someone else (a student) at the table will be able to open it. 

Kid Whisperer Nation Teacher Tip #91 

EFFECTIVE LUNCHROOM STRATEGIES PART II 
ADULTS CAN EITHER BE EDUCATORS OR JANITORS IN THE LUNCHROOM… NOT BOTH 
In my travels around the country, I have seen students purposely pour milk onto the ground while smiling just to watch someone get angry and then clean it up. In an effective Behavioral Leadership lunchroom, adults do not clean up after kids. This includes custodians. When kids make a mess, they clean it themselves using the napkin that they already have. If it’s such a huge mess that they need to move seats, they are empathetically moved to another table where no one else is sitting. If they are unable or unwilling to clean the mess completely, they will wait until everyone is gone to recess or back to class. At that point they will be handed the necessary cleaning supplies by the custodian when it is convenient for the custodian, who only starts to clean once students are on their way out the door.