Power Teaching Techniques

As I began to research effective classroom management techniques, I discovered the concept of power teaching, and decided that I wanted to learn more of what this method of teaching entails. I stumbled upon the Power Teaching website created and written by Jeff Battle, a devoted user of power teaching techniques. Power teaching was developed by teachers that believe that all educators no matter the grade level deal with students that lack discipline, background knowledge and fundamental problem solving skills. “Orderly fun” is the main goal of power teaching.

Since there are many power teaching topics and management techniques, I chose to focus on a simple class attention grabber. The teacher say “Class!” and the students respond “Yes!” However, this attention grabber has a hook to obtaining the attention of the students. The class must respond using the same voice of the teacher. If the teacher says “Class!” in a silly voice, the students must respond “Yes!” in a silly voice.

As stated on the Power Teaching website, Jeff Battle explains the Class-Yes! Technique as “If I say ‘Classity-class-class!’ they have to say ‘Yessity-yes-yes!’. If I say it loudly they have to respond loudly. If I whisper, they respond in a whisper. They have to match my intensity” (1).

The principles that this method of teaching focuses on appear successful simply because students enjoy learning if they are given the opportunity to have fun while doing it. By following rules and motions that are made enjoyable through games, students are more likely to participate and less likely to ignore the teacher. I thought this simple concept is a unique and fun way to grab the attention of students and to make them interested in what the teacher has to say. I feel every classroom should have a time and a place for students to be able to let loose and be expressive while maintaining control.

After reading about the background and methods of power teaching, I discovered a You Tube video, Power Teaching’s Classroom Management System that showed the basic techniques of power teaching in action. This video featured a first year teacher applying the power teaching method’s which proves that any teacher can master these concepts and ideas.

The teacher’s creative method for student’s self expression was enlightening. It seemed as if I was watching “controlled chaos.” At the beginning of the video, the teacher promoted loud voices, big gestures and big smiles. She also told her students to recite the class rules in both regular voices and silly voices. By doing so, the children actually wanted to learn the class rules, and would remember them, because they were enjoying what they were learning.

The students were permitted to yell and clap and sing in a high octave, yet within seconds, the teacher would maintain control in a quiet and kind voice. As soon as the teacher said “Class, class” the students would respond “Yes, yes” and return to paying attention to the front of the room. I was shocked that the student’s attention to the teacher was automatic; every child responded immediately, with all eyes on the teacher and hands folded.

As students would complete individual silent work, the class was reminded that no one should be off task. The teacher would also warn the students that their assignment time was coming to a close by counting backwards from the number ten to the number one. I appreciated this new teacher’s mild mannered voice in speaking to her students. Her gentle tone still showed that she meant business, yet she never raised her voice.

The teacher was shown instructing a small group of students and had the students sit around her at a small table instead of lecturing at the front of the class. This helps the students in keeping them focused and energized, since the teacher can monitor their actions and direct the lecture to specific students.

During the video, the teacher would look for the quietest table, promoted small group work, and high energy lessons. Because the energy levels in the class were so high, learning and having fun in the teacher’s lessons were interchangeable. Each student appeared to understand what was expected of them and enjoy the classroom activities. The teacher also used multiple props such as personal white boards and markers that the students used to write answers. This method kept the students focused and on task, helping them to think of individual answers while working in small groups.

In Power Teaching’s Classroom Management System, the teacher referred to the class as “my friends.” This allows the students to connect to the teacher on a more personal level, and feel valued and respected by the teacher. The teacher also responded to the students with positive reinforcement methods when they chose the correct answer.

Personally, I loved this video. I thought the ideas presented on classroom management were unique and creative, and the students responded to the teacher in a positive manner. It is evident that the power teaching techniques in the video are working by the student responsiveness and student interviews.

Resources:

Battle, J. (2009). The Big 6: Class-Yes! Retrieved June 1, 2009, from Wordpress Power Teaching Web site: http://classroompower.com/power-teaching-your-first-steps/the-big-six/power-teaching-the-big-6-1-class-yes/

Biffle, C. (2009). Power Teaching's Classroom Management System : 3rd Grade. Retrieved June 1, 2009, from You Tube Web site: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8WpiueGP5s