Teach like your hair’s on fire. THE METHODS OF MADNESS INSIDE ROOM 56 Esquith, R. (2007). Teach Life Your Hair’s on Fire. New York, NY: Penguin Group.

REPLACE FEAR WITH TRUST

• While most classrooms are based on fear, our classroom will be based on trust.
• Answer all questions. It does not matter if I’ve been asked them before
• Always be positive and patient

LAWRENCE KOHLBERG’S

LEVEL I- I DON’T WANT TO GET INTO TROUBLE

• Most students are trained from the very beginning to be level one thinkers
• Level one thinking is based on fear
• On the first day of class begin a partnership.

LEVEL II- I WANT A REWARD

• We have learned that if children are rewarded for good behavior than they are more likely to repeat the behavior.
• Be very careful encouraging level II behavior
• We need to show our children that proper behavior is expected not rewarded

LEVEL III- I WANT TO PLEASE SOMEBODY

• As they grow up kids learn to do things to please people
• They do these same things with teachers
• When kids want to please you it give you an ego jolt
• Do you brush your teeth for me? Do you tie your shoes for me?

LEVEL IV- FOLLOW THE RULES

• This level is very popular these days
• The better teachers take time to explain the “why” of certain rules
• Different classes have different rules and this is good.
• Also remember how many amazing people looked beyond level IV thinking: Rosa Parks, Gandhi, Malcolm X etc.
• Level IV is a good place to be, but we must try to do better.

LEVEL V- I AM CONSIDERATE OF OTHER PEOPLE

• If we can help our kids achieve a state of empathy for people we’ve accomplished a lot.

LEVEL IV- HAVE A PERSONAL CODE OF BEHAVIOR AND FOLLOW IT

• This level is the most difficult to attain and just as difficult to teach
• This type of behavior resides within the soul of an individual.