Learning Objective
1. Explore lesson design that allows opportunity for experiential education.
2. Articulate teacher behaviors that support building a learning environment.
3. Better understanding of skills that comprise the whole being of learners.

#1 Learning requires rhythm
There's a recognized teacher with self-confidence in their content skills, lesson preparation, and ability to facilitate. The atmosphere is positive and absent is disrespectful comments and sarcasm is kept to a minimum. Learners propel the session with their participation as the teacher provides the direction, activities, and resources. Critical thinking is a fundamental process built into all class work since it builds life skills and generates metacognition. The session ends with learners doing a reflection which is utilized as an informal assessment.

#2 Build matrixed lessons
Potent lessons reflect life outside school. Lessons are designed with student collaboration because that is what students enjoy - interacting. Academic skills are essential in learning. But, Social skills and Emotions also make Learning (SEL) possible. Don't discount the social and emotional aspects of learning. And, don't turn your class into an anger management session either. Maybe monks can turn off their emotions at will, but I can't and I've never seen a student capable of it either. A 21st century lesson must integrate academic skills, social skills and emotions of the learners - see #7. Good citizenship is unites the mind (academics) and behavior (social/emotional). K12 classes are the garden to grow global citizenship.

#3 Demonstrate community principals
Teaching with dignity and respect is the opposite of being a door mat for disruptive students. Publish clear classroom rules with students and enforce them. One powerful tool: pick up the phone during class and call a parent. 1) Begin the conversation acknowledging the beneficial energy of the student when it's focused - let that lead into your request for help to corral the energy into a focus on lesson material. 2) Explain that 30+ students are listening to this conversation because your son/daughter is acting up - being a disruption. 3) End the call by thanking the parent/guardian for their help. Disruptive student behavior is modified when you deal with it with dignity. Getting angry doesn't resolve an issue, but it can make things worse.

#4 Get out of the cave
Network. Get out and see teachers in your department, on your floor, on the web. How? Huddling over tea in the hall, making an effort to spend 5 minutes with the teacher next door aren't too complicated and will get you started. Teachers open to spontaneous interactions with other teachers are opening the door of possibility. If you want your students to interact with each other than you'd better be doing too - see #9.

#5 Read the signals
Successful teachers regularly reflect on their teaching practice and have a sincere desire to improve - aka accountability. Hey, that's the way businesses are run and, let's face it, schools nowadays are a business. It's very normal for any classroom to have moments of disruptive behaviors. However, classrooms with continuous disruptive students keep other students, who want to learn, from being able to focus. Not sure what the signal is? Your first step, start doing active teacher research: spend 15 minutes at start or end of day and write down two or three ideas you can practice today when disruptive behavior begins.

#6 Follow your joy
You know you are teaching in your joy when you can easily answer the one show stopper that ever teacher has heard since classrooms existed …. "Why do I have to learn this, I'll never use it in my life?" If that question paralyses your class then listen up.. Every morning on the way to school consider potential answers. Find a position that relates the lesson to life, or another way to look at it, find the relevancy of what class is studying to living a quality life. If all else fails, talk about the importance of developing critical thinking skills, the benefit of situational thinking, or building more complex social skills. When you are teaching in your joy, even if you are having an off day, answering that question is a no-brainer - your passion is expressing the answer.

#7 Dust off your ingenuity
Put down those lessons with worksheet exercises and memorization strategies. Stop emulating those ….. oh-so boring …. campus meetings where teachers fill the bleachers and listen to presentations and slide shows - yuck. Claim your power by creating lessons with a majority of student collaboration work. This is going to afford you more time to work with individuals or groups on what they need specifically. If you have difficulty managing student collaboration then ask for help from other teachers or experts or the administrators. A leading cause of student disruptive behavior is boredom. Juice up your lessons with your creative passion and you can harness student energy instead of expending your energy to squash it.

#8 Stop blaming students
Teachers, we all hate the sound of brakes being applied to the rhythm of class when a student responds with, "I don't know." Don't let your class dangle on this one. Put it into your classroom management policy: no more "I don't know" responses in my classroom. School is a place for learning so stop that loafing attitude and take an educated guess. If scientists didn't take a guess we wouldn't have peanut butter, internet, or a car. Give your class a few reminders after implementing the policy, then start applying a class penalty for hearing it. Student collaboration will increase exponentially to stop penalties. Don't suppress 'em but enforce positive speaking.

#9 Practice what you preach
Students watch teachers closely and compare their notes with each other. Have the courage to do what you tell students they should do. Otherwise, button up the hatch. More than ever, young people need examples of integrity. The simplest form of integrity: do what you tell others to do. You want students to learn something new? Then you go learn something new. Weave that into your classroom discussions. Demonstrate that you are still learning and how it benefits your life.

#10 Lead the drilling effort
Teaching is an art, not a prescription. You can read all the books and news, but when class starts there is only the teacher and students - you achieve the learning objective - or not. Striving to improve your pedagogy doesn't equate to staying in your comfort zone 100% of the time. Students today require high octane lessons and your passion is the drill. Increasing student collaboration will spike those unexpected, yet tantalizing, "teaching moments" so be fluid and ready to adapt. Let the students do the work and you steer the course.

Steu Mann, M.Ed.
He is a consultant for designing and implementing Experiential Education programs. His background includes over 25 years in successful business endeavors with small businesses and Fortune 100 companies. He has over 10 years education experience: teaching inner city high school science, mentoring teachers to use technology, designing district curriculum, developing process procedure with implement sessions, and leading self improvement seminars. His email is educationrebel@gmail.com.

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