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“Withitness”: Being Aware of What’s Going on in the Classroom
posted by: Alix | June 13, 2012, 02:28 PM   


While most teachers are excellent multi-taskers, the best teachers are “withit.” “Withitness” is the art of running a classroom while having eyes in the back of your head. It’s that creepy moment during the math lecture that you realize that Johnny is misbehaving, so, to let the class know that you’re aware of what’s going on, you continue writing on the chalkboard and say, “Johnny, stop blowing spit bubbles.” Much to the shock of the classroom, your “withit” superpower is having eyeballs in the back of your head. Johnny stops blowing spit bubbles and everyone goes back to being attentive, well-behaved students.

The art of “withitness” is broader than just having eyes in the back of your head. A teacher who is “withit” is also able to see into the future. Using this superpower properly, the teacher knows when Johnny is going to start disrupting class by blowing spit bubbles. This gives the teacher the opportunity to diffuse the situation before it even happens. Prevention, after all, is better than a cure.

Remember, with great power comes great responsibility, so “withit” teachers use their superpowers for good, not evil. “With-it” teachers are effective because they are aware of every aspect of the classroom at all times, including the students who are being good. “Withit” teachers might draw attention to a student who is being good so as to create a “ripple effect” of good behavior in the classroom. If you catch one student being good, then other students will want to be caught being good, too.

“Withit” teachers are also just teachers. They are “withit” because they know who is operating as the instigator of good behavior and who is operating as the instigator of bad behavior. Just like Batman knows who is causing trouble in Gotham City, a “withit” teacher who is causing trouble in the classroom because he/she has been observing the dynamic of the classroom. A “withit” teacher is just and does not accidentally punish/reward the wrong student.

While there is justice in correcting the behavior of the appropriate student, there is also justice in correction at the appropriate time. For example, a student with an emotional behavioral disorder who has just had a tantrum might need to have his/her behavior modified after a cool down period in private so as to prevent further outbursts. A “withit” teacher has the “superpower” of knowing his/her students well enough to know how and when particular students will respond to correction.

Finally, one of the most powerful “superpowers” a “withit” teacher has is the famous “teacher look.” Every teacher has a signature “look” that sends a nonverbal cue to students that they need to modify their behavior or that they are doing a good job. The “teacher look” isn’t a regular feature in the classroom; it is used as needed so that it doesn’t lose its potency. It’s amazing how much power a teacher can exercise over a class by just smiling or raising an eyebrow.

All teachers have “superpowers,” but some teachers are more “withit” than others as it concerns proper application of his/her “superpowers.” Knowing yourself and knowing your students is the best way to start. Be sure to click here and here for more information about classroom management and “withitness."

Teachers, what does “withitness” mean to you?

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