Professional language of Friendly and Fair Teaching
Over the years Friendly and Fair Teaching (FFT) has developed its own professional language. These are the words, terms and concepts that underpin our approach to learning and teaching. Some terms we came up with ourselves such as ‘Future Behaviour Letter’, ‘Education Medal’ and ‘Ladder of Action’. Others were coined by students: Tip, ‘Tip Book’, ‘Motivational Coach’, or by experts: Qualification, Socialisation and Subjectivation.
We consistently write these terms with a capital letter to remind the reader that Friendly and Fair Teaching gives this term a specific meaning. Below we have provided a list of the common terms that we use so you can understand the specific meaning given to them by FFT.
This page ‘Professional language’ can be reached directly via the drop-down menu of ‘About us’.
1 General terms
Order
- In general ‘Order’ refers to a state in which everything is or goes consciously as intended.
- In an educational setting, ‘Order’ refers to the organised and structured environment in which learning occurs. It includes maintaining discipline, ensuring that rules and procedures are followed, and creating an atmosphere that supports effective teaching and learning. This can involve everything from classroom management, such as keeping students focused and on task, to the systematic arrangement of materials and schedules to ensure a smooth, productive learning experience. ‘Order’ helps students and teachers operate within clear expectations, reducing distractions and fostering an environment that is conducive to learning.
Borders
‘Borders’ refers to the margins established by the teacher within which students can make mistakes in terms of behaviour and commitment. The teacher clearly indicates the boundaries of acceptable behaviours in both Practice Period 1 and Practice Period 2.
Reflecting on Teaching
‘Reflecting on Teaching’ is an ongoing process that enables teachers to create and maintain a positive learning environment. Through ‘Reflecting on Teaching’ they improve their lessons, the way they teach and how to effectively maintain students good behaviour. In this positive learning environment all attention goes to ‘Establishing educational goals‘.
Behaviour Management Strategies
With ‘Behaviour management strategies‘ a teacher addresses a student or the group on behaviour and commitment.
‘Behaviour Management Strategies’ at FFT consists of two components: ‘First steps: within borders’ and ‘Next steps: outside borders’.
The ‘First Steps’ do not take a student time. The ‘Next Steps’ do take time.
Because a disruption to the lesson can always occur, no matter how well you teach, ‘Behaviour Management Strategies’ is part of a positive learning environment. A student who does not respond to the instructions of the ‘Framework’ or Triangle’ is addressed in two steps:
- First steps within limits (with gestures or Tip).
- If necessary: Next steps outside limits (with ‘Future behaviour letter’).
Figure: Behaviour management strategies
Whole Class Teaching
With ‘Whole Class Teaching’ the teacher addresses the whole class. This might be to explain or repeat key principles, demonstrate skills to give information that is new to everyone.
With Whole Class Teaching the teacher can present important knowledge or information that all the class need to know and it is often done from the front of the classroom. The teacher plays a central role in transferring knowledge and usually uses visual aids such as a board, a digital board or digital media to support the explanation. During the explanation, students listen, take notes and sometimes ask questions.
Teachers who use the ‘Friendly and Fair Teaching’ method show with ‘Whole Class Teaching’ the blue image of the ‘triangle’.
Working Independently
‘Working Independently’ is a complementary approach to ‘Whole Class Teaching’. When students are ‘Working Independently’ there is opportunity for the teacher to interact with individuals or small groups and provide a personalised approach to individual learning needs.
A student, when ‘Working Independently’, is able to perform tasks or activities without constant help or supervision. This student takes responsibility for his/her own work environment and tasks and makes his/her own decisions about how and when work should be completed and assessed. This requires them to develop organisational skills, self-discipline and the ability to set priorities. ‘Working Independently’ provides opportunities for student to solves problems and show initiative without always waiting for instructions from others. It is a valuable skill in both work and study environments.
Teachers who work with the ‘Friendly and Fair Teaching’ method show during ‘Working Independently’ the green image of the ‘triangle’.
Teacher-Centred Education
In ‘Teacher-centred Education‘ the teacher is in charge (image of beret):
Image: Teacher-centred education
FFT advocates that teachers alternate between of ‘Teacher-centred Education’ and ‘Student-centred Education’.
Student-Centred Education
In ‘Student-centred Education’ each student takes responsibility for their learning (image of cap):
Image: Student-centred education
FFT advocates an alternation of ‘Teacher-centred education’ and ‘Student-centred education’.
Education Medal
Education can be seen as a coin with two sides: ‘Teacher-centred education‘ and ‘Student-centred education‘. A teacher who makes full use of both approaches to teaching deserves an ‘Education Medal’ according to FFT.
Perspective – Module
All information on this site is subject to ‘Reflecting on teaching’. Reflecting on teaching is divided into five perspectives:
- Establishing a friendly tone,
- Establishing fairness,
- Lesson content,
- Observing learning
- Behaviour management Strategies.
The perspectives 1, 2, 3 and 5 are divided into modules.
Qualification, Socialisation and Subjectivation
The tree target domains of Gert Biesta. Read more
Chuncking
By ‘Chuncking’ FFT means dividing the available teaching time between ‘Teacher-Centred Education’ and ‘Student-Centred education’.
2 Terms used by FFT in ‘Practice period 1’
Practice period 1
Practice period 1 is a series of eight consecutive lessons in which teachers introduce the first five components of ‘Behaviour management strategies’. Read more
Framework
Teachers hang the ‘Framework’ on the wall of their classroom. During a lesson they assess whether what happens is in accordance with the framework. Read more
Triangle
In various approaches to teaching, teachers show the corresponding side of the ‘Triangle’. Read more
Ladder of action
FFT distinguishes four steps with which teachers address a student on behaviour or effort. These four steps come together in the ‘Ladder of Action’. Read more
Behaviour management strategies
With ‘Behaviour Management Strategies’ a teacher addresses a student or the entire group on behaviour and commitment. Read more
Tip
A Tip is a positive advice (for example, “please pay attention” or “please get to work”). Read more
Tip Book
A teacher uses a ‘Tip Book’ when teaching the entire class to write down ‘Tips’ and to write down which student got the assignment to write a ‘Future behaviour Letter’. Read more
3 Terms used by FFT in ‘Practice period 2’
Practice period 1
‘Practice period 2’ is a series of eight lessons in which the sixth component of ‘Behaviour management strategies’ is introduced: the ‘abacus’. See ‘Six components of Behaviour management strategies’.
You determine a margin within which individual students and the entire group can make mistakes in terms of behaviour and commitment and can explore your boundaries. You indicate this margin in practice period 2 as follows:
- You indicate (just like in practice period 1) your limit by writing down and counting Tips per student in a period. The margin is two Tips per period for each student – both when teaching the entire claas and when students are working independently.
- You also indicate your limit with the ‘abacus’. The group can see from the image of the ‘abacus’ when your limit has been reached per lesson. The margin for the entire group is two Tips per lesson when teaching the entire class and four Tips per lesson when students are working independently.
Abacus
FFT gives the following meaning to the term ‘abacus’:
A roof stand (a type of folder that looks like a triangle) with which you show images. With the ‘abacus’ you address the group on behaviour or commitment. With the ‘abacus’ you show your students how many ‘Tips’ you have given the group within one lesson. The ‘abacus’ is a tool with which you limit the number of ‘Tips’ per lesson, so that you can have a student write the ‘Letter about future behavior’ more quickly.
Only when students are used to ‘Tips’ and the ‘Letter about future behaviour’ and already behave better and put in more effort, does it make sense to use the ‘abacus’ to make your lessons run even better.
Image 104: Abacus – Roof stand
You introduce the ‘abacus’ in Practice period 2. You use the ‘abacus’ both when teaching the entire class and when students are working independently.
Below you can see all the images that have been collected in the ‘abacus’ and also what the consequences are for students if you show a red image.
Figure: All images of the counting frame
Read more
4 Motivational coach
Motivational Coach
Motivational coach is a new word invented by FFT. With the term ‘Motivational coach’ VOH indicates that as a teacher you not only teach and motivate students, but also coach. As a motivational coach you increase the intrinsic motivation of students. Read more
5 Credits
Nick Sorensen – Adviser to Friendly and Fair Teaching
Friendly and Fair Teaching started as a translation from the Dutch educational website ‘Vriendelijk Orde Houden‘. Nick first translated all professional language on that website to English including all terms mentioned above. The Dutch name ‘Vriendelijk Orde Houden’ has been translated by Nick into ‘Friendly and Fair Teaching’.
