5.3 Practice Period 1

On this page

  1. Determining the length of the practice period
  2. Instructional video
  3. Introducing Friendly and Fair Teaching
    3.1 Preparation for lesson 1
    3.2 Introduction framework, triangle and ‘Future behaviour letter’ – Lesson 1
    3.3 Preparation for lesson 2
    3.4 Introduction ‘Tip’ – Lesson 2
    3.5 Preparation for lesson 3
    3.6 Introduction ‘Gestures’ – Lesson 3
    3.7 Preparation for lessons 4 to 8
    3.8 Lessons 4 to 8
  4. A intern or colleague takes over a class from a teacher.
  5. Interfaces between Practice Period 1 and existing educational practice
  6. Repeat methode of working of ‘Practice period 1’
  7. Starting Practice Period 2
  8. Credits

Friendly and Fair Teaching is a method for teachers to create and maintain order. With this series of eight lessons, they create a positive learning environment.

In eight lessons, I introduce FFT to my students by following the instructions per lesson in ‘Practice period 1’. At the beginning of the first three lessons, I introduce a new component of ‘Behaviour management strategies’ to my students. In this period I determine a margin within which students can make mistakes in terms of behaviour and commitment and can explore my boundaries.

Introduction video

For more information check out our other introductory videos here.

Introduction

Before you start with FFT, you have an idea of ​​how you want your lessons to proceed in the future: friendly and fair (Framework). You also have an idea of ​​what you expect from students in terms of behaviour in the classroom per approach to teaching (Triangle).

How do you reinforce positive behaviour with the FFTmethod? (Behaviour Management Strategies)

You give each student a margin to make mistakes or errors within a series of eight lessons (Period): you address a student twice within that period about behaviour and commitment in a way that does not take the student time (with ‘Gestures‘ and with ‘Tips‘).
When you address that student for the third time about behaviour or effort, you ask that student to write a ‘Future Behaviour Letter‘. This assignment is effective because writing a letter takes a student time and because the student thinks along in finding a solution.

How do you introduce this approach?

  1. In the first lesson, you discuss the ‘Framework’ and the ‘Triangle’ with the students. This creates a positive learning environment (Reflecting on Teaching).
    In the first lesson, you introduce the ‘Future Behaviour Letter’. With this letter, you address a student’s behaviour or commitment. You tell them when you will ask a student to write this letter to you. You also indicate when they should hand it in and where they should write the letter, namely outside the lesson. The letter is the effective tool of the three steps. Experience shows that students try to avoid this assignment. If the first lesson goes well, it is not necessary to have the letter written. In the first lesson, you only hand out the letter if it is really necessary. If you address a student’s behaviour or commitment in the first lesson, you do this by having the student write a letter to you. You only skip the aforementioned margin in this first lesson.
    What is the reason that you skip the margin in the first lesson? Only when students know the active agent (‘Future Behaviour Letter’) and want to avoid it, will the steps preceding the letter (‘Gestures’ and ‘Tips’) have an effect.
  2. In lesson 2, you introduce giving a ‘Tip’: a positive advice. With a ‘Tip’, you address a student’s behaviour or commitment. You say that if you have given a student two ‘Tips’, you then have them write a ‘Future Behaviour Letter’. The advice is to give a maximum of 1 ‘Tip’ per lesson per student. This web link tells you what to do if a student continues to disrupt after one Tip. If you do that, you can have a student write a letter from lesson 4 onwards. With every ‘Tip’ a student receives, you reduce the margin for this student; you also make this clear to the student. A student can avoid writing a letter by behaving better and putting in more effort. A ‘Tip’ precedes the letter from the second lesson onwards.
  3. In lesson 3, you introduce ‘Gestures’ with the advantage that you do not hear them. If you address a student with ‘Gestures’ on behaviour or commitment, and the student responds well to this, it takes you little energy and disrupts the lesson as little as possible.
    Only when a student’s margin has been used up and you address a student for the third time on behaviour and commitment, do you ask the student to write you the ‘Letter’. From the second lesson onwards, students notice that they have a clearly defined margin within a period within which they can make mistakes and errors.
    From lesson 3 onwards, you first direct with ‘Gestures’, then with a ‘Tips’ and only then with a letter. This order of working always applies after the third lesson.

    This image shows how you introduce the three steps: in lesson 1 step 3 (Letter), in lesson 2 step 2+3 (Tip > Letter), in lesson 3 step 1+2+3 (Gestures > Tip > Letter).

Image: introduction Behaviour Management Strategies

With ‘Gestures’ and the ‘Tips’, which you introduce in lessons 2 and 3, you ensure that you:

  1. have the ‘Letter on future behaviour’ written as little as possible.
  2. have the letter written according to plan after two ‘Tips’ (and not impulsively out of anger).
  3. gives students some margin (they are children, things can go wrong, they are testing your boundaries).

1. Determine the length of the practice period

When you start with ‘Behaviour Management Strategies’, you determine the length of a ‘period’ in which you will write down ‘Tips’ on two lists; one for ‘Whole Class Teaching’ and one for ‘Working Independently’. The length of the period you choose depends on how often you teach the students per week. Decide for yourself which duration of the period is appropriate for you:

  • A secondary education teacher who teaches one hour per week, for example, chooses a period of eight weeks (with eight lessons).
  • A secondary education teacher who teaches two hours per week can shorten that period to four weeks (with eight lessons).
  • A primary education teacher can – depending on the age of the students – work in periods of one day, half a week or a whole week.
  • The number of hours that a classroom assistant teaches a class varies. Sometimes you teach together with a teacher, other times you are in front of the class alone. If you want to participate in ‘Practice period 1’, write down on the lists (just like teachers and teachers who teach consecutive lessons) how many Tips you give during eight lessons. Every time you are in front of the class alone, write the date above the list. You can then see from the number of times you have written down a date when you have reached lesson eight. Depending on how often you see the class, you will reach lesson eight faster in one class than in another. After the eighth lesson, you start a class with a new list for “Whole Class Teaching’ and a list for ‘Working Independently’.
    If you teach together with a teacher, you support the teacher’s approach to classroom management. Consider informing the teacher of your experiences with Friendly and Fair Teaching. In consultation, it is then possible that you will arrive at a joint approach.

The instructional video below discusses determining the length of a period.

  • From Practice Period 1′ onwards, you use a maximum number of ‘free’ Tips per student per period. You count these ‘Tips’ using lists (These ‘Tips’ are in a sense ‘free’ because they do not take a student any time). The behaviour and commitment of a student is then still within the specified limits.
  • From ‘Practice period 2’ you use both a maximum number of ‘free’ Tips per period per student and a maximum number of ‘Tips’ per group per lesson (In ‘Practice period 2’ you count the ‘Tips’ per lesson with the ‘Abacus‘). With this combination you limit both the number of ‘Tips’ per student per period and the number of ‘Tips’ per group per lesson. In ‘Practice period 2’ you indicate your limit in two ways.
  • After a period all given ‘Tips’ expire and you start again with empty lists.

2. Instructionvideo Practice Period 1

3. Introducing Friendly and Fair Teaching

In eight lessons you introduce Friendly and Fair Teaching. Below is a description of how you prepare for each lesson and how you inform your students about this new way of working.

3.1 Preparation lesson 1

  • Print a number of copies of the ‘Future behaviour letter‘ printed on yellow paper. In lesson 1 you use a maximum of two letters per group.
  • Buy a small notebook and write ‘Tip book’ on it. In that notebook you write down the name of a student you ask to write a ‘Future behaviour letter’ in the first lesson. You also write down (if necessary) strange behaviour of a student in this notebook.
    Stick a small version of the blue image of the triangle on the back of the notebook, you can show this to a student during the lesson (just like the triangle).
  • Hang the image with the Framework on the wall. That image will stay there from now on.
  • Print out this PDF in A3 format that you use as a construction sheet for the triangle.
  • In the first three lessons, you can show a part of the above instructional video (from 1 minute and 53 seconds the video is intended for students). Of course, you can also pass this information on to your students yourself.

3.2 Introduction ‘Triangle’, ‘Framework’ and ‘Future behaviour letter’ – Lesson 1

You receive a group that you are seeing for the first time, no matter how they behave, in a friendly manner. If a group enters the classroom in a busy manner, you do not force order. You wait calmly until they can be addressed. If this takes too long, you write down in your Tipbook as a reporter what unacceptable behavior you see your students display. If a student asks you what you are writing down, you indicate that you will discuss what you are writing down with the class and/or with the management later if necessary. To draw attention, you can also put this general message on the board: “Attention please – the lesson is about to begin”. By acting this way, you remain friendly and fair from the start. You show that you will not be tempted to get angry if the lesson does not go the way you want. You start by showing how you use the triangle to indicate what action you expect from your students when you teach the whole class or when you let your students work independently:

Triangle

You explain: “In my lessons I distinguish two situations:

  1. either I teach (Whole Class Teaching) followed by short exercises, class discussion) and then I ask you to pay attention or participate.
  2. or you work independently on assignments and then I expect you to get to work and not disturb the other students.“

(Show both images one after the other).

“If a student does not follow one of these instructions, I address this student about behaviour and commitment. Because I am now explaining something, I show this blue image: (Whole Class Teaching – Please pay attention during the explanation – Please participate in exercises that follow the explanation). When I explain something from now on, I will show this blue image.”

Figure: framework and triangle

Framework

“As you can see, there is a picture hanging on the wall. The picture says: Friendly + Fair.
I will try to be friendly and fair in all lessons. If I don’t, you can address me about it – in a friendly way. Conversely, if one of you is not friendly or fair, I will address you about it. ‘Friendly and Fair’ therefore applies to all of us and that is why it is fair”.

Future Behaviour Letter

Then you show your students the ‘Future behaviour Letter’ and indicate that with this letter you address a student about behaviour and commitment.

“Suppose a student is not friendly and/or not fair, or does not follow the instructions on the ‘Triangle’ or the ‘Framework’, then I ask this student to write a ‘Future behaviour Letter’ to me (show a letter printed on yellow paper).
In it, I ask you two questions:

What is the reason for this letter, what happened, what did you do yourself?
What can you change/improve about your behaviour?

The student to whom I give this assignment writes this letter to me in his/her own time and hands it in to me at an agreed time.
It is also possible that I ask you to write the letter at the end of this day in my presence (as a teacher, you decide what suits you best). I hope that it is not necessary to hand out a letter this lesson”.

If in the first lesson a student does not adhere to the ‘Framework’ or the instructions of the ‘Triangle’, you give this student the assignment to write a ‘Future behaviour Letter‘ to you. Only give the letter if there is a clear violation of the instructions or in the case of provocative behaviour. With the letter you show that you are able to adjust behaviour or commitment. Because writing the letter takes a student time, the effect of the letter is great. In a very busy class, you can hand out a second letter in the first lesson. The advice is not to let more than two students write a letter per lesson. If the class remains restless afterwards, interrupt the lesson. This is not a sign of weakness. You decide that it is too busy to be able to work well in the way you expect from the students.

If necessary, you can also correct verbally or use gestures in the first lesson in the way you are used to. The idea behind this lesson is that you will be friendly and fair from now on, so the advice is to try to use gestures in a friendly way and to correct in a friendly way. If you do not do this, there is a chance that students will address you about it because you have just given them permission to do so.

Summary

  1. With one of the two images of the ‘Triangle’, you indicate what action you expect from your students.
  2. The frame on the wall makes it clear how everyone should treat each other: Friendly + Fair. Once the ‘Framework’ has been discussed, your students know that you will address a student who behaves unfriendly (and therefore disrupts the lesson).
  3. With a ‘Future behaviour Letter’ you consistently ensure that the instructions of the ‘Framework’ and the ‘Triangle’ are followed.

3.3 Preparation lesson 2

  • Print out two class lists for each class: one for ‘Whole Class Teaching’ and one for ‘Working Independently’. If your students are working independently, write individual ‘Tips’ directly on the relevant class list.
  • Buy a board with a clip to attach the list for independent work. Print a small version of the green image of the ‘Triangle’ and stick it on the back of the board. You use this board + list + image during independent work. You can show the image on the back to a student you want to address non-verbally on behaviour or effort when you walk through the classroom, without this leading to a ‘Tip’.

3.4 Introduction ‘Tip’ – Lesson 2

In the second lesson, you start by creating a ‘buffer’ in the form of ‘Tips’. This buffer prevents you from having the ‘Future behaviour’ written too quickly or too often. Tell your students that before you have them write a letter, you will give them a ‘Tip’. This is a request to the student to improve their behaviour or work attitude. You indicate that each student can receive two ‘free’ Tips per period (in the second lesson, there are still seven lessons to go until the end of the period). This sets your limit. If you address the same student for the third time within a period about behaviour or commitment (with the same working method: either ‘Whole Class Teaching’ or ‘Working Independently’), you will ask that student to write a ‘Future behaviour Letter’. If you limit yourself to one Tip per student per lesson per working method (frontal teaching or independent work) from the second lesson onwards, you can only have a student write a ‘Future behaviour Letter’ in lesson four. What to do if a student continues to be disruptive after a Tip?

Note Tips

Tips are given in two working methods, during ‘Whole Class Teaching’ and during ‘Working Independently’.

  1. When you are teaching the entire class, you note down ‘Tips’ in your ‘Tip Book’. You only need to note down the name of the student. After your lessons, you copy the given ‘Tips’ onto the list for ‘Whole Class Teaching’.
  2. ‘Tips’ that you give during ‘Working Independently’ are immediately noted down on a list (clipboard) for ‘Working Independently’.

With this approach you delay the use of the letter, and you will never impulsively or angrily have a student write you a ‘Future behaviour Letter’. This restraint contributes to the success of this approach. The ‘Letter’ should be an ultimate tool: in principle the lesson should be able to proceed well on the basis of agreements, with ‘Gestures’ and a small number of ‘Tips’.

Image 94: Tip book and lists to note Tips

For each list, you record a maximum of two Tips per student per period (of eight lessons). The first two ‘Tips’ per list are ‘free’ (do not take the student any time). The third time per list that you have to address a student about their behaviour or effort, you ask this student to write a ‘Future Behaviour Letter’. This letter does take a student time. Not pointless time as with punishment rules, but time spent sensibly on self-reflection and a contribution to a solution.

Each student can receive two ‘Tips’ during ‘Whole Class Teaching’ and two ‘Tips’ during ‘Working Independently’. If you combine the two lists, a student can receive a maximum of four Tips per period of eight lessons with this method of working without you having to impose a measure. Experience shows that only a single student collects four ‘Tips’ within a period. To limit the number of ‘Tips’ you give, try to give a maximum of one ‘Tip’ per student per lesson. This limitation puts a brake on escalation and ensures that you will not quickly ‘punish’ a student out of emotion with damage to the relationship. What to do if a student continues to be disruptive after a ‘Tip’?

If a student on either list exceeds the maximum of two ‘Tips’, you ask this student, without animosity, to write a ‘Future Behaviour Letter’ and to hand it in at a time of your choosing.

3.5 Preparation for lesson 3

After lesson 2, copy the ‘Tips’ that you wrote down in your ‘Tip Book’ onto the class list for ‘Whole Class Teaching’. Repeat this after each subsequent lesson.
Have a look at the page ‘Gestures‘.

3.6 Introduction ‘Gestures’ – lesson 3

In the third lesson, you increase the ‘buffer’. The larger the buffer, the less likely you are to have a ‘Future behaviour Letter’ written. Before you give a student the assignment to write a letter to you, first use gestures and then ‘Tips’.
On the ‘Gestures’ page you will find an explanation of the three series of gestures below and also other gestures, e.g. a gesture with which you ask the entire class for silence.

Image 95: three series of gestures

The third series of gestures: ‘Attention > start > thank you’ is used in two situations:

  1. During ‘Whole Class Teaching’ to encourage a student to participate in a class exercise that follows your explanation.
  2. During ‘Working Independently’ to encourage a student to start working on assignments.

From the third lesson of ‘Practice Period 1’, and in all periods thereafter, you take the first three steps of the ‘Ladder of Action‘  in the usual order: Gestures > Tips > Future Behaviour Letter.

These three steps – in that order – ensure that you usually address behaviour or commitment with simple, non-disruptive means without the need to interrupt the lesson and/or have a ‘Letter’ written.

Dare to count on the fact that using ‘Gestures’ and giving and registering ‘Tips’ will gradually become part of your regular teaching routines. The students will then be used to the fact that this is ‘how it works with you’.

3.7 Preparation for lessons 4 to 8

If, when transferring ‘Tips’ from your ‘Tip Book’ to the ‘Whole Class Teaching’ list, you notice that a student has already received two ‘Tips’ in this period, write the name of that student on the board before the start of the next lesson.

3.8 Lessons 4 to 8

From lesson 4 to 8, it is possible that a student has already collected two ‘Tips’ in lesson two and three of this practice period. If a student has received two ‘Tips’ in previous lessons, write the name of that student on the board. Wait for the student at the door. When a student whose name you have written on the board comes in, say to that student: “Pay attention this lesson, otherwise I will have to make you write a Letter”.

Whole Class Teaching

If you teach frontally and you have to address a student whose name is on the board about behavior or effort, then you immediately give this student the assignment to write a ‘Letter about future behavior’.

Working Independently

If you address a student about behaviour or commitment during ‘Working Independently’ who has already received two ‘Tips’ in previous lessons (you can see this on the list), then you do this by giving this student the assignment to write you a ‘Future behaviour Letter’.

If a student protests, you can say: “You can accept this assignment now, otherwise I will have to give you a bigger assignment.” See also: What to do if a student continues to be disruptive after a Letter?

4. An intern or colleague takes over a class from a teacher

  1. Interns or colleagues who independently take over a lesson from a teacher who does not work in the FFT manner are advised to follow the approach described above for lesson 1 the first time they teach a new class. If it is necessary for a student to write a ‘Letter’ to you, clearly indicate when the student must hand in this ‘Letter’. If possible, agree with the teacher in advance how to handle the handing in of the ‘Future Behaviour Letter’.
  2. Interns or colleagues who independently take over a lesson from a teacher who does work in the FFT manner can, after studying the various steps with which you address a student’s behaviour and commitment (Gestures > Tips > Letter), use the lists of the current teacher and note down the Tips they give during their lesson on those lists. Of course, after consultation with the teacher.

5. Interfaces Practice period 1 with existing educational practice

Interface 1: Teachers advise each other to start strict and then loosen the reins.

In Practice Period 1, you start with ‘Behaviour Management Strategies’. You start in the first lesson by having students write a ‘Future Behaviour Letter’ (if necessary). You then show that you can resolve a disruption in the lesson without this leading to escalation and discord. Immediately handing out a ‘Letter’ is comparable to starting strict. You start with the active ingredient of the ‘Ladder of Action’. For some groups, it will not be necessary to hand out a letter in the first lesson.
In the second and third lessons, you introduce the steps preceding the ‘Future behaviour Letter’ in reverse order (2nd lesson: giving a ‘Tip’; 3rd lesson Gestures > Tip). With these steps, you prevent students from having to write a letter often and you limit your own ability to take immediate action. From lesson 3, you have two steps before you have a student write a ‘Letter’. This prevents you from handing out the ‘Letter’ too often and the letter losing its power. It also prevents you from giving the assignment impulsively or out of anger.

Interface 2: In education, it is customary to warn twice. Then you take a measure.

In ‘Practice Period 1’, you start with ‘Behaviour Management Strategies’. From the second lesson, you give ‘Tips’ that you count and write down on lists. Two ‘Tips’ are ‘free’: they do not take a student any time. The third time it is necessary to address a student about behaviour or commitment, you ask that student to write you a ‘Future behaviour Letter’. In practice, it turns out that most students do not receive a ‘Tip’ from you, a number receive one ‘Tip’ and only a few students receive two ‘Tips’. Having a letter written is then an exception. See how often you will use the different steps of the ‘Ladder of Action’.

Before you move on to the next steps of ‘Practice period 2’ – working with the ‘abacus’ to record ‘Tips’ visible to the entire class – it is important that you have mastered the first five components of ‘Behaviour Management Strategies’.

6. Repeat method of working of ‘Practice period 1’

When is it advisable to repeat the method of working from ‘Practice period 1’?

  1. The ‘Ladder of Action’ starts with the three series of gestures (quiet, stop, start). Especially during ‘Working Independently’, you need these gestures to silently address students about their behaviour or commitment. As long as these three series of gestures still feel unfamiliar to you, postpone the start of ‘Practice period 2’ for a while.
  2. Giving Tips and administering Tips can be a bit unfamiliar at first. You will experience that this will gradually become more routine.

If you want to repeat the method of working ‘Practice period 1’, print out the lists for Tips again. At the start of the next period, it is no longer necessary to explain anything. You immediately start with the three steps of the ‘Ladder of Action’ in the usual order: Gestures > Tips > Letter. The fourth step is not mentioned in this image. The fourth step is necessary if a student does not hand in the letter to you. See ‘Action ladder’

Figure: repeat practice period 1

7. Starting Practice Period 2

When is it advisable to start with ‘Practice period 2’?

  1. You notice that you have mastered the first five components of ‘Behaviour Management Strategies’ and you notice that your students respond well.
  2. You must first give a student ‘Tips’ and only then can you have them write a ‘Future behaviour Letter’. That takes too long for you.

From ‘Practice period 2’ you can have the letter written earlier. This will give your ‘Tips’ even more weight, and therefore effect.

8. Credits

Michel Couzijn – Teacher trainer UvA

Michel indicated that the five perspectives of Friendly and Fair Teaching: Establishing a Friendly Tone , Establishing Fariness, Planning Lessons, Observing Learning, Behaviour management Strategies, form a coherent whole. In ‘Practice period 1’ all perspectives are discussed. That is why we can now rightly speak of the ‘methodology of FFT’.

Go to the introduction of the online tutorial