Jessie Said:

Interested in NYU or Columbia... have any advice?

We Answered:

First of all, both of these institutions are private...so there is no such thing as 'out-of-state' or 'in-state' tuition for them as all students are charged the same sticker price in tuition.

If you are hyping to score a scholarship to afford going to university then NYU is out of the question. They offer little to no financial aid to their students and their tuition is close to $50,000 per year. Add on top of that the cost of living in NYC. Columbia may be more likely to offer scholarships but i wouldn't get your hopes up too much. Even if you got a full-ride to Columbia the cost of living in NYC for four-years will cost you way more than going to an in-state public university for your degree. The only way students can afford to go to university in NYC is if mommy and daddy are footing the bill or they get themselves into an outrageous amount of student loan debt that will plague their lives for the next 10-20 years. Not worth it.

If money is an issue, apply to in-state public schools and private universities in cheap parts of the country, such as the Midwest and the South. You can move to NYC and EARN money there when you are done. Be smart...

Viola Said:

Frustration about teaching? I`m in despair... please help!?

We Answered:

The key to good classroom management is being firm, fair, and consistent. I recommend reading Tools for Teaching by Fred Jones. Develop a plan and stick with it. What has worked for me in the past is what I call my 4-step consequences.

First is a verbal warning. Say, for example, "John, please stop talking while I'm talking. This is your first consequence, a verbal warning. What will happen at your second consequence?" Wait for the appropriate response. Prompt them with the correct response if they do not know.

Second, I have a fix-it sheet. I have a single desk facing the wall, with a file folder stapled to the wall filled with these blank fix-it sheets. The student is to answer all questions on the sheet using complete sentences. What behavior caused you to have to fill out this fix-it sheet? What are three things you can do instead of this behavior? Can I do these things instead of the inappropriate behavior? They have 5 minutes to complete the sheet or the consequence will escalate to the next level. Students HATE the fix-it sheets since it makes them admit that they have done something wrong in writing. And now you have record of their misbehaviors to file for future reference, should you need to refer back to them for any reason.

Third, the student calls home to tell their parent that they have been in trouble three times in your class and that they will have to serve after school detention or lunch detention with you (whatever you prefer) and that if they misbehave again they will earn a referral. I keep a script stapled to the wall for students to read verbatim when they make the call. Include in your script that if the parent wants to speak with you, you are not available during class time, however you are happy to call the parent after school, or if the parent prefers, they can call you after school.

Fourth, is an office referral. At this point you will have administrative support for writing the referral, since you have had spoken with the child about the behavior and contacted a parent regarding the behavior.

Post you consequences on a bulletin board so it is easily seen by the students every day. Don't take any crap. If a student talks back, it's immediately up to the next level/consequence. If they make a rude comment, next level/consequence.

Reward students who are doing what they are supposed to be doing. I use sticky notes with a unique stamp on it. Every couple weeks, the students can trade in their sticky notes for pieces of candy, cute erasers or pencils, anything you can find cheap at the dollar store.

Remember...firm, fair, and consistent. I NEVER have to raise my voice in my classroom because my students know that I mean business. My students come to class prepared to impress me. They want to earn stick notes.

Find a plan that you are comfortable with and stick to it faithfully. My classroom management was not always like this. It took time, patience, and diligence to develop. Read, go to trainings and workshops and don't give up! :)