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I'm about to give you one of my biggest secrets.
It works like magic almost every single time.
This one technique can transform your your most disruptive, troubled, annoying students into models of cooperation, productivity and good behavior.
This technique is so beautiful that it's like fishing in a lake where the fish literally jump into your boat.
It's that easy. You'll see what I mean in a minute.
The technique is called "Walk and Talk."
As I’ve written before, the key to transforming problem students is finding a way to forge a real connection with them so that they can see a payoff for getting good grades.
Walk and Talk is one of the best ways to get closer to a student to make that connection.
I’ve also mentioned that all misbehavior from problem students is actually a secret message begging to be heard — and that the secret message can be boiled down to the following two words: "Reach me."
Well, Walk and Talk is how you can reach your problem students.
Okay, so what is Walk and Talk?
Walk and Talk is just that: spending time each week walking and talking with your students about anything at all.
I'm talking about spending 10 minutes twice a day, or five minutes three times a day. There is no hard and fast rule.
If you use Walk and Talk whenever you
can, the dividends will be huge.
You see, when students go on walks, they act differently than they would in a class situation. The dynamic is completely different. They open up and divulge more.
I cannot emphasize enough how valuable it is to listen to or talk with problem students without an audience to egg them on. You are no longer in an adversarial position, and the student has nothing to gain by acting out.
I suggest you don't talk about school during these walks. I also suggest you listen a lot more than you talk. Again, you don't necessarily have to talk about ANYthing. It's just walking and listening and talking about something that naturally might arise.
It's a walk without any agenda whatsoever.
Don't underestimate the power
of this simple technique!
If you're thinking, "Gee, this sounds okay, but I really don't see what the big deal is," well, I wouldn't blame you.
But let me tell you --- the sheer number of students I have turned around with this technique alone would surprise you.
To encourage you to try this technique, I have received permission from some of my readers to pass along their success stories with Walk and Talk. Here are a few of them:
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From: **** [mailto: ****@bellsouth.net
Sent: 22 August 2007 09:54
To: adhdsolution@gmail.com
Subject: RE: Walk and Talk success story
I deeply believe in the Walk and Talk strategy. I used it with all my students; however, I made sure that the students who needed it the most would be the first to use it. I called it "chat time.” Every day I would raffle the name of a person who would spend some private chat time with me. The kids loved the idea!
Dominique B., Lancaster, California |
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From: **** [mailto: ****@aol.com
Sent: 19 August 2007 11:34
To: adhdsolution@gmail.com
Subject: my walkntalk story
Tom, you wrote about taking walks and talking with your students and how this creates a different rapport between teacher and student. This truly does work! My students beg to walk with me. They open up and share what is in their hearts. It works like magic! Our relationship deepens and student behavior is positively affected.
Carolanne Z., St. Charles, Missouri |
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From: **** [mailto: ****@earthlink.net
Sent: 11 August 2007 02:33
To: adhdsolution@gmail.com
Subject: what happened with my student
During a reading pull-out session one of my well-behaved students suddenly verbally attacked me. I sent her out of the room for the rest of the session. The next morning, I asked her homeroom teacher if the student could help me do some simple tasks. We ended up walking around for about an hour. We did not talk about the previous day at all. I thanked her for her help. That afternoon, during reading pull-out, she apologized to me without any prompting.
I used many of your ideas in my classroom, but the ones about spending one-on-one time with your troubled students really helped me. I would ask one student to walk places with me and would give him special jobs so that he felt important.
At the beginning of the year he was flipping desks over because he did not get his way and was and throwing tantrums every day. At the end of the year, he was one of my best-behaved students. All he wanted was attention, and I taught him positive ways to get it instead of the negative ways he used to use.
He even wrote in his autobiography that he loved his teachers because we taught him he couldn't always get his way. For me, it doesn't get any better than that.
Shawna S., fifth grade teacher, Glen Dale, Maryland |
Those are just three of the dozens of success stories I have on file. If you want to read more of them, click here.
The point is, all these kids reversed their fortunes for the better because an open-minded teacher was willing to try a method that almost seems too simple (and easy) to be effective.
But we all know that sometimes the most profound truths are the simplest. This is one of them.
Give it a chance and I guarantee you'll be thrilled with the results.
Here's just some of what walking and talking
with your individual students will accomplish:
 It breaks a pattern. Your student has probably never
walked and talked with any of his teachers regularly
before, and this alone guarantees an improved
teacher-student dynamic.
Your student will unwittingly tell you how to hook him
into your class activities. He'll literally tell you
why he misbehaves. But be careful — do not overtly
TRY to glean info from your students during these
walks.
You are establishing an important connection between
you and the child. When you make a real connection
with a struggling student, you greatly diminish the
chance he'll end up someday in jail, unemployed, or
with any of the other problems that eventually plague
so many kids with challenges.
It will set a good example for other teachers to follow
and should impress your site administration.
You'll get more respect from others at your site. "Oh look,"
they'll be thinking, "there's Mr. Daly, and he's
walking and talking with the worst kid in school. He's
actually working with Jason. Hmmmm."
There are several important cautions to using "Walk and Talk." In my DVD, "7 Days to a Perfect Classroom," I outline several important precautions you should take before embarking on Walk and Talks.
 Note – the “7 Days to a Perfect Classroom” DVD is one of my recommended resources. The 80-minute DVD comes free when you order my book, How To Turn Any Disruptive Child Into Your Best Student.
To find out more about this resource, click here.
Here are some other helpful ideas you’ll
see on the DVD about using Walk and Talk:
How to enlist the support of others on campus during walks. Think about it -- your campus is filled with plenty of other trustworthy people and role models to help you in this task. I have a simple method for involving others that takes no extra time or effort on their part.
How to get permission to take your entire class off-campus on worthwhile Walk and Talks.
How you can still perform an individual Walk and Talk with the rest of your class in tow.
How to fit Walk and Talks into your busy schedule if you feel you have no time.
How to take advantage of any information you receive during Walk and Talks.
There it is — one of my best tools in creating a more peaceful, productive classroom!
Give it a try and watch yourself become one of those "impact" teachers that students and parents rave about.
More Case Studies of Teachers
Who Used Walk and Talk
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From: **** [mailto: ****@xxx.k12.us
Sent: 30 May 2007 10:34
To: adhdsolution@gmail.com
Subject: This worked!
Dear Tom,
Your book had a tremendous impact on both my sanity and a particular third-grade student. It was my first year teaching, and I was given a young man who would throw huge tantrums where he would lay on the floor screaming and yelling. Anything from a tear in his paper or getting the wrong answer could set him off.
I had tried everything in my knowledge to deal with the problem: behavior chart, positive reinforcement, intervention from the principal and counselor; I even timed with a stopwatch how long he could go without whining or throwing a fit. He worked to improve his time each day. Nothing was working and I was frustrated, so I ran across the book on the Internet. It seemed to have all the answers, but I was skeptical. I ordered it because I had reached the last straw. The first part I read was about walking and talking with the student, but not forcing them to talk. At first, he was not very responsive, but I continued to talk with him before and after school.
Eventually, he started to open up and I began to see a little boy who had already been through more than I could even imagine. As a mutual respect began to develop, he truly wanted to make my day better and I wanted to help this struggling student whom I had grown attached to. We are nearing the end of the school year and I am still spending extra time with this student, not out of desperation, but because I truly enjoy his company. Thanks for the help!
Suzanne Vaira, third-grade, Las Vegas, Nevada |
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From: **** [mailto: ****@xxxx@msn.com
Sent: 11 May 2007 07:44
To: adhdsolution@gmail.com
Subject: Please forward this to Tom
By walking with them and talking with my students I was able to achieve a much stronger relationship with them. Which, in turn, changed their classroom behavior dramatically. The one thing that I noticed was the students felt important and realized that I wanted them to do their best. I was able to communicate to them that I cared, and they let me know about what they needed to succeed in class.
Toni C., Denver, Colorado |
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From: **** [mailto: ****@xxxx@msn.com
Sent: 13 May 2007 03:03
To: adhdsolution@gmail.com
Subject: RE: method on your DVD
Taking the time to get to know my students personally by "walking and talking" — to the office, to run an errand or anywhere — is quality, one-on-one time with a student that is priceless and shows the student you care and gives the teacher valuable knowledge that can be utilized in lesson planning. The kicker — it takes just minutes but the benefits will last the whole year!
Daphne I., Mercerville, New Jersey |
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From: **** [mailto: ****@xxxx@msn.com
Sent: 11 April 2007 03:33
To: adhdsolution@gmail.com
Subject: RE: What I did with Joe...
I taught a student who was reading and writing at a second-grade level. He was in his second year of fifth grade. He was labeled learning disabled and was a very bright, smart kid, but didn't channel his intelligence in the ways other students did. His classroom teacher had no management, which was an opportune time for Joe to act up, and get others in trouble.
I used the Walk and Talk technique with him a lot and it was very effective. Also, I used the incentive survey with him and used it to develop behavior contracts with him. Thanks!
Jen C., Webster, New York |
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From: **** [mailto: ****@xxxx@msn.com
Sent: 01 May 2007 11:43
To: adhdsolution@gmail.com
Subject: on-task strategy
I used Walk and Talk with my hard-to-reach student. I was amazed how easy it was to catch up with him in line and ask him simple, non-school related questions. He was amazed that I was actually interested in his pets or shows he watched after school. It was quick, easy, painless and really paid off in the classroom. He knew I cared and gave more on-task behavior.
Stephanie, M., Hilliard, Ohio |
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More "Walk and Talk" Tips . . .
For additional information on using this strategy, see my recommended resource: 7 Days to a Perfect Classroom - the DVD
The "Walk and Talk" strategy is prominently featured in my book, How To Turn Any Disruptive Child Into Your Best Student.
If you order the book, you will receive a free 80-minute instructional DVD video as a bonus.
Click here Instructional DVD Special Offer
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Copyright © 2008 by Tom Daly / Smarty Pants Publications
All rights reserved |
