Chapter 20: The Independents

Think back to your years in middle school. Evaluate how effective the Independents would have been with a group of your teenage peers.

In my middle school years, I might have been one of the kids on Independent Island. I was a follower and struggled to follow rule number 2.  I was a constant talker when I wasn’t supposed to be. As I recall it wasn’t always social talking, I often was so excited to share what I was thinking or what we were learning. Before I realized it, I had others off task with talking as well.

The Independents is a group where the teacher wants to single out a group of students who may be souring the other students.  This group has gone through the scoreboard, practice cards, SIT, and the teacher is ready to employ the next level. This level takes a group of kids and turns their behaviors that were effecting the entire class, to only affecting their group. The teacher quietly alerts the group members that they have been put in their own group on the scoreboard and tells the class that they are no longer held back by the behaviors of a select group, it turns people in cliques against each other.

Any time a person in the group struggles, they all suffer the consequences. One breaks a rule, they have a white rule card pulled. Since no one wants to earn a practice card and take time from recess, they begin to speak up to the rule breakers. This shows the students that actions of one person in a group have negative consequences. This is a very important life lesson they need to learn.

After being in the group for a day, all they have to say is that they don’t want to be in the independent group anymore. The next day they are given the chance to change their behaviors. If their behaviors warrant further grouping they will go back into the Independents group.

This life lesson was something I learned myself. As an adult I shy away from the negative actions of others to create my own positive atmosphere. When sitting at a table of chatty people, I will ignore their behaviors and remove myself from the situation in order to show I do not tolerate others taking away from my learning. This is the same behaviors we teach our students when we follow this plan.

I hope in my classroom I don’t have to rise to this level, but I know if I need it, it is a level that puts more positive students behind the teacher and takes the audience and support from the most challenging students.