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Building Blocks for Inclusive Education GO

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Program Overview

The California Alternate Assessments (CAAs) for ELA and mathematics are part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System. The purpose of the CAAs is to measure what students know and can do. These measures help identify and address gaps in knowledge or skills early so students can receive the support they need.

The CAAs are aligned with alternate achievement standards-called the Core Content Connectors-and linked to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for ELA and mathematics.

The following links provide additional information about the program:

CAASPP - CalEdFacts web page provides a more detailed overview of the tests.

Assessment System Chart webpage lists the tests of the California Assessment System by subject, content, test name, test type, student participant groups, grade levels, and testing window timeframe.

California Assessment Timeline (PDF) California Assessment Timeline shows the test windows for each assessment throughout the year.

Resources and Communication Material
Talking to Parents About the CAA (PPTX; 15MB) Resources for Communicating with Parents CAA for ELA/Math Fact Sheet (PDF) Guidance for individualized education program (IEP) teams Alternate Assessment Decision Confirmation Worksheet (PDF) Accessibility Resources Prioritized ELA Connectors and Essential Understandings: Reading (DOC) Prioritized ELA Connectors and Essential Understandings: Writing (DOC) Prioritized Mathematics Connectors and Essential Understandings (DOC)
Test Administration
Test Administration Coordination Site Student Accessibility Resources Talking to Educators About the CAA (PPTX; 35MB)
Scores and Results Reporting
CAASPP Student Score Report Options
Test Results for California's Assessments Website - For directions on how to view results, go to Quick Reference Guides.

Laws, Regulations, and Requirements
California Education Code Section 60640 Federal Listening/Speaking Waiver (PDF) CAASPP Regulations The 1.0 Percent Threshold on Alternate Assessments
Technical Documents
CAA Blueprint for ELA (DOC) CAA Blueprint for Mathematics, revised November 2016 (DOC)
Questions: California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress Office | CalAlt@cde.ca.gov | 916-445-8765

Last Reviewed: Tuesday, October 10, 2023

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California Alternate Assessments for ELA and Math

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California's statewide alternate assessments for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

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COLLABORATING TO IMPROVE INCLUSIVE PRACTICES Amy Hanreddy and Caitlin Solone 2 TEACH LLC https://padlet.com/amy_hanreddy1/CCUSDInclusion BER Spring 2005 1 Co-Teaching 101:

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Program Overview

The California Alternate Assessments (CAAs) for ELA and mathematics are part of the California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress (CAASPP) System. The purpose of the CAAs is to measure what students know and can do. These measures help identify and address gaps in knowledge or skills early so students can receive the support they need.

The CAAs are aligned with alternate achievement standards-called the Core Content Connectors-and linked to the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for ELA and mathematics.

The following links provide additional information about the program:

CAASPP - CalEdFacts web page provides a more detailed overview of the tests.

Assessment System Chart webpage lists the tests of the California Assessment System by subject, content, test name, test type, student participant groups, grade levels, and testing window timeframe.

California Assessment Timeline (PDF) California Assessment Timeline shows the test windows for each assessment throughout the year.

Resources and Communication Material
Talking to Parents About the CAA (PPTX; 15MB) Resources for Communicating with Parents CAA for ELA/Math Fact Sheet (PDF) Guidance for individualized education program (IEP) teams Alternate Assessment Decision Confirmation Worksheet (PDF) Accessibility Resources Prioritized ELA Connectors and Essential Understandings: Reading (DOC) Prioritized ELA Connectors and Essential Understandings: Writing (DOC) Prioritized Mathematics Connectors and Essential Understandings (DOC)
Test Administration
Test Administration Coordination Site Student Accessibility Resources Talking to Educators About the CAA (PPTX; 35MB)
Scores and Results Reporting
CAASPP Student Score Report Options
Test Results for California's Assessments Website - For directions on how to view results, go to Quick Reference Guides.

Laws, Regulations, and Requirements
California Education Code Section 60640 Federal Listening/Speaking Waiver (PDF) CAASPP Regulations The 1.0 Percent Threshold on Alternate Assessments
Technical Documents
CAA Blueprint for ELA (DOC) CAA Blueprint for Mathematics, revised November 2016 (DOC)
Questions: California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress Office | CalAlt@cde.ca.gov | 916-445-8765

Last Reviewed: Tuesday, October 10, 2023

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California Alternate Assessments for ELA and Math

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California's statewide alternate assessments for English language arts/literacy (ELA) and mathematics for students with the most significant cognitive disabilities.

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The life of an educator is fast-paced! Sometimes it feels like just being able to catch your breath is challenging. Yet, we know that general and special education collaboration is key to quality inclusive education for students with disabilities, including students with significant cognitive disabilities. Figuring out how to balance these competing pressures is essential in today's schools.

How much time do you have?
Selecting any of the 5, 15, or 45 buttons will take you to the tool to get started!
What if you only have 5 minutes to collaborate with a colleague? What can be accomplished to plan inclusive instruction? What if you have 15 minutes? 45 minutes? Quality planning that leads to meaningful change for student instruction is possible. The TIES Center's 5-15-45 Tool guides teams to use the time that is available to consider the content, instructional strategies, and barriers to learning for all students in the general education classroom, including students with significant cognitive disabilities. The tool applies whether you are meeting virtually or in-person. Check it out!

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The life of an educator is fast-paced! Sometimes it feels like just being able to catch your breath is challenging. Yet, we know that general and special education collaboration is key to quality inclusive education for students with disabilities, including students with significant cognitive disabilities.

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CCUSD Reframing Disability Webinar Flyer  (1).pdf

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Strategic Participation in Online Class Meetings

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Strategic Participation in Online Class Meetings

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Strategic Participation in Online Classes for Students with SSN

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This site contains teacher created or collected resources to support access to general education instruction and activities for students with extensive support needs. All resources can be downloaded at the links below. Please download and further adapt them to meet your students' needs. Although folders may have grade levels listed, many standards cycle and resources may be useful across grade levels.

If you have resources you would like to share with the community or have questions about the content on this site, please send them to socalaccesscon@gmail.com.

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This site contains teacher created or collected resources to support access to general education instruction and activities for students with extensive support needs. All resources can be downloaded at the links below. Please download and further adapt them to meet your students' needs.

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Created by Massachusetts educators, this Guidebook includes tools for districts, schools, and educators that are aligned to the MA Educator Evaluation Framework and promote evidence-based best practices for inclusion following the principles of Universal Design for Learning, Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports, and Social and Emotional Learning. Read an introductory letter from the stakeholders .
Inclusive school communities honor the belief that education is for everyone. My fifth graders are brave, engaged, reflective members of our class who aspire to make a difference in their world. An inclusion model is the most dynamic and thorough way I know for a teacher to be an agent of positive social change.
Guidebook PD Planning Kit

Guidebook for Inclusive Practice

Massachusetts has a longstanding commitment to providing a high-quality public education to every child, regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, cultural background, sexual orientation, exposure to trauma, or disability status. There are persistent gaps in the quality of educational opportunities available to students in Massachusetts, however, and these gaps are a call to action. As the needs of our students become ever more diverse, the importance of fostering inclusive learning environments continues to grow.

Although commonly associated with special education and the federal mandate that students with disabilities be educated in the least restrictive environment to the maximum extent appropriate, an inclusive philosophy goes beyond the needs of students with disabilities to frame a system of accessible instruction and positive behavior supports that generates positive outcomes for all students. The emphasis on systemic implementation is important. Inclusion is not solely the job of any one educator or classroom-the successful creation of inclusive settings begins at the school and district levels, with superintendents and principals bearing as much responsibility for student success as educators and related service providers.

Inclusion is not necessarily a placement or a setting-it involves the implementation of systems and processes that allow all students to be educated within an educational community, the impact of which is significant. In Massachusetts, students with learning or communication disabilities who are educated, full-time, in general education settings are nearly five times more likely to graduate high school in four years or fewer than are similar students in substantially separate placements.

Inclusive practice refers to the instructional and behavioral strategies that improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for all students, with and without disabilities, in general education settings. To support inclusive practice, the tools of this Guidebook are based on the frameworks of Universal Design for Learning, Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports , and Social and Emotional Learning .

The Guidebook is broken into topical sections that promote best practices for inclusion through the Educator Evaluation Framework. Educators may wish to download specific sections in the Guidebook, depending on the job responsibilities, time of year, and other local considerations.

Foundations for Inclusive Practice: Online Courses for PDPs

These courses are one option for MA educators to meet the 15 PDPs license renewal requirement related to training in strategies for effective schooling for students with disabilities and instruction of students with diverse learning styles at no cost.

Content Overview - Foundations for Inclusive Practice

Use the links below to access the Foundations for Inclusive Practice course content without creating an account. These versions contain all of the course content, but do not record your work.

Important Note: The course versions below can not be used to get a PDP certificate. If you want to take a course for PDPs, please select the link above.

Guidebook Partners

Guidebook Partners Updates

In the spirit of continuous improvement, DESE partnered with a team of Massachusetts educators to conduct a comprehensive review of the Guidebook over the course of School Year 2015-16. Feedback from this group informed a range of revisions and additions to the tools.

Inclusive Practice and the Teacher Candidate

In collaboration with higher education faculty, the Department is pleased to offer a three-hour sample lesson sharing evidence-based best practices for inclusion designed to meet the needs of teacher candidates in all licensure areas. Access these resources at the Educator Preparation page.

² For a comprehensive analysis of special education in Massachusetts, see Reports by Dr. Thomas Hehir and Associates.

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massachusetts department of elementary and secondary education

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Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education

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The goal of the Massachusetts public K-12 education system is to prepare all students for success after high school. Massachusetts public school students are leading the nation in reading and math and are at the top internationally in reading, science, and math according to the national NAEP and international PISA assessments.

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Helping educators unlock the power of students who learn differently

One in 5 students in the United States have learning and attention issues. This includes those with identified specific learning disabilities, diagnosed ADHD, or related disorders that impact learning. Despite often having above average or average intelligence, the majority of these students are achieving below grade level. This equates to millions of students across the nation whose strengths and potential are going untapped.

This systematic failure has a devastating ripple effect. Individuals with learning and attention issues often face lifelong challenges, frustration, and failure as they are currently less likely to graduate high school, enroll in and complete college, and hold a job compared to their peers. Schools and districts will continuously seek goals for student achievement and development that are beyond reach if the learning needs of the "1 in 5" go unmet. And our workplaces, communities and greater society will lose out on valuable talent that hasn't been recognized nor nurtured.

At NCLD and Understood, we set out to unpack and address this problem. We partnered with teachers-often the most consistent touchpoint for students after their caregivers-to understand their experiences and insights. We rooted these experiences in rigorous research focused on general education classrooms, where the majority of the 1 in 5 spend most of their time.

Research shows that teachers can be successful with the 1 in 5. There is evidence of specific critical teacher mindsets and key practices that can improve outcomes and learning for students with learning and attention issues, and for all students.

But to truly move the needle on student achievement, teachers can't do it alone. Policy makers, teacher preparation leaders, district, network and school administrators, general educators, special educators and caregivers need to break the silos that are ultimately hindering student learning and development.
It will take all of us, working together, to create an education system that better prepares and supports teachers as professionals-so they can better support the 1 in 5 and all students.
Teacher Perspectives

More than 70% of children with learning disabilities and ADHD spend more than 80% of their day in general education classrooms, right alongside their peers without disabilities. Through 13 focus groups and a survey of 1,350 educators, we reached teachers who have different levels of experience, come from a variety of backgrounds, and have worked with different student populations. We captured what general education teachers currently know and believe about teaching students with identified disabilities and/or learning and attention issues. While many feel unprepared to teach the 1 in 5, many are committed to learning more and improving their abilities.

Research Findings
What works for the 1 in 5 can benefit all students.
A literature review of empirical studies, along with input from members of Understood's Educator Advisory Council, NCLD's Professional Advisory Board, and other experts, identified and captured:
Three critical mindsets appear to have a positive influence on the learning and development of the 1 in 5: Educators can implement eight key practices to improve achievement of the 1 in 5 in a general education classroom:
Take Action Now

General Educator. Special Educator. Principal. District Administrator. Teacher Prep Leader. State or Federal Policy Maker. Families and Caregivers. It's time for all of us to act.

There are shared commitments we can make and steps we can take no matter what role we play. Of course, there are also role-specific actions for leading your organization, schools, and classrooms to more effectively reaching and teaching 1 in 5 and all students.

For School Leaders

If you are a school leader who has read the Forward Together report and is ready to take the next steps in ensuring that your school is well-positioned to serve the 1 in 5, this Guide is for you. By addressing key topics related to establishing common beliefs, creating an inclusive culture, and implementing effective instructional practice, this Guide helps school leaders identify and enact key practices for effectively serving the 1 in 5, and all students.

Share the Report

Use the buttons below to share this report with others in your network.

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One in 5 students in the United States have learning and attention issues. This includes those with identified specific learning disabilities, diagnosed ADHD, or related disorders that impact learning. Despite often having above average or average intelligence, the majority of these students are achieving below grade level.

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Webinar: Distance Learning Guidelines for Students with Significant Support Needs

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Webinar: Distance Learning Guidelines for Students with Significant Support Needs

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Participation Survey: Distance Learning Guidelines for Students with Significant Support Needs

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Participation Survey: Distance Learning Guidelines for Students with Significant Support Needs

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Guidelines for Distance Learning for Students with Significant Support Needs Webinar Survey

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Padlet: Distance Learning for Students with Significant Support Needs

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Padlet: Distance Learning for Students with Significant Support Needs

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Uncommon Schools K-8 Remote Learning Site

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Uncommon Schools K-8 Remote Learning Site

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This site will serve as the hub for all elementary and middle school online remote learning information while our schools are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

We hope your loved ones are safe and well, despite these unprecedented and rather challenging circumstances. As always, together our Uncommon community shall overcome these challenges and, in the end, be better, stronger and even more united for it. We are grateful for our community of incredible families and educators for showing ongoing commitment to offering a robust remote learning experience for our students. Before our school closures, we provided students with student work packets that would enable them to remain academically engaged with content they had already learned. With school closures now extended, we are excited to launch a digitally-driven remote instructional model starting Monday, 3/30. Our goal is to ensure that students are actively engaging with their academics and continuing to learn new content so that we are all ready to hit the ground running when we are able to join back together as a community.

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This site will serve as the hub for all elementary and middle school online remote learning information while our schools are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak. We hope your loved ones are safe and well, despite these unprecedented and rather challenging circumstances.

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Integer War
Download a pdf file and save this game for later (FREE)
This is a great way to reinforce what an integer is and help the students to quickly realize how to solve and answer integer problems. Plus a integer game is a better way to reinforce the concept compared to using integer worksheets for kids. Most kids love to play cards. A standard deck of playing cards is a great resource for reinforcing integer concepts and operations playing variations on the classic card game "War".

Take out Jacks, Queens and Kings ( or ace=1, jack=11, queen=12, king=13, joker=0).

Clubs and Spades (black cards) represent positive numbers;

Diamonds and Hearts (red cards) represent negative numbers .

Multiple decks can be utilized at one time.

1. Divide cards into even piles for each player (2).

2. Each player turns over 1 card in their pile. The player with the higher (larger value) card wins both cards.
OR Each player turns over two cards and add or subtract their values (decide before the game begins).

3. Play continues until one player has all of the cards.

4. In case of a tie (same value) each player then turns over 2 cards. The 2nd card's value is used to determine the winner of the cards played.

NOTE: Can be played with more than 2 players
Variations:

1. Lowest value

2. Highest or lowest absolute values

3. Operations: As players turn over their card they must perform an operation with the 2 cards played (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division) as designated before the game begins. The first player calling out the correct answer wins the cards.

4. Each player turns over two cards and add, subtract, multiply or divide their values (decide before the game begins)

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Integer War Download a pdf file and save this game for later (FREE) This is a great way to reinforce what an integer is and help the students to quickly realize how to solve and answer integer problems. Plus a integer game is a better way to reinforce the concept compared to using integer worksheets...

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27 Formative Assessment Tools for Your Classroom

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In this post, you will find 27 Formative Assessment Tools for Your Classroom! Formative assessment is such an essential part of the learning process and student success, and many digital tools can help support this process.This list has a wide variety of features and options to help you solidify your formative assessment strategies! Many of the tools below are great for both formative and summative assessments.

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Making Distance Learning Accessible Survey

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Making Distance Learning Accessible Survey

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In the bilingual or dual language classroom, it is imperative to incorporate a variety of activities that respond to students' different learning modalities, varying language proficiency levels, and unique cultural backgrounds. Whether your day includes literacy, math, or bilingual centers, selecting activities that can be easily differentiated will ensure student engagement. To maximize student learning, your centers should include the following:

Multi-leveled or tiered activities
Students practice the same skill but the activity has different levels.
Using the Spanish EZread™Tap-A-Syllable Cards activity, all students practice segmenting words into syllable chunks; however, there are various levels of practice. On one side of the card, students name the picture and tap one box for each syllable while reading that syllable (which is printed below the box). On the other side of the card, students must identify the picture and then segment the pictured word into syllables while tapping out each syllable. Then they write the syllables in the boxes.

Using the Spanish Mixed-Up Syllables activity, all students will practice building multi-syllabic words; however, there are two levels of practice. On one side of the card, syllables needed to build the pictured word are printed at the top. Students match the syllable tiles to the printed syllables and then put them in the correct order. On the other side of the card, students must first identify the syllables needed to build the pictured word and then use the tiles to build it in the boxes below.

Playing with the Spanish Syllable Dice, all students practice reading and manipulating direct syllables; however, depending on student level, the game can be played in numerous ways. Students can simply build words using a small number of cubes, substitute syllables to transform words, or make a series of words using a large number of cubes.

Using the Spanish Syllable Puzzles, all students practice segmenting pictured words into syllables; however, there are two levels built into the activity. To practice isolating and hearing syllable chunks in words, students start on the picture side. They slide together the pieces to complete a picture, pronouncing each syllable as they proceed, and then flip over the pieces to reveal the letters and read the word. To practice building words, students start on the other side. They pronounce each syllable and put them in the order needed to make a word. They check their work by flipping over the pieces to see if the picture is complete. A correctly built word equals a complete picture.

Open-ended activities
Students complete the same activity but the end product will be different.
Students all respond to reading using graphic organizers; however, the book read, the graphic organizer, or the section of the graphic organizer assigned varies by student.

Free Choice: Put out three literacy centers and give students the opportunity to choose which to use.

Activities that involve different modalities
Students practice the same skills using different modalities.
Being aware of your students' cultural styles and strengths will help you determine which modalities to emphasize.

Sorting activities from the Essential Spanish Word Sorts Book engages kinesthetic learners. Students cut, paste, and move words to internalize spelling and sound patterns.

Reading, building, and writing high-frequency words help kinesthetic and visual learners internalize spelling patterns.

Small group Readers' Theater Folktales engage auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners. Practicing in small groups, students get time to prepare, strengthen their fluency and oral language skills, and deliver a performance.

What activities do you suggest that work well in a bilingual or dual language classroom?

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Differentiated Learning Centers in the Bilingual/Dual Language Classroom

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In the bilingual or dual language classroom, it is imperative to incorporate a variety of activities that respond to students' different learning modalities, varying language proficiency levels, and unique cultural backgrounds. Whether your day includes literacy, math, or bilingual centers, selecting activities that can be easily differentiated will ensure student engagement.

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ELA.L.11-12.4b

Common core State Standards

ELA: English Language Arts

L: Language Standards 6-12

11-12: 11th & 12th Grades

4b:
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and
phrases based on grades 11-12 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a
range of strategies.

a. Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a
wordâ\x80\x99s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word
or phrase.

b. Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different
meanings or parts of speech (e.g., conceive, conception, conceivable).

c. Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries,
glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation
of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, its
etymology, or its standard usage.

d. Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase
(e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

Download Common Core State Standards (PDF 1.2 MB)

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Thought starters

1. What scaffolds does Ms. Wessling put into place to get her students using new vocabulary?

2. Which words are best suited for paint chips?

3. How could you use paint chips in your classroom?

School Details

Johnston Senior High School
6501 Northwest 62nd Avenue
Johnston IA 50131

Data Provided By:

Teachers

English Language Arts / 10 11 12 / Teacher

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High School ELA teacher Sarah Brown Wessling uses paint chips to teach her students about related words. Sarah writes related words and synonyms on the different parts of the paint chips. Students read the paint chips and practice pronouncing the vocabulary words.

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How long could you sit crisscross-applesauce before you need to move? For me, the answer is: about 20 seconds max! Unless I'm deeply, deeply engaged in something, I will change positions multiple times or start to fidget. Even while watching something absolutely fascinating on TV, I may start by sitting with my legs folded underneath me, but before long my legs are stretched out on the coffee table. Then I'm lying on my right side and, finally, my left side. And that's all during an hour-long program.

In other words, I find it very difficult to stay completely still, even in a comfortable position. And I'm a long way from being a preschooler and among the most active segment of our population.

I've written before about the folly of requiring children to sit still in order to learn. But requiring them to sit crisscross-applesauce - cross-legged, with the back straight and hands in the lap - as is so often done during circle or story time, brings the issue to a whole new level.

I have no inkling when sitting like this became a "thing." The idea, of course, is that the children will pay greater attention to the task at hand. That they'll be more capable of listening. But wiggling and moving don't necessarily mean they're not listening. In fact, being required to sit like this may mean they pay even less attention, because crisscross-applesauce is a particularly challenging position. And that means it can require the majority of a child's concentration.

When sitting crisscross-applesauce became one of the major dictates of the early childhood setting, it gave the child who's incapable of complying one more chance to be seen as misbehaving. To break the rules. But I propose that we examine why such rules exist in the first place-rules that run contrary to what we know about children and, now, about fidgeting. If we understand that children are much more likely to be engaged when they're comfortable, why insist that they assume a position that perhaps isn't comfortable at all, often for long minutes at a time? Tradition is simply not a good enough reason.

So, what are the alternatives? Well, as pediatric occupational therapist Christy Isbell once said, in an interview for BAM Radio Network: "Who's to say we have to sit down to learn? Why can't we stand to learn? Why can't we lay on the floor on our tummies to learn? Why can't we sit in the rocking chair to learn? There are lots of other simple movement strategies. Just changing the position can make a big difference."

So, why not offer children options? One major benefit is that they can choose the one that best meets their needs. And because they're given that responsibility and choice, they will take the decision seriously, and there will be fewer actual behavioral issues. This is how self-regulation is acquired - not by being ordered to sit still.

Often, early childhood teachers argue that they must get children used to sitting because the children are going to have to sit in kindergarten and beyond. Unfortunately, it's true that until policymakers begin paying attention to the research and opt for an education system that aligns with how kids learn, children will have to become accustomed to sitting in school. But it's also true that most kids will eventually have to learn how to drive. That doesn't mean we should stick them behind the wheel while they're still preschoolers.

Learning to sit is a process that nature put in place. And that process involves movement, which allows children to develop their proprioceptive and vestibular systems, which allow children to be able to sit. Surely, we can't imagine that we can do better than what nature intended.

Here are some recommendations, in addition to offering children choice:

For circle time you might simply allow children to stand or walk as needed. When I'm doing a telephone interview or am on a business call, I walk from room to room because I think better when on my feet than on my seat.

You might allow children to engage in a quiet activity, like coloring, as you read a story. A teacher once approached me following a keynote to show me what she had drawn while listening to me speak. Despite having created a lovely drawing, it was evident she had indeed been listening to me.

For each of the above suggestions, you can and should designate a specified area within which the children are allowed to stand or color; and that area should be within the circle. If you're going to allow children to walk, designate a larger circle that will help prevent the other children from being distracted.

If a child is unable to sit still while you're reading a story or otherwise attempting to engage him, remember not to take it personally. Once you get to know each child as an individual, you'll be able to determine who might need a stress ball, for example, or to sit on a balance ball.

If you find yourself distracted by the children's movement, it's important to remember that, as adults, we should be better able to make adjustments to our thinking than young children are to behaviors that are beyond their control.

As far as crisscross-applesauce is concerned, the time has come to do away with this tradition. Honestly, there was never a time for it in the first place.
Movement is not misbehavior! For more ideas & activities that will prevent challenging behavior before it happens, check out Rae's latest book! Click here to learn more or to buy!

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Crisscross-Applesauce: It's Time to Move on From This Tradition - Rae Pica

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How long could you sit crisscross-applesauce before you need to move? For me, the answer is: about 20 seconds max! Unless I'm deeply, deeply engaged in something, I will change positions multiple times or start to fidget.

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Communication, Literacy, and Friendships Padlet

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Communication, Literacy, and Friendships Padlet

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Padlet for Including Students with Significant Support Needs

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Padlet for Including Students with Significant Support Needs

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Embedding Instruction into General Routines

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What to Do for the Most Challenging Students in Your Class

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What to Do for the Most Challenging Students in Your Class

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You've set up your classroom. You know your kids and curriculum. You have the basics down.

Everything is running smoothly, except...

There's one student who disrupts your class on a regular basis. One student who doesn't respond to the expectations of the classroom.

The whole situation may have you feeling frustrated and discouraged.

Stop right there.

The first thing you need to realize is that this is not about you.

As personal as some students can seem to make it, your first task is to change your own perspective. Children who misbehave or adolescents who act out are almost always expressing an emotion or a problem that's just beneath the surface. The key to improving their behavior is to figure out what function that action serves and then address the root of the problem.

So, where do you start?

Collect Data

Whether the behavior is calling out, fidgeting, fighting, being destructive, disrespectful speech, or refusal to work, you won't know whether the behavior is improving if you don't have a baseline for where it started. Depending on frequency, a few days of tallies and times may give you enough to move forward.
Be Observant

Note what happens before and after the student's behavior. Look for triggers and rewards. These could be environmental, situational, or behavioral.

Ask a trusted colleague to observe and tell you what they see.
Try Using Video to Gather Data

Watching a video of your class can be enlightening and allows you to see things you might miss in real time.
Examine the Context

Look for the ways you or others in the classroom may be escalating the student's reactions or reinforcing unwanted behaviors. Check out this chart for more specifics on gathering this type of information.

Consider the student's culture, family background, and school history.

If the student has an individualized education program (IEP), speak with your colleagues in special education before implementing any strategy.

Design A Plan Of Action

Once you understand the problem, meet with the student privately. Wait until you can do this calmly and without accusations.

Explain explicitly the behavior that you want to see, as well as the actions that are disruptive.

Emphasize that how the student behaves is his/her choice.

Along with the student, and if possible the parents, create a plan. Simple rewards and punishments may work with young children in the short term, but are seldom effective over time. Instead, consider what specific behavioral response needs to change and how best to instruct and encourage that change.

Prepare for failure and have a contingency plan that includes when and how to remove a child from a situation if needed. Similarly, plan for incremental success and what response would be most effective for encouraging further improvement. Keep your principal informed of all aspects of your program.

Remember that fair is not treating every student the same. Fair is meeting the needs of every child. How you deal with each child's behavior should be determined by what that child needs.

Children of Trauma

Much has been written about children of trauma, but here are a few blog posts to get you started and provide some background:

For students who have experienced mild trauma, empathy and consistency can go a long way. For those with severe traumatic experiences, three key factors are calm, routine, and forgiveness.

Use a calm, low-emotion tone of voice whether you are giving simple directions, explaining what a student did wrong, or praising him/her. Kids with a low arousal threshold do best with a neutral tone.

Establish a routine in your classroom with consistent expectations.

Alert students when the schedule or expectations are going to change.

Remember that you may have no way of personally understanding what that child has gone through. This may not change your experience in the moment the misbehavior is occurring, but it may help you say hello with a smile the next day.

Autism Spectrum Disorders

Although autism was once a low-incidence disability, its prevalence has risen dramatically over the years. Students with autism can have widely varying behavior, ability, and sensitivities. The scope of this blog post cannot encompass all you need to know. However, here are a few tips to get you started when interacting with autistic students:

Very simply, some issues associated with autism can be the result of sensory overload.

Permit your student to take breaks when needed.

Provide a schedule for the day. Lower functioning students or those unable to read may need a picture or object schedule. Students who can read will do well with a written schedule. Autistic students will often accept the unexpected as long as it is filled in on his or her schedule.
Resources
It's Not What They Will Do, It's What They Won't Do

At some point in your teaching career, you'll run into a student who refuses to work outright or who does little or nothing throughout the day. Students with ADD, autism, or depression and students of trauma can all fit into this category at times. But there are other students who experience none of these issues, but fail to participate or cooperate for other reasons.

After ruling out all of the possibilities above, as well as hunger and lack of sleep, I was at a loss for how to help one of my students. Finally, I found this blog post, which identifies motivation as a critical element in managing student behavior. Some students are primarily motivated to exercise power over what they do. My program for the student in my classroom became one that let him know that he had the choice to work or not to work, but if he chose not to participate or complete assignments, he also chose not to participate in anything fun until the tasks were completed. When he was ready to work, we welcomed him back.

Every student is unique and there's no one strategy that will work every time. Dealing with behavior issues can feel frustrating and isolating for teachers because they're varied, complex, and impacted by a number of social, psychological, and physiological factors.

Remember, you're not alone. And don't be afraid to reach out for support when you need it!

If you're looking for more resources on classroom management, check out Teaching Channel's Class Culture and New Teacher Survival Guide Deep Dives, and explore this blog post to find strategies that will work for you. You can also take a peek at the Back to School Starter Packs that are chock full of resources, including handy checklists to keep track of your progress.

What behavior challenges have you experienced in your classroom? What strategies have you found to be successful? Please share your experiences in the comments below.
____________________________________________________________ Margaret Shafer teaches third grade at Jefferson Elementary School in Morton Unit School District 709. She has a background in special education and is passionate about meeting the needs of all students. She volunteers and sometimes writes for Edutopia. Connect with Margaret on Twitter: @Mshafer3g.

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What to Do for the Most Challenging Students in Your Class

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You've set up your classroom. You know your kids and curriculum. You have the basics down. Everything is running smoothly, except... There's one student who disrupts your class on a regular basis. One student who doesn't respond to the expectations of the classroom. The whole situation may have you feeling frustrated and discouraged.

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Supporting students with challenging behavior

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Supporting students with challenging behavior

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In today's fast-paced world of quick meals before practices and quick breakfasts before the bus comes, there is not much room for children to ease into their school day, let alone think about what is happening!

In today's fast-paced world of quick meals before practices and quick breakfasts before the bus comes, there is not much room for children to ease into their school day, let alone think about what is happening!

As teachers, we must realize what our families and little ones or big ones are up against in this fast-paced world we live in.

That being said, we need to provide an environment in which kids feel safe, calm and can feel like they can be their best selves.

Pssst...Many teachers give their students morning work to complete, which is fine. However what I suggest doing, and have done over the years, is to give students a "soft landing" time. This ensures they're more motivated to learn and feel more positive throughout the day!

So here are a few tips that you can put into place immediately that will give your kiddos a relaxed, positive haven using techniques that will promote positive behavior management.

1. Morning Routines

As Students come into the classroom, greet them at the door to make them feel special.

In fact a student of mine actually told me that she loved when I greeted her at the door with a smile!

2. Provide a Soft Landing Time

Many teachers give their students morning work to complete, which is fine. However what I suggest doing, and have done over the years, is to give students a " soft landing " time.

During this time, the kiddos can:

Through my experiences, I have found that children who are given a choice integrated with their learning will take ownership of their learning, are more motivated to learn and feel more positive throughout the day!

3. Have a Morning Meeting

As soon as everyone is ready and all morning jobs are completed, hold a morning meeting where all students join you on the rug in a circle and classmates greet each other in different ways.

A Morning Meeting consists of a Greeting, quick Game, Sharing Time and a Class Message, which all provide a positive way to start the day and encourage positive classroom behavior.

4. Add Brain Breaks

Your little learners or older learners have been working for a while...you notice some children are losing their focus... and now the kids are literally just chatting about anything and everything... time for a brain break!

5. Role Model and Practice Expected Behaviors

pencils

scissors

glue

crayons

pictures of recess equipment

book bags

images of classroom routines

She might additionally use other items that might need to be used in school.

Once the item is discovered, Mrs. Gretchen models the appropriate use of the tool or routine.

She then asks questions about the item. So...if a crayon is in the box, she might ask, "When do we use crayons, where do we use them, do we use them on the tables, on the walls etc.?"

6. Use Empowering Language to support Behaviors

This encourages the student to take ownership of the action. "Hmmm," you might be saying, "sounds difficult...". Not at all. It is simply using words and phrases like:

"Johnny, show me a way to come onto the rug safely!"

"Julia, I notice you are having trouble focusing. What might be something you can do to make sure you are paying attention?"

"Brett, What kind of voice do we use during private work time? Can I hear what that sounds like?"

All of these phrases promote a more positive way to encourage better choices in your classroom and also support your students to make better choices.

These are clouds with empowering positive phrases written on each cloud that I hang in my classroom as a reminder of appropriate language to use to support positive choices

7. Have an End of Day Meeting

An End of Day Meeting simply takes a few minutes-or longer, if you choose to make it longer depending on your class size. Here's how it works.

As each child shares their to leave on a high note - not to mention s omething they enjoyed about school, it validates their feelings and allows each child how much you will learn about your students!

If used consistently...you will see a more positive classroom culture, which will support better behavior choices!!

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Classroom Management: 7 Actions to Build Positive Behavior in your Class

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In today's fast-paced world of quick meals before practices and quick breakfasts before the bus comes, there is not much room for children to ease into their school day, let alone think about what is happening!

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by Mark Boynton and Christine Boynton

We all want to feel cared for and valued by the significant people in our world. Students are no different. This knowledge is a powerful tool in the arsenal available to you as you form your classroom discipline plan. As a classroom teacher, you wield a great deal of power over your students simply due to the fact that you control their destiny for up to six and a half hours each day, five days a week. When students feel that you value and care for them as individuals, they are more willing to comply with your wishes.

Think about it for just a minute. Aren't you more apt to go out of your way to please a boss who you feel values you as an individual and treats you with dignity and respect, rather than a boss who communicates a lack of respect for you? When your boss asks about your family, gives you "slack" when there is a personal emergency, or praises you for work well done, don't you develop feelings of regard for this boss and want to do your best to please him or her? Students have the same feelings. So it makes sense that developing positive teacher-student relations is one of the most effective steps you can take to establish a positive discipline climate in the classroom. It's critical to remember that when you treat students with respect, they tend to appreciate and like you. When they appreciate and like you, they are more willing to want to please you-which causes them to be more likely to behave appropriately. This is why it is so important to remember that, when it comes to student behavior, it's far more often the relationship students have with you than it is the rules themselves that encourages students to follow those rules.

A review of the research shows that authors have a lot to say about positive relationships with students. Thompson (1998) says, "The most powerful weapon available to secondary teachers who want to foster a favorable learning climate is a positive relationship with our students" (p. 6). Canter and Canter (1997) make the statement that we all can recall classes in which we did not try very hard because we didn't like our teachers. This should remind us how important it is to have strong, positive relationships with our students. Kohn (1996) goes a step further, saying, "Children are more likely to be respectful when important adults in their lives respect them. They are more likely to care about others if they know they are cared about" (p. 111). Marzano (2003) states that students will resist rules and procedures along with the consequent disciplinary actions if the foundation of a good relationship is lacking. He goes on to assert that relationships are perhaps more important at the elementary and junior high levels than at the high school level. And according to Zehm and Kottler (1993), students will never trust us or open themselves up to hear what we have to say unless they sense that we value and respect them.

As we showed in Figure S1, strategies to develop positive teacher-student relations should be the largest portion of your discipline plan. What are some strategies that you can implement to develop strong and powerful relationships with your students? Let's look at some techniques that are easy to integrate into your everyday interactions with students: communicating positive expectations, correcting students in a constructive way, developing positive classroom pride, demonstrating caring, and preventing and reducing your own frustration and stress.

Communicating Positive Expectations

Research on teacher expectations and student achievement has shown that expectations have a dramatic impact on student academic performance (Kerman, Kimball, & Martin, 1980). Student behavioral performance is also dependent to a large degree on the expectations of significant adults in students' lives. Numerous studies indicate that the expectations teachers have for students tend to become self-fulfilling prophesies. It is therefore critically important for educators to monitor their interactions with the goal of communicating appropriately high behavioral and academic expectations to all students, not just to high achievers.

There are several techniques that can be used to achieve this goal. Monitor the way you call on students. Make sure that you give all students chances to participate in class. Try to increase the amount of time you wait between asking a student a question and moving on by either answering the question yourself or calling on another student. Give students hints and clues to help them succeed in class. Tell students directly that you believe that they have the ability to do well. Your belief in them will inspire their success.

Let's look at some of these techniques for communicating high expectations in more detail and discuss ways to implement these techniques in your classroom.

Call on All Students Equitably

When you call on students, there are several things to keep in mind. First of all, you must monitor the equitability of response opportunities. Often, teachers who keep track discover that they call on a small number of students frequently and allow few, if any, chances for students for whom they have low expectations to answer. When you fail to recognize particular students, you can communicate a low level of confidence in their abilities. Individual students may "tune out" and believe that you don't expect they will be able to answer your questions. This message is compounded when these students see others being called on regularly.

Think about what it would communicate to you if your boss always asked other teachers to participate in committee work or special projects instead of you. And how would you feel if the boss continually came to you for help on curriculum projects or input on difficult students? Just as we do, students develop feelings of self-confidence in their abilities when their teacher goes to them for the right answer. In addition, calling on all the students in your class-rather than a select few-will help keep students on task and decrease the number of behavior problems.

It is important that you monitor yourself to be certain that you are providing all of your students with response opportunities. Putting a check by the name of each student you call on during class discussions is an excellent way to quickly determine whether you are being equitable. Also, you should monitor yourself to make certain you are not calling exclusively on your high-achieving students but also on students who have a pattern of not performing well.

Keeping a simple checklist on a clipboard during classroom discussions is a great strategy you can easily implement. Figure 1.1 is an example of such a checklist. In this example, you can see that Donna and Sam are getting the majority of the response opportunities. This could be because the teacher has confidence in these students, knows that calling on them will keep the discussion moving, and wants the other students to hear the correct answers. However, it also could lead the other students to think that the teacher doesn't have confidence in them and doesn't expect them to participate, and it increases the likelihood that they will get off task. If you were the teacher, you would want to be sure that before the end of the discussion you called on all your students so as to make the discussion more equitable.

Try to make an effort to call on students who have typically been off task or who have been achieving at a low level, allowing them to respond and participate in class, and watch what happens. Over time, you will notice that these students will remain on task more often and improve academically! This change does not occur immediately, but it definitely does occur and is extremely gratifying to see.

Increase Latency Periods When Questioning Students

Increasing latency (Kerman et al., 1980) is another technique you can use to communicate that you have positive expectations for a student. Latency is the amount of time that elapses between the moment you give a student a response opportunity and the moment you terminate the response opportunity. Kerman and colleagues (1980) explain that the amount of time we give to students to answer questions is directly related to the level of expectation we have for them. We give more time to students when we have confidence in their ability to answer a question. Conversely, we give less time to students in whom we have little confidence. When you quickly give up on a student who is struggling with a response, it is clear to everyone in the classroom that you don't expect him or her to come up with the right answer. In addition, when you give up on a student who initially struggles with a response, the student realizes that all he or she needs to do to "get off the hook" is respond to your question with a confused expression or blank stare. What you will find when you make a conscious effort to extend the length of latency you allow for low-achieving students is that these students will begin to pay more attention, become more actively involved in discussions, and minimize their behavior issues. One thing you can do is ask a teaching peer to observe your instruction and chart the length of the latency periods you are giving each student from the time you ask the question until you move on to another student. It is especially interesting to find out which students get longer latency periods from you. Figure 1.2 shows an example of a latency chart.

In analyzing the chart, it is easy to see that Donna and Mary are consistently given more latency and, therefore, more chances to give a correct response than are the other students. If this were your classroom, you could try to make sure that in future discussions and question-and-answer periods you give longer latency periods to other students as well before moving on.

Give Hints and Clues to Help Students Answer Questions

You also communicate positive expectations by giving hints and clues to your students. In their work on teacher expectations, Kerman and colleagues (1980) point out that teachers usually do more "delving and rephrasing" for students for whom they have high expectations and less for students for whom they have low expectations. It is important that we communicate to all our students that we have high expectations for their success, and one way to do this is by giving more hints and clues to all students, especially the low-performing students.

Think about a reading lesson in which a student struggles to sound out a word. After waiting for an appropriate latency period, the teacher might prompt, "It sounds like 'cat.'" In a secondary classroom, a teacher could ask, "What were the three causes of the War of 1812?" After the latency period, the teacher might say, "Think about what we learned regarding the British treatment of U.S. sailors."

There are things to be cautious about when using this technique. If you provide too many hints and clues, you may actually give the student the answer. Also, after a number of hints, it may be that the only student who doesn't know the answer is the one being called on, which ends up being an embarrassing experience. The important point, however, is to use hints and clues with all students to communicate that you have high expectations for the entire class. This helps build positive teacher-student relations.

Tell Students They Have the Ability to Do Well

Another way to communicate positive expectations to students is by directly telling them they have the ability to do well. When you tell your students you have confidence that they can handle a difficult assignment or improve their behavior, you impart a very powerful message. Students often will work hard and behave appropriately to prove that your confidence in them is justified. Every child needs to have at least one significant adult in his or her life who believes that he or she can do well. Ideally, children would hear this from their parents, but the sad truth is that is not always the case. Teachers have the unique opportunity and privilege to communicate daily to a number of students that they believe in them. What a gift to be able to be that significant adult in even one student's life.

Using this strategy might lead a teacher to say this to a student: "Emma, I know you'll do your best on this math test. You've been working very hard on remembering to write down your thinking as you solve math problems, and I know you can transfer that skill to this test. I'll check back with you later." This approach can be modified for any grade level or subject area. Once again, this is a positive relations strategy as well as an instructional strategy.

You can also let students know that you have positive expectations for them by referring to past successes (Kerman et al., 1980). When you tell a student that you know he will behave appropriately at recess because he was successful yesterday, you help build confidence in the student and increase his chance for success. And after a student demonstrates good behavior or academic achievement in a specific situation, telling her you knew she would be successful (Kerman et al., 1980) also instills confidence and a culture of positive expectations. Students need to know that their teachers respect them and have confidence in them. Using these different strategies to consistently communicate your positive expectations will work wonders. We challenge you to begin using one or two of these strategies today to build high expectations and positive teacher-student relations.

Correcting Students in a Constructive Way

Correcting and disciplining students for inappropriate behaviors is a necessary and important part of every teacher's job. However, it doesn't have to be a negative part of your job. In fact, you can actually build positive relationships when you correct students. If you don't believe this, think for just a minute about students you have had in the past who came back to school to visit you. Often it is the students who were the most challenging and with whom you had to spend the most time who continue to visit you over the years. This is due to the positive relationships you developed with them.

The goal in correcting students should be to have them reflect on what they did, be sorry that they disappointed you, and make a better choice in the future. It should not be that they go away thinking, "I hate my teacher. I'm going to be sure I don't get caught next time." The difference in students' reactions to being disciplined is often related to the manner in which you correct them. If you allow students to keep their dignity, you increase the chance that they will reflect on their behavior and choose their behaviors more wisely in the future. The correction process will be counterproductive if students are corrected in a manner that communicates bitterness, sarcasm, low expectations, or disgust. The goal is to provide a quick, fair, and meaningful consequence while at the same time communicating that you care for and respect the student.

Figure 1.3 outlines steps to be taken when correcting or disciplining a student.

Figure 1.3. Steps to Use When Correcting Students

1. Review what happened

2. Identify and accept the student's feelings

3. Review alternative actions

4. Explain the building policy as it applies to the situation

5. Let the student know that all students are treated the same

6. Invoke an immediate and meaningful consequence

7. Let the student know you are disappointed that you have to invoke a consequence to his or her action

8. Communicate an expectation that the student will do better in the future

Imagine that Johnny hit Sam because Sam called his mother a name. This is how you could put these disciplinary steps in place:

1. Review what happened. Discuss the incident with Johnny. Begin with fact finding to be sure that you are appropriately correcting the student. The worst way to affect teacher-student relationships is to unfairly discipline a student.

2. Identify and accept the student's feelings. Tell Johnny that you understand why it upset him to hear somebody call his mother a name and that you, too, would be upset if someone maligned your mother. It's important to understand that this step communicates that you respect and understand his feelings but that you are not accepting his actions.

3. Review alternative actions. Go over with Johnny the different actions he could have taken, such as ignoring the remark or reporting it to a teacher.

4. Explain the building policy as it applies to the situation. Remind Johnny of the building policy of not fighting and that the rule is if anyone hits another student, he or she will be sent to the office and possibly be suspended from school.

5. Let the student know that all students are treated the same. Make sure that Johnny understands that all students must adhere to the policy and that any student who disregards the rule will suffer the consequences.

6. Invoke an immediate and meaningful consequence. Communicate with the office about what happened and send Johnny to the office.

7. Let the student know you are disappointed that you have to invoke a consequence to his or her action. Tell Johnny that you are disappointed that his actions have led to this situation.

8. Communicate an expectation that the student will do better in the future. Remind Johnny that, although you do not approve of his actions and do not like to send him or any student to the office, you like him and know that he will make a better choice next time. Also tell him that you are there to support him and work through these issues with him in the future.

In addition to your following these steps when correcting a student, it is important to keep some key philosophical precepts in mind. First of all, remember to correct the student in a private location. Although it is not always possible to remove a student from the classroom, do your best to prevent visual access by other students as you discipline. Public correction can foster feelings of anger, embarrassment, and bitterness; it can also become a sideshow for the other students. Also, when invoking a consequence, you should ask yourself, "How would I want my own children disciplined in a similar situation?" Answering this question will help you treat the student with care and respect. Finally, remember to stay calm and avoid frustration. The worst thing you can do is to invoke a consequence when you are angry or upset, as this can lead to regrettable actions on your part. If necessary, give yourself a "cooling-off period" before intervening with the student. Figure 1.4 reviews the key philosophical considerations for correcting students.

Figure 1.4. Key Philosophical Precepts When Correcting Students

Correct in a private location

Treat students as you want your own children treated

Stay calm

Avoid frustration

It is also important to follow certain steps after disciplining a student. These steps are shown in Figure 1.5.

Figure 1.5. Steps to Follow After Disciplining a Student

1. Touch base with the student

2. Acknowledge postdisciplinary successes

3. Don't give up too quickly

Let's go back to the example of Johnny, in which he earned an office referral because he hit Sam. Here are some actions you could take:

1. Touch base with the student. Follow up with Johnny after the consequence, checking to see how he's doing and simply making contact with him.

2. Acknowledge postdisciplinary successes. The next time Johnny has difficulty with a student and handles the situation more appropriately, such as by verbalizing his displeasure rather than using his fists, be sure to acknowledge his behavior and praise him for making the right choice.

3. Don't give up too quickly. Finally, don't forget that some students respond negatively to positive attention. In such cases, it may appear that the student doesn't want the positive attention. What may actually be happening is a gradual change in the student's self-concept. When students are used to getting into trouble and having negative attention, it takes a while to break this cycle. Often it is just a matter of time before the student starts to show the positive effects of this attention, so don't give up!

Developing Positive Classroom Pride

If applied effectively, pride can be an extremely powerful force in developing positive teacher-student relationships (Kerman et al., 1980). In many classrooms, students are proud of the fact that they are behaving and achieving at a high level. In other classrooms, a different type of pride develops when students see themselves as being the worst they can be. The pride students develop helps shape identities that in turn drive their behaviors. When you recognize student successes, there is a decreased likelihood of fostering negative pride and an increased likelihood of developing positive pride. As a classroom teacher, your goal should be to help students take pride in their accomplishments and positive behaviors rather than in their negative behaviors. Figure 1.6 lists some strategies that will help you attain this important goal.

Figure 1.6. Strategies to Develop Positive Classroom Pride

Display student work

Positively reinforce students verbally

Show off the class's achievements

Speak to the accomplishments of all your students

Be sincere in your pride in your students

Look for opportunities for students to be proud in all areas

Develop parental pride in student accomplishments

Develop pride in improvement in addition to pride in excellence

Displaying student work is a good way to let students know that you value the work they do and that you take pride in their work products. The displayed work does not have to be perfect and should show a significant cross section of the students you have in your class. Putting the work of students who have a history of low achievement up on a bulletin board often helps to build their self-esteem and pride and encourages them to do better work in the future. Exhibiting the work throughout the building in hallways, in the office, and in other public areas can do a great deal to develop positive levels of student pride. The impact becomes even more powerful when you let the class know that you want others to see the great work they are doing. An example of this would be to display all your students' science projects in the library and telling your class, "You all did a great job on your science projects, including stating your problem and hypothesis, clearly writing out the steps you took, and then drawing conclusions. I am so proud of all of you that I wanted the whole school to see your exemplary work. That's why I put all the projects on display in the library."

Positively reinforce students verbally on a regular basis. Tell your students when you are pleased by their behavior. Let them know that you're not surprised when they grasp a difficult concept. This is a powerful way of developing positive pride.

Publicly asking other staff members to enter the classroom so that they can see a specific accomplishment of your class, such as the way they respond to your instructions, is an example of showing off the class's achievements. However, be careful to speak to the accomplishments of all the students when you use this strategy rather than to the accomplishments of just the top students, or the strategy could backfire on you.

There are numerous opportunities to develop pride in all areas, such as by publicly recognizing high test scores, acts of kindness, positive citizenship, and athletic accomplishments. You can also extend the pride taken in the class by developing parental pride in student accomplishments. Provide opportunities for parents to review student work in newsletters, during back-to-school events, and at parent conferences. Let parents know about high attendance rates, high test scores, and the percentage of homework or assignments completed. In this way, you are enlisting parents to be your partners in fostering this powerful positive relationship tool.

Remember that pride does not always have to involve only excellence. Pride in improvement is an important type of pride to nurture. Test scores and daily assignments that go from a D to a C and homework that starts coming in on time are examples of great opportunities for you to recognize student success and build pride.

When Kelley, a new teacher, took over a 6th grade class at a large elementary school in January, he used a combination of these approaches to build pride in the students. The class had already "gotten rid of" two other teachers, and they were proud of being the "baddest" class in the school. Besides teaching clearly defined parameters for appropriate behaviors and strong consequences for negative behaviors, Kelley gradually worked at building positive pride with the class. While practicing walking in the hallways and transitioning between activities appropriately with the class, he would invite the principal or other teachers in and say, "I just wanted you to see what a great job my class is doing and how proud I am of the respectful and quiet way they are walking in the halls." After working with the students on how he wanted them to respond when he gave his signal, he would again invite other staff into the room and say, "Look at how quickly and quietly my class responds to my signal. They have really improved. Aren't they great?" In addition, he would tell the students on a regular basis that he couldn't wait to get to school each day because it was so much fun working with them and because he was so proud of their improved behaviors and academics. This continued focus on building positive classroom pride gradually changed the pride the class had in their negative behaviors to pride in their new culture of positive behaviors.

These are just some of the ways you can work to develop student pride individually and collectively. This in turn will help you build positive relationships with your students. A key element of Kelley's success was that he was sincere in his proclamations of pride in his students. Children are intuitive regarding sincerity, and insincere comments will quickly backfire.

One caution for secondary teachers concerning pride involves a distinction between the manner in which you foster pride for different grade levels of students. What works for elementary and middle school students is not necessarily appropriate at the high school level. Sprick (1985) points out that it's more effective to use calm, quiet statements with secondary students than emotional praise, as they get embarrassed and don't like to be singled out from their peers. We believe you can and should instill positive pride with secondary students, but a more private method may be more effective.

Demonstrating Caring

Demonstrating caring is one of the most powerful ways to build positive relationships with your students (Kerman et al., 1980). When your actions and words communicate that you sincerely care for your students, they are more likely to want to perform well for you and enjoy coming to school. Caring also fosters a preventive approach to discipline, as students who feel cared for are more likely to want to please you by complying with your wishes and policies. It is a tragedy when a student mistakenly believes that his teacher does not care for or like him. In most cases, teachers do care but fail to do the things that directly communicate this valuable message. Figure 1.7 lists some strategies to communicate to your students that you care about them.

Figure 1.7. Strategies to Show You Care

Show an interest in your students' personal lives

Greet the students by the front door as they enter the classroom

Watch for and touch base with students who display strong emotion

Sincerely listen to students

Empathize with students

Inquiring about aspects of students' personal lives is a powerful way to communicate that the students are important and cared for. You can do this by asking about a recent trip, a hobby, or a sports activity. Some teachers make it a point to watch sporting events that their students are involved in, which is a wonderful way to show students you care about them beyond the classroom walls. The caution with this approach is to be as equitable as possible so that there is not a perception that you have "favorites." A proactive way to do this is to have students write a journal at the beginning of the year in which they list what they did during their vacation, what pets they have, what sports they enjoy, and what hobbies they have. With this information, you can look for opportunities to ask questions or make comments to individual students using these facts. You might say to one student, "Susie, I read that you have a cocker spaniel. I have one, too. Does your dog know any tricks?"

Standing by the door and welcoming students as they enter the classroom is a quick and easy way to show students they are important and that you are glad to see them. This procedure also helps you start the day with personal contact with each and every student. This is a procedure Wong and Wong (1998) advocate as a way to begin the day and the school year on a positive note.

When you see students display strong emotions (e.g., when they are happy, excited, or angry), you have an opportunity to build positive relationships by asking how they are doing and what is going on with them. Statements such as, "Are you all right?" and "Can I help with anything?" let students know they are cared for, valued, and noticed.

Listening intently and sincerely to students is a powerful way to communicate how much you care. Maintaining eye contact and paraphrasing helps students realize that you have heard them.

In addition, when you empathize with students, they understand that they are recognized and valued. This does not mean that you have to agree with all their actions, but that you let them know that you recognize the emotions behind their actions. You can communicate empathy by telling students that even though it's wrong to hit someone, for instance, you understand the emotions behind an incident.

These are just a few ways that you can demonstrate to your students that you care about them. As indicated earlier, you must never forget the power of caring. The bottom line is that caring helps build strong positive relationships that in turn help prevent discipline problems in the future.

Preventing and Reducing Frustration and Stress

Frustration and stress, which are inevitable in the teaching profession, are the great enemies of our best intentions. Zehm and Kottler (1993) list some external causes of stress for teachers as difficult students, irate parents, and collegial backbiting. Frustration can have a devastating effect on teacher-student relationships, as it tends to cause educators to make irrational decisions. Usually you know when you are becoming frustrated and can quickly identify the signs and symptoms. As an educator, the question is not if you will become frustrated or stressed but when you will and how you will deal with it.

Signs of frustration or stress can include nervousness, anxiety, shortness of breath, and a tendency to make irrational decisions. First, you should be able to recognize your own personal signs that frustration or stress is building so that you can de-escalate them. You should then have a plan that will help you prevent or reduce frustration when it occurs. Your frustration prevention or reduction techniques will be unique and personal to you; what works for one teacher might not necessarily be effective for you. Figure 1.8 shows some typical frustration and stress prevention or reduction techniques that you can implement.

Figure 1.8. Frustration and Stress Prevention/Reduction Techniques

Play soft, relaxing music

Display posters of peaceful destinations

Modify your lesson plans

Take your students for a walk

Ask a neighboring teacher to take a difficult student for a period of time

Assign your students independent reading time

Clear off your desk

Find a validating colleague

Share staff duties

Share frustration strategies

Playing soft, relaxing music when feelings of frustration are approaching can have a beneficial effect for both you and your students. Some teachers proactively play soft music during independent study time.

Displaying posters throughout the classroom of attractive destinations can help keep you calm. You might put up pictures of beautiful beaches, snowy mountains, green valleys, ski resorts, or tropical islands to give yourself-and your students-opportunities for mini mental vacations.

Most teachers have certain lessons they truly enjoy teaching. When feelings of frustration or stress are approaching, try modifying your lesson plans and teaching a lesson that not only meets the student learning goals but also brings you pleasure.

Sometimes just taking a short walk around the school can be relaxing and can head off feelings of stress or frustration. This can also help students relieve pent-up energy. For instance, there may even be a way to integrate the walk into your current curriculum by turning it into a nature walk or a service project (e.g., picking up litter).

Difficult students can be a major cause of frustration. Allow yourself to ask for help by asking a neighboring teacher to take a difficult student for a short time. This strategy is one that you should set up ahead of time, making certain that your colleague is agreeable to this arrangement. Offering to do the same for the other teacher is a good way to begin using this strategy.

Strategically assigning independent reading time to students is another way to calm the classroom down and provide you with a break when frustration raises its ugly head.

For some teachers, one source of stress or frustration is a messy desk, submerged in various unfinished tasks. If you are one of these teachers, an easy way to decrease frustration is to clear off your desk and take time to organize your work area.

Frustration and stress often disappear when a supervisor or peer lets you know they value and appreciate your work. Knowing which colleagues you should visit to help validate your work is another technique to use in lowering levels of frustration and stress. Sharing staff duties can help too, as frustration and stress often occur when a teacher feels overwhelmed and behind. You should let your colleagues know you are willing to cover some of their duties and also let them do the same for you. Also, sharing other ideas with teachers on frustration- and stress-reducing techniques is a way to increase your repertoire of strategies.

Zehm and Kottler (1993) mention additional stress- and frustration-reduction strategies, such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle with good sleeping patterns, free of alcohol and drugs. They also advocate continued training and professional growth tasks, such as varying teaching assignments, taking a sabbatical, having a faculty exchange, engaging in team teaching, supervising a student teacher, going back to school, conducting field trips, leading research projects, writing grants, and instigating technology projects. In addition, they suggest keeping a journal as a reflective strategy to help deal with stress and frustration.

In summary, there are many ways you can develop positive relationships with students in your daily interactions with them. Not only does this contribute to a positive classroom environment, but it also improves the quality of school life for both you and your students.

While building positive relationships is the foundation to a strong discipline system, relationships alone are not enough. It is also critical to clearly define parameters of expected behaviors, to monitor those behaviors, and to implement consequences when necessary.

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by Mark Boynton and Christine Boynton We all want to feel cared for and valued by the significant people in our world. Students are no different. This knowledge is a powerful tool in the arsenal available to you as you form your classroom discipline plan.

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Mr. Hill stops reading aloud to his 4th grade students and turns to Anisa. "Anisa, you're off task. Change your clip. I asked you once and you are still digging in your desk. Walk over and change it now."

Anisa stands and walks across the classroom. Several of her peers make condescending comments under their breath. Anisa moves her clip from green to yellow and returns to her desk and puts her head down. Her nonverbal behaviors indicate that she's angry, hurt, and frustrated.

A few minutes later, Josh raises his hand. Mr. Hill calls on him and Josh responds, "Anisa is off task again."

Mr. Hill looks at Anisa and says, "Again? Please change your clip to red. One more problem and it will be another call home. You have to learn to pay attention."

A Practice That Harms

Scenes like this are common in schools today. Pass through the halls of almost any elementary school and you are likely to at some point hear "pull a red ticket" or "you're on yellow now." Behavior charts-and their variants-are standard in elementary schools throughout the world. They represent a practice long overdue for retirement.

In thinking about this strategy for managing student behavior, we challenge you to ask yourself a question: Why are you are an educator and why do you continue to be an educator? Did you respond with, "to show students who's boss?" or "to help the students who are already doing well to succeed?" Of course not. Your response was probably some version of, "I want to make a difference" or "I want to be the teacher students need in their lives." We posed this question because we can't move forward in the argument we're about to make until we share a strong understanding of our ultimate goal as educators. Most of us are in education to make a difference in our students' lives and help them become their best selves-aspirations that, in our view, aren't compatible with behavior charts.

In working with students, we've often seen adolescents display challenging behaviors that have evolved over years. We've wondered to what extent their behavioral paths could have been corrected in early-childhood classrooms rather than exacerbated by stigmatizing practices like behavior charts. Braithwaite's shaming theory (1989) highlights the connections between stigmatizing shame and later delinquency. According to Braithwaite, "shaming means all societal processes of expressing disapproval which have the intention or effect of invoking remorse in the person being shamed and/or condemnation by others who become aware of the shaming" (p. 100). Although the relationship between shame and later behavior is complex, empirical studies provide enough evidence to compel us to stop shaming young children and instead build strong relationships and seek alternative methods to promote prosocial behaviors.

We present here three reasons to abandon behavior charts. If such charts are used in your school, we encourage you to have an open mind as you consider our reasoning. And we hope you take down those charts tomorrow and consider trying the alternatives we propose to foster positive behavior.

1. Compliance Isn't Our Long-term Goal

Behavior charts do an excellent job of teaching children that they will be punished if they don't comply with directions or rules. Although this may work in the short-term to make some students compliant, compliance shouldn't be our end game. We can shoot so much higher than that! We want students to be engaged and excited about learning, to persist when their work is hard, and to interact with others in ways that will lead to positive social and academic outcomes in the future.

Art Costa and Bena Kallick (2000) have done beautiful work organizing and describing the skills and behaviors educators should cultivate in all our students, what they term habits of mind. These lifelong skills-like persisting, managing impulsivity, and listening to others with empathy-improve students' competence, confidence, and ultimate success across the curriculum and in life. Such skills are arguably more important than the content we teach; the content is merely a vehicle for teaching them. Solidifying these habits is what teachers should aim toward. Otherwise, we run the risk of creating what William Deresiewicz (2015) called "excellent sheep"-students who play the game of school but lack true engagement and critical thinking.

2. Behavior Charts Can't Teach Self-Regulation

Teaching the whole child is our responsibility. If we are to be effective in our work, faculty at all levels must be able to teach habits of mind such as self-regulation, a key skill for shifting toward more positive behavior. Simply rewarding and punishing behaviors is not what helps students learn such habits and skills. It's particularly ineffective with self-regulation.

Punishments work to reduce behaviors by immediately following a behavior we don't want to see with a consequence that the child doesn't like (Alberto & Troutman, 2002). Thus, behavior charts can reduce a student's problematic behavior if the student dislikes negative public attention-or public shaming. This is a questionable strategy to begin with since it's based on stressing out the student rather than cultivating new aptitudes. But for many students, negative attention is something they've gotten used to, or worse, something over which they feel they have no control. Their identity has become "the kid who is bad." Have you noticed that most of the time the student who is "on red" today is the same one who was "on red" yesterday and the day before? And is likely to be "on red" all year long? What does it tell us if the intervention being put in place doesn't lead to a change in students' behavior? Clearly, the strategy isn't working. Why would we continue to use any strategy that isn't working?

Decades of research have led to a body of evidence on how educators can effectively support and teach key skills like self-regulation (Heckhausen & Dweck, 2009). Nowhere in the literature do researchers recommend that we shame children into being compliant.

3. Charts Hurt Students!

The most compelling reason to abandon behavior charts is this: They risk harming our students. Lee Ann still remembers the painful effect of the color behavior chart a teacher used when her son, Spencer, was in 1st grade. Spencer was a sensitive "people pleaser" as a young child. He preferred to do what he needed to do with little public attention, but he valued personal relationships. He was kind to everyone around him and worked hard in school. One afternoon, Spencer came home from school distraught because he'd had to "move his stick." He'd gone to school without a paper signed by Lee Ann and, in front of the class, his teacher reprimanded him and asked him to move his stick from green to yellow. Spencer felt as though he had failed and let his teacher down. He was embarrassed and affected by the event for days.

Fortunately, Spencer's experience was a one-time event. But consider the inner voice of the student who is "on red" nearly every day. When we reprimand a student in front of their peers, we risk changing that student's inner voice, shifting their identity to the "bad kid," isolating the student from peers, and disrupting their relationship with their teachers. At worst, we risk making a student feel unloved. Imagine the devastating effects for a child who gets most of her or his love at school.

Instead of using charts, we could just as effectively reduce undesirable behaviors by dumping ice water on a student or inflicting corporal punishment. Did you furrow your brow at that thought? We would never do that! We would never use physical punishment on a student in an effort to shape behavior-or even want a student to learn to avoid certain behaviors out of fear of physical harm. So why don't we have the same visceral reaction to emotional punishment?

Consider who this practice harms the most. Not the student who has a handle on self-regulation and performs well in school. It's the students who need us the most who we are hurting. Behavior charts are a way to excuse ourselves from the hard work of meeting a student's self-regulation and behavior needs. The fact of the matter is, when we use behavior charts, we are sacrificing student dignity in favor of teacher convenience.

Alternative to Sticks, Clips, and Charts

Perhaps we've convinced you to stand up right now, run down the halls of the school, and tear down the behavior charts. But before you jump out of your chair, you might be asking, "What do we do instead? If I don't have consequences in place, my classroom will be chaos." As we advocate for avoiding punitive approaches within schools, we often hear rumblings that alternative disciplinary strategies are too soft and "touchy-feely." Dominique has even heard restorative practices-that is, those based on reconciliation and understanding-referred to as the "hug a thug" approach.

Rest assured, we don't recommend removing structures or accountability. We advocate for putting behavioral structures in place, just not punitive ones. We want students to be held accountable in more natural ways and to have a chance to learn the impact of their actions on others. We want them to build empathy, persistence, or whatever skills they need to behave appropriately-and for those positive behaviors to become internally driven.

There are effective, humane, growth-producing ways to teach students that their behaviors impact others. True, there may be a bit of an adjustment period when changing to a new system. But our students' self-worth and long-term success are worth any temporary disruption we may encounter. To move away from the reactive approach of behavior charts, we recommend teachers put into place three proactive strategies.

1. "Take Ten" for Each Learner

Set aside 10 minutes each day to sit with one student (focusing on each of your students in turn). Talk about something non-school-related that's of interest to that child. When educators build strong, caring relationships with their students, each student naturally wants to protect that relationship and avoid anything that might damage it. Students' behaviors and approaches to learning in the classroom are then driven by relationships, not fear.

Teachers need to know as much as possible about what makes each student unique and special-her personal interests, what excites him, what delights her, what he fears. We need to understand much more than their academic strengths and needs; we need to know the whole child-who they truly are-and allow them to know our true selves, too.

Students should feel that teachers are on their side. Imagine how differently the opening anecdote might have turned out if Anisa's teacher had built a strong relationship with her.

2. Keep It Off-Stage

Stop making discipline for poor behavior visible. Students tend to react negatively when they're called out in front of others. Instead, when a student's inappropriate behavior needs to be addressed, have a one-on-one conversation with the student, staying calm but firm. When possible, avoid publicly calling a student aside for this talk: Publicly-and perhaps angrily-telling a child to come talk with you can have the same humiliating effect as a behavior chart. Instead, after class invite that student to have a conversation with you or quietly ask them to talk with you at a time when other students are otherwise engaged.

Be calm and supportive in discussing the behavior. To maintain your relationship with the student, always conclude by ensuring the student understands that although you are unhappy with the behavior, you still care about them and are there to support them in their growth.

3. Hear Students Out

Before acting on any student behavior, try to understand why it happened. When a student needs a corrective conversation, first ask to hear his side of the story. Generally, students prefer to have a conversation with a teacher rather than having a teacher conversation happen to them.

There's always a reason why students are acting as they do. Stop asking "What's wrong with that student?" and start figuring out what happened to that student. This may mean asking questions that prompt the student to reflect on the behavior and its effects on others. Students often have a hard time knowing why they acted in a certain way. It's only once their emotion has calmed-and through a guided analysis-that they can identify the reason.

Once a learner understands the underlying reason, we can guide him or her to consider alternatives for next time and discuss any consequence that needs to follow. Even students who are caught in a pattern of disruptive or harmful behaviors-perhaps especially those students-benefit from being heard. Certainly, there are times when we must intervene and stop a behavior, such as if it is causing harm or severe disruption. We may need to remove the student from the situation immediately to restore a calm, safe environment-and later teach that student the self-regulation skills needed to prevent such behavior in the future. The key is that the subsequent conversation should be private and should be about the behavior rather than the person.

Students Deserve Better

Imagine how much better things might have turned out if, in the opening scenario, instead of scolding Anisa, Mr. Hill had tried some of the techniques described here. He might've noted that Anisa was having difficulty remaining engaged in the reading and lesson and, after finishing the group read-aloud, approached her while everyone else was gathering their things and moving to stations for the next lesson. Imagine if he'd said, "Anisa, I saw you were having trouble staying with me today. I'm worried that if you aren't paying attention to the lesson, you'll miss something important to your learning. What was going on today?" Mr. Hill might have found out that Anisa was actually looking for a pencil to write down ideas that occurred to her as he read aloud. He might then have affirmed, "That seems to be happening a lot lately-trouble finding your pencil and other materials. Let's find some time today to see if we can come up with an organization solution, OK?" With such a response, Mr. Hill would've acknowledged the need for a change in Anisa's behavior, but not stigmatized Anisa as a "bad kid;" rather, he would have helped her develop a solution.

All students deserve this kind of supportive response. We are calling out the practice of behavior charts for what it really is: public shaming of children into compliance. We have many good strategies available for teaching self-regulation; humiliation isn't one of them. Let's stop "managing behaviors" and instead guide and support engagement, persistence, and positive interactions. Let's build relationships that promote growth of the whole child-and the skills each student needs for a lifetime of positive interactions and success.

Now, go tear down some charts!

Authors' note: All teacher and student names are pseudonyms.

Guiding Questions

› How does your approach for addressing student behavior issues square with your personal answer to the question Jung and Smith propose: "Why do you continue to be an educator?" Does how you deal with "problem" students fit your central purpose?

› What challenges might you or your school face in adopting Jung and Smith's three strategies for teaching positive behavior? What steps could you take to address those challenges?

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Mr. Hill stops reading aloud to his 4th grade students and turns to Anisa. "Anisa, you're off task. Change your clip. I asked you once and you are still digging in your desk. Walk over and change it now." Anisa stands and walks across the classroom.

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Here at the Inclusion Lab, we talk a lot about ensuring the full participation of all learners during classtime. But what about noninstructional times like lunch, recess, and extracurricular activities? These provide students with rich opportunities for developing friendships and honing social skills-but too often, kids with disabilities don't get the supports they need to participate fully.

Today I'm sharing 10 tips from books by seven of our expert authors. Try these in your school, and boost student inclusion and participation in activities that happen between and after their classes.

1. Start a Lunch Bunch. It's important to encourage social interactions at lunchtime, so students with disabilities don't end up at one table not interacting with their peers. An informal "lunch bunch" is one way to promote inclusion at mealtime and bring together students who otherwise might not eat together. Carolyn Hughes and Erik Carter describe the lunch bunch plan that worked for them: "At first, schedule the group to meet once or more each week, such as every Tuesday and Thursday. We found that providing pizza, snacks, and soda is a guaranteed way to draw a good-sized crowd to the first several Lunch Bunch gatherings. These group gatherings provide a comfortable context for students to get to know each other and have fun. Moreover, students who are in a hurry and do not have time to eat can feel comfortable just stopping by to say hello. As students begin to develop relationships with each other, expect to see students with disabilities being invited to other tables to join their peers without disabilities for lunch."

2. Put on some (calming) music. Music can help create a soothing atmosphere for everyone, and can be especially beneficial for students with autism or sensory processing issues. Julie Causton relates the story of Jonah, a boy with autism who found that the cafeteria overloaded his senses. After agreeing to Jonah's request for Beatles music at lunch, the school found that piping in the songs helped create a calming atmosphere for all students, and Jonah was able to stay with his peers and connect with them during mealtime.

3. Create interest tables. Print popular student interests on colorful, highly visible cards and place them on lunch tables. Students with and without disabilities can choose tables that interest them and talk about their favorite topics.

4. Nurture budding friendships. In his Michael Giangreco suggests keeping an eye on your students and noticing when two students are beginning to enjoy each other's company. Then make a proactive effort to facilitate the growth of this budding friendship. Look for opportunities to put these students together-encourage them to play on the same dodgeball team at recess, or join the same afterschool group.

5. Give students the tools they need to reach out. As Julie Causton points out, sometimes a student wants to participate in social activities but doesn't know how to start. Help your students recognize social possibilities at lunch, recess, and after school, and give him or her strategies for approaching a fellow student. Ask your student who he'd like to play with at recess, sit with at lunch, or participate in activities with, and provide suggestions on how to make overtures of friendship. If your student is nonverbal, you might give her a visual list of the students in the class, help her program her device to talk to a peer, or create an index card with the student's desired message on it. (Cindy Golden suggests making communication rings or communication wallets from inexpensive business card holders with plastic sleeves. Laminated picture symbol cards can be kept in one of these for easy student access at recess, in the lunchroom, or during activities.)

6. Identify gaps in extracurriculars offered. Does your school offer a wide variety of extracurricular activity choices that appeal to diverse students with many different interests? Paula Kluth recommends taking an inventory of all the clubs, programs, and activities available in your school to see what might be missing. Are the current activities biased toward athletic and academic superstars? What new groups could your school create to encourage greater inclusion and more participation by students with and without disabilities?

7. Improve accessibility. Do your school's extracurriculars take place in easily accessible locations? Does the student need transportation to and from off-campus activities? Decide what accommodations are needed and help arrange for transportation to ensure that students with disabilities have access to off-campus extracurricular activities.

8. Use peer buddies. A carefully implemented peer buddy program can be an effective way to support student participation and inclusion in afterschool activities. Look for students already participating in activities who could assist their classmates with disabilities-or, if a student already has a peer buddy, see if the buddy would be willing to join a club or activity with her classmate. See what types of supports the student with disabilities will need in order to participate in the activity, and decide which of these supports the peer buddy could provide. Be sure peer buddies receive the information and training they need to provide these supports effectively. (The book Peer Buddy Programs for Successful Secondary School Inclusion by Hughes & Carter can help you with every step of implementing a peer buddy program.)

9. Ensure authentic experiences-not tokens. Is your student interested in sports? In his book Gary Barber emphasizes the many benefits of inclusive sports for kids with and without disabilities. But he cautions coaches to keep things authentic: "Don't assume that children with challenges want a sugar-coated version of sports," he says, reminding coaches to "include support that is meaningful and avoids belittling language and tokenism." In an authentic sports experience, all students are valued for their contributions, have a meaningful amount of playing time (not just a few minutes at the end), receive quality coaching (not superficial praise), are encouraged to set goals that require hard work, and benefit from positive social interactions.

10. Keep parents in the loop. Every parent wants to support their child's peer relationships and friendships, so be sure to involve them in strategies for expanding their child's social opportunities. Hughes and Carter suggest sending a flyer to parents each month with a list of upcoming afterschool activities: fundraisers, football games, school plays. Talk to parents about their child's preferred activities, interests, and favorite friends and acquaintances.

The suggestions in today's post came from the following books. Check them out for more information on successful inclusion throughout the whole school day-and beyond.

Suggestions 1, 7, 8, and 10 are from Peer Buddy Programs for Successful Secondary School Inclusion by Carolyn Hughes, Ph.D., & Erik W. Carter, Ph.D.

Suggestions 2 and 3 are from The Occupational Therapist's Handbook for Inclusive School Practices by Julie Causton, Ph.D., & Chelsea P. Tracy-Bronson, M.A.

Suggestion 5 is from

The Educator's Handbook for Inclusive School Practices by Julie Causton, Ph.D., & Chelsea P. Tracy-Bronson, M.A.

and

The Special Educator's Toolkit by Cindy Golden, Ed.D.

Suggestion 6 is from by Paula Kluth, Ph.D., & Patrick Schwarz, Ph.D.

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10 Ways to Improve Inclusion at Lunch, Recess, and After School

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Here at the Inclusion Lab, we talk a lot about ensuring the full participation of all learners during classtime. But what about noninstructional times like lunch, recess, and extracurricular activities? These provide students with rich opportunities for developing friendships and honing social skills-but too often, kids with disabilities don't get the supports they need to participate fully.

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Impact | Winter 2018/19 Volume 31, Number 2

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Impact | Winter 2018/19 Volume 31, Number 2

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Impact: Feature Issue on Inclusive Education for K-8 Students with the Most Significant Cognitive Disabilities (Winter 2018/19)

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Modified Lessons for Students with Disabilities

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Modified Lessons for Students with Intellectual Disabilities

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As an educator, I believe that for my students to always be learning and growing, I need to always be learning and growing as well. I'm very passionate about always taking on new challenges, and a big part of my mission and goal is to support my fellow teachers in taking on new challenges too. What that means in my practice is that I spend a lot of time talking with educators about equity and culturally responsive teaching.

As an equity leader in the field - who regularly helps develop and deliver professional development - it can be tough to walk into a space to lead a conversation and realize I'm the only person of color in the room. I'm extremely uncomfortable at times, but I believe the message and the work are more important than my comfort.

So in those moments, I believe the best approach is to own the discomfort. I openly share any feelings I might have as part of our discussion. I let them know I'm coming from a place of love. I tell them, "What I say is not intended to hurt anyone personally, but it might make you feel sensitive or uncomfortable. And that is how I feel, as an educator of color, almost all the time." And it's how a lot of our students feel, too.

As teachers, we're all in different places in our understanding of what equity looks like in the classroom, but here is what equity means to me: thinking about a classroom as a space where everyone has access to the same learning and the same optimal conditions for nurturing intellectual curiosity.

We all need to do that internal work of wrestling with our own privileges, biases and assumptions about learning and learners if we want our classrooms to be truly equitable. We need to examine the ways we may have benefitted from privilege and power afforded to us by society and the ways we uphold structures that often result in the oppression of others. And that's probably the hardest part, because maybe you didn't ask for privilege - but society will give you privilege, whether you want it or not.
Here are some questions to start with, to help explore the role privilege plays in the classroom:

How are you acknowledging your own power in the classroom?

How might you decenter yourself, as the teacher, in lessons, activities and conversations?

How might you share power with your students and give them more ownership over their learning?

How might you approach fellow teachers and encourage them to ask themselves uncomfortable questions as well?

I believe that together, we can all move further into our understanding of culturally responsive teaching and culturally sustaining pedagogy. When we engage in culturally responsive teaching, we shift our thinking to create equitable learning environments by being responsive to students' unique cultural identities and methods of learning. Additionally, culturally sustaining pedagogy is a way to include the richness of cultural diversity throughout instructional content. It means making sure one culture doesn't dominate and that a variety of views of the world, histories, communication norms, narratives, and accepted truths are represented. These mindset shifts are critical to our growth as educators and to our students' growth.

It can be uncomfortable for educators to be in a student's position - a position of needing to learn a lot. But, as we are always telling students, there can be no growth without a measure of discomfort. There's not one right way to advance equity in your practice, either - everyone learns in different ways. Some teachers process the intersection between racial dynamics and education through a solid list of books they read and discuss with other practitioners. I recommend book clubs as vital ways to spark conversations around powerful and transformative titles. If you're looking for texts for a book club in your school, I always start my workshops with bell hooks' Teaching to Transgress and Django Paris' Culturally Sustaining Pedagogies. Pedro Noguera has some great works, and I really like Zaretta Hammond's Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, as well as Paulo Freire's Pedagogy of the Oppressed.

Some teachers need to be encouraged to engage in discomfort. Open, honest conversations with colleagues can really build a trusting place to start examining your privilege alongside a few other friends.

If a school community is like a body, then all the crucial parts need to come together to ask: What are the ways our biases are harmful to our organism? How can we heal? The important thing is that everyone learns, especially teachers, as we are the ones modeling the process of being lifelong learners for our students. We show our students we are doing our best to build equity around us and for them when we read, discuss, and move to enact change that will improve conditions and environments for everyone.

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As an educator, I believe that for my students to always be learning and growing, I need to always be learning and growing as well. I'm very passionate about always taking on new challenges, and a big part of my mission and goal is to support my fellow teachers in taking on new challenges too.

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Inclusive Schools Week is an annual event sponsored by the Inclusive Schools Network (ISN) and Stetson & Associates, Inc., which is held each year during the first full week in December. Since its inception in 2001, Inclusive Schools Week has celebrated the progress that schools have made in providing a supportive and quality education to an increasingly diverse student population, including students who are marginalized due to disability, gender, socio-economic status, cultural heritage, language preference, and other factors. The Week also provides an important opportunity for educators, students and parents to discuss what else needs to be done in order to ensure that their schools continue to improve their ability to successfully educate all children.

This year, the Inclusive Schools Week's theme is " Draw Me In!." Join us in celebrating Inclusive Schools Week December 4-8, 2023!

Download free resources that make celebrating Inclusive Schools Week easy! Click on the categories below for more information.

If you have planning and promotional tools that you would like to share with Inclusive Schools Network, or suggestions for Celebration Ideas, please email support@inclusiveschools.org.

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Inclusive Schools Week is an annual event sponsored by the Inclusive Schools Network (ISN) and Stetson & Associates, which is held each year during the first week in December.

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Class-Wide Implementation Resources

Having a healthy and positive classroom climate is one of the most important ways to prevent the occurrence of problem behavior. Published research establishes that environmental factors have the strongest direct relationship with positive student outcomes. In particularly, a number of critical classroom environment features have been linked to positive outcomes for students. Published findings suggest that supportive teacher behaviors (e.g., caring helpfulness, quality of interactions, listening, trust, etc.) and classroom conditions (e.g., clear expectations and routines, high quality instruction, frequent praise, etc.) are more important than any other predictor of performance (e.g., Bond et al.; Dubow et al.; Leithwood, Wahlstrom & Anderson; Malecki & Demaray; Roeser et al.; Schochet, Dadds, Ham & Montague; Solomon et al.). The following are resources and professional development materials to support class-wide implementation of proactive practices.
Reflection Tools Tip Sheets Mini Intensive Professional Development Resources
Further Reading:

Caldarella, P., Larsen, R.A.A., Williams, L., Wills, H., Kamps, D., & Wehyby, J.H. (2-19). Effects of CW-FIT on teachers' ratings of elementary school students at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 2, 90-100.

Nelson, M.A., Caldarella, P., Hansen, B.D., Graham, M.A., Williams, L., & Wills, H.P. (2019). Improving student beahvior in art classrooms: An exploratory study of CW-FIT. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 2 0, 227-238.

Simonsen, B., Freeman, R., Goodman, S., Mitchell, B., Swain-Bradway, J., Flannery, B., Sugai, g., George, H. & Putman, B. (2015). Supporting and Responding to Behavior: Evidence-Based Classroom Strategies for Teachers. U.S. Office of Special Education Programs.

Simonsen, B. & Myers, D. (2015). Classwide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports: A Guide to Proactive Classroom Management. Guilford Press, NY.

Simonsen, B., Freeman, R., Myers, D., Dooley, K., Maddock, E., Kern, L., & Byun, S. (2020). the effects of targeted professional devleopment on teachers' use of empirically supported classroom mangement practices. Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions, 22(1), 3-14. DOI 10.1177/1098300719859615.

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Having a healthy and positive classroom climate is one of the most important ways to prevent the occurrence of problem behavior. Published research establishes that environmental factors have the strongest direct relationship with positive student outcomes. In particularly, a number of critical classroom environment features have been linked to positive outcomes for students.