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Building relationships with students and creating a safe environment for them is an important first step if we want them to learn. Especially in light of the last two years, kids need to feel safe in the classroom.

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Edutopia is a free source of information, inspiration, and practical strategies for learning and teaching in preK-12 education. We are published by the George Lucas Educational Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization.

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https://www.anxietycanada.com/articles/7-tips-for-educators-returning-to-school-during-covid-19/

~ It stood about to me in the article that we should be honest with the kids about current situations and not try to gloss over the realities of our current situation.

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When COVID-19 restrictions ease, students and educators must adapt and prepare for a return to schools. School staff will need to support students in the transition back to the classroom, and at the same time manage their own transition and anxiety.

This article provides suggestions for school staff on how to support this transition, particularly for anxious students. While the focus is on preparing for school reopenings, these tips can also help educators prepare for transitions back to a virtual classroom.

1. Validate, support, and listen to students

The recent events will likely have had substantial impacts on students' mental health. They may be experiencing a host of emotions in regard to the announcement of new changes, including anxiety, disappointment, and anger.

As educators, it is important to listen to students' concerns and, even if the emotions are extreme, express understanding and empathy. Letting families know you understand and appreciate their perspective will help open up a dialogue for problem solving.

2. Be honest and encouraging, rather than reassuring

Anxious students will likely need some initial assurance from trusted adults and teachers that returning to school is okay.

However, blanket reassurance statements (e.g., everything will be fine; there is nothing to be worried about) can be invalidating and can create doubt and uncertainty that may drive a need for further reassurance. This cycle can lead to what is known as excessive reassurance seeking (child constantly asks if things are okay).

Instead, being open, honest, and encouraging with students is a preferred approach. This may include acknowledging risks while emphasizing how precautions reduce those risks and how students can feel good about coming back to school given all of the thought and planning that has gone into protecting students.

If students continue to seek reassurance, staff can encourage tolerance of uncertainty and teach students to use realistic thinking skills or learn to problem-solve and come up with solutions to their own concerns where possible - "What can you do here to calm yourself down?" or "What options do we have here instead of just avoiding?"

Educators can empower students by giving them the tools to identify the problem, identify possible solutions, pick a solution, and try it out.

3. Encourage a gradual approach, not avoidance

No amount of planning will prevent students from being anxious. Therefore, encouraging tolerance of fear and anxiety, rather than avoidance, will be essential.

Fear naturally encourages a desire to run away, but this avoidance maintains anxiety in the long-run. In contrast, facing feared situations promotes resilience and reduces anxiety in the long-run by helping youth realize they are capable of coping.

While being understanding and validating of students' anxiety, school staff should encourage and reinforce families in making attempts to face fears around returning to school.

If significant anxiety prevents a direct transition back, establishing a plan for gradual re-entry to school may be necessary. For example, an anxious student may initially practice visiting the school on weekends before working towards partial attendance (e.g., specific hours, days, or classes) and then full attendance.

For more detailed information on facing fears gradually:

4. Praise and reward students for being courageous

As students return to school, praise them for showing courage in the face of fear and let them know that being brave and courageous will help them (and you and your fellow staff) get through this together.

When you see a student or fellow staff member do something that you know is hard for them or provokes anxiety, let them know you've noticed it and are proud of them for facing their fears courageously.

5. Model good coping behaviors for students - be calm, honest, and caring

Students will look to their teachers to be positive role models through this process. How you handle your fears, your own stress, and how you act throughout the day will impact how children assess their own situations and react.

Telling students about your own experiences with anxiety and uncertainty, as well as your coping strategies, can make them feel less alone and can provide them with a guide for how to handle the situation themselves.

In most cases it is appropriate to be open and honest with students in a developmentally appropriate way if they ask tough questions about the future. That may mean:

Helping them understand that future school closures may be a possibility

Acknowledging that their friends (or teachers) may become ill with COVID-19

Being frank about other stressful situations that may occur during the upcoming school year that we haven't yet predicted

Educators can let students know these situations can be upsetting to think about, but that we can try to take things one day at a time and enjoy the current day rather than worry about what the future holds - especially when that future can be somewhat uncertain.

These are challenging discussions that aren't easy for anyone, but helping students develop an ability to be ' comfortable being uncomfortable' may help them cope with future anxieties. For further reading, check out our guide to tolerating uncertainty.

6. Provide clear information to families as early as possible

Anxiety thrives on uncertainty and the COVID-19 pandemic is filled with it. While tolerating uncertainty will be required for families to some extent, school administrators and educators can ease the transition by working together to communicate frequently and clearly with families about what is planned for returning to school.

Important information for families may include:

Changes made at schools

Specific expectations for families

Upcoming plans

Long-term plans

Even if plans change, regular communication with families will support their own planning and coping.

7. Take care of yourself and know your limits

Our capacity to support others is limited by our own physical and mental well-being. Remember that being a teacher or school-based professional is tough - especially during COVID-19 - and you may be struggling to keep yourself healthy throughout all of this.

Anxiety Canada's back-in-the-classroom strategies for teachers article is a great place to find coping tools.

Most importantly, ensure you are showing yourself compassion as well as others. You may need an extra break or two in your day to regroup given all these changes. In preparing to support students, school staff should encourage and ensure that educators make time to take care of themselves through:

Maintenance of healthy living (sleep, exercise, nutrition)

Engaging in self-care

Communicating with professional and personal support networks

If challenges to cope with these changes and demands have led to substantial mental health problems for yourself, a fellow staff member, or a student, it may be time to get professional help rather than trying to manage it all on your own.

Browse more anxiety resources for adults and find help through our online directory of anxiety services and programs across Canada.

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7 Tips for Educators Returning to School During COVID-19

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When COVID-19 restrictions ease, students and educators must adapt and prepare for a return to schools. School staff will need to support students in the transition back to the classroom, and at the same time manage their own transition and anxiety.This article provides suggestions for school staff on how to support this transition, particularly for anxious students.

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It has always fascinated me why some teachers never seem to have behavior issues and others do. I have found that by building relationships with students, I can connect with them so that they want to do well and succeed in my class. Now, how do I reach ALL of them?????

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There are some teachers you never forget. Whether they mentored you in your favorite subject or helped you on your way to university, positive relationships with our educators stick with us. For many of us, these experiences are why we got into teaching in the first place.

Why are positive student-teacher relationships so important?

Research tells us that when students are in an environment where they feel supported and cared for they are more likely to succeed.

In fact, according to a 2010 study by Marzano Research Laboratory, positive relationships between teachers and students are among the most commonly cited variables associated with effective instruction.

When we can build connections with our learners, we show them we are invested in their education and, in turn, they become invested too.

This all starts with earning each student's trust. Once we do, we build an environment of mutual respect and set the whole classroom up for success.

1) Teach with passion and enthusiasm

Attitudes are infectious. Young students tend to respond to positivity and animation, but as students mature, seeing genuine care and passion in their teachers is far more important. Find a balance, be yourself.

2) Invest time in learning about your students

Taking the time to learn a little bit about each of your learners at the start of the year is important. Ask your students to write you a letter telling you everything you need to know about them. Reference these letters periodically. When you remember things about your students, it builds the foundation for that positive relationship to thrive.

It can also be great to understand what subjects they like and what they don't as you'll know straight away what areas they'll need more support in. Being able to lend a helping hand without being asked is a trust-building move.

3) Talk to your class with respect

Treat others the way you want to be treated. It's the golden rule for a reason. Students notice when they're being talked down to. All relationships are built on mutual respect for one another and this same principle applies in the classroom.

Of course, there will be times when your patience is being tested but take a second to breathe and respond the way you wish a teacher responded to you. That second of thinking can go a long way.

4) Find out about their interests

Everyone has a passion. When you understand those interests, you can use them to your advantage. Maybe you have budding actors in your midst? Incorporate a class play into your next English lesson plan. Perhaps you have some artists in the class? Allow them to show what they've learned with art or other creative projects.

When you include the interests of your class into lesson plans, you'll definitely see an uptick in enthusiasm, helping strengthen the connection between you and your students.

5) Be forthcoming with mistakes

When you make a mistake, be honest about it. It will not only teach them about handling errors with grace but it will model how you want your students to behave in class.

It's okay to make mistakes and if they see you doing that, they may be more willing to take risks because they know they're in a safe space.

6) Show an interest in their life outside of school

A lot of teachers today make the mistake of treating school like it's the only thing in the world. But students have big, bustling lives outside of the classroom and when you show interest in those parts of them, they begin to trust you more.

This can take the form of going to the school basketball game and cheering your students on or simply lightening the homework load on nights when you know there's a big event going on.

7) Say hello everyday

It might seem like a small gesture but by saying hello to each of your students every day you are establishing a regular point of connection.

Greet each student by name and let them know you see them. Within the first 5 minutes of your day you have already had a personal moment with each of your learners. It starts every day off on the right foot.

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How To Develop Positive Teacher Student Relationships - 3P Learning

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There are some teachers you never forget. Whether they mentored you in your favorite subject or helped you on your way to university, positive relationships with our educators stick with us. For many of us, these experiences are why we got into teaching in the first place.

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I would have said I knew my students, but I rarely sat down for purposeful individual conversations about academics. It was my job to feed my baby birds as I'd been fed, and I talked to them when I could grab a minute in passing.

In our increasingly flat world, the passive learning model is deservedly dead, but what is the first step to putting students in charge of their own learning? Based on my own experience, I advise scheduling frequent purposeful student-instructor conferences. After more than 20 years of teaching, I began conferencing with students, and the culture of the classroom went from "me" and "them" to "us, the learning community."

A 1976-78 UK study, cited in Curriculum Provision in the Small Primary School, found that teachers spend under 5 seconds with children in 40 percent of one-to-one exchanges. In 2012, John Hattie reported that teachers do the talking 70-80 percent of the time or more. Because it's rare for a teacher to conference unless discipline is the topic, my students feel a little awkward the first time we meet, but soon they are scheduling extra conferences as needed because they've experienced the positive outcomes. Conferences are also the best formative assessment for both my teaching and their learning.

My class time is divided between direct instruction and workshop. Conferences occur during workshop. The student sits behind a folding screen while I sit just beyond the edge so I can monitor classroom activity, and we speak quietly. A folding TV tray stand is our table. I preplan the conferences with a roster on the board and on my clipboard, ready to take notes. I announce who's "up" and who's "on deck" and repeat the call as each conference finishes.

After a session, I erase names so that so we can see who's left for the next day. Quiet background music and the hum of activity maintains conversation confidentiality. Once you gain familiarity with conducting conferences, the time you spend with each student will be 5-10 minutes. The only all-class-period conference cycles are at major grading periods. The rest of the time, I will choose those to whom I need to speak, or students will request a time to conference. Occasionally, I tuck a conference into my planning time, especially if I know the student needs extra time.

Some of the benefits of individual conferences:

1. Students learn how to expect more of themselves. In his 1978 book Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes, Vygotsky observed that "children grow into the intellectual life around them," but some don't yet have confidence in their abilities or a growth mindset. Discussing where they are and how to get where they need to be produces "emotionally and relationally healthy learning communities-intellectual environments that produce not mere technical competence, but caring, secure, actively literate human beings," writes SUNY Albany professor Peter Johnston in Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learning.

2. The teacher and student constantly renegotiate the teaching-learning process and connect each step to larger learning goals always just beyond their current comfort level. Inspired by Vygotsky's "Zone of Proximal Development", Cambridge professor Neil Mercer christened that balance the Interthinking (or Intermental) Development Zone (IDZ). Maintaining the IDZ through regular dialogue keeps everyone pressing onward to the goals and creating new ones.

3. Students receive constant, timely feedback and clarification that makes the student the lead learner. Current feedback tends to be " impoverished and fractured ," writes David Nicol. Most of the time, the teacher is a trained expert handing down corrections. We assume students can improve based on what we tell them they need to do, which is in turn based on the assumption that students will completely understand what we tell them as we meant it. If teachers can't close the feedback loop with the student taking an active part in achieving the goal, all the hours we spend providing feedback are pointless.

4. Conferences level the playing field for all learners. The longer students have been without personal choice and responsibility, the harder it may be for them to take ownership when it's offered. It can also be difficult to stop blaming others or external circumstances for past failures. Conferencing allows each student an equal opportunity to enter learning confidently and ask for any necessary help, as well as gaining the teacher's realistic assessment of their abilities. In my time conferencing with students, I find most, even in advanced classes, underestimate their current level of performance and even more fail to believe just how well they can do in the future.

5. Students learn how to manage academic loads. Many students have no idea how to plan ahead or use a calendar, and no adult has taught them how to do it. I discuss how to break assignments into manageable steps and find the best method for tracking due dates.

6. The student and teacher build a deeper relationship. Before a grading period conference, I formulate questions based on what's been happening in class, which allow the student to reflect and for me to see the student's perception before we meet. Those questions and responses can be used as discussion starters once we sit down. I find we connect more genuinely if I take handwritten notes and put most of my effort into listening to the student. Many times, students let me know of situations or misperceptions of which I had no awareness, and I also have an opportunity to encourage them and share my perspective.

Conferencing individually with our students doesn't take away from instructional time; in reality, it is some of the best instructional time we'll spend with our students.

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Empower Students Through Individual Conferences

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I would have said I knew my students, but I rarely sat down for purposeful individual conversations about academics. It was my job to feed my baby birds as I'd been fed, and I talked to them when I could grab a minute in passing.

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I wanted to find an article that could help me touch up on my classroom management skills. Feeling a bit burned out over the past few weeks, I was able to gather 5 easy suggestions on how to control my classroom with confidence via this article. These 5 simple steps mentioned by the author can be beneficial to all teachers, including newbies and seasoned ones. My hope is to implement these steps throughout the year so that I can regain the confidence I need in order to establish a positive environment for my students.

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5 Quick Classroom-Management Tips for Novice Teachers

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When it comes to managing a classroom, new teachers mostly learn on the fly, but here are some ideas you can use right away.

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Building Relationships with Band Students

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Building Relationships with Band Students

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This article focuses on buiding relationships with band students by teaching them life skills through music

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Coming up today on The Cutting Ed podcast, we visit with Eric Rooke, the director of bands at Williston High School for 13 years.

During that time, he's navigated the oil boom and its impact on education and has seen the program grow from 80 to now over 150 students.

He focuses on building trust and relationships with his students. Rooke says if his students aren't having fun in his classroom, something is wrong.

One of his favorite things to teach is the First Suite in Eb by Gustav Holst. Rooke believes that it is very important for his students to play some classic band literature. He also really likes doing a "what music means to me" project. He says it's something he does that helps the kids see more about him, and in turn, he gets to learn more about them.

He says he best way to reach kids is to show a genuine interest in what they are doing and what they like. He says the more real we all are with kids, the more they tend to open up and let us in to help them learn.

I want my kids to learn skills that they will use forever. I think that music can be one of the best options for teaching those skills.

Resources:
www.teddintersmith.com www.ndunited.org/thecuttinged www.prairiepublic.org/education www.nddpi.org
Twitter:
@thecuttinged @tdintersmith @PrairiePublicEd
Make sure to like The Cutting Ed on Facebook, follow on Twitter and listen in every Tuesday for a new episode. You can find The Cutting Ed on iTunes, on Soundcloud, on Google Play, on iHeartRadio, or anywhere else online where you can find podcasts. Most importantly, tell your friends, family and colleagues about this exciting new venture in sharing the good word about North Dakota's education system. Let's have the conversation, together!

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PODCAST: Building Relationships and Trust in the Band Room

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Coming up today on The Cutting Ed podcast, we visit with Eric Rooke, the director of bands at Williston High School for 13 years. During that time, he's navigated the oil boom and its impact on education and has seen the program grow from 80 to now over 150 students.

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Every kid needs a champion | Rita Pierson | TED

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I liked this article because it showed ways that I can incorporate writing in the science classroom and use baby steps to make larger gains with my students.
https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-response-ways-to-integrate-writing-into-science-classes/2018/04

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The new question-of-the-week is:
How do you integrate writing in science classes?
Writing is a critical skill for students to learn, and its development does not have to be limited to English class.

This two-part series will discuss what role writing should have in science classes.

Today's guest are Mary K. Tedrow, Amy Roediger, Dr. Maria Grant, Diane Lapp,EdD, Mandi White, Tara Dale, and Becky Bone. You can listen to a 10-minute conversation I had with Mary, Amy, and Maria on my BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here. By the way, you can also now listen to the show on Google Play and Stitcher, in addition to iTunes.
Response From Mary K. Tedrow If summative writing--lab reports or research products--is the only writing students create, science teachers will be frustrated by inadequate products. Expanding writing into regular, writing-to-learn practice helps students focus and practice thinking, absorb content, and manipulate new concepts long before a grade. Frequent, ungraded, easily shared, and informally assessed writing builds content area understanding while improving fluency: the ability to produce written thought without fear or anxiety. Writing in science should mimic writing done by scientists. For instance, at the course beginning ask: "How do you know something is true?" Students write individually before sharing with partners. Spark a class discussion and develop rules for truth-finding by asking "Let me hear your thoughts." Post rules in student language and build a classroom culture dedicated to a search for truth. Turn classrooms into inquiry spaces by prompting What do you notice? to record observations after demonstrating phenomena or observing natural events. This question has no wrong answer and continued practice builds observational powers. By sharing writing with peers, students learn what to look for or what was missed. Follow the event, the prompt, and discussion with writing time to record "What questions do you have?" Unit instruction can build from natural curiosity. After labs or demonstrations, require reflective writing. Ask students to record "What did you do? What happened? What does it mean? and What should happen next?" These informal questions are accessible and prompt students to write in a non-academic voice while thinking like scientists. First writings will be expressive--recording the inner voice. Rather than turning every reflection into a lab report, collect many observations over time so students can choose from among experiences. Require fewer transformed into a formal report that demonstrates skill around required formats. Allow students time to check each other's, offering feedback on format and content. This reflects the social nature of real-world writing where teams of people--editors, friends, colleagues--contribute to writing before publication. If report numbers are reduced, class time can be repurposed for students to work collaboratively, digesting requirements, rather than repeating mistakes. With choice, students are more likely to succeed. Writing prior to lessons gets students ready to learn. The best prompts offer choice that leads to personal connections. Good prompts start "Think about a time when...." For instance, "Think about a time when you noticed a weather event. What happened? What reaction did you have to the event? Did it make you wonder about anything?" Share so students learn from and about each other. When lecturing, cut information into short segments. Stop so students make rather than take notes. Follow with sharing so students can harvest and correct information. Material is reviewed three times: lecture, note making, and sharing and adjusting notes. These management tips keep everyone working:

Use a timer. Teach students that writing time is quiet time. No talking while the timer runs.

Write with students. Occasionally share your writing. They will learn about you while your model supports the process.

Collect writing in a notebook. Use the notebook for sharing, quizzes, a resource for formal writings, and a record of growth.

Train students to just read what they wrote. It's faster and they begin to hear a writerly voice.

If needed, grade low-risk writing only for participation. Students can flag entries as evidence of learning for quick spot checking.

Correcting non-standard English should be reserved for summative products that follow drafting, revising and editing--just as it is for real writers.

Response From Amy Roediger Written communication is a vital component of science, so students must practice concise, evidence-based writing in science classes. In my classes, I try to regularly incorporate writing into most tasks with short answer questions embedded in tests, quizzes, and labs. These questions provide opportunities for students to describe scientific concepts and apply course content to real-world situations. About once a month, my students write a formal laboratory report to document their findings after an inquiry experiment. These reports include a discussion of the lab concept, a summary of the procedure they used, a data table for all the measurements, necessary data analysis, and a conclusion. I evaluate each section on a five-point scale and add the points to get a total score. Though the subject matter of each laboratory assignment varies, the rubric that I use to evaluate each one does not. With the emergence of the Common Core State Standards and next-generation assessments, I wanted to tie the writing my students do to broader expectations for writing. Rubrics are available for PARCC and Smarter Balanced writing assessments and can easily be adapted to score scientific writing. My state uses its own graduation assessment, so I modified the rubric from that test. Consistent use of an adapted rubric provides students with extra chances to practice the important work that begins in ELA classes. Using these skills outside of English class increases the likelihood that they will become habits of mind. Whether or not a teacher is willing to adapt a national or state assessment rubric to fit their classroom science writing, purposeful collaboration with our ELA colleagues provides a common language that drives instruction in all subjects. Hopefully, we all agree that the basic tenet of good writing is to state a claim and support it with evidence. What could be more scientific than that? Response From Dr. Maria Grant & Diane Lapp, EdD Writing in the Real World of Work A question often asked since the release of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) and the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is how to teach students to read and write within the discipline of science? The simple answer is to teach them to read and write like a citizen interested in being informed about scientific topics and also like a person who may eventually work in science. Since scientific information is shared by popular press writers and professionals working in the discipline, students should be taught to read and write like both informed citizens and also future workers in scientific fields. Realizing this, there are a few, very specific aspects of writing that educators might consider when teaching students to compose science-related pieces. What type of science writing are you targeting? First to consider is the type of science writing that is targeted. There are many ways that writers can convey science ideas to audiences and even within this genre, there are variations. Today's science content, written for the general public and for the work place, use different styles, tones, and language patterns and structures. Science Writing for the General Public Consider the numerous science blogs and websites that the general public peruses on a daily basis. The tone is typically more casual and may even use active voice, instead of passive voice- a way of writing that was once taboo in many corners of science. With a growing interest by the public and young people to know more about world issues rooted in science, being able to convey ideas in a compelling, approachable manner is essential. Many voices are being heard through scientific writing including those of researchers or a formally trained 'science person', as well as the knowledgeable citizen who wants to have a voice in critical issues of the day as they talk about genetically modified foods, global climate change, ocean acidification, energy in society, as other areas of interest like invasive plant species over-running native plants in our national parks or niche areas of interest like bird song composition or beekeeping tips. This kind of science writing is broad in scope, exciting in topic, and relatable to every person on this planet. It's about us, and the world we live in. Science Writing for the Science and Engineering Workplace or Field Science writing in the workplace often involves discipline-specific tasks requiring specific science skills and understandings of science literacy, coupled with science knowledge. Writers of science for the workplace or the field need experience with interpretation of science texts using the skills and criteria that would be used by a science expert (Wolsey & Lapp, 2017). They must study lab reports, journal articles, graphs, charts, and other discipline-specific texts to learn how to create their own using the same criteria (Shanahan & Shanahan,2008). In essence, they go beyond general expertise in writing to compose texts modeled after those of the experts. For example, students writing for readers of a science journal or composing a lab report would be using a concise style of writing, with appropriate academic and technical language, often using passive voice, and including references to data, analyses, and conclusions. The tone is formal and technical. Developing Skills to Write in Science Writing for the general public Writing for the science workplace or for the field of science should involve instruction that follows a more discipline-specific route. Consider Ms. Williams' high school physics class in which students are tasked with presenting a proposal for their design of a well-lit, functional library to be located in the center of town. The presentation that includes a written proposal with visuals will be shared with an engineering firm that wants to hire a new team for the job. The proposal is for a targeted science-engineering expert audience, so the instruction has to focus on content knowledge as well as discipline-specific presentation means, including science-style writing, augmented with schematics and architectural design diagrams. To help students learn about this, Ms. Williams presented them with sample proposals of building designs acquired from city records for their review. She engaged them in think-alouds during which she showed how an expert in science and engineering thinks about the plans, articulating ideas like, "I notice that the proposal includes technical terms like ...... and the text references the circuitry schematics on page 2." She then had students practice interpreting other diagrams with partners. They compared different proposals from other cities to see what had the most appeal to city planners. They reviewed design constraints and building laws, noting requirements on documents they referenced when composing their proposals. They utilized observation and analysis skills, and drew conclusions using a lens of inquiry to investigate other proposals before drafting their own. Using a science criteria rubric (Figure 3), they evaluated their own drafts before finalizing and presenting to a mock engineering firm. The Bottom Line Writing in science today takes various forms. If we want to empower our young people to have a voice in today's issues related to science, they must know how to convey their thinking in written form. Being scientifically literate entails being able to write about science for the general public and being able to write for the workplace. When the audience is different, the writing is different. While general content literacy instruction can often support writing for the general population, specific science writing skills are needed to communicate with professionals in the field. Teachers can employ the tools necessary to equip students to articulate their understandings in appropriate, meaningful ways that can be faciley interpreted by the intended audience. Science writing proficiency empowers young people to have a voice about issues of great import. Teaching students to be articulate, thoughtful, and informed science writers is the challenge and the duty of all great educators. It's time to meet the challenge! Shanahan, T. & Shanahan, C. (2008).Teaching disciplinary literacy to experts. Rethinking content area literacy. Harvard Education Review. 78, 40-59. Wolsey, T.D. & Lapp, D. (2017). Literacy Beat. //literacybeat.com/literacy-in-the-disciplines/ Response From Mandi White & Tara Dale requires knowledge of the science content being conveyed and it also requires expertise in content area literacy. As an approach, students can use many of the same general literacy skills that are taught across disciplines. Consider the following instructional practices used by Mr. Lopez, teacher of 9th grader, David, who has tasked his students with writing a Public Service Announcement script for a commercial warning about the bleaching of coral reefs in the Great Barrier Reef. To compose his PSA, David closely read three articles on the topic of reef bleaching, made annotations with each read, and engaged in lots of small group conversations around the readings. His teacher asked him and his classmates to create graphic organizers to set up their PSA text. Mr. Lopez then offered sentence frames to get them started (figure 2), and instructed them to make the PSA compelling and engaging. The goal was to inform and to inspire action on the part of the public. The skills needed and the subsequent instruction offered are content literacy strategies that cut across many disciplines. Reading complex texts several times, annotating, engaging in conversations around content, creating graphic organizers, and using sentence frames are all well-founded, research-based strategies that work well for science writing that is intended for a general public audience.
Mandi White earned a Master's of Education in Special Education from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va. In 2007, she moved across the country to begin her teaching career in Phoenix, Ariz., as a cross-categorical resource teacher for 7th and 8th grade students. Mandi began her new position as an academic and behavior specialist in July 2017.
"But Teacher, this isn't English class, it's science class!" Our students make what they believe to be is an intellectually deep point while arguing with us about the amount of writing we require them to do. Our response is always the same when this age-old disagreement begins, "But scientists enjoy being paid for their work and if they don't communicate their results, they receive no money. This is why writing is required for both the scientific method and inquiry process." End scene. Mic drop. Scientists write all the time but the most important writing they do is when they've discovered an anomaly and must communicate it. Can you imagine the violence that would erupt if a scientist discovered the cure for all cancers and then never wrote about it, kept the secret to herself, and allowed people to die? It would be inexcusable and deplorable. As science teachers, we must insist students practice writing, provide students with feedback about their writing, and require students to publish their writing. Writing lab reports is essential because it's excellent practice for college and career bound students; however, there are other types of writing that can be done in a science classroom. For example, students can write perspective stories, describing their journey through the digestive system as they pretend to be a bite full of food. Or they can write children's stories about the moon or ocean. Students can also write persuasive letters to local businesses challenging owners to make environmentally-friendly decisions. Writing assignments can be time consuming to grade so minimize your time commitment but choose one focus. Do you want your students focused on practicing new vocabulary and concepts, using data to justify their hypotheses and conclusions, or writing in a coherent manner with topic sentences and proper spelling? Not every writing assignment has to focus on every important science and writing lesson. The most important and efficient way to use writing in science classes is to spend the least amount of time grading and the most amount of time providing specific feedback so students can learn from their errors. Many science teachers have embraced the 5E Model of Instruction Resources available for teachers include 10 Useful Ways Response From Becky Bone to Integrate Writing into the Science Classroom, the NSTA's Science the 'Write' Way As many teachers use small guided reading groups to differentiate instruction and teach the specialized ways that science texts work, the same can be done for students learning to write about science. What better way to learn models for scientific writing than to extend small group guided reading instruction to small group guided writing instruction? As Timothy and Cynthia Shanahan have argued, ideally, instruction should help students understand the different ways that literacy works across content areas ("What is Disciplinary Literacy and Why Does It Matter?" Topics in Language Disorders, 2012). Jan Richardson (The Next Step Forward in Guided Reading) explains that when students write about what they read, it supports their comprehension of the text. Guided writing also helps students improve writing skills during small group instruction with teacher support. With coaching and scaffolded instruction, guided writing and content-area instruction can support and enhance each other.
Richardson suggests a four-step process: To begin, a teacher can select a targeted science-writing skill from student work. Examples might include: paraphrasing the science concept, explaining the steps of the science lab, or providing supporting evidence from the text. Next, select a response format that is challenging for the small group (since the teacher is scaffolding writing instruction). Ideally, the writing task will connect to the focus of the science text used during the guided reading lesson. Once the response format is selected, model how students could draft a simple plan or concept map using key words and phrases from the text. Plans could be a compare-and-contrast graphic organizer, or a main idea/details graphic organizer. Now, you are ready to scaffold students as they write. You can prompt them with their science writing/response to writing as needed. For example, if they need to work on using domain-specific/science vocabulary, you might prompt students to avoid using common words and encourage them to use the content-specific vocabulary from the text. Or if students are struggling with the introduction, and you want to teach them to use key words, ask: What are the key words in the writing task/prompt? How can you use some of those words in your first sentence? If their writing needs work on focus and organizing ideas, scaffold instruction to create a "key-word plan" before they write. Coach students to check off those key words from their plan as they appropriately use the words in their writing. Think of integrating writing into science classes (or any content area) as an opportunity to go deeper with your instruction! When teachers provide guided writing instruction that incorporates the specialized nature of content-area texts, student achievement in both writing and science will soar. , and the Common Core Science Writing Standards (segmented by grade level). We challenge you to find a new way to incorporate writing into your science classroom that is engaging and dynamic for your students. and if you are one of them, then it's easy to incorporate writing into your classroom. There are writing opportunities at every E, especially when students are elaborating and evaluating. This is a great place for students to write lab reports but there are many other opportunities; for example, students reflect on their learning, ask questions to continue the experimental process, and extend new concepts and skills. Just a reminder-you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email or RSS Reader. And, if you missed any of the highlights from the first six years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. They don't include ones from this current year, but you can find those by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar. Look for the next Part Two in a few days.
Tara Dale is a high school science teacher in the Gilbert School District in Arizona. Previously she taught 7th grade science and U.S. history in Phoenix. She was recognized as Kyrene's Educator of the Year at the end of her second year teaching and then two years later was honored with the Science Foundation Arizona's Innovation Hero Award. In 2014 she was named Arizona Teacher of the Year Ambassador for Excellence. She travels the state advocating for Arizona's teachers and students with her work at Educators for Higher Standards, Student Achievement Partners, and Arizona Educational Foundation:

Becky Bone is the vice president of professional learning services for scholastic education, and consults with school districts nationwide on K-12 literacy and professional learning initiatives. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and graduate degree from the University of Central Florida. Becky also has served as curriculum coordinator in the Central Florida area:

Thanks to Mary, Amy, Maria, Diane, Mandi, Tara, and Becky for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Anyone whose question is selected for this weekly column can choose one free book from a number of education publishers.

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Response: Ways to Integrate Writing Into Science Classes (Opinion)

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Mary K. Tedrow, Amy Roediger, Dr. Maria Grant,Diane Lapp,EdD, Mandi White, Tara Dale and Becky Bone share their suggestions for how to integrating writing into science classes.

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Inside: Healthy relationships with students improve life for everyone involved. In order to be able to think and produce high-quality work, students first need to feel supported and valued. They need to have agency and confidence.
Some classroom management issues can make it challenging to build relationships with students. When students refuse to complete work, when small groups misuse productivity time, and when bullying rears its ugly head, it can be tempting to throw in the towel.

Except, the concept of classroom management is beginning to evolve. Instead of thinking of management as actions teachers take do after a student behavior, we can view it it as a way to build a culture of respect...a community of learners. When students and teachers have a mutual trust and respect, fewer classroom management issues surface.

So, how can we cultivate those relationships?

Get to know students as learners...and as people.

It's no surprise that having regular conversations with students is one way to build their trust. Students need to see we care about who they are, not just what they produce on paper. Teachers can talk with students during independent or group work time, before or after class. We can also talk with students in written format, like through dialogue journals or conversation calendars (Tovani 2011).

Building in flexibility to our class structure is really important for relationships with students. Do you have time to work with small groups? To ask students about what they did over the weekend? Could you use extra class time or designate a learning center to be a chat station where you can learn more about your class?

Give students a voice.

Teacher-student relationships improve when students feel their voice is heard. Are students off task because they don't see the importance of the lesson? Is it because there isn't enough choice or flexibility to cater to their interests or learning styles? Are they missing the relevance...the why?

It's true that the teacher is the certified professional in the room, but students often have insights regarding how they learn best. We need to listen to them and ask for feedback regularly. Did this work? Did you like it? What did you learn? How could we make this better next time? Some answers will be profound...and others....won't. But we still need to ask.

Use positive phone calls.

We can use positive phone calls to build confidence and respect. Many students have never had a teacher call a parent just to say something positive. Positive emails can work just as well. Letting students know that we see the good in them will encourage them to be productive and respectful during class. Here are some possible phone call scripts.

Create a support system.

Behaviors improve when students see that their teachers, coaches, parents, and administrators are all on the same team - students' team. If students aren't staying on task, if they are acting mean toward classmates, or if they are refusing to do work, inform all stakeholders. Let the student know that you want what is best for them.

At the beginning of the year, I've always found it helpful to send home a questionnaire. I love to hear what parents have to say about their child based on observations at home. This is where you can download my free editable parent survey template.

Use literature to spark discussions.

Books, short stories, nonfiction articles - these texts can all open doors of communication between teacher and student. Use questions inspired by themes or controversies in literature to lead students to a common understanding of which behaviors are respectful and which are not. Weaving in character-building picture books to spark analytical discussions is a fun approach. Confer with students about what they are reading!

Many teachers choose to have overarching themes for the school year. Trying to relate everything back to an important lesson or takeaway can be a powerful way to lead students toward respectful demeanors.

Embrace awkwardness.

So maybe you've tried all of these things, but you're still falling short of developing the type of relationship that results in mutual respect. Perhaps students are cheating on homework or tests or just having a bad attitude in general. Sometimes, we just need to ask students.

Tell them they won't be in trouble and their grade will not suffer, but you just need to know. Why are they being dishonest? What is preventing them from using work time? Why are they treating classmates poorly? Is there something going on in class or at home that is causing a negative or disrespectful attitude? When we ask students these questions, we need to be prepared to analyze their responses objectively...to gain as much valuable information as possible from what they tell us. This means that we can't respond defensively, and we can't go back on our word.

Surprisingly, students will usually open up about their behavior and their thoughts if we ask them in a way that makes them feel safe and valued. Embrace the awkward conversations.

Praise!

Students will let you into their worlds if they know you are cheering them on. When students do something - anything - well, praise them up and down. Of course, some students might prefer to receive this praise in private (after all, it can be embarrassing in front of friends).

We have to acknowledge that we all put up walls from time to time. Those walls are there to protect us. We have no idea what is happening in students' lives unless they tell us, so our number one goal with building relationships is to knock those walls down. To do it, we need to build students' confidence, point out their growth, and truly care about them.

A final thought: Document everything.

Efforts made to develop relationships with students need to be documented. It's important that we record every effort we make to connect with and support a student. That way, if for some reason we aren't successful at getting through to a student, we have evidence of what we have done that we can pass along to a response to intervention team. I keep a Google doc open throughout the day that I can add to quickly. This way, I can also access it easily during meetings.

Documenting our conversations, intervention attempts, phone calls and emails, efforts to involve coaches, and assignment or assessment accommodations is a way to leave a trail that shows students we really care. We are trying.

I'm a realist. I realize that teachers can lead a horse to water, but we can't make it drink. Still, we can't give up on a student. We have to try every possible method of guiding him or her to the stream. As one of my colleagues put it, we have to Maslow before we can Bloom.

When we take time to develop meaningful teacher-student relationships, we will inevitably see classroom management issues improve. Students will trust us and respect us. They will know we are on their team. In turn, they will want to work with us. Classroom management, although its use is becoming less popular, is not a negative concept when we think about in terms of leading students to behaviors that will help them be successful in life.

Need more ideas? Try these thoughts on building relationships from Language Arts Classroom.

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7 Powerful Ways to Build Relationships with Students - Reading and Writing Haven

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Inside: Healthy relationships with students improve life for everyone involved. In order to be able to think and produce high-quality work, students first need to feel supported and valued. They need to have agency and confidence. Some classroom management issues can make it challenging to build relationships with students.

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Describes different types of conferencing with students

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If we want to empower students to own the assessment process, we need to incorporate meaningful self-assessment and peer assessment into our lessons. However, students still need guidance from their teachers. This is why I

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https://kappanonline.org/goal-setting-practices-support-learning-culture-nordengren/

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Goal-setting practices that support a learning culture - kappanonline.org

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Having students set their own goals and monitor their progress is most effective when teachers are able to create a culture, rather than following prescriptive steps.

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I would have said I knew my students, but I rarely sat down for purposeful individual conversations about academics. It was my job to feed my baby birds as I'd been fed, and I talked to them when I could grab a minute in passing.

In our increasingly flat world, the passive learning model is deservedly dead, but what is the first step to putting students in charge of their own learning? Based on my own experience, I advise scheduling frequent purposeful student-instructor conferences. After more than 20 years of teaching, I began conferencing with students, and the culture of the classroom went from "me" and "them" to "us, the learning community."

A 1976-78 UK study, cited in Curriculum Provision in the Small Primary School, found that teachers spend under 5 seconds with children in 40 percent of one-to-one exchanges. In 2012, John Hattie reported that teachers do the talking 70-80 percent of the time or more. Because it's rare for a teacher to conference unless discipline is the topic, my students feel a little awkward the first time we meet, but soon they are scheduling extra conferences as needed because they've experienced the positive outcomes. Conferences are also the best formative assessment for both my teaching and their learning.

My class time is divided between direct instruction and workshop. Conferences occur during workshop. The student sits behind a folding screen while I sit just beyond the edge so I can monitor classroom activity, and we speak quietly. A folding TV tray stand is our table. I preplan the conferences with a roster on the board and on my clipboard, ready to take notes. I announce who's "up" and who's "on deck" and repeat the call as each conference finishes.

After a session, I erase names so that so we can see who's left for the next day. Quiet background music and the hum of activity maintains conversation confidentiality. Once you gain familiarity with conducting conferences, the time you spend with each student will be 5-10 minutes. The only all-class-period conference cycles are at major grading periods. The rest of the time, I will choose those to whom I need to speak, or students will request a time to conference. Occasionally, I tuck a conference into my planning time, especially if I know the student needs extra time.

Some of the benefits of individual conferences:

1. Students learn how to expect more of themselves. In his 1978 book Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes, Vygotsky observed that "children grow into the intellectual life around them," but some don't yet have confidence in their abilities or a growth mindset. Discussing where they are and how to get where they need to be produces "emotionally and relationally healthy learning communities-intellectual environments that produce not mere technical competence, but caring, secure, actively literate human beings," writes SUNY Albany professor Peter Johnston in Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learning.

2. The teacher and student constantly renegotiate the teaching-learning process and connect each step to larger learning goals always just beyond their current comfort level. Inspired by Vygotsky's "Zone of Proximal Development", Cambridge professor Neil Mercer christened that balance the Interthinking (or Intermental) Development Zone (IDZ). Maintaining the IDZ through regular dialogue keeps everyone pressing onward to the goals and creating new ones.

3. Students receive constant, timely feedback and clarification that makes the student the lead learner. Current feedback tends to be " impoverished and fractured ," writes David Nicol. Most of the time, the teacher is a trained expert handing down corrections. We assume students can improve based on what we tell them they need to do, which is in turn based on the assumption that students will completely understand what we tell them as we meant it. If teachers can't close the feedback loop with the student taking an active part in achieving the goal, all the hours we spend providing feedback are pointless.

4. Conferences level the playing field for all learners. The longer students have been without personal choice and responsibility, the harder it may be for them to take ownership when it's offered. It can also be difficult to stop blaming others or external circumstances for past failures. Conferencing allows each student an equal opportunity to enter learning confidently and ask for any necessary help, as well as gaining the teacher's realistic assessment of their abilities. In my time conferencing with students, I find most, even in advanced classes, underestimate their current level of performance and even more fail to believe just how well they can do in the future.

5. Students learn how to manage academic loads. Many students have no idea how to plan ahead or use a calendar, and no adult has taught them how to do it. I discuss how to break assignments into manageable steps and find the best method for tracking due dates.

6. The student and teacher build a deeper relationship. Before a grading period conference, I formulate questions based on what's been happening in class, which allow the student to reflect and for me to see the student's perception before we meet. Those questions and responses can be used as discussion starters once we sit down. I find we connect more genuinely if I take handwritten notes and put most of my effort into listening to the student. Many times, students let me know of situations or misperceptions of which I had no awareness, and I also have an opportunity to encourage them and share my perspective.

Conferencing individually with our students doesn't take away from instructional time; in reality, it is some of the best instructional time we'll spend with our students.

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Empower Students Through Individual Conferences

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I would have said I knew my students, but I rarely sat down for purposeful individual conversations about academics. It was my job to feed my baby birds as I'd been fed, and I talked to them when I could grab a minute in passing.

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We've all heard of Capturing Kids Hearts but the four questions for Misbehaviors are game changers. They help control teachers reactions and promote consistency.

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Classroom Management- Heidi Templeton- Kellett

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Classroom Management- Heidi Templeton- Kellett

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https://youtu.be/TM-3PFfIfvI

Why we should all allow retakes.

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Rick Wormeli: Redos, Retakes, and Do-Overs, Part One

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Neuroscience can suggest ways to keep students working toward their learning goals after their initial excitement wears off.

It's likely that your hard work orchestrating the first weeks of school enhanced your students' connection to the school community and their enthusiasm for the learning to come. However, as the semester goes on and you seek to sustain that motivated momentum, you may not be able to find the same amount of prep time that you dedicated to the start of the year.

Yet even when your students' bubbles of excitement fade, you can reboot their connections, engagement, and motivation with the help of insights from neuroscience research.

The Neuroscience of Motivation

Motivation is a desire to learn, try, work, and persevere. I'm a neurologist and former teacher, and one of my focus areas is the neuroscience of learning-especially motivated and successful learning. Students' levels of intrinsic motivation-the inherent satisfaction of the activity itself, rather than an outside reward-directly correspond with increased effort and with seeing the effectiveness of their behavior, choices, focus, and performance.

Intrinsic motivation is promoted by dopamine, a brain chemical that gives us a rush of satisfaction upon achieving a goal we've chosen. When dopamine levels rise, so does one's sense of satisfaction and desire to continue to sustain attention and effort. Increased dopamine can also improve other mental processes, including memory, attention, perseverance, and creative problem-solving.

The Value of Choice

Dopamine release is promoted by meeting desired challenges, interacting with peers, movement, humor, and listening to music, among other things. Knowing what boosts students' dopamine levels can help you in your quest to maintain or reboot their motivation. One dopamine booster that I've found especially effective is choice, which appears to increase students' levels of intrinsic motivation, supporting their sustained effort and persistence in academic tasks.

Choice shifts responsibility for their learning to students and builds their judgment and decision-making. Some students may feel anxious about having too much freedom, fearing they won't do the right thing. By starting with small choices first, you can help your learners develop skills of evaluating, selecting, and following through with good choices. As you offer more opportunities for choice and expand students' boundaries as self-directed learners, you'll see further increases in their confidence and motivated effort toward their chosen goals.

Some Classroom Examples

Here are some ways to provide choice to invigorate students' motivation, engagement, and effort in their learning beyond the first weeks.

World languages: As students learn vocabulary in the target language, you can offer them choices regarding how they build mastery and self-assess their progress. Curiosity and personal relevance for this type of task can start with your showing a short humorous video in the target language. Look for clips that show positive emotions, laughter, and people and places to which your learners will relate. Their goal is to explain-in a manner of their choosing-why they think the clip is funny. You may allow them to use dictionaries, provide guidance to the appropriate textbook material, or have them work in flexible groups with you or peers.

You can give them guided choice in demonstrating their achievement: Allow them to write or speak about the humor they found, to draw a cartoon strip reflecting something in the video, or to make their own videos on the humorous topic emphasized in the video.

Language arts: To motivate students to learn the essentials of punctuation, have them choose a book they love, which will become a punctuation learning tool.

Ask students to choose a favorite section of their chosen text and have them copy it without the punctuation. You then make anonymous copies of these unpunctuated documents and place them in boxes labeled with the level of challenge (as you determine it). You can add information about the topic to guide the new "punctuators" to select a topic of interest. You can also allow them a choice in the level of challenge-they can progress at their own comfort level through increasing levels of challenge.

The students' job is to make the chosen text understandable by adding punctuation. You should note that the original author's punctuation choices are not the only valid ones, and when students make different choices the class can discuss those differences. Your students will get feedback that they're building mastery as they use punctuation to make sense of increasingly challenging texts.

After you've done this once, you'll have samples of student work you can share in subsequent years-ideally examples showing a progression from a text with no punctuation to one with incorrect or incomplete punctuation, and then on to a readable text with appropriate punctuation.

Math: Metric system boring? Let students choose something that interests them, such as recipes they want to make or sporting statistics, and have them convert the standard values involved into metric measurements.

Look to help learners recognize the pleasurable emotional experiences that occur through their learning and sustained effort. Remind them of these experiences-you may want to show students photographs of themselves smiling during such experiences-when they need a boost of motivated enthusiasm and effort for subsequent goals.

Motivation has a major impact on students' effort, academic success, and joy of learning. Providing choices for your learners to engage with new learning and to progress through achievable challenges, with feedback on their progress toward their chosen goals, will make a difference in sustaining their motivated effort throughout the school year ahead.

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Maintaining Students' Motivation for Learning as the Year Goes On

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Neuroscience can suggest ways to keep students working toward their learning goals after their initial excitement wears off. It's likely that your hard work orchestrating the first weeks of school enhanced your students' connection to the school community and their enthusiasm for the learning to come.

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Kristen Gibson

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https://www.apa.org/education-career/k12/modules-classroom-management

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Kratochwill, T. (2015, March 9). Classroom management module. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/education-career/k12/modules-classroom-management

Classroom management is the process by which teachers and schools create and maintain appropriate behavior of students in classroom settings. The purpose of implementing classroom management strategies is to enhance prosocial behavior and increase student academic engagement (Emmer & Sabornie, 2015; Everston & Weinstein, 2006). Effective classroom management principles work across almost all subject areas and grade levels (Brophy, 2006; Lewis, et al., 2006). When using a tiered model in which school-wide support is provided at the universal level, classroom behavior management programs have shown to be effective for 80-85 percent of all students. More intensive programs may be needed for some students.

Why is classroom management important?

Effective classroom management:

Establishes and sustains an orderly environment in the classroom.

Increases meaningful academic learning and facilitates social and emotional growth.

Decreases negative behaviors and increases time spent academically engaged.

Although effective classroom management produces a variety of positive outcomes for students, according to a 2006 survey of pre-K through grade 12 teachers conducted by APA, teachers report a lack of support in implementing classroom management strategies. Chaotic classroom environments are a large issue for teachers and can contribute to high teacher stress and burnout rates. Therefore, it is important to use effective classroom management strategies at the universal level in a tiered model, as they serve as both prevention and intervention methods that promote positive outcomes for students.

Why classroom management works

Effective classroom management

Classroom management systems are effective because they increase student success by creating an orderly learning environment that enhances students' academic skills and competencies, as well as their social and emotional development. Classroom management systems are most effective when they adhere to three basic principles (Brophy, 2006, pp. 39-40):

1. Emphasize student expectations for behavior and learning.

2. Promote active learning and student involvement.

3. Identify important student behaviors for success. More specifically:

What behaviors are required to reach the goals of learning activities?

What implications does a particular learning activity have for student roles?

How will the teacher prepare students to take on these roles?

School Wide Implementation

Teachers concerned with classroom management typically need help with two issues:

1. Preventing discipline problems.

2. Dealing with current discipline problems.

To address these concerns, researchers have established several systems such as positive behavior support (PBS) (Crone & Horner, 2003; Crone, Horner, & Hawken, 2010) and social and emotional learning (SEL), (Weissberg, Kumpfer, & Seligman, 2003).

Positive behavior support

Positive behavior support (PBS) is typically set up as a multilevel model of intervention and involves a school-wide structure of support for teachers that adopt evidence-based programs (Freiberg & Lapointe, 2006), and small group and individualized programs for students who do not respond to the school-wide structure and need more support (Robinson & Griesemer, 2006). At the school wide level, teachers and staff create a positive school culture by clearly defining positive expectations that are taught to all students and adults (Bradshaw, 2014).

An example of a system of PBS as a tiered model might look like the following:

Tier 1: universal level

The school establishes expectations for behavior.

Ensure that students, staff and families understand these expectations; schools operationalize positive behaviors and teach them to students.

Teachers have pro-social contacts with students and model expected behaviors.

Teachers receive formal training in behavior management.

The school establishes a school-wide leadership team to support the PBS activities.

The school implements a methodical system of recording student behavior to facilitate decision-making regarding potential intervention or other responses.

Tier 2: secondary level of intervention

An evidence-based program such as First Steps to Success (Walker, Stiller, Bolly, Kavanagh, Steverson, & Feil, 1997) can be implemented with groups of students in need of this level of support.

Tier 3: tertiary level

Individualized evidence-based programs are implemented for students not responding to the second tier based on results of behavior data and analysis of their behavior. Most classroom teachers have not been trained in functional assessment or analysis of behavior, so it is important that they consult with their colleagues (e.g., school psychologists, special education teachers) who have expertise in this area.

Tier 1: universal instruction and intervention

Approximately 80-85 percent of students will be able to meet classroom behavior expectations when given high-quality, universal instruction/intervention on behavior.

Explicitly teach students classroom expectations and routines

Teachers should not assume that students know the appropriate and expected classroom behaviors. Instead, teachers should make it a priority to help their students understand what appropriate classroom behaviors are and make this information explicit.

Spend extra time teaching expectations at the beginning of the school year; this plan will help students get into the practice of following rules right from the start.

Reteach your goals throughout the year, and make sure your students are familiar with these goals. It could be helpful to display them in your classroom.

Make your classroom goals easy to understand and measurable (e.g., if your goal is to "be respectful" make sure your students know what that means. Provide them examples of respectful behaviors that you expect from them).

Generally, do not exceed five expectations at a time; too many expectations will cause students to forget directions.

Adapt behavior expectations based on context such as group size or setting.

Reward positive behaviors

Student praise is one of the most effective ways of increasing positive behavior. Giving behavior-specific praise that identifies what the student has done correctly is a powerful strategy for increasing good behavior.

Assess what rewards are reinforcing for your students: do they appreciate teacher attention or prefer small prizes? Rewards only work if the student finds them reinforcing, so rewards may need to be tailored for individual students.

Develop a curriculum that facilitates student engagement

Ensure that the difficulty level of the instructional materials is appropriate for the students. Instructional materials that are too easy or too difficult can result in off-task behavior.

Create opportunities for student choice in materials studied. Student choice allows for greater ownership of academic experience. (see module on autonomous learners)

Incorporate student interest into the curriculum, causing the students to become more invested in what they are learning (Kern & Clemens, 2007).

What if a student isn't responding to instruction or intervention?

If a student isn't responding to universal instruction/intervention with classroom appropriate behavior, they may need a stronger or customized intervention. Implementing intensive socio-emotional interventions for students with behavior difficulties is an effective means of enhancing classroom management because socio-emotional interventions can equip students with the competencies, skills and motivation they need to behave appropriately in school.

Tier 2: smaller group instruction

Typically an additional 10-15 percent of students need more behavior support than is provided at the Universal level. Tier 2 support typically involves small group instruction.

Institute socio-emotional groups

Small group instruction can be established for students who need to focus on specific skills to improve and manage their classroom behavior. Topics for these groups may include:

a. Self-management

b. Anger management

c. Conflict resolution

d. Specialized social skill instruction

e. Mentoring programs

Institute daily check-in and check-out procedures:

Check-in and check-out procedures allow for monitoring of students' behavior as well as provide feedback for improvement. Criteria for monitoring are based on school behavior expectations.

Develop brief functional behavior assessments to determine the motivation behind student behaviors.

Consult with colleagues trained in functional behavior assessment to collect data on students' behavior and offer analyses of potential interventions that are most appropriate and effective for specific needs.

Involve families in supporting children in group interventions

Inform families of problem-solving plans at school and engage in consistent communication to ensure effectiveness of plans.

Tier 3: individual intervention

An additional 5-7 percent of students may need continued support beyond Tier 2 interventions. These students typically benefit from individualized, intensive interventions.

A problem-solving team in the school can offer support to the teacher

Problem-solving teams composed of teachers, school psychologists, principals and special educators should meet regularly to collaborate on appropriate interventions for students needing increased support.

Develop and implement function-based interventions for individual students

Functional behavior assessments are effective means of determining the purpose of student misbehavior and creating appropriate interventions (Scott et al., 2005).

Social and emotional learning

Social and emotional learning (SEL) is affiliated with the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) (Weissberg, Kumper, & Seligman, 2003). SEL programs provide instruction at the universal level and are designed to teach social and emotional competencies to students to enhance their success in school and in life (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnikci, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011). According to CASEL, effective SEL instruction includes opportunities to practice skills, coordination with school and community environments, systematic and sequential programming throughout grade levels, and continuous monitoring of programming.

Recommendations for teachers

1. Do not use vague rules.

2. Do not have rules that you are unwilling to enforce.

3. Do not ignore student behaviors that violate school or classroom rules (they will not go away).

4. Do not engage in ambiguous or inconsistent treatment of misbehavior.

5. Do not use overly harsh or embarrassing punishments or punishments delivered without accompanying support.

6. Do not use corporal punishment.

7. Avoid out-of-school suspension whenever possible (APA Task Force on Zero Tolerance report).

8. Do not try to solve problems alone if you have serious concerns about a student. Refer to your school psychologist or special education professional.

Developmental differences

Classroom management in high schools

Although positive behavior support systems are producing strong results for increased pro-social behaviors and decreased negative results in elementary schools, these systems are less often implemented in high schools.

Sometimes, high schools have tried to resolve behavioral issues by:

Repeating and restating consequences.

Increasing the averseness of consequences.

Establishing a bottom line or zero tolerance level policies.

Excluding students from the "privilege" of attending school through out-of-school suspensions and expulsions.

Offering alternative ways of completing the high school experience someplace else (e.g., alternative school, community college) (Sugai & Horner, 2002).

These frequently enforced consequences:

May lead to overly controlling environments.

Could trigger and reinforce antisocial behavior.

Can shift accountability and educational responsibility away from the school.

Can devalue student-teacher relationships.

Might weaken the link between academic and social behavior (Sugai & Horner, 2002; American Psychological Association [APA] Zero Tolerance Task Force, 2008).

When implemented in high schools, prevention-based classroom management systems:

Create and promote a positive school climate.

Enhance student commitment to school.

Teach and reward individual student social skills.

Disrupt and monitor antisocial behaviors and interactions.

Effective high school classroom management adjustments

Due to developmental differences between elementary and high school students, adaptations to classroom management strategies must be made. The following are some examples:

Allow students to be involved in the development and implementation of goals. Students will be increasingly engaged in classroom management strategies if you give them collaborative responsibility in the creation and implementation of expectations.

Teach behavior expectations as you do in elementary school; do not assume that high school students understand social expectations.

Remember: not all high school students are motivated by academic success or social success. Have students individually assist in identifying what they would find reinforcing.

Do certain classroom management systems cause problems or have unanticipated effects?

Classroom management systems may cause problematic consequences when administered incorrectly. Mistakes made in classroom management (e.g., reinforcing disruptive behavior by attending only to the inappropriate behavior and not appropriate behavior) can lead to loss of respect and cooperation on the part of students, increased misbehavior, and students' perception that the teacher is not in control of the classroom.

Do classroom management systems work for all students?

When applied correctly, effective classroom management principles can work across all subject areas and all developmental levels (Brophy, 2006). They can be expected to promote students' self-regulation, reduce the incidence of misbehavior, and increase student productivity.

What criteria should be applied to evaluate classroom management systems?

Classroom management systems should be evaluated by their ability to promote self-regulation of behavior, reduce the incidence of misbehavior and maximize student productivity. In tiered models like positive behavior support, established progress-monitoring systems help make decisions about the level of support that a student needs.

How should a student management system be set up?

The best model for establishing an individual, classroom, or school-wide system of managing student behavior is a tiered approach. Such an approach involves primary, secondary and tertiary levels of managing student behavior problems.

When should classroom management systems be started?

Research suggests that beginning-of-the-year activities are extremely important for effective classroom management systems. Within the first few days and weeks of the start of a school year an effective classroom management system should be fully in place. However, an individual program for disruptive behavior can be established at any time.

How long should classroom management systems remain in place?

Classroom management systems should be established at the beginning of the year so that expectations for students are in place early in the semester. Once they are established, classroom management systems should be applied throughout the year and across the grades so that students receive constant and consistent messages about classroom expectations, rules and procedures. This strategy will ensure positive student behavior is supported and reinforced throughout the year.

Why are classroom management systems effective in managing student behavior and learning?

Research indicates that classroom management systems are effective in managing student behavior and learning because they sustain an orderly learning environment for students, enhance students' academic skills and competencies, and further social and emotional development.

Where can I get more information?

"The Handbook of Classroom Management" (2nd ed.) edited by Emmer and Sabornie and published by Routledge in 2015 is a major resource in the field. This volume provides a comprehensive overview of issues surrounding classroom management research and practice.

Reducing Behavior Problems in the Elementary School Classroom (2008) is another useful resource, produced by the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences.

Who can I contact in my school for assistance?

If you work in a public school, your school psychologist is the best person to contact. He/she has training in classroom management procedures and evidence-based programs and can help you implement a tiered model of services. You can also contact your school counselor and building principal for assistance.

American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force. (2008). Are zero tolerance policies effective in the schools? An evidentiary review and recommendations. American Psychologist, 63, 852-862.

Baer, G. G. (2015). Preventative classroom strategies. In E. T. Emmer & E. J. Sabornie (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management (2 nd Ed.) (pp. 15-39). New York: Taylor and Francis Group.

Bradshaw, C. (2014) Positive behavioral interventions and supports. In Slavin, R.E. (Ed.), Classroom Management & Assessment (pp. 99-104). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.

Brophy, J. (2006). History of research on classroom management. In C. M. Evertson & C. S. Weinstein (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues (pp. 17-43). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Crone, D. H., & Horner, R. H. (2003). Building positive behavior support systems in schools: Functional behavioral assessment. New York: Guilford.

Crone, D. H., Horner, R. H., & Hawken, L. S. (2004). Responding to behavior problems in schools: The behavior education program. New York: Guilford.

Durlak, J.A., Weissberg, R.P., Dymnicki, A.B., Taylor, R.D., & Schellinger, K.B. (2011). The impact of enhancing students' social and emotional learning: A meta-analysis of school-based universal interventions. Child Development. 82. pp. 405-432.

Emmer, E. T. & Sabornie, E. J. (Eds.) (2015). Handbook of classroom management (2nd ed.). New York: Routledge.

Evertson, C. M., & Weinstein, C. S. (2006). Classroom management as a field of inquiry. In C. M. Evertson & C. S. Weinstein (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues (pp. 3-16). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Freiberg, H. J., & Lapointe, J. M. (2006). Research-based programs for preventing and solving discipline problems. In C. Evertson and C. S. Weinstein (Eds.). Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues (pp. 735-786). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Kern, L., & Clemens, N. H. (2007). Antecedent strategies to promote appropriate classroom behavior. Psychology in the Schools, 44, 65-75.

Lewis, T. J., Mitchell, B. S., Trussell, R., & Newcommer, L. (2015). In E. T. Emmer & E. J. Sabornie (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management (2 nd Ed.) (pp.40-59). New York: Taylor and Francis Group.

Robinson, S. L., & Griesemer, S. M. R. (2006) Helping individual students with problem behavior. In C. M. Evertson & C. S. Weinstein (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management: Research, practice, and contemporary issues (pp. 787-802). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Scott, T. M., Mclntyre, J., Liaupsin, C., Nelson, C. M., Conroy, M., & Payne, L. D. (2005). An examination of the relation between functional behavior assessment and selected intervention strategies with school-based teams. Journal Of Positive Behavior Interventions, 7, 205-215.

Sugai, G., & Simonsen, B. (2015). Supporting general classroom management: Tier 2/3 practices and systems. In E. T. Emmer & E. J. Sabornie (Eds.), Handbook of classroom management (2 nd Ed.). New York: Taylor and Francis Group.

Slavin, R. E. (Ed.) (2014). Classroom management & assessment. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Weissberg, R. P., Kumpfer, K. L., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2003) Prevention that works for children and youth: An introduction. American Psychologist. 58. pp. 425-432.

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Teachers concerned with classroom management typically need help with two issues: preventing discipline problems and dealing with current discipline problems. Researchers have established two systems to help promote an orderly learning environment: positive behavior support, and social and emotional learning.

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https://youtu.be/IqIID0fTR8k

https://spencerauthor.com/the-power-of-student-conferencing/

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https://thrivingschools.kaiserpermanente.org/resources/modeling-the-path-to-self-regulation-for-students-through-me-moments/

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Thriving Schools | A partnership for healthy students, staff & teachers

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Modeling the Path to Self-Regulation for Students Through Me Moments

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Effective learning requires both students and adults to feel safe, calm, and focused. Join us to walk through our newest toolkit: Me Moments, which teaches adults and young people how to co-create strategies for self-regulation. The toolkit includes a variety of strategies and options for any type o…

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Modeling the Path to Self-Regulation for Students Through Me Moments

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I enjoyed reading this article because it breaks down Disciplinary Literacy by content area!

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Students use varied and complex literacy skills to solve problems and communicate their thinking in science, history, and English Language Arts. To support students' continued development in these areas, teachers need to build students' literacy skills toward discipline-specific ways of reading and writing. In this blog, we respond to the following questions:

1. What is disciplinary literacy?

2. Why do differences in disciplinary literacies matter?

We conclude with a brief overview of Project READi, which offers teachers free resources to build their disciplinary-literacy instructional approach.
Folks in different disciplines have distinct ways of speaking, writing, engaging in inquiry, and solving problems. While surface-level similarities exist between reading in science and reading in history (e.g. processing information at the word, sentence, and text levels), Project READi asserts the products and goals of reading in the disciplines require tailored disciplinary literacies.

Meanwhile in the discipline of history, reading for the purpose of historical interpretation requires skills like contextualizing primary sources and corroborating accounts of events by different actors in order to better ascertain a reasonable and reliable historical interpretation. In the digital word, corroborating takes place through lateral reading. The differences that exist in literary spaces, history, and science are not limited to each discipline's goals, lexicon, and standards for evidence and therefore require distinct literacy skills.

At the secondary level, teachers often attend to foundational literacy skills like summarizing information, generating claims, and using evidence and experiences to support claims. However, carefully considering the specific disciplinary literacy skills students need to engage in complex, literate acts within that discipline is also important.

Below, we showcase discipline-specific literacy practices in ELA, science, and history. Notice the commonalities and differences between them.

Given the different purposes for reading and writing in the disciplines, it is likely that teachers' instructional approaches for reading and writing will be different. Calling out these discipline-specific differences for students can help them build greater awareness of how language is used according to different (discipline-specific) rhetorical situations. Each rhetorical situation shares five elements with other rhetorical situations:

1. A text (i.e., an actual instance or piece of communication)

2. An author (i.e., someone who uses communication)

3. An audience (i.e., a recipient of communication)

4. Purposes (i.e., the varied reasons both authors and audiences communicate)

5. A setting (i.e., the time, place, and environment surrounding a moment of communication)

Based on the rhetorical situations students will encounter in your classroom, consider how you might scaffold the disciplinary literacy students need.

A group of educators and researchers at Project READi have developed lessons and assessments for teaching contemporary literacies and reading skills.

In this six-minute video, Dr. Susan Goldman of Project READi, describes the rationale behind the disciplinary approach to researching and improving student's literacy skills. She suggests that these practices should be developed through responsive instruction and alongside the learning of the content. Disciplinary literacy skills may support students when tackling the complex problems in their worlds, perhaps while working withing interdisciplinary teams.

How might you better support students' disciplinary literacy?

Interested in guest blogging for the National WRITE Center? See our guidelines by clicking here. ​

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The What and Why of Disciplinary Literacy

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Students use varied and complex literacy skills to solve problems and communicate their thinking in science, history, and English Language Arts. To support students' continued development in these areas, teachers need to build students' literacy skills toward discipline-specific ways of reading and writing. In this blog, we respond to the following questions: What is disciplinary literacy?

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The article gave three main points for student conferencing goal setting to work for student achievement. In addition, it also stated that student shows achievement gains once it is done with correctly.

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Goal-setting practices that support a learning culture - kappanonline.org

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Having students set their own goals and monitor their progress is most effective when teachers are able to create a culture, rather than following prescriptive steps.

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Randy Jenkins

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Goal-setting practices that support a learning culture - kappanonline.org

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Having students set their own goals and monitor their progress is most effective when teachers are able to create a culture, rather than following prescriptive steps.

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https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-response-building-relationships-with-students-is-the-most-important-thing-a-teacher-can-do/2018/10

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Last year, I heard about IPAs (Integrated Performance Assessments). This year, I started to use IPAs and even created some to build the French immersion program. I love this way of assessing World Languages. However, I want to learn much more about it. I chose this article because it's short enough to start with and because you will find easy visual clues to understand the concept quickly.

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This is the fifth installment in a series of posts on Assessments in the Communicative and Comprehension based classroom. This post covers reasons why I love and don't love Integrated Performance Assessments (IPAs) and how I am using them in my classes. This is based on 7+ years of using such performance-assessments in my classes.

Integrated Performance Assessments (IPA) provide opportunities for students to demonstrate how they use their language skills, given a real life task. More than a simple "audit", an IPA allows student to continue learning and growing about a cultural topic while being evaluated in all three modes of communication: Interpretive, Interpersonal, and Presentational.

I started implementing IPAs in 2013/2014: I studied the ACTFL publication Implementing Integrated Performance Assessment, created a few IPAs, tried them out in my classroom, and upon attending a training with Francis J. Troyan, one of the co-authors of the book, I went into an IPA frenzy. I had IPAs up the wazoo for all kinds of proficiency levels, from Novice Low all the way to Intermediate Mid! Needless to say, I have scaled back and I am now very comfortable with the balance I have found.

1.Example of IPAs

2.Pros and Cons of using IPAs

Because I strive to provide as much broad (not specialized) language and comprehensible input as possible in the Novice years, I find IPAs too specialized and too heavy for Novice learners. However, I find them very helpful to assess learners who are ready to express themselves in more details on a specialized topic. As usual, that does not mean my Novice don't speak, they do. I just choose not to grade their productive skills while they are developing. With Intermediate students, however, I use IPAs on a quarterly basis, as summative assessments.

In conclusion, I think IPAs have a place in the Communicative and Comprehension-based classroom, as long as we don't use them too soon or too frequently.

For classroom examples of IPAs, visit the Ohio Department of Education wonderful samples.

For a hands-on and down-to-earth workshop on implementing IPAs in your classroom, school, or district, please contact me.

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Why I still mostly love Integrated Performance Assessments

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This is the fifth installment in a series of posts on Assessments in the Communicative and Comprehension based classroom. This post covers reasons why I love and don't love Integrated Performance Assessments (IPAs) and how I am using them in my classes. This is based on 7+ years of using such performance-assessments in my classes....

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Setting goals:
G= Growth
O= Ownership
A= Awareness
L= Learning

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The new "question-of-the-week" is:
How can we use goal-setting with our students?
Research, and the practical experience of many educators, suggest that encouraging students to set their own goals can assist academic achievement and student engagement. As one student said to me last year, "When you set a goal, it just makes you want to work harder to make it."

This series will explore ways to apply this kind of goal-setting in the classroom.

Today, Dr. Sanée Bell, Kevin Parr, Rita Platt, Dr. Jennifer Davis Bowman and Matt Renwick share their ideas. You can listen to a 10-minute conversation I had with Sanée, Rita and Kevin on my BAM! Radio Show. You can also find a list of, and links to, previous shows here.
Response From Dr. Sanée Bell
Sanée Bell, Ed.D. is a middle school principal and adjunct professor who resides in Houston, Texas. Dr. Bell recognizes her impact as a leader and uses her role to inspire, motivate, and empower others. Sanée shares her thoughts on leadership on her blog saneebell.com and via Twitter @SaneeBell:
The purpose of using goal setting with students is to help understand their role during the learning process. To frame this discussion, I want to use the letters in the word G.O.A.L. to define the importance of establishing goals with our students. Growth. Without setting how goals, how will students know when they are learning and improving? We certainly cannot rely on grades to be a measure of growth. In fact, grades measure compliance more than student growth. Grades are teacher directed and involve no collaboration. On the other hand, goals should be collaborative decisions made by the teacher and the student and include various measurements of progress along the way. Ownership.Through goal setting, students become owners of their learning. They are not able to be passive participants who await for the teacher to determine if they have mastered the learning objectives. When students own their learning, they understand the standards that have been set, and through scaffolding and support from the teacher, they have a clear path on how to improve. Standards should be written in student-friendly language so that students can articulate exactly what is expected of them. Students should be given exemplars for self-evaluation and reflection, as well as a place to collect evidence that demonstrates their progress toward the learning standards. Lastly, when students are able to facilitate a student-centered conference about their progress, it gives them the opportunity to share their learning with their parents and teachers. Awareness.Typically, student awareness toward progress occurs during progress or report card time. On most occasions when students receive graded work, they often look at the grade without little thought about the learning that occurred. Goal setting helps students to be more aware of the learning that they are expected to experience. This awareness helps students to be engaged in the learning process. Mastery-oriented goals give students the opportunity to focus on learning standards and their own growth. Without goals, student motivation and engagement decreases because students are not aware of what they should be learning and have no idea about their role in the learning process. Learning.Learning cannot occur in the absence of feedback. Goal-setting with students must be accompanied with individualized, targeted feedback. Goals without feedback will not increase student achievement. Choosing a limited number of goals will help teachers focus on the most important needs of the student, and will help students focus on the most critical areas of their learning. Goals should be individualized for each student, and an entry point that is challenging but attainable for the student is a great starting place when it comes to setting goals. When students experience success, they are motivated to continue to push themselves. Setting goals with students informs teacher practice, engages and motivates students during the learning process, and creates a partnership between the teacher, student, and parents. Response From Kevin Parr As educators, our task is to empower students and help them grow into lifelong learners. The purpose for goal-setting with students should be no different. Here are a few ways teachers can use goal-setting to empower students to become lifelong learners: Expand the options: Many teachers limit student's goals to current class topics or important grade-level benchmarks. While this is a well intentioned strategy, if we are serious about empowering students we should allow them to set their own goals. When we allow them to do this their goals become personal and they are invested in accomplishing them. We can help them create goals that are important to them by expanding the options. When setting goals with students I ask them to not only think about academics but also behavior, character traits, a sport or hobby of interest or even something at home. Leverage parent support: If we want students (especially our youngest ones) to set goals that have any personal meaning, those goals need to be transferrable from school to home. In this sense, parents are a key player. One easy idea is to have students draft multiple goals and then review them with parents to identify those in which the parents can support from home. For me, these conversations have led to parents verifying goals they could support from home, excluding those they could not and adding some they felt were important to them. Goals that are meaningful for both students and parents are key in fostering long-term growth. Track and evaluate progress: For any goal, tracking and evaluating progress is key, Far too often, however, teachers dictate how students should track their progress and even set benchmarks to tell students if they are on track to accomplish their goals. If we really want students to be accountable, however, we need them to not only create their own goals but also to design ways to track their progress. Students need to consider how they will evaluate their progress, how often, who their evaluator will be, and ultimately, and if they have met their goal. In addition, students also need to reflect on if they should keep working on a goal, modify it or create a new one. Goal-setting does not only have to be a way for teachers to get students to meet an academic standard. By allowing students to set their own goals, including their parents, and developing ways to track and evaluate them, goal-setting can also help teachers achieve their higher purpose: fostering lifelong learning.

Response From Rita Platt
Rita Platt (@ritaplatt) is a Nationally Board Certified teacher and a proud #EduDork!. Her experience includes teaching learners of all levels from kindergarten to graduate student. She currently is a Library Media Specialist for the St. Croix Falls SD in Wisconsin, teaches graduate courses for the Professional Development Institute, consults with local school districts, and writes for We Teach We Learn:
Teaching students to set and meet goals is a skill that they will be able to use for the rest of their lives. I teach students to set goals in reading beginning in 2nd grade. This year, greater than 90% of students met their personal goals and enjoyed the pride and excitement that comes from knowing that they can work hard and achieve! Below, I will share my lesson sequence for goal-setting. Growth Mindset Introduce students to the concept that they can "grow their brains." Researcher, Carol Dweck, compares the brain to a muscle and reminds students that they can grow their brains. To drive this home with students, I have them read and discuss the short article, You Can Grow Your Intelligence! SMART Goals Teach students about goals and why goal-setting is important. I start by offering a student-friendly definition of the word goal. A goal is something that you work hard to be able to do. I then teach students that if goals are to be successful, they must be SMART. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Students must be taught to set goals that are smart. Try It! Once they get the concept, I show students examples of simple SMART goals in reading.

I will read 5 picture books at my "just-right-level" before April 20th..

I will increase my oral reading rate from 70 WPM to 85 WPM by the end of the 2nd quarter.

I will read four books from the mystery genre by the end of the 1st quarter.

I will finish the second Harry Potter book by winter break.

I will earn 25 Accelerated Reader (AR)* points in the 3rd quarter.

Then, I ask students to think about the types of goals they would like to set. I always have students set a minimum of two per quarter. One for number of books read (or AR points) and the other for whatever they would like to work on. I share the following suggestions. Each is linked to the tools I use to help students keep track of and meet their goals. Goal-Focused Work Students set their own goals and write down a plan to meet them. I frequently remind students to check their progress. If kids (or adults!) are to meet their goals, they must be front and center. I often pair students with "accountability partners" to check in with each day. I have students "tap out" to show me their progress at the end of class. I hold students accountable to their goals. When we meet to confer, goals are at the heart of our conversations, when I talk to parents, I share goal progress, and when the goal-period is up, we assess. If goals were not met, we problem-solve together for next time. I remind students that a goal is a promise they make to themselves and my job it to help them keep it. Celebrate! When students meet their goals, it's time to CELEBRATE! How?

Pull out your cell phone and have students call home and share the good news!

Take students to see the principal or last year's teacher!

Give the student a hug, high-five, or fist-bump.

Give meaningful praise: WOW! You worked hard to meet that goal! You must be so proud! Or, Good for you! What did you do that allowed you to meet your goal?

*Food for though on AR: AR Killed My Dog and Now It's Coming for YOU! A Defense of Accelerated Reader and a Plea for Less Drama Response From Dr. Jennifer Davis Bowman
Jennifer envisions classrooms filled with thinking caps-because uniforms are uninspiring as well as students with plastic utensils-because every student deserves a seat at the learning table. As an educator with a terminal degree in Special Education and a License in School Counseling, she's written about her classroom and higher education experiences in Teaching Tolerance, ASCD, and Teach Thought. For education research and resources follow her on twitter: @DrJDavisBowman:
"But my students see goals as just something else they have to do!" The other night I overheard my husband and son talking. My son was asking for another cell phone (his screen was cracked). I knew how this conversation would end. My husband would explain how he could reach the goal. The ways would include mopping floors, working in the yard, scrubbing blah, blah, blah...Then, my son would complain-feeling forced to do the chores in order to reach his goal. But, I was wrong. The lecture changed into a challenge. My husband challenged my son to fix the broken screen. Struck with intrigue, my son took the bait. Immediately, he fired question after question: "How long does it take?" "Where do I get the repair stuff?" "Really?...you're saying I can figure it out myself?" The take-away here, for educators, is that without the challenge element, a goal is just something else we expect the learner to do. It's just another rung on a ladder or an additional landmark on the curriculum map. But, a challenge furnishes learners with the motivation to pursue the goal. Reflecting on the phone incident, I'm reminded how learning principles illustrate the power of a challenge. For my son, the challenge fueled a series of questions that demonstrated genuine interest in learning (inquiry based learning). Also, because a challenge yields mental tension between if you are able vs. if you will attempt something, my son worked to relieve this. And ultimately, he took the psychological dare. Finally, a challenge builds confidence. For my son, it only took moments to realize dad believed in his potential and thus he began to believe in his own ability too (growth mindset). Unfortunately, we're satisfied with identifying goals and overlook the opportunity to incorporate a challenge. For our students, we naively believe, if we build it, they will come. Or worse, we assume if the goal is specific and measured over and over (a consequence of both the SMART goal and the standardized testing movement) students will magically meet our academic expectations. Instead of going gently into the good night (a nod to poet Dylan Thomas), pledge to incorporate challenges with student goals. But...how? Maybe directly telling students, I challenge you to... Or asking students, "What if you push yourself a little harder and try____?" My favorite is attaching the word "challenge" to the assignment title. For instance if the assignment lasts a few weeks, it becomes "The 30 Day _____ Challenge." How have you faced the challenge of embedding challenges within your classroom goals? Response From Matt Renwick
Matt Renwick is an elementary school principal in Mineral Point, Wisconsin and author of multiple books, including 5 Myths About Classroom Technology: How do we integrate digital tools to truly enhance learning? (ASCD, 2015). Learn more about Matt on his website, mattrenwick.com, and by following him on Twitter @ReadByExample:
Used smartly and with intent, goal setting can be a game changer in engaging our students in their own learning process. Writing down goals makes them concrete. Sharing goals with peers, teachers, and family members puts more accountability on oneself. Including others in setting the goals provides a support system to help achieve them. Others become invested in their success. When students finally do achieve what they set out to accomplish, everyone celebrates. So how can we use goal setting with our students? I believe the first step in this process is asking students what they are interested in as well as their needs. In one 2nd grade classroom, one teacher I know (my wife) asked her students questions regarding their interests and needs. One student, who in previous years had significant behavior issues, said he wanted to "build more because I like to tinker". This information translated into co-developed goals between teacher and student around creativity and the importance of choice in learning. Over the course of the school year, both his behavior and academics improved dramatically. Both the process (choice) and the product (building things) were a part of this example of student-involved goal setting. Including students in the goal setting process also benefits from making the learning process and eventual outcomes visible. By visible, this means documenting student learning as it is happening and sharing their work for a wide audience. Digital portfolios are an effective way for facilitating this approach. Going back to the previous example, my wife used FreshGrade to capture images and video of her students building during Genius Hour. Families could observe the idea generation, collaboration, prototyping, and collaboration that led to an exciting product as it was happening. By making visible a student's pathway toward goal achievement, it takes the mystery out of the learning process and celebrates their work.
Thanks to Sanée, Rita, Kevin Jennifer and Matt for their contributions!

Please feel free to leave a comment with your reactions to the topic or directly to anything that has been said in this post.

Anyone whose question is selected for this weekly column can choose one free book from a number of education publishers.
Just a reminder--you can subscribe and receive updates from this blog via email or RSS Reader. And, if you missed any of the highlights from the first five years of this blog, you can see a categorized list below. They don't include ones from this current year, but you can find them by clicking on the "answers" category found in the sidebar. This Year's Most Popular Q & A Posts! Classroom Management Advice Student Motivation & Social Emotional Learning Relationships In Schools Instructional Strategies Author Interviews
Look for Part Two in a few days...

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Response: Student Goal-Setting in the Classroom (Opinion)

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The new "question-of-the-week" is: How can we use goal-setting with our students? Research, and the practical experience of many educators, suggest that encouraging students to set their own goals can assist academic achievement and student engagement. As one student said to me last year, "When you set a goal, it just makes you want to work harder to make it."

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https://www.reliefteaching.com/teaching-strategies/motivating-students/

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Middle school is a time of transition. For many students, it can mean moving to a different school building for the first time in their academic career. For others, having a schedule and shifting between classrooms (each with a different teacher) throughout the day is a significant change. Not to mention, students are also moving from childhood into adolescence.

This is why middle school students need support from their educators-not just in academic learning, but in social and emotional learning as well. Building students' self-esteem and sense of self-efficacy (along with conflict resolution, responsible decision-making, and positive relationship skills) is especially important for middle schoolers. Competency in these areas will help them succeed now and in the future; SEL skills support academic performance and are strongly linked to improved well-being and mental health outcomes.

The following SEL activities for middle schoolers address each of CASEL's five core competencies of SEL.

For teachers, consider how you can use these SEL activities during the school day, whether within academic lessons or during morning meetings, advisory periods, homeroom, or transition times.

For school and district leaders, share these resources with your middle school teams and classroom teachers as inspiration for incorporating social-emotional learning throughout the school day.

1. How to Handle Bullying (Social Awareness, Responsible Decision-Making)

2. Compassionate Letter Writing (Self-Awareness, Self-Management)

3. Asking For Help (Self-Awareness, Responsible Decision-Making, Relationship Skills)

4. Planning to Persevere (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness)

5. Trusting My Inner Compass (Self Awareness, Self-Management, Responsible Decision-Making)

6. Relationship Building Through Movement (Social Awareness, Relationship Skills)

7. SEL Competency-Building Toolkits (Self-Awareness, Self-Management, Social Awareness, Relationship Skills)

1. How To Handle Bullying
Courtesy of Everyday Speech
Overview: This interactive activity will guide students through a set of scenarios to help them understand how to approach bullying as an ally and up-stander. Students can work through a variety of scenarios and build responsible decision-making skills when it comes to navigating a bully.

Instructions for Implementation:

"It's important to know how to handle bullying, even when we aren't the ones getting bullied. We try to be an ally and an up-stander when we notice others getting bullied."
Click here to launch the "How to Handle Bullying" interactive lesson!

2. Compassionate Letter Writing

Courtesy of Camp Kindness Counts

Overview: Practicing compassion provides the opportunity to show kindness toward ourselves and others. This activity strives to show participants how different it feels when we use kind words and actions toward ourselves instead of using negative self-talk. Research suggests that practicing compassion towards ourselves can help cultivate compassion towards others. Through reflective letter writing, participants will build empathy skills and self-compassion to enhance self-management.

Instructions for Implementation:

Introduction: "Let's learn about compassion. What do you think compassion means? To some, compassion is showing kindness, patience, and understanding. How can you show compassion to yourself? One way could be to do something that helps you to feel special such as reminding yourself of things you are good at doing, or calming yourself down by taking a few slow, deep breaths! Can you think of other ideas? Today, we are going to practice compassion by writing a letter!"

Activity: Think about a friend or someone you care about. Imagine them having a hard time and think about what you could say or do to help them feel better. Write a letter to them to help them feel better.

Do you feel it is kind to help someone you care for when they may need help?

Do you think it is important to also help yourself when you need the help?

What types of things help you feel better if you are having a hard time?

Does it help to talk to someone, get a hug, play outside, read a book, or take some deep breaths?

Now let's practice showing compassion towards ourselves. Read the letter again but now with your own name instead of the person you wrote the letter to!

Reflect: How does the way you talk to a friend who is having a hard time compare to the way you talk to yourself? Do you usually take care of yourself the same way you take care of a friend? Are you a good friend to yourself? What are some ways you can be a better friend to yourself? Why is this important?
3. Asking for Help

Courtesy of inspireED
Overview: Asking for help can sometimes be difficult, but knowing where and how to get help is an important problem-solving skill. Creating a dedicated space with clear guidelines for how to ask for help shows your students that you care about their success and that your classroom is a safe space where they can get whatever help they need.
Instructions for Implementation:

1. Engage students in a conversation on the importance and difficulties of asking for help. How do you know when you need help?
How do you know who to ask for help?
What kinds of things do you typically ask for help on?

2. Explain that asking for help may be difficult, as we sometimes view it as a sign of weakness. But strategic requests for help are actually a sign of resourcefulness.

3. Explain that you want your classroom to be a space where students feel comfortable asking for help.

4. Ask students to identify a problem they could use help on right now, and someone who might be able to help. This might be an expert, a family member, a teacher, a friend, etc.

5. Ask students to craft a written request for help. The most effective requests for help are specific, measurable, actionable, results-focused, and time-bound.

6. Ask students to share their requests with the class, if they are comfortable. What was it like to write the requests? How do they feel now?

7. Have each student plan to deliver their request for help before the next class.

8. After some time has passed, check back with your students to ensure that they received the help they requested.

4. Planning to Persevere

Courtesy of Second Step

Overview: Goal-setting and creating simple plans are positive ways to handle disappointment and can help students develop a growth mindset. Students develop a goal and simple plan for a historical or contemporary figure who persevered in the face of disappointment.
Instructions for Implementation:

1. Tell students about prominent historical or contemporary figures who persevered in the wake of disappointment - such as Thomas Edison or Helen Keller.

2. Discuss how persevering and achieving their goals affected both the people individually and society as a whole. Consider what would have happened if they had simply given up!

3. As a class, in small groups, or individually, choose a well-known person to study in more depth. Find out what setbacks or disappointments the person had to overcome and how they did so.

4. Have students select one setback or disappointment and create a goal and simple plan the person could have used to help him or her persevere. Goals can follow the SMART goals model (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time bound) or be simple statements. Encourage students to make plans that are simple and follow an order that makes sense.

5. If students complete this activity individually or in small groups, invite students to share their goals and plans with the rest of the class.

5. Trusting My Inner Compass

Courtesy of Take 5! Institute

Overview: Integrating the wisdom of mind and body, students practice using their "inner compass" - a felt sense of what is right and true - learning how to access information that can help them to stay safe, set healthy boundaries, and make wise choices.

This capacity-building activity strengthens mindfulness, and the ability to tap into inner wisdom. It helps students to access the power of inner knowing, paying attention to the wisdom of the body, as well as the mind. And it helps them learn to trust their inner experiences.

Instructions for Implementation:

Use the following to guide your conversation:

We know that our bodies are full of energy - on a physical level, that's what "runs" us. But our bodies are also full of information. And that information can help us to stay safe, set healthy boundaries, and make better choices. Some people call this their "inner compass."

Think of a time when you "just knew" something. You might have had a gut feeling ... an actual "body feeling" that you paid attention to. Or you felt guided by your own "inner voice." You didn't really need to think about it; out of the blue, you realized that you knew just what to do.

How would you describe that "inner feeling?" Or that sense of "inner knowing?" How did you know to trust it?

Notice where you carry this feeling in your body, and how it feels inside you.

Describe a time that you noticed sensations in your body, or thoughts in your head, that helped you pay attention to what was happening around you, and when you knew just what to do.

Not all students may be able to describe a time when they experienced an inner felt-sense. But having a conversation, sharing experiences (yours, too) and thinking about nurturing this inner capacity will help students to pay attention next time they notice sensations in their body, or a sense of 'just knowing.'

6. Relationship Building Through Movement
Courtesy of CATCH SEL Journeys
Overview: In this lesson, students will explore a guiding question focused on teamwork and then engage in movement by learning a new dance and discovering its cultural origins. After engaging in movement, students work in small teams to create a new or revised sequence that expresses personality traits of the group. Dance provides students with an active way to engage in teamwork and explore how each group member brings different strengths and plays an important role. Collaborating on a dance also develops communication skills.

Instructions for Implementation:

Introduction: Being part of a team means being able to rely on each other to accomplish something together. That means you need to do your part because your teammates are relying on you.

Have you ever been let down by a member of a team? What can you learn from this when thinking about your own role on teams?

Today's challenge is to work with your group to create a movement sequence that expresses the personality traits of the members of your group.

Get Moving: To get warmed up, try out some new ways of moving with the SEL Journeys Dance of the Month. (You can sign-up for free by clicking on the "Activate Your Account" button on the right side of the screen.)

Respond and Connect: After engaging in movement, split students into teams of 2-4 students and revisit today's big idea with the following activity:

1. As a first step, think about how you would complete this sentence: "A positive word or phrase to describe me is ...." Now take a moment for each group member to share their answer.

2. Next, help each other come up with a gesture or pose that captures the personality trait each person shared.

3. Now, you can add these traits to the steps from today's dance, or you can make up your own steps. You can take another look at the steps to get some ideas. Think about how you can add personality traits to these moves, or decide if you want to make up entirely new moves.

4. Now work with your group to make a movement sequence that expresses the personality traits of each group member. Once you have a plan, rehearse it a few times together. If time permits, groups can volunteer to show their final sequence to the rest of the class and explain how the new dance expresses the personality traits of the group.

5. Final Student Reflection: How did it go with your team? Did you do your part to contribute ideas? Did you learn something new about your teammates?

7. SEL Competency-Building Toolkits
Courtesy of Transforming Education
Overview: These toolkits include professional development resources designed for educators seeking research-based strategies to help students build social awareness and self-efficacy.

Social Awareness:

TransformEd's social awareness toolkit provides educators with a variety of resources and strategies to support the development of students' social awareness.

The toolkit includes:

More information on what social awareness is and why it matter

A video in which students describe the importance of social awareness in their own lives

A range of strategies teachers can integrate into their practice at all grade levels

A facilitators guide (including an abbreviated guide for a 45-minute session)

Download the Toolkit!

Self-Efficacy:

TransformEd's self-efficacy toolkit provides educators with a variety of resources and strategies to support the development of students' self-efficacy.

The toolkit includes:

More information on what self-efficacy is and why it matters

An animated short video about self-efficacy that can be shared with students and parents

A video in which students describe what self-efficacy looks like in their everyday lives

A range of strategies teachers can integrate into their practice at all grade levels

A facilitator's guide (including an abbreviated guide for a 45-minute session)

Download the Toolkit!

Further Resources:

Get-to-Know-You Questions: Discover asset-based, inclusive questions that invite student conversation and connection.

Quick Check-in Questions: Use these questions to connect with students about their well-being and social, academic, and emotional needs.

The Two-Word Check-In: Enhance emotional awareness and builds community with this simple classroom exercise.

"Rose, Bud, Thorn" Activity and Worksheet : Support goal-setting and self-reflection with this exercise that prompts students to identify positive moments and pinpoint areas where they need support.

SEL for Elementary School: Bring SEL into your elementary school classroom with these 6 activities.

SEL for High School: Discover eight SEL activities for your high school students.

Social-Emotional Learning Curriculum Programs: Learn more about curriculum for elementary, middle, and high school students and how you can bring them into your school district.

Use these questions to check-in on student well-being and supports throughout the school year.

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7 Middle School SEL Activities to Support Growth and Transitions

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Middle school is a time of transition. For many students, it can mean moving to a different school building for the first time in their academic career. For others, having a schedule and shifting between classrooms (each with a different teacher) throughout the day is a significant change.

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I love this site for a variety of reasons. It does a great job of connecting math and science topics and strategies to the real world. It is relateable to students' interest and keeps them intriqued, curious and wanting to know more. It promotes the perfect combination of literacy, content, and fun and interesting topics.

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Developing Disciplinary Literacy Across Core Subjects

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Learn the importance of disciplinary literacy for students and how it ties into common core standards and crosses all subjects.

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/framework-student-goal-setting

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Social & Emotional Learning (SEL)

When middle and high school students set short- and long-term goals, they can see a path to the success they hope for.

"If we did all the things we are capable of, we would literally astound ourselves."
-Thomas Edison

I learned that quote from Wendy Beth Rosen's Self-Smart. Taking it seriously, Wendy suggests some areas where students'-and adults'-self-assessments can lead to greater accomplishments and personal satisfaction. Many distractions and challenges in our lives threaten to throw us off our path, or keep us from knowing what our path is. Setting explicit goals for success and tracking our progress toward them is a way to increase our chances of finding the success we hope for.

I'd like to share a method of goal-tracking that can be used by students and educators in ongoing ways, as well as at specific points when they're experiencing uncertainty or setbacks. These also have value for promoting positive mental health in school.

Setting and Tracking Goals

1. Academics

2. Social life

3. Sports and exercise

4. Healthy eating

5. Family and community

6. Hobbies and interests

7. Screen time

8. Long-term plans

Middle and high school are particularly important times for students to become consciously aware of and intentional about key choices: what they're putting into their bodies; how the way they are spending their time helps them reach their larger purposes; who they're spending their time with; and what they're doing to contribute to their families, schools, and communities.

At the beginning of the school year and at each marking period, students in middle and high school should record in a journal their goals in these eight areas:

In working with middle school students, for example, I have seen them set goals ranging from "eating better food at lunch" to "being a great guitar player" to "being an NBA star." In all cases, we want to help students be clear about their goals (in the first case, "to be a healthy person") and to set realistic short-term goals on the way to their long-term goal (for the guitar and basketball players, finding time for regular practice with feedback). For these students, and all students, goals provide anchors, especially valuable in high winds and rough seas.

All of the eight areas of life above matter, and academic success is related to all of them. Having a way to separate them, document progress, and create priorities is important. Students need help to be successful even when they have positive aspirations. A sure way to not succeed is trying to make progress in too many areas at once, so help students find one, two, or three areas to prioritize for a marking period. Revisit these priorities with them and see if follow-up goals need to be set in these areas or if new areas should be prioritized. Keeping to no more than three at a time is vital, because even if we might need to change in eight areas, we can't track that many. Slow and steady wins the race.

Tracking also helps ensure that a given area is not neglected. When we see that things might have been neglected, we can make some adjustments.

The main point of setting goals is to help students take realistic steps to achieve them. Many educators find that using the SMART format -goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely-is practical and reasonable, and keeps students on track.

When Can This Happen?

This kind of journaling is ideally suited to advisory or extended home room periods. Advisory periods are supposed to focus on the whole child, and the eight areas provide broad coverage. Journaling also fosters communication between advisory teachers and those who focus on these areas in schools, including subject area teachers, "specials" teachers (including health and physical education teachers), and staff running extracurricular activities. In addition, the advisory period can be used for pair and group problem-solving to help overcome obstacles students face as they pursue their goals.

One way to help students achieve their goals is to pair them up to help one another with goal-setting and monitoring. Students see each other in various school contexts and can be helpful outside of formal class time.

Having communal, whole-class conversations about goal-setting creates a new mindset in students and fosters cooperation and mutual improvement because students' goals are not solely their responsibility. We all get better when each of us gets better. So there is an expectation that goals set will be shared-perhaps with classmates and certainly with other teachers. (This expectation of sharing should ensure that personal goals related to family issues stay out of these conversations, as they require more professional and confidential follow-up.)

A helpful way to introduce the journaling is to ask students to reflect on the opening quote from Edison, taking a position as to whether they agree, disagree, or are not sure about it, and why. Have students share their rationales in small groups and then share out with the larger class. Ensuring that students understand they have more potential than most of them realize is a critical preliminary step to making goal journaling an authentic activity for them.

The Same Goals Are Useful for Adults

This activity is also relevant for adults. Educators have a lot on their plates, and having a way to make sure that one's learning, family, health habits, interests, and long-term plans are front of mind (even if not always front of action) keeps us grounded.

Devoting regular time in professional learning communities and faculty meetings to discussing goal-achieving strategies can provide a power morale boost in schools. In particular, discussing long-term plans can stimulate broad faculty collaboration to shape the school. And sharing with students that you're doing the same thing you ask them to do makes it more likely that they'll value the activity.

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When middle and high school students set short- and long-term goals, they can see a path to the success they hope for.

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https://www.edutopia.org/article/creative-ways-assess-math-understanding

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Traditional math assessments tend to provide a narrow gauge of student learning-here's how some teachers are going deeper.

Jacob Lund / Alamy Stock Photo

Math teachers are rethinking student assessments in creative ways that allow them to get a broader picture of kids' conceptual math understanding, writes Madeline Will for Education Week. And while this creative approach to assessing student knowledge is, at least in part, due to remote learning, the strategies are powerful and make sense during a normal school year.

"I think this is good for a lot of us math teachers because it's forced us to rethink what assessments are supposed to accomplish," math teacher Matthew Rector told Will. "In the past, most of us have thought about assessments as ranking tools-give a kid a grade and move on. Assessments should be about moving mathematical knowledge forward."

While teachers have been rethinking assessments for some time, the shift to remote learning "has helped continue the momentum," Trena Wilkerson, the president of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics told Will. "Teachers are thinking creatively and out-of-the-box in how to assess student understanding and student thinking, and then how to use that to support instructional decisions."

Use Familiar Tech Tools to Get at the Thinking Behind the Math

Rather than routinely asking students to solve a series of equations, Will spoke with teachers who are now asking students to explain a math concept, or "break down a problem and explain how they reach its solution." Students can choose how to record their work: in a Google doc, via video, or by snapping a photo of their work on paper. "It allows them to express their thoughts better," high school math teacher Bobson Wong told Will, and "it's very hard to plagiarize."

High school math teacher Emma Chiappetta likes to ask her advanced linear algebra students to create videos teaching their classmates applications and concepts. To check how effective her students are at explaining algebraic concepts, they each attempt to solve a few problems associated with a peer's video lesson.

Theresa Williams, a middle school math teacher at the University of Wyoming Lab School in Laramie, Wyoming, does five-minute interview assessments to gauge her students' progress and inform her teaching. It's helpful to create a checklist of what you expect a proficient student to be able to say, notes Williams. "It works great for kids who know a lot more than they showed on a [traditional] assessment," and gives students "multiple opportunities to show that they are proficient."

Try Math Magazines or Reflective Journaling

Writing can be a powerful mode of learning "because it engages both hemispheres of the brain," writes middle school math coordinator Alessandra King. "Effective writing also clarifies and organizes a student's thoughts." Some teachers are asking students to do "reflective journaling about math concepts" to assess students' grasp of the material, writes Will, providing a rich snapshot of where kids are at in a math unit.

King likes to get her math students reflecting and writing about math by asking them to create a math magazine where they focus on how math concepts are applied in the real world. "This has been one of my most popular projects-students are amazed to discover some of the myriad applications of math."

She starts by curating a list of math-related articles from newspapers, journals, podcasts, and videos for students to choose from and then summarize for an online magazine. "For assessment, I've created a simple rubric that looks at content understanding, clarity of communication, editing, critical thinking, initiative, and creativity," King says. Especially for students who enjoy reading and writing more than the "computational side of math," the project gives them an opportunity to showcase their understanding of math concepts-while gaining a "stronger appreciation of the usefulness and effectiveness of math."

Assign Projects With Real World Implications

Using the Massachusetts census, secondary math teacher Joey Grabowski's Algebra 1 students select categorical groups like gender or race, and quantitative variables like income or age, then "compare the distributions of two or more groups of people." Then they write a report about their statistical analysis. Using projects rather than unit tests to assess his students gives Grabowski a unique lens into their thinking, writes Will. "[With a statistical report], they are analyzing and critiquing things," he says. "Computers can do a lot of these calculations for us, but they can't interpret data."

When the pandemic hit, high school math teacher Chiappetta moved her statistics students' project proposals online. She traded gallery walks for virtual ones on Flipgrid and asked students to leave feedback for classmates' projects there. "After a certain point, it's not meaningful for me to quiz my students on their execution of calculations," said Chiappetta. "The projects that my students do allow me to assess their ability to apply those calculations in context."

Actively Embrace Mistakes

Creating a mistake-friendly classroom is valuable for all students across academic subjects-but especially in math class, which can be an anxiety provoking environment for students. Carol Dweck, a professor of psychology at Stanford University and author of Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, famously said: "Every time a student makes a mistake ... they grow a synapse."

Will notes that teachers are tapping into this idea in assessments too, normalizing errors and asking students to grapple with problems that are purposely solved incorrectly, requiring students to identify the mistakes and then figure out how to solve them.

Algebra 1 teacher Robert McAusland told Will he likes to give students opportunities for redos, giving students time to work through problems they struggled with in prior assessments. With students learning from home, he found that "initial assessment scores were unnaturally high, possibly because students were looking up answers at home." But as his students became more confident in their abilities to tackle tough problems, "scores are normalizing" and he's been able to convey to students that "learning to understand mathematics is not about right or wrong. ... There are no bad mistakes."

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Creative Ways to Assess Math Understanding

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Traditional math assessments tend to provide a narrow gauge of student learning-here's how some teachers are going deeper.

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Students' brains are hard at work every moment of the day, learning skills and connecting new information with old. Those same brains are also constantly processing information when it comes to their relationship with you, their teacher.

Positive student relationships are fundamental to success. When students feel supported, they're more likely to engage in learning and have better academic outcomes. Plus, when students have positive interactions with teachers, they have fewer behavioral problems. These relationships are more important - and more challenging - than ever in uncertain times, like during the coronavirus pandemic.

Neuroscience can help us understand what's happening in students' brains when they feel safe and understood. Here are four reasons why positive teacher-student relationships are important - and how you can build those relationships.

1. Positive relationships build motivation.

This creates a cycle. You provide positive feedback. The student's brain releases dopamine. The student feels good and is motivated to feel that way again. With this increased motivation, students spend more time and attention working on a skill. They build those skills. You give more praise - sparking the release of more dopamine. And the cycle starts all over again.

On the flip side, when students don't receive positive feedback, they're less likely to enter the positive cycle of motivation and learning.

How to do it: To build a positive relationship, you need to have more positive interactions than negative ones. More specifically, researchers recommend having five positive interactions for every one negative interaction. Positive interactions could include greeting students by name as they arrive, giving praise for working hard, or asking about a student's pet.

Students who learn and think differently often have more negative interactions than positive ones. For example, students with ADHD may receive constant reminders from teachers to be on time and stay on task.

This doesn't mean that you should never provide students with corrective feedback and reminders. But make sure the positive interactions outweigh the negative ones. The more you get to know your students, the more you'll recognize when they need praise or encouragement, and when they're open to constructive feedback. You can keep a tally of how many reminders you give a student to complete an assignment. Try to find five times as many positive things to comment on and tally up as well.

2. Positive relationships create safe spaces for learning.

Think about how this applies to your own life. If you have a supportive principal who has established psychological safety in your school, you might be more likely to challenge yourself and try new ideas in your classroom. But if school leaders consistently give critical feedback, you might not feel psychologically safe enough to try something new. It's the same for students.

Building psychological safety is harder with some students than others. Think of the last time you saw a student seeming to overreact. This behavior may result from trauma or chronic stress in the student's life (such as having a learning or thinking difference or growing up as part of a marginalized group). This can cause them to feel threatened in situations that other students find harmless. The brain learns that the environment is not safe and remains on alert to potential danger.

For these students, when something is perceived as a threat, a region of the brain called the amygdala sets off an alarm. The amygdala is known for its role in detecting threats in the environment. Its job is to keep us safe and alive. Think of an animal that must decide whether to run or freeze when it sees a predator.

The amygdala triggers the release of cortisol (also called the stress hormone) and epinephrine (also called adrenaline). This sends extra energy throughout the body. The muscles tense up and the heartbeat quickens, preparing for fight or flight. When the threat detection system in the brain is highly activated, learning cannot happen. This is the opposite of psychological safety.

In students, this might look like:

Avoiding assignments

Putting their head down

Yelling or making negative comments

Walking out of the classroom or leaving a live video lesson

Acting out physically or aggressively

While building psychological safety may be even more difficult with these students, it is especially important for them. That's because oxytocin also helps keep the amygdala's threat detection system quiet. Over time, when students are surrounded by people they trust, their threat detection system is less likely to activate, and they're better able to learn.

For students who are at risk for a fight-or-flight reaction, your approach will need to differ slightly. Use strategies like when-then sentences so they can know exactly what positive outcome to expect when they complete a task, while giving students the power of choice. Expect that they may overreact sometimes, and provide the space and time needed to calm down. By remaining calm, you're not only reminding yourself to react to their behavior as a form of communication and respond appropriately. You're also building psychological safety and trust.

3. Positive relationships build new pathways for learning.

As you teach the new information, new neural pathways connect the old information with the new. If students don't understand the context or aren't able to link the new information to anything they currently know, they'll have a hard time understanding the lesson.

Ask students to share what they know about a topic. Every student has a different set of background knowledge. For example, if you know a student is a talented artist, you can leverage their knowledge of different kinds of paintbrushes to explain friction. Or you can make an analogy about the relationship between the characters in a student's favorite book and the domestic strife in the Civil War.

4. Positive relationships improve student behavior.

Neuroscience research has started to uncover why this imitation happens - and how it can be used to encourage positive behaviors. Studies have shown that when people observe an action being performed, it activates some of the same neural pathways that would be active if they actually performed the action. This is called the mirror-neuron system.

Essentially, our brains are practicing the action that we're seeing, even though our bodies don't move. Studies show that when people see an action first, they are able to perform the action more quickly than if they had not seen the action.

How to do it: Start by thinking through what behaviors and social skills you're modeling for your students. For example, you likely already model social skills like turn-taking, cooperation, and empathy on a daily basis. You can take it a step further and explain the behaviors you're modeling. The next time you're feeling frustrated, tell your students how you're feeling. Talk about how you deal with frustration, such as taking a few deep breaths.

For younger students, use pre-correcting and prompting as a classroom management strategy. It allows you to explicitly tell, show, and remind students how to approach tasks or situations.

Young children are even more likely than adults to imitate the behaviors they see. That's because they're still learning social skills and appropriate behavior. Plus, the prefrontal cortex (the part of the brain that allows us to choose where to direct our attention and to regulate our behaviors and emotions) isn't fully developed until we're in our 20s. Childhood is a prime time to model behavior and social skills for students.

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Building Relationships With Students: What Brain Science Says

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Brain science tells us why positive student relationships can lead to their success.

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Reference #2

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Why Building Relationships Should Be at the Center of Everything You Do

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Why Building Relationships Should Be at the Center of Everything You Do Relationship Building % %

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Reference #1

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How to Build Relationships With Students During COVID-19

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The beginning of the semester is a crucial time to bridge social distances to form the personal connections that students will need to sustain them academically and emotionally.

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I like this website because it shows good examples between CM1 and CM2, which is sometimes confusing for students!

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Lyrics.lol :: Schaffer Paragraph Model by Mr. Varnell

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Lyrics.lol is the world’s biggest collection of song lyrics from A to Z.