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Effective classroom management creates a welcoming learning environment that supports all learners, even when they experience challenges

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Vol. 77

No. 2

Abstract

1. Expect Unexpected Responses

2. Employ Thoughtful Interactions

3. Be Specific About Relationship Building

4. Promote Predictability and Consistency

5. Teach Strategies to "Change the Channel"

6. Give Supportive Feedback to Reduce Negative Thinking

7. Create Islands of Competence

8. Limit Exclusionary Practices

Fostering a Feeling of Safety

Small changes in classroom interactions can make a big difference for traumatized students.

Credit: Shannon Fagan

Abstract

1. Expect Unexpected Responses

2. Employ Thoughtful Interactions

3. Be Specific About Relationship Building

4. Promote Predictability and Consistency

5. Teach Strategies to "Change the Channel"

6. Give Supportive Feedback to Reduce Negative Thinking

7. Create Islands of Competence

8. Limit Exclusionary Practices

Fostering a Feeling of Safety

Up to two-thirds of U.S. children have experienced at least one type of serious childhood trauma, such as abuse, neglect, natural disaster, or experiencing or witnessing violence. Trauma is possibly the largest public health issue facing our children today (CDC, 2019). Traumatized students are especially prone to difficulty in self-regulation, negative thinking, being on high alert, difficulty trusting adults, and inappropriate social interactions (Lacoe, 2013; Terrasi & de Galarce, 2017). They often haven't learned to express emotions healthily and instead show their distress through aggression, avoidance, shutting down, or other off-putting behaviors. These actions can feel antagonistic to teachers who don't understand the root cause of the student's behavior, which can lead to misunderstandings, ineffective interventions, and missed learning time.

Neurobiologically, students can't learn if they don't feel safe, known, and cared for within their schools (Aupperle et al., 2012). When teachers are proactive and responsive to the needs of students suffering from traumatic stress and make small changes in the classroom that foster a feeling of safety, it makes a huge difference in their ability to learn. Here are some examples.

1. Expect Unexpected Responses

First, teachers must learn to put students' reactions into context-and not to take them personally. Students with trauma histories can react and behave in seemingly unexpected ways, such as having a sudden outburst during a favorite activity or crying out of the blue one second after laughing. Teachers may be taken by surprise. They say things like, "But he was fine this morning, I didn't see that coming!" or "She normally loves playing the drums in music class. I have no idea where her reaction came from." This uncertainty leaves the teacher in a constant state of hyper-alertness when interacting with the student. This in turn can result in fatigue, as the teacher is guarded and unable to predict what will happen from one moment to another.

One way to understand these reactions is to think of the student as a soda can, and events that may trigger their trauma stress as shaking that can. We can't tell by looking if the can was recently shaken, but if it was, opening the can results in an unexpected explosive, messy reaction. If a student is triggered and experiencing heightened emotion, even a benign direction such as, "Please move over to make room for Jenny" could result in an "explosion" that the teacher never saw coming. By using trauma-sensitive strategies in the classroom, we can help reduce the times our students are "shaken."

2. Employ Thoughtful Interactions

Traumatized students often behave in ways that may interfere with teaching and learning, which can be frustrating. Teachers are in a position of power, and these students may be overly defensive, anticipating adult criticism, or defiant, as a way to assert control (Jennings, 2018). Yet for traumatized students, the ability to learn and behave appropriately can be person-dependent. When they are with a safe and supportive adult, their behavior reflects that.

Consider this scenario drawn from schools I've worked with: Trevor, a 6th grader whose father overdosed on heroin two years ago and who has witnessed ongoing domestic abuse throughout his childhood, was in Ms. Carlton's class for part of the day and Ms. Finch's class for the other part. Ms. Carlton had a reputation of working well with hard-to-reach kids, and sure enough, Trevor behaved in a stellar way in her class. When he was with Ms. Finch, however, he was sent to the office nearly three times a week for explosive behavior.

The teacher is 50 percent of every interaction with a student: By changing the way we give a direction or respond, we can reduce problematic behavior. Ms. Carlton had taken the time to build a trusting relationship with Trevor and learned to give directions in a way that he would respond well to. Interaction strategies are a type of accommodation that typically go unnamed and unwritten, but they were the reason that Trevor could feel safe and access the curriculum (Minahan & Rappaport, 2012).

If Ms. Carlton had written down the successful strategies she used with Trevor, the list might have started with avoiding authoritative directives such as, "Pick that up." To give Trevor a sense of control, Ms. Carlton always embedded choice in her directions, asking, "Do you want to be in the front of the line or the back of the line?" instead of simply telling him to "line up." This helped prevent a poor reaction (Minahan, 2019).

Ms. Carlton also conveyed respect and transparency by providing the reason behind each direction. Instead of saying, "No backpacks on the floor. I don't want to trip and fall!" Ms. Carlton would say, "Oh dear, I hope I don't fall. I have a bad knee! Could you please move your backpack?" Stating the reason first assured that Trevor knew the context (and necessity) of the demand.

Conversely, Ms. Finch would often go up close to Trevor, tower over him, and say in front of his peers, "Stop tapping your pencil!" This typically ended in a power struggle and Trevor's escalating behavior. Trevor, like many traumatized students, had experienced a loss of control in his life, and power struggles with an authoritative figure were particularly triggering. Ms. Carlton instinctively knew that a more private nonverbal direction could be less confrontational for a student in "fight or flight" mode. She would write, "Please stop tapping" on a piece of paper, put it gently on Trevor's desk without his peers noticing, and then give him space by walking away quickly. When possible, she also gave Trevor extended time to comply with directions to avoid power struggles, asking, for example, "Can you please pick that up before lunch?" rather than, "Pick that up now" (Minahan, 2019). This allowed Trevor time to decompress and respond rationally.

3. Be Specific About Relationship Building

At one point in the year, Ms. Carlton told Ms. Finch that building a relationship with Trevor was key to her success with him, and she suggested that Ms. Finch do the same. Unfortunately, saying, "Build a relationship" is too vague and leaves too much up to the teacher's instincts. Instead, Ms. Carlton could have told Ms. Finch that she greeted Trevor every day at the classroom door and asked him about the Avengers or basketball. She could have told Ms. Finch how she used the "two by ten" rule; she talked to him for two minutes a day for 10 days in a row about topics unrelated to academics or behavior. Whenever Ms. Carlton could see she wouldn't have time for this in the 10-day period, she asked the counselor or special education teacher to cover her class for two minutes so she could go for a walk with Trevor. She repeated this trust-building strategy several times throughout the year, especially after he exhibited anger or frustration and after school vacations and long weekends.

Ms. Carlton skillfully used relationship-building and interaction strategies to work with Trevor. Yet the impact could have been greater had she written and shared those strategies with Ms. Finch and the rest of Trevor's team via a shared document, behavior plan, or student success plan (Minahan, 2019). Likewise, if counselors, school nurses, and psychologists write and share such techniques with each classroom teacher, kids like Trevor, when triggered, wouldn't always have to leave class to find a safe adult.

Not knowing what is coming next can put anyone on high alert, especially traumatized students. Providing predictability through visual schedules of the class agenda or school day can help. Ms. Carlton was adamant about previewing any changes to the normal routine ahead of time (saying, "We are going to have indoor recess today because of the snow," or "The DVD player isn't working so we can't watch a science video at the end of class today"). This prepared Trevor and thus elicited a calmer response.

A teacher's behavior can also feel unpredictable to traumatized students. When students are working independently and quietly-doing what they are supposed to be doing-they don't know when they will get the teacher's attention. But when students are doing the wrong thing-like drumming on the desk with a pencil in each hand or swearing-teachers are more predictable and react quickly! Because predictability is comforting to students with anxiety and trauma histories, they may resort to getting the teacher's attention through inappropriate means. Trevor could get Ms. Finch to react immediately by flipping his water bottle noisily, but could go 20 minutes without so much as eye contact from her when he was quietly reading.

To counter this imbalance and create an overall feeling of safety, teachers can use predictable positive attention (Minahan, 2014). During independent work time, if a teacher says to a student "Great work! I'll be back to check on you," the student has no way of predicting how long they need to wait-and from past experience they know that the teacher may forget to return altogether. Using predictable positive attention, however, the teacher can say, "I am going to check on you in 10 minutes," put a timer on the student's desk, and add, "Come tap me on the shoulder when the timer goes off." If the teacher has many students in the class that could benefit from this, she could transfer the strategy to small groups: "I will check on this desk group at X time."

Another strategy for providing predictable attention, especially for middle and high school students, is to hand an anxious or traumatized student a sticky note with a time on it as they walk into class each day. The first time, the note will need to be explained: "If you don't understand something in class, please don't worry-I am going to check on you during independent work time at 11:45, and I will answer any questions you have then." Ms. Carlton found this strategy comforting to Trevor. This predictable check-in pairs the negative thoughts the student may have ("I don't know how to do this") with a reassuring thought ("But my teacher will be here in seven minutes!"). The student can better tolerate uncomfortable feelings when they know help and a positive interaction are coming. Telling the student what will happen and when and always following through establishes the teacher as a consistent, reliable adult.

5. Teach Strategies to "Change the Channel"

Traumatized students often engage in inaccurate thinking, tending to focus on the negative. Common classroom management strategies often only exasperate this tendency. How many of us have seen frequent movement breaks on a student's IEP or student success plan? It is one of the most common accommodations that we offer to students who seem dysregulated. Unfortunately, during these breaks, students can ruminate on negative memories, current stressors, angry thoughts, or worries. If we ask a high school student who is getting angry and becoming agitated to take a walk, he may ruminate the whole time and return just as angry. Sending a 1st grader to a "calming chair" can leave her to perseverate on worrying thoughts. Instead, we need to help them "change the channel." Both Ms. Carlton and Ms. Finch used breaks with Trevor, but in vastly different ways.

When adults can't sleep, we often read a book or watch TV, which distracts us from uncomfortable thoughts so we can fall back asleep. Teachers can use the same principle for kids with trauma and anxiety: Teach students that their brain is like a remote control that they can use to "switch the channel" to help them calm down (Minahan & Rappaport, 2012). These switching activities are called cognitive distractions or thought breaks and are incompatible with negative thinking. A listening center or "find the picture" activity can be helpful to young children. For older students, you might try Mad Libs, trivia, or more abstract strategies such as counting all the green items in the room, saying the alphabet backwards, or thinking of the first 10 lines of a favorite movie. Ms. Carlton taught Trevor to do Star Wars trivia when he was upset, which helped him calm down quickly. Conversely when Ms. Finch had Trevor go for a walk, his negative thinking would escalate, and he would often not return to class.

6. Give Supportive Feedback to Reduce Negative Thinking

Many traumatized students interpret information through a negativity amplifier. When a teacher says, "Please correct the first problem," the student might hear, "You are stupid." Or a student might report that the teacher screamed at her when the teacher was really using a calm tone, as even neutral facial expressions can be misinterpreted. It is helpful to smile and explicitly say when you are happy with the student, a strategy Ms. Carlton utilized. When giving negative feedback, teachers can use the positive sandwich approach-starting and ending with a positive comment: (1) "I love how you remembered the formula," (2) "You made a small calculation error there," (3) "Great job getting problem #3 correct."

7. Create Islands of Competence

Recognizing areas of strength in students is a powerful way to combat the poor self-concept and negative thinking associated with trauma (Jennings, 2018). To support a more accurate self-concept, teachers can provide what Robert Brooks calls "islands of competence" for students swimming in a sea of inadequacy (2003). When a student thinks negatively, the negative moments during the day tend to weigh more heavily than the positive moments. We need to counter this effect with positive experiences. Educator teams need to ask themselves, "Does the student feel competent during the day?" If the answer is no, contriving an island of competence for the student is in order. Ms. Carlton often asked Trevor to help a younger student or a peer who was struggling in an academic area Trevor was strong in, or had him fix the stapler when it was malfunctioning. She would also point out in a written note to Trevor that he was the first student to finish a math activity. In high school, educators may want to foster students' talents by never letting them drop electives (which might require creativity in scheduling academic support in core classes).

It is important that students experience competence to develop a more accurate self-narrative and to begin to create a positive future picture of themselves. We want them to say, "I really helped that student with her artwork. When I grow up, I could work with kids." Or "I am good at fixing things. I could be a mechanic someday."

8. Limit Exclusionary Practices

Behavior is communication, and we've looked at how traumatized students often communicate feelings through their behavior. Teachers' behavior is also communication-and it may not be communicating the message we are striving to send. Common teacher practices such as ignoring inappropriate behavior, sending students to the office, or sending younger kids to sit alone at a back table or in the hallway can unintentionally trigger students who have experienced abandonment or neglect. We need to remember that when some of our students were young and cried, no one came. Ignoring them can trigger a trauma response and make them feel the teacher doesn't like them or is even happy that they are upset.

Ms. Finch would ignore Trevor when he was expressing anger, such as by crumpling up a paper, growling, or slinging a book from his desk onto the floor. On the other hand, Ms. Carlton responded to such moments at the beginning of the year by validating Trevor's feelings ("I am sorry you are upset" or "I see that you are angry"). This is a much more empathetic approach, will preserve the relationship, and will avoid triggering a trauma response in the student.

Another practice to be cautious about is using time with a preferred adult as an incentive. For example, a principal might say, "If you get all your homework done this week, you and I will have lunch together!" The problem with this is that if the student doesn't get all their homework done, then the principal withholds their attention and time. This implies the relationship is conditional and can trigger an abandonment trauma response for some students. It is better to use one-to-one time with students in a noncontingent way. This way adults are communicating, "I like you for who you are," not "I like you when you behave the right way."

Fostering a Feeling of Safety

Students can't learn unless they feel safe. When it comes to student trauma, there is much that is beyond educators' power, but there is also a great deal they can do to build a supportive and sensitive environment where students feel safe, comfortable, take risks, learn, and even heal.

Reflect & Discuss

➛ As Minahan writes, "Students can't learn if they don't feel safe." What small changes are you willing to try in your classroom to foster a sense of safety among traumatized students?

➛ Think about one of your students who struggles with behavior. How could you help him "switch the channel" when he is upset?

➛ Do you routinely share-and exchange ideas about-what's working with a traumatized student? How could you better improve lines of communication across the whole support team?

ASCD is a community dedicated to educators' professional growth and well-being.

Let us help you put your vision into action.

ASCD empowers educators to achieve excellence in learning, teaching, and leading so that every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.

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Vol. 77 No. 2 Abstract 1. Expect Unexpected Responses 2. Employ Thoughtful Interactions 3. Be Specific About Relationship Building 4. Promote Predictability and Consistency 5. Teach Strategies to "Change the Channel" 6. Give Supportive Feedback to Reduce Negative Thinking 7. Create Islands of Competence 8.

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Trauma-informed SEL is an approach to fostering youths' social-emotional development with practices that support all students, but is particularly inclusive and responsive to the needs of children and youth who have experienced trauma. This approach calls for creating reliable learning environments where students who have experienced adversities and trauma

feel supported and connected;

are welcome to explore their strengths and identities;

can exercise their agency;

can develop meaningful, positive relationships with adults and peers; and

have access to the mental health supports they need.

Learn More about Trauma-informed SEL

Below, you can download our Trauma-Informed SEL Toolkit - a 120-minute professional development session designed for educators seeking research-based strategies to create a healthy classroom environment for students who have experienced adversities and trauma.

Why Download the Trauma-informed SEL Toolkit?

The research-based toolkit is rich with resources to explore, strategies to implement in the classroom, and prompts for reflections aimed at facilitating educator learning and engagement with the material. The toolkit includes:

More information about trauma and how it impacts students' success;

A range of strengths-based strategies educators can integrate into their classroom;

Overview of secondary traumatic stress and strategies for educator self-care;

A list of research articles, papers, and videos for further review; and

A facilitator's guide (including an abbreviated guide for a 60-minute session).

The download link includes a multimedia presentation, a three-page overview handout, and a brief facilitator's guide.

Trauma-Informed SEL Webinar & Accompanying Slides

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A full recording of our Trauma-Informed SEL Webinar is located below! What is Trauma-Informed SEL? Trauma-informed SEL is an approach to fostering youths' social-emotional development with practices that support all students, but is particularly inclusive and responsive to the needs of children and youth who have experienced trauma.

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Four Core Priorities for Trauma-Informed Distance Learning

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Four Core Priorities for Trauma-Informed Distance Learning

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When possible, teachers can ask parents for insights into what their children need right now. For some kids, school work gives them a healthy focus. For others, self-care may be the priority. Venet shared an adage for staying flexible: "there are different paths up the mountain."
Connection
Relationships are key to resilience, "so anything that teachers can do to help foster relationships should be a priority right now," said Venet. She's heard from parents that some teachers are sending impersonal emails checking on whether students have logged into online learning. Such emails can have unintended consequences because people affected by trauma sometimes interpret neutral signals as negative. "I invite (educators) to be crystal, crystal clear with students that you miss them and you care about them," Venet said. And because the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted many types of relationships, she recommended that teachers also consider how to help students connect with each other, with family and with their community .
Empowerment
Empowerment applies to assignments, as well. "Now more than ever, kids don't need to be doing fake work. They don't need to be doing worksheets," said Venet. "Give them problems to solve. Ask what they're interested in. There's so much data coming out right now for them to be working with. There's so many stories coming out ... Give them tools to think about 'How am I affecting the world around me?'"

More advice for understanding trauma

In addition to the four priorities, Venet shared some reminders and cautions for teachers getting started with trauma-informed teaching .

Use trauma as "a lens, not a label" to understand students.

Trauma is a response, not an event. Do not assume that any particular child definitely did or did not experience something as trauma.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic is creating widespread anxiety, not all kids are experiencing it as stressful. Resources and relationships play a role.

For some students, school closures may be an escape from the stress or trauma caused by , bullying, not seeing themselves in the curriculum , test anxiety and other issues.

Social and emotional learning can help students, but the systemic issues that create stress and trauma also need to be addressed .

Trauma is not destiny. Healing is possible.

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Four Core Priorities for Trauma-Informed Distance Learning | KQED

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Not being able to see students face-to-face can create a huge challenge to educators who are teaching with a trauma informed lens. However, some of those in-person best practices can help inform what teachers do while distance learning.

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Oklahoma Resources for Distance Learning

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Oklahoma Resources for Distance Learning

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Prioritizing the safety and health of the school community, the State Board of Education has suspended all in-school activities for the remainder of the school year in order to contain community spread of COVID-19. Beginning April 6, 2020, districts and schools are to establish distance delivery methods for learning until the end of the school year.

Click here for a printable version

Distance learning is any method of learning that happens outside the traditional school building. The approach to distance learning will be different from school to school and district to district because student and staff access to technology and training will be different.

How do we meet the board's requirement to provide distance learning?

Whatever makes sense for you and your district is the best approach. How student learning continues is up to you. For those with very young students or whose communities have limited broadband access, that may look like teacher-developed packets of learning materials sent and reviewed at regular intervals.

For others who have already been working with digital learning platforms, it might mean district-wide implementation of an off-the-shelf learning management system or a tool already used by many teachers, such as Google Classroom. For many, it will be some combination of traditional and digital learning, using a number of possible platforms.

We want to stress again, what you develop should make sense for you and your local community. We recognize that those closest to students and their families understand best how to serve them. The frameworks and resources on this page are to support, not dictate, how you should implement distance learning, in the short or longer term.

Distance learning will be, for many, a whole new way to "do school." It is best to start slow, adopt a "less is more" approach, consult the resources on this page as needed, talk to colleagues in other districts who may already be using distance learning and then let the creativity and autonomy of educators, who already have deep and meaningful connections to their students, lead you forward.

Engaging families will be essential to successful implementation of distance learning. Partnerships with families will be critical as you work together to make sure learning continues for the remainder of the school year and beyond.

As districts plan, they should consult with their local health departments and be aware of the following:

OSDE will work to eliminate barriers to a district's focus on the safety and health of students and staff and continue to provide guidance in a rapidly changing situation.

LEAs should develop their own plans using non-technological, virtual face-to-face interactions and online platforms. The emphasis at all times should be learning in a safe and healthy environment.

CCOSA, OSSBA, OEA, OPSRC and other support organizations are available to help as needed.

We must provide alternative educational opportunities to all student populations.

If you have questions about distance learning, please contact Aaron Espolt at aaron.espolt@sde.ok.gov or (405) 306-5477

Among the resources you will find on this page are:

Important Considerations Before You Begin

How to Develop & Implement a Distance Learning Plan

Digital Learning Plans: Questions & Considerations

Infrastructure

Family Considerations

Teaching and Learning

Communication

Attendance

Equity

General Recommendations, Tips & Expectations

How to Tackle Local Connectivity Issues

Technology Guidelines, Training & Resources

IT Support & Passwords

Technology Training for Staff

Video Conferencing/Video Recording Tools

Learning Management Systems

Curriculum Content Providers

General Recommendations, Tips & Expectations

High-Level Planning

Student Instructional Supports & Interactions

Technology & Online Instruction

Tips for Elementary Teachers

Tips for Middle & High School Teachers

Sample Schedule for Instruction Learning by Age

Grade Band & Content Area Instruction Guidance

Learning Packets

Early Childhood (PreK-Grade 2)

Elementary (Grades 3-5)

Secondary (Middle & High School)

English Language Arts

Math & Science

Social Studies

Other Content Areas

Special Education

English Learners

Meal Service & Delivery

Waivers: Approved & Pending

How to Talk to Children About COVID-19

Reactions to Expect From Children and How to Help

Educator Guide to Social-Emotional Learning

Additional Social-Emotional Resources

Latest FAQs for Oklahoma Public Schools

OSDE is updating its FAQs on a continuous basis to reflect the most recent information available on State Board action, CDC recommendations and guidance from USDE, USDA and other federal authorities. Communication about the pandemic will continue to change over time, which may make earlier versions of FAQs obsolete.

View the latest FAQs for Oklahoma public schools here.

Updated FAQs will also be available on OSDE's COVID-19 Resources & FAQs web page located at sde.ok.gov/coronavirus.

Essential Resources for Families

As schools move to distance learning in the wake of COVID-19, families and caregivers are now facing a new role in ensuring their children are taking the necessary steps to finish schoolwork each day at home.

Learn how to maximize your child's at-home learning time by following the tips for families below.

Work with your child to designate a space for learning that will limit distractions as they complete their school work.

Create a schedule. At times when life does not feel normal, helping students stay on a routine is helpful. Remember to maintain time for breaks, lunch and snacks, as well as walks and play.

Allow children time to interact with friends virtually or on the phone. This will help them maintain relationships and continue to build their social skills.

Emphasize that learning will continue even though it is not occurring in the normal setting.

New Resource - Engaging Families to Support Distance Learning

NOTE: Additional resources for families will be posted soon.

District Readiness Surveys for Teachers & Families

The following surveys will assist districts in determining local access to technology, internet and at-home resources. The information gathered through these surveys will aid districts as they transition to a distance learning environment while ensuring districts are responsive to the needs of local school personnel and households

View the District Staff Readiness Survey template, which can be used to gauge the abilities and preparedness of your staff before you develop your distance learning plan.

View the Family/Caregiver Survey template, which can be used to identify technology capabilities in students' households. We encourage you to gather this information in multiple ways: Online surveys, social media groups, all calls, polls, etc.

Note: Please do not edit or answer directly on the surveys linked above. Districts may, however, make copies to use/modify the surveys for local use. If copies aren't created, the results will go to the Oklahoma Department of Education and not to your individual school districts.

Essential Resources for Administrators

As you lead the development of your district's distance learning plan, focus on communication and input while emphasizing order and a cohesive culture. Without appropriate framing and reasonable expectations, staff may quickly become overwhelmed. Don't get stuck on perfection. Learn fast, be flexible, adapt and develop a feedback cycle with multiple check-ins.

Remember that you know your families and community best and understand how to meet their needs. In developing your plan, consider the following:

Technology available to students (internet, social media, devices, etc.)

Student/family needs and preferences. Include opportunities for family suggestions and feedback.

See the District Readiness Surveys above for ways to gather this information from your local community.

Devise stakeholder groups to assist you during this process. These could include students, teachers, administrators and families, among others.

Hold an all-staff virtual meeting.

Communicate with the community.

Teachers should:

Hold an all-staff virtual meeting.

Day 4

Hold an all-staff virtual meeting.

Infrastructure

Family Considerations

Teaching and Learning

Communication

Attendance

Possible ways to track attendance:

Equity

Additional resources are below:

Internet Connection

IT Support & Passwords

Technology Training for Staff

Popular screencasting tools:

Learning Management Systems

Curriculum Content Providers

Essential Resources for Teachers

Teachers should keep in mind that distance learning is providing students with continued learning opportunities at home. It may, or may not, include technology. To support students and families through distance learning, it is important to establish a local district policy and approach for distance learning.

For example, a district policy might be: Although the campus is temporarily closed, "school" continues as we engage students with experiences that provide opportunities for distance learning and help them stay connected with teachers and classmates. These learning experiences offer opportunities to focus on key concepts, knowledge and skills. They emphasize interaction and creativity and involve a balance of on-screen and off-screen tasks that help reinforce previous learning.

High-Level Planning

Technology & Online Instruction

Tips for Elementary Teachers

Learning Packets

Elementary (3rd-5th Grade)

General guidance for all subjects:

Special Education & English Learner Resources

Guidance

Key questions to address:

Key questions to address:

Key questions to address:

Additional Resources

Child Nutrition Resources

APPROVED: Area Eligibility Waiver

Social-Emotional Learning Resources

Age group: Preschool

How to help:

Age group: Elementary (Ages 6-10)

How to help:

How to help:

Why teach social-emotional skills?

What is social-emotional learning?

Administrators & Counselors:

Teachers & Parents:

OSDE would like to thank the Kansas Department of Education and the Kansas Continuous Learning Task Force for sharing their work and allowing Oklahoma to use some of their materials in the creation of this guidance.

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Oklahoma Resources for Distance Learning

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Prioritizing the safety and health of the school community, the State Board of Education has suspended all in-school activities for the remainder of the school year in order to contain community spread of COVID-19. Beginning April 6, 2020, districts and schools are to establish distance delivery methods for learning until the end of the school year.

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SEL Roadmap

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Reunite, Renew, and Thrive: Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Roadmap for Reopening School - CASEL

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As educators across the country prepared to welcome students and adults back to school in Fall 2020, they faced the layered impact of school closures, the COVID-19 pandemic, and racial inequities exacerbated by the pandemic and amplified by the nationwide mobilization for racial justice.

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Social Emotional Learning Tool Kit from Indiana

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Social Emotional Learning Tool Kit from Indiana

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Our faculty at George Mason University have been teaching live online classes for years and know exactly how to engage students in interactive and rich learning. We also have years of experience as math specialists which combined, makes for practical and engaging learning.